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Bleak times for UK North Sea
Government consultations on the windfall tax and the exploration licence ban are positive steps, but it is unclear how long it will take for them to yield tangible outcomes
The death knell for UK energy security
The end of Grangemouth and Lindsey oil refineries marks a worrying trend across Europe amid cost and transition pressures
Outlook 2025: A new era – how the UK offshore sector can lead in a competitive market
The government must take the opportunity to harness the sector’s immense potential to support the long-term development of the UK’s low-carbon sector
Outlook 2025: Navigating the windfall tax and the future of UK energy
Policymakers and stakeholders must work together to develop a stable and predictable fiscal regime that prioritises the country’s energy security and economy
Letter from London: Beware false prophets
The oil and gas sector’s renewed upstream activity stands in marked contrast to just a few years ago, highlighting that the market does indeed cycle
UK-listed Pharos to ramp up Egyptian activities
Cairo’s currency problems have hindered investment, but Pharos sees considerable potential as Egypt emerges from crisis
North Sea production to see minor boost
Taxation strategies in UK and Norway to continue to play important role for a region in which significant volumes of medium sour have offset the loss of similar quality Russian barrels and balanced the influx of US light sweet grades
Time running out for UK North Sea
Smaller projects provide opportunities, but basin maturity and policy shifts amid political uncertainty signal a significant decline by the end of the decade
Letter from the UK: A positive legacy for OPEC?
Oil producer group could spearhead the shift to cleaner energy in member countries and be part of transition solution
EnergyPathways advances UK Irish Sea ambitions
The AIM-listed firm sees its gas plans as meshing with UK energy transition goals
North Sea Gulf of Mexico Shell UK
Fiona Legate
26 January 2018
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Decommissioning faces a hefty clean-up bill

The industry will spend tens of billions of dollars closing down old offshore fields

The global decommissioning market is yet to take off fully. But as provinces mature, as fields near the end of their life, companies are preparing for the inevitable. They are scrutinising their decommissioning plans, the regulatory and fiscal regimes governing decommissioning and the costs of completing that work. The oil-price crash has made the task more urgent. In mature regions like the UK, higher oil prices allowed mature fields to keep producing beyond their expected economic life, but the price drop brought the day of reckoning nearer. Over the past five years, almost 500 offshore fields globally have ceased production, with that number expected to rise to 735 fields from 2018 to 202

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