Paris: Areva, the world’s biggest builder of nuclear reactors, will build a new fuel-processing plant in Japan to more than double domestic capacity to meet anticipated demand growth.

OIL prices struck a record peak yesterday, climbing close to $44 (36.5) a barrel after the United States raised its security alert to high for a possible al-Qaida attack on a top financial institution.

Australia LNG said the 25-year contract won by its North West Shelf (NWS) Venture from China National Offshore Oil Corp to supply 3 million tonnes a year of LNG to a terminal being built in Guangdong could be the first step in a wider energy alliance between the two countries.