EIA - Brent crude oil spot prices averaged $74 per barrel (b) in June, a decrease of almost $3/b from the May average. EIA forecasts Brent spot prices will average $73/b in the second half of 2018 and will average $69/b in 2019. EIA expects West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil prices will average $6/b lower than Brent prices in the second half of 2018 and $7/b lower in 2019. NYMEX WTI futures and options contract values for October 2018 delivery that traded during the five-day period ending July 5, 2018, suggest a range of $56/b to $87/b encompasses the market expectation for October WTI prices at the 95% confidence level.

PLATTS - The Russian government is extending a production sharing agreement with France's Total for development of the Kharyaga oil field by 13 years to the end of 2031, in the latest sign that many Western majors' operations in Russia are continuing despite sanctions on the oil sector.

REUTERS - In June, India imported 592,800 barrels per day (bpd) of oil from Iran compared to 705,200 bpd in May, the data showed. The sources declined to be identified.

EIA - In recent years, as its domestic energy consumption has grown, China has become a more significant destination for U.S. energy exports. In particular, China has been among the largest importers of U.S. exports of crude oil, propane, and liquefied natural gas.

PLATTS - Oman's crude oil and condensate production in June jumped to its highest in eight months, another sign that key producers in the Middle East are beginning to pump more oil, the sultanate's oil ministry said in its latest monthly bulletin.

BLOOMBERG - The $10 billion refinery, set to be one of the world’s largest and process 650,000 barrels of crude a day, should be near full capacity by mid-2020, Edwin Devakumar, group executive director at Dangote Industries Ltd., said in an interview at the coastal site, about an hour’s drive east of Lagos.

REUTERS - Benchmark Brent LCOc1 was up 70 cents at $77.81 a barrel by 1150 GMT. U.S. crude CLc1 was unchanged at $73.80.

SHANA - Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh said that Iranian crude oil and exports had not been affected as a result of US’s pulling out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

REUTERS - Libya’s national oil production fell to 527,000 barrels per day (bpd) from a high of 1.28 million bpd in February following recent oil port closures, the head of the National Oil Corporation (NOC) said in a statement on Monday.

REUTERS - Yet by 0649 GMT, U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 16 cents, or 0.2 percent, from their last settlement at $73.10 per barrel. Brent crude futures LCOc1 were down 7 cents, or 0.1 percent, at $77.32.

МИНЭНЕРГО РОССИИ - В ходе телефонного разговора Министр энергетики Российской Федерации Александр Новак и Министр энергетики, промышленности и природных ресурсов Саудовской Аравии Халид аль-Фалих обсудили последние тенденции на мировом рынке нефти. Министры обменялись информацией о планах своих стран по производству нефти для удовлетворения спроса в летний период в свете решений, принятых в последние месяцы на 174-й встречи Конференции ОПЕК и 4-й Министерской встречи стран ОПЕК и не входящих в ОПЕК государств в Вене, направленных на корректировку коллективного уровня снижения добычи нефти со 147 процентов в мае 2018 до 100 процентов, начиная с 1 июля 2018 г., что соответствует увеличению добычи примерно на один миллион баррелей нефти в день.

ИРНА - Иран в течение прошедшего месяца (июнь), экспортировал 2,6 миллиона баррелей нефти в день в страны Азии и Европы, начиная с 20 марта 2017 года. Экспорт включал 2,280 млн баррелей нефти в сутки и 330 тыс. баррелей конденсата в сутки в течение одномесячного периода.

SHANA - Donald Trump's call on other countries to stop buying crude oil from Iran and putting European companies under pressure would be a kind of self-harm for the US leading to dramatic price hikes in the oil market, given Nigeria and Libya being crisis-stricken, Venezuela's crude oil output having plunged and Saudi Arabia's domestic consumption spike in summer, Iran's OPEC Governor says.

PLATTS - Kazakhstan's giant Kashagan oil field is achieving new production highs everymonth and has done better than 300,000 b/d, but development beyond the currentphase is likely to be about "discretionary step-ups" rather than giant steps,Shell country chair and vice president Olivier Lazare said Thursday.

REUTERS - U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 rose 46 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $74.60 a barrel at 0343 GMT (11.43 p.m. ET), compared with their last settlement. On Tuesday, WTI hit its highest since November 2014 at $75.27. Brent crude futures LCOc1 were changing hands at $78.10 per barrel, up 34 cents, or 0.4 percent, from their last close.