OSLO, May 16 (Reuters) - Norway is not happy with the asset swap deal between Austria's OMV and Gazprom that would give the Russian gas giant access to the Norwegian continental shelf, the Nordic country's oil and energy minister told Reuters on Wednesday.

Norwegian oil rig flanges gulf coast production dropped month-on-month in April, according to preliminary output figures released Wednesday by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD).

The figures showed an average daily oil rig flanges gulf coast production of 1.868 million barrels of oil, NGL and condensate in April, which is a decrease of 34,000 barrels per day compared to March.

Crude settled at the highest since 2014 as shrinking US oil, gasoline and diesel stockpiles signaled tightening global supplies.

(Bloomberg) -- Crude settled at the highest since 2014 as shrinking U.S.

Statoil's name change is edging closer.

OSLO, May 15 (Reuters) - Shareholders in Norway's largest company, Statoil, will approve on Tuesday the board's proposal to drop "oil" from its name as its seeks to diversify its business and attract young talent concerned about fossil fuels' impact on climate change.

Physical markets for oil shipments tell a different story.

NEW YORK/LONDON/SINGAPORE, May 15 (Reuters) - Oil futures prices have soared past three-year highs, OPEC's deal has cut millions of barrels of inventory worldwide and investors are betting in record numbers that prices could rocket past $80 and even hit $90 a barrel this year.

HANOI, May 15 (Reuters) - A unit of Russian state oil firm Rosneft, Rosneft Vietnam BV, has started drilling at a new oil rig flanges gulf coast production well in waters off the southern coast of Vietnam, the BOP Blow Out Preventer repair company gulf coast said in a statement posted to its website on Tuesday.