Survey of Upstream U.S. Energy Companies

The Grant Thornton LLP Survey of Upstream U.S. Energy Companies 2010 provides a detailed look at the state of the industry, including trends, plans and policies. Now in its eighth year, the survey comprises responses from more than 100 senior executives of independent oil and gas exploration and service companies. Following are some of the key findings from this year's survey:

• Uncertain natural gas and crude oil prices are the top industry concerns for the second year in a row.
• Respondents still believe that incentives for increased U.S. drilling are the number one way for U.S. consumers to reduce energy prices.
• While most respondents view alternative fuels as a long-term solution, respondents indicated that clean coal is the most likely to be effective in the short term.
• The area considered to offer the greatest opportunity was successful exploitation of existing prospects, followed by mergers and acquisitions, and operating efficiencies.
• While 35 percent of respondents believe the United States is a global leader in the industry, 80 percent believe the United States is lagging by its dependence on foreign sources of energy.

Download the 2010 survey.