Special report | The molecular turn

Can Big Oil run in reverse?

Some of the industry sees putting carbon dioxide back in the ground as key to its future

The Pioneer oil refinery IN El Dorado, Kansas, USA
After sunsetPhotograph: AP

Wael Sawan, the boss of Shell, is not planning to cede the world of oil production to the advantaged countries of the Gulf in the immediate future. He says the company hopes to compete with the Gulf “to the point of discomfort”. But he also acknowledges that “there is no chance for any of the investor-owned companies to be the last man standing.”

This article appeared in the Special report section of the print edition under the headline “The fork”

From the March 16th 2024 edition

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