UK NEWS

After gas shortages in the UK have led to soaring high prices, Qatar eyes an opportunity to strengthen ties with the UK in terms of gas supply. It is clear that Qatar sees Brexit as a chance to develop huge gas investments in the UK. The Gulf state already has $50 billion of investments in Britain and delivers 90 per cent of Britain's imports of liquefied natural gas, according to Qatar's Ministry of Energy. According to a report published by Financial Times, last month, Downing Street initiated LNG diplomacy talks with their Qatari counterparts on diverting four energy tankers to Britain.

Sinking the exploration well is a firm commitment on a 30th licensing round award. If successful, Jaws will be tied-back to the Shell Nelson platform around 10miles to the north-west. Cairn Energy, soon to be renamed Capricorn Energy, is partnered 50-50 on the Shell-operated Jaws project in licence P2380. In March 2020, Shell completed a working interest swap with Cairn, which included 50% of Jaws being swapped with 50% of Cairn’s nearby Diadem prospect in licence P2379, which it expects to spud in Q2 2022.

Soaring wholesale gas prices have left the UK in an energy crisis, with fears for vulnerable households as bills rise and a wave of energy firms folding. In the 1990s, the UK made a “dash for gas”. In recent years, it has leaned on the fuel to ease the phase out of an even more polluting fossil fuel, coal. That makes the UK heavily reliant on gas for energy, with 86 per cent of homes using it for heating and more than a third of electricity supplies coming from gas power plants. The main reason for the current crisis is a shortage of gas supplies, due in part to outages in production in Norway and elsewhere, and demand from Asia. It is also, to a much lesser degree, due to low output from wind power and a fire last week leaving a UK-France power link offline. Prices and carbon emissions are up, with ageing coal and mothballed gas power stations firing up again. Wholesale gas prices are up 176 per cent since the start of the year, and power prices in the past month are up 266 per cent on the average this year.

Using hydrogen gas as a fuel produces only water as a by-product, rather than greenhouse gases such as CO2, which are harmful for the climate. It can be used to power fuel cells - devices that generate electricity through an electrochemical reaction - used in a turbine for electricity or burned in a boiler and vehicle engine. The government plans to deliver 5GW of hydrogen production capacity by 2030, estimating that the industry could be worth £900m and support more than 9,000 jobs by the same date. As such, it is a clean, versatile energy source that could power cars, trucks and trains, heat our homes and generate the power needed for industrial processes such as steel production.

The UK public want renewables to be at the top of government’s plans for green growth, according to a YouGov poll for RenewableUK.YouGov asked a weighted sample of 1700 people to rank the 10 key areas outlined in Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution.Five times as many people supported the prioritisation of renewable energy as the top choice than any other green industry.

The UK Government has been urged to provide targeted support for the deep geothermal sector to aid the "green recovery" and help deliver a "world leading" industry.The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA) and ARUP have published their Deep Geothermal Energy: Economic Decarbonisation Opportunities for the United Kingdom report which underlines the environmental and economic potential of deep geothermal.

A former landfill site is being transformed into a green energy innovation park – with work now underway at Elstow in Bedfordshire, England. Bedford Borough Council was awarded more than £1.8 million from the South East Midlands Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) Getting Building Fund in 2020, enabling plans for the all-new Bedford Green Technology and Innovation Park to become a reality.

OGUK today announced the details of its Annual Conference. The three-day virtual conference entitled ‘Industry in Transition: Driving A Net Zero Energy Future' will take place online between June 1-3, 2021. BP CEO Bernard Looney will speak on day one of the conference, with OGUK Chief Executive Deirdre Michie expected to restate the UK sector's commitment to supporting jobs now and through a green recovery.

The UK government unveiled plan to increase its offshore wind power capacity from 30GW to 40GW by 2030, in October 2020. The UK government unveiled plan to increase its offshore wind power capacity from 30GW to 40GW by 2030, in October 2020.Verdict has conducted a poll to assess whether the UK will be able to reach its goal of having adequate offshore wind farms.

This will include up to £10bn for hydrogen production and £3bn for a technology called carbon capture, usage and storage - where carbon emissions are either turned into other products such as plastics or buried.The government says the deal should cut pollution by up to 60 million tonnes by 2030, while also supporting up to 40,000 jobs across the supply chain.

Spending by oil and gas companies operating in the UK North Sea fell to the lowest levels since 2004 last year as they concentrated on preserving cash during the pandemic, while production from the more than half a century-old basin has re-entered “longer-term” decline.

If approved, the 37,000-panel extension would result in 20% of the plant's energy coming from all onsite renewables. Nissan has announced plans for expansion to renewable energy generation at its plant in Sunderland, UK. The company claims that the existing wind turbines and solar farm, the proposed 20MW solar farm extension represents a step in Nissan's path to carbon neutrality.

The UK Government’s Budget announcement has legislated for the creation of an infrastructure bank and green finance schemes. On Wednesday, UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a package of business measures. These included a raise in corporation tax set for two years’ time. Until then, the UK Government will allow companies to deduct 130% of their investments from their taxes.

Ocean Infinity and MMT announced an acquisition to bring together MMT’s expertise and track record as a marine survey and data analytics provider and Ocean Infinity's robotic technology and operational expertise. Following the acquisition by Ocean Infinity, MMT will continue to operate under the MMT brand. The enlarged group will have a headcount of over 300 people and will operate from an expanded geographical footprint with offices in the US, Sweden, UK, Singapore and Norway.

Royal Dutch Shell will not raise salaries for most of its employees this year as it looks to save cash amid an overhaul of the company. There will be as many as 9,000 job losses over the next two years, with cuts already announced in Netherlands, UK and Malaysia. In July, Chief Financial Officer Jessica Uhl told analysts that halted bonus payouts would save the company about $1billion.

The leading representative body for UK oil and gas has today announced appointment of a new co-chair to its board, Arne Gürtner, Senior Vice President UK & Ireland Offshore at Equinor, as the sector focuses on industry’s recovery whilst meeting net-zero targets for 2021. Arne leads organisation supporting Equinor’s UK and Ireland upstream activities, which includes Mariner development and Rosebank.

Neptune Energy and its joint venture partners bp and JAPEX, announced drilling has commenced on Seagull project in the UK Central North Sea. The Gorilla VI (JU-248) jack-up rig, operated by Valaris, will drill four wells for development over the course of drilling campaign which is expected to last 18 months. Seagull is expected to produce 50,000 boe/day (gross).

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has hailed the “incredible things” being done by India in the solar energy sector as he warned that the emergency facing the world from climate change was far more destructive than even the coronavirus pandemic