Oil, Gas & Energy

The oil, gas & energy industry is a massive portion of the world’s economy, dealing mainly in petroleum – including upstream (exploration, development, and production of crude oil or natural gas) and downstream (oil tankers, refiners, retailers, and consumers) pipeline. As a raw material, petroleum is used for a number of chemical products, including pharmaceuticals, fertilisers, pesticides, solvents, and plastics.

However declining demand, investor pressure, excess supply, and competition from renewable energy will put intense financial pressure on executives to prove that the industry is still viable as an investment. While the industry has promoted a narrative of plastic demand growth and carbon capture innovation to justify the industry’s expansion, these narratives have set expectations that appear increasingly unrealistic and misleading. 

With so much at stake in terms of money and resources, it should be no surprise that the oil and gas industry is rife with fraud risks. Much of this criminal activity concerns investment scams. Whether limited partnerships, complex lease agreements, and general partnerships, fraudsters will seek to find vulnerable targets. Oil and gas investment schemes often use telemarketing boiler rooms and email promotions to find investors to dupe. They are con artists who use high-pressure sales techniques to squeeze hard-earned dollars from unwary investors. If companies do not prepare quickly, executives will increasingly face pressure to cover for struggling performance or risky choices, creating conditions ripe for financial fraud.

CRI Group’s commercial investigation agents know the red flags of oil, gas & energy industry fraud schemes. Our team will conduct thorough due diligence for every investment opportunity so that investors will understand the true nature of the investment and go into a transaction with a full set of facts. Large, reputational oil and gas organisations are also at risk – from contractors, prospectors, and any fraudster looking to take advantage of vulnerabilities.

Let our team of Certified Fraud Examiners (CFEs) conduct a full fraud risk assessment and implement necessary safeguards to help prevent fraud. Learn more about our solutions for your business.

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