ENERGY

Oxy Reaches Settlement With U.S.: Occidental Petroleum Corp. said it reached a tentative, $275-million settlement with the Department of Energy over alleged violations of crude oil price controls from 1979 to 1981. The agency brought proceedings against Occidental’s Oxy USA Inc. unit, formerly Cities Service, over purchases and sales of crude oil from October, 1979, through January, 1981--when oil prices were subject to government controls--and preceding the acquisition of the company by Los Angeles-based Occidental. The settlement involves no admission by Oxy USA that it violated Department of Energy regulations, the company said.