Petrol giant Royal Dutch/Shell reported record figures over the past year with an 85 per cent leap in earnings, to £9.04 billion.
The group said the growth had been helped by higher oil and gas prices.
Shell's figures follow September's fuel protests which brought the country to a standstill and led to calls for lower pump prices.
Shell said the price of Brent crude oil averaged $28.50 a barrel during 2000, compared with $17.95 a barrel in 1999. The hike in prices had led to higher prices for motorists at the pumps.
Shell warned that despite predictions of considerably lower oil prices this year, the situation remained uncertain.
A spokesman said: "Oil prices climbed steadily during much of the year due to production restraints by the major oil exporting countries.
"These restraints prevented global oil stocks from recovering to normal seasonal levels.
"Uncertainty over both economic growth and oil supply mean crude prices are expected to remain volatile in 2001."
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