Energy Voice – Out Loud

EVOL:African FPSOs, Chinese wind and UK CCS

It’s the end of the road for the ExxonMobil’s Zafiro Producer FPSO after the old girl arrived in Denmark for scrapping atop the Boka Vanguard, much to Ed’s excitement. For the US supermajor, it’s a continuation of its wind down in Equatorial Guinea.
There could soon be a new player on the UK’s turbine manufacturing block, as China’s Mingyang looks to capitalise on the North Sea’s offshore wind boom.
And as for the CCS updates in the UK, well, there aren’t any – and frustration is growing. Westminster has been told to get a move on and fund the Acorn project, before its too late.
 
About Energy Voice
Energy Voice investigates and reports on what matters in global energy, helping sector leaders understand the geopolitical and economic factors underpinning current events, and giving them a view on what’s coming over the horizon. Each year, 3.4m professionals use Energy Voice as a trusted source of breaking news and insight.
For more information on how you can speak to those professionals across multiple platforms to build your brand and generate actionable business leads, visit energyvoice.com/content-services.
For a 30 day free trial subscription to the Energy Voice website and app, visit energyvoice.com/subscribe.
 

The Megawatt Hour - Episode 8: Sustainability, supply chains and Scope 1-3

The rapid expansion of energy storage is of course great news for our ability to deploy and use renewable energy – but doing so is not without its own challenges.
Batteries require raw materials from all across the world and an ever more complex supply chain; pumped storage sites require major changes to land use and access; and what can we do with facilities or assets that reach the end of their life – is it better to re-use, recycle or decommission?
And how do developers and investors ensure their commitments meet ever stricter guidance when deciding which projects to pursue?
Sorting the E’s from the SG’s is Professor Simon Pringle, who heads up the newly created Sustainability and ESG Hub at BDO and Peter Kavanagh, the chief executive and founder of developer and asset operator Harmony Energy.
The Megawatt Hour is a special podcast series brought to you by Energy Voice Out Loud in paid partnership with BDO.
About Energy Voice
Energy Voice investigates and reports on what matters in global energy, helping sector leaders understand the geopolitical and economic factors underpinning current events, and giving them a view on what’s coming over the horizon. Each year, 3.4m professionals use Energy Voice as a trusted source of breaking news and insight.
For more information on how you can speak to those professionals across multiple platforms to build your brand and generate actionable business leads, visit energyvoice.com/content-services.
For a 30 day free trial subscription to the Energy Voice website and app, visit energyvoice.com/subscribe.
 

EVOL: Forties fades, Pensacola panic and the Tantita tango

Oh no you don’t, partners in the Forties project have said to Apache, in response to its accelerated plans to decommission the field. Inflation is rising, as are tempers, and the whole complicated mess is likely to go back to court for more arguments.
The Southern North Sea has proved a rollercoaster ride this week. Hopes were raised after Deltic Energy reported a bullish reserves upgrade at the Pensacola discovery, only for Shell to ditch a neighbouring licence, crushing Reabold Resources hopes for a similar find. 
Meanwhile, in Nigeria, new President Bola Tinubu has stamped his authority on competing regulators, which should reduce the number of times ExxonMobil is accused of theft. However, with oil theft still a major problem, can the president find as simple a fix for the Niger Delta and its lost revenues? 
 
About Energy Voice
Energy Voice investigates and reports on what matters in global energy, helping sector leaders understand the geopolitical and economic factors underpinning current events, and giving them a view on what’s coming over the horizon. Each year, 3.4m professionals use Energy Voice as a trusted source of breaking news and insight.
For more information on how you can speak to those professionals across multiple platforms to build your brand and generate actionable business leads, visit energyvoice.com/content-services.
For a 30 day free trial subscription to the Energy Voice website and app, visit energyvoice.com/subscribe.
 

EVOL: HSE warnings, dark fleets and AD…NOT?

Taking time out of their busy schedules posting on Threads this week, Allister, Ed and Andrew tackle some pressing safety concerns.
Allister discusses freedom of information data from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) which flagged serious maintenance backlog and safety issues found at 15 North Sea platforms.
Meanwhile Andrew boards the ‘dark fleet’ of tankers shipping illicit crude around the world, with potentially disastrous consequences.
And Ed considers whether the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) warrants a name change as its CEO gears up to preside over the COP28 climate conference later this year.
About Energy Voice
Energy Voice investigates and reports on what matters in global energy, helping sector leaders understand the geopolitical and economic factors underpinning current events, and giving them a view on what’s coming over the horizon. Each year, 3.4m professionals use Energy Voice as a trusted source of breaking news and insight.
For more information on how you can speak to those professionals across multiple platforms to build your brand and generate actionable business leads, visit energyvoice.com/content-services.
For a 30 day free trial subscription to the Energy Voice website and app, visit energyvoice.com/subscribe.
 

EVOL X Searchlight Cyber - Why should energy pay attention to the dark web?

For many when they think of the dark web images of shady hackers in black hoodies staring at walls of text in a darkened room spring to mind.  However, Jim from Searchlight Cyber joins Energy Voice Out Loud to explain why the energy sector should be paying attention and what those in the industry can look out for.... be ready for a ton of acronyms.
About Energy Voice
Energy Voice investigates and reports on what matters in global energy, helping sector leaders understand the geopolitical and economic factors underpinning current events, and giving them a view on what’s coming over the horizon. Each year, 3.4m professionals use Energy Voice as a trusted source of breaking news and insight.
For more information on how you can speak to those professionals across multiple platforms to build your brand and generate actionable business leads, visit energyvoice.com/content-services.
For a 30 day free trial subscription to the Energy Voice website and app, visit energyvoice.com/subscribe.
 

EVOL: Neptune, Pitbull and Gas

Eni’s megadeal for Neptune Energy leads this week’s podcast as the team mulls the $5bn merger.
Exploration is also on the agenda in light of a recent Committee on Climate Change report which said the UK has lost its leading policy position.
And speaking of the Just Transition, we take a look at Senegal which has joined an initiative with the UK, France, Germany, the European Union and Canada.
Also to note: Ed Reed is our Emerging Markets editor now – Mr Worldwide – or is that Pitbull? I feel a collab coming...
 
About Energy Voice
Energy Voice investigates and reports on what matters in global energy, helping sector leaders understand the geopolitical and economic factors underpinning current events, and giving them a view on what’s coming over the horizon. Each year, 3.4m professionals use Energy Voice as a trusted source of breaking news and insight.
For more information on how you can speak to those professionals across multiple platforms to build your brand and generate actionable business leads, visit energyvoice.com/content-services.
For a 30 day free trial subscription to the Energy Voice website and app, visit energyvoice.com/subscribe.

EVOL: Labour’s plans, hydrogen pledges and Parkmead’s snub

Labour set out its energy plans this week, although the clean energy lustre was slightly tarnished by a broken down hydrogen bus. The party has big plans for the shift into clean energy, but is wrestling with quite how fast it wants to move away from oil and gas.
Hydrogen may play a big role in the UK’s energy transition, but progress has been slow. A Labour politician has pledged to accelerate work, which might be enough to stop some projects from stalling. Hydrogen is often touted as a silver bullet, but in reality it is an imperfect solution – but the UK must make choices to stop the perfect being the enemy of the good.
It was not just investor feelings that took a knock this week with Parkmead’s decision to abandon the Perth project. The company is tipped as a contender in the ongoing licence round, though, and has plans for exploration drilling in 2024. 
About Energy Voice
Energy Voice investigates and reports on what matters in global energy, helping sector leaders understand the geopolitical and economic factors underpinning current events, and giving them a view on what’s coming over the horizon. Each year, 3.4m professionals use Energy Voice as a trusted source of breaking news and insight.
For more information on how you can speak to those professionals across multiple platforms to build your brand and generate actionable business leads, visit energyvoice.com/content-services.
For a 30 day free trial subscription to the Energy Voice website and app, visit energyvoice.com/subscribe.

EVOL X: Nick Shields sets out the drivers behind the Making Scotlands Future conference on 22 June.

On this paid partnership EVOL episode with Scottish Enterprise, we look ahead to the Making Scotland’s Future conference on June 22.
 
Nick Shields, director at the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service, sets out the drivers behind the event, the tools it will deliver Scottish manufacturers to be competitive and why green energy is high on the agenda. 
 
Automation, sustainability and resilience are all part of a programme of activity to ensure success for Scotland's manufacturing sector. 
 
About Energy Voice
Energy Voice investigates and reports on what matters in global energy, helping sector leaders understand the geopolitical and economic factors underpinning current events, and giving them a view on what’s coming over the horizon. Each year, 3.4m professionals use Energy Voice as a trusted source of breaking news and insight.
For more information on how you can speak to those professionals across multiple platforms to build your brand and generate actionable business leads, visit energyvoice.com/content-services.
For a 30 day free trial subscription to the Energy Voice website and app, visit energyvoice.com/subscribe.

EVOL: Apache cuts, Shell shakeups, and wind hiccups

There is gloomy news from Aberdeen this week where US oil firm Apache is cutting around 30 jobs as it axes UK drilling. The company is blaming the windfall tax, though there’s some healthy scepticism around that – either way, a North Sea sale could be afoot.
Shell chief executive Wael Sawan is beginning to put his mark on the company by unveiling a strategy for ‘more value, with less emissions’ in New York. He also revealed Shell’s strategy of last resort if it loses an appeal against a Dutch climate ruling.
And a spotlight was shone on safety incidents in the offshore wind industry this week with the release of a new report. There’s no room for complacency – as oil and gas has shown – and a more candid approach might be to the benefit of all.
About Energy Voice
Energy Voice investigates and reports on what matters in global energy, helping sector leaders understand the geopolitical and economic factors underpinning current events, and giving them a view on what’s coming over the horizon. Each year, 3.4m professionals use Energy Voice as a trusted source of breaking news and insight.
For more information on how you can speak to those professionals across multiple platforms to build your brand and generate actionable business leads, visit energyvoice.com/content-services.
For a 30 day free trial subscription to the Energy Voice website and app, visit energyvoice.com/subscribe.

EVOL: Windfall tax, Mr Bean and CCTV

“Damn you Bean!” cries Africa editor Ed Reed, lamenting his segment on EVs being taken over by musings on a cancelled Rowan Atkinson.
This drama, and more, on a pod which gets into politics, grid constraints and outer space.
This week brought to you in paid partnership with Scottish Enterprise, We talk the windfall tax price floor, take a look at MethaneSAT - a satellite which will soon be monitoring Big Oil’s emissions from orbit - and get in the driving seat for EVs in emerging markets.
About Energy Voice
Energy Voice investigates and reports on what matters in global energy, helping sector leaders understand the geopolitical and economic factors underpinning current events, and giving them a view on what’s coming over the horizon. Each year, 3.4m professionals use Energy Voice as a trusted source of breaking news and insight.
For more information on how you can speak to those professionals across multiple platforms to build your brand and generate actionable business leads, visit energyvoice.com/content-services.
For a 30 day free trial subscription to the Energy Voice website and app, visit energyvoice.com/subscribe.