Roles are overlapping between service providers, contractors, integrated producers, and so on. That could easily be influenced by openings in key producing areas like the Middle East. The type of contracts that are eventually negotiated and awarded, assuming that they are, could affect the shape of the industry and certainly the portfolio of the individual company. A lot of familiar company names are disappearing from the landscape and some national oil and gas companies are turning into savvy regional competitors outside their home countries. New competitors with different business models are emerging, with a focus on risk management, e-commerce, or special niches in the value chain.
Natural gas is another area that's changing.
People talk about 30 Tcf in the U.S. as being within reach. Global production of gas is on the increase, so gas is literally going to be on the front burner over the next 5 to 10 years. That's just a continuation of the trend from heavier to lighter fuels. As far as other things about how companies change and the forces that bring change, the real question to me is whether the change is mostly just a matter of words or if it's actually something that is internalized by companies and people. That's something we'll have to watch.