European Union foreign ministers on Monday eased an oil embargo against Syria with the aim of helping rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Under the deal, European firms seeking to import Syrian crude or invest in the energy sector would ask for authorisation from their government, which in turn would confer with Syria's opposition National Coalition to secure its agreement.

Singing and dancing marked South Sudan's revival of oil production this month, raising hopes the precious resource could finally benefit a nation that fought for decades to gain control of it. But along with the celebrations have come warnings that strict accountability will be needed to thwart corruption when billions of dollars in revenue pour into the world's youngest country. "Risks of corruption and mismanagement in the oil sector remain high," the rights group Global Witness advised.

Shell has shut a key oil pipeline in southern Nigeria to repair damage caused by oil thieves, leading to a cut of around 150,000 barrels per day, the company said Wednesday in a statement. The Nembe Creek Trunkline in Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer with output at about two million barrels per day, will be closed for an undisclosed period. "The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) shut down the Nembe Creek Trunkline (NCTL) on Monday (15th April) to remove crude oil theft connections and investigate suspected oil theft leaks," it said.

The European Union is considering a case-by-case easing of its oil embargo against Syria in order to help the opposition, diplomatic sources said Wednesday. A decision, which would be formally agreed by EU foreign ministers at talks next Monday in Luxembourg, would enable EU companies to import oil on a case-by-case basis from areas under opposition control, the sources said. It would also allow a resumption of EU investments and export of equipment intended for the oil and gas sector.