Exxon Mobil Corp. is negotiating with Chad’s government about a record $74 billion fine the oil company was told to pay last month by a court in the central African nation because of a dispute over royalties.

U.S. oil production down 20 tbd, gas production down 94 mcfd.

Nigeria aims to increase its crude oil output to 2.8 million b/d by 2019 and to 3 million b/d by 2020 from the current average of 2 million b/d, according to a short term policy document produced by the country's oil ministry.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries increased its crude oil output by 240,000 b/d during October to average 33.64 million b/d.

The downturn produced a leaner, more efficient U.S. shale industry that was forced to develop and quickly adapt new technology to compete with conventional oil supplies during a two-year period of depressed prices.

ConocoPhillips plans conservative financial and operating programs in 2017, planning for a longer-than-expected $50/b oil world by reducing its capital budget 4%, growing production up to 2% and forging technologies to squeeze out the last smidgen of resource from existing assets.

U.S. Rig Count is down 199 rigs from last year's count of 767, with oil rigs down 122, gas rigs down 78, and miscellaneous rigs up 1. Canadian Rig Count is unchanged from last year's count of 176, with oil rigs up 21 and gas rigs down 21.

Supply growth from nations outside the OPEC will be “just shy” of 500,000 barrels a day, an increase of 110,000 barrels a day from the agency’s forecast last month, it said Thursday. Russian production is likely to grow by 190,000 barrels a day, building on a 230,000-barrel increase in 2016.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Thursday global crude oil output could be frozen at November levels if the world's leading oil producers reach an agreement on Nov. 30.

Libya, a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, is struggling to boost crude production and exports since the NOC reached an agreement in September with Khalifa Haftar, the commander of forces controlling important oil ports. As a result of the deal, the country was able to ship 781,000 barrels from the port of Ras Lanuf on Sept. 21, the first international cargo from that terminal since force majeure was declared in December 2014.

The North Sea oil and gas industry currently faces fierce global competition to attract investment, with the combined challenges of a low oil price, a maturing industry and uncertainty for the sector. Oil & Gas UK’s recently published Economic Report 2016 found that investment in the UK continental shelf has fallen to around £9 billion this year, from a record £14.8 billion in 2014, illustrating the difficulty for investors in accessing finance for asset development.

Iran wants $200bn of investment in its energy industry over the next five years in order to raise production. Until now the country has been struggling to persuade overseas energy companies to commit amid wrangling over the contract terms offered by Tehran.

OPEC raised its outlook for oil use in 2018, 2019 and 2020, when it sees demand reaching 98.3 million barrels a day, or 900,000 more than the group projected in its previous annual outlook.

OPEC, which pumps about 40 percent of the world’s oil, meets on Nov. 30 in Vienna to try to implement its first cuts in eight years after agreeing to trim output in Algiers at the end of September. Two years ago Saudi Arabia faced an impasse, Al-Naimi said, commenting on OPEC’s decision to pump without limits.

Sinopec Ltd. reported that Fuling shale gas field in southwestern China produced a cumulative 3.76 billion cu m of gas from January to September. The 107% increase in production was accompanied by additional processing capacity of 5.5-6.5 bcm, the company said. In 2014, Sinopec announced plans to bring production capacity to 10 bcm/year by 2017.