What the Trillion-Dollar Oil and Gas Budget Means for You

Total global oil and gas capital expenditures will increase 13.5%, surpassing the $1 trillion mark for the first time ever. This extraordinarily high number can be attributed to a number of factors; for example, more oil and gas finds (242 last year) or soaring operating costs, signifying $100-per-barrel crude prices are here to stay. Check out the video below for more analysis on who is spending more and what an increased marginal cost per barrel of oil means for investors and consumers alike.

As drilling costs rise and crude oil prices keep increasing, savvy investors will need to find investments that are set to soar as oil prices move higher. If you're on the lookout for some of these intriguing energy plays, check out The Motley Fool's 3 Stocks for $100 Oil. You can get free access to this special report by clicking here.

The article What the Trillion-Dollar Oil and Gas Budget Means for You originally appeared on Fool.com.

Joel South has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. The Motley Fool owns shares of Ultra Petroleum and ExxonMobil and has the following options: long JAN 2013 $16.00 calls on Chesapeake Energy, long JAN 2013 $25.00 calls on Chesapeake Energy, long JAN 2014 $20.00 calls on Chesapeake Energy, long JAN 2014 $30.00 calls on Chesapeake Energy, long JAN 2014 $30.00 calls on Ultra Petroleum, long JAN 2014 $40.00 calls on Ultra Petroleum, and long JAN 2014 $50.00 calls on Ultra Petroleum. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend Chevron and Ultra Petroleum. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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