BG has been a little deflated despite positive news from Tanzania, as markets pause for breath after recent rises.
The company said it had produced higher than expected gas flows from a test well off the coast of the country, but its shares have slipped 1p to 1199.5p. Partner Ophir Energy has edged up 0.1p to 227p.
Overall the FTSE 100 is up 3.34 points at 6819.42, amid some downbeat eurozone figures including a fall in German consumer confidence. Contrarily, disappointing data confirms suspicions the European Central Bank will introduce further stimulus measure to boost the flagging economy, especially given ECB boss Mario Draghi's hints on Friday about possible quantitative easing. The ECB hopes seem to be outweighing geopolitical worries, but concerns about tensions between Ukraine and Russia continue.
A number of companies have seen their shares go ex-dividend, including Friends Life, 5.6p lower at 304.1p, CRH, off 21p at £13.99, and Capita, down 11p at £12.16.
But Petrofac has put on 28p to £11.51 after Tuesday's falls in the wake of a disappointing update. Investec analyst Neill Morton issued an upbeat note on the company:
Despite a reiteration of guidance (i.e. no profit warning), the market remained somewhat unimpressed with Petrofac's first half performance. We attribute this to the lack of accurate market consensus for the first half, which has prompted concerns over the implied catch-up required in the second. Nevertheless, record order intake in engineering and construction at sector-leading margins, a revised strategy for integrated energy services and an apparent material undervaluation mean we maintain our buy recommendation.
Foxtons is the biggest faller in the mid-cap index, down 15.3p to 279p as the estate agent group reported upbeat results but cautious about a slowdown in transactions in the second half.
Finally online retailer Asos has jumped another 363p to £27.11 after speculation reported here on Tuesday about possible US interest in the group, with eBay one name mentioned. Amazon has also been suggested as a possible buyer in the past.
