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According to Sinochem New Network, recently Jeff Miller, CEO of Halliburton, said that once approved by the U.S. government and with the necessary payment safeguards in place, the company is ready to resume its operations in Venezuela promptly. Miller said he is excited about the huge market opportunities for Halliburton in Venezuela, and the company can complete its deployment within weeks. Affected by this news, Halliburton’s shares on the New York stock market rose by 5.4% at one point, reaching a new high in 17 months. Miller said that as a global leader in oil and gas services, Halliburton’s North American operations were previously significantly affected by the slowdown in growth of the U.S. shale industry. Venezuela, on the other hand, has oil and gas fields with high production rates; restarting operations there could help offset the weakness in domestic market demand and provide new sources of growth for the company. Miller also noted that Latin America will be the main driver of international growth in the oil and gas services sector this year, with countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, and Guyana offering significant opportunities. Financial figures show that Halliburton’s adjusted earnings per share for the fourth quarter was 69 cents, 15 cents higher than what analysts had predicted; the strong performance of its international operations helped to offset the slowdown in the North American market.