What does 2023 hold for the flexible workforce?
2022 brought a huge amount of turbulence: from the energy crisis triggered by war in Ukraine to legislative U-turns and windfall tax increases creating uncertainty over investments in the North Sea.
Opinion
A windfall of unintended consequences
What are ‘historically more normal prices’? Through 2022 the Brent oil price averaged about $100 a barrel (bbl), up around 40% on 2021. This follows a volatile 12 months where prices started the year at $78/bbl, reaching a peak of $130/bbl in March following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Sir Ian Wood: Time to reflect on domestic energy security
The former oil and gas business giant says the windfall tax "must be revisited as a priority".
GUH: Major projects await but subsea sector needs more visibility
Global Underwater Hub CEO Neil Gordon says the subsea sector needs clearer visibility on major projects in wind, oil and gas and defence.
The oil and gas year in review
2022 has been a year of challenge with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic still impacting markets and the war in Ukraine affecting so many. Consequences of such a tumultuous year include the energy supply crisis, the fluctuation in commodity prices, the cost-of-living crisis and the onset of recession, which are all inextricably linked.
Let 2023 be the year of energy efficiency
By Fiona Duggan, policy lead at climate solutions charity, Ashden
How are we helping the offshore energy supply chain?
How is the North Sea supply chain being supported, amid concerns over crippling costs and poor visibility on opportunties?
Utilising smart homes to achieve net zero goals
Recent political tensions have put a spotlight on the UK’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels, highlighting the necessity to transition to clean, renewable energy. Energy companies must innovate the sector and build a greener energy system.
Hydrogen as a fuel – decarbonising the UK’s energy sector
Unlike hydrocarbons, which produce carbon dioxide, heat and water when combusted in the presence of oxygen, hydrogen produces only heat and water. As we seek to decarbonise the UK’s energy sector one of the paths that is being explored is the use of hydrogen within a grid connected gas fired power plant in the UK.
Mental Health Column: Spend your time wisely, it’s a finite resource.
As we come to the end of another year, it seems 2022 has been one that has gone full speed, with so many people sharing it’s as if the year has been condensed.
The wind industry’s three spectres…
Driven by society’s need to tackle climate change, renewable energy-based power generation is growing exponentially worldwide and especially in Europe where wind power alone now accounts for around 16% of capacity.
Safety reps will have something to say about this…Episode 1 of Amazon’s ‘The Rig’
We were invited to the world premiere of The Rig – Amazon Prime’s new tv show set in the North Sea. We’ve tried to keep the following spoiler-free as possible but proceed at your own risk.
Balance, balance, balance: UK must grapple with energy security and affordability
In looking back at 2022, it is hard to overstate some of the significant developments affecting the oil and gas industry.
2022 – The year politics failed
Without putting too fine a point on it 2022 has been a disaster for pretty much everyone who didn’t run a hedge fund, is a shareholder in an oil and gas or other energy company or works in a bank and is due a bonus.
Germany lost to Japan…but still put its foot on the gas in Qatar
Since I’m on my way to Doha as I write, what better subject than LNG and the boom which will keep the dollars flowing into Qatar for decades to come.
Strategic minerals are needed to deliver the energy transition
As COP27 draws to a close, the pressure on governments and companies around the world to accelerate the global energy transition away from fossil fuels and into clean energy continues to mount.
Jeremy Cresswell: Strange times for humankind
As humankind drives relentlessly towards climate catastrophe, just a few days ago the International Energy Agency offered a crumb of comfort regarding CO2 emissions.
Brian Wilson: Pump Storage Hydro finally being taken seriously
In all discussion about the drive for renewables and the need to wean ourselves off fossil fuels, one crucial word is heavily under-represented. That word is “storage’ and I have long found the lack of emphasis on it by policy makers a source of puzzlement.
Dick Winchester: Time to temper the ‘world leader’ claims
What brought that on? My anger with one of the latest “Scotland is now” claims. Issued by Scottish Development International as a Tweet it claims, and I quote: “From wind to wave and hydrogen to solar, Scotland is a global leader in renewable energy”. The associated video itself then goes on to claim that “Scotland’s a leader in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies”.
ESG: The ongoing importance
Companies active in the energy sector would not be blamed for losing sight of their ESG strategy in 2022; the energy industry’s pre-COP 26 focus on climate-change action has been somewhat superseded by the race to balance the energy transition with security and affordability of supply.
New CCS findings highlight opportunity for sector
There has never been a better time for carbon capture and storage (CCS) deployment. When considering the latest edition of the industry’s flagship report, the Global Status of CCS published annually by the Global CCS Institute, and with supportive policy and regulation emerging, it is becoming less a question of whether we need CCS, but instead how do we deploy – and how do we deploy faster.
Space technology holds the key for energy transition
At a time of economic and political uncertainty, the battle against climate change remains high on the global agenda. As part of that, it’s important to use every weapon in our arsenal; even those that exist outside our planet.
New strategy required due to end of offshore wind workers immigration concession
Tackling climate change is an important component of policy agendas across the UK and more broadly on a global scale.
Energy industry has courage to fully embrace the power and opportunity of AI
No reason to fear the added muscle and acceleration that artificial intelligence offers to the geoscience sector, writes Mark Brownless, Chief Technology Officer at Geoteric, a global AI seismic interpretation specialist.
Finding a path through the Energy Trilemma
The global energy landscape is undergoing profound changes amid volatile and complex market situations, price instability, and the growing need to rapidly adapt if we are to meet net zero targets. The global energy industry has never experienced anything like this before, and never has collaboration been more important.