Depressed natural gas prices and a strong recovery in the value of crude make onshore oil plays an enticing proposition, especially given oil’s long-term fundamentals. Low production costs and rising oil prices make the Bakken shale a winner. Read More

From mature conventional fields to established and emerging shale oil plays, the Permian Basin offers something for exploration and production firms of all types. Read More

Oil refining is one of the most important business segments in the energy industry, but it's also one of the most misunderstood. Here's how to separate the value traps from the value plays. Read More

Some exploration & production firms are looking to grow their oil production more than 50 percent in 2010 by exploiting unconventional oil plays like the Bakken Shale. At current oil prices most producers believe that wells in the core part of the Bakken Shale offer after-tax returns on investment of 100 percent and remain profitable even at significantly lower prices. Read More