In Short

A roundup of today's other news stories in brief

Dragon Oil production up by 56%

International oil and gas development company Dragon Oil increased production by 56 per cent in 2007, and reached a record production rate of 40,038 barrels of oil per day (bopd).

According to a trading statement issued by the company yesterday, Dragon produced an average of 31,997 bopd during the year, compared to 20,514 in 2006.

The company, which focuses on offshore Turkmenistan, produced 11.7 million barrels of oil from the Cheleken Contract Area, up from 7.5 million barrels of oil in 2006.

Phone companies are warned

Carphone Warehouse and its sister company TalkTalk face prosecution unless they stop mishandling customer information, the British privacy watchdog warned yesterday.

The Information Commissioner's Office said the companies had caused "real damage and distress" to people by opening accounts in the wrong name, allowing online clients to see other customers' account details, and passing inaccurate information to credit reference agencies and debt collectors. - (Financial Times service)

Directorship for Burrows

Bank of Ireland governor Richard Burrows, the former joint chief executive of the Pernod Ricard drinks group, has been appointed a non-executive director of Rentokil Initial, the pest control to parcel-post business. Mr Burrows was appointed joint chief executive of Pernod Ricard in 2000, from which he retired, at the age of 60, in 2005.

Airbus still flying highest

Airbus held on to its rank as the world's biggest planemaker, beating Boeing in 2007 deliveries and narrowing the gap in orders. The French-based manufacturer handed over 453 aircraft, 19 more than the year before and 12 more than Boeing, chief executive Tom Enders said yesterday.

Net orders rose to 1,341 versus 1,413 at Chicago-based Boeing, both records. Both companies forecast dwindling demand this year as economies slow. - (Bloomberg)

HSBC Irish appointment

HSBC has appointed Simon Wainwright as chief executive of its Irish operations. The bank employs more than 700 people in the Republic and Northern Ireland in retail, private and commercial banking, securities services, insurance, and corporate and institutional services.

Mr Wainwright has spent more than 10 years working with HSBC, and was previously chief operating officer of HSBC UK Commercial Banking.

Fall in price of crude oil

Oil prices fell yesterday on a sharp increase in US crude oil inventories and rising concerns that economic problems could erode fuel demand in the world's top energy consumer. US crude settled down $1.06 at $90.84 a barrel, after falling to $89.26, the lowest level since December 18th. London Brent crude fell $1.23 to settle at $89.75 a barrel. - (Reuters)

Northern Rock hits record low

Northern Rock touched an all-time low in London trading after prime minister Gordon Brown made his clearest indication yet that the bank may be nationalised. It fell 5.4 per cent to 65.5p, extending Tuesday's decline of 16 per cent and cutting its market value to £265 million - (Bloomberg)