Underscoring the need for long-overdue freight rail reform, American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman urged the United States Senate to quickly confirm the nominations of Patrick Fuchs and Michelle Schultz to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation approved the nominations on Wednesday, April 25. “As one of the largest manufacturing sectors in the nation, the paper and wood products industry relies on the nation’s rails to move millions of tons of materials to production mills and final markets. Revoking the outdated commodity exemption policy and addressing harmful service failures and higher pricing will help ensure the accessibility of effective, streamlined and competitive rail service to our companies all rail customers. We thank the committee for its approval and urge the Senate to quickly confirm Mr. Fuchs and Ms. Schultz.”

Oil edged higher on Wednesday, nearing three-year highs reached the previous day, as rising U.S. fuel inventories and production weighed on an otherwise bullish market. Weekly data on Tuesday that showed a rise in U.S. crude inventories also subdued the oil price somewhat. The prospect of fresh sanctions on Tehran and disruption to the country’s oil flows has helped push the oil price to its highest since late 2014 this month.

“Prices are being driven up by tight supply due to high production outages in Venezuela plus the cuts implemented by OPEC and Russia,” said Carsten Fritsch, analyst at Commerzbank. “What is more, demand appears robust.” The United States has until May 12 to decide whether to quit a nuclear deal with Iran and reimpose sanctions against the third-largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, tightening global supplies. OPEC’s supply curtailments and the threat of new sanctions are occurring as demand in Asia, the biggest oil-consuming region, has risen to a record. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures in New York dropped as much as 0.8 percent after data showed American drillers added five working oil rigs last week, stoking fears over surging U.S. output. The May oil contract gained 1.5 percent last week before expiring Friday as OPEC producers said supply curbs should continue in order to revive investments in oil and gas production. In the U.S., explorers have added 23 rigs so far this month, bringing the total working rigs to 820 last week, Baker Hughes data showed. The nation’s crude production has more than doubled from the lows of a decade ago, topping 10 million barrels a day each week since early February.

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.751; Month Ago: $2.558; Year Ago: $2.422. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $3.025; Month Ago: $2.928; Year Ago: $2.537.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.790046; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.158944; American Dollar to Euro = 1.230345; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.009292; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.054088.

Oil fell in New York after U.S. President Donald Trump criticized OPEC and said crude prices are “artificially Very High.” The comments came as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting countries and allies including Russia showed willingness to further tighten oil markets and boost prices. Oil has rallied in recent weeks as output cuts from OPEC and its allies were compounded by heightened geopolitical risks, including the possibility of renewed U.S. sanctions on Iran. Meeting in Jeddah, a committee of OPEC and other oil producers found high levels of compliance with the production curbs. Still, there’s capacity for prices to rise beyond this week’s three-year high, according to Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih, who said cooperation between producers would continue into 2019. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures in New York rose 2.9 percent on Wednesday. An Energy Information Administration report showed shrinking American petroleum surpluses and the first crude withdrawal from the largest U.S. storage complex in six weeks. The U.S. draw-downs underlined optimism that an OPEC-led effort to curb global supplies will be reinforced later this week when the cartel and allied producers gather in Saudi Arabia. The EIA reported U.S. crude stockpiles dropped 1.07 million barrels last week, while supplies at the Cushing, Oklahoma, pipeline hub dropped by 1.12 million. Gasoline supplies fell 2.97 million barrels and distillate stocks slid 3.11 million barrels to the lowest level since November. Click Read More below for additional information.

Oil last week rose to levels last seen in 2014 amid growing geopolitical risks, with investors anticipating that retaliation against Assad would threaten production in the region, while tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed rebels in Yemen also added to concerns. Still, surging U.S. output continues to weigh on investor sentiment even as the International Energy Agency says the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is close to reaching its target of eliminating a global crude glut. Meanwhile, in the U.S., working oil rigs rose by seven last week to 815, the highest since March 2015, according to data from Baker Hughes. The rig fleet has expanded in 10 of the past 12 weeks. The expansion came after the Energy Information Administration data showed that American oil production rose to a fresh record of 10.5 million barrels a day. Click Read More below for additional information.

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.697; Month Ago: $2.523; Year Ago: $2.405. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.991; Month Ago: $2.934; Year Ago: $2.530.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.795985; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.159242; American Dollar to Euro = 1.231320; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.009286; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.055218.

A major byproduct in the papermaking industry is lignosulfonate, a sulfonated carbon waste material, which is typically combusted on site, releasing CO2 into the atmosphere after sulfur has been captured for reuse. Now researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a method to use this cheap and abundant paper biomass to build a rechargeable lithium-sulfur battery. Such a battery could be used to power big data centers as well as provide a cheaper energy-storage option for microgrids and the traditional electric grid. Click Read More below for additional information.

Geopolitical tensions are affecting prices now and will lift crude higher if they persist, Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency, said in an interview on Thursday. Meanwhile, trade disputes such as the one between U.S. and China that’s hurt investor sentiment recently are not unusual and won’t have “a direct impact on oil markets for now,” he said on Bloomberg Television in New Delhi. Crude has surged to levels last seen in 2014 as the risk of violent conflict grips the market and raises concerns over potential Middle East supply disruptions. Top OPEC producer Saudi Arabia on Wednesday intercepted a missile attack by Yemeni rebels, who are seen as being supported by fellow group member Iran. That was after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Russia to expect an American missile barrage toward its ally, Syria. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures in New York rose as much as 1.3 percent after climbing the most in eight months on Tuesday. President Donald Trump has intensified preparations for a response to a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria, a move that could place the U.S. in direct conflict with Russian forces. While the Middle East country’s own oil production is limited, prices often respond to the risk of war in a region that holds almost half of the world’s crude reserves. “The focus is on the West’s probable military strike against the Syrian regime,” said Carsten Fritsch and Eugen Weinberg, analysts at Commerzbank AG in Frankfurt. Click Read More below for additional information.

Beginning in April 2018, Sun Chemical and its parent company, DIC Corporation, will increase the production capacity of its DAILUBE® extreme pressure additives by 6,000 tons per annum at its eco-friendly plant in Kashima, Japan. The move will better serve customers around the globe as well as promote and deliver its trusted and market leading sulfurized extreme pressure additives into new and existing markets. Optimized for metalworking fluids used in cutting, forming and rolling, DAILUBE extreme pressure additives are light in color, low odor and available in a range of chemistries, including olefin, lard, vegetable, ester, and fatty acid. Click Read More below for additional information.

Oil is losing steam after rising more than 5 percent last month as Trump repeatedly raises the stakes against China, rattling markets. Along with other risky assets, oil took a blow on concern the escalating tension will threaten growth that drives energy demand amid record U.S. output. That could hinder the efforts of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies to curb a global glut and prop up prices. “The market is currently concerned for the escalating China-U.S. trade war tensions,” said Bjarne Schieldrop, chief commodities analyst at SEB AB. “And with good reason, since this will be bad for global growth and oil demand growth further down the road.” Click Read More below for additional information.

In FY 2017, the Postal Service recorded its first net loss from operations, since FY 2013, of $1.3 billion, largely due to declining mail volume, the expiration of the exigent surcharge, and higher operating costs. However, including non-cash workers’ compensation costs and retirement expenses, the net loss from operations increases to a total net loss of $2.7 billion in FY 2017. This is an improvement of $2.8 billion compared to the total net loss in FY 2016. This improvement is the result of a $4.8 billion decrease in the retiree health benefits expense, and a $3.4 billion decrease in the non-cash workers’ compensation expense, offset by $2.4 billion in increased expenses that resulted from provisions in the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) for unfunded retirement benefit costs. Liquidity also continues to improve in FY 2017 and is at its highest level since FY 2007. However, liabilities on and off-balance sheet for pension and annuitant health benefits continue to threaten the improvements in liquidity. The Postal Service experienced a decline in revenue for most of its Market Dominant products. Consumer price index-based price increases were not sufficient to offset the decline in mail volume and the reduction in additional revenue from the expiration of the exigent surcharge. Overall Market Dominant Mail and Services revenue declined 7.7 percent from the previous year. First-Class Mail revenue declined by 6.7 percent while Marketing Mail revenue declined by 5.7 percent. Periodicals revenue also saw a decline of 8.8 percent. Conversely, package services revenue increased by 0.3 percent compared to FY 2016. Click Read More below for additional information.

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.662; Month Ago: $2.526; Year Ago: $2.380. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.973; Month Ago: $2.945; Year Ago: $2.516.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.782126; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.158602; American Dollar to Euro = 1.224013; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.009316; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.054796.

Futures fell as much as 1.1 percent in New York and are set for a 2.6 percent drop this week. Trump ordered his administration to consider levies on an additional $100 billion in imports from the Asian nation, spurring a flight from risk assets on concern a full-blown trade war will deter global economic growth. That was only a day after both American and Chinese officials signaled they’re willing to talk about the escalating conflict. “We now have to start looking at the U.S.-China trade war as a downward geopolitical risk,” said Olivier Jakob, managing director at consultants Petromatrix GmbH. “This is starting to not be funny anymore, and there is a risk to reach a point where global asset markets become tired of the White House wars and move back into cash.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Prices are being affected by “a bullish oil-inventory report” from the U.S., said Michael Poulsen, an analyst at Global Risk Management Ltd. U.S. storage dropped by 4.62 million barrels to 425.3 million barrels last week, while outbound shipments of crude expanded to a record, according to an Energy Information Administration report Wednesday. The EIA data also showed that American oil production rose to an unprecedented 10.5 million barrels a day, topping the 10 million-barrel level for a ninth week. Global markets from equities to oil recovered after investor optimism grew that the U.S. and China will step back from the brink of a trade war. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures in New York slipped as much as 2.1 percent to the lowest intraday price since March 20. China’s Ministry of Commerce said it would levy 25 percent tariffs on imports of 106 U.S. products including automobiles and aircraft. That wiped out earlier support for prices as Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries output dropped to the lowest in a year in March. “It’s only logical to see profit-taking in light of looming trade tensions and possible financial market turbulence,” said Eugen Weinberg, head of commodities research at Commerzbank AG in Frankfurt. Global equities sank after China unveiled its charges, which match the scale of proposed U.S. tariffs announced earlier this week and ratchets up tension in a brewing trade war between the world’s two largest economies. With products ranging from gas turbines to steel and aluminum affected, the spat threatens to raise costs, slow economic growth and hit oil demand. Click Read More below for additional information.

Yuan-denominated oil futures on the Shanghai International Energy Exchange lost 2.8 percent to 405.5 yuan a barrel. The September delivery contract closed 0.9 percent lower on Monday after debuting last week. U.S. crude inventories are estimated to have added 2 million barrels last week, according to a Bloomberg survey before Energy Information Administration data due Wednesday. The nation’s oil production had also increased for a fifth week in the period ended March 23, hitting a fresh record. Click Read More below for additional information.

Crude rebounded over 5 percent last month, recouping February’s losses, after U.S. President Donald Trump named hawkish officials to his government, signaling the nation may pursue a more hard-line stance toward Iran. Even so, concerns persist that a rapid increase in American production, which has topped 10 million barrels a day each week since early February, could undermine efforts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, which are trying to balance the market by cutting output. U.S. explorers cut the number of rigs by the most since November 2017 last week, bringing the total to 797, Baker Hughes data showed. Still, the count remains near the highest in three years, and with separate data showing nationwide crude inventories climbed 1.64 million barrels in the week ended March 23, jitters over increasing U.S. supplies remain. Click Read More below for additional information.

You are probably already familiar with PaperSpecs, founded by Sabine Lenz, but do you know about the VIP membership that includes a quarterly sample box? The box is full of paper samples, and unique printed pieces and promotions sure to get the creative juices flowing.

Oil prices, starting with a decrease on Thursday morning, restored the growth by the end of the day and finishes the week, trading up. May Brent futures were 74 cents or 1.06% up, at $70.27 for a barrel at the end of London ICE Futures trading on March,29. June future contracts are 58 cents, or 0.84% up, at $69.34 per barrel. May WTI futures grew in price by 56 cents or 0.87%, to $64.94 for a barrel on NYMEX.

National Average Price for Regular Unleaded Current: $2.654 Month Ago: $2.530 Year Ago: $2.313 National Average Price for Diesel Current: $2.962 Month Ago: $2.955 Year Ago: $2.504

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.775984 American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.159276 American Dollar to Euro = 1.232669 American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.009415 American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.055001

The HOW Promotion & Marketing Design Awards, which is HOW’s longest-running competition, has seen thousands and thousands of outstanding promo-driven design projects over the years. One such winning project—one that informed, persuaded and filled a need with flying colors—is Baton Rouge-based design firm Xdesign Inc.‘s work for Capitol City Produce. The project—a campaign for a cocktail creation contest created as a way for the client to showcase their products—was spearheaded by Xdesign Inc. art director Tiffanie Pitre and her team, which includes graphic designer Simone Begneaud, illustrator Vitalija Svencionyte, and copywriter Paige Fenerty.

Oil prices are likely to rise this year thanks to supply disruptions and an OPEC-led deal to limit production, but doubts over the future of compliance with the multilateral agreement and rising U.S. production could stem the upward momentum, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday. A survey of 31 economists and analysts polled by Reuters showed Brent crude LCOc1 would average nearly $64 a barrel in 2018, versus $63 forecast in the February survey, but below the $67.18 average for the benchmark so far in 2018.

In the January/February 2018 magazine, which kicked off our 55th year of publishing, GDUSA released its annual Students To Watch roundup. In addition, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite institutions which prepare students to work in professional graphic design, based on a mix of objective and subjective factors, including our own decades-long relationships with designers, students, educators, recruiters.

Oil fell on Wednesday as investors took profit on a rally the day before to this year’s highs after a report showed a surprisingly large increase in U.S. crude inventories. June Brent crude futures LCOc2 were last down 27 cents on the day at $69.19 barrel by 1135 GMT, while the May contract LCOc1, which expires on Thursday, was down 16 cents at $69.95. WTI futures CLc1 fell 40 cents to $64.85 a barrel.

GDUSA’s American Inhouse Design Awards™ is the premier showcase for outstanding work by in-house designers. It is a unique opportunity for in-house designers at corporations, non-profits, institutions, universities, government, associations, media companies and other organizations with an in-house designer or team to be recognized by managers, colleagues and the community for their creativity, for the special challenges they face, and for the full value they bring to the table.

Oil rose on Tuesday, holding above $70 a barrel for a third day, supported by concerns that tensions in the Middle East could lead to supply disruptions, although with global output rising fast, investors remained cautious. Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up 28 cents on the day at$70.40 a barrel by 0848 GMT, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were up 19 cents at $65.74 a barrel. The oil price has risen by more than 7 percent so far this month and by 5.3 percent in the first three months of the year, putting it on track for a third consecutive quarterly gain, something the market has not witnessed since late 2010.

At Impress Communications the Highcon Laser Die-Cutter Opens Up a World of Possibilities The Highcon Laser Die-Cutter is a marvel of technology and engineering that represents a complete shift and new era for the design industry. This machine gives designers the power to envision and create artwork in ways that were previously impossible. The precision and flexibility of cutting with lasers, as opposed to the traditional method of using bent lengths of steel rule, removes the previous limitations associated with regular die-cutting. Now, a designer can strip away intricate sections of paper, leaving dramatic reveals of the substrate or product beneath. These kinds of paper layering techniques create a compelling impression with a brand’s end user, and allow creatives to reimagine what can be done with belly bands and sleeves, folding cards or french fold panels, and any kind of package that features a window.

I was recently at the Ricoh Marketing Innovator Symposium in Boulder, Colo., which attracted a range of attendees from the print, brand and agency worlds. One of the key takeaways from the event centered around the generational divide — different age demographics don’t just want different messages, they want different messaging platforms and different forms of communication altogether. The reality is that age does matter and using the wrong platform with the wrong demographic will ultimately hurt a publisher’s ability to effectively reach — and market to — those individuals.

Crude oil futures steadied on Monday, supported by a rebound in stock markets and escalating Saudi-Iran tensions. Global stocks came off six-week lows on optimism that the United States and China are set to begin trade talks, easing fears about a trade war between the world’s two largest economies. The possibility of a full-blown trade war had weighed on the energy complex on fears that it could harm oil demand. Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up 9 cents at $70.54 a barrel at 1206 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 eased 5 cents to $65.83.

So many designers hate talking about money, especially with their clients and prospects, which makes pricing one of the most dreaded aspects of being self-employed. I think that’s why so many designers resign themselves to pricing their services by the hour, and that is truly a tragedy. I get it. Pricing hourly is easy. All you have to do is track your time, multiply and submit an invoice.

You'll see the sentiment expressed in many of our AI Week articles, in other content at DMN, and even in AI-forward books like What To Do When Machines Do Everything. The human touch will still be needed. For marketing; for business in general. And that's correct. There's no doing without humans, not just for the immediate future, but possibly not at all. It's easy to agree with that, but in fact there's a very specific reason machines can't do what humans can do, and it's worth exploring what it is.

Oil prices rose on Friday after the Saudi energy minister said OPEC would need to keep coordinating supply cuts with non-member countries including Russia into 2019. Oil’s rise defied a slump in global stock markets, which fell in response to worries about a trade stand-off between the United States and China. Gold XAU=, seen as a safe haven, hit a two-week high. Brent crude futures LCOc1 were at $69.10 per barrel at 1136 GMT, up 19 cents but off a session high of $70. For the week, Brent was up about 4.4 percent, its strongest showing since October. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were at $64.57 a barrel, up 27 cents but below a session high of $65.42. On the week, WTI was up about 3.6 percent.

National Average Price for Regular Unleaded Current: $2.591 Month Ago: $2.523 Year Ago: $2.290

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.774435 American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.158177 American Dollar to Euro = 1.235537 American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.009508 American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.053882

Oil prices are approaching the highs of January, after a wider market rout spurred the worst February decline in half a decade. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies have concluded they will eradicate the oil surplus by September even as investors continue to weigh those comments against surging U.S. crude production. U.S. crude inventories fell by 2.62 million barrels last week, the Energy Information Administration said Wednesday. Analysts had forecast a gain of 3.25 million barrels, and only two of the 12 surveyed had expected a decline. America’s gasoline inventories also tumbled for a third week to the lowest level since late January, while distillate stockpiles contracted for a sixth straight week to the least since December. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures rose as much as 1.2 percent to a six-week high, after advancing 2.1 percent on Tuesday. Donald Trump hinted at withdrawal from a deal curbing Iran’s nuclear program as Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Bin Salman began a U.S. visit. Such a decision would raise the risk of the OPEC member’s oil exports being curtailed by sanctions. The specter of conflict involving giant producers is jolting prices, which have traded in a tight range since February. With the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies concluding that the market will rebalance by the end of September, Citigroup Inc. predicts oil’s recent “sideways” move is unlikely to last. Still, investors will be wary of growth in U.S. supply, which has threatened to undermine OPEC’s efforts to eliminate a global glut. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures in New York rose as much as 1.2 percent after dropping on Monday. While U.S. inventories are forecast to have added 3.4 million barrels last week, that would mark slower growth than the prior week. OPEC and its partners, which are cutting output to ease the global glut, still expect markets to balance by about the third quarter, according to people familiar with the matter. U.S. crude inventories are at their highest since December and probably grew again last week, according to a Bloomberg survey before government data due Wednesday. While supplies are set for a fourth weekly advance, the expected increase is smaller than the 5 million-barrel gain a week earlier. Click Read More below for additional information.

Oil prices slipped Monday, giving back some of a steep climb from Friday seen after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the kingdom would develop nuclear weapons if arch-rival Iran did. Underpinning prices are tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which are seen potentially disrupting global supplies. The Saudi crown prince visits the U.S. this week, which could provide plenty of headlines, as the Trump administration has called for a new look at the Iran nuclear pact. Trump told European leaders they must “fix the terrible flaws” in the deal or the U.S. would refuse to extend its sanctions relief on Iran. Click Read More below for additional information.

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.532; Month Ago: $2.544; Year Ago: $2.290. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.930; Month Ago: $2.976; Year Ago: $2.515.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.764196; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.158084; American Dollar to Euro = 1.232922; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.009467; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.053323.

Oil has been trading in a tight range this month, with prices hovering around $60 a barrel as rising U.S. output continues to stoke fears that a shale boom will limit price increases. Still, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allied producers are continuing production cuts in an effort to drain a global glut and help prop up prices. A robust global economy has also led banks including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to project strong demand for oil this year. The IEA raised its estimate for global oil demand growth by 90,000 barrels a day to 1.5 million a day in 2018 as a stronger outlook for developed economies offsets weakening expectations for emerging nations. Steady growth was also reflected in the American Petroleum Institute’s latest report showing U.S. oil consumption rose to the highest in 11 years even as crude production hit a new monthly record. Click Read More below for additional information.

Saudi Arabia plans to keep its crude oil production in April below 10 million barrels per day (bpd), and maintain exports under 7 million bpd, the energy ministry said on Wednesday, as the top OPEC producer wants to end a global supply glut and boost prices. Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, has been pumping below its OPEC target since January and reducing its crude shipments, particularly to the United States, as it turns its focus on cutting exports in an attempt to drain global oil stocks. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures rose 0.5 percent in New York. Prices seesawed on Tuesday after President Donald Trump fired Tillerson, whom he had disagreements with over key foreign policy issues. The move could have implications for U.S. sanctions on Iran, which could impact the latter’s oil industry and exports, Facts Global Energy and Royal Bank of Canada warned. “The risk is now much higher that President Trump will not waive the sanctions when it is time to do so in May, thus derailing the deal,” said Bjarne Schieldrop, chief commodities analyst at SEB AB. Click Read More below for additional information.

Oil has struggled to recover losses from last month’s broader market slump after topping $66 a barrel in January. While a brighter economic outlook has underpinned demand expectations following a better-than-expected U.S. jobs report, expanding American production remains a challenge to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, which are trying to prop up prices via output curbs. Production from shale regions will reach 6.95 million barrels a day next month, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in its monthly drilling report. The Permian Basin is seen leading the way with an 80,000-barrel increase. Total American output has passed 10 million barrels a day, beating a record set in 1970. Click Read More below for additional information.

The U.S. jobs report topped estimates last week, increasing confidence in the world’s biggest economy, giving a boost to the outlook for energy demand and driving benchmark crude prices up 3.2 percent on Friday. American oil explorers idled four rigs last week after six consecutive increases in drilling, easing fears over surging shale production. Prices were 0.4 percent lower Monday. “Employment is the key driver of oil demand, as more people at work means more commutes and, in consequence, rising road fuel use,” said Norbert Ruecker, head of commodity research at Julius Baer Ltd. in Zurich. Click Read More below for additional information.

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.534; Month Ago: $2.596; Year Ago: $2.303. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.940; Month Ago: $2.998; Year Ago: $2.524.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.776647; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.157816; American Dollar to Euro = 1.229703; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.009631; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.053737.

Futures in New York tumbled 1.7 percent Thursday. While Goldman Sachs Group Inc. forecasted strong global consumption growth, crude production and stockpiles in the U.S. climbed higher in the latest inventory report. A strengthening dollar also pushed crude lower. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its partners including Russia continue to trim output as promised. OPEC shipments will fall by 230,000 barrels a day in the four weeks to March 24, according to tanker-tracker Oil Movements. Saudi Minister of Energy and Industry Khalid Al-Falih said in a Bloomberg Television interview that the deal will evolve in 2019 and the group will do what it needs to in order to preserve oil market stability. Click Read More below for additional information.

Sun Chemical has acquired the Metal Deco ink business of PPG, a US-based global supplier of paints, coatings and specialty materials. PPG, with a well consolidated portfolio, and Sun Chemical are both long standing players in the metal packaging industry. Through the acquisition, which reflects Sun Chemical’s strategy to grow by acquiring businesses that complement areas of its existing operations, Sun Chemical will expand both its operational territories and its overall position in the global Metal Deco market. By combining PPG’s complementary portfolio of Metal Deco products with those of Sun Chemical, customers will benefit from further innovative solutions and what will be the widest ink portfolio in the metal decoration market. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures in New York slid 2.3 percent. Declines in the equity market, a rising dollar and concern that Trump’s tariff threats will spark a trade war acted as a downward force on crude oil. And at the same time, the Energy Information Administration reported American crude inventories rose by 2.41 million barrels last week, while production jumped to a fresh record. The EIA report also showed gasoline supplies declined for the first time since January and distillate inventories fell for a fourth straight week. Stockpiles at the key U.S. storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma tumbled for an 11th week to the lowest since 2014. Crude inventories rose by 2.41 million barrels, lower than expectations. Click Read More below for additional information.

After jumping 2.2 percent on Monday, futures added 1 percent in New York on Tuesday. European and Asian stocks rose as President Donald Trump faced resistance to plans for a series of import tariffs, while a diplomatic breakthrough with North Korea also boosted optimism. Still, the International Energy Agency’s warning that OPEC production cuts will unleash a supply surge from the U.S. and other producers maintained a note of caution in the market. The production cuts that helped push prices above $60 a barrel are triggering a flood of supply from OPEC’s rivals including Brazil and Canada, which will cover all growth in global demand until 2020, the IEA said. The agency may also raise its forecast for U.S. output if oil stays above $60 a barrel, Birol said during the CERAWeek oil conference in Houston. Non-OPEC growth is so strong that the oil market will change for years, he said. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures in New York rose 0.2 percent after a 3.6 percent decline last week. The Sharara field, Libya’s biggest, has started producing again after stopping on Sunday following a closure of the pipeline carrying oil to the Zawiya refinery, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. The halt came shortly after protests disrupted output at another Libyan deposit in February. Libyan production had been surging in recent months, becoming a thorn for the market on concern that further growth could test the country’s pledge to curb production as part of OPEC’s plan to limit a global oversupply. The increase, together with warnings of rising U.S. output from organizations including the the International Energy Agency, has prevented prices from regaining the highs of January even as most OPEC members continue to cut supply. Click Read More below for additional information.

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.541; Month Ago: $2.601; Year Ago: $2.318. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.954; Month Ago: $2.992; Year Ago: $2.524.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.776898; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.157605; American Dollar to Euro = 1.230861; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.009490; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.052712.

Oil prices were set on Friday to post their first weekly decline in three weeks following a sell-off in global stock markets after news of planned U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium raised fears of a trade war. U.S. crude is on track for a 4.5 percent drop this week, its first weekly decline in three, having given up much of the gains in recent weeks when sentiment was boosted by a fall in inventories at the Cushing delivery point for WTI. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures in New York fell as much as 1.1 percent, after losing 3.6 percent in the previous two sessions. U.S. crude stockpiles last week rose to the highest level since December, while gasoline reserves expanded at four times the predicted rate. Meanwhile, data for November showed the shale boom drove U.S. output to a record. U.S. stockpiles of oil stored in tanks and terminals rose by 3.02 million barrels to about 423 million, the fourth increase in five weeks, according to the Energy Information Administration. That compares with a median estimate for a 3 million-barrel gain in a Bloomberg survey. Gasoline inventories expanded by 2.48 million barrels, more than the 600,000-barrel average estimate. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures in New York were little changed, putting them on course for a 2.8 percent drop in February. An industry report was said to show U.S. oil inventories rose last week, which would be the fourth expansion in five weeks if confirmed in government data. The head of OPEC plans to dine with shale producers in Houston next week at a time when America is pumping at record levels and threatening the group’s efforts to curb a global glut. U.S. crude output is forecast to rise to a record level in February, stoking fears that shale producers may derail OPEC’s strategy of reducing output to clear a global glut. The producer group’s Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo said he will meet with U.S. shale company executives for dinner on Monday in Houston, the second time he has met with some of the cartel’s top rivals.

Futures in New York slid 0.3 percent after closing at the highest since Feb. 5 on Monday as crude exports from a key Libyan terminal were disrupted. The focus now shifts to U.S. stockpiles, which are forecast to have risen last week. While they increased in three of the past four weeks, the pace of gains slowed, allaying fears that American supply will undermine OPEC’s output curbs. U.S. inventories probably rose by 2 million barrels last week, following a surprise drop in the previous week, according to a Bloomberg survey before Energy Information Administration data due Wednesday. The number of rigs drilling for oil in the U.S. has risen for five consecutive weeks to the highest in almost three years, Baker Hughes data show. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures in New York were little changed, after rising 3 percent the previous two sessions. Libya’s crude loadings from the Mellitah terminal will be “modified” after protests impeded output at the El-Feel field. Cuts by OPEC and its allies may be phased out in 2019 in a way that won’t disturb the market, Saudi oil minister Khalid Al-Falih said. Still, U.S. supply remains a threat, with the nation’s rig count rising for a fifth week to the highest since April 2015. Oil has risen more than 5 percent this year, following a second annual gain, as a drain in U.S. stockpiles and growing demand reassure investors that production cuts led by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries are working. While America continues to pump record volumes, accompanied by an increase in exports, Al-Falih said the global oil market is re-balancing and bloated inventories are shrinking. Click Read More below for additional information.

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.523; Month Ago: $2.543; Year Ago: $2.285. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.961; Month Ago: $2.946; Year Ago: $2.518.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.788156; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.157845; American Dollar to Euro = 1.230278; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.009371; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.053840.

Futures in New York are up 1.5 percent this week after closing at the highest level in two weeks on Thursday. While the U.S. is pumping near record volumes, exports also jumped to a four-month high last week, helping drain the nation’s stockpiles. Oil stocks in the biggest U.S. storage hub plunged to the lowest level in more than three years. While crude struggled after the best January performance in more than a decade, it’s now finding its footing again as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies including Russia pledge to persist with output curbs to re-balance the market, and demand remains robust. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures lost as much as 1.5 percent in New York. Inventories probably rose 2.9 million barrels last week, according to a Bloomberg survey before a government report later Thursday. Global equities and industrial metals also dropped after an upbeat U.S. growth outlook fueled the possibility of interest-rate hikes. U.S. crude inventories rose by 1.84 million barrels in the week through Feb. 9, data from the Energy Information Administration show. While analysts surveyed by Bloomberg expect a further increase in this week’s numbers, the American Petroleum Institute was said to report a decline of 907,000 barrels. Click Read More below for additional information.

Oil is struggling to regain the highs of January after a sell-off in global equities seeped into crude markets earlier this month. Surging U.S. production continues to challenge efforts by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its friends to alleviate a global oversupply, with forecasts pointing to record output from the Permian shale basin. “Prices are vulnerable to the downside over the coming months,” said Giovanni Staunovo, an analyst at UBS Group AG in Zurich. “Though the market likes OPEC and its allies’ show of unity, we still need to see how U.S. shale companies will react on higher prices and eventually offset all the efforts of OPEC and others to reduce inventories.” The increase in U.S. production is not “a blip,” Brouillette said. “We are optimistic about 2019 and 2020 too.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures in New York were little changed Friday and poised for a 3.7 percent weekly gain after the greenback slumped to a three-year low. A rebound in stocks from the U.S. to Asia is also boosting confidence the markets are stabilizing. West Texas Intermediate for March delivery added 7 cents to $61.41 on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 6:13 a.m. local time. Total volume traded was about 31 percent above the 100-day average. Brent for April settlement climbed 19 cents to trade at $64.52 on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. The global benchmark traded at a $3.22 premium to WTI for the same month.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.800511; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.157683; American Dollar to Euro = 1.247220; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.009409; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.053997.

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.544; Month Ago: $2.530; Year Ago: $2.285. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.976; Month Ago: $2.931; Year Ago: $2.514.

California will block the transportation through its state of petroleum from new offshore oil rigs, officials told Reuters on Wednesday, a move meant to hobble the Trump administration’s effort to…

Futures in New York dropped 0.7 percent after earlier gaining as much as 1.3 percent. American Petroleum Institute data Tuesday showed an unexpected decrease in U.S. stockpiles, while on Wednesday…

Sun Chemical and its parent company, DIC Corporation, have acquired Luminescence Holdings Ltd., a manufacturer of currency, tax stamp, passports, ID cards, secure documents and brand protection inks for the…

Crude futures in New York fell a third day, sliding as much as 1.3 percent. Stock indexes from Japan to Germany tumbled on Tuesday after a frantic sell-off in U.S.…

Benchmark Brent fell to its lowest level since Jan. 8 as Baker Hughes data showed American explorers last week raised the number of rigs drilling for crude to the highest…

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.601; Month Ago: $2.486; Year Ago: $2.277. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.992; Month Ago: $2.870; Year Ago: $2.510. http://gasprices.aaa.com/

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.811745; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.159113; American Dollar to Euro = 1.249022; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.009103; American Dollar to…

Brent crude traded near $70 a barrel as the specter of expanding U.S. supply was weighed against Wall Street banks’ growing faith in a price rally. The benchmark grade is…

Oil jumped after Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted a price forecast by a third and said global crude markets have probably rebalanced. West Texas Intermediate futures added 0.8 percent in…

Oil slipped for a third day in New York, continuing its retreat from a three-year high, on estimates that U.S. crude stockpiles increased last week. “Strong U.S. crude supply growth…

Futures fell for a second day as U.S. crude stockpiles were seen expanding for the first time in 11 weeks, ending a record run of declines. A sharp contraction in…

Brent crude oil prices eased below $70 a barrel on Monday as rising U.S. output undermined efforts led by OPEC and Russia to tighten supplies, but prices were still on…

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.571; Month Ago: $2.444; Year Ago: $2.288. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.958; Month Ago: $2.833; Year Ago: $2.518. http://gasprices.aaa.com/

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.811877; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.158154; American Dollar to Euro = 1.244199; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.009153; American Dollar to…

Futures have climbed 3.8 percent in New York this week after reaching the highest since December 2014 on Thursday. Crude stockpiles fell for a 10th week to the lowest level…

Oil prices bounced back on Wednesday, with U.S. crude topping $65 a barrel for the first time in more than three yeas, as government data showing a drop in U.S.…

European crude oil loadings bound for Asia have dropped to their lowest in four years at the start of 2018 as rising Brent prices shut the arbitrage window, causing the…

Futures in London slipped 0.2 percent, erasing earlier gains. Output limits should remain through 2018 as re-balancing may be achieved next year, Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said in…

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.804070; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.156195; American Dollar to Euro = 1.225948; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.009036; American Dollar to…

Futures in New York tumbled as much as 1.7 percent before paring losses, as they head for the first weekly decline since mid-December. The Paris-based IEA said it sees “explosive”…

Futures were little changed in New York after rising 0.4 percent on Wednesday. The American Petroleum Institute estimates stocks fell by 5.12 million barrels last week, a steeper drop than the 3.15 million forecast in a Bloomberg survey before Energy Information Administration data due Thursday. OPEC’s outlook for rival supply expanded once again, the group said in its monthly report, becoming the latest agency to boost its estimates for American production. Oil is extending its run after two consecutive annual gains as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia curb supplies. While the cuts are gradually shrinking a global surplus, OPEC said rising prices are boosting production in North America. The International Energy Agency, which releases its monthly report on Friday, may also increase its estimates for U.S. output, said Executive Director Fatih Birol. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures were little changed in New York after rising 4.7 percent last week. The curbs have contributed to stability in the market and should remain, Iraqi Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luaibi said Saturday. Yet, Brent crude at $70 a barrel may be giving fresh stimulus to U.S. shale-oil drillers to boost output, according to the International Energy Agency. Oil has extended gains after a second annual advance as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies curb supply to drain a global glut. Though they have said the historic deal will run until the end of this year, OPEC is “very likely to cut short” the pact if markets become balanced, JP Morgan Securities said in a report. Click Read More below for additional information.

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.521; Month Ago: $2.456; Year Ago: $2.351. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.921; Month Ago: $2.836; Year Ago: $2.532.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.798408; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.154750; American Dollar to Euro = 1.213423; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.008996; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.052110.

Brent crude oil hit a more than three-year high on Thursday, breaking through the psychologically important $70 a barrel level for the first time since December 2014. Oil futures failed to hold the gains, selling off as the close of trading approached, with analysts warning that the market might have little room left to run. Oil prices have been supported by stronger-than-expected demand fueled by worldwide economic growth, ongoing output limits by OPEC and Russia and a series of global events that have stoked geopolitical tension. Click Read More below for additional information.

Crude oil prices rose but backed away from multi-year highs on Wednesday after U.S. government data showed an increase in fuel inventories and a falloff in refining activity. A broad, global market rally, including stocks, has also been fueling investment into crude oil futures, but analysts warned of possible overheating. U.S. crude inventories fell 4.9 million barrels last week, more than the 3.9-million decline forecast, but bigger-than-expected builds in gasoline and fuel stocks offset that drawdown, the Energy Information Administration reported. Click Read More below for additional information.

Oil rose further above $68 a barrel briefly on Tuesday, touching its highest since May 2015, supported by OPEC-led production cuts and expectations U.S. crude inventories fell for an eighth week. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia are keeping supply limits in place in 2018, a second year of restraint, to reduce a price-denting glut of oil held in inventories. OPEC is cutting output by even more than it promised [OPEC/O] and the restraint is reducing oil stocks globally, a trend most visible in the United States, the world's largest and most transparent oil market. Click Read More below for additional information.

“Members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries are not keen on increased Brent crude prices above $60 a barrel because of shale oil," Iran Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said, according to the ministry’s news service Shana. Prices have climbed in recent days because of production cuts and increased demand for petroleum products due to cold weather, he said. U.S. output will rise by at least 830,000 barrels a day this year, JBC Energy GmbH said Tuesday in a note. That could cause U.S. crude prices to “cool” in the first half, the Vienna-based researcher said. The U.S. pumped about 9.34 million barrels a day last year, according to Department of Energy data compiled by Bloomberg. Click Read More below for additional information.

West Texas Intermediate futures rose 0.5 percent, following a 1.7 percent increase last week, when they hit a three-year high. Rigs drilling for crude fell by five to 742 in the seven days ended Jan. 5, according to Baker Hughes data Friday. Hedge funds retreated from the most bullish stance on WTI in 10 months during the week ended Jan. 2. “A drop in active oil rigs is usually bullish for oil prices,” said Michael Poulsen, an analyst at Global Risk Management Ltd. Oil had its strongest opening week for any year since 2013 as U.S. stockpiles continue to shrink. Click Read More below for additional information.

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.490; Month Ago: $2.477; Year Ago: $2.364. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.893; Month Ago: $2.840; Year Ago: $2.527.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.799835; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.154082; American Dollar to Euro = 1.205341; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.008831; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.051581.

“The rise in oil prices has mainly been caused by the freezing polar vortex hitting the U.S., firing up heating demand, and spurring concern about a potential impact on oil production and trade,” said Jens Naervig Pedersen, an analyst at Danske Bank A/S in Copenhagen. Oil has risen for two years running as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russia led a coalition of oil producers in cutting output. Prices have also been boosted by stoppages at pipelines in the U.K. and Libya. However, they are now at levels that are expected to help U.S. shale producers ramp up drilling, unlocking more crude and undermining OPEC’s efforts. Click Read More below for additional information.

With increasing demand in the printing industry for equipment that enables more frequent and faster job changes on press, Flint Group officially launches the new rotec® ULW Bridge to join the lightweight family of sleeves and adapters. The rotec® ULW Bridge is an ultra lightweight polyurethane adapter offering up to 65% reduction in weight compared to similar products in the market – a significant weight decrease improving safety and handling for press operators. Developed together with customers, this new generation adapter has been validated in applications on plate-mounting equipment and on presses running up to 450 m/min for the last 1-2 years. Ralf Venema, Flint Group General Manager explains: “Our Product Development Team is focused on developing products to help the customer work smarter, faster and easier. The rotec® ULW Bridge is an excellent solution for improved safety and easier handling at the printer.” The rotec® ULW Bridge is suitable for all press widths and offers particular benefits where higher wall thicknesses are most commonly used, such as in cantilevered mounter applications and unusually large print applications, including corrugated pre-print. Click Read More below for additional information.

Crude oil prices steadied near multi-year highs on Wednesday, even as concerns over geopolitical tensions began to ease, as supply cut efforts by global oil producers continued to support the commodity. Oil prices had climbed amid Iranian protests, marking the biggest challenge to the country's clerical leadership since 2009. However, the protests were showing no signs of impacting Iran's oil production. Crude prices continued to be supported by production cuts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russia. The producers agreed in December to extend current oil output cuts until the end of 2018. Click Read More below for additional information.

Oil in New York climbed 12 percent last year as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies trimmed supply to reduce a global glut. U.S. crude output is also slipping from a record-high, with weekly production falling through Dec. 22 for the first time since mid-October. Any interruption to Iranian supply would be a significant shock to the market. “Geopolitical risks are clearly back on the crude oil agenda,” said Bjarne Schieldrop, chief commodities analyst at SEB AB in Oslo. “As of yet, there is no deep-seated concern for a disruption” in Iran, but if that were to happen “it would have a huge impact on global crude oil prices.” Click Read More below for additional information.

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.477; Month Ago: $2.499; Year Ago: $2.316. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.853; Month Ago: $2.840; Year Ago: $2.486.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.797022; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.153658; American Dollar to Euro = 1.199276; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.008886; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.050730.

Futures are up more than 11 percent in 2017, having entered a bull market in September. The year’s gains were driven by output cuts by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russia, along with geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and pipeline disruptions from the North Sea to Canada and Libya. In 2018, investors will watch whether the price recovery triggers a new flood of U.S. output. “The current highs are unsustainable in the short-to-medium term, with prices likely to head back below $60 once we get past January, but for now the season of goodwill appears to be in full swing,” said analysts led by Michael dei-Michei at consultants JBC Energy GmbH in Vienna. Click Read More below for additional information.

Faced with dramatic increases in the cost of Azo intermediates and related raw materials, Sun Chemical Performance Pigments will raise its global prices on Azo pigments, specialty pigments and their pigment preparations, effective January 1, 2018. “The cost of Azo intermediates and other key raw materials have increased significantly and continue to do so, impacting the pigment industry,” said Chris Weighill, Vice President and Global Classical Pigment Product Manager, Sun Chemical Performance Pigments. “The expectation is that there will be no short-term relief in sight for these rising costs—forcing us to increase our prices. While we regret the necessity to take this action, current market conditions dictate that we must adjust our prices. We will continue to explore other cost reduction opportunities and productivity gains to offset the rising costs of raw materials.”

Due to a massive shortage in silicones and silicone-based materials from manufacturers, Sun Chemical will increase prices by 35 percent on its entire silicone-based product line in North America, effective January 15, 2018. “Because of the silicone shortage we’re seeing in the industry, our suppliers have passed on price increases beyond anything we have seen in recent years,” said Dennis Sweet, Vice President-Commercial, Rycoline and Distributors, North American Inks, Sun Chemical. “While Sun Chemical has utilized all its resources to offset these shortages and increases, it has now become necessary to pass some of these increases on.”

West Texas Intermediate futures were little changed, having climbed above $60 a barrel on Tuesday for the first time since 2015. The pipeline, which carries crude to Libya’s biggest export terminal, is said to need about a week for repairs. The operator of the critical Forties Pipeline System in the North Sea lifted all restrictions on flows caused by a crack earlier this month. Libya’s production dropped to 950,000 barrels a day on Wednesday, a person directly involved in the matter said. Output was 1.08 million barrels a day as of Dec. 18, indicating a decline of 12 percent. Loadings at Es Sider port are said to be down about 50 percent. The port was scheduled to ship 13 cargoes this month, each carrying 600,000 barrels of crude, according to a loading plan obtained by Bloomberg. Click Read More below for additional information.

Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude futures both slipped after the U.S. benchmark rose 2.7 percent on Tuesday, breaching $60 a barrel for the first time since June 2015. A pipeline run by Waha Oil Company that carries crude to Libya’s Es Sider terminal exploded Tuesday, reducing output by 70,000-100,000 barrels a day. The repair work will take about a week, according to people familiar with the situation. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is said to expect oil revenue to jump about 80 percent by 2023 to help the kingdom record its first budget surplus in a decade. “The market is having a counter-reaction to the jump yesterday,” said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank A/S in Copenhagen. “It remains supported by the news out of Libya but at the same time liquidity is very poor.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures were little changed in New York after gaining 2 percent last week. The number of U.S. rigs targeting oil remained unchanged at 747, Baker Hughes data showed Friday. A repair of the North Sea’s Forties Pipeline System is complete and pressure testing has started, operator Ineos Group said Monday. The halt of the line earlier this month sent prices surging. Oil is heading for a second yearly advance as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies including Russia prolong supply curbs through the end of 2018. Iraq’s Oil Minister Jabbar Al-Luaibi said Monday that he’s optimistic prices will gain next year with global stockpiles falling and demand rising in China and India. Click Read More below for additional information.

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.436; Month Ago: $2.526; Year Ago: $2.270. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.832; Month Ago: $2.837; Year Ago: $2.462.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.786948; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.152087; American Dollar to Euro = 1.185357; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.008821; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.051324.

Futures advanced 0.9 percent in New York. American crude inventories tumbled by 6.5 million barrels last week, more than double the average estimate in a Bloomberg survey. Exports surged by the most on record as domestic explorers sent cargoes to foreign shores where they fetched higher prices. “Crude inventories are just taking a nose-dive,” Matt Sallee, who helps manage $16 billion in oil-related assets at Tortoise Capital Advisors LLC, said by telephone. The price gap that’s making American oil more attractive to overseas buyers is “supporting pretty robust exports.” Yet, gasoline stockpiles rose for a sixth week and diesel supplies unexpectedly edged higher. Click Read More below for additional information.

FedEx Corp. reported earnings of $2.84 per diluted share ($3.18 per diluted share on an adjusted basis) for the second quarter ended November 30, compared to earnings of $2.59 per diluted share ($2.77 per diluted share on an adjusted basis) a year ago. Both as-reported and adjusted fiscal 2018 earnings reflect the estimated negative impact of the June 27 cyberattack affecting TNT Express ($0.31 per diluted share). This year’s and last year’s quarterly consolidated earnings have been adjusted for TNT Express integration expenses of $0.33 and $0.18 per diluted share, respectively. Click Read More below for additional information.

Brent crude prices steadied on Wednesday while WTI futures edged higher, supported by expectations of a fall in U.S. inventories and the continued outage of the North Sea Forties pipeline system. “The API is the reason why the energy complex is slightly up this morning,” said Tamas Varga, analyst with PVM Oil Associates. The American Petroleum Institute said on Tuesday that U.S. crude inventories fell by 5.2 million barrels in the week to Dec. 15 to 438.7 million. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures rose 0.7 percent in New York after slipping 0.2 percent on Monday. Inventories probably lost 3 million barrels last week, according to a Bloomberg survey before Energy Information Administration data Wednesday. Nigerian oil workers suspended strike action and agreed to continue talks next month, while output from a Libyan field returned to normal after a power outage. Oil has rallied the past three months as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies reduce supply to drain a global glut. The unprecedented cooperation among producers, which has now been extended until the end of 2018, has crude prices on their way to a second annual advance. Click Read More below for additional information.

International technology Group ANDRITZ has successfully started up the MDF line II supplied to Panel Plus MDF Co. Ltd., based in Bangkok, Thailand, for its mill in Hat Yai. The pressurized refining and chip washing system supplied by ANDRITZ is the centerpiece of the line. It has a capacity of 30 bdmt/h and is characterized by low specific energy consumption as well as excellent reliability. The chip washing system using the ANDRITZ sedimentation technology is the first of its kind to be delivered to Thailand and will be used mainly for sand removal. The scope of supply also included a maintenance-friendly ANDRITZ C-Feeder that ensures minimum energy consumption, higher system stability, and longer refiner plate lifetime. Click Read More below for additional information.

The optimism for the U.S. benchmark came after Baker Hughes BHGE, -1.08% reported that the number of active U.S. rigs drilling for oil was down 4 at 747 last week, breaking a three-week string of rising rig numbers. A drop in rigs implies a slowdown in drilling activity, which is usually boost oil prices. Brent also got a boost from the closure of North Sea Forties pipeline due to a power outage. “The outage of the North Sea’s most important oil and gas pipeline is continuing to lend support,” analysts at Commerzbank said in a note. Click Read More below for additional information.

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.447; Month Ago: $2.564; Year Ago: $2.229. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.834; Month Ago: $2.834; Year Ago: $2.440.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.782780; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.151320; American Dollar to Euro = 1.179860; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.008915; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.052188.

Futures rose 0.2 percent, leaving prices in London little changed on the week. They jumped above $65 for the first time since 2015 earlier on Tuesday after the Forties pipeline in the U.K. shut down because of a crack. Those gains were eroded as the International Energy Agency’s voiced doubts the market would fully rebalance in 2018, diverging from the view of OPEC. “It’s been volatile,” Torbjorn Kjus, analyst at DNB Bank ASA, said by phone. If the Forties pipeline is “out for a month, it should have a positive effect” on prices as 10 million barrels of oil supply could easily be lost to the market. Click Read More below for additional information.

Oil prices eased back from session highs on Thursday after the International Energy Agency increased its forecast for U.S. oil output growth in 2018, raising the prospect of excess supply. The IEA raised its U.S. crude output growth forecast for 2018, saying it would climb by 870,000 barrels per day (bpd) compared with its November forecast of 790,000 bpd. With cash pouring into the U.S. shale oil industry, the United States is on track to deliver up to 80 percent of the world’s oil production gains through 2025, the IEA estimates. Click Read More below for additional information.

Oil prices rose on Wednesday as industry data showed a larger-than-expected drawdown in U.S. crude stockpiles, while expectations for an extended shutdown of a major North Sea crude pipeline also continued to bolster markets. Britain’s biggest pipeline from its North Sea oil and gas fields is likely to be shut for several weeks for repairs. On Wednesday morning, its operator said it was still considering repair options and reiterated that any repairs would take several weeks. Click Read More below for additional information.

Brent crude oil prices spiked to the highest level in 2½ years on Monday on news that a major pipeline in the U.K.'s North Sea will shut down for repairs. The Forties pipeline system will close for several weeks while its operator, INEOS, repairs a crack in a pipe discovered last week. The pipeline carries about 450,000 barrels a day of Forties crude from offshore fields in the North Sea to a processing plant in Scotland. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures fell 0.3% in New York after climbing 2.5 percent in the previous two sessions. Drillers boosted the rig count by two to 751, a three-month high, according to Baker Hughes data on Friday. OPEC-led output curbs may end earlier than scheduled if the market re-balances by June, Kuwait’s then-oil minister said Sunday. Oil is heading for a second yearly gain as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies including Russia extend supply cuts through the end of 2018. The extension includes an agreement to review the cuts in June, raising questions of how OPEC will eventually phase out the reductions. Shale explorers have signaled they’re gearing up for a drilling surge next year as hedging rose for an eighth week to a record. Click Read More below for additional information.

UPM Biofuels was chosen as the Bioenergy Industry Leader at the 2017 Platts Global Energy Awards - often described as the Oscars of the energy industry. The competition was arranged by S&P Global Platts, the leading independent provider of market information and benchmark prices for commodities in the energy sector. UPM Biofuels was nominated for its wood-based low emission advanced UPM BioVerno biofuels, and its one-of-a-kind commercial scale biorefinery in Lappeenranta, Finland. The choice was made among energy companies from nearly 30 countries representing four continents, including some of the world's leading energy giants. Click Read More below for additional information.

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.474; Month Ago: $2.548; Year Ago: $2.198. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.840; Month Ago: $2.802; Year Ago: $2.426.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.778153; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.151037; American Dollar to Euro = 1.173959; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.008810; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.052808.

Futures climbed 1.4 percent in New York, paring this week’s loss to 1.5 percent. China’s crude oil imports rebounded from a one-year low to near a record amid signs the nation’s commercial stockpiles shrank by the most in almost eight years. U.S. crude output increased to a record last week, while motor fuel inventories rose more than double analysts’ forecasts, government data showed Wednesday. U.S. crude production expanded for a seventh week to 9.7 million barrels a day, the highest level in weekly data compiled by the Energy Information Administration since 1983. Gasoline inventories rose by 6.78 million barrels last week, the biggest gain since January. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures were little changed in New York after tumbling 2.9 percent Wednesday, the biggest daily drop since Oct. 6. Motor-fuel stockpiles rose by 6.78 million barrels last week for a fourth weekly advance, according to Energy Information Administration data. That’s more than double the most bearish estimate in a Bloomberg survey. U.S. oil output increased to a record. U.S. crude inventories fell by 5.61 million barrels last week, the EIA reported Wednesday. Oil production expanded for a seventh week to 9.7 million barrels a day, the highest level in weekly data compiled by the EIA since 1983. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures dropped 1.3 percent in New York after rising 0.3 percent on Tuesday. Motor-fuel inventories climbed by 9.2 million barrels last week, the American Petroleum Institute was said to report. That would be the biggest gain since January 2016 if replicated in government data due later on Wednesday. Nationwide crude stockpiles declined, according to the API data. “This bears all the hallmarks of a year-end lull in U.S. fuel demand, which in turn should help safeguard the current bout of range-bound trading,” said Stephen Brennock, an analyst at PVM Oil Associates Ltd. in London. Click Read More below for additional information.

Oil steadied above $62 a barrel on Tuesday as expectations of a drop in U.S. crude inventories and prolonged supply curbs by OPEC and other producers countered rising output in the United States. An OPEC-led producer group last week extended a supply-cutting deal through 2018, but the resulting support for prices could bolster U.S. output which climbed to nearly 9.5 million barrels per day in September. An OPEC-led producer group last week extended a supply-cutting deal through 2018, but the resulting support for prices could bolster U.S. output which climbed to nearly 9.5 million barrels per day in September. Click Read More below for additional information.

Oil has advanced for the past three months amid optimism that output cuts by Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its partners are helping to balance the market. Yet U.S. rivals have been expanding their operations, with drillers adding two oil rigs to reach 749 last week, the highest level since late September, according to Baker Hughes. “The OPEC deal will mostly work for non-OPEC,” said Eugen Weinberg, head of commodities research at Commerzbank AG in Frankfurt. “Even if OPEC delivers the cuts promised, and prices stay high long enough, the main result will be that U.S. shale adds on close to 1 million barrels a day of additional production.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Tronox Limited announced that, in connection with its planned acquisition of the titanium dioxide (TiO2) business of Cristal, a privately held global chemical and mining company headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the waiting period in the United States under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act expired at 11:59 p.m. EST on December 1, 2017 without further action by or communication from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Jeffry Quinn, Tronox's chief executive officer, stated: "Based on consultation with counsel, we believe that expiration of the waiting period means that we can proceed toward completion of the transaction once all closing conditions are met. However, we have not been informed that the Federal Trade Commission has formally concluded its investigation. The Commission could conceivably seek to enjoin the transaction at a later time, but we believe such action would be unprecedented and contrary to the rationale of the pre-merger notification system that is the framework of the U.S. regulatory process."

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.490; Month Ago: $2.482; Year Ago: $2.162. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.841; Month Ago: $2.752; Year Ago: $2.391.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.776257; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.151306; American Dollar to Euro = 1.189857; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.008896; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.053491.

Weekly U.S. crude oil production hit the highest level on record last week, according to preliminary government data, in another sign of the resilience of American shale drillers. The United States produced 9.62 million barrels of oil a day in the week through Nov. 3, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported on Wednesday. That just slightly topped a record high struck in June 2015, just before the oil price crash sparked a more than one-year decline that sent U.S. output to about 8.4 million barrels a day. Click Read More below for additional information.

Flint Group announced today the acquisition of Eston Chimica SRL located in Padova, Italy. This acquisition follows Flint Group’s strategy to grow not only organically, but also through tactical acquisition. Eston Chimica manufactures and sells water-based inks for flexo and gravure applications to printers predominantly located in Italy and Southern Europe. The company supports key Paper & Board applications, such as corrugated, shopping bags, paper bags, and various other water-based print jobs. Eston Chimica is located in northern Italy, near Venice, and employs 32 people. Kim Melander, Vice President & General Manager EMEA and Global Strategy, Paper & Board, says, "Flint Group is very happy to join together with Eston Chimica. We have found the ‘right’ partner; a company who, with the dedicated support of its employees, has been very successful in recent years outgrowing the market as compared to other suppliers.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures rose 1.6 percent in London. The curbs will last to the end of 2018, according to delegates at a ministerial meeting in Vienna. Talks have now moved on to the mechanism that will be used to review the agreement in the middle of next year, they said. Ministers also need to get Russia, their largest non-OPEC ally, on board at a meeting with other partner countries later on Thursday. Futures rose 1.6 percent in London. The curbs will last to the end of 2018, according to delegates at a ministerial meeting in Vienna. Talks have now moved on to the mechanism that will be used to review the agreement in the middle of next year, they said. Ministers also need to get Russia, their largest non-OPEC ally, on board at a meeting with other partner countries later on Thursday. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures lost as much as 0.9 percent in New York after falling 1.6 percent the previous two sessions. U.S. crude inventories rose by 1.82 million barrels last week, the American Petroleum Institute was said to report, even as it noted a large decline at the storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma. While all OPEC members support extending output curbs until the end of 2018, Russia hasn’t yet committed to the proposal, said people familiar with the matter. Oil has eased this week from the highest level in more than two years on uncertainty about the outcome of Thursday’s meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. While the global glut relative to the five-year average has more than halved since January, the surplus still stands at 140 million barrels, OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo said Monday. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures dropped as much as 1.2 percent in London, extending Monday’s decline. Uncertainty over the outcome of Thursday’s meeting is creating the risk of a slide in prices, which have gained on assumptions that the curbs will be prolonged for nine months, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. OPEC backs such an extension but is still waiting for commitments from Russia, according to people familiar with the matter. Crude surged earlier this month on signs the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its partners will prolong cuts aimed at shrinking a global glut. Prices, time spreads and hedge-fund positioning all reflect a high probability the group will follow a Saudi proposal to extend the pact to the end of 2018, Goldman said. Yet Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said Tuesday that it’s too early to talk about the duration. Click Read More below for additional information.

Crude oil prices were mixed in Asia on Monday as the market turned cautious ahead of a key OPEC meeting near the end of the week. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures dipped 0.42% to $58.70 a barrel. ICE Brent crude futures, the benchmark for oil prices outside the U.S., rose 0.47% to $63.77 a barrel. This week, market participants will focus on the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries highly-anticipated meeting on Thursday to see whether major producers plan to extend their current production-cut agreement. Click Read More below for additional information.

“It does appear the only way is up for oil,” said Michael McCarthy, a chief strategist at CMC Markets in Sydney. “A lot of traders are speculating about the potential outcome of the OPEC meeting. Expectations are high and that could lead to disappointment if OPEC and its partners don’t deliver, but it doesn’t seem many are prepared to take the risk of that happening.” U.S. crude stockpiles at Cushing, Oklahoma, the delivery point for WTI and the biggest oil-storage hub, dropped by 1.8 million barrels last week, the API said, according to people familiar with the data. Gasoline inventories expanded by 869,000 barrels, API data show. Click Read More below for additional information.

Ahead of next week's OPEC meeting in Vienna, strategists are closely watching swings in crude oil prices, which are faltering after weeks of gains. Despite political tensions involving oil superpower Saudi Arabia and OPEC's promises to cut production, crudeprices could come down by year-end, one strategist says. Here's why. • "Tensions in Saudi Arabia are still flaring following the actions by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman," Chantico Global CEO Gina Sanchez said Monday on CNBC's "Trading Nation," referring to a vast political shakeup in the kingdom earlier this month that initially boosted oil prices. • It is unlikely, however, that this will be an "actual geopolitical event," Sanchez said, and oil prices should continue settling. Click Read More below for additional information.

Oil dipped slightly last week on a weaker demand outlook while Russia cast doubts on the timing of a decision to extend supply cuts led by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Wagers on lower Brent prices rose by the most since June through the week to Nov. 14 amid uncertainty over Saudi Arabia’s push to prolong output curbs. Yet an extension remains likely, according to PVM Oil Associates Ltd. “It is widely believed that OPEC, together with 10 non-OPEC countries, will roll over their production for the whole of 2018,” said Tamas Varga, an analyst at PVM in London. Click Read More below for additional information.

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.556; Month Ago: $2.465; Year Ago: $2.148. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.837; Month Ago: $2.724; Year Ago: $2.393.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.784071; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.150754; American Dollar to Euro = 1.179539; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.008879; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.052519.

India’s imports of African crude oil in October plunged to their lowest in over four years, with the world’s No.3 oil consumer increasingly turning to cheaper supplies from the United States and heavier Middle Eastern grades, ship tracking data showed. U.S. crude production has soared more than 14 percent since mid-2016 to 9.65 million barrels per day (bpd), altering trade routes as its relatively cheap and light grades become a viable import option for Asian refiners. “Earlier in Asia, West African oil was competing with Middle East grades, but now it has a new competitor: the U.S.,” said Ehsan Ul-Haq, director of crude oil and refined products at consultancy Resource Economist. Click Read More below for additional information.

Oil prices fell for a fourth session on Wednesday after the U.S. government reported an unexpected increase in crude and gasoline stockpiles, but an increase in refining runs and a drawdown in distillates helped prices bounce off session lows. Prices also remained under pressure from this week's International Energy Agency (IEA) outlook for slower growth in global crude demand. While the crude build of 1.9 million barrels reported by the Energy Information Administration was more than forecast, it was not as big as the increase of 6.5 million barrels reported on Tuesday by industry group the American Petroleum Institute. The EIA data encouraged buying at session lows. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures lost as much as 1.3 percent in New York after falling 1.9 percent on Tuesday. U.S. inventories rose by 6.51 million barrels last week, the American Petroleum Institute was said to report. That would be the biggest gain since March if confirmed in government data on Wednesday. “The API data showed an inventory build, in contrast to expectations of a draw, which is weighing on the market,” said Giovanni Staunovo, a commodity analyst at UBS Group AG. “The Russian news doesn’t help either.” Gasoline inventories rose by 2.4 million barrels last week, the API said Tuesday, according to people familiar with the data. While the institute also reported a gain in crude stockpiles, a Bloomberg survey showed they may have shrunk by 2.4 million barrels. The U.S. Energy Information Administration will release the data at 10:30 a.m. New York time on Wednesday. Click Read More below for additional information.

For a generation, the huge, whitewashed storage tanks at America’s largest oil refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, have stored almost nothing but Saudi crude. The plant is owned by Saudi Arabia’s state-run oil company, Aramco, and since it first bought a stake in 1988, the Motiva refinery guaranteed the kingdom a strategic foothold in the world’s largest energy market. The tankers carrying millions of barrels a month of Arab Light crude from Saudi export terminals to Port Arthur were testament to the strength of the energy and political ties binding Riyadh and Washington. All of a sudden, there are very few Saudi ships arriving in Texas. Since July, Aramco has constricted supply, attempting to drain the crude storage tanks at Motiva -- and many others across America -- part of a plan to lift oil prices, even at the cost of sacrificing its once prized U.S. market. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures were little changed in New York after falling 0.8 percent Friday. Prices still capped a fifth weekly gain last week, the longest run since October 2016. The plan to boost security was reported by Al-Arabiya television on Saturday, citing the energy ministry of Saudi Arabia, the world’s top crude exporter. The pipeline resumed pumping later in the day after a brief halt. Oil has climbed about 20 percent since the start of September as global supplies tighten and speculation mounts that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will extend output curbs past the end of March. In the U.S., drillers last week increased the rig count by the most since June, according to Baker Hughes. “Political developments in Saudi Arabia sent bullish ripples across the energy complex,” said Stephen Brennock, an analyst at PVM Oil Associates Ltd. in London. Click Read More below for additional information.

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.561; Month Ago: $2.485; Year Ago: $2.196. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.818; Month Ago: $2.728; Year Ago: $2.413.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.788990; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.150565; American Dollar to Euro = 1.164367; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.008819; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.052392.

Oil is heading for the longest run of weekly gains since October 2016 as global supplies tighten and on signs the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will extend output curbs past the end of March. Saudi Arabia on Thursday advised its nationals to leave Lebanon, fueling fears of a confrontation with Iran in a country long known for being a battleground for proxy wars in the Middle East. “Geopolitical risks have taken center stage in the oil market again,” said Jens Naervig Pedersen, senior analyst at Danske Bank A/S in Copenhagen. “The rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran have raised concerns in the oil market of an imminent supply disruption.” Saudi Arabia said it plans to cut crude exports to all the regions it ships to next month. Shipments will fall by 120,000 barrels a day in December from November, a spokesman for the Energy Ministry said, without specifying what those levels would be. Bloomberg calculations from vessel-tracking data estimated flows in October at 6.989 million a day. Click Read More below for additional information.

With demand for the fuel accelerating in September after a hurricane knocked out a swath of U.S. refining and fires eliminated processing in Europe’s hub, diesel was credited with underpinning a rally in crude. Brent jumped above $60 a barrel last month and is still on an upward trajectory. But while those refinery issues are normalizing -- and diesel is weakening -- there’s been little let-up in the rally in crude futures. They reached a more than two-year high of $64.65 a barrel on Nov. 7, and remain close to that. “This will counter the recent support to crude,” Alan Gelder, vice-president of refining, chemicals and oil markets at Wood Mackenzie, said of signs the diesel market is weaker than expected. “Particularly if demand growth turns out to be disappointing” given the importance of diesel as a source of consumption during winter months. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures were little changed after slipping 0.3 percent on Tuesday, the first decline in four sessions. Crude inventories fell by 1.56 million barrels last week, while motor-fuel stockpiles gained 520,000 barrels, the industry-funded American Petroleum Institute was said to report. A Bloomberg survey forecast a 2.45 million-barrel oil-supply drop ahead of government data Wednesday. “The U.S. shale machine is poised to shift up a gear as producers make hay amid the healthier price backdrop,” said Stephen Brennock, an analyst at PVM Oil Associates Ltd. West Texas Intermediate for December delivery slid 8 cents to $57.12 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 10:04 a.m. London time. Total volume traded was 12 percent below the 100-day average. Prices slipped from the highest level in more than two years to close at $57.20 on Tuesday. Click Read More below for additional information.

Oil traded near the highest level in more than two years as political upheaval in top crude exporter Saudi Arabia reverberated through a market where prices were already elevated by signs of tightening supply. Investors have piled into oil as a shake-up of the ruling elite in OPEC’s biggest producer was seen to consolidate power with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who backs extending the group’s output cuts aimed at clearing a global glut. The purge also raised concern over instability in the kingdom, supporting a geopolitical-risk premium on crude that’s emerged with heightened tensions surrounding nations such as Iraq and Iran. Oil’s gained more than 20 percent since the beginning of September on signs global supplies are tightening and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies may prolong their output deal past March. Click Read More below for additional information.

Crude prices started the week on an upbeat note on Monday, boosted by expectations that oil producing countries will agree to extend an output cut at their meeting at the end of this month. Under the original terms of the deal, OPEC and 10 other non-OPEC countries led by Russia agreed to cut production by 1.8 million barrels a day (bpd) for six months. The agreement was extended in May of this year for a period of nine more months until March 2018 in a bid to reduce global oil inventories and support oil prices. Prices received another boost as a sizable weekly drop in active U.S. oil rigs to the lowest level since May fed expectations for a slowdown in domestic crude output growth. Click Read More below for additional information.

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.517; Month Ago: $2.543; Year Ago: $2.218. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.772; Month Ago: $2.733; Year Ago: $2.422.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.779492; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.150886; American Dollar to Euro = 1.164568; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.008766; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.052415.

U.S. crude prices retreated after coming within striking distance of their 2017 high on Wednesday, raising questions about whether a rally that started in June has reached its peak. On the one hand, the trend of future oil prices suggests that a prolonged global glut of crude is coming to an end. But at these elevated levels, prices are also susceptible to disappointing data points and profit-taking as traders look to cash in on recent gains. Crude futures shed more than $1 a barrel on Wednesday after government data showed U.S. crude stockpiles declined less than earlier industry figures indicated. The Energy Department's report also showed U.S. oil exports hit an all-time high, while the nation's production crept toward record levels. Click Read More below for additional information.

“OPEC may be trumpeting success as inventories close their gap to the most recent five-year average,” said Harry Tchilinguirian, head of commodity markets strategy at BNP Paribas SA. “It has progressed, but OPEC is not out of the woods. The stock-draws are not enough to reverse the large builds in oil inventories that we saw between 2014 and 2016.” U.S. crude output rose by 46,000 barrels a day to 9.55 million a day, according to a report Wednesday by the EIA. That’s the highest level in a month. Gasoline stockpiles fell for a second week to 212.8 million barrels, the lowest level since August 2015. Click Read More below for additional information.

Sun Chemical has acquired the assets and business of Transitions Digital Graphics, LLC. Based in Santa Barbara, Calif., Transitions Digital Graphics is a leader in the development of changeable advertising signage and displays which utilize invisible ink. “Transitions Digital Graphics is a technology company with a compelling advertising display solution that brings an interactive visual experience for consumers,” said Mehran Yazdani, President of Sun Chemical Advanced Materials. “This acquisition will strengthen our strategic initiative in electronic packaging by providing exciting new solutions in point of sale advertising. It also supports our strategy of continued expansion into sustainable high growth, high value markets.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Global benchmark Brent crude topped $60 a barrel last month for the first time since July 2015, while West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. marker, is set for the highest close in two years as Saudi Arabia and Russia signaled support for extending supply cuts well into 2018. The market was also buoyed by conflict between the Iraqi central government and Kurdish forces that threatened crude production from northern fields in the OPEC nation. “U.S. stock draws have been leading and continue to lead the market higher,” said Olivier Jakob, managing director at Petromatrix GmbH in Zug, Switzerland. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures were little changed in New York and are up 4.8 percent this month, after rallying 9.4 percent in September. U.S. crude inventories probably declined for a fifth time in six weeks, according to a Bloomberg survey before government data due Wednesday. Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said last week that he backed prolonging supply curbs, following a similar endorsement by Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month. Global benchmark Brent crude this month topped $60 a barrel for the first time since 2015 on hopes the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and partners including Russia will prolong their curbs aimed at eliminating a glut. Prices were also boosted by fighting between Iraqi government troops and Kurdish forces in the oil-rich Kirkuk region. Still, the potential for continued supplies from U.S. shale fields is a concern. Click Read More below for additional information.

Oil started the week off with mixed readings after last week’s nearly 5% rise as investor sentiment in black gold continued to be buoyed by hopes of extension to the OPEC-led deal to curb production. U.S. crude showed cautious trade around the unchanged mark Monday with the benchmark unable to hold the $54 mark, though the London barrel managed to extend gains. The U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude December contract slipped 2 cents, or 0.04%, to $53.88 a barrel by 5:12AM ET (9:12GMT). Click Read More below for additional information.

In our modern world, eliminating plastics is inconceivable. Unfortunately, they do have disadvantages, including the formation of CO2 in both production and combustion, depletion of fossil feedstocks, and growth of landfills. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, Russian researchers introduce a new way forward, a polymer made entirely from biomass that can easily and inexpensively be used in 3D printing. Objects produced in this way are of high quality, easily recyclable, and highly solvent-resistant. Conventional “subtractive” processes involve cutting, sawing, turning, or milling, which results in a great deal of wasted material. In contrast, 3D printing processes are, in principle, waste-free, because they are “additive”: three-dimensional objects are produced in a layer-by-layer application of material. The most common technique is called fused deposition modeling (FDM). In this process, the raw material is squirted through a hot nozzle onto a mobile base and thereby liquefied (extrusion). The printer head produces the programmed form like in a conventional two-dimensional printing process, releasing small amounts of the polymer instead of ink. This is repeated for layer after layer until the desired three-dimensional object is complete. Yet, the polymers used until now have a number of disadvantages that limit their use. Some of the polymers are attacked by organic solvents. Those that withstand the solvents, on the other hand, adhere poorly and shrink on heating, allowing their layers to come apart and causing errors in the printing process. Click Read More below for additional information.

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.466; Month Ago: $2.571; Year Ago: $2.225. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.738; Month Ago: $2.725; Year Ago: $2.422.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.776214; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.150313; American Dollar to Euro = 1.161353; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.008759; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.051954.

Futures were little changed near $60 a barrel in London, up 2.6 percent for the week. The prince said Thursday that “of course” he wanted to prolong the curbs beyond the end of March 2018. OPEC is considering an exit strategy to avoid flooding the market once the agreement finally expires, people familiar with the talks said this week. Total SA’s Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanne said the imbalance between crude supply and demand is finally dissipating. Brent has gained as speculation mounts the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will agree at its Nov. 30 meeting to extend cuts by its members and allied nations aimed at draining a global glut. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures were little changed in New York after falling 0.6 percent on Wednesday. Prince Mohammed said in an interview with Bloomberg News in Riyadh that "of course" he wanted to extend OPEC’s production cuts in 2018, making it all but certain the group and its allies will roll over the curbs at a meeting next month. Oil is holding gains above $50 a barrel as speculation mounts that supply curbs by members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies including Russia will be prolonged when they meet in Vienna on Nov. 30. In Iraq, the state oil company is working with a Kurdish firm to resume pumping at two disputed fields after government troops recaptured them from Kurdish forces. Click Read More below for additional information.

U.S. Paper Converters Inc. announced Monday it's shutting down its Appleton facility, leaving more than 50 people without a job. It's the latest in a series of devastating closures and layoffs from paper companies in the Fox Valley. Prior to this, Appleton Coated announced it was in receivership before being sold to a liquidation company. Hundreds of people were laid off, and many are trying to find work through the Bay Area Workforce Development Board. Some of those laid off employees said they know exactly how the U.S. Paper Converters employees feel. Click Read More below for additional information.

The market “looks a lot more bullish than it did three or four months ago,” said James Williams, president of London, Arkansas-based energy researcher WTRG Economics. The stockpile declines aren’t surprising since “refinery utilization is coming down this time of year because it’s turnaround season,” he said. Nonetheless, he predicted prices will rally again Wednesday if the government confirms the drops. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is expected to extend supply cuts beyond their March expiration date, which has supported oil above the key $50-a-barrel psychological threshold. In addition, oil demand is proving more resilient than some expected, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy and Industry Khalid Al-Falih said in Riyadh. Stockpiles at Cushing, Oklahoma, the delivery point for New York-traded futures contracts, probably declined by 500,000 barrels, according to a separate forecast compiled by Bloomberg. A Bloomberg survey estimated that U.S crude stockpiles slid by 3 million barrels last week, while gasoline stockpiles probably rose by 1.7 million barrels. The API report also showed crude stockpiles rose by 519,000 barrels, while Cushing supplies fell by 55,000 barrels last week. A draw at Cushing would be the first since August if the Energy Information Administration confirms it in its data release on Wednesday. Click Read More below for additional information.

Oil is holding above $50 a barrel as speculation mounts that members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will prolong supply curbs to prevent the market returning to surplus next year. At the same time, there are signs that growth in U.S. shale oil, which has kept a lid on prices, may be slowing as drilling declines. “The market will probably take it positively if OPEC can explain their thinking on how it works when they’re not voluntarily holding back oil from the market anymore,” Torbjorn Kjus, analyst at DNB Markets said. “There’s a fear in the market that when the deal runs out, then it’s every man for himself again, and that’s not what they’re thinking.” Click Read More below for additional information.

December futures were little-changed in New York. OPEC and its partners including Russia achieved a record-high level of compliance to output cuts during September, according to a statement on Saturday. In the U.S., drillers reduced the rig count for a third week to the lowest since June, according to Baker Hughes. “The lower U.S. rig count number, the OPEC compliance number and the geopolitical headlines from northern Iraq and Iran on sanctions have helped futures higher,” Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank A/S said. “But there are signs the market could be weakening with the seasonal refinery demand slowdown.” One sign that demand could be weakening is the Brent market structure known as backwardation -- when prompt prices are more expensive than later-dated futures -- which isn’t as strong as a month ago, said Hansen. Click Read More below for additional information.

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.458; Month Ago: $2.607; Year Ago: $2.232. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.729; Month Ago: $2.720; Year Ago: $2.420.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.800895; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.151079; American Dollar to Euro = 1.181784; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.008840; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.052958.

While oil investors are grappling with geopolitical risks, the potential impact of tensions in the Middle East is uncertain, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said Tuesday. While the conflict between Iraq’s central government and the semi-autonomous Kurds cut crude flows through a Turkish pipeline, the disruption may be short lived. Meanwhile, OPEC sent its strongest signal yet that its output cuts will be extended until the end of 2018. The flow rate through the pipeline from Kurdish region to the Turkish port of Ceyhan was about 200,000 barrels a day, according to a port agent report. That was unchanged from Thursday, but down from about 600,000 barrels a day before the conflict began. U.S. gasoline inventories expanded by 908,000 barrels last week, while distillate supplies climbed by 528,000 barrels to 134.5 million barrels, according to the Energy Information Administration. Crude stockpiles declined for a fourth week, down by 5.731 million barrels to 456.5 million barrels, the data showed. Click Read More below for additional information.

Crude had risen since late last week as tensions in Iraq, OPEC’s second-largest producer, led to the halt of production at two Kirkuk fields. The resulting export curbs pushed oil in the U.S. to a three-week high on Wednesday but Brent has failed to breach last month’s peak and dropped below $58 following the inventory data. Prices reflect “oil bulls taking profit after the supply disruption in Iraq failed to drive Brent to new highs,” said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank A/S. “It’s a classic risk-off move. On balance, I believe yesterday’s EIA report was net bearish.” U.S. gasoline inventories expanded by 908,000 barrels last week, while distillate supplies climbed to 134.5 million barrels, according to the Energy Information Administration. Refinery utilization slipped as plants including Exxon Mobil Corp.’s Joliet refinery in Illinois were said to carry out maintenance. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures in New York rose as much as 0.6 percent after adding 2.5 percent in the past three sessions. An industry report showed U.S. inventories fell last week, with government data Wednesday forecast to show a fourth straight drop. Crude’s recent gains have been driven by fighting between the Iraqi government and Kurdish forces in the oil-rich Kirkuk region, which could stoke tensions beyond the country’s borders. Iraq is just one of the oil market’s geopolitical risks, with uncertainty also growing over tensions between Iran and the U.S., Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said Tuesday. The Persian Gulf nation said it would support an extension of OPEC output cuts to the end of 2018 and insisted its production plans won’t be disrupted by U.S. President Donald Trump’s disavowal of the nuclear deal that’s boosted its exports. Click Read More below for additional information.

Oil prices continued to climb Tuesday amid fighting in Iraq that threatened production from northern Iraq and as the relationship between the United States and Iran risked more strain. Iraqi forces on Monday clashed with fighters from Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region in the oil-rich province of Kirkuk, in a continuing standoff over Kurdish independence. The violence followed a referendum late September in which the Kurds voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence, in defiance of the central government in Baghdad and other regional powers. Click Read More below for additional information.

Iraqi forces advanced toward the disputed city of Kirkuk, as the government sharply intensified its efforts to stall moves toward a Kurdish state by seizing the oil fields that would underpin its economy. Crude exports from the disputed area were flowing normally on Monday. State-run Iraqiya television said the military had also captured a refinery, a gas plant and a main road in Kirkuk, which has emerged as a flashpoint in the power struggle between the federal government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government. The Associated Press reported that Kurdish fighters had abandoned their positions outside Kirkuk’s airport while civilians were fleeing the city, where sporadic gunfire could be heard. Click Read More below for additional information.

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.481; Month Ago: $2.656; Year Ago: $2.253. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.726; Month Ago: $2.717; Year Ago: $2.412.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.801207; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.151787; American Dollar to Euro = 1.181003; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.008910; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.052739.

Futures added 1.5 percent in New York. China’s crude imports last month jumped to the second-highest on record, customs data show, while U.S. government data on Thursday showed crude inventories fell by 2.75 million barrels last week. OPEC is said to expect a global oil glut will be gone a year from now. President Donald Trump is expected on Friday to disavow a deal with Iran that helped revive its oil exports, while stopping short of abandoning it. Oil has rebounded from the biggest weekly loss since May on signs that output cuts led by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries are draining a surplus. OPEC expects the effort to succeed by the end of the third quarter of next year, said people familiar with the group’s internal forecasts. The prediction assumes that production in Libya and Nigeria will remain at current levels and U.S. shale output will expand by no more than 500,000 barrels a day next year, two people familiar with the matter said. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures lost 0.9 percent in New York after climbing 4.1 percent in the previous three sessions. Inventories rose by 3.1 million barrels last week, the American Petroleum Institute was said to report. Energy Information Administration data Thursday is forecast to show stockpiles dropped for a third week. Global supply and demand estimates for 2018 indicate that stockpiles may not fall further, potentially capping prices, according to the International Energy Agency. “According to the IEA’s calculation, at the current level of OPEC production there will be no global stock draws next year,” said Olivier Jakob, managing director of consultants Petromatrix GmbH in Zug, Switzerland. “If the IEA is right, then markets will continue to trade in the narrow” price band seen recently. Global oil stockpiles will fall this year by 300,000 barrels a day as stronger demand and output curbs by OPEC and Russia whittle away a surplus, the IEA said Thursday in its monthly report. Still, even if the producers decide to continue with the cuts next year, surging supplies from the U.S. and elsewhere will prevent inventories dropping further. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures added 0.7 percent in New York after advancing 3.3 percent the previous two sessions. The global economic recovery has gained traction and oil de-stocking gathered pace in recent months, Barkindo said Tuesday. Producers in the U.S. Gulf have cut output by a million barrels a day, or 59 percent, because of Tropical Storm Nate, the Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement said. Oil has inched higher in the past few days -- following the biggest weekly loss since May -- on signs of tighter supply. U.S. crude stockpiles probably fell by 2.4 million barrels last week, according to a Bloomberg survey before an Energy Information Administration report Thursday. Barkindo, speaking in New Delhi, said the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries had boosted oil-demand estimates for this year and next. “OPEC is talking to a market which is currently prepared to listen, given the visible improvements seen during the past few months,” said Ole Sloth Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank A/S. Click Read More below for more of the story.

Futures rose 0.8 percent after advancing 0.6 percent on Monday, rebounding from a weekly loss. Crude stockpiles probably slid by 750,000 barrels last week, a Bloomberg survey showed before an Energy Information Administration report due Thursday. Oil last week fell the most since May on speculation rising global output may offset supply curbs led by members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. The output-cuts deal is set to expire at the end of March and the group is likely to discuss an extension at its next meeting on Nov. 30. Its de facto leader, Saudi Arabia, said state oil company Saudi Aramco will ship 560,000 barrels a day less than customers are requesting in November. Saudi Aramco plans to supply 7.15 million barrels a day “despite very strong demand” that exceeds 7.7 million barrels a day, the Saudi Energy Ministry said in a statement. Click Read More below for more of the story.

UPS confirmed contract talks with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters have begun on new collective bargaining agreements. The current five-year contract continues through July 31, 2018. “UPS and the union have many shared objectives and our intent is to negotiate in an environment of mutual respect,” said Al Gudim, UPS Labor Relations President. “We believe all parties recognize that taking care of our customers with reliable service is the key to maintaining a company that rewards our employees and provides excellent job security. We are in a rapidly changing industry and look forward to working together with union negotiators to strongly position UPS for the future.” Click Read More below for more of the story.

Oil prices stabilized on Monday after one of the most bearish weeks in months, propped up by OPEC comments signaling the group and other producers may take further action to restore market balance in the long term. Oil production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico started returning to service after Hurricane Nate had forced the shutdown of more than 90 percent of crude output in the area. The prospective restarts kept price gains in check. “Oil is having trouble to find direction. Mixed signals keep investors busy changing their minds,” said Hans van Cleef, senior energy economist at ABN Amro. Click Read More below for more of the story.

National Average Price for Regular – Current: $2.514; Month Ago: $2.661; Year Ago: $2.246. National Average Price for Diesel – Current: $2.732; Month Ago: $2.683; Year Ago: $2.376.