Oil and gas are important to every aspect of our economy, yet the oil and gas industry is distinguished by its combination of increasing demands and decreasing discovery volumes--and it is an industry shrouded in an environment of extremely volatile pricing. Although the profits enjoyed by the oil and gas industry are enormous, the industry remains one of the most capital-intensive in a world where rising expenses continue to threaten to squeeze profit margins. Geopolitics may continue to be the most important variable in maintaining existing assets and in successfully achieving new discoveries and carrying out their subsequent development. But finding new oil and gas reserves is becoming more challenging and the places where hydrocarbons are being found are more remote. Thus technology advances are also a key variable to enable exploration, drilling and development to become economically feasible in some of these more difficult operating environments. For the last century oil and gas additions have exceeded demand but has this industry now reached a "peak oil" situation? Some experts argue we are on the cusp of maximum oil production while others suggest we are still about a decade away. Natural gas demand however, is rising at a slightly faster rate than oil. Natural gas may be the immediate replacement fuel for oil as a source of clean and efficient electric power generation. Three out of the top ten Fortune 500 companies were oil/gas companies in 2011. This short introduction to the oil and gas industry will focus on history, operations, major companies, outside market forces, regulation and the current challenges the industry faces. Such factors as finite natural resources, the environment, economics, geopolitics, and technology will all come into play in the narrative. The book will demonstrate how the leaders of this industry, former champions of progress, are now coming under scrutiny and being depicted as the biggest culprits of environmental degradation. Yet the industry is likely to continue to grow until some form of alternate fuels is developed. The oil and gas industry will continue to have an enormous impact on life on the planet.

Handbook of Materials Failure Analysis: With Case Studies from the Oil and Gas Industry provides an updated understanding on why materials fail in specific situations, a vital element in developing and engineering new alternatives. This handbook covers analysis of materials failure in the oil and gas industry, where a single failed pipe can result in devastating consequences for people, wildlife, the environment, and the economy of a region. The book combines introductory sections on failure analysis with numerous real world case studies of pipelines and other types of materials failure in the oil and gas industry, including joint failure, leakage in crude oil storage tanks, failure of glass fibre reinforced epoxy pipes, and failure of stainless steel components in offshore platforms, amongst others. - Introduces readers to modern analytical techniques in materials failure analysis - Combines foundational knowledge with current research on the latest developments and innovations in the field - Includes numerous compelling case studies of materials failure in oil and gas pipelines and drilling platforms

[New cover update] As one of the most complex industries in the world, this book provides readers with an in-depth coverage of companies that operate in all sectors of the oil & gas industry, that is Upstream, Midstream and Downstream. This book sets out to evaluate companies through upstream, midstream and downstream financial and operational metrics (covered in the first 4 chapters of the book), and to provide an overview of more than 30 companies in different categories, such as National Oil Companies, International Oil Companies, Independent E&P and Pure Play Refining Companies. Key benefits from reading this book: - Understand the different sectors in the oil & gas industry, their business cycles, unique opportunities and challenges. - Understand how financial and operational metrics for companies inside and outside the oil & gas industry are calculated and understand their importance. - Get to know different oil & gas companies in the industry, from both an international and U.S. perspective. - Gain awareness of what different businesses oil & gas companies are involved in and where they operate. The book is organized into 10 chapters: - Chapter 1 provides an overview of oil & gas as commodities as well as the industry, current supply and demand of energy scenarios and provides a detailed explanation of several financial metrics. - Chapters 2, 3 & 4 introduce the Upstream, Midstream & Downstream sectors of the industry and explain relevant sector metrics. - Chapters 5 & 6 discuss 12 National Oil Companies or NOC's, their current operations and applicable metrics. - Chapter 7 reviews 4 integrated oil & gas companies, their areas of operations and provides an analysis of current financial and operating results using the metrics introduced in this book. - Chapter 8 reviews 6 independent exploration & production companies, their areas of operations and provides an analysis of current financial and operating results using the metrics introduced in this book. - Chapter 9 reviews 3 independent downstream companies, their areas of operations and provides an analysis of current financial and operating results using the metrics introduced in this book. - Chapter 10 reviews 4 midstream companies, their areas of operations and provides an analysis of current financial and operating results using the metrics introduced in this book.

A prominent linchpin in world politics and in security policies world over, oil and gas have tremendous value in both, the political and economical sectors of global relations, business establishments and policy. Regardless of whether one is a novice to a given field, or a well accomplished veteran in the field, there is a need for the continued engagement with the basics that underlie the core subjects. With that in mind, the Fundamentals of Oil and Gas is a perfect primer for the first-timer in the field, while also a copious text to help a seasoned veteran stay abreast with the nuances of the world of Oil and Gas.

The history of the European oil and gas industry reflects local as well as global political events, economic constraints and the personal endeavours of individual petroleum geoscientists as much as it does the development of technologies and the underlying geology of the region. The first commercial oil wells in Europe were drilled in Poland in 1853, Romania in 1857, Germany in 1859 and Italy in 1860. The 23 papers in this volume focus on the history and heritage of the oil and gas industry in the key European oil-producing countries from the earliest onshore drilling to its development into the modern industry that we know today. The contributors chronicle the main events and some of the major players that shaped the industry in Europe. The volume also marks several important anniversaries, including 150 years of oil exploration in Poland and Romania, the centenary of the drilling of the first oil well in the UK and 50 years of oil production from onshore Spain.