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Occur again and again, to meet global demand for oil as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IEA) has revised upwards, to the tune of 89.3 million barrels per day (bpd) for 2011. To cope, the majors are concentrating their efforts on exploration and production, which represents on average 70% of their investments. "This is an area ultracapitalistique, which also means taking risks," said Pierre Terzian, editor of the weekly special Pétrostratégies. Some new sources turn out to be less promising than expected.

In 2010, capital expenditure of ExxonMobil, the world leader in the industry (with annual revenues exceeding $ 105 billion), reached a record $ 32.2 billion."As resources are increasingly difficult to access, large companies have limited resources to become leaders in other segments energy," insists a study by consulting firm Strategy Sia Council. The particular demands of offshore exploration technologies increasingly sophisticated. As for heavy oils, in areas often extreme climate, their production is profitable from $ 90 a barrel.

They limit spending on alternative energy

In the early 2000s, the giants of black gold loudly asserted their determination to focus on alternative energy. A few years later, this policy sketched above dashed. Sia Council recalls in particular that in 2009, Shell decided to freeze its investments in wind, solar and hydrogen.Its new priority, biofuels, is actually quite close with his heart craft. Ditto for ExxonMobil, which has pledged up to $ 600 million along with Synthetic Genomics to develop a new generation of biofuels from algae low rates payday advance. In general, large companies invest only timidly in green industries: a few hundred million dollars, compared with several billion in profits."Today, they rely on partnerships to actively monitor the various alternative technologies while limiting investment amounts and risk," says Sia Council.

For Pierre Terzian, even if the majors are still facing the post-oil era, we must go beyond these minimal efforts made to promote renewable energies, "Tankers are on the lookout for a jump technology that will allow for example for solar to become competitive.Now the search is not always greedy investment: it took less than 100 million dollars to develop this energy revolution that is the production of shale gas. "

They remain wary of big acquisitions

According to most experts, the time of mega-mergers, with operations whose ticket is trading at very high levels, is over.

The faults of BP in terms of security would be due to growing much too fast. "Before the race for size, the majors are asking the question of the effectiveness of integration, even if the example of ExxonMobil, three times larger than Total, is compelling," said Pierre Terzian.

They serve shareholders still hungry

The company repeated it in chorus when the benefits are significant, it is natural that their shareholders benefit greatly.In 2009, for example, ExxonMobil has distributed some $ 26 billion. And the annual loss endured by BP in 2010 because of the oil spill did not stop to announce a dividend.

Objective: to distance vis-à-vis the City. While the controversy bounces across the Channel on lavish bonuses bankers, the government of David Cameron has chosen to burden of 800 million pounds (942 million) the new tax basis on the balance sheets of banks. London is well draw now £ 2.5 billion, when its previous estimates had forecast 1.7 billion. The levy, which applies to UK banks and UK subsidiaries of foreign firms, will bring another 2.5 billion in 2012 and 2.6 billion thereafter.

At first, George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, had planned a gradual rise of the levy, the successor to the windfall tax on the bonuses that had generated 3.5 billion pounds of revenue in 2010.The idea was to allow banks to replenish their equity perspective of European regulations Basel 3. But the good results of HSBC and Barclays more – 24 billion pounds expected by UK credit institutions – have changed the situation. This tax is "a fair contribution to reducing the budget deficit," said George Osborne.

Waiting for the Merlin Project

Downing Street hardens tone vis-à-vis banks just before the season officially starts do bonuses. Some see a sign that the government has little hope of obtaining commitments of moderation in this respect, as he hoped.Already, information published in newspapers across the Channel on the 9 million pound bonus Advance Bob Diamond, Barclays' chief executive, and Stuart Gulliver, head of HSBC, revived the controversy on recurrent variable remuneration.

To reconcile the financial sector in general with the public, banks and government have been trying for weeks to complete an ambitious, dubbed Project Merlin. Among its requirements, Downing Street wanted the large banking institutions limit bonuses. With an expected budget of 6 billion pounds of variable remuneration provided, the City does not seem to have listened to the dictates of moderation."It would have been better, when we save the banks, to secure something in return," coward George Osborne: "Unfortunately, I was not the chancellor at that time" …

Westminster also asked HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds and RBS in banking to provide SMEs about 190 billion pounds of loans, just like what the Elysee had negotiated with the French banks to finance the economy. In addition, the British bankers are asked to develop a £ 1 billion fund to build capital for small businesses.

"The discussions are not completed," admits George Osborne, who hopes to increase "substantial and significant" loans to businesses.And say: "I am always confident about the fact that we can reach an agreement with banks expected to increase loans to small businesses and lower bonuses."

The year 2010 ended again on a considerable trade deficit. At 51 billion (with exports up 13.5% and imports by 14%), it does not, however, the 2008 record of 56 billion euros. For nearly ten years, each new minister of foreign trade happens at Bercy can only see the damage, which leads quickly to develop new solutions to restore our trade balance. By "thinning the chain of export," Pierre Lellouche, who arrived in November in that department, wants to turn a reverse trend: the decline of French exporters and declining market shares of the Hexagon in world trade.

The year 2009 has been a brief pause in the continual erosion of foreign trade low fee payday advance.In the context of crisis and slowing global trade, France had succeeded in arresting the deteriorating trade balance. But now that the recovery is here and that each country has found an economic activity sufficient to fight in the global competition, the Hexagon is once again behind.

For fifteen years, during which France has seen the number of exporting firms rise from 100,000 to just over 90,000 – all the explanations and justifications have been given to the poor French performance, the inadequacy of the specific sectoral global demand, positioned in line shifted, through a bad price competitiveness of SMEs and too small.

Angela Merkel changes course. Reluctant for months about the idea of "muscle" financial rescue fund for the euro, it is now endorsed. But it sets the conditions by imposing Germany as a model for future European discipline and embracing the method – dear to Nicolas Sarkozy – an "economic government" to own the euro area.

The price of rallying German competitiveness is a pact designed and detailed in Berlin on behalf of European integration. It grows stronger and far beyond the code of conduct economic, fiscal and social Europeans update every bout of weakness of the euro.Implicitly, the Chancellor and his finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, stressed what passes for evidence in Germany: if Germany pays for others, it is entitled to set the rules of the game

Wages, pensions, deficits

The new pact, finalized Wednesday by the German coalition government, promises to be the decisive contribution to political debate, far more technical, the strengthening of the European financial stability. To counter the next market turbulence, Berlin agreed to increase the capacity for effective intervention to 440 billion euros, against 250 billion today. But it would be at the cost of a course of orthodoxy Pan: indexation of wages, raising the retirement age, leveling of taxation and the establishment of constitutional limits on deficits of the German model.The whole may be accompanied by penalties.

Berlin can claim to have weathered the crisis better than others payday lenders. She also cleaning the support of Paris for the first time Angela Merkel gives up his plan to enroll within the EU to twenty-seven. Left to cringe at Brussels, Germany opted for the euro area, even the few major countries that are prepared to follow. This is precisely the approach that the French president had in mind when it launched in 2009, the idea of an "economic government" of the euro, considered more effective than injunctions Brussels.

Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy will defend the new assembly line Friday at an EU summit in Brussels. The German pact is subject to ongoing discussions, confirm what we in Paris. It will be discussed between Angela Merkel and Jose Luis Zapatero on Thursday in Madrid.The long awaited return of "directorate" Franco-German, could be expanded to other large euro as Spain or Italy, cast already concern in the ranks. Belgium, champion of the indexation of wages, fear of having to waive such as Luxembourg, Portugal and Malta. Ireland and Slovakia are concerned about having to raise taxes on corporations, their weapon of seduction in the eyes of multinationals.

The puzzlement is especially palpable in the Barroso team, always convinced that it must prevail in the recovery of the EU and the euro in the period. "Wanting to act outside of established European institutions is clearly a step backwards," said a senior Commission official.

On the occasion of its big annual event, the Ufip, the French Union of Petroleum Industries on Friday announced the impact of strikes Fall 2010 on the oil industry alone: 230 million euros.

A figure that could grow. For the fourth straight weekend, the activity of French ports will be affected by social movements, the CGT still requiring validation of an agreement on the drudgery.

Besides this "handicap" represented by the unreliability of the port of Marseilles, and denounced by Jean-Louis Schilansky Ufip Chairman of the rising discontent especially from the bosses of companies weakened by the downturn port. Under the patronage of the Phoenician city, the losses at the end of November last, relating to strikes, would amount to 800 million euros.In the medium term, the continued movement threatens 41,000 jobs directly and indirectly specifies the organization, who attended Thursday at a meeting of major economic players in Marseille.

Now "A container for two to France through foreign ports," a late Jean-Luc Chauvin, president of the PSU 13, the Union for companies in the Bouches du Rhone. Companies are dying to Marseille where we are in a state of permanent strike. "

Threat to long-term activity Ports

"Companies are tired, we are undermining the economic fabric," adds the CEO of the Port of Marseille, Jean-Claude Terrier. Especially if short-term impact of strikes on the job can be cushioned by partial unemployment, it is not the same in the long term.

Plagued by recurring blockages, the poor image of the port of Marseilles is widening no teletrack payday loan. What is not without consequences for the activity: traffic from all terminals of the Grand Port Maritime de Marseille (GPMM) grew twice as fast in 2009 as the Mediterranean ports, and three times less than those Northern Europe.

And the fall in traffic could continue. On the site of Fos sur Mer, terminals and cargo containers are still totally blocked this weekend. A new arrest brings to 29 the number of calls to cancel since the beginning of the month. Between 1980 and 2010, the port of Marseille has lost 12% market share, reaching 16% last year. He has yet to lose a place among the European countries (5th in 2010).

However, difficult before any return to normalcy, to quantify exactly how many jobs really threatened.Meanwhile, a cell of the Prefecture of the Bouches du Rhone will be created to select the companies affected by social movements, and conduct an evaluation in terms of jobs. About 2,500 companies will receive bank facilities, said the Prefect Hughes Parant.

Side Le Havre, or movement is also closely watched, the loss of port activity related to strikes brought to 40% in Les Echos said the president of the Maritime Union and port of Le Havre. About 80% of the 16,000 jobs that include the organization today are indirectly affected, "he said. In January more than 50 calls were canceled out of 170 were provided, again in favor of other ports, Belgian and Dutch.

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The Daily finally arrives. Feared by some and eagerly anticipated by others, the newspaper for exclusive iPad Rupert Murdoch was launched Wednesday with fanfare at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. The event was originally scheduled at the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco on January 19 last, but technical problems with the platform distribution would upset these plans. The announcement in the meantime the sudden departure on sick leave from Apple CEO Steve Jobs did not help matters. It is the vice president of Internet services from Apple, Eddy Cue, who replaced him. Apple has introduced a service that allows readers to subscribe to a publication directly from iTunes and see the newspaper delivered automatically on the iPad.

The Daily is the second newspaper designed exclusively for the Apple tablet.The Virgin boss Richard Branson, The Project was launched last November, a $ 2.99 monthly chic ranked eleventh in today's list of most popular publications of the tablet. The Daily him, is priced at $ 0.99 per week, initially in the U.S., or $ 40 per year. His first "A" shows a photograph taken in Egypt under the title "The Fall of a Pharaoh." Inside are 100 pages of articles, photos, videos and commercials, as well as weather, games and a section devoted to sports.

11% of revenues from the press

The News Corp credit reports free.. has so far spent $ 30 million to finance the launch. The operating cost will be $ 500,000 per week. The goal is to sell "millions of applications," said Rupert Murdoch.Eventually, declinations will be offered on other tablets, particularly those operating with the operating system Android, from Google.

The success or otherwise of the new daily fee on the iPad, which has no fewer than 60,000 applications, followed closely by the world press. The News Corp.., Owner of the British tabloid News of the World and the U.S. daily The Wall Street Journal, hopes that the digital tablets like Apple will revive an industry in crisis, ignored by readers and advertisers.

Number of daily, weekly and monthly paid versions have launched online with more or less success in recent months. United States, online advertising now accounts for only 11% of total advertising revenue of the press, according to the American Association of Newspapers.Advantageous compared with a price, The Daily could overshadow Ongo, the new kiosk line funded by the New York Times, Washington Post and Gannett, are the analysts. For $ 7 per month, Ongo offers a selection of the most popular items of the three newspapers and the AP and the Financial Times.

Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize in Economics 2008, boasted over the weekend in its notebook line "difference" of France in terms of economic and social choices. D es choice of technology and productivity, but also "retirement and leisure." If the American leases a different model from the United States, he fails to mention that this model does not allow the Hexagon to achieve growth levels comparable to those seen overseas. Last Friday, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that 2010 had resulted in an increase in GDP of 2.9%. France, it should hardly exceed 1.5%. The recession is still beautiful is well behind us.

For this year – as well as the following – that the debate is more open.The government target of 2% growth in 2011 is it achievable? It is certainly a little higher than forecasts of international institutions in France. "It will be difficult but not impossible," says Marc Touati, economist at financial Assya Company.

"A small but growing stronger '

For one side, the business climate in industry has greatly improved earlier this year, which may suggest a revival of production and investment by businesses. On the other, consumer confidence has deteriorated.What makes it even more uncertain the resilience of consumer spending – which was strongly supported by the scrapping late 2010 and could now face the consequences quick cash.

Economists from Credit Agricole, they suggest that little by little, the features of the stimulus plan "that allowed the French economy out of recession weaken and give way to a lower growth certainly, but also stronger."The Economy Minister, Christine Lagarde, she did not budge, which again, Friday in Davos, reiterated that growth would reach 2% this year though.

As for the idea of having to lower the forecast of 2.5% for 2012 – a hypothesis for the month of April, after the regional, by anonymous sources quoted in Le Monde Bercy – it is scanned with a hand side of the circle by Christine Lagarde, who considers "stupid" to mention now a revision of growth for next year. "It's much too early!"

"Some have an interest in running this kind of rumor," an irritated laying of the Ministry of Economy, which points its neighbors in the Budget Ministry.The latter would prepare the minds: a lower growth than expected, additional savings would be expected to keep the deficit target – it should rise from 6% of GDP at end 2011 to 4.6% in late 2012.

The minister himself, Baroin, does not a mystery: he warned earlier this year that it might be necessary to go "beyond the 3 billion reduction in tax loopholes" contained for the time next year.