Sentence 1: Many factors beyond our control affect oil and natural gas prices, including, but not limited to: the cost of exploring for, producing and delivering oil and natural gas; the discovery and development rate of new oil and natural gas reserves, especially shale and other unconventional natural gas resources for which we market our rigs; the rate of decline of existing and new oil and natural gas reserves; available pipeline and other oil and natural gas transportation capacity; the levels of oil and natural gas storage; the ability of oil and natural gas exploration and production companies to raise capital; economic conditions in the United States and elsewhere; actions by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries; political instability in the Middle East and other major oil and natural gas producing regions; governmental regulations, sanctions and trade restrictions, both domestic and foreign; domestic and foreign tax policy; the availability of and constraints in pipeline, storage and other transportation capacity in the basins in which we operate, including, for example, takeaway constraints experienced in the Permian Basin; weather conditions in the United States; the pace adopted by foreign governments for the exploration, development and production of their national reserves; the price of foreign imports of oil and natural gas; the strength or weakness of the United States dollar; the overall supply and demand for oil and natural gas; and the development of alternate energy sources and the long-term effects of worldwide energy conservation measures.
Sentence 2: The markets for crude oil and natural gas have historically been, and are likely to continue to be, volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to numerous factors, including the following: worldwide and domestic supplies of oil and gas, and the productive capacity of the oil and gas industry as a whole; changes in the supply and the level of consumer demand for such fuels; overall global and domestic economic conditions; political conditions in oil, natural gas, and other fuel-producing and fuel-consuming areas; the extent of US and Australian domestic oil and gas production and the consumption and importation of such fuels and substitute fuels in US, Australian, and other relevant markets; the availability and capacity of gathering, transportation, processing, and/or refining facilities in regional or localized areas that may affect the realized price for crude oil or natural gas; the price and level of foreign imports of crude oil, refined petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas; weather conditions, including effects of weather conditions on prices and supplies in worldwide energy markets; technological advances affecting energy consumption and conservation;    27 the ability of the members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other exporting countries to agree to and maintain crude oil prices and production controls; the competitive position of each such fuel as a source of energy as compared to other energy sources; strengthening and weakening of the US dollar relative to other currencies; and the effect of governmental regulations and taxes on the production, transportation, and sale of oil, natural gas, and other fuels.
Semantic similarity (0-5): 3