Oil companies roll out the barrel

SAN FRANCISCO - Oil companies are continuing to post strong results, with Chevron Corp and Total SA the latest to post sharp increases in profits.

The advances came as crude prices surged and refining margins improved along with global fuel demand.

The price of oil has risen to more than $100 a barrel, putting a squeeze on drivers and raising talk of a US legislative pushback, as global energy demand and unrest in West Asia and North Africa darken the oil supply picture.