DALLAS (AP) — Exxon Mobil increased revenue during a volatile fourth quarter for world oil markets, but profit fell 28 percent from a year earlier, when Exxon booked a huge gain from lower corporate tax rates. The earnings topped Wall Street expectations, however, and capped Exxon’s most profitable year since 2014. The shares rose $2.64, or 3.6 percent, to close …

$330 million potash mine moving forward For years the idea of potash mining in southern Lea County was met with head-shakes and raised eyebrows and the general idea of believing it when it happens. Last week PolyNatura made the idea closer to reality by announcing it has entered into an agreement with the Nitron Group, LLC., for the supply of …

Sons following their dads in a career path is pretty typical in today’s financial advisor world. Not so much for daughters following their moms. However Summer North did it and she’s pretty happy she did. Summer has been an Edward Jones financial planner for four years and on Thursday, she opened her new location at 3401 N. Grimes to a …

NEW YORK (AP) — Sears will live on— at least for now. The company’s chairman and largest shareholder, Eddie Lampert, won a bankruptcy auction for Sears, averting liquidation of the iconic chain, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. The person agreed to speak on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the negotiation publicly. Lampert, …

Lawsuit: Company knew rig was unsafe before explosion QUINTON, Okla. (AP) — Drilling company officials ignored multiple warnings that safety equipment at an Oklahoma gas well was malfunctioning before an explosion that killed five workers and badly injured another, the family of one of the dead workers contends in a recent court filing. Parker Waldridge’s family alleges in a Dec. …

The explosion in online shopping has led to porch pirates and stoop surfers swiping holiday packages from unsuspecting residents. The cops in one New Jersey city are trying to catch the thieves with some trickery of their own. Police in Jersey City, across the Hudson River from New York, are teaming up with Amazon to install doorbell cameras and plant …

For ladies seeking something fashionable or men wanting a gift basket with a feminine touch for their special someone, the new Caprichos de Mujer has a little something for everyone, with more in store. Surrounded by her family, owner Lilly Cereceres cut the ribbon Nov. 30 for the new ladies boutique at 815 N. Turner St. in Hobbs during a …

VIENNA (AP) — Oil prices spiked sharply higher Friday as major oil producers, including the OPEC cartel, agreed to cut global oil production by 1.2 million barrels a day to reduce oversupply. Following two days of meetings, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries that includes the likes of Saudi Arabia and Iraq said they would cut 800,000 barrels per …

Utility aims for zero carbon emission from electric power DENVER (AP) — A utility serving 3.6 million electricity customers in eight states said Tuesday it will try to eliminate all its carbon emissions from electrical generation by 2050. Xcel Energy CEO Ben Fowke acknowledged that not all the technologies the company needs to meet that goal are available yet on …

A rally in oil prices after a two-month slide indicates traders are betting that OPEC and its allies including Russia will agree to produce less crude. Representatives of oil-producing nations will hold a highly anticipated meeting Thursday in Vienna, with analysts predicting that they will agree on a cut of at least 1 million barrels a day in an effort …