Recently, we have seen falling oil prices combined with sticky costs at a high level in thepetroleum industry. This causes project postponements, thus challenging reserve replacement ofoil companies and security of supply for consumers. Costs are particularly high for drilling. Highrig rates are...

Lower barriers to entry and developments in world capital markets have increasedthe actual and potential mobility of multinational enterprises. This poses challengesfor host countries' tax policies. The paper examines implications for such policies, formultinantionals' investment decisions and...

Because of a long time frame, irreversible and specific investments, incomplete contracts andpolitical constraints, it is generally difficult for governments to commit themselves in a credibleway to a fixed petroleum tax regime. Many controversial renegotiations and tightenings of suchsystems...

Financial leasing is prevalent in LNG projects. Actually, in many LNG infrastructure projects,leasing is the only option for oil companies. A common approach in such settings is to treatfinancial leasing costs as operating cost and discount with the firm s weighted average cost ofcapital (WACC)....

Topical issues in petroleum tax design are in this chapter discussed by means of a tax model for anet income tax system (Norway) and a representative PSA regime. We analyse the entire lifecycle of a typical petroleum project, i.e., the exploration decision is included. Many petroleumtax systems...

Shortages of rigs and personnel have encouraged creativity in designing incentive contracts in thedrilling sector. In particular for oil service contracts, since those companies have the most directcontrol of drilling efficiency. A large variety of contract types are in use, including within...

The oil companies are concerned to replace the petroleum reserves they producein order to maintain their future level of activity. Booked reserves alsorepresent an important input when analysts value these companies. Many producercountries want to control their own resources, a goal which can...

Increased focus on shareholder returns, capital discipline and return on capital employed (RoACE) caused a slowdown in investment rates and production growth among international oil companies around the turn of the century. Focusing on supply side dynamics of the oil market, we explore a...

High oil prices are normally expected to stimulate exploration and the development of new oil and gas fields. But over the last few years, financial analysts have focused strongly on shortterm accounting return (RoACE) for benchmarking and valuation, and this has led to high capital discipline...