Full-year 2015 earnings were a net loss of $4.4 billion, or ($3.58) per share, compared with full-year 2014 earnings of $6.9 billion, or $5.51 per share. Excluding special items, full-year 2015 adjusted earnings were a net loss of $1.7 billion, or ($1.40) per share, compared with full-year 2014 adjusted earnings of $6.6 billion, or $5.30 per share.

The number of people employed in oil and gas extraction and support activities across the United States has fallen by around 100,000 since October 2014.

The global oil market will rebalance later this year, paving the way for a recovery in crude prices from their lowest level in more than a decade, according to Royal Dutch Shell’s chief executive.

Such a strategy may be economically rational for Gazprom: already-low prices in the European gas market mean it could relatively easily push prices to a level at which it would be unprofitable to ship LNG from the US — and in doing so defend its market share in a region which accounts for the bulk of its profits.

Oil companies are cutting investment, slashing jobs and selling off pipelines and other assets as crude prices plunge. “It’s going to be a very turbulent year for our industry,” says BP CEO Bob Dudley.

The impact of sharply lower oil prices is being felt around the globe. Oil-dependent countries are trying to mend busted budgets. Oil companies are cutting production and workers. While consumers in some countries enjoy lower gas prices, elsewhere consumers are paying higher food prices due to declines in the local currency.

Full Year 2015 Highlights: • Earnings of $16.2 billion decreased 50 percent from $32.5 billion in 2014. • Earnings per share, assuming dilution, decreased 49 percent to $3.85. • Capital and exploration expenditures were $31.1 billion, down 19 percent from 2014. The company anticipates further reductions in 2016, with capital and exploration expenditures of $23.2 billion, a decrease of 25 percent from 2015. • Oil-equivalent production increased 3.2 percent from 2014, with liquids up 11 percent and natural gas down 5.7 percent. • Cash flow from operations and asset sales was $32.7 billion, including proceeds associated with asset sales of $2.4 billion. • The corporation distributed $15.1 billion to shareholders in 2015 through dividends and share purchases to reduce shares outstanding.

Feb. 3, 2016-- National Oilwell Varco, Inc. (NYSE:NOV) today reported fourth quarter 2015 net income of $85 million, or $0.23 per fully diluted share, excluding other items, down from $0.61 in the third quarter of 2015 on a comparable basis. Other items included pre-tax charges of $1,634 million for goodwill and other intangible asset write-downs, $139 million for restructuring and other charges (which included inventory write-downs, severance and facility closure costs, and other costs), and $7 million in FX losses due to a currency devaluation in Argentina. GAAP net loss for the quarter was $1,523 million, or $4.06 per fully diluted share.

Weatherford International plc (NYSE: WFT) reported a net loss before charges of $102 million ($0.13 net loss per share before charges) on revenues of $2.01 billion for the fourth quarter of 2015. GAAP net loss for the fourth quarter of 2015 was $1.21 billion, or a net loss of $1.54 per share. Full year revenue was down $5.5 billion and operating income declined $1.5 billion primarily due to lower activity, pricing weakness and customer budget reductions in oil and gas markets across the world.

The oil and gas shock has been big enough to affect negatively the performance of the whole economy in the short run, even if it promises to have a positive impact in the long term.