A quarter of bumper profits for big oil has prompted a surge in dividend payouts and share buybacks over the past two weeks. But this “story of confidence” – as BP CEO Bernard Looney put it – toes a thin line between keeping some investors happy with the companies’ fossil fuel exploits, along with those concerned about promises to reach net zero emissions. Of the big six oil majors – namely: BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Shell, and TotalEnergies – only ExxonMobil resisted the temptation to actively raise its returns to shareholders following this quarter’s earnings. The rest are all determined to show that the worst of Covid-19, at least as far as oil demand is concerned, is over. Last quarter…