PLATTS - Russia's largest crude oil producer, Rosneft, is in a position to add 100,000 b/d to production in a few days if the conditions of the OPEC/non-OPEC production cut deal are eased, analysts at Aton said in a research note released following meetings with Rosneft officials.

SHANA - The Iranian Minister of Petroleum further stressed that should the sanctions lead to any reduction in the oil market share of the I.R. Iran, Tehran, once the illegal limitations were resolved, reserves the right to return to its oil market share in the shortest possible time and resume its normal production-level and that it would not accept any limitations in that regard.

BAKER HUGHES A GE - U.S. Rig Count is up 1 rig from last week to 1,060, with oil rigs up 2 to 861 and gas rigs down 1 to 197. Canada Rig Count is up 18 rigs from last week to 99 rigs, with oil rigs up 21 to 56 and gas rigs down 3 to 43.

EIA - U.S. oil production up to 10.474 MBD, gas production up to 98,323 MCFD

REUTERS - Environmentalists derided the “tar sands” as too dirty for investment, and analysts said the region’s high production costs made little sense in a world of $50-a-barrel oil.

REUTERS - The global oil industry should ramp up investment to ensure it can cope with future consumption growth and avoid supply shortages, OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo told a conference in Baku.

EIA - Financial Review of the Global Oil and Natural Gas Industry: 2017 - Brent crude oil daily average prices were $54.75 per barrel in 2017—21% higher than 2016 levels - Excluding proved reserve acquisitions, upstream costs incurred increased from 2016 levels but remained lower than 2008–15 levels - Proved reserves additions in 2017 approached the highest levels in the 2008–17 period - Finding plus lifting costs fell to $29 dollars per barrel of oil equivalent in 2017, the lowest level in the 2008–17 period - The energy companies reduced debt in 2017, the first year in the 2008–17 period - Refiners with global refining assets reduced distillation capacity for the eighth consecutive year

OPEC - The JMMC reported that participating countries have achieved a conformity level of 152% during the fourth month of the second year of the Declaration of Cooperation. This demonstrates the commitment of participating countries to the restoration of market stability, which is intended to serve the long term interests of producers, consumers and the global economy.

Novak Saudi Russia Oil Policy Shift OPEC

PLATTS - Novak also confirmed that Russia would like to lift production ceilings under the OPEC-led output cut deal in which Russia agreed to gradually cut 300,000 b/d. The deal, in place since January 2017, has 24 OPEC and non-OPEC countries jointly cutting a combined 1.8 million b/d.

PLATTS - "At end of the day as important as Russia and Saudi Arabia are in terms of the largest countries, we have to be sensitive to views of all countries and will be consulting with all of them," Falih told a key energy session at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

BAKER HUGHES A GE - U.S. Rig Count is up 13 rigs from last week to 1,059, with oil rigs up 15 to 859, gas rigs down 2 to 198, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 2. Canada Rig Count is down 2 rigs from last week to 81, with oil rigs down 3 to 35 and gas rigs up 1 to 46.

FT - "We will discuss the current situation, the outlook and possible further actions to be taken within the framework of our deal. Speaking of relaxing the deal: it is possible but should be based on a thorough analysis of the situation," Mr Novak told the Financial Times. "Generally speaking, we are quite flexible."

EIA - The United States remained the world's top producer of petroleum and natural gas hydrocarbons in 2017, reaching a record high. The United States has been the world's top producer of natural gas since 2009, when U.S. natural gas production surpassed that of Russia, and the world's top producer of petroleum hydrocarbons since 2013, when U.S. production exceeded Saudi Arabia’s. Since 2008, U.S. petroleum and natural gas production has increased by nearly 60%.

BLOOMBERG - The fund shocked markets around the world in November when it asked for permission to divest oil and gas companies to reduce financial risk, arguing Norway as a whole is already heavily exposed to oil as western Europe’s biggest petroleum producer. At the time of the proposal, the fund held about $40 billion of shares in oil giants such as Exxon Mobil Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc.