Energy Voice – Out Loud

EVOL: Budget bargaining, ADIPEC AI, and Lindsey lament

We discuss industry demands ahead of this month's budget, Lindsey refinery job cuts, and artificial intelligence (AI) at ADIPEC.
This week’s episode features Energy Voice’s Ryan Duff and Floyd March, while E-FWD editor Ed Reed broadcasts from the ADIPEC show floor in Abu Dhabi.
First up, OEUK and Scottish Renewables teamed up this week to deliver a letter to chancellor Rachel Reeves and energy secretary Ed Miliband ahead of the budget on 26 November. The pair of trade bodies called for tax reform for oil firms, and certainty for Scottish offshore wind projects in Allocation Round 7 (AR7). Labour came into power under a strong anti-oil and gas line, however, it appears to be backtracking somewhat, leaving a little room for optimism for North Sea players. As for wind, there is a lot that needs to be done to get the country on track for its targets. AR7 will need to deliver at least 8.4 GW, but with market uncertainty, there is no guarantee that every firm that secures a strike price will bring its project to fruition.
Next up, we turn our attention to ADIPEC as Ed caught up with Toby Rice, CEO of American gas firm EQT. Their conversation quickly turns to AI, a popular topic among energy firms at the moment. Toby claims that his firm is enabling US firms to go "full throttle" on AI, thanks to the gas it produces. Toby said that the question around where the power needed to support data centres would come from was what was being asked "24 months ago" as he argued renewables are "not going to cut it".
Finally, Floyd gets us up to speed on all things Lindsey after over 100 workers lost their jobs last week. There are still questions to be asked around who will take over the site as a mysterious consortium bids for a public-private partnership with the government, and Phillips 66 has been rumoured to swoop in and change operations at the site. Local politicians and unions have been up in arms over recent redundancies after previous owner, Prax, fell into administration. This story is set to develop over the coming weeks.

EVOL: Petrofac's administration, Swinney's Reform frustration, and Adura valuation

We discuss Petrofac's fall into administration and how the services giant fell from grace, the first minister's warning about Reform UK, and Shell and Equinor's third quarter results.
This week’s episode features Energy Voice’s Ryan Duff, Michael Behr, and Mat Perry as they give their two cents on the week's headlines.
Up first, the trio discuss Petrofac's administration and delisting from the London Stock Exchange. The beleaguered Tier 1 firm ended last week on an uncertain note as TenneT ditched a deal on a European offshore wind farm, which ultimately brought to an end Petrofac's restructuring plans. However, this was just the straw that broke the camel's back; the firm has never recovered from scandal and bribery, or the costly contracts it signed around the COVID-19 pandemic.
Next up, Michael tells us about John Swinney's punchy comments concerning Reform UK's renewable energy stance. The first minister claims that Scotland's renewables industry would be led to ruin under a Reform government, as he and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar laid out their stalls for next year's Holyrood election.
Finally, Mat rounds up Shell's third-quarter results as the London supermajor beats analyst expectations. This comes as the firm looks to offload its UK assets to a new independent joint venture with Equinor. Speaking of the Norwegian state-backed firm, its books didn't paint as positive a picture as Shell's. It was revealed that the assets held for sale to form the new North Sea player, Adura, had cost the firm $650 million. However, both European majors have held true to Adura opening its doors by the end of 2025.

EVOL: Lindsey mystery man, Findlay at Hunting, and ScottishPower's pivot

We discuss the Lindsey oil refinery's mysterious bidder and ScottishPower's shift from offshore wind to grid projects amid a turbulent fiscal landscape. Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay also gives us his two cents on the state of energy businesses in the country.
 
This week’s episode features Energy Voice’s Ryan Duff and Michael Behr, with E-FWD editor Ed Reed making a triumphant return. 
 
Up first, the trio discuss Marc Amram, the man proposing a public-private partnership to take over the Lindsey refinery after its previous owner, Prax, fell into administration. He has tabled an offer to the government that appears to be very one-sided, and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has since refused. There is a lot to unpack in this one, but the main question is, 'Who is Marc Amram?'
 
Next up Russell, Findlay speaks with Ryan about some of the issues energy businesses in Aberdeen are facing. This prerecorded interview was held at Hunting's Badentoy facility soon after the firm announced it would be moving manufacturing operations from there to its new Dubai site. 
 
Finally, Ed talks us through his latest reporting on ScottishPower as the Spanish-backed firm appears to be shifting its focus from offshore wind to grid connection contracts. Interestingly, ScottishPower parent company, Iberdrola, does not appear to be following the same strategy in its native Spain. Is this due to market pressures in the UK or has ScottishPower seen something others haven't

EVOL: Wood gives Gilmartin the boot, Worley talks AI, and delays, delays, delays

We discuss the news that Wood's chief executive, Ken Gilmartin, is set to leave and the recent delays announced by both the UK government and the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA).
Worley's Fabricio Sousa also swings in past to discuss all things artificial intelligence (AI). This week's episode features Energy Voice’s Ryan Duff and Michael Behr, with editor Mark Selby making an appearance in a prerecorded interview.
First up, Michael gets us caught up on all things Wood as the beleaguered services giant looks to close its takeover saga with one last twist in the tale, Ken Gilmartin's exit. Admittedly, this might not be the biggest surprise, but what may shock some is his permanent replacement, Iain Torrens, who was initially brought in as interim CFO earlier this year.
Next up, we hear from Mark and Fabricio as they discuss what served to be a major theme of the Gastech Exhibition & Conference this year, AI. The pair discuss the role of AI in driving the imminent boom in global power demand – and what that actually means for both energy and related industry. Finally, Ryan and Michael discuss a series of delays that were reported this week. Up first, Deltic's takeover at the hands of Viaro hit a stumbling block as the NSTA overshot its deadline to approve licences changing hands. Also, the Outer Dowsing and Morecambe offshore wind farms were told that the date of their development consent order decisions had been delayed until after next month's budget. There are a lot of moving parts in the energy sector right now, so what does this mean for future mergers and acquisitions in oil and gas and the likelihood of the UK hitting its clean power 2030 targets?

Energy Voice Live Hull: Humber has the clean energy ingredients

Expert panellists including Nexos chief executive Scott McGinigal, National Gas supply chain and commercial director Daniel McAteer, Centrica new energies director Hazel Paige and Siemens Gamesa plan director Andy Sykes were all asked whether the Humber has all the ingredients to meet the 2050 clean-energy targets.
Taking in jobs, geography and willpower alone, the answer is a resounding yes.
But on final investment decisions (FID), the key ingredient in every major ambition, questions still remain.

Road to ADIPEC 2: Resilience and adaptation

What does a resilient energy system look like? Different parts of the world can – and should – be thinking differently about how to meet domestic needs.
Chris Hudson, president of DMG Events, and Joseph McMonigle, president of the Global Center for Energy Analysis, join this second episode of Road to ADIPEC to dig into the big questions around energy.
As the energy sector readies for ADIPEC, held in Abu Dhabi from 3-6 November, the Road to ADIPEC sets the scene for what will come.

EVOL: West of Shetland shakeups and Labour take the fight to Reform

We discuss some major West of Shetland updates and the Labour Party conference, while the World Bank offers its two cents on flaring.
This week features Energy Voice’s Ryan Duff, Mathew Perry, and Floyd March. Kicking things off, Ryan discusses Serica's takeover of the Lancaster field, the Greater Laggan Area (GLA) and the Shetland Gas Plant. This £19 million deal sees the firm deliver on its merger and acquisition (M&A) ambitions at a bargain price. On the same morning as news broke about the UK's latest M&A deal, Shell announced that it had kicked off production at Victory, which utilises GLA infrastructure. We'd be remiss to not mention Equinor resubmitting the environmental impact assessment for Rosebank, something Mat gave us all the details about. Long story short, it's all kicking off in the West of Shetland region.
Next up, our editor Mark Selby spoke with Zubin Bamji, manager for the World Bank’s Global Flaring & Methane Reduction (GFMR) Partnership. The pair discussed the World Bank's progress to date in tackling the underlying issues around flaring and the likelihood of hitting the 2030 target while on the show floor of Milan's Gastech conference.
Finally, Floyd gets us caught up with all things energy from the Labour Party conference, however, it appears Keir Starmer was more interested in fighting the growing support for Reform. That being said, a fracking ban was announced by Ed Miliband, something that is sure to rile up Farage.

Gastech Bludigit

Energy companies are keen to talk up the game-changing benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI) but how many actually live and breathe it? Energy Voice editor Mark Selby spoke to Serena Delli, lead data architect and AI specialist at Milan-based energy distribution tech company Bludigit to learn how digital innovation and transformation is helping to revolutionise efficiency and safety within the sector.

Gastech DMG

Speaking backstage at Gastech in Milan, Energy Voice editor Mark Selby spoke to DMG Events president Chris Hudson about the global trends at play across the conference. With the impact of growing power demand from Artificial Intelligence being felt across every sector, Mark and Chris explored the implications for energy and how Gastech's themes will play out on the road to ADIPEC in Abu Dhabi.

Labour on the brink, Trump hates more windfarms, and women of geothermal unite!

Tune into this episode of Energy Voice Out Loud to hear news editor Erikka Askeland and reporter Mathew Perry discuss the Labour’s energy policy difficulties as it heads to its party conference. Energy Voice reporter Michael Behr unveils the US president’s latest attack on European offshore wind developers. Then Mat meets up with trade body Geothermal UK to find out why this technology is so hot in Scotland.