SHARES FOR OIL EXPLORER RISE

It will have an initial output of 750 barrels of oil a day, the company said. 

Conroy Diamonds & Gold sparkled up 1⁄2p to 33⁄4p after revealing it had discovered samples of gold in bedrock at its new Clay Lake target in County Armagh. The highest amount found, the company said, was 1.31 grams per tonne.

British stem cell specialist ReNeuron saw its shares fall 1p to 61⁄4p after it failed to deliver any news to the market on regulatory clearance for its stroke treatment. However it did reveal a narrowing in annual losses to £3.7 million from £6.6 million.

Electronics group Laird, which makes electromagnetic shielding for Nokia and Samsung mobile phones short circuited, down 27p to 155p, after a trading update.

It said underlying sales were expected to fall by 35 per cent in the first half of the year.