Serica sanguine on sanctions
The firm's historic links to Iran are in the spotlight as US sanctions resume
Serica Energy is one of the firms seemingly punching above its weight in the North Sea as it seeks to acquire BP's stakes in the mature Bruce, Keith and Rhum (BKR) fields development. The acquisition would give it operatorship of a 5% share of UK gas production. Serica's chief executive, Mitch Flegg, told Petroleum Economist the company's agility as a smaller player with a tight focus on just a handful of assets gives it an advantage. It can delay cessation of production longer than would have been possible under the operatorship of BP, which has bigger fish to fry elsewhere. The snag is that a subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company owns a 50% stake in the Rhum field, which means tha
Also in this section
16 January 2026
The country’s global energy importance and domestic political fate are interlocked, highlighting its outsized oil and gas powers, and the heightened fallout risk
16 January 2026
The global maritime oil transport sector enters 2026 facing a rare convergence of crude oversupply, record newbuild deliveries and the potential easing of several geopolitical disruptions that have shaped trade flows since 2022
15 January 2026
Rebuilding industry, energy dominance and lower energy costs are key goals that remain at odds in 2026
14 January 2026
Chavez’s socialist reforms boosted state control but pushed knowledge and capital out of the sector, opening the way for the US shale revolution






