The President of Guyana, Irfaan Ali puts the BBC’s Stephen Sackur firmly in his place over his questions regarding Guyana’s policies on climate change & net zero. pic.twitter.com/irvtltPWyQ
— James Melville 🚜 (@JamesMelville) January 1, 2026
Archive for the ‘climate’ Category
Guyana’s President slams smug BBC reporter 😁
Posted in climate, Guyana, tagged BBC, climate change, Guyana, Irfan Ali on January 1, 2026| 2 Comments »
More misery for Aberdeen as the UK’s “windfall profits” tax remains in place
Posted in climate, energy policy, Offshore Energy - General, UK, tagged Aberdeen, Dan Yergin, JL Daeschler, North Sea, production decline, UK oil and gas, windfall profits tax on December 2, 2025| Leave a Comment »
JL Daeschler, other North Sea veterans, and those of us who once admired the UK offshore program, lament the sad plight of their oil and gas industry and the destruction of the economy in northeast Scotland.
Incomprehensibly, the UK has retained the Energy Profits Levy, which requires North Sea operators to hand over 78% of their diminished profits to the Treasury. Most have regrettably chosen to do business elsewhere. Investment in the UK North Sea is at a record low and a study from Robert Gordon University says jobs are being “quietly” lost at a rate of 1,000 a month.
The UK government is grudgingly allowing some tieback production to existing facilities, but this will do little to stem the industry’s decline. JL notes that this limited infield development is not the type of new field investment needed to grow production and sustain the service industry (rigs, boats, helicopters, equipment, etc.).
The UK Oil and Gas Authority rather smugly changed its name to the North Sea Transition Authority in 2022. Besides lower production and higher energy prices, what has the Transition Authority accomplished? As Dan Yergin correctly informs us:
“The term energy transition somehow sounds like it is a well-lubricated slide from one reality to another. In fact, it will be far more complex: Throughout history, energy transitions have been difficult, and this one is even more challenging than any previous shift.”
Related article in the WSJ: “Europe’s Green Energy Rush Slashed Emissions—and Crippled the Economy”
“European politicians pitched the continent’s green transition to voters as a win-win: Citizens would benefit from green jobs and cheap, abundant solar and wind energy alongside a sharp reduction in carbon emissions. Nearly two decades on, the promise has largely proved costly for consumers and damaging for the economy.”
“Europe largely took an “or” strategy: It raced to replace fossil fuels with solar, wind and biomass by taxing carbon heavily, subsidizing renewables and closing scores of fossil-fuel power plants. Britain, which pioneered the use of coal for energy, last year became the first large industrialized country to shut all of its coal-fired power plants. It has also banned new offshore oil-and-gas drilling. Denmark plans to eliminate gas for home heating by 2035. Around one-fifth of Germany’s municipal utilities plan to shut down their gas networks in coming years, according to an October survey by the utilities’ trade association.”
By a 3-2 vote, Supervisors cancel Santa Barbara County’s 130 year old oil industry
Posted in California, climate, energy policy, pipelines, Regulation, tagged 3-2 vote, Board of Supervisors, no new wells, oil and gas ordinance, Santa Barbara County on October 24, 2025| 1 Comment »
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to proceed with developing a new ordinance that will ban new and operating oil and gas wells in the County.
In essence, the 3 Supervisors from South County (Districts 1-3) voted to euthanize an industry that is largely in North County (Districts 4 and 5). Those 3 supervisors, not the marketplace, are terminating a historically important industry. See the maps below.
Supervisors Laura Capps of the Second District, Joan Hartmann of the Third District and Roy Lee of the First District voted for the ordinance.
Supervisor Steve Lavagnino of the Fifth District, where I once lived, correctly noted that the North County only has two industries that allow people to support themselves well after high school: agriculture, and oil and gas.
Ah, but it’s the industry’s fault according to Supervisor Hartmann. She asserted that companies have known since the 1950s about the dangers of climate change, and could have led the way to be part of the solution. How dare they respond to market forces instead of climate ideologues!
Of course, this is the same three vote coalition that is aligned with the Coastal Commission in opposition to the restart of the Santa Ynez Unit, which would benefit the County significantly.
Finally, note that the three supervisors voting for the ordinance represent the districts with the highest income levels and lowest poverty rates. Those opposing the ordinance represent the districts that will be most affected, and have the lowest income levels and highest poverty rates. (See the table below; Information courtesy of Grok AI.)
| District | Approx. Median Household Income (2022) | Key Areas Included | Notes |
| 1 | $120,000–$140,000 | Carpinteria, Summerland, Montecito, parts of Santa Barbara | Affluent coastal communities; high home values (~$1.5M+ median) |
| 2 | $95,000–$115,000 | Santa Barbara city, Goleta, Isla Vista | Mix of urban professionals, students, and tech; university influence lowers median slightly. |
| 3 | $80,000-$95,000 | Santa Ynez Valley, Buellton, Solvang, Lompoc | Rural/agricultural with tourism; moderate incomes from wine industry and military base |
| 4 | $70,000–$85,000 | Lompoc, Vandenberg area, parts of Santa Maria | industrial and defense-related; higher poverty rates (~15–20%). |
| 5 | $60,000–$75,000 | Santa Maria, Guadalupe | Agricultural North County; majority Latino population; lowest incomes due to farm labor. |
Poverty rates: ~8–10% in Districts 1–2 vs. 18–25% in Districts 4–5
Diverse coalition aligned against carbon disposal in Louisiana
Posted in CCS, climate, energy policy, pipelines, tagged carbon disposal, CCS, Executive Order, Gov. Landry, Louisiana, Save My Louisiana on October 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »
The carbon disposal industry, which overplayed its hand on the OCS, has managed to alienate traditional oil and gas industry supporters, sparking grassroots opposition in conservative areas of Louisiana. Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) is also opposed by climate activists and the environmental justice movement.
The Advocate has nicely summarized opponents concerns: “land rights; the impact on underground aquifers if CO2 leaks; skepticism of climate change; skepticism of its effectiveness in fully capturing CO2; and opposition to the use of federal money and tax credits to finance the effort.”
Gov. Landry issued an executive order on Oct. 15 in an apparent attempt to calm the opposition. Following 34 “whereas” clauses intended to justify carbon disposal in Louisiana, the EO directs a pause in the review of new Class VI CO2 disposal wells. As evidenced by the attached press release, Save My Louisiana and other opposition groups are far from satisfied.
Equinor wisely scraps plans to power some offshore facilities from shore
Posted in climate, energy policy, Norway, Offshore Energy - General, tagged Aasgard, CO2 emissions, Equinor, Heidrun, Norway, platform economics, platform electrification, Snorre field on October 14, 2025| Leave a Comment »
According to Reuters and others, Equinor will no longer pursue electrification of Snorre A and B, Heidrun, Aasgard B, and Kristin platforms, but still plans to proceed with projects at Grane and Balder fields.
A number of BOE posts since Jan. 2022 have questioned Norway’s electrification strategy for offshore platforms. Our reasons:
- Most offshore platforms produce sufficient gas to support their power demands
- Assuming gas that is not used to power a platform is marketed and consumed elsewhere, the net (global) reduction in CO2 emissions from electrifying offshore platforms is negligible. (Perhaps there is actually a small increase in net emissions given the power required to transport the gas to markets and the emissions associated with onshore power generation).
- Offshore power demands are highly variable, especially when drilling operations are being conducted.
- Gas turbines are reliable, and capable of responding to variable power demand. Excess generation capacity is typically provided.
- Power from shore increases the cost of platform operations and could decrease ultimate recovery of oil and gas resources.
- Per NPD, electrification of the shelf will increase electricity prices for onshore consumers and increase the need for onshore facility investment.
- Gas turbines or diesel generators are still necessary to satisfy emergency power needs at the platforms.
- Long power cables are vulnerable to damage (accidental or intentional), as are onshore power stations.
The reliability, cost, and cable vulnerability concerns have clearly been validated. The reality is that powering distant platforms from shore increases operating costs, safety risks, and onshore electricity prices with no net environmental benefit.
It also seems rather hypocritical for a major natural gas exporter to prevent offshore operators from powering their platforms with gas produced at their platforms.
The Gulf of America carbon disposal era may end before it begins
Posted in CCS, climate, energy policy, Gulf of Mexico, Regulation, tagged carbon disposal, CCS, Gulf of America, oil and gas leasing, Sale 257, sale 259, sale 261, Sale 262 on October 9, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Unsurprisingly, the carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) hype is fading fast. No other carbon strategy is so strongly opposed by both climate change activists and skeptics.
Support for CCS seems to be limited to those seeking to profit from subsidies, mandates, and disposal fees. In 2022, Exxon projected a $4 trillion CCS market by 2050. Pipe dream?
“Highlights” of the Gulf of America OCS carbon disposal era:
- 11/15/2021: The “Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act” was enacted with surprising late additions to facilitate offshore carbon sequestration. These provisions:
- amended the OCS Lands act to authorize “the injection of a carbon dioxide stream to sub-seabed geologic formations for the purpose of long-term carbon sequestration.”
- exempted CO2 injection from the restrictions on ocean dumping by stipulating that such injection “shall not be considered to be material (as defined in section 3 of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972.” Without this exemption, CO2 streams would clearly be “material,” as defined in 33 U.S.C. 1402, and would be subject to the stringent requirements of that act.
- directed that “not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall promulgate regulations to carry out the amendments made by this section.” (This deadline is long past, which is not uncommon for such legislative directives.)
- authorized $2.5 billion in Federal funding for commercial CCS projects and much more for other carbon capture and sequestration activities.
- 11/17/2021: Not coincidentally, two days after the enactment of this legislation, Exxon was the sole bidder on 94 nearshore tracts with very limited oil and gas production potential. This was an oil and gas lease sale and there were no provisions for carbon sequestration leasing. Nonetheless, Exxon was awarded leases for all 94 tracts. As a result of litigation delaying the issuance of Sale 257 leases until Oct.1, 2022, those 5 year leases will expire in 2027.
- 3/29/23: Exxon bid at Sale 259 on 69 nearshore tracts with little oil and gas potential. Once again, this was strictly an oil and gas lease sale and Exxon’s CCS intentions were clear. Nonetheless, the leases were awarded.
- 12/20/2023: At Sale 261, Repsol wrongfully acquired 36 nearshore Texas leases for carbon disposal purposes, again making a mockery of the leasing process and the regulations that guide it.
- More about why the Exxon and Repsol CCS bids should have been rejected.
- 6/25/2025: For the first time ever, the Federal government felt compelled to stipulate the obvious (proposed lease sale notice for OCS Sale 262) – that an Oil and Gas Lease Sale is only for oil and gas exploration and development.
Even those of us who are supporters of responsible offshore oil and gas production find it a bit unsavory that some companies are looking to cash in on (and virtue signal about) carbon collection and disposal at the public’s expense. Perhaps companies that believe oil and gas consumption is harmful to society should be seeking to reduce production rather than engaging in enterprises intended to sustain it.
Oh, the irony! Drilling will drive the energy transition.
Posted in climate, Uncategorized, tagged drill baby drill, energy transition, millimeter wave drilling, Quaise, superhot geothermal, ultradeep geothermal on October 8, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Quaise Energy: “Millimeter wave drilling is the most transformational drilling technology since the drill bit was introduced to the world in the 1930s. It’s the key that finally unlocks superhot geothermal energy worldwide, and we’re already getting started on our first power project in the western United States.
Millimeter wave drilling is what makes geothermal universal, not niche. It’s far more than just a new tool. It’s as consequential as peering into the atom, going into orbit, and mapping the human genome. And, it can open the door to terawatts of geothermal power for the entire world.“
Ultradeep & Superhot!
Was MOU with California prudent for Denmark?
Posted in California, climate, energy policy, tagged California, Denmark, MOU, Orsted, Revolution Wind, S 237 on September 19, 2025| Leave a Comment »
As is the case for most MOUs, the attached 8/22/2025 agreement between California and Denmark is long on promotion and short on substance. No funds are obligated and there are no work commitments.
The MOU made sense for Gov. Newsom in that he strengthened his green credentials by aligning with the country that is the spiritual leader for climate activists.
The benefits for Denmark were unclear, but the risks should have been apparent. The White House is fundamentally opposed to the climate and energy objectives identified in the MOU. Ørsted (50.1% govt owned) and other Danish business interests are very much dependent on decisions made by the US Federal govt.
Work on Ørsted’s Revolution Wind project has been halted by Interior Secretary Burgum. His decision is being challenged in court, but no matter what the outcome, offshore wind development will be difficult for Ørsted and other foreign companies going forward. The Secretary has broad regulatory authority under the OCS Lands Act, under which there is no such thing as “a fully permitted project.”
Meanwhile, California’s green status has taken a hit with the passage of S 237, which pragmatically authorizes new onshore drilling.
Lastly, as the chart below illustrates, Orsted’s problems didn’t begin in 2025.
Courtesy of natural gas: US per capita energy-related CO2 emissions fell 30% between 2005 and 2023
Posted in climate, energy, natural gas, tagged CO2 emissions decline, EIA, US on September 17, 2025| Leave a Comment »
EIA: Per capita CO2 emissions from primary energy consumption decreased in every state from 2005 to 2023, according to recently released data in our State Energy Data System. Total energy-related CO2 emissions in the United States fell 20% over that time, and the population grew by 14%, leading to a 30% decrease in per capita CO2 emissions.
Hurricane season: so far so good, but way too early to declare victory!
Posted in climate, hurricanes, tagged hurricane season, no storms at peak, peak, so far so good on September 10, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 