Petroleum Economist
US shift to renewables gains momentum (1)
A gradual move towards renewables was already underway, and the pandemic is helping to push coal further out of favour
US shift to renewables gains momentum
A gradual move towards renewables was already underway, and the pandemic is helping to push coal further out of favour
Positioning for a lower-carbon energy future
Energy is essential. Accessible and affordable supplies of energy support the ability to meet the basic requirements of life and fuel society's progress around the world.
Positioning for a lower-carbon energy future (1)
Energy is essential. Accessible and affordable supplies of energy support the ability to meet the basic requirements of life and fuel society's progress around the world.
Positioning for a lower-carbon energy future (2)
Energy is essential. Accessible and affordable supplies of energy support the ability to meet the basic requirements of life and fuel society's progress around the world.
The Kazakh Lion in winter
Kazakhstan’s former long-time leader is approaching a landmark birthday. But he is resisting any temptation to mark it with a comeback
India sets out multi-faceted reform to support gas
New Delhi is set to implement a new pipeline tariff policy to complement its first trading exchange and under-construction distribution network, to further boost the use of gas
Letter from China: Pipeline reform heats up
The signs are positive that Beijing is getting serious about opening up its gas network
Myanmar LNG projects overcome pandemic and sceptics
China and Hong Kong-led consortium has started operating first of three planned facilities as Yangon targets nationwide electrification
Letter from Canada: Alberta’s oil sands in the rifle hairs
The Alberta government and Western Canadian oil industry love to blame Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the federal government for the lack of oil pipeline capacity leaving the region, but in fact they should largely blame themselves
Three steps to support good governance
The oil and gas industry should take action to improve governance and promote sustainable development in Africa
Dutch North Sea goes from gas to green
The Netherlands plans to repurpose its declining North Sea and onshore assets to serve the energy transition
Junk sale buys Oxy much-needed time
US independent slices off chunk of near-term debt but ominous overhang remains an existential threat
Letter from Moscow: Putin triumphant, but facing choppy waters
The Russian strongman’s referendum delivered him the expected result. But there are troubles on the horizon
Caution creeps into investors’ oil and gas infrastructure appetite
The US downturn and the inexorable rise of ESG concerns are clouds on the horizon even for traditionally low-risk energy investments
Eastern European coal-to-gas switching enthusiasm builds
Poland and the Czech Republic, long the continent’s coal champions, are having a rethink
Letter from the Middle East: NOCs juggle priorities
From boosting oil production to throttling it back and with challenging oil and gas dynamics in both the short and longer-term, the region’s producers have their hands full
Australian upstream rejects politicians’ call for A$4 gas
Producers insist the costs of producing gas domestically—as well as prevailing spot prices—significantly exceed the historic benchmark price level
Congo’s disappearing discovery
The Republic of Congo’s announcement of a major discovery appears to be targeted more at extorting EU environmentalists and multilateral lenders than attracting IOCs
Deltic rides out the storm
The UKCS explorer’s strong balance sheet allows it to brush off many of the challenges posed by the oil price collapse, but it is still not immune to bearish investor sentiment
Letter from Australia: Gas-fired recovery hits turbulence
The Australian government’s vision is at risk of unravelling under intense scrutiny
Battlefield China in Russo-Saudi tussle
Russia and Saudi Arabia have largely buried, rather than settled, their issues. China is a microcosm of the ongoing tension
Gas breaks the oil price link
The proportion of LNG priced on an oil-indexed basis fell to its lowest ever level in 2019
Oil firms ready to pick up the infrastructure divestment pace
Pipelines, storage facilities and processing plants could replace non-advantaged production as prime candidates
China’s domestic gas steps up
Shale gas helps keep—albeit revised—targets well in sight
Projects progress on Norwegian tax postponements
Oslo’s stimulus package reaps immediate rewards
Oil market mulls demand risks
Crude price comes under pressure from concerns over a second coronavirus wave just as Opec+ considers loosening the supply taps. But are the worries overdone?
China holds the cards in US-EU poker
As the US shale industry struggles, energy sanctions targeting China are unlikely
Global announcements and developments July
The industry's most comprehensive list of current and recent rounds for onshore and offshore licences
Covid-19 puts African energy on pause
Discoveries have been almost non-existent since the pandemic, and investments in the power sector have stalled despite urgent need
Grand plans for gas infrastructure
Gas Infrastructure Europe is coordinating plans to overhaul the continent’s distribution system in preparation for decarbonisation
Grand plans for gas infrastructure (1)
Gas Infrastructure Europe is coordinating plans to overhaul the continent’s distribution system in preparation for decarbonisation
NPD warns on Norwegian development delays
Industry watchdog fears that Covid-19 will impact schedules
Urals premium hurts Russian integrateds
Russia’s Opec+ compliance has pushed its benchmark grade to a premium over Brent. But this is not good news for the country’s large integrated oil firms
Piling the pressure on US LTO
The country’s production may struggle to return even to its pre-pandemic levels, while growing to new heights seems a distant prospect
Gulf NOCs bank on chemical cure
The current oil market slump validates the increasing focus of the Gulf’s main upstream producers on petrochemicals
Tapping Brazil’s natural gas potential
Argentina’s Galileo aims to tackle the country’s lack of pipeline capacity through road tankers
Gazprom Neft takes the lead in Russian hard-to-recover oil
More-challenging reserves are expected to account for an increasing share of the country’s production over the coming decades
London crude trading’s ‘Good Old Days’: In the beginning
Colin Bryce takes a trip back to where it all began for the oil markets
Saudi Aramco pins its hopes on petchems
The NOC heavyweight wants to the biggest of beasts in the petrochemicals world too
Guyana’s deadlock chills the investment climate
A worsening political crisis risks slowing the pace of oil sector growth in the small Latin American nation
London crude trading’s ‘Good Old Days’: The rise of London
Colin Bryce continues his oil markets story, looking at the characters that shaped the UK capital’s prominent role
Iraq and Iran move further apart
Baghdad’s pivot away from its neighbour is increasingly extending to their shared resources
Canadian oil sands compound their image problem
Emission pledges are being rolled back to counter adverse economic conditions, reinforcing a sense the sector is not serious about lowering its carbon footprint
London crude trading’s ‘Good Old Days’: The movers and shakers
Colin Bryce continues his oil markets story, as the cast of actors grows
Banging the drum for gas
The Gas Exporting Countries Forum is backing the fuel to shake off its current malaise and enjoy future growth
US domestic M&A sent reeling
Deal-making across the oil and gas patch has slowed to a crawl despite a swathe of potential devalued assets and strained companies eager to divest
Biden tacks left on energy
The Democratic candidate has a healthy lead heading towards the November US election and a manifesto that will strike fear into the heart of the shale patch
London crude trading’s ‘Good Old Days’: The scandals
Colin Bryce continues his oil markets story, as professionalism grows but deal-making also shows a less salubrious side
Pemex debt strategy at risk of unravelling
The Mexican firm had made some progress arresting its hefty debt pile, but the economic downturn and government obsession with upstream targets has started to take its toll
Central bank holds key to Gabon’s oil future
If oil companies are forced to hold revenues in the local currency—combined with mandated Opec cuts—the Central African country will struggle to attract the new investment it desires
London crude trading’s ‘Good Old Days’: Into the nineties
Colin Bryce continues his oil markets story, as a new decade ushers in further changes to the trading landscape
Bolivian election delay further dampens gas investment appetite
The Andean country’s natural gas sector will be a casualty of a second vote being pushed back yet again
Environmental due diligence essential for refinery assets
In transactions involving petroleum refinery assets, thorough and careful due diligence is critical for identifying and quantifying environmental liabilities associated with the target asset
Environmental due diligence essential for refinery assets (1)
In transactions involving petroleum refinery assets, thorough and careful due diligence is critical for identifying and quantifying environmental liabilities associated with the target asset