U.S. Rig Count is up 288 rigs from last year's count of 480, with oil rigs up 231, gas rigs up 57, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged. Canadian Rig Count is up 217 rigs from last year's count of 98, with oil rigs up 152 and gas rigs up 65.

Brent crude oil was up 15 cents at $52.34 a barrel by 0900 GMT, after falling 1.7 percent on Thursday and 5 percent the day before in its biggest percentage decline in a year. U.S. crude oil was up 15 cents at $49.43 a barrel. It fell below $50 on Thursday for the first since December. U.S. crude is on track for a drop of more than 7 percent this week, its biggest weekly fall for five months.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will comply fully with its OPEC commitment to reduce oil production by more than 139,000 barrels per day (bpd) in March and April, the Gulf OPEC member's energy minister Suhail said on Thursday.

US Census Bureau data showed US crude exports rising by 304,000 b/d to 746,000 b/d in January, which was followed by a report by the US Energy Information Administration showing US crude exports averaging 900,000 b/d in the four weeks ending February 24.

Shell will sell to a subsidiary of Canadian Natural Resources Limited (“Canadian Natural”) its entire 60 percent interest in AOSP, its 100 percent interest in the Peace River Complex in-situ assets, including Carmon Creek, and a number of undeveloped oil sands leases in Alberta, Canada. The consideration to Shell from Canadian Natural is approximately $8.5 billion (C$11.1 billion), comprised of $5.4 billion in cash plus around 98 million Canadian Natural shares currently valued at $3.1 billion. Canadian Natural is one of Canada’s largest energy companies and a leader in the oil sands, with a market capitalisation of approximately $35 billion (C$46 billion). Separately and under the second agreement, Shell and Canadian Natural will jointly acquire and own equally Marathon Oil Canada Corporation (“MOCC”), which holds a 20 percent interest in AOSP, from an affiliate of Marathon Oil Corporation for $1.25 billion each, to be settled in cash. The combination of these transactions will result in a net consideration of $7.25 billion to Shell.

Brent crude LCOc1 was down 3 cents at $55.98 a barrel as of 1020 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 was flat at $53.20. Both benchmarks have traded in negative and positive territory since the start of Asia trading.

Министр поблагодарил своего саудовского коллегу за усилия по достижению успеха соглашения между странами ОПЕК и ведущими не-ОПЕКовскими производителями нефти по координации действий на нефтяном рынке. «Хотел бы еще раз поблагодарить в Вашем лице руководство Саудовской Аравии за решающий вклад в продвижение столь важного для мировой нефтяной индустрии и мировой экономики в целом процесса, способствующего восстановлению баланса спроса и предложения на рынке нефти и поддержанию инвестиционной привлекательности отрасли в долгосрочной перспективе», - заявил Александр Новак.

Brent crude futures dropped 47 cents, or 0.8 percent, to $55.43 a barrel as of 0749 GMT after settling 1.5 percent higher in the previous session. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 47 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $52.86 a barrel after closing the previous session up 1.4 percent.

Александр Новак прогнозирует стоимость эталонной корзины Brent в 2017 году на уровне $55-60 за баррель, тогда как Urals будет торговаться с дисконтом в $2-3 за баррель к североморскому эталону.

Арктика — это наш стратегический ресурс в будущем, в этом регионе сосредоточено порядка 260 млрд т условного топлива, или 60% извлекаемых ресурсов углеводородов в России.

Myanmar, one of the oldest oil and gas industries in the region and a country which exported its first crude oil centuries ago, is again emerging as a bright spot for overseas investors after sanctions, which were imposed on the country during a long period of military rule and political unrest, were lifted in 2012.

Oil closed at the lowest level in more than three weeks as record U.S. crude inventories were seen jeopardizing OPEC’s efforts to drain a global surplus.

Global benchmark Brent LCOc1 was up 19 cents at $55.27 a barrel at 0941 GMT, recovering some of Thursday's losses that amounted to more than 2 percent. WTI futures CLc1 traded at $52.69 a barrel, up 8 cents on the previous close.

World's top crude exporter Saudi Arabia cut April prices of light crude it sells to Asia for the first time in three months in a bid to shore up demand in an oversupplied market, trade sources said.

Средняя цена нефти марки Urals по итогам января – февраля 2017 года составила $ 53,32 за баррель.