Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Industry Profile

The US oil and gas exploration and production industry consists of about 5,000 companies with combined annual revenue of about $290 billion. Major companies include Anadarko Petroleum, Apache Corporation, Devon Energy, and Marathon Oil, along with the exploration and production divisions of integrated companies such as Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips.

The largest oil producing countries are Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the US. The largest natural gas producers are the US, Russia, and Canada. Major oil and gas companies outside the US include LUKOIL and Gazprom (headquartered in Russia); Saudi Aramco (Saudi Arabia); Royal Dutch Shell (The Netherlands); BP (UK); National Iranian Oil Company (Iran); China National Petroleum Corporation (China); and PETROBRAS (Brazil).

Petroleum refining, petroleum wholesale distribution, and retailing (fuel oil and LP gas dealers and gas stations) are covered in separate industry profiles.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by economic activity, population growth, and energy efficiency for residential, industrial, and transportation uses of oil and gas. Profitability of individual companies is driven by the success rate of new wells drilled and the ability to increase production from existing wells. Large companies are advantaged by access to capital, including the ability to buy or merge smaller companies. Small companies compete by focusing on, and developing expertise in, a few geographic areas. The industry is capital-intensive: average annual revenue per employee is nearly $2 million.

Oil and gas compete with other energy ...