While vehicle miles traveled have nearly doubled since 1980, emissions are drastically down. The combination of cleaner fuels, modernized equipment and facilities, plus more efficient vehicles have cut emissions by 62% over the same period according to a recent statement from the American Petroleum Institute. Ozone concentration has dropped 18% since 2000 alone. A major factor in these declines has been investment by energy companies in developing cleaner-burning fuels and in better technology in the extraction and processing of oil and gas.
Billion-Dollar Industry Investments
Speaking about the administration’s Quadrennial Energy Review (QER) released in April, API executive Louis Finkel said “More and more people now recognize that America is leading the world in reducing greenhouse gasses, with carbon emissions near 20-year lows thanks to abundant natural gas development and investments by our industry in zero- and low-emissions technologies.” Finkel added that those investments are larger than those of the federal government and nearly as much as all other industries combined.
From 2000 to 2012, U.S. oil and natural gas companies invested roughly $81 billion in mitigation technologies while government investment was $79.7 billion and other industries invested a combined total of $91.2 billion.
Industry Innovation
In an earlier statement, API vice president Kyle Isakower noted that the industry is pursuing new research and technology that will revolutionize innovation. “These investments not only lower carbon emissions, they create jobs and advance America’s technological competitiveness,” he added.
The abundance of affordable natural gas that has resulted from investment in shale extraction technology adds even more good news for the environment as U.S. consumers and industry move away from more carbon-intensive fuels like coal and oil.
Investment Guidance
The pace of change in the energy sector creates new opportunities for private investors, but there are risks, as well. Special interests are lobbying for even more restrictive emission standards, some of which are realistically unachievable. That’s why individuals and institutions rely on BWAB for guidance in energy sector investments.
The oil and gas experts at BWAB track industry trends as we continue to identify hidden opportunities in oil and gas properties that offer excellent values in companies positioned to thrive in today’s volatile markets.
We invite you to visit our website, BWAB.com, to learn more about our investment strategy, philosophy, and proven record in maximizing investor returns by building value through capital reinvestment, operational improvements and enhanced recovery and cost control.
