UK Maritime Trade Operations said on the 7th a tanker in waters off Qatar was struck by multiple projectiles and casualties were reported. Such attacks have frequently occurred in and near the Strait of Hormuz; this incident was in northern Qatari waters closer to the Persian Gulf interior. The report gave no details on the number or severity of casualties. UKMTO urged vessels to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity.

China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) said the Bayan oilfield in the Hetao Basin, Inner Mongolia, reached 5,080 t/d of crude — the first time above 5,000 t/d and a record high — marking a step-up in reserves and output in CNPC’s Huabei oilfield new area. CNPC engineer Liu Jing said technology-led exploration, including a late-stage rapid-subsidence basin theory and breakthroughs in deep continental clastic reservoirs, delivered western Inner Mongolia’s first million-tonne-per-year oilfield. Huabei’s crude output has held at the c.5 mln tonnes level for two consecutive years and remained stable; through end-September Huabei produced 3.86 mln tonnes YTD, with Bayan up 14% YoY and accounting for nearly one-third of Huabei’s daily output. CNPC said the reserve additions and output gains provide replicable experience for boosting production in mature onshore oilfield new areas.

Hang Seng Indexes Company announced the results of a consultation: the Hang Seng TECH Index will expand its constituent count to 50.