Iran is ramping up its energy industry after international sanctions restricting its access to financing and global oil markets were lifted in January. Since then, the country has boosted oil output to near pre-sanctions levels and raised natural gas production at the South Pars gas field on the Gulf coast.

This arguably should have benefited the U.S. economy because lower gasoline prices aid consumers by lowering their fixed expenses. But the pain of investment losses largely outweighed the positive effects as investors from Main Street to pensions and foundations lent piles of money to speculative energy companies that looked increasingly fragile.

We expect to see robust demand for oil and gas for decades to come, in a global energy system in a long-term transition to lower carbon fuels. As well as low oil prices today, we are seeing higher levels of price volatility, due to geopolitical change, the speed of information flows, and the pace of innovation in our sector.

The worldwide rig count for May 2016 was 1,405, down 19 from the 1,424 counted in April 2016, and down 722 from the 2,127 counted in May 2015.

"The fact that OPEC agreed on its new management shows they want to regain their coordinating role. The cartel will perform market management again," Alekperov, chief executive of Russian energy firm Lukoil, said after meeting Falih and Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh separately in Vienna.

In 1Q 2016, LUKOIL Group total hydrocarbon production (including our share in equity affiliates) increased by 0.5% y-o-y and reached 214.2 mln boe. Crude oil and NGL production was 183 mln bbl (-0.2% y-o-y). On an organic basis (excluding the impact of divestment of certain producing assets in Kazakhstan in 2015), oil production was up by 0.6% y-o-y with production decline at mature fields in Western Siberia more than offset by an increase in production in Iraq and projects in Timan-Pechora, Ural region and Northern Caspian in Russia.

U.S. Rig Count is up 4 rigs from last week to 408, with oil rigs up 9 at 325, gas rigs down 5 to 82, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 1. Canadian Rig Count is down 2 rigs from last week to 41, with oil rigs down 1 to 13, gas rigs unchanged at 28, and miscellaneous rigs down 1 at 0.

Banks are increasingly requiring U.S. oil and gas companies to maintain minimum levels of liquidity, an unusual step that could help reduce the risk of being exposed to companies struggling to maintain operations and repay debt.

US crude oil production in March averaged 9.127 million b/d, down from 9.133 million b/d in February and 9.648 million b/d in March 2015.

Russia’s crude production continuing to grow this year by around 100,000 b/d or even slightly above this figure. The growth is supported by investments made in previous years.

Indonesia's oil and gas company PT Pertamina seeks the possibility to develop oil and gas fields in Iran and import liquefied natural gas (LPG) from the Middle East country.

The aggregate net debt of the 15 largest North American and European oil groups rose to $383bn at the end of March, up $97bn from 12 months ago.

U.S. Rig Count is unchanged from last week at 404, with oil rigs down 2 to 316, gas rigs up 2 to 87, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 1. Canadian Rig Count is down 1 rig from last week to 43, with oil rigs down 2 to 14, gas rigs up 1 to 28, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 1.

Established in 1998, Petropars was founded to contribute toward the development of Iran’s vast energy resources. It specializes as a developer of exploration, exploitation and production in upstream projects.

International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol said last month that global upstream investment fell by 24 percent in 2015 and is set to fall by 18 percent in 2016.