Refocus

BP plc is putting its U.S. wind energy business on the market to refocus on growing its oil and natural gas operations, the operator said Wednesday.

Spain’s Repsol could opt to sell its 75% stake in the Canaport LNG terminal in Saint John, NB, as part of a plan to refocus operations and streamline its balance sheet, the company confirmed.

Shale natural gas has dramatically transformed the outlook for U.S. energy supplies and is having “profound” economic impacts on creating jobs and stimulating growth, as well as bolstering tax revenue and reducing consumer energy costs, according to a study by IHS Global Insight.

Houston-based Helix Energy Solutions on Monday said it is evaluating strategic alternatives to sell all of its natural gas and oil properties to refocus on deepwater contract services.

Houston-based Helix Energy Solutions on Monday said it is evaluating strategic alternatives to sell all of its natural gas and oil properties to refocus on deepwater contract services.

Dynegy Inc.’s new management team said restoring investor confidence and focusing on business remain key following the resignation last week of founder Chuck Watson, CEO and chairman. No strategic shifts are expected, but the executive team is now led by ChevronTexaco Vice Chairman Glenn F. Tilton. Steve Bergstrom, Watson’s right-hand man, remains COO and president — already seen by many as a good sign that the board of directors was loyal to Dynegy’s direction, but not its 17-year leader.

With IBM and other business processing giants weighing in, the energy industry, including the utility sector, increasingly is doing what other industries have been pushing for more than a decade — outsourcing generic business back-office functions with the goal of lowering payrolls and becoming more efficient as companies seek to survive in an ever-tougher business climate.