“Lower for longer is the new normal”
Baker Hughes, a GE Company head Lorenzo Simonelli says newly merged firm is already adapting to the industry’s leaner environment
Expect to see more consolidation between oil and gas companies offering services at different stages of the process, says Lorenzo Simonelli. He now presides over the merged Baker Hughes, a GE Company—or BHGE, as it is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. At a meeting on the sidelines of the World Petroleum Congress on 10 July, he pointed to the underlying logic of the merger. BHGE is now the world's largest manufacturer of oilfield equipment with its second-biggest oilfield-services provider. At a time when efficiency and cutting cost are paramount, it's the kind of scale he thinks will yield growth. "We are starting to see some consolidation in drilling, and with the big players in Norway
Also in this section
10 March 2026
From Venezuela to Hormuz, the US—backed by the most powerful military force ever assembled—is redrawing not only oil and gas flows but also the global balance of energy power
10 March 2026
By shutting the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has cut exports of distillate-rich Middle Eastern crude, jet fuel and diesel, and is holding the energy market hostage
10 March 2026
Eni’s director for global gas and LNG portfolio, Cristian Signoretto, discusses how demand will respond to rising LNG supply, and how the company is expanding its own gas and LNG operations through disciplined, capital-efficient investments
9 March 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis sees increases in output from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Kazakhstan among others before region’s murky descent






