We’re in the business of creating legacy assets — those that generate a ton of value over their lifetime and usually more than we projected at the start. How’s that possible? Over time, we grow our knowledge, fine tune our expertise and incorporate new technologies to improve efficiencies and recoveries.

Nothing tells this story better than Yemen. Originally pegged at 300 million barrels, this asset produced its one billionth barrel in 2008 after a decade of safe operations. We’ve become experts at everything from training a local workforce to building multi-billion dollar facilities — expertise that’s transferable around our world.

Buzzard has also become a legacy. It was the single largest contributor to our record cash flow in 2008. And the asset is still growing. Since the acquisition in 2004, we have increased our reserves by almost 50% and extended the production plateau.

Living a legacy requires we give great care to the environment and safety of our people and local communities. As governments and partners see the way we do business around the globe, doors open for us. And the cycle will repeat: opportunity, advantage, legacy, value.