The Oil and Gas Investor Australia Index suffered a 31 per cent loss in 2015, dragged down by weakness in global commodity markets and slower growth in the economies of Asian customers for Australian LNG.

After peaking on 18 February, the index fell 39.4 per cent in the next 10 months to its low for the year on 15 December. The benchmark ICE Brent crude oil price lost 35 per cent of its value during the year.

The Oil and Gas Investor Australia Index is comprised of 20 oil and gas companies operating in the region that are listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). They are selected by editors and weighted by market capitalisation.

Broader indexes registered stronger, though not positive results except for the Nikkei, which gained 9.1 per cent. The S&P/ASX 200 index dipped 0.3 per cent and the Hang Seng index was off by 7.2 per cent. The Dow Jones industrial average ended the year down 2.3 per cent, the first time it has closed lower for a year since 2008.

Like the Oil and Gas Investor Australia Index, global energy-related indexes experienced harsh declines. The S&P 500 Energy index was down 23.6 per cent during 2015 and the FTSE Oil & Gas index lost 23.8 per cent.

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