When the fall in oil prices first took hold in late 2014, Moody's Investors Service focused its attention predominantly on the credit ratings of smaller and lower-rated exploration and production (E&P), oilfield services (OFS) and drilling companies. This article discusses the rationale for the current commodity price estimates, summarizes the rating actions taken so far in 2016 and recalibrates credit ratings to reflect this challenging industry environment.

Oil Price Crash Has Done Lasting Damage to Energy Company Credit Profiles Resulting in Widespread Rating Downgrades. Speer, Pete, Spring 2016, pp. 1‑13.

Increasingly, cyber criminals are targeting oil and gas companies to lift intellectual property (IP), sabotage websites, harm reputation, and disrupt production. This article discusses the cybersecurity risk, related changes in the oil and gas industry and how organizations can minimize the consequences should such risk materialize.

Turnaround and Transformation of Cyber Security within the Oil and Gas Industry. Hansen, Erik and Mahmood, Sumair, Spring 2016, pp. 14‑18.

Over the last 18 months, oil prices have declined more than 70 percent, the biggest drop the country has seen in more than a decade. This article discusses three types of tax planning opportunities in this unique and dynamic economic environment which may help companies reduce tax liabilities or increase refunds of taxes due to net operating loss carry backs.

Federal Tax Planning in a Low Commodity Price Environment. Scott, David H. and Chen, Tong, Spring 2016, pp. 19‑53.

In this article, which can be thought of as a primer for non-IT staff, five software trends and strategies that can help upstream companies operate more efficiently are presented. Five customer success stories are also featured to show how E&P firms are benefiting from these strategies today and helping change the status quo for tomorrow.

The Upstream Oil & Gas Software Evolution: Five Software Trends That Cannot Be Ignored. Schultz, Alex and Wadle, Timothy, Spring 2016, pp. 54‑65.

On December 20, 2013, Mexican president, Enrique Peña Nieto, signed into law various constitutional reforms related to Mexico's energy sector. The article provides background and summary of Mexico's Energy Reform, discusses the opportunities for foreign investors in Mexico's energy sector, outlines the major challenges for foreign investors considering investing in Mexico's energy sector, and provides a summary and conclusion.

Mexico's Energy Reform: Opportunities and Challenges for Foreign Investors. Guragai, Binod, Spring 2016, pp. 66‑80.

This study adds insight into the impact of derivative reporting rules on the informativeness of disclosure requirements, decisions regarding the intent of derivative use, and contributes to the literature on hedging effectiveness.

The Informativeness of Disclosure Requirements under SFAS 133: The Petroleum Industry. Beneda, Nancy, Spring 2016, pp. 81‑119.