London pre-open: Buying interest reawakens

After yesterday's sluggish performance London looks like it has more of a spring in its step today with traders predicting the Footsie will open around 50 points firmer. British Gas owner Centrica has stepped up its campaign to secure more of its gas supplies. It has doubled its equity interest in the gas and oil producing Statfjord field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea to 19.13% with a £144m purchase from A/S Norske Shell and Enterprise Oil Norge AS. The acquisition bumps up Centrica's gas and oil reserves by 172bn cubic feet equivalent and provides an incremental 70m cubic feet per day of natural gas and oil production in 2010.3i is creating an integrated private equity business by merging its buyout and growth capital units. The decision leaves 3i with two business lines - Infrastructure and Private Equity - and expansion into other areas such as debt management are also on the cards, as flagged at the year end.Domino Printing, the provider of industrial ink jet and laser printing equipment, said trading conditions continued to improve over the summer months and it is running ahead of expectations. Sales revenues in the May to August period were 20% higher than in the same months of 2009. Like for like sales increased by 16%.Peri-Peri chicken chain Nando's is adding burgers and souvlaki to its menu with the agreed takeover of restaurant group Clapham House for £30m. Capricorn Ventures, Nando's owner, has pitched its offer at 74p per share cash, a 31% premium to the price before talks started, which has been recommended by Clapham's directors.