The global oil and gas price boom produced a $14.2 billion (€15.41 billion) profit gusher for BP Amoco in 2000, more than double the previous year's $6.2 billion and the third largest corporate profits haul in world history.

BP's announcement yesterday of the biggest ever profit by a British company follows a world record $17 billion figure from global oil number one Exxon Mobil for the same period, and $13.1 billion in earnings from European rival Royal Dutch/Shell Group.