China overtook the United States as the world's top importer of crude oil for the first time in April, and its purchases are expected to remain strong despite a slowing economy, with far-reaching consequences for global oil and commodities markets.

BP Plc and the union representing striking workers at the British firm's Whiting, Indiana, oil refinery have reached an agreement setting the terms for them to return to work as soon as May 18 following a three-month strike.

Malaysian oilfield services provider SapuraKencana has won several international contracts worth $269 million in total.

Flexlife, a provider of flexible pipe integrity and engineering services to the oil and gas industry, has won a subsea project management and engineering support contract with Apache North Sea Limited.

Washington is pushing Athens not to abandon a Western-backed Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project in favor of the Russia-proposed Turkish Stream, a pipeline that would bring Russian gas to Europe via Greece.

The Turkish Stream pipeline will become operational in December 2016, said head of Gazprom Aleksey Miller.

Denmark has suspended the first exploratory drilling for shale gas which lasted only one day after it discovered that French gas-giant Total, in charge of the project, had used “unauthorized” chemicals.

Kvaerner, a Norway-based engineering and construction company, has doubled its net profit for total operations in the first quarter of 2015.

Nexans has delivered one umbilical to the Snøhvit offshore field in Norway, which is the company’s third delivery in a €45 million ($50.

Energy firm IGas has announced plans to shed more than a quarter of its workforce and close an office in Stirling.