THE TOP TEN OF ENERGY IN 2014 (Platts)
In first place as in 2013 the American Exxon, which is confirmed as the largest and most profitable energy company in the world. Europe defends itself well with second place to the British BP and another 4 places among the global top 10 (two are Russian). Two other positions in the top 10, in addition to leader Exxon, are occupied by US companies and two by Chinese companies. Platts, a specialized analysis company, uses four financial indicators to draw up its annual ranking of the 250 largest energy companies in the world: asset value, revenues, profits and return on invested capital.
The data used comes from the S&P Capital IQ database, a business unit of McGraw Hill Financial. Energy companies are grouped according to their Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) code. Each company is assigned to an industry sector within the world of energy according to the definition of their main activity. The sectors are: coal, diversified utilities, electric utilities, exploration and production, gas utilities, independent electric power producers, integrated oil and gas refining and marketing companies, storage and transportation. A further subdivision is by geographical area: Asia; Europe, Middle East, Africa; Americas. In the top ten, against three Americans, including the leader Exxon, we find 5 Europeans (two are Russian) and two Chinese. These, in the general ranking, are the top ten energy companies in the world in 2014 (in brackets the advance + or the retreat – compared to 2013):
Table at FIRSTonline.info
Compared to 2013, the Norwegian Statoil (it was 5th in 2013, it is 16th in 2014), the Russian Lukoil (it was 7th, it is 11th in 2014) leave the top ten. Leap forward for the English BP (was 11a), the American Conoco Phillips (was 13a) and the Russian Rosneft (was 9a). We find the Italians in 17th place with Eni (which gains 5 positions compared to 2013) and in 36th with Enel which makes a spectacular leap forward compared to 2013 when it was 69th (+33). The next Italian is Terna in 145th place.
THE TOP TEN OF ELECTRICITY 2014 (Platts)
Again according to Platts, if we focus attention on the electric utility sector we find in first place a Japanese company, Tokyo Electric Power, which in 2013, following the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster, had fallen to 37th place, four European ones, including the 'Italian Enel, and 5 Americans (between the advance + or the retreat – compared to 2013).
Table at FIRSTonline.info
Also in this sector ranking Enel confirms the leap forward compared to 2013 (+7) just behind the Spanish Iberdrola. The next first Italian is Terna in 33rd place among the electric utilities. Compared to 2013, Edison International (USA) which was 5th in 2013, the Brazilian Energetica de Minas Gerias which was 7th, the Finnish Fortum Oyl which was 8th, the American PPL which was 9th and the Malaysian Tenaga Nasional Berhad leave the top ten which was 10a.
ELECTRICITY TOP TEN 2014 (Forbes)
The ranking prepared by the US economics and finance magazine Forbes is based on net market capitalization, assets, revenues and profits. But it does not examine the return on capital as the Platts ranking does and this explains the exclusion of E.on even from the top 250 energy companies of the Platts ranking where it was also in first place in 2010.
According to the Forbes ranking, five of the world's 10 largest electric utilities are European and the other five are US. (data in billions of US dollars: net market capitalization and assets as at May 2014; revenues and net income as at 31 December 2013).
Table at FIRSTonline.info
GAS TOP TEN 2014 (Platts)
According to Platts, the most profitable gas utility in the world is the Spanish Gas Natural which confirms the leadership already achieved in 2013. The Italian Snam rises to third place after the Japanese Tokio Gas. The US company Oveak, which was 8th in 2013 among the world's gas utilities, does not appear in the 2014 ranking (including advance + or retreat – compared to 2013).
Table at FIRSTonline.info
