Russia’s demand for gas payments in roubles breaches contracts and should not be accepted, a government spokesperson for gas importer Bulgaria said on Wednesday, as a standoff between the European Union and Moscow over energy supplies intensifies.

Russia is ready for the possibility that Europe might stop buying Russian energy supplies, the TASS news agency quoted the speaker of Russia’s upper house of parliament as saying on Tuesday.

The Kremlin on Tuesday said foreign companies need to understand that the “economic war” against Russia has changed the situation, meaning they need to buy roubles and pay for gas in the Russian currency, as Moscow seeks to shield itself from sanctions.

Oil and gas major ExxonMobil has completed its drilling operations on the Cutthroat prospect, located in the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin off Brazil, but failed to verify the presence of hydrocarbons.

Malaysian state-owned energy giant Petronas has denied reports, speculating on it buying a significant stake in compatriot oil and gas services company, Sapura Energy.

About 28,500 workers at Norwegian shipyards, oil industry fabrication plants and other manufacturers will go on strike from April 1, unless labour unions and employers reach a new wage deal, a state-appointed mediator said on Monday.

Russian gas deliveries to Europe through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline across the Baltic Sea rose slightly on Thursday, while the Yamal-Europe pipeline continued to flow eastwards from Germany into Poland.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday that oil supplies by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which ships around 1.2 million barrels per day, may be completely stopped for up to two months due to damaged berths at a Black Sea terminal.

ING Groep NV (INGA.AS) will no longer finance new oil and gas projects, its energy chief said, becoming the biggest bank yet to commit to such a step in the fight against climate change.

U.S. oil and gas giant ExxonMobil has revealed that its current president of Low Carbon Solutions will be stepping down from the role at the end of April, prompting the company to name a replacement.