Two of the world’s leading energy companies weathered plunging oil prices in the first quarter of this year by making increased profits from refining and trading, suggesting large groups are better placed than smaller rivals to cope with the slump.

China National Petroleum Corp and Sinopec, China’s top two state-owned oil companies, have denied they are considering merging to form a giant monopoly after rumours prompted both companies’ Hong Kong-listed shares to jump on Monday.

U.S. energy consumption has slowed recently and is not anticipated to return to growth levels seen in the second half of the 20th century. EIA's Reference case projections in the Annual Energy Outlook 2015 (AEO2015) show that domestic consumption is expected to grow at a modest 0.3% per year through 2040, less than half the rate of population growth. Energy used in homes is essentially flat, and transportation consumption will decline slightly, meaning that energy consumption growth will be concentrated in U.S. businesses and industries.

U.S. economic growth braked more sharply than expected in the first quarter as harsh weather dampened consumer spending and energy companies struggling with low prices slashed spending, but there are signs activity is picking up.

Eni SPA reported a first-quarter consolidated adjusted operating profit of €1.57 billion, down 55% from first-quarter 2014. The company says the decline was driven by lower crude oil prices, and only partly offset by a better performance recorded in upstream activity and in all other business segments.

National Oilwell Varco, Inc. (NYSE: NOV) reported that for its first quarter ended March 31, 2015, it earned net income of $310 million, or $0.76 per fully diluted share, compared to fourth quarter ended December 31, 2014 net income of $595 million, or $1.39 per fully diluted share. Excluding other items of $122 million in pre-tax charges related to an early retirement program, $9 million of Venezuela asset write-down, and $69 million of nonrecurring foreign tax exposure, net income was $466million, or $1.14 per fully diluted share, down 33 percent from the fourth quarter of 2014, and down 12 percent from the first quarter of 2014, excluding other items from all periods.

In the case of Gazprom, the commission has found that the Russian energy company charges different prices across the EU. Lithuania, for instance, at times pays a third more than Germany.

BP suffered a sharp slide in first-quarter profits, hit by the plunge in crude prices that has battered revenues across the oil industry.

Norway’s $916bn oil fund on Wednesday trumpeted its best-ever quarterly return, boosted by monetary stimulus in Europe that put a rocket under the region’s stock markets.

Russian natural gas accounts for roughly a third of all foreign supplied natural gas coming into Europe. Russia’s biggest partner is Germany. In that state, Russia’s presence is on the upswing.

ОАО «Газпром» представило прошедшую аудит консолидированную финансовую отчетность за 2014 год, подготовленную в соответствии с Международными стандартами финансовой отчетности.

Suncor Energy Inc., Canada’s largest crude-oil producer, on Wednesday reported a first-quarter net loss and a 90% decline in operating profit as a recent slump in global oil prices offset the company’s effort to cut costs and boost production.

Russia’s gas giant Gazprom is ready to launch gas supplies to China via the so-called eastern corridor within 4 years, Deputy Chairman of Management Committee Alexander Medvedev said Wednesday.

Despite challenging oil and gas prices in the quarter, Statoil (OSE:STL, NYSE:STO) delivered Adjusted earnings of NOK 22.9 billion and NOK 7.0 billion after tax. Statoil reports a negative IFRS Net income of NOK 35.4 billion due to impairments.

A widening corruption probe in China has ensnared another oil executive, this time the number two man at state owned Sinopec.

Imports from the European Union (EU) will drop because Russian gas is now competitive, according to state-run NAK Naftogaz Ukrainy. Flows from Slovakia, the EU’s biggest supplier to Ukraine, may fall by a quarter from May, Tomas Marecek, the chairman of Slovak grid operator Eustream, said.

Large quantities of shale gas, tight gas and coalbed methane are being discovered and extracted in the vast Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB), which covers southwestern Manitoba, southern Saskatchewan, Alberta (AB), northeastern British Columbia (BC) and the southwest corner of the Northwest Territories.

ExxonMobil Corp. reported first-quarter earnings of $4.9 billion, down from $9.1 billion during first-quarter 2014 due in part by upstream losses in the US. The total, however, exceeded analyst expectations.

Russian oil and gas condensate production, among the world's largest, remained at a post-Soviet record level of 10.71 million barrels per day in April, underpinned by a recent recovery in oil prices, Energy Ministry data showed on Saturday.

The head of oil in Saudi Arabia reaffirmed the country's commitment to supplying oil resources to meet increasing demand in Asia, Reuters reported. Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi recently visited China and said that oil demand in Asia is still strong, citing the increasing need for energy as the middle class grows.