PLATTS - The quality of Russia's key Urals crude exports towards Europe will continue to fall next year as more of the country's low-sulfur oil flows are diverted eastward to China, Russian national oil pipeline operator Transneft warned.

FT - OCI — the world’s third-largest polysilicon maker by capacity and South Korea’s biggest — this month reported a 3,373 per cent increase in operating profit to Won78.7bn ($72m) for the July-September quarter, its best performance in five years. Rival Hanwha Chemical saw third-quarter net profit jump 25 per cent to a record Won252bn. 

U.S. Rig Count is up 330 rigs from last year's count of 593, with oil rigs up 273, gas rigs up 58, and miscellaneous rigs down 1 to 0. Canada Rig Count is up 41 rigs from last year's count of 174, with oil rigs up 13, gas rigs up 30, and miscellaneous rigs down 2 to 2.

МИНЭНЕРГО РОССИИ - Российская нефтяная отрасль обеспечивает потребности внутреннего рынка и исполнение международных обязательств: за три квартала текущего года объём добычи нефти и газового конденсата составил почти 410 млн т., объём поставок на внутренний рынок достиг 213 млн т, экспорт в страны ближнего и дальнего зарубежья – чуть меньше 200 млн т.

МИНФИН РОССИИ - Сумма консолидированного долга Венесуэлы составила 3,15 млрд. долл. США, новый график погашения задолженности предусматривает платежи в течение 10 лет, объем которых в первые 6 лет минимален.

Gazprom's natural gas supplies to western Europe edged up by 3% year on year in the third quarter of 2017, according to an S&P Global Platts analysis of Gazprom data, as Russian gas deliveries to its core markets continue to outpace last year's levels.

FT - Russia has come to the aid of Venezuela with a deal to restructure $3.15bn of sovereign debt, allowing Caracas to meet obligations to other creditors and underlining Moscow’s role as the crisis-hit country’s main foreign backer.

OGJ - Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) and China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) signed an agreement covering potential collaboration, including potential offshore opportunities and the sour gas development projects.

Global energy needs rise more slowly than in the past but still expand by 30% between today and 2040. This is the equivalent of adding another China and India to today’s global demand.

Product exports have grown significantly over the past several years and are expected to continue to grow as Russian refineries add capacity to produce more high-quality products.

OPEC and allied oil producers should extend their production cuts beyond March to help re-balance the market, the United Arab Emirates said, adding weight to a gathering consensus for longer reductions in output among participants in the global accord.

REUTERS - Nigeria will move ahead with plans to borrow $5.5 billion from foreign investors after the Senate on Tuesday approved President Muhammadu Buhari request for the move.

REUTERS - Further complicating the situation, S&P Global Ratings declared Venezuela in selective default after it failed to make coupon payments on bonds due in 2019 and 2024 within a 30-day grace period. The agency warned there was a strong chance it would miss further payments within three months.

API welcomed legislation that would allow for safe and responsible natural gas and oil development in a small non-wilderness portion of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The legislation was released by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to be included as part of the budget reconciliation bill.

EBRD - The GCF is contributing USD 378 million to this USD 1.4 billion programme to support thousands of individual investments in technologies that reduce emissions and enhance resilience to climate change.