Letter from the US: The bigger they are, the harder they fall
The oil industry is facing the same kind of seismic shift in consumption that rocked telecommunications with the arrival of the cellphone
“The reality is, [fossil fuel] is what runs the world today. It is going to run the world tomorrow and five years from now, 10 years from now, [and] 20 years from now,” Chevron’s CEO Michael Wirth told the Financial Times in October last year. His statement bears some similarity to what John deButts, chair of AT&T—once the US’ primary telecommunications supplier—said about his industry in 1977: “Our business in this industry is to provide people with communications of all forms. We think down the road we should continue to provide all people with all forms of communications using whatever technology is available at that particular time.” Back then, AT&T employed one out of every ni
Also in this section
4 December 2025
Time is running out for Lukoil and Rosneft to divest international assets that will be mostly rendered useless to them when the US sanctions deadline arrives in mid-December
3 December 2025
Aramco’s pursuit of $30b in US gas partnerships marks a strategic pivot. The US gains capital and certainty; Saudi Arabia gains access, flexibility and a new export future
2 December 2025
The interplay between OPEC+, China and the US will define oil markets throughout 2026
1 December 2025
The North African producer’s first bidding round in almost two decades is an important milestone but the recent extension suggests a degree of trepidation






