Oil, gas production rose 14% to highest in five years Eni SpA reported a fourth-quarter loss after the slide in energy prices deepened even as the company’s oil and gas production rose to the highest in five years. Italy’s largest oil producer posted an adjusted net loss of 379 million euros ($419 million) after a profit of 250 million euros a year earlier. That compares with average estimates for a 225 million-euro adjusted profit in a Bloomberg survey of eight analysts. Hydrocarbon production rose 14 percent as the company’s exploration and production unit exceeded analysts’ expectations. The shares gained 4.2 percent. The worst crude-market collapse in a generation has slashed earnings for producers from Exxon Mobil Corp. to BP Plc and the industry is struggling to strike a balance between maintaining strong finances and making shareholder payouts. Eni was the first major oil company to cut its dividend last […]