Exploration trends - benchmarking by region

This report details regional trends in conventional exploration over 2011-2020. We analyse exploration performance across eight regions: Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, North Africa, North America, Russia & Caspian and Sub-Sahara. Global investment fell by 50%-80% across most regions after the 2014 oil price downturn, with regions characterised by a large proportion of deepwater and frontier opportunities generally saw the largest cuts. Our ten-year view shows a bleak picture in terms of value created, with only three of eight regions achieving positive full-cycle value creation. Nevertheless, returns have improved and exploration has made its recovery to making double-digit returns and creating value. Full details are available to download in pdf and excel format.