Arctic opportunities on the Norwegian Continental Shelf
"The Barents Sea is now a sea of opportunities," the Norwegian Minister for Petroleum and Energy, Ola Borten Moe, stated in the announcement of the 22nd licensing round on June 26.
Opinion
A terrific summer of inspiring sport
This summer has provided us with plenty of exciting sporting events to watch including the Euro 2012 football championships, the Tour de France and the London 2012 Games. It's been enormous fun to view from our sofas armed with a cool drink and some tasty snacks but have we been inspired to get out there and try some sporting activities for ourselves?
Norway . . . still a striking model to admire
I worked in Norway for a year and am a frequent business visitor there. I took a sabbatical year from Aberdeen University to work at a research institute in Oslo, where with an old friend Terje Lind I wrote a book on Norwegian Oil Policies.
Showing faith in province
The anticipated acquisition of Nexen by CNOOC provides further evidence of global organisations' continuing interest in the North Sea, and another example of major merger and acquisition activity on the UK continental shelf.
Surprise entry of the dragon
I have long warned that China's so-called national oil companies - China National Offshore Oil Corporation, China National Petroleum Corporation and Sinopec - are scouring the globe, seeking access to high-quality oil andgas resources pretty much anywhere.
Should the OBR re-think its tax predictions?
UK Government figures last week projected tax revenues from North Sea oil and gas would plunge by more than previously predicted in the next 30 years. This year the Treasury will raise about £11.2billion in taxes from the sector. Aberdeen University petroleum economist Professor Alex Kemp says the predictions may prove to be well wide of the mark.
If the cap fits …
In the aftermath of the Macondo incident it was rapidly recognised that, perhaps because of an impressive record of drilling without incident, the offshore industry had failed to focus on the potential impact of a well control incident in deepwater.
A Pipe Dream? The TAPI project
Is the TAPI (Turkmenistan - Afghanistan - Pakistan - India) pipeline finally about to go ahead?
South African exploration & production activity continues to gain momentum
Exploration and production (E&P) activity is gaining momentum across the south-western regions of Africa and in particular South Africa. Favourable geology for oil and gas off the country's west coast, high levels of foreign direct investment (FDI), legislative changes and updates to the tax regime are continuing to improve South Africa's investment in oil and gas prospects.
Changing patterns of world energy demand and supply
One of my favourite publications is the annual BP Statistical Review of World Energy, the 2012 edition of which has just been published. It gives energy consumption and production statistics for all the regions in the world and for many individual countries.
No shipbuilding please – we’re British!
I like to think I'm fairly well educated, worldly and reasonably au fait (that's French) with how and why certain things happen particularly when it comes to industrial and business issues even when those issues are of a political nature.
Learn to love your liver
You might well have heard the expression "feeling liverish" meaning feeling a bit out of sorts especially after having eaten or drunk too much. Western doctors might well disregard the expression and consider it to be an old-fashioned and obsolete description but, in the Far East, a link is made between feeling apathetic and miserable with having a sluggish or overloaded liver.
Rewriting the hydrocarbons book
The hydrocarbons landscape is going through dramatic changes and worries over peak oil appear to have been pushed to one side for now.
From Russia with very little love
BP is not a company that has needed to seek its problems over the past few years. Aside from the near-catastrophic experience of the Macondo incident, the Russian joint venture TNK-BP has been a thorn in the super-major's side for the last five years.
Energy will be key to independence debate
Those of you who turn to Energy to escape from the interminable debate about Scotland's constitutional future may be in for a disappointment.
Working creatively on behalf of the industry
Skills, training and workforce safety are at the heart of the oil and gas industry, no matter which role you play or country you work in.
Good deal news for already buoyant North Sea
The announcement that Cairn Energy will buy Nautical Petroleum is good news for an already buoyant North Sea, coming hot on the heals of Cairn's acquisition of Agora Oil and Gas.
May contrasts – UK subdued while Norway buoyant
In UK waters, 10 mobile units are currently employed on E&A drilling operations - exploration wells, including a single sidetrack, account for three of these while seven appraisal wells including two sidetracks are active.
Scottish Independence – Implications for the energy sector
I take it pretty much for granted that if you're an "Energy" reader then you're someone that's curious about what goes on in the world.
Getting to grips with training fundamentals
Big questions are being asked at the moment about how competency should be defined within the oil and gas industry.
Kazakhstan: bridging the perception gap?
Since 2000, macroeconomic stability and growth potential in the energy sector have contributed to investors' increasing willingness to invest in Kazakhstan according to Ernst & Young's second "Attractiveness Survey" of this Caspian state.
The fall and rise of our oil fabrication industry
We probably all have hobbies or special interests. My elder daughter often berates me for the amount of time in my life I have spent watching football, either live or on television. Sadly, that must add up to years' despite my being an Inverness Caley Thistle and Scotland supporter.
Don’t forget the track record of pulling together
The Scottish Government has launched an oil and gas industry strategy which targets higher long-term recovery rates, increased exports and £30billion annual sales by 2020.
A call to arms
An oil & gas industry strategy for Scotland, targeting higher long-term recovery rates, greater exports and £30billion supply chain annual sales by 2020 is plain commonsense.
Mitigating the risk of future quakes in the Bowland Basin
It's only a few months since I talked in this column about shale gas around the world but already there have been some significant further developments.