Battle with gas gets under way
King coal long ago lost its royal title as the main fuel driving the world's industrial engine. But even though it has been eclipsed by oil, natural gas and in some places by nuclear power, coal remains a key fuel in a number of economies, including the US - the world's biggest - where coal-fired power stations produce more than half of the country's electricity....more
OIL INDUSTRY
Outlook is widening
The price slide that shocked the world's oil industry last year continues to reverberate around Europe's North Sea oil and gas industry. Although crude oil prices have recovered as a result of big production cuts, the price collapse has prompted a root and branch reassessment of the offshore industries in Norway and the UK, the two biggest producers....more
GERMANY
Elephantine proposals
Passengers at Essen railway station confronted this month by four young men in canary yellow jackets selling "Germany's cheapest electricity" can be forgiven for feeling confused. ...more
PRICE RALLY
Rises keep coming
This year's rally in world oil prices has accelerated in recent weeks as traders and speculators treated continuing signs of discipline among leading exporters as a fresh buying opportunity. ...more
US
Shift to gas is no death blow
As deregulation rocks the US power industry, coal, long prized as plentiful, stable and cheap, is forecast to lose its current dominant market share as the fuel of choice. But its hegemony will not decline as rapidly as some might think....more
ATLANTIC MARGIN
Exploration drill goes quiet
The big crowds that turned out for the Offshore Europe oil industry exhibition in Aberdeen earlier this month suggests that Britain's oil industry is in rude health. Champagne receptions were the order of the day for many exhibitors, keen to tout the latest technology and equipment....more
M&A
Europe retains leading role
Europe remains the top target for international acquisitions, takeovers and strategic stakebuilding in electricity as global markets continue to liberalise....more
