Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange December 3, 2010. REUTERS

Shares of Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: APC) are trading higher this morning on a report in the Daily Mail newspaper of London that BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP) might make a bid for the oil-and-gas explorer.

Anadarko shares are more than 6 percent as of 9:45 a.m. (EDT).

Citing no sources, the newspaper said that speculation now suggests that BHP could offer $90 per share for Anadarko (a 27 percent premium to Anadarko's closing price yesterday).

BHP recently failed to acquire Potash Corp. (NYSE: POT) and is reportedly eager to make some acquisitions.

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