REUTERS - A consortium of western companies and Russia’s Gazprom that is due to build the controversial subsea Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany said on Tuesday it was starting preparatory work in the Greifswald bay off Germany’s Baltic coast.

GAZPROM - The parties reviewed the issues of cooperation in the energy industry, focusing on, inter alia, substantial growth in Russian gas exports to Austria. According to preliminary data, from January 1 through May 14, 2018, Gazprom delivered to Austria 4.7 billion cubic meters of gas, an increase of 70.4 per cent from the same period of last year.

BLOOMBERG - Europe and China will be comparable in significance as importing regions in the coming years, Cheniere Energy Inc. said, citing data from Wood Mackenzie Ltd. That follows “absolutely phenomenal” growth in China last year, Andrew Walker, vice president for strategy at the company that pioneered the transformation of the U.S. shale boom into global exports, said in Amsterdam.

NPD - Preliminary production figures for April 2018 show an average daily production of 1 868 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate, which is a decrease of 34 000 barrels per day compared to March.

WNN - The 128 nuclear power reactors - with a combined capacity of 119 GWe - currently operating in 14 of the 28 EU Member States account for more than one-quarter of the electricity generated in the whole of the EU.

WNN - A statement of intent to strengthen cooperation on fast neutron sodium-cooled reactors has been signed between the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). The partners have also a statement of intent to begin cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence.

GAZPROM - According to estimates, Russian gas exports to Austria between January 1 and April 24 exceeded the amount exported in the same period of last year by 79.2 per cent, with 4.2 billion cubic meters of gas delivered to consumers.

REUTERS - Italian oil major Eni has no plans to pull out of its joint venture with Russia’s Rosneft despite escalating sanctions against Russia, the head of Eni said on Wednesday.

EIA - The United States exported 97.0 million short tons (MMst) of coal in 2017, a 61% (36.7 MMst) increase from the 2016 level. Exports to Asia more than doubled from 15.7 MMst in 2016 to 32.8 MMst in 2017, although Europe continues to be the largest recipient of U.S. coal exports.

NPD - Preliminary production figures for March 2018 show an average daily production of 1 901 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate, which is a decrease of 46 000 barrels per day compared to February.

ENI - Eni will invest €7 billion in Italy over the next four years, including €1 billion in green activities

REUTERS - Offshore oil driller Seadrill (SDRL.OL) plans to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late June or early July to catch the rising wave of rig market activity, its chief executive told said on Wednesday.

IEA - Dr Fatih Birol, the International Energy Agency’s Executive Director, met Monday with Peter Altmaier, Germany’s Minister of Economy and Energy. The bilateral meeting focused on the IEA’s role in the global clean energy transition thanks to its expertise across all fuels and energy technologies, as well as energy efficiency.

PLATTS - The EU's main challenge is in natural gas, as 76% of the EU's gas imports came from just Norway and Russia in 2016,

PLATTS - "It cannot be the case that Nord Steam 2 means that Ukraine no longer has any significance in transiting [Russian] gas," Merkel said after a meeting with Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko.