The dramatic shift in US energy supply-demand dynamics over the past several years is impacting markets and physical commodity flows in what seems like unlimited ways, with misaligned infrastructure one of the most pronounced. LNG import terminals retooled for liquefaction; millions of barrels of oil transported via rail; refineries configured to process heavy, sour imported… Keep reading →
A new report evaluates shale energy development potential around the world and the degree to which freshwater access is likely to impact that development. Despite a fair amount of water related risk in many regions, the upside is tight resources are in early stages of exploration and production, giving stakeholders time to collaborate on water… Keep reading →
Western sanctions against strategic portions of Russia’s economy are ratcheting up in the aftermath of a passenger jet crash in a section of Eastern Ukraine controlled by Russian-supported rebels. The Malaysian jet was brought down by a surface-to-air missile that appears to have been supplied by Russia to rebels operating in the region who are… Keep reading →
Financial results from 127 global oil and natural gas companies showed increased use of debt to help fund operations – along with asset sales – in recent years amid flat oil prices. Low borrowing rates facilitated this phenomenon, though the long-term sustainability of this strategy is questionable. “Using debt to fuel growth is a typical… Keep reading →
Many investors were left scratching their heads after BG Group sacked chief executive Chris Finlayson earlier this week after a little over a year on the job. The company has faced headwinds in Brazil and crisis in Egypt, but Finlayson’s performance was not terrible, all things considered. BG has gone through 3 CEO’s and 4… Keep reading →
What we call things in business matters. When efficiency is the only stated goal, companies send the message they seek only to wring whatever profit they can from a market without consideration of how their behavior impacts the longer-term future of both the markets or, thereby, each company’s own survival. But Christoph Lueneburger thinks it… Keep reading →
Quick Take: PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) conducted a worldwide survey of CIOs from many different industries. They recently released a comparison that shows how utility CIOs think of themselves, and how that differs from other CIOs. It’s interesting stuff. In many ways, utility CIOs are doing a bit better than average. Yet many of them rate their own… Keep reading →
The changing global oil refining picture has seen several mid-range to large companies spin off their downstream operations in recent years, but the trend has yet to travel up the food chain to the world’s largest oil companies, despite pressure from investors to do so. Examples of companies that divested downstream assets include Hess and… Keep reading →
The Federal Gulf of Mexico is one of the fastest-growing offshore markets with yet-to-be-discovered potential of about 48 billion barrels of oil, according to various US data. The latest EIA data allocate 17% of US crude oil production in 2013 to the federal offshore Gulf of Mexico. Could the future of the US oil industry… Keep reading →
Skip down about halfway through this article if you’ve been following coverage of the Ukraine situation’s impact on European gas markets. The interesting stuff is towards the end where analysts discuss Gazprom’s gas pricing strategy aimed to undercut competition post-2020. It’s funny that the piece basically debunks its own headline. [Financial Times] US natural gas… Keep reading →
