ISIL/IS CONSOLIDATING POSITIONS AROUND BAGHDAD. They made series of attacks last week 40 miles south. Contingent of Iran Air Force stationed south of Baghdad helping Shiite forces defend capital. (Iraq can't defend itself despite all the US effort.) ... Ukraine forces entered Luhansk on Sunday, 1 of 2 remaining large cities held by separatists. Russia aid convoy still at border ... Ukraine parliament voted to allow Euro, US comps to lease up to 49% of natgas pipe, storage system. Helps stop new pipe project to bypass Ukraine. (Raises money.) Parliament also OK'd govt to impose sanctions on Russia persons/entities, other countries for supporting "terrorism" in Ukraine ... Russia report: natgas production of EU member states to decline 43% next 12 years vs. '13 levels ... Louisville fastest warming city in US ... Drought in Spain, areas of Central America ... Solar Systems canceled plans for 100Mw concentrated solar project in Australia. Cited termination of $70M conditional govt support, govt clean energy commitment ... $150/bl now required for new investment in oil sands, $115-127/bl for deepwater development off Angola, Brazil: report ... US natgas inventories 19% below normal for time of year ... Kurds say their largest oilfield will be producing 140Kb/d by Sept ... Libya says their oil production now up to 300Kb/d. But customers wary to sign up for deliveries over uncertainty to get them. Parts of Tripoli shelled by heavy artillery over weekend. Heavy fighting resumed in Benghazi. Foreign workers continue to leave ... Iran nuclear agreement increasingly unlikely before November ... China's '20 target for 60-80BCM shale gas production cut to 30BCM. '15 target of 6.5BCM. .2BCM produced in '13 ... Norway oil/NGL/condensate production up 8% in July from June to 1.93Mb/d. But down 3.5% year over year. (Normal depletion.) ... Brazil comp working with Rosneft to develop LNG project in Amazon basin. Est. 2.4B BOE reserves ... N Dakota officials considering requiring oil comps to stabilize crude before loading trains ... 3 Affiliated Tribes of N Dakota to start charging fees for NG flaring at wells ... 3Leg Resources (Britain) says efforts to bring Polish shale gas into production going "smoothly" ... EDF Energy shutting down 3 nuke plants in UK for safety investigations, joining a 4th plant already shut down ... DOE investing over $55M on 24 projects aimed at improving EVs ... Green Plains (GPRE) to buy back $100M of stock ... Fracking fluids more toxic than previously thought, admitted: study ... Hoosier Energy to buy 25Mw from 100Mw Illinois wind farm for 15 years. Owned by EDP Renewables ... Trina Solar to supply 82Mw for project in China ... Eco Energy World (UK) connected 5 UK solar farms to grid. 70Mw total. 9-15Mw each ... ABB to install Atlantis Resources onshore grid connect for 1st phase of 6Mw demo tidal power project in Scotland. Online in '16 ... Brazil to connect 30 wind farms to grid by Oct 31 ... Scotland launched 20M Pound local energy fund ... Jinko Solar profit up 182% in 2Q ... EPA refuses to reclassify areas that can't meet ozone standard ... Appeals court sided with FERC over NY town bid to stop NG project ... Wind power operator reducing output to limit bat deaths ... DOE sees US wind power gen capacity growing through '15. Uncertainty beyond that.