US balancing act
The majors are facing a capital spending conundrum sooner than many in the industry expected
As a flurry of positive quarterly earnings statements marks a return to health for the oil industry, executives are confronted once again with the issue of how best to allocate capital to generate superior total shareholder return (TSR) performance. After nearly four years, during which oil companies kept a tight grip on capital in a "lower-for-longer" oil price environment, some shareholders are clamouring for companies to return cash to investors in the form of special dividends and share buybacks. But industry executives would be wrong to listen wholly to the call, according to the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Its inaugural Oil Sector Value Creator Report, to be published later this yea
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20 February 2026
The country is pushing to increase production and expand key projects despite challenges including OPEC+ discipline and the limitations of its export infrastructure
20 February 2026
Europe has transformed into a global LNG demand powerhouse over the last few years, with the fuel continuing to play a key role in safeguarding the continent’s energy security, Carsten Poppinga, chief commercial officer at Uniper, tells Petroleum Economist
20 February 2026
Sempra Infrastructure’s vice president for marketing and commercial development, Carlos de la Vega, outlines progress across the company’s US Gulf Coast and Mexico Pacific Coast LNG portfolio, including construction at Port Arthur LNG, continued strong performance at Cameron LNG and development of ECA LNG
19 February 2026
US LNG exporter Cheniere Energy has grown its business rapidly since exporting its first cargo a decade ago. But Chief Commercial Officer Anatol Feygin tells Petroleum Economist that, as in the past, the company’s future expansion plans are anchored by high levels of contracted offtake, supporting predictable returns on investment






