Merry Christmas to those who observe the holiday, and best wishes to all BOE readers in the US and internationally!
Lars Herbst brought this fabulous Christmas sweater to my attention – a must for the holiday season! 😉
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Merry Christmas!
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Christmas sweater, Lars Herbst, Merry Christmas, offshore Christmas on December 24, 2025| Leave a Comment »
On Thanksgiving
Posted in Canada, energy policy, Offshore Energy - General, Regulation, Uncategorized, tagged energy policy, offshore energy, Thanksgiving on November 27, 2025| Leave a Comment »
On my favorite holiday, I’m sending best wishes to BOE readers of all persuasions. Offshore energy issues can be divisive, even among friends, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share information and opinions.
My wife and I will be spending Thanksgiving with my daughter’s family including our 6 grandchildren, none of whom have expressed interest in being offshore safety regulators (no higher calling 😉).
Belated holiday wishes to our friends in Canada where Thanksgiving is celebrated in October, and cheers to those living where a similar fall holiday is observed.
Bud
The Draft Proposed Leasing Program has been published!
Posted in Alaska, California, energy policy, Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Energy - General, Uncategorized, tagged Alaska, California, Draft Proposed OCS Leasing Program, Florida, Gulf of America on November 20, 2025| 2 Comments »
The press release and full program are linked. It looks like the most recent leaks were accurate. See the maps below with the locations and dates. This will stir the pot!
Offshore floating solar is probably not a great idea
Posted in Offshore Energy - General, Uncategorized, tagged BAMBOO, beach debris, floating solar, Netherlands, Nymphaea Aurora, Oceans of Energy, offshore solar on November 10, 2025| 2 Comments »
“Highlights” from a very good Sealetters account on the Nymphaea Aurora (Netherlands): from massive hype to media silence
26 June 2025 – Festive inauguration: A festive ceremony is held in the Port of Amsterdam by Oceans of Energy to celebrate the successful assembly of the world’s first commercial offshore solar farm “Nymphaea Aurora”. The solar farm is 18.5 kilometers off the Dutch coast near Egmond aan Zee, and consists of 1,400 photovoltaic panels mounted on 196 flotation segments. It is larger than a football field with the expectation to scale up.
9 August 2025 – First fire: Soon after installation at sea Nymphaea Aurora is on fire.
5 September 2025 – Second fire: A second fire breaks out in Nymphaea Aurora. The Dutch Coast Guard extinguishes the fire. Both fires were caused by overheating due to strong solar radiation and faulty panel connectors. The developer calls it a kind of technical childhood disease that is typical for new technology. (Seriously?☹)
19 September 2025 – Debris from solar farm starts washing up on the beaches
20 September 2025: Debris is found all over the beaches of Egmond, Bergen and Schoorl, varying from 20 to 30 cm sized pieces to tiny polystyrene foam fragments. Parts of Nymphaea Aurora wash up on Texel, an island further north on the Dutch coast (photo below).
4 October 2025: Storm batters the Netherlands with wind speeds between 75 and 90 kilometers per hour hitting Noord-Holland. No news about Nymphaea Aurora.
7 November 2025: No news from the developer, Oceans of Energy, since since 27th June 2025 and no updates on LinekdIn since 21 September 2025. It has been very quiet from ‘The company that brought Offshore Solar in high waves from a (perceived) impossibility to a reality.’ It is probably no longer at sea.
You can read the full account here.
Note that the development of Nymphaea Aurora received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program under the project BAMBOO, Grant Agreement number 101136142. Funding is reported to be €7 million. “The project seeks to reduce emissions significantly and have a net-positive impact on the marine ecosystem.“
Halloween favorites! 😀
Posted in Uncategorized, well control incidents, Offshore Wind, tagged Vineyard Wind, Nantucket, Halloween, costume awards, Wild Well Control on October 31, 2025| Leave a Comment »
(from the BOE archives)
Vineyard Wind’s finest! Note the blade failures!
Wild Well Control!
Our North Atlantic District crew, Hyannis, Halloween 1981 <sigh>
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast”
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged safety culture on October 11, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Gaza Marine Gas Field should be a development priority. Which companies will be involved?
Posted in energy, Offshore Energy - General, Uncategorized, tagged ADNOC, Aramco, Chevron, Eastern Mediterranean, EGAS, Equinor, Gaza Marine, Gaza redevelopment, natural gas, Qatar Energy, Zohr Field on October 10, 2025| Leave a Comment »
In light of the fantastic Middle East news, planning for the redevelopment of Gaza is underway. The Gaza Marine Gas Field should be a high priority given the power generation and revenue potential.
The field, which was discovered in 1999 by British Gas (now part of Shell), is located approximately 30-36 km off the coast of Gaza in the eastern Mediterranean and has estimated natural gas reserves of ~ 1 Tcf.
Who should be licensed to develop the field? In June 2023, there was a proposed agreement between the Palestinian Authority and an Egyptian consortium led by state-owned Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS). A resurrection of this arrangement may align with Palestinian interests. EGAS has experience in Mediterranean gas projects including the giant Zohr field (see map below).
Other candidates for developing the Gaza Marine field (pure speculation):
- Chevron would be a logical choice given their extensive eastern Mediterranean experience as a result of their acquisition of Noble Energy. However, there might be concerns about undue US and Israeli control of this important resource.
- Regional giants like Saudi Aramco, Qatar Energy, and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) would be good candidates.
- Another interesting possibility might be Equinor, which is 2/3 owned by the Norwegian govt. Equinor seems to sometimes make socially desirable investments that are less profitable.
Some combination of the above companies might also be a possibility. In any event, it’s critical to manage this resource in a manner that best benefits the recovery effort.
Congratulations Ned Mamula, Director, USGS
Posted in energy policy, Uncategorized, tagged confirmation, Map Baby Map, Ned Mamula, OCS oil and gas, US Geological Survey on October 8, 2025| 2 Comments »
Congratulations to Dr. Ned Mamula on his confirmation as Director of the US Geological Survey. I had the pleasure of working with Ned when he was a young geologist in the Conservation Division (CD) of USGS. At the time, CD was the safety and environmental regulator for OCS oil and gas operations. Ned is a great guy and a dedicated geologist!
Ned’s statement at his confirmation hearing is attached. “Map Baby Map!”
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!
No words 😢
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025| 1 Comment »
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 