Energy is a subset of businesses associated with the production and distribution of energy. In accordance with the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) the energy industry encompasses companies that investigate and produce refinement markets, store, and transport gas and oil coal, as well as other fuels that can be used in the process of being consumed. Companies that sell oil and gas-related equipment are also part of the energy industry.
Summary
Companies that deal with the exploitation processing, storage transport or distribution of electricity are classified as part of the ground powering units.
The external factors that drive the energy industry are economy’s activity, the seasons and weather and the regulations of government and organizational policies.
The energy industry is exposed to risk due to changes in environmental policies, leading to the trend of investing in renewable energy sources.
Overview of the energy industry
The energy industry is an extensive group of interconnected firms that deal with a vast range of energy. The two main kinds of energy are:
One is non-renewable energy that includes petroleum and oil products including natural gas, gasoline, nuclear fuel, diesel, and nuclear.
Another is renewable energy like solar power, hydropower, or wind power.
Energy companies incur significant capital expenses and also own large quantities of fixed assets.
Energy companies also invest significant investments in R&D (R&D) to upgrade technologies in drilling and processing, to enhance efficiency and adjust to changing environmental policies.
Components of the energy industry
The GICS further separates the ground powering units into energy equipment and services sector and the gas, oil and consumable fuels sector.
1. Energy Equipment & Services Industry
The energy equipment and service industry includes drilling contractors for oil and gas and producers of drilling equipment, and other companies offering services for drilling and the completion of gas or oil wells.
2. Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels Industry
Companies operating in the oil and gas sector are classified into three categories: the upstream, midstream, and downstream. They hold different roles in the chain of supply.
The companies involved in the upstream sector are in the exploration of potential natural gas and crude oil fields. They also extract the energy sources by conducting well drilling as well as operating them. Acquisitions, mergers, and divestitures occur in the upstream often.
The midstream is a storage facility transport, storage, and wholesale distribution of gas, oil and petroleum-related products.
The downstream sector is involved in post-production processes. These companies are responsible for refining crude natural gas and oil into consumable fuels including Diesel fuel, gasoline as well as jet fuel. They also distribute products derived from them like waxes, lubricants and a variety of other Petrochemicals. The midstream is typically thought of as to be part that flows downstream.
Factors that impact the energy industry
The energy industry is extremely dependent on the macroeconomic climate. The degree of economic activity can have a profound impact on the demand gas and oil. GDP and disposable income and employment, as well as new housing as well as an index of industrial output are a few of the macroeconomic factors.
In periods of expansion when there is a rise in production and business activities boosts the price and demand for oil. When there is a recession, a decrease in production decreases demand and prices and reduces the value of the sector.
Alongside the economic conditions, weather and seasons can also affect the energy industry. The prices for gas are generally more expensive in summer than in winter. It’s partly due to the higher volume of travel during the summer months, but also due to the higher cost of production for the fuels that are suitable for summer use. Weather conditions that are severe, like hurricanes, as well as natural disasters, can cause damage to infrastructures and cause disruption to the supply of energy.
The stability and strength of oil prices generally suggest economic stability. This is why some organizations coordinate the energy supply and help stabilize markets. For instance, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is one of these. The OPEC is an international group which accounts greater than 40 percent of oil production across the globe. It works with 13 member nations to regulate supply and production of oil in order to influence the price of oil.
Investing in the energy industry
The energy industry offers a variety of opportunities for investors. Investors can buy individual stocks, or make investments in mutual funds or Exchange-traded funds (ETFs). ETFs are an ETF will give investors a diverse portfolio by tracking an index. This one, the SPDR S&P Oil &Gaz Explore and Prod ETF (XOP) follows an equally heavily weighted selection of U.S.-based exploration and oil as well as production firms. It’s more diversifiable than an ETF with a cap weighted cap.
Investors may also purchase commodities by way of options and futures contracts. For instance there is the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) provides its NYMEX WTI Crude Oil Futures (CL). The most liquid oil crude contract available in the world.
NYMEX also offers the RBOB Gasoline Futures and NY Harbor ULSD Futures within the refined product subgroup along with various other energy-related products. Companies that are sensitive to changes in energy prices are able to hedge their risk by holding these contracts.
Advantages
- Excellent opportunities to start your career. In contrast to other fields such as law, or medicine, employees are able to get jobs in the energy field without the need for years of further education or specialization. It is more straightforward to begin an energy-related career industry with a college degree than other sectors.
- Pay that is higher than the average. The range of pay can differ from job to job and from sector to sector, however many workers in the energy industry have higher pay than those who hold similar jobs in other industries. Compensation packages usually include great advantages like dental insurance, health insurance, college tuition assistance, as well as retirement plans.
- Security and stability of work. Although the energy sources and delivery methods be changing in the near near future the majority of workers are aware the long-term potential in this sector.
- Utilizing exciting new technology. The reduction of dependency on fossil fuels as well as the development of environmentally friendly alternative fuels or energy source are the major developments in the field. Energy companies are currently designing and developing a variety of new technologies. One of them could eventually become the world’s top supplier of power.
