The Platts Top 250 Global Energy Company Rankings for 2009 was released by Platts this week. This is the eighth year that Platts has published the rankings.

The factors used to select these Top Financial Performers are:

• Asset worth
• Revenues
• Profits
• Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)

Rankings are based are data from Standard & Poor’s Compustat.

The Top 25 Global Energy Companies for 2009 by Platts are:

[TABLE=236]

For the full listing of 250 companies go here.

On the roller coaster oil prices Platts noted:

“The past two years have been some of the most momentous in the history of the oil markets. A frantic commodities bubble redefined record oil prices and sent crude oil soaring to over $147 per barrel (/b) in July 2008. Oil products skyrocketed as well, boosted by unprecedented demand from China in the run-up to the Olympics. The oil price spikes were followed by freefall, caused by the global recession and a demand vacuum. Crude oil futures dipped below $40/b in December 2008 before rebounding from mid-February back up to over $70/b later in the year, despite continuing recession in the OECD countries”

Some observations on this year’s global rankings:

1. The US oil giant ExxonMobil(XOM) retained the number one rank for 5th year in a row.
2. Last year’s $100+ crude oil prices helped Integrated Oil and Gas (IOG) companies dominate the Top 13 of the 250 spots this year.
3. IOGs also took 30 of the top 20 places.
4. China’s PetroChina (PTR) and Brazil’s Petrobras (PBR) are in the Top 10 list underscoring the growing importance of Brazil and China.
5. EnCana(ECA) of Canada made it to the top 25 list.
6. More Latin American companies are in the Top 50 list with state-owned Colombia’s Ecopetrol (ECO) ranked at number 30. For more details on this Colombian ADR in NYSE go here.
7. Brazil’s Petrobras(PBR) jumped to 6th from 12th rank in 2008 due to “additions to its reserves resulting from its giant pre-salt layer oil finds”.

Related post: The Top Ten Energy Companies of the World 2008