The Macondo well blowout and perceived damage to the Gulf of Mexico marine and Louisiana coastal environments has dominated many headlines for months; that and the huge cost to BP and whether the company would survive the disaster intact.
On the face of it, it has been a great few weeks for the tidal-energy industry. Firstly, we had the announcement by Atlantic Resources regarding the build of its one-megawatt prototype, which is on its way to be tested at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney.
I HAVE worked in the oil&gas industry for about 25 years. Before that, I spent years on the economics staff of Aberdeen University, specialising in energy economics.
"There is no organisation in the world like The Crown Estate", according to its own website. And who could disagree?
I have not long picked my way through the report, Scottish Offshore Wind: Creating an Industry, commissioned by Scottish Renewables with the Industrial Power Association. It paints four scenarios for Scottish offshore wind - from a vigorous offshore wind industry, supported by a robust supply chain that involves the oil&gas capability, to failure to capitalise on the opportunity, with all that implies.
Given today's dynamic economic environment, companies need to continually assess their capital needs as well as potential sources of capital. Therefore, a strong capital agenda needs to be at the heart of all boardroom and management decisions.
Thirty companies, including oil majors BP, Chevron and Total, hold interests in the seas West of Shetland.
Within 10-15 years, it will be technically possible to produce sustainable and economically viable biodiesel from micro-algae on a large scale, say Dutch scientists.
Seadrill's majority-owned subsidiary, Seawell, is acquiring US firm Allis-Chalmers Energy in a deal worth some $890million, including assumed debt.
Lundin is set to tender more than $1billion of new field development contracts in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea over the next two to three years.
Statoil has scheduled four fast-track oil&gas developments in Norwegian waters, with the possibility that three further projects could be developed even faster.
Transocean, owner of the destroyed semi-submersible drilling unit, Deepwater Horizon, had safety problems on at least three out of 14 or so other rigs working in the Gulf of Mexico, according to reportage in The New York Times.
In 2009, for the second year in a row, both Europe and the US added more power capacity from renewable sources such as wind and solar than conventional sources such as coal, gas and nuclear.
MORE than 100 new offshore wind turbines have been fully connected to the grid during the first six months of this year alone, according to the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA).
The under-performance of oil&gas against the broader market could be blamed on a number of things, including the uncertainty over the future of BG Group's Queensland Curtis coal-to-LNG project from the proposed resource super-profits tax in Australia (the project was subsequently made exempt from the tax after a rethink) and the change of UK prime minister in July.
Both the UK and US have, for some time, enforced sanctions against Iran as a result of its breaches of international law in relation to nuclear activity, but recent changes are likely to significantly increase the impact of these sanctions on the oil industry.
The oilfield services (OFS) industry was enjoying one of its most prolonged up-cycles in memory until the global recession reared its ugly head. After adjusting to the new financial environment and beginning to show positive signs again, the blowout on the Deepwater Horizon on April 20, 2010, happened.
For Gareth Lindsay, 27, a graduate structural engineer at oil services group PSN, his decision to get into oil&gas has become his passport to the world - including Down Under.
UNDERWATER technology company Tritech says it is doing its bit for the next generation by "nurturing the potential" of five student apprentices at its Ulverston, Cumbria, satellite and its Westhill, Aberdeenshire, HQ.
Engineers at the University of Hertfordshire are working on a dual-fuel rocket that could provide technology suitable for a rocket for Mars and will have a negative carbon footprint.
IN June's Energy, we reported on a new super-catalyst for use in hydrogen production from water. Here's another.
MOST motorcycles in the world today use engines that burn petrol, contributing to greenhouse gases and to air pollution.
HAVE you ever thought about the carbon footprint of that plane you are getting on with mum and dad as you head for the sun?
SUBSEA service specialist Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has instructed independent marine design consultancy BMT Nigel Gee to design an operations and maintenance vessel for the next phase of offshore windfarm development.
Heerema Marine Contractors (HMC) has issued a letter of intent to Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) for the building of a new deepwater construction vessel.
