Oil drilling in the United States will continue to fall in the first half of this year, and could even halve, according to major oil service companies looking to past slowdowns as a guide.

Schlumberger will spend about $1.7 billion for a minority stake in a big Russian energy company at a time when that country's relations with the West are under strain and as energy prices hit multiyear lows.

Eni SpA has made a new discovery of oil and gas in the West Melehia deep exploration prospect, located in the Melehia license, in the Western Desert of Egypt, 116 square miles (300 square kilometers) west of Alexandria.

Kuwait’s government on Sunday announced plans to spend $155bn on projects over the next five years despite the current slump of oil prices

Current market conditions might turn out to be positive for the industry in the long run also for another reason. Low prices are expected to bring along helpful rationalisation measures, which will have a positive impact on the bottom line.

The growing uncertainty surrounding oil prices presents a major challenge to all price forecasts. EIA's January Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), released yesterday, forecasts Brent crude oil prices averaging $58/bbl in 2015 and $75/bbl in 2016, with annual average WTI prices expected to be $3/bbl to $4/bbl below Brent.

Any lingering doubt about the depth of the crisis facing the U.S. energy industry is quickly evaporating as even the biggest firms slash spending amid the steepest oil price crash since the recession, sending ripples across the vast sector.

Global equity markets rebounded, with U.S. stocks capping five straight sessions of losses. European shares rose on growing expectations of economic stimulus from the European Central Bank.

In 2015, world oil demand is anticipated to rise by 1.15 mb/d, following an upward revision of 30 tb/d due to expectations of higher oil requirements in OECD America and Other Asia.

Norway’s oil revenues have been hit hard by a 50% drop in prices over the past six months and oil companies operating in Norway are set to reduce their capital expenditure by 15% on the year in 2015

The number of rigs drilling for oil in the US dropped sharply this week as plunging crude prices hit development of shale reserves, the most-watched survey of industry activity has shown.

December was the sixth consecutive month in which monthly average Brent prices decreased, falling $17/barrel (bbl) from November to a monthly average of $62/bbl, the lowest since May 2009. The December price decline reflects continued growth in U.S. tight oil production, strong global supply, and weakening outlooks for the global economy and oil demand growth.

The World Bank on Tuesday lowered its global growth forecast for 2015 and next year due to disappointing economic prospects in the euro zone, Japan and some major emerging economies that offset the benefit of lower oil prices.

Robust recovery in the United States, a moribund euro zone and slowing Chinese growth reflect global splits which plunging oil prices are likely to widen.

The market consensus is that the China is buying more oil than they need in order to fill strategic reserves.