U.S. Rig Count is down 11 rigs from last week to 894, with oil rigs down 11 to 668, gas rigs down 1 to 221, and miscellaneous rigs up 1 to 5.

A major challenge ahead for the offshore oil and gas industry will be figuring out how to fill the 50 million-b/d gap in liquids production that will be needed to match rising demand by 2040, IHS Energy Chief Upstream Strategist Bob Fryklund told attendees May 4 at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston.

While analysts speculate just how low prices have to drop before Saudi Arabia cuts production longtime Saudi oil minister Ali al-Naimi said he has the answer: It’s up to Allah.

Recent and projected increases in U.S. crude oil production have sparked discussion about how current limitations on crude exports affect prices, including world and domestic crude oil and petroleum product prices, and the level of domestic crude production and refining activity.

Condensate is especially important now because it’s not covered by sanctions on Russia’s oil industry that have targeted Arctic drilling and shale projects. Production of the ultra- light crude will swell as much as 17% this year, according to estimates by Gazprombank. That makes it a key factor driving growth, said Alexander Nazarov, an analyst at the country’s third biggest lender.

Occidental Petroleum Corp boosted its 2015 production forecast on Wednesday after reporting an adjusted quarterly profit in line with expectations as cost cuts helped balance the recent drop in oil prices. Occidental raised its 2015 output forecast by 20,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d), citing “a more optimistic outlook for the remainder of the year.”

A flagship Russian gas project may soon test Moscow’s newfound willingness to cede greater control of its energy assets to Beijing in exchange for much-needed Chinese financing.

The gas war between Russia and the West has been limited to the verbal so far and not seen any casualties except for the cancellation of the South Stream project.

China appointed new heads for each of its three national oil companies on Monday, in a sweeping reshuffle of the industry at the heart of its two-year anti-corruption drive.

Banks in the U.S. are cutting credit lines to energy companies and forcing firms to cough up more collateral to guard against fallout from the past year’s plunge in oil prices, a Federal Reserve survey found.

U.S. Rig Count is down 27 rigs from last week to 905, with oil rigs down 24 to 679, gas rigs down 3 to 222, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 4.

The head of oil in Saudi Arabia reaffirmed the country's commitment to supplying oil resources to meet increasing demand in Asia, Reuters reported. Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi recently visited China and said that oil demand in Asia is still strong, citing the increasing need for energy as the middle class grows.

Imports from the European Union (EU) will drop because Russian gas is now competitive, according to state-run NAK Naftogaz Ukrainy. Flows from Slovakia, the EU’s biggest supplier to Ukraine, may fall by a quarter from May, Tomas Marecek, the chairman of Slovak grid operator Eustream, said.

Russian oil and gas condensate production, among the world's largest, remained at a post-Soviet record level of 10.71 million barrels per day in April, underpinned by a recent recovery in oil prices, Energy Ministry data showed on Saturday.

Monthly average crude oil prices increased in February. The average domestic crude oil first purchase price rose $1.29 (3.0 percent), to $44.35 per barrel.