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.

МИНФИН РОССИИ - Средняя цена на нефть Urals за период мониторинга с 15 июля по 14 августа 2018 года составила $ 71,05341 за баррель, или $ 518,7 за тонну. Согласно расчетам Минфина России, экспортная пошлина на нефть в РФ с 1 сентября 2018 года понизится на $ 5,4 и составит $ 130 за тонну.

МИНЭНЕРГО РОССИИ - «Если рассмотреть Конвенцию через призму энергетического сотрудничества прикаспийских государств, можно отметить, что она открывает большие перспективы для расширения и углубления взаимовыгодного сотрудничества в сфере ТЭК», - сказал глава российского энергетического ведомства.

GAZPROM NEFT - For the first six months of 2018 Gazprom Neft achieved revenue** growth of 24.4% year-on-year, at one trillion, 137.7 billion rubles (RUB1,137,700,000,000). The Company achieved a 49.8% year-on-year increase in adjusted EBITDA, to RUB368.2 billion. This performance reflected positive market conditions for oil and oil products, production growth at the Company’s new projects, and effective management initiatives. Net profit attributable to Gazprom Neft PJSC shareholders grew 49.6% year on year, to RUB166.4 billion. Growth in the Company’s operating cash flow, as well as the completion of key infrastructure investments at new upstream projects, delivered positive free cash flow of RUB47.5 billion for 1H 2018.

ASIAN REVIEW - Russia accounts for 67% of the world's nuclear plant deals currently in development. By 2030, Rosatom aims to increase its overseas sales to two-thirds of total sales, from 50% at currently. Vladimir Putin's government is looking to expand Russian influence through nuclear diplomacy, vying with China -- which is promoting its own nuclear plants -- for the status of nuclear energy superpower.

ROSATOM - As per IFRS, in 2017, revenues increased by 10.2% up to RUB 967.4 billion. International revenues reached US $6.1 billion (by 9.4% compared to2016).

WNN - Rusatom International Network - a subsidiary of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom - has signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation with the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB). The memorandum provides for establishing common principles of bilateral cooperation with Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and other countries.

PLATTS - "This has been discussed for a while with Russia's largest trading partners such as India and China. Even Arab countries are starting to think about it... If they do create difficulties for our Russian banks, all we have to do is replace [dollars],"

PLATTS - Russian state-owned gas producer and transporter Gazprom filed a complaint with the WTO about the legislation in April 2014, arguing Russian infrastructure was being treated unfairly. Since then, constraints on access to OPAL have been lifted, resulting in flows via Nord Stream increasing to full capacity of 155 million cu m/day. The decision is therefore not expected to be market moving.

PLATTS - Saudi Arabia pumped 10.63 million b/d in July, according to the latest S&P Global Platts OPEC survey, far above its quota of 10.06 million b/d, though kingdom officials say their July output was 10.29 million b/d. Russia produced 11.22 million b/d in July, according to official data, basically erasing its 300,000 b/d pledged cut.

PLATTS - The Southern Gas Corridor has received a waiver from US sanctions against Iran's energy customers, an expected win for the project, designed to transport 16 Bcm/year of Caspian natural gas to Turkey and southern Europe while bypassing Russia.

NOVATEK - PAO NOVATEK announced that Yamal LNG has launched the second LNG train and dispatched the first cargo from this unit. The second LNG train commissioned six months ahead of its original schedule, and combined with the first LNG train launch in December 2017, has achieved the commissioning of the first two LNG trains in record time.

ROSNEFT - 2Q 2018 net income attributable to Rosneft shareholders jumped by 2.8 times QoQ and reached RUB 228 bln (USD 3.6 bln) on the back of operating income growth, FX impact and one-off gain from recognizing net income from the share acquisition in upstream JV with a foreign partner and recognition of fair value of previously held interest in JV.

ROSNEFT - In line with strategic initiatives announced by Rosneft on April 25, 2018, the Board of Directors of Rosneft Oil Company approved the terms and launch of the open market share buyback program, which would also cover the holders of depositary receipts, in the amount of up to US$2bn (the "Program").

МИНФИН РОССИИ - Ожидаемый объем дополнительных нефтегазовых доходов федерального бюджета, связанный с превышением фактически сложившейся цены на нефть над базовым уровнем, прогнозируется в августе 2018 года в размере +388,3 млрд руб.