With Russia's economy battered by economic sanctions and plunging oil prices, President Vladimir Putin has allowed the central bank to administer strong medicine, sharply raising interest rates even as it freed the rouble to float.

Cheap takeover targets in bombed-out sectors of the market have driven M&A activity to seven-year highs in 2014, with oil and gas sector deals coming in at a rate not seen on records going back to the 1970s

Crude Rises as China Rate Cut Spurs Optimism About Demand

Iran will protect its share of global crude sales under all circumstances, Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said, as OPEC members prepare to meet next week to review production levels.

Lower oil prices cut two ways for US economy

Russia can do little to shore up slumping global prices even if OPEC wants it to. Russian wells will freeze if they stop pumping oil, and the country cannot store the output it would otherwise export.

Demand for Russian gas is still there

The real threat for gas in Europe does not come from Russia, but from internal mechanisms that keep giving an edge to coal.

Oil and currency markets reflect expectations for lower global economic growth

North Sea Brent crude oil spot prices averaged $87/bbl in October, a decrease of $10/bbl from September and the first month Brent crude oil prices have averaged below $90/bbl since November 2010.

Brent crude prices will average $83/barrel in 2015, $18/barrel lower than last month’s outlook for 2015.

OPEC Diplomacy Picks Up With Iraq-to-Libya Chiefs

World chokepoints for maritime transit of oil are a critical part of global energy security. About 63% of the world's oil production moves on maritime routes. The Strait of Hormuz and the Strait of Malacca are the world's most important strategic chokepoints by volume of oil transit.

Dispute over Russian gas supplies to Ukraine should be resolved shortly since this country will not survive this winter without Russian gas.

Unseasonably cold temperatures this week led to big increases in heating demand for natural gas from the residential and commercial sectors. Weather forecasters expect the cold to continue into next week, which will likely result in more natural gas consumption.