“The economy has held up surprisingly well when you consider the stresses on it” that include Western sanctions preventing banks and oil companies from issuing debt and imposing bans on high-tech oil equipment purchases, said Christopher Miller, Associate Director of the Brady-Johnson Grand Strategy Program at Yale ISS. “The reason is that government policies since 2008 have been relatively effective,” he said in a Feb. 18 presentation at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Tarija hosted a working meeting between Alexey Miller and Evo Morales, President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. The parties discussed a wide range of issues relating to the ongoing and future energy cooperation. This collaboration was noted to be strategic and long-term.

U.S. Rig Count is down 27 rigs from last week to 514, with oil rigs down 26 to 413, and gas rigs down 1 to 101. Canadian Rig Count is down 16 rigs from last week to 206, with oil rigs down 9 to 109, and gas rigs down 7 to 97.

Efficient joint efforts in the assets’ management enabled to reach remarkable increase of hydrocarbon production volumes both at brownfields and greenfields. Well-elaborated investment strategy provides favorable financial outcome from joint projects despite the challenging macroeconomic environment.

Full Year 2015 Highlights: • Earnings of $16.2 billion decreased 50 percent from $32.5 billion in 2014. • Earnings per share, assuming dilution, decreased 49 percent to $3.85. • Capital and exploration expenditures were $31.1 billion, down 19 percent from 2014. The company anticipates further reductions in 2016, with capital and exploration expenditures of $23.2 billion, a decrease of 25 percent from 2015. • Oil-equivalent production increased 3.2 percent from 2014, with liquids up 11 percent and natural gas down 5.7 percent. • Cash flow from operations and asset sales was $32.7 billion, including proceeds associated with asset sales of $2.4 billion. • The corporation distributed $15.1 billion to shareholders in 2015 through dividends and share purchases to reduce shares outstanding.

Feb. 3, 2016-- National Oilwell Varco, Inc. (NYSE:NOV) today reported fourth quarter 2015 net income of $85 million, or $0.23 per fully diluted share, excluding other items, down from $0.61 in the third quarter of 2015 on a comparable basis. Other items included pre-tax charges of $1,634 million for goodwill and other intangible asset write-downs, $139 million for restructuring and other charges (which included inventory write-downs, severance and facility closure costs, and other costs), and $7 million in FX losses due to a currency devaluation in Argentina. GAAP net loss for the quarter was $1,523 million, or $4.06 per fully diluted share.

Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) reported a loss of $588 million ($0.31 per share – diluted) for fourth quarter 2015, compared with earnings of $3.5 billion ($1.85 per share – diluted) in the 2014 fourth quarter. Foreign currency effects increased earnings in the 2015 quarter by $46 million, compared with an increase of $432 million a year earlier.

BP has taken around $1.5 billion in restructuring charges over the past five quarters; this total is expected to approach $2.5 billion by the end of 2016. BP expects to reduce the number of staff and contractor roles in the Upstream segment by around 4,000 during 2016 and by up to 3,000 from the Downstream by the end of 2017.

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: APC) today announced 2015 fourth-quarter results, reporting a net loss attributable to common stockholders of $1.250 billion, or $2.45 per share (diluted). These results include certain items typically excluded by the investment community in published estimates. In total, these items increased the net loss by $954 million, or $1.88 per share (diluted), on an after-tax basis. Cash flow from operating activities in the fourth quarter of 2015 was $257 million, and discretionary cash flow totaled $810 million.

Rosneft and General Electric signed a long-term cooperation program.

A desire to capitalise on distressed situations, grow international market share and acquire new technology will drive a surge in M&A activity in the global oilfield services sector during 2016.

U.S. Rig Count is down 18 rigs from last week to 619, with oil rigs down 12 to 498, and gas rigs down 6 to 121.

In addition to a £250m UK City Deal signed earlier in the day, the PM has set out an action plan of further measures to help build a bridge to the future for the industry, which is vital for our energy security and has been at the heart of the UK economy for decades, generating jobs, skills and growth.

The shareholders of both Royal Dutch Shell PLC and BG Group PLC have approved the proposed merger of the two companies, and the deal is set to close on Feb. 15, some 10 months after it was first reported

Baker Hughes Fourth Quarter and Annual Results: - Revenue of $3.4 billion for the quarter and $15.7 billion for the year - Sequential and year-over-year decremental operating margins for the quarter were 33% and 32%, respectively - GAAP net loss per share of $2.35 for the quarter, includes $2.14 per share of impairment and restructuring charges and merger-related costs - Free cash flow up 25% sequentially to $436 million for the quarter, and $1.2 billion for the year