Suncor Energy
This Canada-based energy company has been in existence since 1967 when the Athabasca oil sands were developed, one of the largest petroleum resource basins in the world. Suncor is now a globally-competitive, integrated energy company. The company’s balanced portfolio consists of high-quality assets, a strong balance sheet and significant growth prospects. The company is also investing in clean, renewable energy sources—four wind farms are currently in operation and an ethanol facility with a capacity of 200 million litres per year. Suncor recently merged with Canadian company, Petro-Canada, resulting in the creation of Canada’s largest independent energy company.
According to a 2009 letter to shareholders, President and CEO, Rick George, said, “Today, Suncor is a larger, stronger and more financially flexible company. Our high-quality assets and integrated strategy provide us with a degree of protection from the volatility of commodity markets and put us in a strong position to achieve prudent, but substantial growth. In short, we have far more control over our own destiny.” George continues, “Suncor’s Board of Directors approved a $5.5 billion capital spending plan for 2010 that officially restarted our growth in the oil sands industry. While $4 billion was targeted at sustaining existing operations, approximately $1.5 billion was directed to new production growth, primarily at the company’s oil sands operations.” From 2008 to 2009, the company went from producing 265,000 to 456,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day.
ONEOK Partners
ONEOK Partners is a leader in the U.S. natural gas industry, in gathering, processing, storage and transportation. The company owns one of the premier natural gas liquids (NGL) systems in the nation. Three segments make up its business—natural gas gathering and processing, natural gas pipelines and natural gas liquids. Since 2006, the company has seen an approximate 40 percent increase in unit-holder distributions. Additionally, with more than $2 billion in growth projects in 2009, the company has seen more opportunities for value creation. For the future, the company has identified $2.5 to $3.5 billion of growth projects for investments through 2015, with annual investments ranging from $300 to $500 million annually.
The company outlines its goal as, “to create long-term value for the partnership, its unit-holders and customers by building, acquiring, developing and optimizing assets that fit and work together across the natural gas and NGL value chains. This strategy has resulted in the completion of more than $2 billion of growth projects in late 2009 that complement and strengthen our businesses well into the future.”
Woodside Petroleum Ltd
Woodside Petroleum is an independent oil and gas company located in Australia. The company plays a major role in supplying the region’s energy. Woodside Petroleum is, “one of the world’s leading producers of liquefied natural gas, helping meet the demands for cleaner energy from Japan, China, Korea and other countries in the Asia Pacific region." The company has been a key player in the industry since 1954, having started off primarily in oil exploration off Australia’s southern coast. In the 1970s, Woodside discovered natural gas off the west coast of Australia, changing the direction of the company. According to Woodside, “We pride ourselves as a stable and reliable supplier, with a focus on delivering on our commitments.”
Woodside’s production of LNG continues to grow. According to Woodside’s 2009 Annual Report, the company reached a record net profit of $1,824 million, a two percent increase from 2008, and a record underlying profit of $1,906 million, a four percent increase over 2008.
With the company’s large gas resource base, Woodside is a much sought-after supplier of clean energy. Woodside says, “We seek excellence in environmental performance, and aim to ensure that, wherever we operate, the local community benefits from our presence.”
Reliance Industries Ltd
Reliance Industries is India’s largest private sector enterprise. The company saw its highest ever quarterly revenue, PBIT ($2.2 billion) and net profit ($1.0 billion) in the first quarter of FY2011. PBIT jumped 42 percent from the previous quarter, and net profits increased by 32 percent. The company reached a cumulative gas production of around 20 billion cubic meters during the first quarter of 2010 as well.
Reliance is a global leader in its businesses, which involves the exploration and production of oil and gas; petroleum refining and marketing; petrochemicals; textiles; retail items and special economic zones. The company is currently among the top 10 producers in the world for major petrochemical products.
First Solar
Ranked as the number one fastest growing technology company by Forbes Magazine, First Solar is a global leader in the manufacturing of photovoltaic modules. According to First Solar, “We are creating an affordable and environmentally responsible alternative to fossil-fuel generation by constantly decreasing manufacturing costs.” The company’s goal is to change the way the world is powered.
According to the 2009 annual report, CEO, Rob Gille, said, “Revenues increased 66 percent year over year to $2.1 billion, and earnings per share increased 78 percent to $7.53 per fully diluted share.” In the first quarter of 2010, net sales reached $588 million, yielding a net income of $159 million.
