BLOOMBERG - The Gaselys carries liquefied natural gas originally produced in Siberia, according to vessel tracking data. The ship, poised to dock at Engie SA’s Everett import terminal, would be the first LNG shipment from anywhere other than Trinidad and Tobago in about three years.

REUTERS - Brent crude futures LCOc1 for March delivery settled down 44 cents, or 0.6 percent, at $69.02 a barrel after touching a session low of $68.40. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures CLc1 fell $1.06, or 1.6 percent, to close at $64.50 a barrel.

REUTERS - China National Nuclear Corp (CNNC), China’s No. 2 nuclear power producer, will take over the country’s top nuclear power plant builder to create a company worth almost $100 billion, the latest state-orchestrated marriage in the nation’s vast power sector.

SHELL - CCS earnings attributable to shareholders excluding identified items were $4.3 billion for the fourth quarter 2017 and $15.8 billion for the full year 2017, reflecting increased contributions from all businesses, compared with 2016. Full year earnings benefited mainly from higher realised oil, gas and LNG prices, improved refining performance and higher production from new fields, which offset the impact of field declines and divestments.

SHELL CEO BEN VAN BEURDEN Q4 2017 RESULTS 01-02-2018

U.S. FRB - In view of realized and expected labor market conditions and inflation, the Committee decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 1-1/4 to 1‑1/2 percent. The stance of monetary policy remains accommodative, thereby supporting strong labor market conditions and a sustained return to 2 percent inflation.

PLATTS - Asian demand for oil products will outweigh current and upcoming refinery capacity by 2025, Tushar Tarun Bansal, Director at McKinsey, told attendees at S&P Global Platts annual Middle Distillates Conference in Antwerp Thursday.

PLATTS - President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the "war" on American energy is over in a State of the Union speech given as US crude oil output is set to reach levels not seen in more than 47 years.

BLOOMBERG - Brent will reach $75 a barrel over the next three months and will climb to $82.50 within six months, analysts including Damien Courvalin wrote in an emailed report. Their previous estimate for both time periods was $62 a barrel.

BLOOMBERG - The Beijing-based explorer sees capital expenditures at 70 billion to 80 billion yuan ($11.1 billion to $12.7 billion) for 2018, it said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange Thursday. That’s an increase of as much as 60 percent from the previous year, which came in under target. It also raised its production estimate to between 470 million and 480 million barrels of oil equivalent, poised for the the first increase in three years.

CONOCOPHILLIPS - ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) today reported fourth-quarter 2017 earnings of $1.6 billion, or $1.32 per share, compared with a fourth-quarter 2016 net loss of $35 million, or ($0.03) per share. Excluding special items, fourth-quarter 2017 adjusted earnings were $0.5 billion, or $0.45 per share, compared with a fourth-quarter 2016 adjusted net loss of $0.3 billion, or ($0.26) per share. Special items for the current quarter were primarily driven by benefits from U.S. tax reform and the settlement of Ecuador arbitration.

BLOOMBERG - Zohr, the largest undersea gas discovery in the Mediterranean, will pump 1.7 billion cubic feet per day before the end of 2018, el-Molla said in a televised ceremony to inaugurate the field. Egypt is talking with Rome-based Eni to increase output to reach the 2019 production target this year instead, he said.

EIA - South Africa is one of the world’s leading emitters of energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2), ranking fifteenth globally in 2015 and accounting for more than any other country in Africa. In an effort to reduce CO2 emissions, South Africa is planning to diversify its energy portfolio, replacing coal with lower CO2-emitting fuels such as natural gas and renewable sources. The country’s Intended National Determined Contribution, submitted as part of the Paris Agreement, plans for CO2 emissions to peak by 2025, remain flat for a decade, and begin to decline around 2035.

МИНЭНЕРГО РОССИИ - Министр энергетики Российской Федерации Александр Новак и Министр электроэнергетики Сирийской Арабской Республики Мухаммед Зухейр Харбутли подписали Дорожную карту сотрудничества в сфере энергетики в 2018 г. и на последующий период, которая включает сотрудничество в области электроэнергетики.

МИНФИН РОССИИ - Средняя цена на нефть марки Urals в январе 2018 года сложилась в размере $ 68,46 за баррель, что в 1,29 раза выше, чем в январе 2017 года ($53,16 за баррель).

REUTERS - Brent futures, the global benchmark, were up 24 cents, or 0.3 percent, at $69.89 a barrel by 0635 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up 33 cents, or 0.5 percent, at $66.13 a barrel.

BAKER HUGHES A GE - U.S. Rig Count is down 1 rig from last week to 946, with oil rigs up 6 to 765, gas rigs down 7 to 181, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged. Canada Rig Count is up 4 rigs from last week to 342, with oil rigs up 14 to 234 and gas rigs down 10 to 108.

BP - BP and Shandong Dongming Petrochemical Group (Dongming Petrochemical) announced the signing of joint venture agreements to develop a leading branded retail fuels and convenience business covering the Chinese provinces of Shandong, Henan and Hebei. Subject to regulatory approvals, the partnership with Dongming Petrochemical will start operations in 2018 and the network is expected to grow to 500 sites in 10 years. BP has a 49% equity share of the joint venture and Dongming Petrochemical the remaining 51%.

IAEA - An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts said France demonstrated a comprehensive commitment to safety with a responsible approach to the management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. The team also made suggestions aimed at further enhancements and noted several good practices.

DOE recently released a report that dives into the emerging technology of advanced small modular reactors (SMRs) and their ability to flexibly provide carbon-free power in response to outages caused by severe weather and physical threats to the grid.