Coupled

The oil and natural gas industry faces a huge talent crunch in the next five years, with 50% of the industry workforce eligible to retire coupled with dwindling enrollment in undergraduate petroleum engineering programs. However, Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer said that savvy companies should use growing energy information technology to bridge the generation gap and to secure an ample Web-based global workforce.

The oil and natural gas industry faces a huge talent crunch in the next five years, with 50% of the industry workforce eligible to retire coupled with dwindling enrollment in undergraduate petroleum engineering programs. However, the CEO of Microsoft Corp. said that savvy companies should use growing energy information technology to bridge the generation gap and to secure an ample Web-based global workforce.

The power industry’s increased reliance on natural gas, coupled with the uncertainty on the timing and size of liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply additions, has created an “unprecedented” set of risky alternatives for utilities and regulators, according to a scenario analysis unveiled by Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA) Thursday at CERAWeek 2005.

The power industry’s increased reliance on natural gas, coupled with the uncertainty on the timing and size of liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply additions, has created an “unprecedented” set of risky alternatives for utilities and regulators, according to a scenario analysis unveiled by Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA) Thursday at CERAWeek 2005.

Very high and very volatile energy prices, coupled with the fearof what they will do to overall economic growth, were among themain reasons cited by energy analysts that energy companies of allshapes and sizes were out in front of the U.S. stock market dipover the last two days.

The California power debacle, with its political and financialramifications, coupled with high natural gas and heating oil pricesand dire government warnings of even worse prices this winter, hasled to a host of actions by those who deal with retail customersand constituents.

Conservative exploration and development strategies andacquisitions, coupled with a growing demand for energy, enabled theworld’s largest oil and gas companies to reduce reserve replacementcosts 14% from a year ago, and dramatically increase net profits -by as much as 900%, according to an analysis by energy researchfirm John S. Herold Inc.

Conservative exploration and development strategies andacquisitions, coupled with a growing demand for energy, enabled theworld’s largest oil and gas companies to reduce reserve replacementcosts 14% from a year ago, and dramatically increase net profits— by as much as 900%, according to an analysis by energyresearch firm John S. Herold Inc.

Unocal Corp. said lower oil and gas prices, coupled withincreased exploration costs because of several dry holes, led tolower third quarter earnings of $36 million, or 15 cents per share,compared with $177 million, or 70 cents/share in the third quarterof 1997. Earnings from continuing operations, excluding specialitems, were $4 million, or 2 cents per share, compared with $94million, or 38 cents per share in 3Q97. Total revenues for thethird quarter were $1.4 billion, about the same as a year ago.Capital expenditures were $502 million, up from $308 million in thesame period of 1997.