Chiefs

The finance chiefs at U.S. exploration and production companies appear more optimistic about the prospects of accessing capital in the coming year, but they remain concerned about volatility in the global economy, according to a survey by consultant BDO USA LLP.

David Delainey, a former Enron Corp. executive who testified for the prosecution in the trial of former Enron chiefs Jeffrey Skilling and the late Kenneth Lay earlier this year, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison on Monday.