[thackney]

one of the majors ... has become increasingly bureaucratic and inefficient over the years,

I'm shocked, just shocked I tell you.

Many of these confuse risk management with risk avoidance and it peculates throughout the entire business.

I left the bloated oversized companies recently and returned to very small company doing work for smaller oil/gas type companies. It was so refreshing to have the roadblocks removed and given authority over my own work with significant responsibility.

[Rockhound]

Sounds like you have been there and done that, thackney. I hope to duplicate your experience. I figure I should be able to, as long as the petroleum industry keeps booming (I predict a significant upsurge once the Obama Administration is gone).