Oct 2002

The merger of Chevron and Texaco created an oil company with a global reach neither of its component companies had, says Peter Robertson, vice-chairman of the board and head of E&P operations. He talks to Tom Nicholls about ChevronTexaco’s strengthened upstream portfolio and how it is shaping group strategy

Although his government has been successful in some areas, President Vicente’s Fox’s attempts at energy reform have become bogged down by political disagreement. George Grayson analyses the prospects for change

Many gas-flaring reduction schemes make commercial, as well as environmental and social sense, and get done. But, says Philip Watts, Shell’s chief executive, some “projects that should be done for environmental or social reasons … will not be done” because they offer no commercial return. Derek Bamber reports

Following years of consolidation among producing companies, analysts claimed thermal, seaborne coal prices would become less volatile. But the price of thermal coal has fallen dramatically in the last year. Higher Chinese exports, increased liquidity and transparency, and the demise of traditional price-setting methods are being identified as the causes, writes Andrew Roberts

World Energy Resources Map Amid the general turmoil in the US energy industry, coal companies have taken their share of hits. The warmest winter on record, combined with economic downturn, has reduced demand from coal’s biggest market, the electrical power industry, forcing prices down from last year’s highs, writes Ellen Lask

Refiners must respond to tightening environmental legislation around the world. In this interview, Michiel Boersma, president of Shell Global Solutions, Royal Dutch/Shell’s network of technology companies, claims they will prosper if they take a proactive approach to environmental and sustainability issues

Falling reserves from traditional hydrocarbons-producing areas, as well as recent advances in technology, are driving oil and gas exploration into deeper waters. For the foreseeable future, three areas of the world are expected to dominate activity. David Townsend reports

In the days when geophysicists were known as doodlebuggers and preferred to lay their generally unkempt heads on a table, so as to take an oblique and inspirational view of seismic print-outs, there was an art and a mystique to the seismic business. Things have changed a lot. Geophysicists may not have tidied up much since, but the technology has, writes Nigel Ash

Seismic and drilling technologies could soon unlock new resources in sub-salt strata beneath existing discoveries in the Campos basin, allowing exploration companies to capitalise on existing infrastructure to improve project economics, claims Schlumberger. Tom Nicholls reports

West Africa’s share of the global oil market looks certain to grow in the next decade. In the dominant producer-countries, Nigeria and Angola, vast reserves of oil remain to be discovered. The US is already talking of west African oil as a way of easing its dependence on the Middle East, writes Derek Brower

Vessel-based production schemes have reigned supreme in the Gulf of Guinea’s deep-water areas – until recently. Platforms could be mounting a challenge, Martin Quinlan writes

Western oil companies face a two-fold challenge in the next few years. They must overcome internal challenges – meeting targets, managing portfolios and harnessing technology – but they must also deal with unpredictable external challenges, writes Paul Spence, Accenture

Last month, Petroleum Economist looked at work by the Société Générale equity research team quantifying major oil firms’ political risk, based on a risk-ranking database provided by IHS Energy Group. Given that any measurable index can, in theory, be traded, Liz Bossley examines the concept of trading political risk

It has been almost a year since the demise of Enron and the asset light/asset heavy debate continues to rage. Is the stand alone asset light energy trader a viable entity?

With UK wholesale power prices at rock bottom under NETA, potential power sector investment is drying up and a comfortable reserve margin is rapidly evaporating. Are blackouts inevitable?

In the post-Enron environment, simply not knowing isn't going to be an excuse for not doing jail time. Ignorance is no longer bliss

As giant corporate failures rack up and scandals spread, good corporate governance is rapidly becoming the hottest energy topic since trading. What do we need to know?

Improving relationships with customers doesn't always depend on heavy expenditures and big bang system changes. Adding components and integrating existing functions can bridge the spending gap

The UK's energy policy review document has serious flaws that must be addressed if ambitious targets are ever to be met

As the EU becomes increasingly dependent on natural gas, its own indigenous supplies are rapidly diminishing, a situation that threatens to leave it beholden to importers beyond the boundaries of the economic bloc