U.S. BEA - The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced today that the goods and services deficit was $50.1 billion in July, up $4.3 billion from $45.7 billion in June, revised.

FT - Higher energy prices and a weakened rouble saw second-quarter profits soar at three of Russia’s largest oil and gas groups, underlining a strong earnings season for the country’s energy industry that has weathered international sanctions to reap strong earnings.

BAKER HUGHES A GE - U.S. Rig Count is up 4 rigs from last week to 1,048, with oil rigs up 2 to 862, gas rigs up 2 to 184, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 2. Canada Rig Count is down 1 rig from last week to 228, with oil rigs down 2 to 151 and gas rigs up 1 to 77.

U.S. BEA - Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 4.2 percent in the second quarter of 2018, according to the "second" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the first quarter, real GDP increased 2.2 percent.

REUTERS - Iran’s crude oil and condensate exports in August are set to drop below 70 million barrels for the first time since April 2017, well ahead of the Nov. 4 start date for a second round of U.S. economic sanctions.

REUTERS - The lawsuit filed with the ICJ says the U.S. sanctions, which are damaging the already weak Iranian economy, violate terms of a little-known friendship treaty between the two countries.

REUTERS - Ukraine government should consider looking for alternatives to natural gas supplies from Russia.

BAKER HUGHES A GE - U.S. Rig Count is down 13 rigs from last week to 1,044, with oil rigs down 9 to 860, gas rigs down 4 to 182, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 2. Canada Rig Count is up 17 rigs from last week to 229, with oil rigs up 12 to 153 and gas rigs up 5 to 76.

U.S. API - API emphasized the counterproductive effects of Section 301 tariffs on America’s natural gas and oil sector, underscoring the damaging impact that Chinese retaliatory tariffs would have on U.S. LNG exports, and urged the Administration not to impose additional tariffs on Chinese products at today’s hearing before the U.S. Trade Representative on Section 301.

FT - The German official welcomed an agreement reached earlier this month between the Caspian littoral states — Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan — on a legal framework for sharing the Caspian, the world’s largest inland body of water.

OGJ - the ICC tribunal awarded ConocoPhillips $2.04 billion after PDVSA failed to uphold its contractual commitments. The award applies to contracts ConocoPhillips had with PDVSA and two of its subsidiaries in the Hamaca and Petrozuata heavy crude oil projects expropriated by the government and to fiscal changes enacted before the nationalizations in 2007.

U.S. API - The American Petroleum Institute’s latest monthly statistical report shows the U.S. set a record for the production of natural gas liquids (NGL) last month producing 4.4 million barrels per day (mb/d). July also saw the U.S. tie its record for crude oil production at 10.7 mb/d.

BAKER HUGHES A GE - U.S. Rig Count is unchanged at 1,057 rigs, with oil rigs unchanged at 869, gas rigs unchanged at 186, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 2. Canada Rig Count is up 3 rigs from last week to 212, with oil rigs up 1 to 141 and gas rigs up 2 to 71.

REUTERS - Japanese utilities and industrial companies are snapping up U.S. cargoes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) that are seeking a new home after Chinese buyers started to shun them amid an escalating trade war between Washington and Beijing.

U.S. FRB - Industrial production edged up 0.1 percent in July after rising at an average pace of 0.5 percent over the previous five months. Manufacturing production increased 0.3 percent, the output of utilities moved down 0.5 percent, and, after posting five consecutive months of growth, the index for mining declined 0.3 percent. At 108.0 percent of its 2012 average, total industrial production was 4.2 percent higher in July than it was a year earlier. Capacity utilization for the industrial sector was unchanged in July at 78.1 percent, a rate that is 1.7 percentage points below its long-run (1972–2017) average.