

Big oil plows billions into far-flung drilling sites to escape Iran turmoil
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Exxon Mobil, Chevron and other energy companies are speeding up their searches for new oil-and-gas prospects—far away from the perils of the war in the Middle East.Exxon recently outlined a potential plan to pump up to $24 billion into Nigeria’s deep-water oil fields, while Chevron expanded its footprint in Venezuela. BP bought stakes in oil blocks off the coast of Namibia, and TotalEnergies signed an exploration deal with Turkey.
Major oil companies could together create $120 billion in value from their exploration ventures in coming years, the energy research and consulting firm Wood Mackenzie estimated Thursday.Iran’s attacks on energy infrastructure and a shipping bottleneck in the Persian Gulf region have sparked a global scramble for oil and lopped off billions of dollars in revenue for some Western oil companies. But the surge in energy prices is providing the oil industry with a windfall of cash that is expected to help it venture into territories previously out of reach or abandoned years ago.
The influx comes after many drillers cut spending on exploration to return more cash to shareholders.“Never underestimate the romance of upstream people looking at opportunities. They say, ‘Boy, wouldn’t it be great if we could do this or that,’” said Edward Chow, a nonresident senior associate at the Center for Strategic & International Studies and a former Chevron executive.
“Now, you’ve got the cash to do it.”During a call Thursday with executives from Exxon, Chevron and other oil companies, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum urged them to keep bolstering oil output to counter surging prices ahead of a looming supply shortfall.U.S. oil futures are trading
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