Royal Dutch Shell is expected to report the biggest profits performance in UK corporate history when it announces its fourth-quarter results on Thursday. Analysts expect the oil and gas group to reveal that it made $23.03 billion (£12.9 billion) last year, up from $17.59 billion over the previous 12 months.
Shell is expected to report earnings of $5.48 billion in the fourth quarter, compared with $5.22 billion over the same period in 2004.
Damage caused by hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico has meant that production in 2005 will be about 3.5 million barrels of oil a day — at the bottom end of the target range. The group said recently that the cost of repairing damage to rigs and refineries would be about $350 million, although most of this would be covered by insurance.