Drivers of Change in the Energy Industry, Summer 2014

Geopolitics, price, and technology are the three factors that shape the oil and gas industry. The author traces the important junctures of the industry, from the rise of OPEC to the exploitation of US shale gas formations, to the interplay between these three factors. Pointing out that geopolitics has always defined the field of play, he elaborates on topical developments in countries such as Ukraine and Iraq. Distinguishing between the majors and the independents, he argues that the challenge is to keep improving on the technology that the energy companies use today.