In common with other oil companies, the European trio are looking to divest non-core assets to help shore up their balance sheets and defend dividends at a time of mounting pressure from the prolonged weakness in oil prices.

China is a huge opportunity and a priority market for Azerbaijan. More than 50 agreements have been signed between the two countries so far. Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation has recently opened a representative office in China to support and encourage relations between the two countries' businessmen, as well as expand Azerbaijan's exports to the Chinese market and attract China's leading investment funds to the Azerbaijan economy.

During the visit, President Rouhani attended trilateral talks among Iran, Russia and Azerbaijan and conferred with his Russian and Azeri counterparts on expansion of trilateral cooperation in commerce, energy, telecommunications, environment, fight against terrorism, transportation and transit of goods.

The worldwide rig count for July 2016 was 1,481, up 74 from the 1,407 counted in June 2016, and down 686 from the 2,167 counted in July 2015.

Debt levels are currently rising at an annual rate of 11.5 percent, more than double the 5.1 percent witnessed between 2009 and 2014.

Iran is introducing a new contract framework for its energy deals to sweeten them for foreign financiers.

"Not only willing to cooperate with Zarubezhneft Company as investor in the fields, we are also calling for fully benefiting from their state of art technology,"

Crisis in the global energy industry provides a unique opportunity to expand Rosneft and PDVSA cooperation, which may have a substantial effect on the global oil markets balancing.

Oil consumption growth in the current fiscal year will likely exceed 10.9% of the previous year, if the current consumption trend continues, an oil ministry arm has said. A 7.8% jump in the consumption of petroleum products in the country in April-June, compared to 5.2% in the year-ago period.

Iran's failure to get full access to the global financial system a year after it signed the nuclear deal with world powers has intensified domestic political infighting. It has also turned up the heat on President Hassan Rouhani, a pragmatist facing re-election next year, who has gambled on attracting foreign investment to help raise voters' living standards.

The Bangka project, majority owned by Chevron, will start operation in August, Wiratmaja Puja, the director general of oil and gas at Indonesia's Energy Ministry, told Reuters in an interview. Italian oil firm Eni's Jangkrik project is 80 percent complete and is expected to commence operation in July 2017, he said.

U.S. Rig Count is up 1 rig from last week to 463, with oil rigs up 3 to 374, gas rigs down 2 to 86, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 3. Canadian Rig Count is up 17 rigs from last week to 119, with oil rigs up 12 to 60, gas rigs up 5 to 58, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 1.

Brent crude oil prices averaged at the lowest level since 2004, significantly reducing profits and cash flow for energy companies.

Directors welcomed the ambitious reform goals announced by the authorities in Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program, and underscored the importance of clear prioritization and sequencing of the planned reforms to reduce implementation risks and give the economy time to adjust. They supported the authorities’ plan to increase the role of the private sector in the economy by focusing on privatization and public-private partnerships, improve the business environment, develop local capital markets, encourage FDI, and support small and medium enterprises. Directors noted that continued labor market and education reforms are needed to encourage private sector employment of Saudi nationals and increase labor force participation of women.

Nearly 400,000 UK households left British Gas in the first six months of this year, as the company found its market share being taken by independent energy suppliers.