Oil and Gas Exploration, Production, and Processing

Oil Gas Exploration
Most major oil and gas firms engage in both upstream (i.e., hydrocarbon exploration and production) and downstream (i.e., hydrocarbon refining and marketing) businesses as well as related activities such as chemicals, and their R&D activities serve the needs of these businesses. During the past decade or so, the R&D spending of oil and gas firms has generally declined. According to a DOE survey, R&D spending by major energy producers within the United States declined from $3.05 billion in 1994 to $1.33 billion in 2000. Although not true of all producers internationally, the broad global trend over the past decade or so seems to be along similar lines. (more…)

Energy R&D, Energy Funds, Energy Conservation

Government expenditures on energy R&D, energy conservation have risen steadily over the past decade, but only two countries, Japan and the United States, are responsible for the bulk of expenditures in this area. Until the mid-1990s, global conservation expenditures were more or less split equally among the transportation, industrial, and residential sectors, but during the past few years, there has been a sharp rise in industrial conservation R&D efforts. (more…)