IN BRIEF (Page 18)

Explorers look to the long term with shale gas

With their eyes on long-term diversification of domestic energy supplies, Chinese oil giants will maintain their shale gas exploration drive this year even as global crude prices have tumbled.

Adapting to shrinking price

ConocoPhillips Co: plans to cut capital expenditure by 20 percent to $13.5 billion, cut spending on upstream exploration by 23 percent to $5 billion in 2015

Crude imports hit a high in Dec

China's crude imports surged to a record in December after a buying spree in Singapore by a State-owned trader and as the government in Beijing accelerated stockpiling amid the collapse in global oil prices.

Exploration losses loom for oil majors

Industry experts are predicting losses in the upstream exploration activities of China's top three oil giants this year, as a result of the plunge in global oil prices.

Small refineries struggling to stay afloat in fast-changing energy world

Under pressure from a plunge in world oil prices that began in June, small local refineries that were already grappling with a glutted market have seen their profits almost evaporate, and some may even close, industry sources said.

US industry starts to create more jobs

Month after month, US hiring keeps rising, and unemployment keeps falling. Eventually, pay and inflation are supposed to start surging in response.

Coffee bulls return as drought ravages Brazil crop production

Brazil is getting dry again and the coffee bulls are back.

McDonald's ad walks fine line with 'signs'

An ad by McDonald's is testing the fine line companies need to walk when referencing national tragedies.

Hot cars at the Detroit auto show

The North American International Auto Show begins this week in Detroit with media and industry previews. It opens to the public on Saturday.

What's news

Governments And Policies

First LGFV default likely this year

China is likely to see the first case of a default by a local government financing vehicle this year, said Zhang Zhiwei, chief China economist with Deutsche Bank AG.