Drilling & production - 21 June 2011

Coal is surging ahead with the recovering economy, but many challenges lie ahead. Gordon cope examines how prospects for US coal are looking up.

Hays Oil and Gas have found that the majority of people do not believe that companies do enough to promote women into senior management positions.

Australia has reduced its forecasts for coal production and exports for the financial year ending June 2012 as its coal mining industry still reels from the effects of severe flooding at the beginning of the year.

BP today announced that it has reached agreement with Weatherford U.S., L.P. to settle potential claims between the companies related to the Deepwater Horizon accident.

South America is emerging as a growing world player in the oil and gas industry. With discoveries of new reserves across the continent, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Argentina all look set to prosper.

Taryn Evans, AKE, takes a brief look at the differences between regions in terms of the threat posed to foreign personnel engaged in energy projects by kidnap and ransom.