petrobras

The Egyptian crisis has predictably stirred up energy prices, which are once again on the rise. But regardless of whether oil prices remain sharply volatile, energy stocks deserve high priority in investor portfolios. Here are some possibilities.

One would think that BP's massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill this year would have given pause to the global oil industry, but that doesn't appear to be the case. Companies in the sector are planning to spend a record $490 billion in 2011, including a large amount for deep-water development.

Petroleo Brasileiro, a Brazilian state-run energy company, has raised $70 billion in the world's largest initial public offering.

In late August, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva shocked foreign oil companies with a plan that would ensure a larger role for Brazil in exploring new oil reserves -- and a bigger share of the world's oil profits. Declaring this initiative as part of a move towards Brazilian...