BP’s Credibility in Tatters Again

May 17, 2011By Andy RowellBlog Post, Featured

BP’s long-term strategic direction and its credibility with City analysts is in tatters this morning after its bid for a strategic alliance with Rosneft, the Russian state oil champion, collapsed late last night. A year on from the Deepwater disaster, this was the deal that was meant to revitalise BP’s reputation. This was the deal … Read More

The High Cost of Keeping Gas Prices Low

May 16, 2011By Andy RowellBlog Post, Featured

The subsidy battle raging in Washington at the moment is all about what are known as “production” subsidies. These are subsidies that are paid to the oil majors to keep the oil and gas flowing. But there is also another type of subsidy: this is where governments, often in countries producing oil or developing countries, … Read More

France to Say “Non” to Fracking

May 11, 2011By Andy RowellBlog Post, Featured

Just last week, a study by the European Centre for Energy and Resource Security concluded that unconventional gas resources in Europe – such as shale gas – could radically reshape the continent’s oil and gas outlook, and reduce its dependency on Russia and the Middle East. The report said that, in theory “Europe’s unconventional gas … Read More

Who Needs Oil or Nukes Anyway?

May 10, 2011By Andy RowellBlog Post, Featured 2 Comments

In the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan many commentators, including some leading environmentalists argued that despite the inherent risks of nuclear power, it was still a necessary evil in the battle about climate change. They joined other pro-nuclear voices that have been growing steadily over the last few years in arguing that … Read More

Subsidy Battle Hots Up

May 9, 2011By Andy RowellBlog Post, Featured

The showdown on gas prices and subsidy removal will intensify this week in Washington, when senior oil and gas executives are hauled before Congress to explain record profits at a time when consumers are hurting at the pumps. Legislation is being worked on by Max Baucus, the Montana Democrat and chairman of the Senate finance … Read More

The “Spill Amnesia Bill”

May 6, 2011By Andy RowellBlog Post, Featured

A week, they say, can be a long time in politics. A year, therefore can be a lifetime. And long enough to forget. A year on from the Deepwater disaster, Republicans are acting as if the America’s largest ever oil spill did not in fact happen. It was just a distant bad dream. Yesterday, as … Read More

Independent oil & gas producers don’t need subsidies any more than big oil does

April 29, 2011By Lorne StockmanBlog Post, Featured, Separate Oil and State

The Independent Petroleum Producers Association is currently in overdrive parading a commissioned study that makes a number of claims about its member’s value to the economy. According to the study, independent oil and gas producers drill most of the wells in the country, create millions of jobs and pay billions in taxes and royalties. Furthermore, … Read More