1. 2.4: Energy TNC's, OPEC countries and other large producers are increasingly powerful in the global supply of energy Investigate the increasing economic and political power of selected energy TNC's and producer groups http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_industry

2. National state energy companies v TNC’s Historically, the energy industry has been dominated by large TNC’s –they are some of the largest corporations in the World Their annual profits are colossal –particularly when oil prices are high However, their power is being challenged – firstly by OPEC and more recently by the rise state owned energy companies.

3. How are the TNC’s under threat? Using the information on pages 21 and 22 of the Globe text book identify the reasons why Energy TNC’s are under attack and are loosing some of their power

4. The upstream oil sector is a term commonly used to refer to the searching for and the recovery and production of crude oil and natural gas. The upstream oil sector is also known as the exploration and production (E&P) sector.productioncrude oilnatural gas The midstream industry processes, stores, markets and transports commodities such as crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids (LNGs, mainly ethane, propane and butane) and sulphur The downstream oil sector is a term commonly used to refer to the refining of crude oil, and the selling and distribution of natural gas and products derived from crude oil. Such products include liquified petroleum gas (LPG), gasoline or petrol, jet fuel, diesel oil, other fuel oils, asphalt and petroleum coke.refiningcrude oilnatural gasliquified petroleum gas (LPG)gasoline or petroljet fueldiesel oilfuel oilsasphaltpetroleum coke The downstream industry touches consumers through thousands of products such as petrol, diesel, jet fuel, heating oil, asphalt, lubricants, synthetic rubber, plastics, fertilizers, antifreeze, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, natural gas and propane.heating oillubricantssynthetic rubberplastics fertilizersantifreezepesticidespharmaceuticals

5. Source:

6. Source IOC International oil Companies NOC: National oil companies

7. Even though state-controlled firms made up the majority of the 23 companies advancing in this year's Top 50, they did not dominate. Pemex, Venezuela's PDV and Kuwait's KPC continue to decline as they -- like many others in the Top 50 -- fail to effectively deploy their steadily increasing revenues in pursuit of operational growth. IOCs delivered similarly mixed results, but still showed remarkable resilience in light of the ongoing transformation in NOC-IOC relations in favor of NOCs. Here are some key findings from the PIW Top 50: Saudi Aramco maintains its hold on the top spot, the result of significant ongoing investment in both upstream and downstream oil and gas operations. For the first time in years, IOCs outnumber NOCs in the top ten, helped by the ascent of ConocoPhillips and its acquisition of Burlington Resources, which moved it ahead of Chevron and Total. Novatek of Russia makes its Top 50 debut at 49 based on rapid increases in both oil and gas reserves and output, while Japanese Inpex -- this year's other first-time entrant -- benefited from its integration with Teikoku Oil. The US again dominates this year's rankings with nine firms in the Top 50, followed by Russia with seven and the UK with three.

8. Here are five key findings from the PIW Top 50: Saudi Aramco, perennial holder of the Rankings' top spot, continues to solidify its supremacy with significant investment in both upstream and downstream oil and gas operations. Russian gas giant Gazprom, aided by its acquisition of Sibneft, continues to forge ahead, gaining nine places to reach number 15 on its march toward the top ten. Similarly, new assets helped Rosneft advance five spots to number 26. Occidental returns to the Top 50 with help from its purchase of Vintage Petroleum, while Canadian Natural Resources makes its Top 50 debut after spending the previous four years waiting in the wings. PetroChina moved deeper into the top ten to reach 7th place. In the process, it overtook both Chevron and Total, which tied for 8th. The US again dominates this year's rankings with ten firms in the Top 50, followed by Russia with six and the UK and Canada with three each.

9. When considering Oil production statistics 4 points arise: 1.Of the top 20 oil companies at least 8 are state owned. (they are not TNC’s) They are public rather than private sector companies. They are government owned and are more active in the realms of geopolitics. (the study of the ways in which political decisions and processes affect the way space and resources are used. The relationship between geography, economics and politics) 2.The remaining companies are relatively free of direct political influence and driven more by economic considerations and shareholders. 3.Most of the top companies are involved in a range of operations of which pumping oil is only one. They are also engaged in transporting and refining oil and in petrochemical industries. Exploration for new reserves and the search for new sources are also important. 4.Their diversity and presence in many countries ensure that TNC's will continue to be key players.

10. saudiaramco Exxon main site Exxon UK