AFX NEWS BRIEFING: Oil and utilities highlights to 09:15 BST.

(From AFX Europe (Focus))

2007-04-02 08:53:16 Oil eases as end of French port strike offsets ongoing Mid-East, Nigeria fears

LONDON (AFX) - Oil eased slightly on profit taking after last week's sharp gains and as the 18-day strike at the Fos-Lavera oil terminal, which had depressed output at France's 13 refineries and threatened exports to the US, came to an end. 2007-04-02 08:41:43 Hungary mulls Gazprom Bluestream extension instead of OMV's Nabucco pipeline

VIENNA (AFX) - The Hungarian government is said to be undecided whether to chose the existing Gazprom pipeline Bluestream over the OMV pipeline project Nabucco, planned to ensure gas supply to the European Union from Iran and Azerbaijan via Turkey. 2007-04-02 06:50:01 China coastal oil reserves 10.74 bln tons, 2.93 bln recoverable - ministry

BEIJING (XFN-ASIA) - China currently has 10.74 bln tons of oil reserves at 10 major sedimentary basins along its coastal waters, of which 2.93 bln tons is classified as commercially recoverable, a researcher with the Strategic Center for Oil and Gas under the The Ministry of Land and Resources told XFN-Asia. 2007-04-02 05:42:21 HK-listed CNOOC shareholders vote down plan to keep cash deposit with parent

HONG KONG (XFN-ASIA) - CNOOC Ltd said its independent shareholders have voted down a proposal to let the company keep cash on deposit with its state-owned parent. 2007-04-02 05:22:23 China looking overseas, to deepwater for energy needs - CAPA

BEIJING (XFN-ASIA) - China is increasingly looking to ...