OGJ - The governments of China and the Philippines say they’re moving toward cooperative offshore oil and gas exploration.

WNN - President Moon Jae-in of South Korea and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended a ceremony to celebrate the completion of construction at the United Arab Emirates' first nuclear power reactor.

U.S. - CHINA TRADE WAR

REUTERS - In a statement to the Shanghai Stock Exchange, Sinopec said it had allocated 117 billion yuan of capital expenditure for 2018, up from an actual spend of 99.38 billion yuan last year. That includes a 55 percent hike in upstream spending to 48.5 billion yuan, as China’s biggest refiner looks to make the most of a rally in oil prices since early February to over $70 a barrel.

SINOPEC - For the year 2017, the Company’s revenue was RMB36.209 billion, its net profit was RMB1.130 billion; asset-liability ratios remained low and cash flow performance remained strong. The Board recommended a final dividend of RMB0.144 per Share for the year 2017. After taking into account the interim dividend of RMB0.056 per Share, the total dividend for the year will be RMB0.200 per Share, the annual payout ratio is 79%.

WNN - Asia needs nuclear energy to meet its economic, energy and environmental goals, but such plans are still in the development phase in the South East region of the continent, Agneta Rising, director general of World Nuclear Association, said.

AOG - China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), the world’s third largest oil company, has been awarded stakes in two of Abu Dhabi’s offshore concession areas following the signing of agreements with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).

WNN - Russia has opened its uranium mining industry to foreign investment with an agreement signed yesterday between the Russia-China Investment Fund for Regional Development (RCIF), ARMZ Uranium Holding, and Priargunsky Industrial Industrial Mining and Chemical Union (PIMCU). ARMZ and PIMCU are subsidiaries of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom.

REUTERS - The country churned out 30.37 million tonnes of crude in the first two months of the year, according to data from he National Bureau of Statistics, equivalent to 3.76 million barrels per day (bpd) and on a par with the weakest level in data stretching back to June, 2011.

REUTERS - China’s metals industry issued the country’s most explicit threat yet in the row, urging on Friday for the government to retaliate by targeting U.S. coal - a sector that is central to Trump’s political base and his election pledge to restore American industries and blue-collar jobs.

FT - The loans bring total Chinese energy finance in Africa since 2000 to $34.8bn. While this is well behind the $69bn lent in Europe and Central Asia, the $62bn in Latin America and the $60bn in Asia over the same period, the 2017 data illustrate Africa’s growing importance.

ROSNEFT - Essar Oil Limited (EOL) owned by the Consortium of International Investors led by Rosneft, since March 2017 to date has expanded the retail network Essar-branded fuel stations by 20% reaching 4,200.

WNN - China will "steadily promote" the development of nuclear power this year, according to a plan released by the country's National Energy Administration (NEA). The plan calls for five new nuclear power reactors to be brought online in 2018 and construction to be started on a further six to eight units.

WNN - India is planning a tenfold increase in uranium production over the next 15 years, Minister of State Jitendra Singh told the country's parliament yesterday. State company Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL) has outlined expansion plans to meet the Department of Atomic Energy's (DAE) vision of achieving self-sufficiency in uranium production.

WNN - India and Vietnam have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen their cooperation in nuclear energy. The agreement was one of three MoUs signed during Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang's visit to India.