Bloomberg Utility earnings are belying the slowdown in the USA oil patch. Power suppliers are reporting increasing sales to oil and natural gas companies, even in the midst of an unprecedented drop in exploration. FirstEnergy Corp., Entergy Corp. and American Electric Power Co. Inc. have all said their revenue from energy customers such as pipeline operators and fuel manufacturers is …

Bloomberg Russia’s Rosneft OJSC agreed to pay $500 million to Petroleos de Venezuela SA to increase its stake in their Petromonagas crude-processing joint venture. The deal will increase Rosneft’s stake in the upgrader that converts heavy oil into synthetic crude to 40 percent, PDVSA, as the Venezuelan state-owned company is known, said in an e-mailed statement, confirming earlier comments by …

Bloomberg Venezuela’s state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA is said to be looking into leasing the Aruba refinery, where it would ship tar-like oil to be upgraded into higher value synthetic crude rather than produce fuels like gasoline. PDVSA, through its U.S. subsidiary Citgo Petroleum Corp., is in talks with the Aruba government to lease the refinery, according to …