Sydney Morning Herald: French oil major Total is on the verge of becoming the first big oil company to explore for natural gas and oil in shale-rock in Britain.
Under the agreement, which may be announced as soon as Monday, Total would commit about $US50 million ($55 million) for a roughly 40 per cent stake in licences held by a group of companies in Lincolnshire in the East Midlands, according to sources.
Total's participation would be a vote of confidence in Prime Minister David Cameron's government, which has...