Oil continued to climb a day after its biggest advance of the year as US stockpiles fell more than forecast.

Provisions to rehabilitate the state's 450 mines in NSW are inadequate, their required outcomes vague, and the risks of long-term failure are uncovered, according to a report by the Auditor-General.

Activist US fund manager Elliott Associates is expected to seek further meetings with BHP Billiton officials.

The state government will net nearly $3 billion from the sale of the final piece of the states "poles and wires" electricity assets.

Concerns that the home building boom may have peaked saw shares in CSR sink on Wednesday.

Pacific Ocean will switch from serving as a brake to an accelerator, a new paper warns.

Oil prices fell, rattled by concern over slowing demand, a rising US dollar and increasing US crude output.

Before West Texas Intermediate crude nosedived on Thursday, money managers slashed bets on rising prices by 20 per cent.

Some of the world's biggest investors have pleaded with governments of the world's largest economies, including Australia, to stick with their commitments to tackle climate change and to introduce carbon pricing to help achieve them.

Battery makers worldwide are watching to see whether Australia's most wind power-dependent state can keep the lights on by installing grid-scale batteries by December, which could help drive the growth of renewable energy across Australia and Asia.

Oil closed higher after assurances by Saudi Arabia that Russia is ready to join OPEC in extending supply cuts.

​Pierre Andurand, who runs a hedge fund specialising in oil, liquidated the fund's last long positions in oil a week ago.

Energy giant Woodside Petroleum say it is keen to develop Australian resources in the longer term but has called on the government to review its policy towards the energy sector.

The Indonesian government has launched a $US2 billion ($2.6 billion) lawsuit against the company responsible for the worst oil spill in the history of Australia's offshore petroleum industry.

​Oil prices collapsed to their lowest since late November amid rising investor worries about a persistent global glut.

Oil and gas producer Santos says governments are to blame for east coast gas supply problems.

The state government will go to Fair Work to prevent workers at Victoria's biggest energy plant going on strike and plunging the state into an energy crisis.

Caltex will move swiftly to complete its $95 million purchase of a large Victorian service station franchise chain operating under its banner after getting the all clear from the competition watchdog.

• COMMENT

Today will be a major test of whether the fossil fuel industry is prepared to disclose the risks that climate change, including action to reduce emissions, poses to its business.

• EXCLUSIVE

With storage prices dropping about 20 per cent a year, the attraction for cutting reliance on grid power is brightening fast.

Oil closed at the lowest in more than a month as Libyan output surged, and Saudi Arabia cut prices to Asian customers.

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.

Rising energy prices drive a huge surge of consumers and businesses installing solar panels.

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

Saudi Arabia is losing market share to Iraq and Iran as a result of OPEC's agreement to curb supplies to bolster prices.

Only a minority of economists surveyed support setting aside gas for Australian users

Alinta Energy takeover gets the stamp of approval from FIRB.

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

Tasmania could become a "battery for Australia" under a proposal to double the capacity of the country's largest hydro power scheme, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has declared.