PLATTS - China consumed 280.30 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2018, up 18.1% year on year, the National Development and Reform Commission said on its website late Thursday. The natural gas consumption growth in 2018 outpaced the growth rate of 15.3% in 2017 and 6.6% in 2016, respectively, according to the NDRC's historical data, implying China's increasing demand for natural gas.

REUTERS - China has lent over $50 billion to Venezuela through oil-for-loan agreements over the past decade, securing energy supplies for its fast-growing economy.

REUTERS - Total capacity - including hydro and biomass as well as solar and wind - rose to 728 gigawatts (GW) by end-2018, the National Energy Administration (NEA) said during a briefing. That amounted to 38.3 percent of China’s total installed power capacity, up 1.7 percentage points on the year and around 7 percentage points higher than at the end of 2015.

МИНЭНЕРГО РОССИИ - Россия является важным энергетическим партнером для японской стороны, добавил Министр. Он рассказал, что экспорт энергоресурсов из России в Японию продолжает расти. Так, за 11 месяцев прошлого года экспорт СПГ вырос на 5,7% до 7,3 млн тонн, а поставки угля увеличились на 600 тыс тонн до 16,4 млн тонн.

REUTERS - Oil imports from Russia reached 7.04 million tons, or 1.658 million barrels per day, in December, up 40 percent from 5.03 million tons a year earlier, according to the data from the General Administration of Customs. For the full year, Russian oil imports rose to 71.49 million tons, or 1.43 million bpd, up 19.7 percent from 59.7 million tons in 2017.

POWERMAG - China continues to finance new coal plants in more than two dozen countries, even as the country has taken the lead in global renewable energy investment, according to a report from a U.S. group of energy analysts.

WNN - "The new-generation super safe fuel will resist serious accidents and prolong the non-intervention time in case of reactor accidents, greatly reducing the risk of hydrogen explosions and relieving or eliminating the consequences arising from loss of coolant." It added, "It will be used to replace fuel in the nuclear power plants now in operation and help design the fourth generation or even more advanced nuclear power system. In addition, the new fuel will maintain and improve the performance of nuclear power plants."

PLATTS - China's annual coal production in 2018 reached 3.55 billion mt, rising 5.2% year on year as the government replaced outdated production capacity with higher-quality coal supply, the National Bureau of Statistics said in a statement.

REUTERS - In December, crude runs rose 4.4 percent from the year before to 51.17 million tonnes, or 12.05 million bpd, hovering near a record of 52.78 million tonnes racked up in October.

PLATTS - China's National Bureau of Statistics on Monday said the country's gross domestic product grew 6.6% year on year in 2018, the slowest pace of growth seen since 1990.

PLATTS - Bangladesh is planning to step up efforts to liberalize its gas and LNG sectors from 2019 in order to boost private investment and enhance energy security, a move that would likely increase domestic downstream competition and affect the competitiveness of existing oil-linked LNG supply contracts.

REUTERS - China's natural gas demand will reach 308 billion cubic meters (bcm), CNPC said. That marks an 11.4-percent climb from 2018, although the pace of growth would be down from 16.6 percent recorded previously.

PLATTS - China's crude oil imports surged 29.9% year on year to 10.35 million b/d in December, bringing total imports to 9.28 million b/d in 2018, up 10.1% year on year, preliminary data from the General Administration of Customs showed Monday.

BLOOMBERG - Russia’s Novatek PJSC is looking at storing liquefied natural gas produced in the Arctic on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu so it can better meet spot demand from China and cut shipping costs.

U.S. EIA - Energy consumption in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa continues to grow rapidly, with about 20% growth in each region between 2010 and 2016, according to newly available data in EIA’s International Energy Statistics database. In particular, energy consumption has been increasing in the Middle East and Africa, driven by economic growth, increased access to energy markets, and quickly growing populations. Energy consumption in Asia grew even as energy consumption in China declined between 2015 and 2016.