Russia sees a range of options that would allow OPEC+ to continue output cooperation until year-end, from easing the limits to ending the extreme throttling-back that has seen some countries exceed original cutback targets.

"Work to increase production to full capacity will continue, and in early June Kashagan should reach production levels of 370,000-400,000 b/d due to the work carried out during the maintenance," it said.

Brent crude was up by 90 cents, or 1.3%, at $73.11 a barrel, U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up 71 cents, or 1.1% higher, at $63.47 a barrel.

OPEC+ would take action to offset losses of Iranian supply if market fundamentals justified it. However, no policy changes will be made until the next full OPEC+ meeting in Vienna, in June.

Crudes are being priced at Dated Brent discounts between $15/b and $17/b, FOB, according to a PDVSA report.

Iran has sent abroad between 250,000 bpd and 500,000 bpd of oil so far in May, according to two industry sources who track the flows. Data from Refinitiv Eikon put crude shipments at about 250,000 bpd and exports of crude and condensate, a light oil, at about 400,000 bpd.

Libya is currently pumping almost 1.3 million b/d, National Oil Corporation Chairman Mustafa Sanalla told reporters. While production and exports have so far been unaffected by the recent escalation in fighting between the self-styled Libyan National Army, forces loyal to the UN-backed government and other militia groups, the violence threatens to destroy oil fields and export infrastructure, he said.

U.S. crude oil production sustained a record-tying 12.1 million barrels per day (mb/d) in April while total petroleum demand was the highest for the month since 2007 at 20.2 million barrels per day.

July ICE Brent crude futures were up 35 cents/b (0.48%) from Thursday's settle to $72.97/b, while the NYMEX June light sweet crude contract gained 41 cents/b (0.65%) at $63.28/b.

The region needs more peace and stability to ensure the flow of oil supplies, Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, Secretary-General of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, has said, noting that, "Any tension that occurs in the region affects the whole world."

Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak said on Thursday Russian oil pipeline monopoly Transneft would provide compensation to all parties that could prove real damages from contaminated oil.

Brent crude futures were at $71.06 a barrel at 0646 GMT, down 18 cents, or 0.3%, from their last close. Brent ended 1.4% higher on Tuesday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $61.33 per barrel, down 45 cents, or 0.7%, from their previous settlement. WTI closed up 1.2% in the previous session.

IEA - Our headline growth estimate for 2019 has changed little since the middle of last year, but this month we cut it by 90 kb/d to a still healthy 1.3 mb/d.

The United States produced a record amount of energy from various sources in 2018, reaching 96 quadrillion British thermal units (quads), an 8% increase from 2017. This increase in production outpaced the 4% increase in U.S. energy consumption, which also reached a record high of 101 quads.

China's refinery crude throughput rose 5.1% year on year to 52.1 million mt, or 12.73 million b/d in April, a record high on barrel per day basis, preliminary data released Wednesday by the National Bureau of Statistics showed.