Energy Industry Intel & Commentary
U.S. shale plays may be creating a novel way to measure the new breed of top oil companies. The standard yardstick of worldwide barrels produced per day still evokes names of familiar global players such as Exxon Mobil, Shell and BP, as well as state-owned entities like Saudi Aramco and Petrobras. When gauged by innovation …
Continue reading “Top Oil Companies Increasingly Defined by Shale Innovation”
National Oilwell Varco (NOV) operates just about everywhere oil and gas is extracted, enjoying a hearty share of the market for integrated oilfield equipment. Yet global reach and a wide-ranging portfolio of products do not necessarily translate to a better customer experience—for NOV or its competitors. EnergyPoint’s most recent survey data suggest NOV’s customer satisfaction …
In retrospect, the recent announcement by National Oilwell Varco that it will acquire Robbins & Myers really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. The surprise, rather, might be that the deal didn’t come any sooner than it did. Maybe NOV decided it would have been poor form to have moved earlier given that R&M …
History indicates National Oilwell Varco’s (NOV) purchase of Grant Prideco may benefit the latter’s shareholders more than its customers. Why? Acquisitions of companies with higher customer satisfaction ratings by lower-rated players tend to hurt the purchased company more than help the ratings of the acquirer. More so, bigger is not always better in terms of execution …
Continue reading “NOV + Grant Prideco: A Different Kind of Merger?”
We need climate statistics and analyses from NOAA and other organizations that comport with strict scientific norms. Right now, they don’t
Sooner or later nations—their leaders and voters—are going to have to fully wake up to the fact that climate change simply isn’t the immediately solvable crisis they were led to believe. And that means we need to adjust how we approach and respond to it.
When it comes to shaping the public’s views, it’s fair to say climate fanaticism—and the lens through which it sees the world—is prevailing.
When it comes to M&A, understanding the differences between a buyer’s and seller’s customer satisfaction can help predict risk and opportunity. This, in turn, can impact the deal’s success.
Over the years, technology has played a heralded role in the oil and gas industry. It still does today. Pick up any trade publication and chances are you’ll find at least one well-worn tribute to its importance. Yet, the fixation on hi-tech hasn’t been without problems. It’s even been value-destroying at times. We’d argue the industry’s intractable struggle …
This post was updated on June 24, 2019. Imagine a contest between two horses. History suggests one of the animals, having lost most of its races to the competitor, is the slower of the two. You are given even odds. Would you bet on the reliably slower horse? The answer, of course, is no. …