Business - Energy & Oil Industry

LONDON (AFP) - Oil prices rose marginally on Tuesday, with gains capped by high energy stockpiles in the United States, the world's biggest consumer, traders said. Full Story »

SINGAPORE - Oil prices hovered below $70 a barrel Tuesday in Asia after dropping the last nine days on investor doubts about a recovery in U.S. crude demand and amid a strengthening dollar. Full Story »

WASHINGTON (AFP) - ExxonMobil announced plans Monday to acquire rival exploration firm XTO Energy for 41 billion dollars, a deal giving the largest US energy producer a bigger share of domestic natural gas reserves. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Shares of natural gas producers jumped Monday as Exxon Mobil Inc.'s $29 billion acquisition of XTO Energy Inc. set off a flurry of talk about more big buyouts. Full Story »

COLUMBUS, Ohio - A gas leak at an oil recycling company forced about 4,000 workers to evacuate nearby office buildings for six hours Monday, sending one person to the hospital, authorities said. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Most commodities rose Monday, with the exception of energy futures, which were hampered by ongoing concerns over weak demand. Full Story »

ATLANTA - Shares of major airlines were mixed Monday as oil prices continued to fall while the broader stock market edged up. Full Story »

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's currency edged higher on Monday, clawing back from an early drop to its lowest level in three sessions, boosted by a rising gold price and some stability in oil after recent declines. Full Story »

BILLINGS, Mont. - Oil production in Montana is off by about 30 percent from its high three years ago, but state officials said rebounding energy prices have staved off a sharp hit to the state's budget. Full Story »

WASHINGTON - The White House on Monday announced a new program drawing funds from international partners to spend $350 million over five years to supply developing nations with clean energy technology to curb greenhouse gas emissions and reduce global warming. Full Story »

MOSCOW (AFP) - Russia's crude oil exports in 2009 increased 1.8 percent, defying the economic slowdown, but gas exports slumped 10 percent, Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin announced on Monday. Full Story »

WASHINGTON (AFP) - ExxonMobil has agreed to acquire oil exploration firm XTO Energy, in an all-stock transaction valued at 41 billion dollars, the companies said Monday. Full Story »

SAMANDEPE, Turkmenistan (AFP) - China's President Hu Jintao on Monday unveiled a landmark pipeline to transport Turkmen natural gas to China, a key victory for Beijing in its drive for access to Central Asian resources. Full Story »

SAMANDEPE, Turkmenistan (AFP) - China's President Hu Jintao on Monday opened a pipeline to transport Turkmen natural gas to China, a major victory for Beijing in its drive to access Central Asian energy resources. Full Story »

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia halted gas supplies to Armenia after a bomb was found close to a pipeline in southern Russia, Interfax news agency reported on Monday, citing the Georgian company responsible for transiting the gas. Full Story »

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraq will be a "big player" at OPEC's meeting in Angola later this month over its allocated crude production quota following a string of deals with oil majors, a senior US embassy official said on Sunday. Full Story »

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Kuwait's oil minister said Sunday OPEC probably won't change its production levels when it meets next week. Full Story »

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Critics said the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq said was driven by oil, but United States oil majors were largely absent from an Iraqi auction of oil deals snapped up instead by Russian, Chinese and other firms. Full Story »