REUTERS - U.S. sanctions against the Russian-backed Nord Stream 2 pipeline would be the wrong way to solve a dispute over energy supply, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Thursday.

NPD - The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s forecasts show that, after a minor decline in 2019, oil and gas production will increase from 2020 and up to 2023. Overall production will then approach the record year of 2004.

PLATTS - German wind power output rose to a new annual record in 2018, up 5.4% or 5.7 TWh year on year at 111.4 TWh, TSO data aggregated by think tank Fraunhofer ISE show.

PLATTS - The US has long opposed the Nord Stream expansion, arguing that Europe should not be so dependent on Moscow for energy. The government has recently been touting US LNG exports as an alternative to Russian gas, in addition to supporting the Southern Gas Corridor from the Caspian region to the EU.

NPD - Preliminary production figures for November 2018 show an average daily production of 1 880 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate, which is an increase of 22 000 barrels per day compared to October.

NOVATEK - PAO NOVATEK ("NOVATEK" and/or the "Company") and SACE (CDP Group) signed a Memorandum on Strategic Cooperation (“Memorandum”) in relation to the Company's current and future LNG projects. The parties agreed to develop long-term cooperation on the Arctic LNG 2 project and potential new LNG projects involving Italian suppliers and engineering companies.

PLATTS - Renewables' share in Germany's power mix is set to reach 38% this year, ahead of the government's 2020 target of 35% but below-trajectory for 2030's 65% target, utility lobby group BDEW said Thursday.

PLATTS - The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote Tuesday on a non-binding resolution expressing opposition to the completion of the 55 Bcm/year Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany.

REUTERS - Electricity production from French nuclear reactors rose 8 percent in November compared with the same month a year-ago due to a low volume of outages, state-controlled utility EDF said on Monday.

WNN - The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and First Light Fusion are collaborating on a project to convert fusion reactions into heat to enable clean power production. The 'fusion island' project is to be partly funded by a grant from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

REUTERS - Electricity generation from French wind turbines rose 17.5 percent in October, boosting French power generation from renewable sources which rose during the month alongside nuclear output, while coal and gas-fired generation fell.

REUTERS - Gas production at the earthquake-prone Groningen field will drop by at least 75 percent in the next five years, ahead of schedule towards the projected end of extraction.

SHELL - Royal Dutch Shell plc (Shell), through its affiliate Shell Overseas Holdings Limited, has completed the sale of its shares in Shell E&P Ireland Limited (SEPIL), which holds a 45% interest in the Corrib gas venture, for up to $1.30 billion (€1.14 billion), to Nephin Energy Holdings Limited (NEHL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). Completion follows receipt of all necessary partner and regulatory consents and the transaction’s effective date is 1 January 2017.

REUTERS - Germany is still committed to the NordStream 2 pipeline, which will allow Russia to bypass Ukraine in transporting gas to Europe, despite escalating tension in the region, a government spokesman in Berlin said on Wednesday.

REUTERS - The United States has been pressing Europe to cut its reliance on cheap Russian gas and buy much more expensive U.S. LNG instead, which many European countries, including industrial heavyweight Germany, have so far resisted.