Equinor abandons offshore electrification due to rising costs
Equinor, citing rising costs, informed the Norwegian government that it had scrapped its plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the connection of several offshore platforms with the onshore grid. Norway's oil and gas industry is the largest contributor to climate change emissions. It accounts for about one quarter of all emissions. Gas turbines that power offshore installations account for 80% of all industry emissions. The key strategy for decarbonisation has been to replace them with renewable energy from the shore. Equinor will no longer pursue the electrification for its Snorre A…
Shell's US executive claims Trump's halting wind projects damages investment, FT reports
Colette Hirstius, president of Shell U.S. in a Financial Times report published Sunday, said that the decision by President Donald Trump's administration to halt offshore wind projects which have been fully approved is "very harmful" to investment. The executive told the paper that energy projects which have been granted the proper permits, should continue. He also warned against the possibility of the U.S. political pendulum swinging back to the oil and gas industry. I think that uncertainty in the regulatory climate is damaging. She told the newspaper that no matter how far the pendulum swings in one direction, it is likely to swing the same way the other way.
Imperial Oil Canada plans to reduce its workforce by 20% by the end of 2027
Imperial Oil Canada announced on Monday that it will reduce its workforce by 20% by the year 2027. This is part of a major reorganization designed to cut costs through centralizing and consolidating operations in specific locations. Imperial Oil, which is owned by the top U.S. oil company Exxon Mobil and had approximately 5,100 employees at the end of 2024 according to a filing with regulatory authorities, has been undergoing a major restructuring. Global crude oil prices have fallen this year as a result of increased production from the OPEC+ oil producer group and uncertainty over trade policies. ConocoPhillips, SLB and other U.S.
Ukrainian drones strike Russian oil refinery and petrochemical complex
Ukraine announced on Thursday that drones it had used in Russia struck an oil refinery and a major oil-processing and petrochemical facility. This was part of a campaign intensifying to disrupt the oil and gas industry in Moscow. In recent weeks, Ukraine has intensified drone attacks against Russian energy infrastructure, targeting the key facilities in an effort to reduce Moscow’s export revenues, and to stir up domestic unrest. Russia, which targets Ukraine's infrastructure for energy regularly, calls these attacks "acts terrorism". As a result, there are gasoline shortages in some parts of Russia.
Sentinel Midstream’s deepwater oil export project is granted an air permit by the EPA
On Monday, the U.S. Environmental regulator announced that it had granted an air permit to Sentinel Midstream for its proposed deepwater oil project off Texas' coast. According to a press release, the Environmental Protection Agency has issued a permit under the Clean Air Act that permits the use of auxiliary vessels to control volatile organic compounds at the proposed Texas GulfLink deepwater terminal. U.S. president Donald Trump wants to see projects approved faster, especially those that boost the U.S. oil and gas industry. This permit will bring Sentinel closer to making a final investment.
Sources say that Canada could drop its oil emission cap as part of a new climate plan
Three sources familiar with the discussions said that the Canadian government was in talks with Alberta and energy companies about removing a federal cap for emissions in the oil and gas industry if both the province and the industry reduced their carbon footprints in other ways. Sources who weren't authorized to publicly discuss the discussions said that the government of Prime Minister Mark Carney has discussed the removal of the cap with the oil companies, and Canada's leading oil producing province, if they made other environmental concessions. Canada's emission cap has yet to be implemented by legislation.
Sources say that Canada could drop its oil emission cap as part of a new climate plan
Three sources familiar with the discussions said that the Canadian government was in talks with Alberta and energy companies about removing a federal cap on the emissions of the oil and gas industry if they reduced their carbon footprints in other ways. Three sources who weren't authorized to publicly discuss the talks said that the government of Prime Minister Mark Carney has discussed the removal of the cap with the oil companies and Canada’s top oil producing province if both parties make other concessions on the environment. The legislation to implement Canada's emission cap is still pending.
Sources say that Canada could drop its oil emission cap as part a new climate plan
Three sources familiar with the discussions said that the Canadian government was in talks with Alberta and energy companies about removing a federal cap on the emissions of the oil and gas industry if they reduced their carbon footprints in other ways. Three sources who weren't authorized to publicly discuss the talks said that the government of Prime Minister Mark Carney has discussed removing a federal cap on emissions from Canada's oil and gas sector with energy companies and Alberta if the industry and province reduce their carbon footprint in other ways. The Canadian emissions cap is not yet implemented by legislation.
Equinor's auction prospects are boosted by BP's large Brazil oil and gas discovery
The announcement by BP on Monday that it had made its largest oil and gas find in 25 years off the coast of Brazil in Santos Basin bodes well both for Equinor and for their nearby interests. It also shows a strong appetite to auction oil blocks in October in this region. Brazil became one of the largest oil producers in the world after discoveries were made nearly 20 years ago. The region is characterized by vast deepwater reservoirs under a layer of salt beneath the ocean's surface. If BP's Bumerangue Block proves to be viable, it would be a…
UN urges Australia and Turkey to resolve host dispute for COP31
On Monday, the UN climate chief urged Australia to settle its long-running dispute with Turkey over hosting next year's COP31 Summit. He called the delay unhelpful. Both Australia and Turkey have submitted bids for the highly-publicized conference in 2022, but neither has conceded to the other since. Simon Stiell said that the deadlock undermined preparations. He is the executive secretary of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change which oversees COP Summits. He said that a decision must be taken very quickly at an event of the Smart Energy Council in Sydney. The two proponents must come together, both within and outside the group.
Alberta has eliminated the gas flaring limit in 2024.
Calculations show that energy producers in Alberta, Canada’s largest oil producing province, exceeded the self-imposed provincial limit for annual gas flaring by 2024, for the second consecutive year. Alberta's energy regulator announced late last week that it would be ending the flaring limit. The regulator, who quietly posted a bulletin to its website, is the first one to report this change. The regulator confirmed Monday that the limit had been removed and stated it was in response to the direction of the provincial government. Canada is the world's number one oil producer. Canada, the world's No.
UK Issues Environmental Guidance on New North Sea Oil and Gas Drilling
The UK published long-awaited guidance on environmental issues that will impact future developments of two North Sea oil and natural gas fields, including Shell and Equinor. The guidelines explain how future government decisions on extraction should treat greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas, also known as downstream emissions or Scope 3. The government ordered the document after a Supreme Court decision last year that said planning authorities had to consider the impact of greenhouse gas emissions when approving a well near Gatwick Airport.
UK releases environmental guidance that will impact North Sea drilling
The UK published environmental guidelines on Thursday, which will impact future developments of two North Sea oil and natural gas fields. Shell and Equinor are among the companies that are expected to benefit. The guidelines outlines how future government decisions on extraction should treat greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas, also known as downstream emissions. It is a significant step in ensuring that the full impacts of oil and natural gas extraction for potential projects are taken into consideration and we can ensure a managed and prosperous transition to a clean energy future in the North Sea, in accordance with science.
Oil industry gathering in Malaysia is shadowed by conflict in Middle East
Energy executives from around the world gathered on Monday in Malaysia's capital for an industry gathering. They were concerned about the dramatic escalation of the conflict between Israel & Iran which has fueled fears that the conflict could spread and disrupt the supply. According to the head of Saudi Arabia's state oil giant Aramco, conflict highlights the importance of oil. He said that the world was concerned about energy security, despite the fact that Israel and Iran were fighting. Israel launched attacks on Iran on Friday, including its nuclear power plants, in an effort to stop Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.
Malaysia PM pledges $10 billion for national grid upgrade
Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia's Prime Minister, said that Tenaga Nasional had committed to upgrading the national grid infrastructure with 43 billion ringgit (about $10 billion). Anwar, who opened the Energy Asia Conference, said that the grid upgrade will help the country achieve its ambitions in artificial Intelligence and battery energy storage system. Anwar also said that he plans to build three carbon-capture storage facilities offshore to serve the oil and gas industry as well as other industries. He said Malaysian CCS efforts include more than ten international partners, including those from Japan and South Korea as well as energy companies such as TotalEnergies or Shell.
Nigerian oil sector enters new phase of growth thanks to local firms
Nigeria's oil and gas industry is undergoing a major shift as local companies take on a greater role, resulting in a new phase for innovation and growth. The companies that are leading the charge include those who have purchased onshore and shallow-water assets from oil majors, which plan to invest billions of dollars in developing abandoned fields. Even smaller producers are contributing. For example, Nigeria's Otakikpo crude terminal was the first onshore crude terminal to be developed and operated locally. It began loading operations Monday. It was built by Green Energy Limited in the OML11 block near Port Harcourt. This marks a significant milestone for local capacity.
US finds endangered Gulf of Mexico Whale threatened by oil and Gas Vessel Strikes
The Trump administration released a long-awaited assessment of environmental impact on Tuesday. It found that vessel strikes relating to oil and natural gas drilling in Gulf of Mexico will likely threaten the existence of endangered Rice's Whale. The biological opinion is an analysis that determines how to protect endangered marine species from oil and gas operations in the Gulf of America, renamed by President Donald Trump. According to the analysis, there are 51 Rice's Whales in the Gulf. This sets speed limits and requires vessels to keep a minimum 500-meter (547 yard) distance from them if they see one.
Kayne Anderson raises $ 2.25 billion for the third Energy Income Fund
Kayne Anderson announced that it has closed its third Energy Income Fund with $2.25 Billion of capital committed. This is far more than the initial target, as investors have shown renewed interest in oil and gas assets. According to a Kayne Private Energy Income Fund III statement, the fund will invest in private companies that produce oil and gas from wells with stable cash flow. This kind of production is suitable for income-focused strategies. Investors are paid a regular portion of earnings from an investment, in addition to the traditional private equity returns generated by assets increasing in value.
Vietnam and Russia quickly agree to sign a nuclear power plant agreement
In a joint press release, Vietnam and Russia agreed to sign and negotiate agreements quickly on the construction of nuclear power plants in Vietnam. The statement was issued on Sunday, following a visit by To Lam to Moscow. Southeast Asia has resumed its plans to build nuclear power plants, which were suspended almost a decade earlier. This is part of the nation's efforts to increase its power generation capability to support its rapidly growing economy. The government had previously stated that it expected nuclear power plants to have a combined output of up to 6 GW between 2030 and 2035.
EnQuest pays its first dividend after a swing to an annual profit
EnQuest, a North Sea oil producer, declared its first ever final dividend of 15 million dollars on Thursday. The higher oil prices helped to boost the company's annual profit after tax. The shares of the London listed energy group rose by 3.4% at 13.8 pence as of 0830 GMT after it announced that it would pay its first dividend of 0.616 penny per share in June. It reported a profit after tax of $93.8 millions for 2024. This follows a loss of $30.8 million the year before. EnQuest has declined to provide an update about the discussions ahead of EnQuest's deadline to submit an offer on April 4.