An entire genre of television reality shows has grown up to supply ideas for turning that pokey back room into a place of cherry wood cabinets, polished granite and brushed aluminium.

Saudi Arabia, the OPEC member nation with the world's largest reserves, has cut back on some of its production, thereby limiting supply and driving up prices, according to OPEC critics.

The quake and tsunami cut the supply of off-site power to the plant and diesel generators intended to provide back-up electricity to the cooling system.