Bloomberg BP Plc and ConocoPhillips are in discussions for an asset swap deal that would see the UK energy major gain a greater foothold in a key project in the North Sea and the US explorer get Alaskan assets, according to people familiar with the talks. BP is considering taking Conoco’s 24 percent interest in the Clair field, in which …

Bloomberg Environmental groups opposed to US natural gas exports just found an unlikely ally: the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The government agency that regulates futures and options markets found that shipping gas overseas could raise costs for Americans. Domestic prices could rise as much as 20 percent due to the burgeoning industry that liquefies gas so it can be shipped …

Bloomberg The technology boom powering Asia’s economies is about to get a reboot. Explosive growth in new-era gadgets such as wearable devices and internet-linked home appliances is tipped to offset cooling sales of smartphones, which has already dinged Asia’s tech manufacturers. “Where demand may be softening in some areas it will be strengthening in others,” Koshy Mathai, a senior official …