Investment opportunities in energy exploration companies

investors/portfolio-manager/

18 September 2009
| By Benjamin Levy |

Investors wanting exposure to the energy sector should look to the energy exploration and production companies for investment opportunities, rather than just investing in large oil companies such as BP or Shell, according to David Whittall, portfolio manager for Bennelong SGI.

Speaking at a presentation on the global energy sector, Whittall said investors should reconsider heavy investment in the large integrated oil companies such as BP or Shell.

The oil companies are grappling with the challenges of falling oil production levels, a weak economy, as well as growing competition from companies in North Africa, Asia and the Middle East, which are developing their own oil refining capabilities.

As a result, Western oil companies are closing down their refining capabilities, and investors should take that into account when they consider investing in that area of the energy sector, Whittall said.

Investors should look past them to other areas in the energy sector for investment, he said.

The energy exploration companies provided many “interesting opportunities” for investing, he said.

Investors should also think of energy exploration companies in terms of their value as potential acquisitions for the integrated oil companies, Whittall said.

Even the integrated oil companies were beginning to realise the value of energy exploration, ploughing two-thirds of their capital into the exploration field, he added.

Read more about:

AUTHOR

Recommended for you

sub-bgsidebar subscription

Never miss the latest news and developments in wealth management industry

MARKET INSIGHTS

So we are now underwriting criminal scams?...

2 months 2 weeks ago

Glad to see the back of you Steve. You made financial more expensive, not more affordable as you claim, and presided ...

2 months 2 weeks ago

Completely agree Peter. The definition of 'significant change is circumstances relevant to the scope of the advice' is s...

4 months 3 weeks ago

ASIC has suspended the Australian Financial Services Licence of a Melbourne-based financial advice firm....

5 days 14 hours ago

The corporate regulator has issued infringement notices to three AFSLs whose financial advisers provided personal advice to a retail client while unregistered....

1 week 3 days ago

ASIC has released the results of its first adviser exam to be held in 2025, with 241 candidates attempting the test....

2 weeks 1 day ago

TOP PERFORMING FUNDS

ACS FIXED INT - AUSTRALIA/GLOBAL BOND