HOUSTON/DETROIT, March 6 (Reuters) – General Motors Co
aims to save fuel by trimming the weight of its vehicles
even as it develops electric cars with a driving range of up to
200 miles to eliminate the need for gasoline altogether, the
U.S. automaker’s chief executive said on Wednesday.

Dan Akerson also revealed at a conference of energy
executives and investors in Houston that GM’s new Spark EV would
have a range of 75 miles to 80 miles (120-129 km) without a
charge – double the electric-only range of its Chevrolet Volt
plug-in hybrid. The Spark is due to go on sale this summer.

HOUSTON, March 6 (Reuters) – Engineering and construction
company Fluor Corp believes the main concern for
chemical companies with plans for new U.S. plants is a potential
labor shortage on the Gulf Coast where most will be built.

A North American glut of natural gas liquids (NGLs) like
ethane has led to a handful of announcements about new crackers
that convert ethane into ethylene, a building block for many
plastics.

March 5 (Reuters) – The head of Chinese oil and gas producer
CNOOC Ltd told an audience of executives in Houston on
Tuesday that he hoped to overcome “misunderstandings” about the
purpose of acquisitions made abroad by Chinese oil companies.

A week after closing its $15 billion takeover of Canada’s
Nexen, CNOOC Chief Executive Li Fanrong said China – the world’s
top oil importer as of December – mainly wanted to increase its
contribution to the supply side of the oil market.

March 1 (Reuters) – Transocean Ltd, the world’s
largest offshore drilling contractor, reported on Friday a rise
in revenue and higher-than-expected profits for the fourth
quarter as more of its fleet was working compared with a year
ago.

The results come as Transocean battles through a
long-awaited court case in New Orleans to determine civil
liability for the oil spill from BP Plc’s Macondo well,
which was drilled by a Transocean rig.

March 1 (Reuters) – Transocean Ltd has lured away
Seadrill Ltd’s chief financial officer and investors
are eager to find out whether the world’s largest offshore rig
contractor will borrow some of its rival’s tricks to boost
shareholder value.

Esa Ikaheimonen will speak on Monday on his first quarterly
conference call since assuming his new job in November fresh
from a successful spin-out out of an initial group of four rigs
from Seadrill into a partnership.

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – Nearly three years after a deepwater well rupture killed 11 men, sank a rig and spewed 4 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, BP and the other companies involved are about to face their day in court.

The trial over the worst U.S. offshore oil spill is set to start this morning in New Orleans before a federal judge and without a jury. Few expect the case, seen lasting several months, will be decided by the judge.

HOUSTON, Feb 25 (Reuters) – Nearly three years after a
deepwater well rupture killed 11 men, sank a rig and spewed 4
million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, BP and the other
companies involved are about to face their day in court.

The trial over the worst U.S. offshore oil spill is set to
start this morning in New Orleans before a federal judge and
without a jury. Few expect the case, seen lasting several
months, will be decided by the judge.

Feb 22 (Reuters) – Chevron Corp is about to make a
final call on a Republic of the Congo offshore project that
could ultimately produce an estimated 127,000 barrels per day of
crude oil after its anticipated start up in 2015, the company
disclosed on Friday.

Chevron said a final investment decision (FID) on the Moho
Nord project, including a facilities hub and a tieback to the
existing Moho-Bilondo floating production unit, is due by the
end of March.

By Kristen Hays and Braden Reddall

(Reuters) – Nearly three years after a deepwater well rupture killed 11 men, sank a rig and spewed 4 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, BP and the other companies involved are scheduled to face their judge in court.

The trial over the worst U.S. offshore oil spill is set to start Monday in New Orleans before a federal judge and without a jury. Few expect the case, seen lasting several months, will be decided by the judge.

Feb 20 (Reuters) – Engineering company Fluor Corp on
Wednesday reported slower-than-expected revenue growth and a
quarterly loss due to a $265 million charge for the Greater
Gabbard wind project off the coast of Britain.

Shares of Fluor, the largest publicly traded U.S.
engineering company, dropped another 1 percent in after-hours
trading following a 3 percent slide to $64.34 in the regular
session on the New York Stock Exchange.