Business

Westpac has its sights on a lower-emissions future.

Westpac branded as 'wimps' over coal pledge

Westpac's decision to effectively rule out lending to the proposed giant Adani coal mine in Queensland has drawn praise from environmentalists but derision from the government and industry.

US refiners boost output

Refinery crude runs rose by 347,000 barrels per day to a record 17.3 million bpd and utilisation rates rose to 94.1 per ...

​US crude oil inventories fell sharply and stockpiles of gasoline jumped last week as refiners hiked production rates.

Oil below $US50 in New York

Goldman Sachs said there's no fundamental evidence to justify this week's selloff in oil prices.

Oil dropped below $US50 a barrel as investors lost faith that an extension of OPEC-led supply cuts will ease a global glut.

Citi sees oil at mid-$US60

Ample oil inventories that have undermined output cuts are set to shrink, according to Goldman Sachs.

Citigroup joined Goldman Sachs in backing commodities, saying it's the season to have faith in raw materials and oil.

Oil slips in thin trading

A worker positions a drill bit high up on the derrick of a drill rig.

Crude oil prices slipped 1 per cent overnight in subdued trading, on news of rising US shale production and profit-taking

BHP pressured to abandon dual structure

Under the plan, BHP would move from a dual listing in Britain and Australia to a single Australian listing.

One of BHP Billiton's largest shareholders has called for an overhaul of the group's structure which it argues could release billions in dollars of value for shareholders

What happens when a heatwave hits in a post-Hazelwood world?

The risks associated with an electromagnetic pulse 'would cause a massive disruption to the electric grid'.

Extreme heat is a test. It tests people and the systems they rely on, not least the electricity system. So in a post-Hazelwood world, how will the national electricity grid cope during hot days as we seek comfort by cranking up our cooling systems?