Energy sector lifts British FTSE 100 on Tuesday

FTSE 100 Index, the British benchmark stock market gauge, Tuesday increased by 0.49 percent, or 33.53 points, to 6,837.61 points.
The energy sector surged on Tuesday as potential tax cuts for North Sea oil and gas producers, even as the price of Brent Crude oil prices continued to fall.
The Brent Crude oil prices fell 1.5 percent to 53.15 U.S. dollars per barrel during Tuesday's trading session.
Tullow Oil, Centrica were leading the risers with gains of about 6 percent and 5 percent respectively ahead of Britain's budget on Wednesday. Other oil and gas producers and energy services groups such as BG Group and Shell also rose.
Tullow Oil's share price increased by 6.12 percent, topped the gainers of the blue chips. Centrica, easyJet, BHP Billiton and Babcock International Group increased by 4.97 percent, 3.34 percent, 3.32 percent and 2.41 percent respectively.
Antofagasta led the top losers of the blue chips with a share price drop of 2.83 percent, followed by CRH (2.54 percent), Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets (2.19 percent), Schroders (2.11 percent) and Tesco (1.74 percent).
The index has gained 5.12 percent so far this year when measured in U.S. dollar.