Events season is upon us, and so are supermajor Q1 results. If the news cycle wasn’t busy enough, Scotland’s first minister handed in his notice this week, so Ryan, Ed and Michael have their work cut out for them.   Ryan kicks off this week’s conversation with the situation at Holyrood and how energy transition policy played a part in Humza Yousaf’s downfall. This ties into the wider talking points heard across the industry that scoring political points will delay a just transition.     Is Shell looking to list in New York? The supermajor’s CEO says it is on the cards but u ..read more

Ithaca Energy and Eni have agreed to tie up their North Sea fortunes and live happily ever after – or at least, that’s the plan. Amid the windfall tax and political uncertainty, Ithaca will be keeping its fingers crossed, while Eni secures a degree of insulation from some of the day-to-day challenges. The Celtic Sea has potential to flesh out offshore wind plans, but the lack of port capacity is a challenge. Inevitably, the answer must involve government support, but deal certainty and contract flow are also required for progress. And finally, Mat hit the road with an outing to Kintore this we ..read more

Would you rather take a dip in the swimming pool of Eros nightclub, the former stomping ground of the new energy minister Justin Tomlinson, or would you rather read a book written by a prime minister that couldn’t outlast a cabbage? A lot has been going on in the UK this month but even more is happening on the global stage that is the energy sector.     Allister talks us through a Penguins migration from Norway to Scotland. Unfortunately, this is not a new nature segment of the show but instead Shell has outlined plans for its first new manned vessel in the northern North Sea in ..read more

Saudi Aramco ditched around one third of its jackups this week in a sign that the oil-rich state is demonstration of a move away from some of its grandiose visions. The market remains tight, with South East Asia likely to provide a home for spare capacity. Whether the North Sea, beset by windfall tax woes, can secure some of these newly idle jackups remains to be seen. Pemex reported another offshore disaster this week, just in the latest in a long line of incidents for the Mexican company. The company has well recognised challenges, but something must be done to improve health and safety. Rya ..read more

It may be Easter week but that does not mean the news has slowed down, Energy Voice reports may not be hunting for eggs but they have found some interesting stories.    Allister kicks off this week by telling the tale of UK workers being held at gunpoint in a Colombian shopping mall. Elemental Energies is working with local police to catch the perpetrators but this raises questions about the safety of working abroad.    Ryan was in attendance at the 15th anniversary service of the Super Puma crash that claimed the lives of 16 men in 2009. He touches on the impact this had n ..read more

Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) is the kind of industrial opportunity that comes around once in 200 years, according to the chief of an industry trade association. Ruth Herbert, CEO of the CCSA, joins the Energy Voice team for this week’s podcast, setting out the jobs opportunity for the UK with CCUS, and why we need to pick up the pace if we don’t want to see investment go overseas instead. Then Ed and Allister dig in to talk of a UK “super-super grid” and Eni UK’s mooted merger with Ithaca Energy.    About Energy Voice Energy Voice investigates and reports on what mat ..read more

What do Vattenfall, Kate Middleton and Repsol have in common? They all feature in this week’s EVOL. It’s mixed fortunes for Aberdeen as the city sees a new £9m floating wind test centre opening just days after Vattenfall prematurely culls its HT1 hydrogen development. It’s big picture stuff for the national grid as a £58bn vision is set out on how to get the system caught up for offshore wind. And it’s project news at OEUK’s shairfair as the team delve in to updates from Repsol and Equinor, along with a delayed payment warning to the industry.    About Energy Voice Energy Voice inves ..read more

It’s been a big week for announcements on electricity market reform. Ed explains the implications of government plans to keep unabated gas plants on the grid beyond 2030 and a shift to zonal electricity pricing. Ryan sifts through a report that finds North Sea nations are largely unaligned with Paris Agreement targets – but the team have some questions over the metrics. And Andrew surveys some of the emerging frontiers in offshore wind, with some key markets and auctions to watch in 2024.   About Energy Voice Energy Voice investigates and reports on what matters in global energy, helping ..read more

The team start this week with the latest on the tragic crash off Norway. New details from the investigation have emerged, painting a clearer picture of the incident and driving home the risks which offshore workers take in this industry. Once again the EVOL team is on windfall tax watch as Jeremy Hunt extends the levy to 2029 – the fourth fiscal change in two years. With Labour circling ahead of a general election, how long before we’re back here? And Ed’s been speaking to Kwasi Kwarteng about his brief stint as chancellor,  his views on the North Sea fiscal regime and the journey to grid ..read more

A black day for the offshore industry, with a helicopter disaster in Norway leaving one dead and five injured. Norwegian companies are reliant on the Sikorsky S-92 but is it safe? Orsted’s interim COO was in London this week, putting a brave face on the company’s challenges. The offshore wind developer has cut back some of its more ambitious targets, but seems determined to press on with major plans. Floating wind may have to wait until the 2030s, though. And finally, Allister talks us through some of the discussion around geosciences at the recent Future North Sea event. Students and universi ..read more