Ventura Offshore Picks Weatherford for Búzios Field MPD Operations
Weatherford has secured a managed pressure drilling (MPD) contract from Ventura Offshore for operations on the SSV Victoria rig in Brazil’s Búzios field. The deal includes delivery of Weatherford’s G3 Integrated Riser Joint MPD system, rig preparation, integration and long‑term aftermarket support. Weatherford will provide local engineering and maintenance in Brazil, backed by its Managed Pressure Wells Center of Excellence in Houston. The technology aims to improve safety, performance and uptime in deep‑water wells with narrow pressure windows.
From Capacity to Chaos: How AI Data Centers Challenge the Grid
AI‑driven data centers are turning electricity demand from a steady load into rapid, large‑scale swings, exposing a weakness in the U.S. grid. In 2024 a disturbance in Northern Virginia knocked roughly 1,500 MW of AI‑focused data‑center load off the system in...
Brent Oil Price Futures Understating Physical Market Stress
Analysts at BMI, a Fitch Solutions unit, warn that Brent futures are masking acute physical‑market stress. The Dated Brent contract, which reflects prompt‑delivery crude, has surged above $130 per barrel, far outpacing the front‑month futures hovering near $98. A widening...
Rocsys Launches ‘Next-Generation’ Hands-Free Charging System for Heavy-Duty Electric Fleets
Rocsys has introduced the S2, its next‑generation hands‑free charging system for heavy‑duty electric fleets, now available for ports, distribution hubs and logistics facilities. The first unit has been delivered to a large‑scale port customer, and the solution comes in a...
Germany Warned Hydrogen Strategy Could Cost Taxpayers Billions
Germany’s hydrogen roadmap, anchored by the February 2026 Hydrogen Acceleration Act, assumes rapid demand growth that may never materialise. An Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis report warns that up to €45 bn (≈$49 bn) in extra public funding could be required,...
Philippines Urges Southeast Asian Neighbours to Accelerate Renewable Energy, Stabilise Food Security at Asean Summit
At the 48th ASEAN summit in Cebu, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on Southeast Asian leaders to accelerate renewable‑energy deployment and strengthen food‑security mechanisms. He highlighted the Philippines’ own rollout of 250 MW of solar and a 450 MWh battery system,...
EU Pulp Mills Face Multi-Billion Carbon Shift as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Emerges
EU pulp mills that have decarbonised by switching to biomass have built up a €4.5 billion (≈$4.9 billion) surplus of free EU ETS allowances, turning the carbon market into a revenue stream. A new EU rule effective Jan 1 2026 removes plants with more...
Europe's Electricity Storage Race: Which Countries Lead in Battery Capacity?
Europe’s battery‑storage landscape is dominated by Germany, which operates 2.8 GW of utility‑scale batteries, followed by Italy at 2 GW. When projected pipelines are added, Turkey leaps ahead with a 32.8 GW pipeline—over three times the next‑largest Germany, Poland and Italy. Falling battery...
OTC 2026: Venezuela Tries to Draw IOCs Back as IEA Calls for More CAPEX
Venezuela, home to an estimated 303 billion barrels of recoverable oil and 200 trillion cubic feet of gas, is attempting to reverse a steep production decline from 3 MMbopd to roughly 950,000 bopd. A 2026 amendment to the country’s Organic Law on Hydrocarbons lowers...
Devon Completes Coterra Merger, Expands Delaware Basin Position
Devon Energy and Coterra Energy have finalized an all‑stock merger, creating a larger shale producer that will continue under the Devon name and DVN ticker. The deal gives former Devon shareholders about 54% of the combined company and former Coterra...
IEA Chief, Canada Leaders Address Oil Market Turmoil Tied to Iran Conflict
International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and senior officials in Ottawa to address oil market turmoil linked to the Iran‑related conflict. The discussions centered on disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and...
PetroTal Targets Production Growth with Bretana Drilling Restart
PetroTal Corp. announced it will restart development drilling at its Bretana field in Peru later this year, aiming to stabilize output and resume growth. First‑quarter 2026 production reached roughly 14,900 barrels of oil per day, and the company signed a...
SunPetro Selects Sercel Nodes for 4D Seismic Survey in India
Sun Petrochemicals Pvt. Ltd. has chosen Sercel’s WiNG 3C MEMS nodal system to conduct India’s first 3C‑based 4D seismic survey in Gujarat, executed by Khushi Oilfield Services. The cable‑free, high‑density nodes promise higher‑resolution subsurface imaging and a smaller operational footprint. Sercel...
Rex Names New COO to Support Oman Field Development Plans
Rex International Holding Limited announced the appointment of Mike Hopkinson as chief operating officer, succeeding retiring veteran Svein Kjellesvik. Hopkinson, who has overseen the Yumna field through Rex’s Masirah Oil subsidiary since 2023, brings more than three decades of upstream experience...
Five Reasons Why South Africans Are Switching to Gas
South Africans are rapidly adopting LPG as a reliable, versatile energy source amid grid instability and rising electricity costs. A recent Nersa‑approved 18.36% tariff increase over two years has accelerated the shift, with households using gas for cooking, heating, water,...
EU Awards $1.3B in Subsidies for Cleaner Hydrogen Production
The European Commission awarded €1.09 billion (≈$1.28 billion) in grants to nine cleaner hydrogen projects under the third European Hydrogen Bank auction. The selected projects span seven EEA countries and will deliver roughly 1.1 GW of electrolyzer capacity, producing over 1.3 million tonnes of...
Oil Liquidity Collapses as Traders Retreat Amid Iran Conflict Volatility
Liquidity in global oil markets has sharply thinned as escalating U.S.-Iran tensions and ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz push traders to the sidelines, Bloomberg reports. Brent futures open interest fell to its lowest level since August, reflecting a...
4th S. Korean Oil Tanker Successfully Transits Through Red Sea
South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries confirmed that a fourth Korean‑flagged oil tanker successfully transited the Red Sea on May 8, 2026, after loading crude at Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port. The vessel is part of a new routing strategy that bypasses...
Czechia Considers Stop to Double Taxation on Solar, Storage Projects
The Czech Economic Committee of the Chamber of Deputies has endorsed amendments to the Building Act that would raise the electricity‑tax exemption threshold for solar installations from 50 kW to 100 kW and remove double taxation on projects that combine photovoltaic panels...
Voltalia Commissions Three Solar Parks in France
Voltalia has commissioned three solar parks in southern France, delivering a combined 26.9 MW of photovoltaic capacity. The first two sites in Bouches‑du‑Rhône total 17.1 MW and are backed by a 15‑year corporate power purchase agreement with CERN. The third park in...
Port of Tilbury Showcases Hydrogen Power as Alternative to Diesel on Construction Sites
The Port of Tilbury demonstration showcased hydrogen replacing diesel generators on the Lower Thames Crossing (LTC) construction site. GeoPura secured a $41 million contract to deliver 2,500 tonnes of green hydrogen, already powering generators that have produced 39 MWh using 2.33 tonnes of fuel....
AI Electricity Gap Fuels Weichai Power, GE Vernova Shares as Generator Demand Surges
AI‑driven data centre expansion is straining electricity supplies in the U.S. and China, sparking a surge in demand for backup generators and large‑bore engines. Companies traditionally seen as old‑economy players, such as China’s Weichai Power and U.S.‑based GE Vernova, have...
Turkey Looks to Expand LNG Imports From Algeria
Turkey is set to renegotiate its LNG supply contract with Algeria, which currently delivers 4.4 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas annually and expires in September 2027. The new deal aims to raise imports to 6‑6.5 bcm per year and could extend the...
ConocoPhillips Gets Norway’s Blessing to Restart Greater Ekofisk Fields
Norway’s Ministry of Energy approved ConocoPhillips’ Previously Produced Fields (PPF) project in the Greater Ekofisk area, enabling redevelopment of the Albuskjell, Vest Ekofisk and Tommeliten Gamma fields via a subsea tie‑back to the Ekofisk Complex. The plan calls for 11 new wells...
May 14th Conference to Look at Decarbonising Ireland’s Building Stock
The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) will be incorporated into Irish law on May 29, 2026, prompting a free conference on May 14 in Dublin. Hosted by the South East Energy Agency, the event gathers EU policymakers, the Sustainable...
Europe’s Second Chance: The Rise of a New Battery Ecosystem
Europe’s battery strategy is rebounding after Northvolt’s collapse, pivoting to a modular ecosystem of specialised scale‑ups. Companies such as Cylib, tozero and R3 Robotics are tackling recycling and end‑of‑life dismantling, collectively raising over $220 million to close material loops. Manufacturing innovators...
Local Private Firm to Deliver SURF EPCI for Indonesian Gas Project
West Natuna Exploration Limited, a Conrad Asia Energy subsidiary, awarded Indonesian contractor Timas Suplindo an engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract for the subsea umbilical, flowline and riser (SURF) scope of the Mako gas project in the Natuna Sea....
Bandgap-Engineered Indoor Perovskite Solar Cell Achieves 37.44% Efficiency
An international team engineered the bandgap of methylammonium‑free perovskite absorbers to align with indoor LED spectra, achieving a record 37.44% power conversion efficiency under low‑intensity lighting. The 1.72 eV composition delivered consistently high performance across a range of lux levels and...
Bhutan Tenders Solar Projects for Healthcare Facilities
Bhutan’s Department of Energy has launched a tender to install 12.1 MW of rooftop solar across 73 public healthcare facilities, with expressions of interest due by May 29. The projects will be built, owned, and operated under a 25‑year concession, grouped into...
Maine’s Community Solar Boom Is Going Bust
Community solar in Maine, once the nation’s most intensive per‑capita, has stalled after a 2025 law eliminated net‑energy billing for new projects and imposed new fees on existing installations. The change halted development, prompting developers to cancel pending projects and...
We Bet You Can’t Guess Which States Rely Most on Wind and Solar Power
According to the American Clean Power Association, Iowa, South Dakota and New Mexico led U.S. states in 2025 by obtaining the highest shares of electricity from wind and solar—61%, 59% and about 50% respectively. Iowa’s mix is dominated by wind,...
EU Russian Arctic LNG Imports Hit $4.4bn Record Despite Sanctions Measures
EU imports of Russian Arctic Yamal LNG surged to a record 6.69 million metric tonnes in the first four months of 2026, a 17.2% increase from a year earlier. At current Dutch TTF prices, European buyers paid roughly $4.4 billion for the...
Europe’s Negative Electricity Price Hours Double in Q1 Amid Renewables Surpluses, Market Imbalances
EU‑27 day‑ahead power markets recorded 1,223 negative‑price hours in Q1 2026, more than double the 593 hours logged in Q1 2025. The surge was led by Spain (347 hours), Portugal (294 hours) and Greece (138 hours), while Nordic markets returned to zero...
Malaysia Does Not Export Oil to Other ASEAN Countries as It Still Imports 400,000 Barrels a Day – MITI’s Johari
Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry confirmed it imports roughly 400,000 barrels of crude oil each day, preventing any export to fellow ASEAN members. Although the country produces oil, it remains a net crude importer, yet it is a...
Meta, Amazon and J&J Power Perigus Energy’s European CPPA Portfolio
Perigus Energy announced that Meta, Amazon, Johnson & Johnson, Flogas and SWW Wunsiedel have signed corporate power purchase agreements covering 204.85 MW, roughly 35% of its 578 MW operational portfolio. The deals span solar and on‑shore wind assets in Ireland, Germany and...
Hydrogen’s Next Phase Will Favour Execution over Scale
In Q1 2026 the low‑carbon hydrogen market showed a modest 360 ktpa dip in announced capacity, but the real story was a shift from headline‑grabbing projects to disciplined execution. Green hydrogen remained stable and continued to dominate new capacity, while blue hydrogen...
China TOPCon Solar Cell Prices Stabilize as Holiday Lull Slows Trading
China's TOPCon solar cell prices held steady at $0.0486/W in early May, ending a streak of declines. The stability coincides with a week‑long Labor Day holiday that dampened trading activity. Upstream supply dynamics could pressure prices later in Q2 2026...
Vietnamese Ministries Back Vietnam’s First International Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Summit
Vietnam staged its first international Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) summit in Da Nang, drawing roughly 70 participants from airlines, fuel producers, financiers and government bodies. The Asia SAF Association (ASAFA) signed two memoranda of understanding with the Agency for Innovation, Green...
Solar Backup Power Supports Ukrainian Intensive Care Units During Grid Outages and Cyberattacks
At the SolarPower Summit in Brussels, Ukrainian representatives highlighted how solar‑plus‑storage systems are keeping hospitals and schools operational amid grid outages and cyberattacks. Energy Act for Ukraine, led by Yuliana Onishchuk, has installed nearly 1.5 MW of photovoltaic capacity and 2 MWh...
Türkiye Will Use Solar Energy to Manufacture Freight Railcars
Turkey’s state‑owned TÜRASAŞ will power its new freight‑car factory in Sivas with a 4.5 million kWh solar plant, enabling the production of strategic railcars such as tank transporters and fuel‑supply units. The solar facility will meet the entire campus electricity demand, mirroring...
US LNG Exports Burning Bright
The United States has emerged as the de facto leading LNG exporter after recent attacks crippled Middle‑East liquefaction capacity, said Jeff Wilson of Howden at the Marine Insurance Greece conference. U.S. liquefaction capacity has risen from virtually zero in 2012 to...
Remote Australian Community Secures Permit for Sun Turtle Solar and Battery Project
The Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation secured planning approval for the Aalga Goorlil Sun Turtle Community Power Project, a 100% First Nations‑owned solar farm and 3.25 MW battery system on Western Australia’s Dampier Peninsula. The AUD 12 million (≈ US$8.6 million) development will install 3,408 panels arranged...
Bhutan, World Bank Seal $515 Million Pact for Dorjilung Hydropower
Bhutan and the World Bank have signed a $515 million financing pact for the 1,125 MW Dorjilung Hydroelectric Power Project, which will generate over 4,500 GWh annually—about one‑third of the country’s electricity. The project, built as a public‑private partnership with Tata Power, is...
Southern Railway Rolls Out EV-Battery Swapping Facility at Suburban Stations
Southern Railway’s Chennai division is launching EV battery‑swapping stations across its suburban network, targeting key stations to boost last‑mile connectivity. Twenty‑one contracts have been awarded for a five‑year rollout, with operators responsible for installation, operation and maintenance. The model lets...
Tata Power Expands Bhutan Hydropower Partnership to over 5 GW
Tata Power has amended its MoU with Bhutan's Druk Green Power Corp to expand the joint clean‑energy portfolio to 5,033 MW of hydropower, up from 4,500 MW. The amendment adds a 404 MW Nyera Amari I & II project and brings the total pipeline to five...
Britain Can’t Afford Another Gas Price Shock – Nuclear Is the Answer, Says MP
Rising gas prices driven by Middle East instability are hitting UK households and businesses, reviving fears of another cost‑of‑living shock. MP Charlotte Nichols argues that accelerating new nuclear capacity is essential for energy security, climate goals, and protecting nature. The...
Titan Batteries Establishes Multi-Continental Production & Launches European Hub
Titan Batteries has opened a flagship European production facility on Bosch’s Energy Conversion Campus in Tilburg, the Netherlands, marking the first UAV‑battery supplier to run full‑scale plants on multiple continents. The new hub mirrors the company’s Idaho operation and will...
Crude Oil Production Growth Prospects in 2027 Bright, Say Analysts
Analysts at BMI, a Fitch Solutions unit, see a bullish outlook for crude oil production in 2027 despite short‑term supply constraints from the Iran conflict. They cite a favorable 2026 base effect, the potential unwinding of OPEC‑plus cuts totalling up...
Landholder-Led 4-Hour Big Battery Gets Federal Environmental All-Clear in Just over Four Weeks
The 500 MW, four‑hour Murchs Corner battery energy storage system in western Victoria secured federal environmental clearance after just over four weeks in the EPBC queue. Led by local farming landowners and developer Alternate Path, the project will sit on cleared...
“I Thought This Was Impossible:” Fortescue Green Grid Rides Through Transmission Failure with No Fossil Fuels
Fortescue announced that its inverter‑based green grid kept 85 MW of load online after bushfires knocked out all thermal generators on 1 October. The incident proved that solar, wind and battery storage can sustain a large‑scale industrial network without fossil backup. CEO...