Oil shock keeps our biggest guns blazing

The oil price gives and it takes away. The bright side of high oil prices for a country running an energy surplus and the companies that keep it that way was highlighted yesterday by a stunning leap in revenue for Woodside, this market's biggest oil and gas player, writes Malcolm Maiden.

Lawyers make billions but good times are ending

Their clients may be cutting jobs and reeling from millions of pounds in losses, but Britain’s corporate lawyers enjoyed record profits last year.

BHP Billiton posts record 15.4-billion-dollar profit (AFP)

AFP - The world's biggest miner BHP Billiton on Monday announced record annual net profits of 15.39 billion US dollars (10.46 billion euros), driven by soaring commodity prices and strong Asian demand.

BHP Billiton posts record 15.4-billion-dollar profit (AFP)

AFP - The world's biggest mining company BHP Billiton Ltd. posted a record 15.39-billion-US-dollar annual net profit Monday and said it expected Asian demand to remain strong despite a global slowdown.

Worley profit up 53%, mulls solar plant

WorleyParsons, Australia's largest engineering company, says the Pilbara region of WA could be a location for a $1 billion thermal solar power station.

Iraq opens door to foreign bidding to increase oil output (The Christian Science Monitor)

The Christian Science Monitor - Iraq has invited 35 prequalified foreign companies to bid on contracts for the further development of six existing and operational oil fields and two gas fields. The Monday announcement, it says, is a bid to boost output levels by about 80 percent to 4.5 million barrels per day (b.p.d.) by 2013.