The index's biggest fallers included oil group Inpex Holdings, down 5.3%, and Japan Energy owner Nippon Mining, falling 8%.

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Among energy plays, Woodside Petroleum gained 1.9% in Sydney, Inpex rose 1.6% in Tokyo and Cnooc climbed 1.1% in Hong Kong.

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According to the bank, staff leaked information about share sales involving energy firm Inpex, Mizuho Financial Group and Tokyo Electric Power in 2010.

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Inpex, which is closely linked to the Japanese government, says it's waiting for Iran to clear away mines left over from the Iran-Iraq War.

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The Islamic Republic News Agency says Iran has dug up most of the mines, and Tehran has threatened to cancel Inpex's contract and give it to another oil company.

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INPEX, a Japanese company, plans to pipe gas from the Ichthys field, under the Indian Ocean, and process it in Darwin for export as liquefied natural gas (LNG) from 2016.

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But since then Inpex hasn't drilled a single well.

FORBES: International

Oil company Inpex Corp.

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The Times report describes a letter recently sent by a coalition of funds to the following foreign oil companies doing business in Iran: Royal Dutch Shell, Total of France, Repsol of Spain, Eni of Italy, Gazprom of Russia, the China National Petroleum Corporation, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India and Inpex Corporation of Japan.

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