Why is decommissioning not a cost to the taxpayer?
Derek Leith’s recent Energy Voice post – Busting the decommissioning tax myths - has resulted in a lot of mud being thrown at me.
Opinion
MER and the energy transition: Can OGA square the circle?
I recently presented at a UK Oil and Gas Law Seminar where the keynote speaker was Mike Tholen (Upstream Policy Director Oil & Gas UK).
First power for the world’s most powerful turbine ‘incredible milestone’
Dogger Bank Wind Farms, SSE Renewables and Equinor’s joint venture, is a pioneering offshore wind farm development.
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority blossoms in Japan
The British Embassy in Tokyo is one of the most active and also most interesting in our worldwide network.
Offshore wind: A low-carbon winner in the making
For the past 20-plus years I’ve watched the birth of offshore wind power in the North Sea, starting with small turbines planted in water so shallow that it seemed almost possible to wade out to them.
In-house legal teams increasingly under the cosh
The oil and gas sector has long been one of the most technically ingenious industries.
Is there a future in the UKCS?
I was born in 1976. It was a decade that was not only phenomenal but also transformational for the oil and gas industry.
Sir Ian Wood: North-east can be world leader in exciting new sector
With more offshore wind installations than any other country in the world and a number of pioneering projects, offshore wind represents a huge opportunity for Scotland and the north-east region.
Resuming electricity imports from Russia: A very risky business for Ukraine
Energy is particularly important to Ukraine. It is not simply a matter of ensuring consumers and businesses have the energy they need, at the right price. Or that the country is fulfilling its international obligations in transitioning towards a more sustainable, renewables based, energy system. Energy is also absolutely fundamental to our national security and the nature of our relationships with our neighbours.
Retrofitting to improve asset performance – the opportunities and challenges
With the Feed-in Tariff now closed to new applicants (from 1 April 2019), the Smart Export Guarantee currently under consultation with a government busy with the Brexit agenda, stubbornly high costs of entry to new entrants (such as high grid upgrade costs), the required rates of return for investors have not been reached and as a result there has been a noticeable slowdown in the roll-out of new renewables projects.
Windows 7 – preparing for ‘end of life’
Benjamin Franklin said: “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail” and, whilst this is a very frequently-quoted phrase which many of us in business will have heard countless times, it has never been more pertinent writes Bruce Skinner, Director of Alto.
Opinion – I hope Aker Solutions knows what it is doing
“We attract the best employees and help them learn, grow and realise their dreams through mentoring and other career development assistance,” Aker Solutions says on its website.
Brent decom debate: Evidence vs Emotive
As someone with a keen interest in decommissioning decision making, I have followed the Brent decommissioning saga with that same keen interest.
Time to forge links between oil decommissioning and aquaculture
It’s not often that the aquaculture and energy sectors are talked about in the same sentence in Scotland. Yet, in Norway, for example, salmon is often considered to be the long-term replacement for oil and gas as the linchpin of the country’s economy.
Winners and losers of the energy transition
The oil and gas industry currently finds itself in a situation which is far from comfortable.
Is oil and gas production such a bad thing?
In my position as a university lecturer, a parent and as a friend to many younger people, it is clear that a large portion believe that fossil fuels are bad.
Businesses face disruption with end of Windows 7
Benjamin Franklin said: “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail” and, whilst this is a very frequently-quoted phrase which many of us in business will have heard countless times, it has never been more pertinent writes Bruce Skinner, Director of Alto.
Natural selection in energy transition
While the shift from hydrocarbons to renewables is far from smooth, investment opportunities in the generation, service and utility markets are proliferating as the sector landscape evolves.
Elevating industry through energy transition
We are seeing a significant increase in the rate of transition from a high-carbon to low-carbon energy system.
Work harder for next generation on climate change
The Aberdeen-based Oil and Gas Technology Centre (OGTC) is setting up a unit called the Net Zero Solution Centre with the aim of “accelerating technologies and their deployment” and helping turn the UKCS into the world’s first net-zero carbon basin.
Blown away by the opportunities in offshore wind
With the Crown Estate’s recent announcement of offshore wind leasing round four, there is a fantastic opportunity for offshore wind developers to get involved in the first leasing round of its type in more than 10 years.
How to increase accountability in the workplace
Encouraging accountability in the workplace with the ultimate goal of creating an organisation characterised by responsibility, motivation and engagement is a matter of cultivating positive behaviours and discouraging negative ones.
How long is the long term?
The 2017 Tory manifesto gave a generous nod in the direction of “the remote islands of Scotland”.
What is the real opportunity for floating offshore wind in Scotland?
A few months ago I was asked during a television interview what the next five to 10 years could look like for Scottish offshore wind.
Where foresight replaces hindsight: how AI impacts the future of oil and gas safety
According to the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP), there were 31 fatal incidents across the industry in 2018.