Oil companies continue to perform well but electricity companies are hot on their heels. - Major oil companies have maintained their stronghold as the world's most financially effective energy businesses, according to the 2008 Platts Top 250 Global Energy Company rankings (based on assets, turnover, profits and return on investment) published on 20 October 2008. All 250 companies have assets of over 2 billion US dollars. The 2008 rankings show that: 1) companies in the Asia-Pacific region are becoming increasingly important; 2) US companies continue to dominate but their presence is down 30% on the first Platts ranking, published seven years ago; 2) of the Top 20, the best performing companies over the past twelve months are not from the US. Three of them are Russian: Rosneft Oil Company (6th), Gazprom OAO (10th) and Russian Federation Company (11th); 3) there has been a 38% increase since 2001 in the presence of companies from Europe, the Middle East and Africa in the Top 250; 3) the Asia-Pacific regions has eight companies among the Top 50, three of which are Indian: Reliance Industries Ltd (17th), Oil & Natural Gas Corp Ltd (25th) and Indian Oil Corp Ltd (43rd); 4) Abu Dhabi National Energy Company and Saudi Electricity Company are the first Persian Gulf companies to be included in the Top 250 due to greater financial transparency. The world's top 10 top performing energy companies are: 1) Exxon Mobil Corp (United States); 2) Royal Dutch Shell plc (United Kingdom); 3) Total (France); 4) Chevron Corp (United States); 5) BP plc (United Kingdom); 6) Rosneft Oil Company (Russia); 7) ENI SpA (Italy); 8) StatoilHydro (Norway); 9) Petrochina Co Ltd (China); and 10) Gazprom Oao (Russia). Info: http: //http://www.platts.com/top250/ .