Pardon the title, but the Wall Street Journal has an extremely interesting interview with the top dog at Shell, Peter Voser. He admits that Shell is fast becoming a gas company rather than an oil company. “Shell started quite a while back, actually, to put a lot of emphasis on gas” says Voser. “And by … Read More
Gas
Cheap Gas Fuels Tar Sands Expansion
One of the unseen consequences of the lower gas prices in North America is that it is actually making it cheaper to extract the tar sands. And that in turn is giving tar sands operators the confidence to expand production. So bizarrely cheap cleaner gas is fuelling the exploitation of the dirty tar sands. Â
Its January, must be time for a Russian energy dispute
It’s that time of year again. It’s January, snow is on the ground (and no that doesn’t mean that climate change is not happening), it’s freezing outside and … Russia is having an energy dispute with its neighbours. Somethings never change. This time it is Belarus and the spat is about oil rather than gas, … Read More
The First of Peter’s Problems: Nigeria
When Peter Voser takes control at Shell next week from his predecessor Jeroen van der Veer, he will have a bursting in-tray that includes one persistent problem for Shell: Nigeria. Here the oil giant faces a myriad of problems including continuing community unrest, militant attacks and what to do about gas flaring.
The Great Gazan Gas Robbery
As Iran continues to grab the headlines coming out of the Middle East, the Obama Administration is said to be quietly pushing Israel to soften its stance on Gaza to relax its vice-like grip on the border crossings, in order to ease the growing humanitrian crisis. Any diplomatic initiative by Obama that lessens the suffering … Read More
The Next Big Thing: Shale Gas
Most people across the spectrum of the energy industry – from its critics to its most ardent supporters – believe that the days of easy oil are really over. Apart from the abundant deposits in the Middle East, which are not under the control of the international oil majors, oil is becoming harder to find … Read More
EU’s Answer to Gas Crisis “Not Credible”
OK – hands up. I admit it. Yesterday I may have been too hasty to blame the European row on Russian and Putin, when there is increasing evidence that the Ukrainians are to partly to blame too. You could argue that the other countries in Europe are also to blame. Despite these annual spats between … Read More
Putin’s Power Games Cause Severe Gas Shortages
As much of Europe shivers under unusually low temperatures, it is not only the temperatures that are plummeting. The annual spat over gas supplies and price between Russia and Ukraine has worsened overnight with four countries now reporting a complete halt in supplies. The government in Kiev has said that Gazprom, the Russian state gas … Read More
Putin: “Era of Cheap Gas” at an End
Oil may be at its lowest level for years, but Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has warned consumers that the “era of cheap gas” is coming to an end. At a meeting to create a new forum of gas exporting countries, Putin said: “The expenses necessary for developing fields are rising sharply, and this means … Read More
The spoils of war are coming home…
It could be the ultimate irony for millions of people who opposed the illegal war in Iraq – within months when they switch on their heating or their cooker, they could be burning Iraqi gas. Their homes could be heated by the spoils of war. Yesterday Shell signed a $4 billion gas deal – the … Read More