Energy Voice – Out Loud

EVOL x Reservoir Group: How Electric Gas Lift is Transforming Well Production

In this special episode of Energy Voice Out Loud, brought to you in partnership with Reservoir Group, host Mathew Perry sits down with Reagan Wilkins, Product Development Manager at Sage Rider Inc, to explore a technology that’s set to shake up the world of artificial lift.
Electric gas lift has been around in concept for over a decade, but Reservoir Group’s innovations are making it more efficient, smarter, and far more controllable than traditional systems. From onshore wells in West Texas to the potential for offshore deployment in the North Sea, Reagan and Mathew discuss how digital controls, valve modulation, and the digital oilfield are opening new opportunities for operators, engineers, and production teams.
They dig into the economic and operational challenges that this technology addresses, why it matters for hydrocarbon recovery, and how automation is creating opportunities rather than replacing jobs. Listeners will also hear about the lessons learned from real-world deployments and what the future could hold for the offshore oil and gas sector.
If you’re curious about cutting-edge well technology and the future of digital oilfield operations, this is one episode you won’t want to miss. Tune in to Energy Voice Out Loud each week for the first word in UK energy.

EVOL: GB Energy questions, Liebreich laments, and 'bespoke' permits

Energy Voice's Ryan Duff, Erikka Askeland, and Mat Perry discuss the number one question GB Energy boss, Dan McGrail, has been asked since taking over the state-backed body. Erikka tells us about the speech Dan delivered while at the Scottish Green Energy Supply Chain Awards in Aberdeen, in which he said the most popular question he's asked is "What is GB Energy?" There were some interesting insights given by Dan as our trio of journalists discussed the implications of a state-owned "activist investor".
Next up, Energy Voice editor Mark Selby spoke with renowned energy analyst Michael Liebreich in a pre-recorded interview.
While trying not to come across as a "Debbie Downer" on net zero, Liebreich said the UK needs to stop "chasing the Quixotic dream of Clean Power 2030" and embrace a more pragmatic approach. Finally, this episode wraps up on the University of Aberdeen's latest review, conducted by John Underhill. It is suggested by John that "bespoke" permits should be handed out to oil and gas developments located near existing infrastructure.
This raises some interesting questions at a time when the UK offshore regulator, the North Sea Transition Authority, is unable to hand out any licences while operators await the results of government consultation.

EVOL Offshore Europe X DNV

Tune into this special episode of Energy Voice Out Loud with DNV that lifts the lid on what the risk management specialist will be unveiling at this year’s SPE Offshore Europe event in Aberdeen.
Energy Voice news editor Erikka Askeland speaks to Hari Vamadevan, DNV’s regional director, UK & Ireland, energy systems on the complex facets of what a whole systems approach to the energy transition looks like, including the four numbers every business and political needs to know.

EVOL Offshore Europe takeover with RX

Are you excited for SPE Offshore Europe 2025 in Aberdeen yet?
Find out why 2025 is the most important Offshore Europe in its history, at a critical time for the UK energy sector.
Tune into this special edition of EVOL where David Ince, SPE Offshore Europe exhibition director and Gareth Rapley, RX portfolio director, who leads the global events company's portfolio of energy and marine events. Both speak to news editor Erikka Askeland to lift the lid on what delegates and exhibitors can expect at this year's show.
Ryan Duff also speaks with David Whitehouse the chief executive of trade body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) and chair of the event's executive committee on what matters to the people that make the event shine.

EVOL: Gryphon decom, foreign frustrations, and Centrica's Grain

Aberdeen features lead Ryan Duff is joined by renewables reporter Michael Behr and north west correspondent Floyd March as they discuss the week's headlines.
Up first, Michael has been keeping tabs on TotalEnergies and the Gryphon FPSO. Decommissioning is set to go ahead for the ageing North Sea asse,t and Nobel is not happy about it. The Energy Voice trio discuss whether this sets a dangerous precedent for smaller firms with tie backs to larger production hubs.
Next up, Floyd makes his Energy Voice Out Loud debut as he looks into solar in Humber and how one local councillor has raised concerns of farmland being bought over by foreign firms for renewable energy developments. Is this the old 'not in my back yard' argument or is there something to this argument?
Finally, Ryan talks us through Centrica's acquisition of the Isle of Grain LNG terminal and the trio examines the firm's argument that its latest UK investment will strengthen energy security. This comes hot off the heels of threats to close the Rough gas storage site and weeks after some disappointing financial results for the business.

EVOL: Gun fired on race to AR7, ship shape at North Star and capturing carbon out of thin air!

This week's episode of Energy Voice Out Loud (EVOL) takes on the breaking news that the next renewables auction round has started. Energy Voice staffers Erikka Askeland, Micheal Behr and Mathew Perry discuss runners and riders and who might be winners!
News editor Erikka speaks with Gitte Gard Talmo, the CEO of North Star. The historic Aberdeen shipping firm will be adding two brand new vessels to its fleet following its biggest ever deal with offshore wind giant RWE.
Finally, Mat explains what it means now that the UK government has shortlisted a direct air capture (DAC) project led by Swiss specialist Climeworks as part of the HyNet CCS scheme in North West England. Will it one day be possible to suck greenhouse gasses out of the air? Tune in and find out;.

EVOL: Big Roy MacGregor sells Highlands port, hydrogen hullabaloo pt. 2 and NSTA shows teeth

Tune in to this week’s episode of Energy Voice Out Loud hosted by news editor Erikka Askeland, reporter Mathew Perry and London correspondent Jessica Mills-Davies.
Mat and Erikka discuss the surprise announcement that Roy MacGregor’s Global Energy Group sold the Port of Nigg on the Cromarty Firth to long term shareholder, Japan’s Mitsui. What next for the Highland League football club-owning tycoon?
Jessica updates listeners on her investigations into the first-of-its-kind hydrogen home heating trial taking place in Fife – or is it?
Then Mat is back again to report on the North Sea Transition Authority’s (NSTA) pledge to name and shame North Sea operators. At last, the regulator is showing some tooth in dealing with delayed decommissioners and methane emitters.

EVOL: Prax Lindsey woes, Hydrogen updates, and Trump in Aberdeen

This week’s Energy Voice Out Loud is hosted by Aberdeen features lead Ryan Duff, news editor Erikka Askeland, and E-FWD editor Ed Reed.
Up first, Ed discusses the situation at the Prax-owned Lindsey oil refinery at Immingham. News broke this week that there has not been a buyer found for the facility, as unions have turned up the heat in pursuit of government interventions. Although Parx's mismanagement of funds is getting the blame for this, Erikka questions whether this is the UK's refinery industry right-sizing itself.
Next up, the hydrogen hullabaloo continues. The Government has launched a consultation on blending hydrogen with natural gas in the UK's grid, and it has dished out subsidies to the winners of the first hydrogen allocation round. Westminster claims that the latter decision will put shovels in the ground and get green hydrogen projects up and running.
Finally, Ryan discusses president Donald Trump's upcoming visit to Aberdeen. Trump has said an awful lot about oil and gas and the role of renewables in the UK, but how does his track record of opposing wind farms stack up? As it turns out, not great.
To find out what our editorial team think about these stories and more, tune into Energy Voice Out Loud on your podcast platform of choice.

EVOL: GB Energy up for anything, Reform's AR7 threats, and North Sea nuclear

This week's Energy Voice Out Loud is hosted by Aberdeen features lead Ryand Duff, renewables reporter Michael Behr, and E-FWD editor Ed Reed.
GB Energy isn't ruling out this early in its lifetime as Michael sat down with now permanent CEO Dan McGrail. Michael discusses the state-backed energy firm's technology-focused approach as we question whether it is pursuing one sector or if it is spinning too many plates.
Next up, Reform targets renewables as it threatens energy firms that if they bid in the upcoming Allocation Round 7 (AR7), they will face "significant political, financial, and regulatory risk" for their shareholders. This came days after US president Donald Trump said he would be coming to Aberdeen to discuss energy policy with first minister John Swinney and prime minister Keir Starmer. Both Reform and Trump have been anti-renewables in the past, and this week's headlines appear to be stoking the flames of a net-zero culture war.
Finally, on to nuclear as Ed talks us through floating power plants. The idea was raised at a recent conference that reactors could produce energy on barges and send it to shore in industrial areas such as Teesside and Port Talbot. Nuclear-powered shipping was also discussed, however, there are some serious regulatory hurdles the sector would have to clear before that becomes a reality. All in all, the nuclear conversation is heating up in the UK as the government appears to be backing the sector, and with that, yet more conversation about its technology offering will crop up.

EVOL: Beam bucks, NSTA decom dithering, and merger mania

This week on Energy Voice Out Loud, we discuss Beam and its administration, the NSTA's stance on delayed decommissioning, and how mergers and acquisitions are shaking up UK oil and gas production. First up, renewables reporter Michael Behr has been looking into the Aberdeen ROV company that burst onto the scene with a pocket full of cash and ended up spending more than it had. Michael has found some sizable bills that Beam has left unpaid, and its workers are also owed thousands. To get a full rundown, read Michael's article on Energy Voice.
Next up, Aberdeen features lead Ryan Duff spoke with Pauline Innes, the North Sea Transition Authority's (NSTA) director of supply chain and decommissioning. This chat came hot off the heels of the NSTA's latest decommissioning cost and performance update, which found that costs for decommissioning are spiking as plugging and abandonment is left by the wayside.
Finally, merger mania and how it's impacting hydrocarbon production in the North Sea. News editor Erikka Askeland and Ryan discuss how recent mergers and acquisitions are shaking up the league table of UK producers and what the table will look like as big players downgrade their stake in the basin.