Japanese Economics Minister Akira Amari said on Tuesday he wants to hear what the Bank of Japan thinks about a sharp decline in oil prices and its impact on consumer prices, as the BOJ's 2 percent inflation goal becomes ever more difficult to reach.
Energy
Brent crude oil rises above $48.50, but outlook remains weak
Oil prices edged up on Wednesday in a further sign of support around current levels, but analysts said the outlook for the next six months remained bleak due to oversupply.
RWE mulls sale of power plants as sector crisis drags on
RWE is exploring the sale of power plants, its chief operating officer told Reuters on Tuesday, frustrated with profit erosion and lack of political support for its struggling generation units.
Schlumberger to buy $1.7 billion stake in Russian oil driller
Oil services giant Schlumberger plans to buy a 45.65 percent stake in Eurasia Drilling for about $1.7 billion, potentially paving the way for it to become the sole owner of Russia's most active oilfield services company.
Oil drops towards $48 after IMF cuts growth forecast
Brent crude oil prices fell towards $48 a barrel on Tuesday after the International Monetary Fund cut its forecast for global economic growth in 2015 implying lower demand for fuel.
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Iran sees no sign of a shift within OPEC toward action to support oil prices, its oil minister said, adding its oil industry could ride out a further price slump to $25 a barrel.
Oil prices fell in early Asian trade on Monday, with markets expecting gloomy Chinese economic data to be published this week.
German utility RWE will complete the sale of oil and gas unit DEA [RWEDE.UL] to Russian tycoon Mikhail Fridman by early March, it said on Friday, easing fears of a potential collapse.
U.S. crude traded above $48 on Friday after the University of Michigan released a report showing U.S. consumer sentiment reached its highest level in more than a decade in December.
Brent crude oil rose more than $2 to around $50 a barrel on Friday after the West's energy watchdog forecast the market sell-off would end, although analysts said a strong rebound soon was unlikely as global output continued to outweigh demand.
Lifting U.S. crude export restrictions could boost domestic oil production and cut gasoline prices, according to a report issued Friday by Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy.
Oil prices fell more than 1 percent on Wednesday after touching their lowest in nearly six years the previous session, extending losses alongside a sell-off in other commodities.
Brent and U.S. WTI crude oil prices fell to their lowest levels in almost six years on Tuesday as a big OPEC producer stood by the group's decision not to cut output to tackle a glut in the market.
A diplomatic push by Venezuela and Iran for an OPEC oil output cut has failed to soften the refusal of the group's Gulf members to do so for now, delegates said on Monday.
