Markets rally to oil futures

As US stock inventories rose, concerns that OPEC would cut output led to an increase in the price of oil futures, leading to crude reaching $48 a barrel again.
The issue of supply was underlined by the US Department of Energy, who stated that OPEC cuts could lead to difficulties for refiners to meet demand.
OPEC also […]
Royal Dutch shells massive profits

The Royal Dutch/Shell group reported net profits of $17.5bn (£9.3bn) in 2004, and in doing so broke the record for the highest ever recorded for a UK-listed company.
They also made a downgrade of their oil reserves by 1.4 billion barrels, after previous scandals of exaggerated figures led to a fundamental reorganisation of the executive board […]
Futures Markets