Available studies
Investments in Exploration-Production and Refining - 2009
IFP Energies nouvelles - November 2009
The world economy took a particularly sharp turn for the worse in 2008, going from euphoria to a generalized state of crisis within a few short months.
The oil and gas sector was not spared: demand slumped and prices plummeted steeply.
2009 saw overcapacity both upstream and downstream, falling refining margins, a credit crunch, a deterioration in corporate financial statements in the industry that caused the weakest businesses to fail, not to mention the postponement or cancellation of many investment projects.
In the exploration and production sector, 2009 is perceived as marking a lull in an upward cycle, since investments and key markets may expand slightly in 2010. In the meantime, the relationship between oil companies and their suppliers as well as that between oil companies and their host countries are changing.
In the refining industry, the prevalence of large amounts of spare capacity will not allow margins to recovery quickly in 2009 or, in all likelihood, in 2010. In the last few years, investments have shifted towards regions characterized by high-growth demand, a trend accelerated by the economic slump.
Without a doubt, the big winners to emerge from the economic crisis are the Chinese oil and gas companies. Backed by very substantial financial capacity, they are making massive international investments in all sectors of the oil and gas industry with a view to satisfying sustained domestic demand.
Download the study: Investments in Exploration-Production and Refining - 2009 (PDF - 410 Ko)
Water impacts of French biofuel development at the 2030 time horizon
February 2010 - Les cahiers du CLIP, 98 p.
In 2006, French biofuel production occupied nearly 800,000 hectares, amounting to around 2.8% of agricultural land and supplying 1.8% of the country's total fuel supply. By 2020, each Member State of the European Union is required to source at least 10% of its national fuel consumption from renewable sources. One of the main goals of this requirement is to contribute to greenhouse gas reductions in the transport sector, all while conserving natural resources. Against this backdrop, diverse environmental issues are involved in the planning and development of these industries. Protecting water resources is a main concern for the French, especially when it comes to formulating agricultural strategy for any given territory.
The goal of the present study is thus to propose a prospective assessment of the potential water impacts of different biofuel production scenarios in France through the year 2030. These scenarios, with their contrasting situations regarding agriculture, technology, and environmental priority, put forth a vision of possible futures in biofuel development. Their evaluation at the level of the Adour-Garonne and Seine-Normandy Basins has made it possible to produce comparative results, based on indicators quantified at this scale.
Download the study: Water impacts of French biofuel development at the 2030 time horizon (PDF - 7 Mo)
Les cahiers de l'économie
The "cahiers de l'économie" series aims at presenting the work carried out in IFP Energies nouvelles and in IFP School, research work or synthetic notes in economics, finance and management.
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Consult and download the studies
State of the art and potential of biomethane vehicle fuel
Synthesis of a joint study by ADEME, AFGNV, ATEE Club Biogaz, GDF SUEZ, IFP Energies nouvelles, MEEDDAT
This 8 pages document presents approaches to producing biomethane vehicle fuel and the resources involved.
The potential of each type of resource and the production costs are described in this report.
Lastly, the contribution of this gaseous biofuel to reducing greenhouse gas emissions is evaluated.
Download: Synthesis of the study "State of the art and potential of biomethane vehicle fuel" (PDF - 270 Ko)
The Oil and Oil Services Industry: international context 2008
by S. Serbutoviez et C. Silva - IFP Energies nouvelles - Economics and Information Watch and Management Division
Oil companies rarely do their own major work within the framework of their investments or in the operation of their facilities. They most often act as project coordinators, thereby opening up a vast market for equipment, services and engineering, involving many companies of widely-varying sizes, which constitute the oil services industry.
This 85 pages document provides a panorama of the international oil context in three distinct parts, for 2007, for the first three quarters of 2008, and aspects of trends for 2009.
- The first part is devoted to a rapid description of the oil context and the economic environment in which it is evolving.
- The second part examines the evolution of world investment in exploration-production (E&P) activities, distinguishing the investments made by oil and oil product/service companies throughout the E&P chain from the more targeted ones of three specific sectors: seismic, drilling and the construction of offshore production equipment. These markets are observed exclusively for oil product/service companies.
- The last part is devoted to investments in the refining sector, focusing on the changes in the fundamentals, particularly the equilibrium between refining capacities and medium-term oil demand. This latter analysis involves both oil and oil product/service companies.
Download the study: The Oil and Oil Services Industry: international context 2008 (PDF - 860 Ko)