Oil and Industry
US shale will be first casualty of oil price war
Although the oil price war was triggered by the Russia-Saudi fall-out, US shale will be the first casualty, writes Robin Mills. In the process, the US will learn that producing a lot of oil at high prices is not the “energy dominance” it has made a centrepiece of foreign policy, he argues.
China’s growing interest in Saudi Aramco is part of a long game
The Aramco public offering gives China an opportunity to gain a foothold at the center of the global oil industry. According to Joseph Dana, the move is part of a longer-term attempt by Beijing to challenge the dollar’s dominance as the world’s universal currency.
The attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq refinery and the realpolitik of oil
After a Saudi oil processing facility came under attack, attention turned on the immediate effect this could have on oil prices. But the worry should be more over the medium term than the short term, writes Robin Mills.
As the sun sets on oil, the sun will rise on solar power
When shares in Saudi Aramco eventually go public, there will doubtless be a feeding frenzy on what promises to be the largest initial public offering ever seen. More significantly, the move would also signal Saudi Arabia’s recognition that sunset for fossil fuel is just over the horizon, writes Jonathan Gornall.
Watad: The oil company that came from nowhere and became a key player in Syria
Life in rebel-held northwest Syria has, without a doubt, been made easier by Watad Petroleum’s presence. But with no information available publicly about who owns or runs it, there is a persistent suspicion about it, writes Haid Haid.
The US isn’t protecting oil supplies from the Middle East, it wants to control prices as foreign policy
America’s extensive use of military and economic coercion in the Middle East and other oil-producing countries around the world reflects the US’s new position as an exporter of oil and liquefied natural gas, argues Robin Mills. Robin Mills is the...
Iran seeks to prove it can disrupt oil and gas exports from Arab Gulf States
A recent attack on Saudi oil facilities west of Riyadh were designed to demonstrate Tehran’s ability to target all of the region’s oil and gas exports and raise exponentially the cost of military conflict for the US and its allies in the Gulf region, writes Hasan Alhasan.
What Daimler’s move on carbon-neutral cars says about the industry
Daimler, one of the world’s leading producers of premium cars and commercial vehicles, has announced new commitments to make its entire passenger car fleet carbon neutral by the close of 2039. This is the most ambitious timeline among any of the leading automakers and signals a rapid acceleration in the shift towards zero-carbon transport, writes Nigel Topping.
Iran and the US are inching toward war
There can be little doubt now that Iran and the US are inching toward full-scale war. All attempts by either to force a change in the other’s behavior have come to nothing. Conflict now seems inevitable, writes Dnyanesh Kamat.
Methane: Europe’s chronic climate blind spot
Europe has long led the global charge against greenhouse gas pollution. But it has been chronically reluctant to address the climate impact of methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, writes Poppy Kalesi.
ExxonMobil misled the public. Now they’re trying to mislead the European Parliament
Last month, US oil giant ExxonMobil was invited by the European Parliament to testify publicly about the history of climate change denial. But instead of responding transparently, they tried behind the scenes to discredit the peer-reviewed research conducted by Harvard University researchers, writes Geoffrey Supran.
Time for EU bank to comply with EU’s climate objectives
As the European Investment Bank (EIB) holds a meeting in Brussels today (25 February) to consult the public on its new energy policy, Wendel Trio reflects on the role the EU’s bank should have in tackling the climate crisis.
Embracing the power of cheap renewables to deliver a carbon exit
Green steel, green ammonium, green plastics, green aluminium and green shipping can be within reach in a world with renewables at 3$ct/kilowatt hour and a carbon price of $50+/ton CO2, with limited costs to the global economy, argue Auke Lont...
How will oil producing countries meet the challenge of climate change?
As the United Nations COP24 gets underway in Poland, leading oil and gas players – countries and companies – are confronted with the challenge of mapping out their share of the new energy economy, writes Robin Mills.
Energy efficiency – a game changer for Europe, a responsibility for industry
EU efforts to increase energy efficiency are now entering the sharp end of the legislative process, as trilateral talks ramp up. Nadezda Kokotovic explains what role industry should play in energy saving.
Europe must regain the lead in clean automotive innovation
The EU must adopt policies that put European manufacturers on the right track to compete with the global shift to low carbon transport, writes Andrey Kovatchev.
Are electric vehicles cleaner? The evidence points firmly in one direction
Opponents of electrification will continue to misuse lifecycle analyses to discredit battery electric vehicles. But they need to be increasingly ‘creative’ to do so, writes Julia Poliscanova.
Is deep-sea mining worth the risk?
There is no evidence that deep-sea mining will reduce our dependency on land-based mining. We need to end business as usual and act to reduce the demand for these raw materials by making the transition towards a circular economy, write a group of Greens/EFA MEPs.
EU need not fear new Russian gas pipeline
Europe’s continuing need for Russian gas – for reasons of proximity and price – is a reality, but it need not leave the EU over a barrel, writes Noah Gordon.
Synthetic fossil fuels: A dieselgate 2.0 in the making?
Audi, the German car manufacturer, is pitching ‘e-fuels’ as a clean alternative to produce petrol, diesel or gas, without having to extract fossil fuels. Sounds splendid but unfortunately too good to be true, warns Jonas Helseth.
Common failures in predicting future oil demand
In a world where technologies are evolving at a blistering pace, many are struggling to make smart choices, especially in the area of transport, writes Pete Harrison.
Fair fuel pricing: A test for Europe’s climate ambitions
Is the EU committed enough to increase taxes on fossil fuels? That is a question that needs to be raised now considering the long-running debate on the best measures, including energy taxation, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, write Kai Schlegelmilch and Zoltán Szabó.
Climate change fight is great opportunity for Europe’s labourers
For decades, labourers were presented with a false choice: good jobs or a clean environment. They were told that efforts to cut pollution would kill jobs—that they had to choose between clean air and the economy. Now we know better, insists Kathleen Van Brempt.