July 16, 2010 09:08 ET

Updated Research on Marathon Oil -- Oil Refineries in Troubled Waters

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA--(Marketwire - July 16, 2010) - www.wallstreetequityresearch.com helps investors to assess the oil and gas industry's fundamentals and study the key changes affecting companies like Marathon Oil Corp. and Valero Energy Corp. Register now at www.wallstreetequityresearch.com to receive complimentary research on these Oil Refiners.

The feeble U.S. economic recovery is impacting oil refineries in the U.S. even if a number of oil refiners this quarter are expecting to deliver positive earnings after a string of quarterly losses for almost a year. Fuel prices have surprisingly been on a declining trend this summer bruised by puny demand which seems to be a direct indication that the unemployment rate in the U.S. continues to weigh on the economy. The Energy Information Administration announced recently that the U.S. oil refining was on a freefall for the first time since 2003. This drop in capacity could mainly be attributed to the closure of two refineries located in New Jersey and Delaware which were operated by Sunoco and Valero Energy respectively. The shutdown of these two refineries resulted in a combined capacity decline amounting to a total 327,000 bpd which was, however, partly offset by the expansion of Marathon oil Corp. (NYSE: MRO) refinery in Louisiana. Access free research on Marathon Oil Corporation now by signing up at http://wallstreetequityresearch.com/July162010MarathonOilCorporation(MRO)160710.php

www.wallstreetequityresearch.com is a specialized website where investors can have clear-cut access to complimentary reports on oil & gas stocks; traders looking for analysis on Marathon Oil Corporation, Valero Energy Corp. and ConocoPhillips are welcomed to sign up for free at http://www.wallstreetequityresearch.com/ 

The closure of the Valero refinery in Delaware caused a reshuffle in the chain of command within the industry with Exxon Mobil claiming the first place from Valero. ConocoPhillips and BP continue to occupy the third and fourth place followed by Marathon Oil Corp. However, BP is still on the fence regarding the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The company is currently awaiting congressional committee decisions that could see its position in the U.S. crippled as it could face a seven-year drilling ban. Whilst this does not directly impact the company's refinery segment, it does put the company's future in perspective within the U.S. Register today at http://www.wallstreetequityresearch.com/ to download the full report on companies making the headlines in the Oil & Gas Refining & Marketing industry.

Furthermore, with macroeconomic conditions promising to create a coarse market environment, players in this space have been put on the spot to demonstrate the effectiveness of their recent cost-cutting measures. 

Visit us at http://www.wallstreetequityresearch.com/  to understand the catalysts and forces driving or affecting these companies as the global economy continues to bring more challenges.

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