Oil consumption growth in the current fiscal year will likely exceed 10.9% of the previous year, if the current consumption trend continues, an oil ministry arm has said. A 7.8% jump in the consumption of petroleum products in the country in April-June, compared to 5.2% in the year-ago period.

Demand for gas in expanding rapidly in Southeast Asia and Vietnam is no exception. LNG is in demand as an energy source for industrial parks around Ho Chi Minh City in the country's south. There are plans to build LNG facilities, including at the port of Thi Vai near the city.

The Bangka project, majority owned by Chevron, will start operation in August, Wiratmaja Puja, the director general of oil and gas at Indonesia's Energy Ministry, told Reuters in an interview. Italian oil firm Eni's Jangkrik project is 80 percent complete and is expected to commence operation in July 2017, he said.

Directors welcomed the ambitious reform goals announced by the authorities in Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program, and underscored the importance of clear prioritization and sequencing of the planned reforms to reduce implementation risks and give the economy time to adjust. They supported the authorities’ plan to increase the role of the private sector in the economy by focusing on privatization and public-private partnerships, improve the business environment, develop local capital markets, encourage FDI, and support small and medium enterprises. Directors noted that continued labor market and education reforms are needed to encourage private sector employment of Saudi nationals and increase labor force participation of women.

“Advances like the Bay of Bengal discovery will help unlock the global energy resource potential of gas hydrates as well help define the technology needed to safely produce them,” said Walter Guidroz, USGS Energy Resources Program coordinator.

India's ultimate goal is to have an SPR that provides 90 days of net import coverage. The Indian government unveiled plans to add another 91 million barrels of SPR capacity in a second phase by 2020, although these facilities are still in the planning phase. The Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL), a special-purpose legal entity owned by the Oil Industry Development Board, would manage all of the SPR facilities.

The Philippines relies overwhelmingly on imports to fuel its fast-growing economy. That reliance will grow further in a few years when the main source of domestic natural gas runs out, so the clock is ticking for it to develop offshore fields that China shows no sign of loosening its grip on.

The World Bank is downgrading its 2016 global growth forecast to 2.4 percent from the 2.9 percent pace projected in January. The move is due to sluggish growth in advanced economies, stubbornly low commodity prices, weak global trade, and diminishing capital flows.

After half a year of strong oil price rises, Asian crude demand is slowing and by some measures falling, and many market participants suspect it is not just a cyclical phenomenon, but also a product of more permanent structural changes.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ 10 fast-growing members, with a combined $2.6 trillion economy, dire energy needs and rising military budgets, are a prime market for Russia’s top exports: hydrocarbons, energy technology and weapons.

Japan's crude imports from Iran recovered to pre-sanction levels in May, importing 307,691 b/d, up 61.2% year on year and up from 19,161 b/d in April, according to preliminary data released June 30 by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

The amount of LNG volume delivered to South Asia (India, Pakistan) from Qatar during the first half of the year climbed almost 50% year on year, taking advantage of weaker demand from East Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, China) and higher Qatari output.

About $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year though the energy-rich, strategic waters of the South China Sea, where China's territorial claims overlap in parts with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

Indonesia's state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina will seek partners to build a strategic petroleum reserve of about 25 million barrels to ensure energy security.

China and Saudi Arabia discussed growth prospects and areas of cooperation and found mutual interests in crude oil storage, logistics, infrastructure, industrial development, mining, technology, energy, renewables and sovereign wealth funds, according to the ministry statement.