Portfolio theory in the selection of oil investment projects

Abstract

The objective of this article is to compare investment project selection using the efficient frontier in the mean-variance space based on optimization models introduced by Markowitz (1952) with the project ranking method according to the profitability index (PI). The selection of real assets by companies did not incorporate the mean-variance optimization procedure in the same way the selection of financial assets in investment portfolios did. The process of selection and formation of portfolios of investment projects for the oil area of a company in the energy industry was analyzed. Project portfolios formed according to the usual company practice of ranking by their PI were compared with those that result from applying mean-variance optimization through Monte Carlo simulation, which allows the computation of mean returns, variances, and covariances for the set of projects considered. The inefficiency of project portfolios obtained by ranking according to the PI compared to those obtained by the method of Markowitz suggests that there are opportunities to improve the process of selecting the set of projects to be implemented by companies.