• The Edge

  The Majors and US tight oil

  • 30 10月 2018

  Simon Flowers looks at what tight oil has in common with top tech stocks.

• The Edge

  Five reasons we might have hit peak Permania

  • 20 11月 2018

  The US’s premier tight oil play has been the beating heart of industry activity these last few years. Soaring rig numbers, prolific production growth and the gravitational pull of a black hole when it comes to M&A. US L48 tight oil accounted for one-third of global upstream M&A spend in the last three years, with the Permian attracting US$2 out of every US$3 of that. But have we now passed peak Permania? Simon Flowers investigates.

• The Edge

  Could Iran sanctions see Brent spike to U.S.$100 a barrel?

  • 07 11月 2018

  Could Iran Sanctions See Brent Spike to U.S.$100 a barrel? The oil market faces a precarious few months. The imposition of U.S. secondary sanctions on Iranian exports on November 5 is the critical factor behind Brent’s rally to more than U.S.$80 a barrel in October. There’s enough supply to meet demand this winter, but the margin for error is worryingly narrow.

• The Edge

  Is the Global Energy Transition on track?

  • 16 10月 2018

  Global targets and societal pressure are driving innovation, but are we doing enough? Simon Flowers investigates.

• The Edge

  Capital efficiency: the big question for US unconventionals

  • 09 10月 2018

  Is US shale the paragon of upstream productivity it’s cracked up to be? As the marginal suppliers, shale gas and tight oil operators ought to be adept at managing for margin and all that’s about. Simon Flowers investigates.

• The Edge

  Securing exposure to Permian tight oil – Part 1

  • 03 7月 2018

  What do Total, BP, Eni, CNPC, Sinopec Group have in common? Each is among the biggest oil and gas producers in the world, with a portfolio diversified geographically and across multiple resource themes.

• The Edge

  Global LNG – shadow cast over price recovery

  • 18 7月 2017

  The maths supports a bearish view for the next three years, based on our latest long-term outlook. We forecast LNG supply to increase by over 30% by 2020 as US, Australian and Russian projects crank up.

• The Edge

  The Majors’ gambit to lure investors from the tech sector

  • 09 3月 2017

  Fresh from a dismal round of Q4 2016 earnings, replete with weak earnings and balance sheet write downs, come new, raised growth targets from a number of the industry’s biggest players.

• The Edge

  How deep water projects can compete with tight oil - more progress on costs and tight oil may get a run for its money

  • 28 3月 2017

  Tight oil has garnered all the plaudits in the last few months, but we can foresee in the not too distant future green field deep water projects giving tight oil a run for its money in competing for capital.

• The Edge

  The changing global energy mix…and the strategic challenge for energy producers.

  • 11 4月 2017

  Our Energy view to 2035, led by Paul McConnell of our Global Trends team, distils the work of our team of analysts working across energy commodities. Five main themes leap out.

• The Edge

  Upstream M&A erupts - Intensifying activity is strengthening portfolios and finances

  • 03 5月 2017

  Business development teams are back in the front line as companies look to position for longer term growth.

• The Edge

  The commodity upcycle and the end of the dollar’s bull run - implications for oil, gas and mining producers

  • 11 5月 2017

  A strong US Dollar means weak commodities. With the greenback at record highs, and commodities buoyant, is a reverse looming?

• The Edge

  Tight oil's second great growth phase gains momentum - Permian and emerging plays show still more promise

  • 23 5月 2017

  After two years of retrenchment, review how 2017 is shaping up to be a year of growth for tight oil.

• The Edge

  Pros and cons of US energy policy shifts

  • 14 6月 2017

  An ‘America First’ energy policy is meant to be great news for US producers, but will these moves boost investment and company behaviour as much as the administration hopes?

• The Edge

  Questions of science – challenging our tight oil forecasts

  • 20 6月 2017

  We have raised our long-term estimates, now expecting volumes to rise from 4 million b/d currently to 10 million b/d by 2025 – 1.4 million b/d higher at peak than before.

• The Edge

  How the US sets global oil and gas prices

  • 27 6月 2017

  Tight oil and shale gas, through LNG exports to Europe, are likely to be cap and collar in their respective markets for the next few years – tight oil setting the ceiling price, US gas the floor.

• The Edge

  US independents’ retrenchment to tight oil is paying off - will others follow?

  • 15 9月 2016

  The downturn should be an opportunity for the Majors and perhaps NOCs to move into tight oil.

• The Edge

  Managing for margin: a new way for upstream or back to basics

  • 06 10月 2016

  It’s a good sound bite at a time of low prices and high uncertainty, and a reassuring message to investors about risk appetite, but what does ‘managing for margin’ really mean?

• The Edge

  Upstream M&A: taking advantage of the down-cycle

  • 22 11月 2016

  With the M&A market showing signs of life and the value of the M&A being done rising, the time is ripe for buyers in the upstream market.

• The Edge

  The Russian oil miracle - how production has soared despite low oil prices

  • 28 11月 2016

  As other countries suffer production declines under the pressure of low oil prices, Russia is bucking the trend. What’s different about Russia?

• The Edge

  Bullish outlook for US gas - LNG exporters face margin squeeze in glutted market

  • 01 12月 2016

  The sharp response of the physical market to the arrival of cold weather suggests fundamentals are tight and prices could go higher, whether it’s a cold winter or not. There are four main reasons why.

• The Edge

  Three questions on energy CEOs’ minds - peak oil demand, decarbonisation and US tight oil

  • 15 12月 2016

  Chief Analyst Simon Flowers sees three inter-related topics dominating our conversations with industry leaders: peak oil demand, decarbonisation, and whether US tight oil alone can meet oil demand growth.

• The Edge

  The accelerating recovery in tight oil: conventional investment at risk of stagnating

  • 02 2月 2017

  Tight oil will drive a 4% increase in global upstream investment in 2017, while investment in conventional projects will be flat at just under US$340bn.

• The Edge

  To-do list: how to attract capital back to the oil sector

  • 07 9月 2017

  The mood has definitely changed. That much has been clear at the biannual Offshore Europe mega conference in Aberdeen.

• The Edge

  Brent’s rally toward US$60/bbl – a false dawn?

  • 10 10月 2017

  Share price movements can be a good early indicator of changing fortunes. The oil and gas sector had a great month in September, jumping 8% and outperforming the broader global stock market by 6%. It’s more than just rotational buying.

• The Edge

  The smart money moving back into conventional exploration

  • 17 10月 2017

  Oil and gas companies are trying to balance playing a short game and a long game. The dominant strategic theme is strict capital discipline; higher risk investment is off the agenda.

• The Edge

  Monetising the East Med’s giant gas finds

  • 10 7月 2020

  The discovery of huge gas resources has made the Eastern Mediterranean an industry hot spot. Majors, NOCs and independents see a growth opportunity that could last for decades. LNG exports might be the path to full commercialisation. But geopolitics stand in the way. How can the interested parties find a way forward?

• The Edge

  How Big Oil’s M&A targets have changed

  • 24 7月 2020

  It's no surprise that a downturn sparks oil and gas sector consolidation. What's interesting about Chevron's bid for Noble Energy is how Big Oil's strategy has changed. In the Edge this week, Simon Flowers takes a closer look.

• The Edge

  Are exploration’s days numbered?

  • 17 7月 2020

  Exploration spend is heading south again as companies slash budgets to conserve cash. This downcycle though is different, with companies formulating decarbonisation strategies and peak oil demand on the horizon. Is exploration now facing an existential crisis?

• The Edge

  Decarbonisation and peak gas demand

  • 31 7月 2020

  Gas is to be the bridging fuel of the transition, its lower carbon intensity supporting its position in the energy mix longer than coal and oil. Yet nothing can be taken for granted as decarbonisation policy tilts the playing field away from fossil fuels.