U.S. DT - the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated six Russian individuals and eight entities in response to Russia’s continued and ongoing aggression in Ukraine.

In 2018, Gazprom increased gas exports to France by 5.4 per cent as compared to 2017 – up to 12.9 billion cubic meters. This upward trend has remained throughout early 2019: according to provisional estimates, Gazprom exported 2.5 billion cubic meters of gas from January 1 to March 14, 2019, showing a 1.9 per cent increase compared to the same period of 2018.

Ukraine's Naftogaz wants Russia's Gazprom to comply with EU-style entry/exit gas capacity booking rules from 2020, as well as committing to a minimum throughput volume, its executive director Yuriy Vitrenko said in an interview.

The general contract has been signed for the construction of two further Russian-supplied reactors at the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China's Jiangsu province. In addition, a technical design contract was signed for a second pair of reactors at the Xudabao site in Liaoning province.

PLATTS - "US LNG, if priced competitively, can play an increasing role in EU gas supply, enhancing diversification and EU energy security,"

PLATTS - The US and Russia saw the greatest year-on-year growth of LNG exports to Europe in February, on the back of higher production and flexible, price-driven supplies,

GAZPROM - Between January 1 and March 5, 2019, the Company’s gas supplies to the country amounted to an estimated 3.3 billion cubic meters, an increase of 32.9 per cent from the same period of last year.

GULF TIMES - As part of his official visit to Qatar, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his accompanying delegation paid a visit to the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) Secretariat in Doha

PLATTS - Ukraine is preparing for zero Russian gas transit flows in 2020 once Russia's 55 Bcm/year Nord Stream 2 gas link to Germany comes online, but European gas supply security will not be disrupted, a senior Naftogaz executive said

LUKOIL - In 2018, profit attributable to shareholders amounted to RUB 619.2 bln, 47.8% higher year-on-year. The growth was constrained by higher DD&A due to the launch of new production facilities.

NOVATEK - PAO NOVATEK (“NOVATEK” and/or the “Company”) and TOTAL S.A. signed a Sales and Purchase Agreement (“Agreement”) in relation to the sale of a 10% participation interest in the Arctic LNG 2 project (the “Project”), within the binding agreement, signed at the 22nd Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum in May 2018. The transaction will be closed by the end of first quarter 2019.

Novatek’s Chief Financial Officer Mark Gyetvay said the company would build all equipment and technology in Russia to protect itself. “We will not hold ourselves hostage to U.S. sanctions,” he told the IP Week conference in London.

Russia delivered a record amount of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe in February, becoming the biggest supplier of the chilled fuel to the continent for the first time.

REUTERS - Based on current market data, the so-called OPEC+ group is “likely to continue with the production cuts until the end of the year”, the source told Reuters.

REUTERS - Gazprom’s share of the European gas market rose to a record high 36.7 percent last year from 34.7 percent in 2017, the company said.