BG Earnings Plunge By 39% On Oil Price Slump

Oil and gas exploration giant BG has reported a plunge in underlying earnings as it prepares for its £36bn takeover by Royal Dutch Shell (Xetra: R6C1.DE - news) . Earnings fell 39% to $5.6bn (£3.9bn) as the company was weighed down by the slump in world oil and gas prices. But chief executive Helge Lund said the group's performance was in line with or ahead of expectations.