DETROIT (AP) -- The only two McDonald's (NYSE: MCD ) restaurants in the United States that serve food prepared according to Islamic law have stopped doing so.
The fast-food giant and a Michigan franchise owner agreed to a $700,000 legal settlement in April after a customer sued. The Detroit Free Press is reporting that the lawsuit accused the restaurant chain of selling non-halal items advertised as halal.
The fast-food giant said in a statement Monday that the locations in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, which has a large Muslim population, no longer offer a halal McChicken sandwich or Chicken McNuggets "to focus on our national core menu."
The corporation says it takes into account "local and dietary preferences." Neither the statement nor a spokeswoman said whether the decision was related to the lawsuit.�
The settlement is being shared by the customer, a Muslim-run Detroit health clinic, Dearborn's Arab American National Museum and lawyers.
Top India Companies To Watch For 2015: Harsco Corp (HSC)
Harsco Corporation, incorporated on February 28, 1956, is a diversified, multinational provider of industrial services and engineered products serving global industries. The Company operates in four segments: Harsco Metals & Minerals, Harsco Infrastructure, Harsco Rail and Harsco Industrial. The Company's principal lines of business include outsourced, on-site services to steel mills and other metals producers; resource recovery technologies for the re-use of industrial waste stream by-products; industrial abrasives and roofing granules; engineered scaffolding, concrete forming and shoring, and other access-related services, rentals and sales; railway track maintenance services and equipment; industrial grating products; air-cooled heat exchangers, and heat transfer products. In January 2014, the Company acquired Hammco Corp.
Harsco Metals & Minerals Segment
The Harsco Metals & Minerals Segment is a provider of on-site, outsourced services to the global metals industries. The Metals business provides its services and solutions on a long-term contract basis, supporting each stage of the metal-making process from initial raw material handling to post-production slag processing and metal recovery. The Minerals business extracts metallic content from stainless steel by-products and also specializes in the development of minerals technologies for commercial applications, including agriculture fertilizers. The Minerals business also produces industrial abrasives and roofing granules from power-plant utility coal slag at a number of locations throughout the United States. Harsco Minerals' BLACK BEAUTY abrasives are used for industrial surface preparation, such as rust removal and cleaning of bridges, ship hulls and various structures. Roofing granules are sold to residential roofing shingle manufacturers, primarily for the replacement roofing market. As of December 31, 2012, the Harsco Metals & Minerals Segment operated in approximately 35 countries. During the year ended December 3! 1, 2012, the Harsco Metals & Minerals Segment generated 46% of the Company�� total revenue.
Harsco Infrastructure Segment
The Harsco Infrastructure Segment is global organization for the rental and sale of engineered scaffolding, shoring, concrete forming and other access-related solutions for construction projects as well as industrial plant maintenance programs. The Segment operates from a network of branches throughout the world, including North America, Latin America, Europe, the Gulf Region of the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. The services include the provision of concrete shoring and forming systems; scaffolding for non-residential and infrastructure construction projects and industrial maintenance requirements, and a variety of other infrastructure services including project engineering and design, equipment erection and dismantling services, industrial insulation and painting services and equipment sales. During 2012, the Harsco Infrastructure Segment generated 31% of the Company�� total revenue.
Harsco Rail Segment
The Harsco Rail Segment is a global provider of equipment and services for the maintenance, repair and construction of railway track. The Segment's equipment and services support private and government-owned railroads and urban transit systems worldwide. The Segment's rail products are produced in three countries and products and services are provided worldwide. During 2012, the Harsco Rail Segment generated 11% of the Company�� total revenue.
Harsco Industrial Segment
Harsco Industrial Segment includes the Harsco Industrial IKG, Harsco Industrial Air-X-Changers and Harsco Industrial Patterson-Kelley businesses. Approximately 90% of this Segment's revenues originate in North America. Harsco Industrial IKG manufactures a line of industrial grating products at several plants in the United States and international plants located in Mexico and China. These products include a range of bar grating c! onfigurat! ions, which are used mainly in industrial flooring, as well as safety and security applications in the energy, paper, chemical, refining and processing industries.
Harsco Industrial Air-X-Changers is a supplier of custom-designed and manufactured air-cooled heat exchangers for the natural gas industry from plants in the United States and Australia. Harsco Industrial Air-X-Changers' heat exchangers are the primary apparatus used to condition natural gas during recovery, compression and transportation from underground reserves through the pipeline distribution channels. Harsco Industrial Patterson-Kelley is a manufacturer of heat transfer products, such as boilers and water heaters for commercial and institutional applications. During 2012, the Harsco Rail Segment generated 12% of the Company�� total revenue.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Ben Levisohn]
Shares of Harsco (HSC) have gained today after BB&T Capital Markets upgraded its shares to Buy from Hold.
Analysts Robert Norfleet III and Basil Jones III explain the decision to raise their rating:
�We believe that the strategic transformation of HSC’s portfolio, as evidenced by the recently announced sale of its Infrastructure segment, as well as additional best practices and productivity enhancements (LEAN, etc.) should result in improved financial metrics, valuation, and, ultimately, a less complex business structure. While our non-consensus call is not primarily based on an expedited improvement in financial performance, it is a reflection of our confidence in the new management team and its ability to deliver value to shareholders through asset repositioning, improved ROICs and free cash flow generation. HSC remains a “turnaround story,” but we believe the market is underestimating out-year earnings growth, which will be driven by the Brand Energy JV, lower corporate expenses, improved margins in Metals & Minerals and the likelihood of an accretive acquisition.
Shares of Harsco have gained 4.7% to $26.43 today at 1:16 p.m., outpacing other construction & engineering companies. Dycom (DY) has advanced 0.5% to $30, KBR Inc. (KBR) has ticked up 0.1% to $33.03, Worthington Industries�(WOR) has risen 2.8% to $38.85�and Tutor Perini (TPC) has rallied 3.6% to $22.46.
- [By Rich Smith]
Barry Malamud's long tour of duty as interim chief financial officer at Harsco (NYSE: HSC ) has come to an end.
On Monday, the Camp Hill, Pa.-based metals company announced that it is hiring F. Nicholas Grasberger as its new CFO, effective April 22. On that date, Malamud will resume his prior position as vice president and corporate controller for the company.
10 Best Stocks To Watch Right Now: Essar Energy Plc (ESSR)
Essar Energy plc is a holding company. The Company is an energy company with assets across the power and oil and gas industries. The Company operates in the areas petroleum refining and marketing, exploration and production and power transmission and generation. The Refining and Marketing business in India comprises of the Vadinar refinery located on the west coast of India and a retail franchise network of around 1,400 fuel stations across India and the Refining, and Marketing business in the United Kingdom comprises of the Stanlow refinery located near Liverpool, north west England and on the south bank of Manchester ship canal. The Company�� exploration and production segment includes a portfolio of 15 blocks and fields in the various stages of exploration and production of oil and gas in India, Indonesia, Nigeria and Vietnam. In Power segment, the Company operates coal fired, captive fuel and gas based power plants in India and Canada together with a number of mining assets. Advisors' Opinion:- [By Sarah Jones]
Essar Energy Plc (ESSR) climbed 2.5 percent to 122 pence after reporting that revenue rose 24 percent to $27.3 billion in the 12 months through March. The company cited higher margins and volumes at its Vadinar refinery in India and its Stanlow refinery in the U.K.
10 Best Stocks To Watch Right Now: New York Mortgage Trust Inc.(NYMT)
New York Mortgage Trust, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a real estate investment trust (REIT) in the United States. The company engages in acquiring, investing, financing, and managing mortgage-related assets. It primarily invests in agency residential adjustable-rate, hybrid adjustable-rate, and fixed-rate mortgage-backed securities (RMBS); non-Agency RMBS; prime adjustable-rate residential mortgage loans held in securitization trusts; commercial mortgage-backed securities; commercial mortgage loans; and other commercial real estate-related debt investments. The company has elected to be taxed as a REIT and will not be subject to federal income tax if it distributes at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its stockholders. New York Mortgage Trust, Inc. was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Susan J. Aluise]
LEN stock is only up about 3% in 2014, but it’s clearly a growth play. With a price-to-earnings-growth (PEG) ratio of just 0.6 and a forward P/E of a little more than�12, LEN stock looks undervalued now. LEN pays a nominal dividend with a 0.4% current yield, but the company knows its market and is positioning its new properties well, so LEN promises to be a solid buy-and-hold stock.
REIT:�New York Mortgage�(NYMT)There are two basic types of REITs –�those that hold real property and those that hold mortgages on property (mortgage or mREITs). Among mREITs, New York Mortgage�(NYMT)�is a so-called ��ybrid mREIT�� meaning that it holds a combination of federally guaranteed (agency) and non-agency debt, like commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS).
- [By Eric Volkman]
Investors are being rewarded for putting their trust in New York Mortgage Trust (NASDAQ: NYMT ) . The REIT has declared a common stock dividend for its current quarter of $0.27 per share, to be paid on July 25 to shareholders of record as of June 28. That amount matches each of the company's preceding four distributions, the most recent of which was doled out at the end of April. Before that, it paid $0.25 per share.
- [By Amanda Alix]
More mREITs stay the course, but two trim payouts
Despite suffering many tumbles and bruises, several mREITs have announced that their dividends will be unchanged from the previous quarter. Several did so last week, and yesterday saw Hatteras Financial (NYSE: HTS ) , an agency-only trust, keeping its own $0.70 per share�payout the same. Hybrid New York Mortgage Trust (NASDAQ: NYMT ) also kept its dividend stable, at $0.27 per share, in line with its four most recent distributions. - [By Lawrence Meyers]
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Preferred Stocks: New York Mortgage Trust (NYMT)Dividend Yield: 8.2%
New York Mortgage Trust (NYMT) is a mortgage real estate investment trust, or mREIT, that acquires, invests in, finances and manages mortgage related securities. These mREITs are very much tied to interest rates, so while rates are low, the stocks will do well. NYMT common stock, in fact, yields more than 14%. Yet that�� why I would choose the New York Mortgage Trust 7.75% Preferred Series B (NYMTP).
10 Best Stocks To Watch Right Now: Rvue Holdings Inc (RVUE)
rVue Holdings, Inc., incorporated on November 12, 2008, is an advertising technology company and operate rVue, a demand-side platform (DSP) for planning, buying and managing digital place-based networks and digital billboards and signage (DOOH) advertising. It provides media services, including an online, Internet based DSP that connects advertisers and/or advertising agencies with third party DOOH media or networks, that allows the advertiser to create a targeted advertising campaign and media plan, and negotiate that media plan simultaneously with all the third-party networks selected. The Company provides network services and receive fees under contract or on a monthly basis, from Accenture.
The Company's rVue DSP is accessible via the Internet. Through rVue, once an advertising campaign has been agreed to between the advertiser and the DOOH network owner, the DOOH networks receive the display advertising to be shown on their installed base of digital media displays. rVue allows programming and advertising to be customized for display in specific venues, at specific times, and for demographic targeting. It provides the tools for advertisers and advertising agencies to customize campaigns for details as specific as location, customer preference, product availability, current events and other needs. It provides Proof-of-Play analytics and the network statistics necessary to monitor advertising on the networks and assist in evaluating the performance or refinements required for an advertising campaign, in some cases real time. As of December 31, 2012, 182 networks, which consists approximately 770,000 screens and delivering over 250 million daily impressions representing 50 market areas accessible through rVue.
In connection with the Transaction, the Company acquired from Argo all of its assets related to the rVue business, which included all of the common stock of rVue, Inc. as well as software, contracts and technology. Such software and technology included the rVue DSP t! echnology and software as well as legacy rVue client and server software, which allows an end user to manage and operate a DOOH network. The client software is used to manage each screen or site and the server software is used to manage the client software. The Company�� services provide a digital advertising solution that streamlines the process of planning, buying and optimizing display advertising on DOOH display networks. rVue is designed to simplify the process of buying and selling digital display ads while connecting all the market players networks, advertisers, agencies, partners and developers from a unified platform to do business more efficiently and effectively.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By CRWE]
Today, RVUE remains (0.00%) +0.000 at $.14 thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 11:58AM EDT August 28, 2013).
rVue Holdings, Inc. previously reported its financial results for the quarter ended March, 31 2013.
Summary Results for First Quarter of 2013: Total revenue was $137.5K for the first fiscal quarter of 2013; up slightly from $131.5K the prior year.
Core Revenue: This is the focus of our business and source of future growth. Core revenue for the quarter ended March 31, 2013 was $79.3K up sharply (+63K) over Q1 2012 when it was $16.3K. Non-Core Revenue: For the quarters ended March 31, 2013 and 2012 were $58.2K and $115.2K, respectively. As stated earlier, the decline was due to the end of a management relationship with Auto Nation. This downward trend in non-core revenue is expected to continue through 2013 as we focus more resources on core business efforts. In addition, the Mattress Firm merged with Mattress Giant and we respectfully agreed not to renew for 2013. - [By CRWE]
Today, RVUE has shed (-0.25%)�0.000 at $.199 with�5,000 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 9:39AM EDT July 17, 2013), but don�� let this get you down.
rVue Holdings, Inc. previously reported its financial results for the full year ended December 31, 2012.
Summary Results for the Full Year of 2012: Total revenue was $602,363 for fiscal 2012; down slightly from $643,483 in the prior year. Core Fees: This is the focus of our business and source of future growth. Core revenue for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011 were, $197,444 and $203,276, respectively.
Non-Core Fees: For the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011 were $404,919 and $440,207, respectively. The decline was due to the end of a management relationship with Auto Nation. This trend will continue in 2013 as we focus more resources on core business efforts. In addition the Mattress Firm merged with Mattress Giant and we respectfully agree not to renew for 2013 (this represented approximately $230,000 in revenue).
10 Best Stocks To Watch Right Now: 1st NRG Corp (FNRC)
1st NRG Corp., incorporated on January 18, 1988, is an exploration and production company. The Company is engaged in the development of the Clabaugh Ranch Field, which is a project developing and producing coal bed methane reserves (CBM). This project includes a development of 6,025 gross acres in the Powder River Basin in northeast Wyoming. The Company is expanding its activities into unconventional shale through a participation agreement covering approximately 7,000 acres initially and subsequently acquired acreage covering an Area of Mutual Interest in South Eastern Ohio. Its production revenues are entirely from the natural gas produced at Clabaugh Ranch.
The targeted coal seams in the Powder River Basin are part of the Tongue River Member of the Fort Union formation and have been mapped as natural resource developments and exploration have occurred throughout the region. The Company has 42 drilled wells, which have encountered developed coal seams in the Werner, Upper and Lower Smith, Wyodak/Anderson Lower, Gates and Wall formations. In total the Company has identified 515 separate coals seams for development of which only 126 (42 wells X 3 seams) have been completed.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Peter Graham]
What�� the Catch With Quantum Energy Inc? According to various disclosures, transactions of $2k and $3.5k have or will occur to mention Quantum Energy in various investment newsletters. On Friday, Quantum Energy released the pricing of its recently announced $5,000,000 BDC funding to be arranged by Data Capital Corp (DCC) where the latter has agreed to assist the former in the formation of a Business Development Company (BDC) by forming Quantum Funding, Inc. as a BDC to raise an initial $5,000,000. Upon receipt of the funding, Quantum Funding, Inc. will then be acquired as a subsidiary by QEGY in a share exchange where the $5,000,000 subsidiary will be acquired for 10,000,000 shares of newly issued restricted common stock for a valuation of $0.50 cents per share. Otherwise and early in the month, Quantum Energy announced it was shifting its focus from the West Texas Barnett Shale fields to North Dakota with the opening of an office in Williston, North Dakota. However, a quick look on Google Finance (as there are no up to date financials on Yahoo! Finance) reveals Quantum Energy has no revenues; a net loss of $0.01M (most recent reported quarter), net income of $2.01M and a net loss of $0.02M for the past three fiscal quarters; and $0.01M in cash to cover $0.34M in current liabilities at the end of last August. Then again, the recent financing deal could get things moving for Quantum Energy next year.
1st NRG Corp (OTCMKTS: FNRC) Gives a Drilling and Production UpdateSmall cap 1st NRG Corp is an exploration and production company currently developing and producing coal bed methane reserves (CBM) in Wyoming. On Friday, 1st NRG Corp fell 25% to $0.0003 for a market cap of $5.02 million plus FNRC is down 97.1% since the start of the year and down 99.8% since July 2010 according to Google Finance.
10 Best Stocks To Watch Right Now: TRI Pointe Homes Inc (TPH)
Tri Pointe Homes, Inc., formerly TRI Pointe Homes, LLC, incorporated on August 5, 2010, is engaged in the design, construction and sale of single-family homes in planned communities in metropolitan areas located throughout Southern and Northern California. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company�� operations consist of 13 communities, eight of which are actively selling, containing 695 lots under various stages of development in Southern and Northern California. In June 2013, TRI Pointe Homes Inc announced that the acquisition of 202 lots in two California locations- Irvine (Orange County) and Vacaville (Solano County).
The Company�� business focused primarily on fee building projects in Southern California, in which it built, marketed and sold homes for independent third-party property owners, marketed under the TRI Pointe Homes brand name. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company has sold over 350 homes (including fee building projects).
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Travis Hoium]
What: Shares of TRI Pointe Homes (NYSE: TPH ) jumped as much as 15.7% today after announcing the acquisition of Weyerhaeuser's (NYSE: WY ) residential real estate unit.
- [By Paul Ausick]
Tri Pointe Homes Inc. (NYSE: TPH) has a market cap of $564.3 million and the stock is down about 5% over the past 12 months. Shares have traded in a 52-week range of $13.43 to $21.25 and closed Friday at $17.51. The consensus price target is $19.60, yielding an implied gain of 12%. Tri Pointe has beaten EPS estimates in each of the past four quarters, and the shares were trading nearly 2% higher early Monday morning. Tri Pointe is expected to post EPS of $0.25 on revenues of $100.04 million when it reports results in late March.
- [By James Fink]
One small-cap name in the housing sector is TRI Pointe Homes. That's a New York Stock Exchange stock, ticker symbol (TPH). It's controlled by Barry Sternlicht, who's a very wildly successful real estate entrepreneur.
10 Best Stocks To Watch Right Now: Statoil ASA (STO)
Statoil ASA (Statoil), incorporated on September 18, 1972, is an integrated energy company primarily engaged in oil and gas exploration and production activities. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had business operations in 41 countries and territories. Effective from January 1, 2011, the Company�� segments were Development and Production Norway; Development and Production International; Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy; Fuel & Retail, Other. As of 31 December 2011, the Company had proved reserves of 2,276 million barrels (mmbbl) and 3,150 billion cubic meters (bcm) (equivalent to 17,681 trillion cubic feet (tcf)) of natural gas, corresponding to aggregate proved reserves of 5,426 mmboe. In December 2011, the Company acquired Brigham Exploration Company. On April 14, 2011, Statoil's formation of a joint venture and sale of 40% of the Peregrino field off the coast of Brazil to the Sinochem Group was closed. With effect from January 2011, Statoil formed a joint venture with PTTEP of Thailand in its oil sands business and, as part of that transaction, sold PTTEP a 40% interest in the leases in Alberta, Canada. Statoil retains 60% ownership and operatorship of the oil sands project. In June 2012, the Company divested its 54% interest in Statoil Fuel & Retail ASA to Alimentation Couche-Tard.
Development and Production Norway
Development and Production Norway (DPN) consists of the Company�� field development and operational activities on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). Development and Production Norway is the operator of 44 developed fields on the NCS. Statoil's equity and entitlement production on the NCS was 1.316 mmboe per day in 2011, which was about 71% of Statoil's total production. Acting as operator, DPN is responsible for approximately 72% of all oil and gas production on the NCS. In 2011, its average daily production of oil and natural gas liquids (NGL) on the NCS was 693 mboe, while its average daily gas production on the NCS was 99.1 mmcm (3.5 b! illion cubic feet (bcf)). The Company has an ownership interests in exploration acreage throughout the licensed parts of the NCS, both within and outside its production areas. It participates in 227 licenses on the NCS and is the operator for 171 of them. As of 31 December 2011, Statoil had a total of 1,369 mmbbl of proved oil reserves and 444 bcm (15.7 tcf) of proved natural gas reserves on the NCS. Total entitlement liquids and gas production in 2011 amounted to 1,316 mmboe per day.
Statoil's NCS portfolio consists of licenses in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea. It has organized its production operations into four business clusters: Operations South, Operations North Sea West, Operations North Sea East and Operations North. The Operations South and Operations North Sea West and East clusters cover its licenses in the North Sea. Operations North covers the Company�� licenses in the Norwegian Sea and in the Barents Sea, while partner-operated fields cover the entire NCS and are included internally in the Operations South business cluster. During 2011, it two Statoil-operated oil discoveries: the Aldous discovery (PL265) in the North Sea and the Skrugard discovery (PL532) in the Barents Sea. The Aldous Major South discovery in PL265 on the Utsira Height in the Sleipner area is situated 140 kilometers west of Stavanger and 35 kilometers south of the Grane field. The Skrugard discovery is located about 250 kilometers off the coast from the Melkoya LNG plant in Hammerfest.
As of December 31, 2011, the Company�� fields under development included the Gudrun, Valemon, Visund South, Hyme, Stjerne, Vigdis North-East, Skuld, Vilje South, Skarv, and Marulk. In 2011, the Company�� total entitlement oil and NGL production in Norway was 252 mmbbl, and gas production was 36.2 bcm (1,287 bcf). The main producing fields in the Operations South area are Statfjord, Snorre, Tordis, Vigdis, Sleipner and partner-operated fields. Operations North Sea East is a gas area tha! t also co! ntains quantities of oil. The area includes the Troll, Fram, Vega, Oseberg and Tune fields. The Company�� producing fields in the Operations North area are Asgard, Mikkel, Yttergryta, Heidrun, Kristin, Tyrihans, Norne, Urd, Alve, Njord, Snohvit and Morvin.
Development and Production International
Development and Production International (DPI) is responsible for the development and production of oil and gas outside the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). In 2011, the segment was engaged in production in 12 countries: Canada, the United States, Brazil, Venezuela, Angola, Nigeria, Iran, Algeria, Libya, Azerbaijan, Russia and the United Kingdom. In 2011, DPI produced 28.9% of Statoil's total equity production of oil and gas. Statoil has exploration licenses in North America (Gulf of Mexico, Canada and Alaska), South America and sub-Saharan Africa (Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania), Middle East and North Africa (Libya and Iran) and Europe and Asia (the Faeroes, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Indonesia). The main sanctioned development projects in which DPI is involved are in the United States, Angola and Canada. The Brigham Exploration Company acquisition added production of approximately 21 mboe per day (as of December) to Statoil's production and gave access to 1,500 square kilometers (375,000 acres) in the Bakken and Three Forks formations in the Williston Basin.
The Company has exploration licenses in North America (Gulf of Mexico, Canada and Alaska), South America and sub-Saharan Africa (Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania), Middle East and North Africa (Libya and Iran), and Europe and Asia (the Faroes, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Indonesia). It completed 16 wells in 2011. Five were announced as discoveries: the Mukuvo and Lira discoveries in Angola, the Gavea and Peregrino South discovery in Brazil and the Logan discovery in Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Statoil acquired in! terests i! n six new licenses in Indonesia in 2011. Statoil has activities in the United States, with approximately 300 exploration leases in the GoM and 66 in Alaska. It is also an operator and partner in exploration licenses off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada. Statoil is operator and partner in exploration licenses off the coast of Newfoundland (11,138 square kilometers). It has exploration licenses in Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Venezuela, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania. The Company has licenses in Libya, Iran, Faroes, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Indonesia. In 2011, Statoil's petroleum production outside Norway amounted to an average of 334 mboe per day of entitlement production and 534 mboe per day of equity production.
The Company has activities in the United States Gulf of Mexico, the Appalachian region, south-west Texas, the Williston Basin, off the East Coast of Canada and in the oil sands of Alberta, Canada. It also has a representative office in Mexico City. Offshore, the Company has production interests in Hibernia and Terra Nova, and interests in two development projects. Its development and production activities in South America and sub-Saharan Africa comprise the Peregrino operatorship in Brazil, the Petrocedeno project in Venezuela, the Agbami offshore field in Nigeria and four Angolan offshore blocks. Statoil's development and production in the Middle East and North Africa in 2011, primarily encompassed Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Iran and Iraq. The Company�� Development and Production in Europe and Asia primarily comprises Azerbaijan, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland.
Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy
Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy (MPR) is responsible for the transportation, processing, manufacturing, marketing and trading of crude oil, natural gas, liquids and refined products, and for developing business opportunities in renewables. It runs two refineries, two gas processing plants, one methanol plant and three crude! oil term! inals. MPR is also responsible for marketing gas supplies originating from the Norwegian state's direct financial interest (SDFI). In total, it is responsible for marketing approximately 80% of all Norwegian gas exports. In 2011, Statoil sold 36.1 bcm (1.3 tcf) of natural gas from the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) on its own behalf, in addition to approximately 33.5 bcm (1.2 tcf) of NCS gas on behalf of the Norwegian state. Statoil's total European gas sales, including third-party gas, amounted to 79.8 bcm (2.9 tcf) in 2011, of which 39.5 bcm (1.4 tcf) was gas sold on behalf of the Norwegian state. The Natural Gas business cluster is responsible for Statoil's marketing and trading of natural gas worldwide, for power and emissions trading and for overall gas supply planning. In 2011, the Company sold 36.1 bcm (1.3 tcf) of natural gas from the NCS on its own behalf, in addition to approximately 33.5 bcm (1.2 tcf) of NCS gas on behalf of the Norwegian state. Statoil's total European gas sales, including third-party gas, amounted to 79.8 bcm (2.9 tcf) in 2011, of which 39.5 bcm (1.4 tcf) was gas sold on behalf of the Norwegian state. In addition, it sold 5.5 bcm (0.2 tcf) of gas originating from its international positions, mainly in Azerbaijan and the United States, of which 2.7 bcm (0.1 tcf) was entitlement gas. As technical service provider (TSP), Statoil is responsible for the operation, maintenance and further development of the Karsto gas processing plant on behalf of the operator Gassco.
Statoil is the seller of crude oil, operating from sales offices in Stavanger, Oslo, London, Singapore, Stamford and Calgary and selling and trading crude oil, condensate, NGL and refined products. Statoil holds the lease for the South Riding Point crude oil terminal in the Bahamas, which includes, oil storage as well as loading and unloading facilities. It also operates the Mongstad terminal and has shared ownership with Petoro. The Company is a majority owner (79%) and operator of the Mongstad ref! inery in ! Norway, which has a crude oil and condensate distillation capacity of 220,000 barrels per day. It is the sole owner and operator of the Kalundborg refinery in Denmark, which has a crude oil and condensate distillation capacity of 118,000 barrels per day. In addition, it has rights to 10% of production capacity at the Shell-operated refinery in Pernis in the Netherlands, which has a crude oil distillation capacity of 400,000 barrels per day. The Company�� methanol operations consist of an 81.7% interest in the gas-based methanol plant at Tjeldbergodden, Norway, which has a design capacity of 0.95 million tons per year. It also operates the Oseberg Transportation System (36.2% interest), including the Sture crude oil terminal.
Technology, Projects and Drilling
Technology, Projects and Drilling (TPD) is responsible, as a global service provider to Statoil, for delivering projects and wells and for providing support through global expertise, standards and procurement. TPD is also responsible developing and implementing new technological solutions. Statoil's research and development portfolio is organized in seven programs covering the upstream building blocks. The research and development organization operates and develops laboratories and test facilities and has an academia program that addresses cooperation with universities and research institutes.
Global Strategy and Business Development
Global Strategy and Business Development (GSB) was established in 2011, with its main office in London. GSB sets the direction for Statoil and identifies, develops and delivers opportunities for global growth.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Joshua Bondy]
Not all big oil firms are in Shell's position. Instead of charting relativity new waters,�Statoil (NYSE: STO ) �simply moves up the Norwegian Continental Shelf to develop its Arctic assets. One of its major strengths is that its majority shareholder is a national government that puts long-term interests in front of short term profiteering. Statoil also has acreage in some of the top U.S. shale plays. In Q1 2014 its equity production brought in 49.4 mboepd in the Bakken and 31 mboepd in the Eagle Ford.�
- [By Arjun Sreekumar]
Similarly, ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP ) recently said it is suspending plans to drill in Alaskan waters in 2014 because of regulatory, permitting, and other uncertainties, while Statoil (NYSE: STO ) announced last year that it will postpone drilling in the American Arctic until 2015. To be sure, these companies have good reasons to be hesitant in their Arctic ambitions.
- [By Sara Murphy]
HSBC recently conducted an analysis that looked at European oil majors' at-risk carbon reserves. The study found Norway's�Statoil (NYSE: STO ) �to be the worst affected, with approximately 17% of its market capitalization at risk. HSBC also calculated that 6% of�BP's� (NYSE: BP ) reserves are at risk, along with 5% of�Total's (NYSE: TOT ) and 2% of�Shell's� (NYSE: RDS-A ) .�
- [By Paul Ausick]
In similar fashion, Noble is going to concentrate its efforts on the high-margin deepwater drilling business and leave the shallow-water business. Last May, Noble won a contract with Statoil ASA (NYSE: STO) for a North Sea project in deep water and a harsh environment that Noble hopes will lead to strategic relationship with Statoil in the coming developments in the Arctic.
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