EIA - Two out of three of EIA’s measures of natural gas production in the United States set records in 2017. U.S. natural gas production measured as gross withdrawals reached 90.9 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2017, the highest volume on record according to EIA’s Monthly Crude Oil, Lease Condensate, and Natural Gas Production Report. U.S. natural gas production measured as marketed natural gas production also reached a new high, but dry natural gas production did not exceed 2015 levels.

REUTERS - On Tuesday, Washington unveiled some $50 billion worth of proposed tariffs on Chinese imports and on Thursday Trump upped the ante, directing U.S. trade officials to identify tariffs on another $100 billion of Chinese imports. He said this was “in light of China’s unfair retaliation” against the earlier U.S. trade action. China responded by saying it was fully prepared to respond with a “fierce counter strike” if the United States followed through on the new threat.

U.S.DT - The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), in consultation with the Department of State, today designated seven Russian oligarchs and 12 companies they own or control, 17 senior Russian government officials, and a state-owned Russian weapons trading company and its subsidiary, a Russian bank.

WNN - Japan's Toshiba announced today that it has completed the sale to Brookfield of its shareholding in Toshiba Nuclear Energy Holdings (US) Inc - the indirect holding company of Westinghouse Electric Company. The sale is independent of Brookfield's acquisition of Westinghouse and some of its affiliates.

BAKER HUGHES A GE - U.S. Rig Count is up 10 rigs from last week to 1,003, with oil rigs up 11 to 808, gas rigs unchanged at 194, and miscellaneous rigs down 1 to 1. Canada Rig Count is down 23 rigs from last week to 111, with oil rigs down 23 rigs to 48 and gas rigs unchanged at 63.

EIA - Annual average U.S. crude oil production reached 9.3 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2017, an increase of 464,000 b/d from 2016 levels after declining by 551,000 b/d in 2016. In November 2017, monthly U.S. crude oil production reached 10.07 million b/d, the highest monthly level of crude oil production in U.S. history.

BEA - The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced that the goods and services deficit was $57.6 billion in February, up $0.9 billion from $56.7 billion in January.

ENERGYNOW - The head of one of Canada’s largest banks is urging the federal government to stem the flow of investment capital from this country to the United States — because, he warns, it’s already leaving in “real time.”

EIA - US oil production averaged 9.964 million b/d in January, up nearly 1.14 million b/d compared with January 2017, but about 102,000 b/d below November's record domestic output,

BEA - Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 2.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017. In the third quarter, real GDP increased 3.2 percent.

WNN - Westinghouse Electric Company's reorganisation plan - including its sale to Brookfield - has been approved by the US Bankruptcy Court. Westinghouse said the court's approval of the plan is a "significant milestone in the company's strategic restructuring".

BAKER HUGHES A GE - U.S. Rig Count is down 2 rigs from last week to 993, with oil rigs down 7 to 797, gas rigs up 4 to 194 and miscellaneous rigs up 1 to 2. Canada Rig Count is down 27 rigs from last week to 134, with oil rigs down 22 to 71 and gas rigs down 5 to 63.

EIA - U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) reached 1.94 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2017, up from 0.5 Bcf/d in 2016. As LNG exports increased, shipments went to more destinations. U.S. LNG exports in 2017, all of which originated from Louisiana’s Sabine Pass liquefaction terminal, reached 25 countries.

U.S. - CHINA TRADE WAR

WNN - Both houses of the US Congress have approved an omnibus appropriations bill including USD1.2 billion for nuclear energy. The bill will see the suspension of sales by the Department of Energy (DOE) of surplus uranium to pay for decommissioning work at the former Portsmouth uranium enrichment plant.