The Worldwide Rig Count for December was 1,834, down 56 from the 1,890 counted in November 2022,and up 271, from the 1,563 counted in December 2021.

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 223,000 in December, and the unemployment rate edged down to 3.5 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.

The discussion covered issues related to further expanding economic ties, primarily in energy, with the priority being strategically significant projects like the creation of a regional natural gas hub in Turkiye and the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant.

Средняя цена на нефть марки Urals в январе-декабре 2022 года сложилась в размере $76,09 за баррель, в январе-декабре 2021 года — $69,0 за баррель.

Germany exported around 501 TWh of natural gas in 2022 (749 TWh in 2021). As a result, at 948 TWh, more natural gas was available in Germany in 2022 than in 2021 (902 TWh).

Dutch front-month futures, the European benchmark, rose 4.3% to €72.50 a megawatt-hour at 8:55 a.m. in Amsterdam. The UK equivalent contract was 7.1% higher.

Brent were up $1.49, or 1.9%, at $80.06 a barrel, WTI rose $1.43, or 1.9%, to $75.20.

The Brent crude oil price will average $83 per barrel (b) in 2023, down 18% from 2022, and continue to fall to $78/b in 2024 as global oil inventories build, putting downward pressure on crude oil prices.

“The domestic transportation sector presents an enormous opportunity to drastically reduce emissions that accelerate climate change and reduce harmful pollution,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.

However, in March last year the Belgian government decided to start talks with Electrabel - the Belgian subsidiary of Engie - with a view to extending the operation of Doel 4 and Tihange 3, allowing for the retention of 2 GWe of nuclear generation capacity.

DOE noted the significance of the Government of Japan’s announcement of its “Draft Future Nuclear Energy Direction and Action Guidelines” in December 2022.

Norway has pledged to do as much as it can to boost gas deliveries to Europe to help counter record high gas prices triggered by the war in Ukraine and much lower Russian supplies.

LNG deliveries to Europe have helped ease an energy crisis this winter after Russian piped supply slumped.

WTI slipped by 54 cents, or 0.72%, to $74.58 a barrel, Brent fell by 50 cents, or 0.62%, to $79.60.

Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ebrahim Raisi.

Ожидаемый объем недополученных нефтегазовых доходов федерального бюджета прогнозируется в январе 2023 года в размере -54,5 млрд руб.

In July, the government laid out a new energy policy which aims to maintain nuclear's share of the country's energy mix at a minimum of 30% by 2030.

The two icebreakers, with a power capacity of 60 MWe each, are scheduled to be completed in 2028 and 2030.

China's LPG imports over January-November 2022 rose 7% on the year to 24.2 million mt, led by supply from the US, the UAE, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, customs data showed.

Brent had fallen 33 cents, or 0.4%, to $83.70 a barrel, WTI slipped 20 cents, or 0.3%, to $78.19.