Oil commodity should be an industry having the most complicate supply-chain/value-chain, impacting the price discovery process with various futures contracts.
Q
http://www.psac.ca/business/industry-overview/
What is the upstream oil & gas industry?
When you fill up your car with gasoline or pay your natural gas heating bill, you are the final link in a long chain of businesses that make it possible for us to enjoy these clean, convenient and economical forms of energy. The entire chain is known as the petroleum industry. However, the industry is usually divided into three major components: upstream, midstream and downstream.
The upstream industry finds and produces crude oil and natural gas. The upstream is sometimes known as the exploration and production (E&P) sector. Because Alberta accounts for more than 80 per cent of Canada’s oil and gas production, many upstream businesses are based in Alberta and most have their head offices in Calgary.
The midstream industry processes, stores, markets and transports commodities such as crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs, mainly ethane, propane and butane) and sulphur. The midstream provides the vital link between the far-flung petroleum producing areas and the population centres where most consumers are located. In Canada, transmission pipeline companies are a major part of the midstream petroleum industry. Most of these companies are also based in Calgary, although their activities extend across the country, into the United States and sometimes abroad.
The downstream industry includes oil refineries, petrochemical plants, petroleum products distributors, retail outlets and natural gas distribution companies. Although many downstream companies are headquartered in Calgary, the largest centres of activity are near Sarnia, Ontario, and Edmonton, Alberta. The downstream industry touches every province and territory-wherever consumers are located-and provides thousands of products such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, heating oil, asphalt, lubricants, synthetic rubber, plastics, fertilizers, antifreeze, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, natural gas and propane.
The upstream petroleum industry in Canada includes more than 1,000 exploration and production companies as well as hundreds of associated service businesses such as seismic and drilling contractors, service rig operators, engineering firms and various scientific, technical, service and supply companies.
Upstream industry revenues totaled $63 billion in 2000, of which 53 per cent came from the sale of crude oil. The remainder was from sales of natural gas, natural gas liquids and sulphur. About half of Canada’s oil and gas production is exported to the United States. Canada is self-sufficient in natural gas-supplying virtually all domestic markets with domestically produced natural gas-but imports of crude oil into Eastern Canada account for about 40 per cent of the nation’s oil supply.
The Canadian upstream petroleum industry has attained an international reputation for excellence in many areas including:
high-tech exploration and production methods
cold-climate operations
development of oil sands, heavy oil and sour gas
gas processing, sulphur extraction and heavy oil upgrading
construction and operation of pipelines
specialized controls and computer applications
services, equipment and training for environmental protection and safety
more
... ...
UQ