U.S. Rig Count is up 313 rigs from last year's count of 476, with oil rigs up 244, gas rigs up 68, and miscellaneous rigs up 1. Canadian Rig Count is up 207 rigs from last year's count of 69, with oil rigs up 137, gas rigs up 68, and miscellaneous rigs up 2.

U.S. Rig Count is up 288 rigs from last year's count of 480, with oil rigs up 231, gas rigs up 57, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged. Canadian Rig Count is up 217 rigs from last year's count of 98, with oil rigs up 152 and gas rigs up 65.

Saudi Arabian Oil Co., as it is formally called, is considering investments of as much as $5 billion in renewable energy, part of the kingdom’s effort to reduce the amount of oil feeding domestic energy needs.

Myanmar, one of the oldest oil and gas industries in the region and a country which exported its first crude oil centuries ago, is again emerging as a bright spot for overseas investors after sanctions, which were imposed on the country during a long period of military rule and political unrest, were lifted in 2012.

Kazakhstan has for the first time shipped Kashagan crude in the form of Siberian Light blend from the Russian port of Novorossiisk, the Kazakh state pipeline company has said, amid a surge in Siberian Light exports.

Ukrainian state monopoly supplier Naftogaz Ukrainy has issued letters of credit under the loan agreement with Citi and Deutsche Bank secured by the World Bank. They total €220mn ($231mn) and will be used this month to buy gas from European suppliers selected through the World Bank’s auctions, it said March 1. It is planned to buy up to 1.1bn m³, with payment due in April upon completion of the relevant gas deliveries to Ukraine.

The company plans to spend nearly $5.5 billion drilling in Texas, New Mexico and North Dakota. Exxon is hoping to take advantage of technological advancements and lower costs of doing business in the shale.

World's top crude exporter Saudi Arabia cut April prices of light crude it sells to Asia for the first time in three months in a bid to shore up demand in an oversupplied market, trade sources said.

The group was forced in August to abandon plans to split the cost of the 1,200km Nord Stream 2 pipeline under the Baltic Sea with the project’s European partners Engie, OMV, Wintershall, Shell and Uniper.

Crude oil production increased 1.0 percent from December 2016, but was down by 2.5 percent from January 2016 to average almost 9.0 million barrels per day in January 2017. This was the third highest January since 1986. Natural gas liquids (NGL) production, a co-product of natural gas production, was up from both the prior month and prior year. NGL production in January averaged 3.5 million barrels per day, up 1.9 percent from last month and was 6.6 percent higher than last year. This was the highest January output level on record.

Directors commended the authorities for achieving an impressive recovery in economic growth after the lifting of nuclear sanctions in 2016, maintaining inflation in single digits, and stabilizing the foreign exchange market. Given the renewed uncertainty, Directors emphasized the importance of maintaining prudent macroeconomic policies and building buffers, strengthening the financial sector, and advancing reforms to lessen Iran’s reliance on oil and develop the private sector. They welcomed the authorities’ commitment in this regard and the thrust of their reform plans.

Russia has enough reserves to remain Europe’s main gas provider for years to come, President Vladimir Putin said in December. “Gazprom is supplying more gas to Europe than Russia or the Soviet Union ever did,” he said. “We have enough gas for ourselves, even considering the growing requirements of the Russian economy, and for our counteragents, the buyers of our gas.”

The tanker is the first of a new class of icebreaking LNG carriers that will open an export route from Siberia to the Pacific — reducing Russia’s dependence on selling gas through pipelines to Europe.

Fitch Ratings has announced it affirmed Qatar's Long-Term Foreign- and Local-Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) at 'AA'. The issue ratings on Qatar's senior unsecured foreign-currency bonds are also affirmed at 'AA'; the Country Ceiling at 'AA+', and the Short-Term Foreign- and Local-Currency IDRs at 'F1+'.

Total E&P Russie, a 100% affiliate of Total group, has transferred a 20% participating interest in and the operatorship of the Production Sharing Agreement for the Development and Production of Oil in the Kharyaga Field (Kharyaga PSA) to Zarubezhneft-Production Kharyaga LLC, a subsidiary of Zarubezhneft JSC.