David Blair's Blog, page 141

Centrica poised to exceed estimates

Centrica will beat the market's operating profit expectations for 2010, according to a trading update from the UK's biggest energy supplier.

Reactor plans clear UK regulatory hurdle

EDF and Areva , the French energy giants, have cleared a key hurdle in their plan to build four nuclear power stations in Britain after safety concerns about a new reactor were resolved.

Opec upbeat on world economy

Opec has delivered an optimistic assessment of the state of the world economy, finding that global oil demand has grown by 1m barrels per day in 2010, more than double the forecast level.

IEA warns Iraq will miss 2017 oil target

Iraq will miss its target of producing 12m barrels of oil a day by 2017 and could take another 20 years to achieve even half that level of output, says the International Energy Agency.

Opec considers adding Iraq to quota system

Opec will discuss Iraq's inclusion in the cartel's quota system when the country's oil production reaches 4m or 5m barrels per day, according to the organisation's secretary-general.

Opec leaves production levels unchanged

The Opec oil cartel agreed to maintain its current production level on Thursday, signalling the group's satisfaction with prices of around $70 to $85 a barrel.

Top oil trader says price will fall short of $100

Oil prices will rise modestly towards $85 a barrel next year despite market expectations that they will return to above $100 a barrel, the world's largest oil trading house has forecast.

Opec set to maintain oil production limits

The Opec oil cartel is set to maintain its current production limits at a meeting on Thursday, according to the emerging consensus among the group's senior officials and ministers.

Saudis 'comfortable' with oil prices

Ali Naimi, Saudi oil minister and de facto leader of the Opec oil cartel, has made clear he is "comfortable" with the present state of the oil market.

Iraq jostles for power in Opec

When Opec's 12 oil ministers meet in Vienna on Thursday, the veiled rivalry between two of the men at the table promises to alter the club's balance of power in the years ahead.