Woodfibre LNG, a subsidiary of Singapore-based Pacific Oil and Gas Ltd., is finalizing its engineering, procurement and construction contract, which company president David Keane expects to sign “at the end of the summer or shortly thereafter” before construction begins on the LNG export facility in Squamish, British Columbia.

U.S. energy firms had interests in the South China Sea and Washington was “committed to bolstering the energy security of our partners and allies in the Indo-Pacific region and in ensuring uninterrupted regional oil and gas production for the global market.”U.S. warships have conducted periodic “freedom of navigation” operations in the South China Sea to challenge China’s claim to nearly all of the strategic waterway.

U.S. petroleum and natural gas production increased by 16% and by 12%, respectively, in 2018, and these totals combined established a new production record.

U.S. LNG exports set new records in June and July 2019 at 4.8 Bcf/d and 5.2 Bcf/d, respectively,

Total U.S. petroleum demand averaged 20.8 million barrels per day (mb/d) in July 2019, which represented a 0.9% year-over-year increase and the highest demand for the month since 2005,

The sum total in June of all net foreign acquisitions of long-term securities, short-term U.S. securities, and banking flows was a net TIC inflow of $1.7 billion. Of this, net foreign private inflows were $6.1 billion, and net foreign official outflows were $4.5 billion.

U.S. Rig Count is up 1 rig from last week to 935, with oil rigs up 6 to 770, gas rigs down 4 to 165, and miscellaneous rigs down 1 to 0. Canada Rig Count is up 2 rigs from last week to 142, with oil rigs up 7 to 101 and gas rigs down 5 to 41.

The US is set to impose sanctions on Rosneft if it continues to trade crude oil and fuel with Venezuela's PDVSA in exchange for debt repayments and stakes in joint venture projects in the South American nation,

U.S. natural gas production continued to increase in August despite relatively low natural gas spot prices

At 440.5 million bbl, US crude oil inventories are 3% above the 5-year average for this time of year

Industrial production declined 0.2 percent in July. Manufacturing output decreased 0.4 percent last month and has fallen more than 1-1/2 percent since December 2018. In July, mining output fell 1.8 percent, as Hurricane Barry caused a sharp but temporary decline in oil extraction in the Gulf of Mexico.

U.S. EIA - Crude oil production from the major US onshore regions is forecast to increase 85,000 b/d month-over-month in August from 8,683 to 8,768 thousand barrels/day, gas production to increase 729 million cubic feet/day from 80,866 to 81,595 million cubic feet/day .

U.S. natural gas demand is rising as power generators shut coal plants and burn more gas for electricity and as rapidly expanding liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals turn more of the fuel into super-cooled liquid for export.

Russian gas sales on Gazprom Export's Electronic Sales Platform (ESP) rebounded above 100 million cu m in Thursday's auction, continuing a trend of steady strong sales on the platform this month.

U.S. Rig Count is down 8 rigs from last week to 934, with oil rigs down 6 to 764, gas rigs down 2 to 169, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 1. Canada Rig Count is up 3 rigs from last week to 140, with oil rigs up 3 to 94 and gas rigs unchanged at 46.