They were saddled with "take or pay" contracts that obliged them to buy fixed quantities of gas far above what they could sell and at prices way above those on the spot market.

Thieves are getting more professional. The measures they'll take to steal a car, change its identity and sell it on are more sophisticated and harder to spot than ever.

BHP wants to move the selling and pricing of iron ore away from establishing a yearly benchmark, preferring to sell based on market spot prices.