????上周，國際能源署（International Energy Agency）的最新報告宣稱，全球能源格局將大變臉，到2020年美國或成全球最大的產油國。

????就在這一預言發布的同時，美國國內關于利用本土可靠能源資源的討論正在如火如荼地進行，這一行業吸引的資本也接連創造新高。巴拉克·奧巴馬贏得連任競選后還不到一周，包括能源計劃在內的英國秋季預算報告（Autumn Statement）也將在一周后出爐。如果國際能源署的預測成真，它將帶來長遠的影響。

????美國國內能源供應增長的影響早已在美國國內政策、地緣政治、企業資源和配置等方面有所體現。今年以來，美國原油進口量下降了11%，而國內石油產量預計將創下1991年以來的新高。而且，美國過去一度被認為需要不斷增加天然氣進口，但它如今已經有望成為液化天然氣（LNG）的出口大國。Cheniere等公司正在紛紛申請建設LNG出口接收站。

????把握這一增長趨勢，從中獲利的方式有很多。這個趨勢將對能源投資領域產生相應影響，特別是圍繞以下主題：

科技進步越來越廣泛

????對于一個通常被視為保守和謹慎的行業，當前美國國內油氣產量的增長堪稱迅猛。很多因素共同推動了這一現象，但顯然，科技進步的影響力位居前列。開采技術的大幅進步能讓我們更經濟地從油田中獲取頁巖氣、頁巖油和重油，提煉技術的發展幫助解決了加工這些非傳統資源帶來的挑戰。

????尤其是水力壓裂技術和水平鉆探技術的推廣，使得這些非傳統的油氣儲備能得以利用，將美國從石油和天然氣供應不足變成了供應富余。但科技的發展并不僅限于此——比如，重油油田和鉆探深度越來越深的海上鉆探。每天，科技都在眾多領域創造形形色色的機會，以有競爭力的成本將這類資源變得可用。軟件也非常重要，它們增強了我們對地震探測和其他大量油田數據的分析能力，同時還幫助開采公司更好地發現、跟蹤和管理油氣資產。

????Last week, the International Energy Agency (IEA) projected a radical shift in the global energy balance of power when it announced that the U.S. is poised to become the?world's largest oil producer?by 2020.

????This comes at a time when unlocking reliable sources of domestic energy is at the forefront of conversation in this country and investors continue to deploy record amounts of capital into the sector. Less than a week after the reelection of President Barack Obama and only one week before the U.K.'s Autumn Statement, which is expected to contain a proposed energy plan, the IEA's prediction – if realized – will have long-term, far-reaching implications.

????The effects of this supply growth are already being experienced in domestic policy, geopolitics, corporate resources and allocation, and more. Crude imports have fallen 11% this year, and the U.S. is expected to produce the most oil since 1991. Moreover, whereas the U.S. was once expected to become a growing importer of natural gas, it is now forecast to become a large supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG), with companies like Cheniere racing to permit and construct LNG export terminals.

????There are a number of ways to capitalize on this growth. It will have a corresponding impact on the energy investment landscape, particularly around the following themes:

Broad advancements in technology

????For an industry generally regarded as conservative and cautious, the current rise in domestic oil and gas production has been remarkably rapid. A number of forces have driven this phenomenon, but clearly technology developments have been among the most impactful. Significant advances in extraction technology have allowed us to remove shale gas, shale oil and heavier grades of crude out of the field more cost effectively and advances in refining technology have helped deal with the challenges associated with processing these unconventional resources.

????In particular, the sweeping rollout of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling to unlock reserves of these unconventional hydrocarbon plays is turning a gas and oil deficit in the U.S. into a surplus. Yet the technological boom is broader -- focusing, for instance, on heavy oil fields, and offshore regions where drilling is challenged to go deeper and deeper. In many areas, opportunities are created everyday by technologies that can make such resources available at a competitive price. Furthermore, software has played an important role as well by increasing our ability to analyze seismic and other intensive amounts of oil field data to help producers better find, track and manage more cost effectively oil and gas assets in the field.