India Energy Week sessions to be hosted by yours truly

As India Energy Week 2026 approaches, the Oilholic is looking forward to moderating panels and fireside chats at the event being held in Goa, India from Jan 27 to 30, covering vital topics across the international energy sphere. It will bring together global leaders, corporate visionaries and technical experts. Here are the detail's of yours truly's sessions:

Wednesday, January 28, The Addition Stage, MDF Building, ONGC ATI, Goa @ 12:00pm

From reset to results: translating Canada–India political momentum into a priority partnership for long-term energy and critical minerals cooperation

• A fireside chat under the event's Energy Talks programme with Hon. Timothy Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Government of Canada.

Wednesday, January 28, The Transition Stage, Convention Centre, ONGC ATI, Goa @ 10:30am

Global South clean energy solidarity: Powering South-South cooperation for a shared future

With panellists:

• H.E. Prof. Elmutasim Ibrahim Ahmed Ali, Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Republic of Sudan
• H.E. Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology and Geo-Hazards, Energy, Environment and Disaster Management, Vanuatu
• H.E. Dr. Eng. Sultan Welle Ahmed, State Minister of Energy, Ministry of Water and Energy, Ethiopia
• H.E. Indra Mani Pandey, Secretary General, The BIMSTEC Secretariat

Wednesday, January 28, The Resilience Stage, Convention Centre, ONGC ATI, Goa @ 13:40pm IST

Establishing global models for City Gas Distribution (CGD) networks: building clean, secure and equitable gas-based economies

With panellists:

• Suresh P Manglani, Executive Director and CEO, Adani Total Gas
• Goutom Chakraborty, CEO, GAIL Gas Limited
• Kamal Kishore Chatiwal, MD, Indraprastha Gas Limited
• Abhilesh Gupta, MD & CEO, THINK Gas
• Sandeep Jain, Former Executive Director, Gas, Indian Oil Corporation Limited

Thursday, January 29, The Resilience Stage, Convention Centre, ONGC ATI @ 16:30pm IST

Coal’s evolving role in a secure energy mix: charting a balanced and pragmatic approach

With panellists:

• Shri Vikram Dev Dutt, Secretary, Ministry of Coal - Official, Government of India
• Kyle Haustveit, P.E., Assistant Secretary for Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
• B. Sairam, Chairman-cum-MD, Coal India Limited

Explore the event's exciting agenda here, and be sure to register here. 

The Oilholic is excited to play his part in the deliberations on pathways towards secure, inclusive, and affordable energy systems, tackling critical challenges such as decarbonisation, investment security and industrial transformation.

Looking forward to meeting old friends and making new ones! See you in Goa, if you can make it! More to follow. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma, January 2026. Photo: IEW 2026 speaker profile of energy analyst Gaurav Sharma © India Energy Week / dmgevents, January 2026.

Venezuela's oil and Trump: Brass tacks on the BBC

Earlier this week The Oilholic had the immense pleasure of being interviewed for a BBC World Service in-depth report on why the US seeks Venezuela's oil, after President Donald Trump sent in the Delta Force to capture his Venezuelan counterpart Nicholas Maduro in a night raid on January 3. 

The report is a primer on regional geopolitics, difference between the various global crude oil grades (of which some 160 plus varieties exist), 'crude' connections between the oil industries of both countries, Big Oil, and, of course, ultimately how we got to the recent events. 

Many thanks to the BBC World Service Team for inviting The Oilholic to share his insights and 'crude' views. Here's the in-depth video report. Have a watch and give us a shout on what you make of it.

   

More musings to follow soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma, January 2026. Photo: Energy analyst Gaurav Sharma on the BBC World Service on January 8, 2026 © BBC World Service, January 2026.  

A 'crude' view from the Sea of Marmara's shoreline

The Oilholic finds himself wrapping up a trip to Istanbul, Türkiye, for the Black Sea and East Med Refining & Trading Conference and Executive Retreat. 

Early starts over the past few days here have brought with them a most spectacular view of the city's Tahiri Atakoy Kulesi monument, the Baruthane Millet park, and, of course, tankers and bulk carriers in the Sea of Marmara.

Many of these are anchored waiting to cross the Bosphorus, a narrow natural strait and an internationally significant waterway straddled by the sprawling city of Istanbul. The Bosphorus connects the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea and forms one of the continental boundaries between Asia and Europe. 

It is a key crude maritime artery for the oil and gas industry. The location makes for a fitting place to discuss the direction of travel of the currently rocky oil prices, more so at the end of the week in which OPEC+ decided to hold fire on production and Russian shadow fleet tankers were attacked in the Black Sea! Despite our fraught world and heightened levels of geopolitical tension, yours truly told the event there's little to be bullish about the oil price. 

Brent is struggling to hold the floor at $60 per barrel. The Oilholic believes that floor will likely be breached in Q1 and Q2 of next year. 

Forget $60, this blogger believes even $50 levels may well be challenged. That's because there is a lot of crude out in the market, and a supply surplus, especially of light sweet crude beckons. 

Regardless of what OPEC+ does (or doesn't) non-OPEC oil production growth alone can meet demand growth levels forecast for 2026. 

And those hedged US shale barrels are not going away anytime soon, to be read as at least Q4 2026. Additionally, near-term crude demand remains less than certain as has been variously documented. Oil remains as much a story of demand as it is of supply. 

Let's see where this goes. But to underscore the current market dynamic, none of the (physical) traders the Oilholic met in Istanbul reported any sort of difficulty in securing any sort of crude grade at competitive prices, per their respective solver models. 

Moving on from crude pricing dynamics, yours truly discussed the event's core subject of refining. More specifically, the ongoing painful demise of refining in Europe in general, and Northern Europe in particular, and its rise in the Eastern Med, Middle East and Asia. 

This trend has become entrenched in the global refining and petrochemical complex. But first the figures. 

Various data aggregators, market commentators and forecasters have examined the state of the world's refining complex, and what it is going to be like in 10 years time. 

Between them, the likes of Kpler, Wood Mackenzie, S&P Global Platts, and more, have looked at 500 global refineries that they think might be at risk of closure within 10 years. 

Some of the most obvious risk factors include demand shifts due to electric mobility, pressures on net cash margins, policy changes, input and carbon compliance costs and competition. Of these 500, a fifth, or around a 100, were projected to be at risk closure with more than half of those in Europe. Such projections make Europe the continent where the refining and petrochemicals sector is quite simply being decimated. 

But as that happens, the refining complex from Turkey eastward appears to be coping well without having to contend with the just the sort of high energy and net zero compliance costs we see in Europe. 

All of this is triggering significant, unmistakable shifts across the liquid bulk supply chain. To discuss this and more, yours truly was joined on a panel by Rosemary Griffin, OPEC+ Lead Reporter, S&P Global Platts, Sevil Arif, Senior Marketing Specialist at SOCAR Türkiye, Elif Binici Ersen, Energy Analyst at Kpler, and Sergey Ivanov, Executive Director at Marine Bunker Exchange.  

In an engaging discussion, the panellists touched on both crude prices in 2026 as well as the operating climate in the refining sector. 

There was consensus on the panel that world is likely looking at testing the $60 per barrel floor fairly early in 2026, with some strength returning to the market later in the year. 

On the refining side, we discussed the opportunities in the Eastern Mediterranean and further eastward, and challenges in Europe. 

Much of dialogue acknowledged that Northern Europe’s refining sector is now at a critical juncture, faced with declining margins and policy pressures to adapt to rapidly evolving continental compliance problems. And, quite frankly, it doesn't look too good, just as competition from Asia and the Middle East rises. 

Well, that's all from Istanbul folks. My thanks and congratulations to Confidence Information Services - the hosts of this wonderful event. More musings to follow soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2025. Photos I & II: Tanker and bulk carriers in the Sea of Marmara © Gaurav Sharma, November 2025. Photos III & IV: Gaurav Sharma at speaks at the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean Refining & Trading Conference and Executive Retreat, Istanbul, Türkiye, on November 27, 2025 © Confidence Information Services, November 2025. 

Media missives from ADIPEC 2025

ADIPEC 2025 drew to a close on November 6 and the Oilholic had an engaging week out in Abu Dhabi. Yours truly hosted four pivotal industry panel sessions at the event on subjects ranging from hydrogen to downstream decarbonisation.

This blogger also hit the airwaves to discuss the wider energy market, quarterly results of BP and Aramco, oil supply and demand scenarios for 2026, investment by the energy sector in automation and AI, and some of the soundbites coming out of this year's ADIPEC. 

These included broadcasting calls with the BBC, France 24, and more, with the Oilholic's week also peppered with plenty of missives via the keyboard for Forbes, and of course this blog.

This year, yours truly also partnered with Schneider Electric for a global research project on the adoption of automation in the energy sector, the first phase of which - on the Middle East - was released at the event. Further details are here. 

All blog entries for ADIPEC 2025 may be found here. And here are selected Forbes copies in chronological order based on soundbites and insights from just before, during, and immediately after the event: 

• AI Is Reshaping How Industries Run, Compete, And Grow, October 26, 2025
• Energy CEOs Warn More Investment Is Needed As Demand Continues To Rise, November 3, 2025
• Big Oil Earnings Season Marks A Return To Basics With Lower Profits, November 10, 2025
• Big Oil Is Pairing Up With Big Tech For An Opportunity Worth Billions, November 11, 2025

That's a wrap for this year's ADIPEC. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2025. Photo: Gaurav Sharma at ADIPEC 2025 studio in Abu Dhabi, UAE on November 4, 2025 © dmgevents / APCO Worldwide. 

ADIPEC Days III & IV: Energy. Intelligence. Impact.

As ADIPEC 2025 entered its home stretch, the broader conference-wide discourse continued to both amplify as well as offer a diverse range of views on the event's tagline of 'Energy. Intelligence. Impact.'

Several discussion slants across the event bolstered the belief that the planet's energy future will be shaped not by any one solution or sector segment, but by collaboration across industries, generations and geographies. A true energy mix if you wish. 

To this effect, ADIPEC saw ministers, CEOs, ultra high net worth investors, innovators and leading academics call for strong partnerships between public and private sectors, aligning targeted investment with innovation, and accelerate the technologies needed to deliver affordable, sustainable and secure energy for all.

Afterall as many leaders put it - energy equals jobs, growth and prosperity - which is why getting it right in the transition era matters. The Oilholic entered the homestretch of ADIPEC 2025 with three panel sessions at a cantor. On Wednesday, yours truly moderated a session titled 'Driving hydrogen forward: technology, standards and a level playing field.' 

Panellists included Nobuo Tanaka, CEO, Tanaka Global & Executive Director Emeritus, International Energy Agency (IEA), Raphaël Tilot, CEO, John Cockerill Hydrogen, Koji Yamamoto, CTO, JOGMEC, Michèle Azalbert, Chief Hydrogen Officer, Gentari and Lionel Sinaï-Sinelnikoff, Strategic Advisor, Beyond Aero. 

We all know that hydrogen’s success as a global energy carrier will depend not only on technological breakthroughs but also on the creation of a stable, transparent, and equitable framework that allows those technologies to thrive. 

The panellists discussed establishing internationally recognised definitions of "clean" hydrogen, common life-cycle carbon accounting methodologies, and compatible certification schemes deemed vital to building investor confidence and facilitating cross-border trade. 

They also explored how learnings from the LNG trade can potentially help unlock hydrogen markets, enable global trade, and accelerate the path to affordability and sustainability. 

Next up for this blogger on Wednesday was a panel on the 'The future of refining: decarbonisation, demand disruption, and strategic direction.'

The panellists included Sultan Albigishi , CEO, ADNOC Refining, Arvinder Singh Sahney, Chairman, Indian Oil Corporation, Dr. Mumuni Dagazau, EVP Downstream, NNPC Limited, Anibor Kragha, Executive Secretary, African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA) and Sylvain Cabalery, SVP Sustainable Fuels, Chemicals and Circularity, Technip Energies. 

In a lively discussion, the panellists offered their perspectives on how refining strategies are evolving to balance decarbonisation targets with structural market pressures, including overcapacity, shifting demand, and long-term competitiveness.

And on Thursday - ADIPEC's final day - the Oilholic turned his attention to financial innovation, chairing an open forum discussion with full audience participation, on 'Building the future energy system through infrastructure investment.' 

The speakers, who also directly engaged with members of the audience included Rajarshi Gupta, MD & CEO, ONGC Videsh Ltd and Jamil Asfour, Head of the Energy & Utilities Sector, Contango.  

Both offered their takes on innovative financing models such as infrastructure funds and public-private partnerships that address the complexities associated with critical projects will be crucial to unlocking the necessary investment to build the energy systems of the future. 

The audience members and speakers also discussed how investors, policymakers, energy executives and technology developers are planning to finance the infrastructure required for energy security and sustainability to thrive together, and what the future holds.

And with that ended the Oilholic's engagements this year ADIPEC. As always, it has been a memorable and insightful time out here in Abu Dhabi. But alas that's a wrap folks. More musings to follow real soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'!

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2025. Photo I: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma at ADIPEC 2025 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Photo II: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma moderates ADIPEC 2025 panel on the future of refining: decarbonisation, demand disruption, and strategic direction. Photo III: Visitors to ADIPEC 2025 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Photo I: © Gaurav Sharma 2025. Photos II & III © ADIPEC / dmgevents.

ADIPEC Days I & II: Upscaling energy AI & automation

The first two days of ADIPEC 2025 have flown by and energy technology is all the rage here in Abu Dhabi, UAE. 

Accompanied, of course, by a rallying cry to invest more as the world's energy needs rise. 

Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Group CEO of ADNOC - the host of the mega-event - told attendees that a "balanced and inclusive approach" was needed to meet rising global energy demand. 

Here is the Oilholic's full report for Forbes following the event's opening ceremony on Monday. Al Jaber also called for capital investment and infrastructure development to optimise energy, advance technology to enable progress, and the embrace of artificial intelligence. 

And by the look of things at ADIPEC 2025, the energy industry isn't waiting for an invitation. In whichever direction you turn at ADIPEC's venue ADNEC, you'll see robots roaming, predictive maintenance solutions demos, AR/VR equipment for health and safety training, cloud computing offerings, and so they go.

What's more, even the exhibition space allocated to the event's AI zone went up this year to 3,150 sq. m. from last year’s 2,275 sq. m. It offers a sense of the profound changes that are afoot in the industry and its direction of travel. 

Speaking of which, over the last few months yours truly has been privileged to provide insights for Schneider Electric's energy automation report. 

It will eventually take the shape of a global piece of research on the progression of automation in the energy sector. 

The report's first section - on the Middle East - was published on Tuesday morning at ADIPEC. The Oilholic was delighted to join Devan Pillay, President Heavy Industries at Schneider Electric for the launch. 

The reporting team's fascinating findings from the Middle East signal a profound shift - autonomous technologies that boost efficiency and reduce emissions are now a strategic priority for one of the world's most prominent energy hubs and a bid for operational excellence by GCC energy majors. 

Nearly 80% of Middle Eastern energy sector leaders reported advanced operational readiness, highlighting the region’s strong ambition toward autonomous operations. And they're just getting started. More on stage I of the report's findings here. 

As Pillay noted: "Autonomous operations are increasingly seen as a strategic enabler across industries, driving gains in efficiency, scalability, and resilience. 

"In the energy sector, where safety, reliability, and sustainability are critical, autonomous systems can monitor and respond in real time, reduce manual intervention in hazardous environments, and support smarter, data-driven decision-making. Crucially, they also support both onshore and remote operations, reducing offsite travel and improving work-life balance."

Yours truly also hit the airwaves to discuss the financials of Aramco and BP both of whom published their quarterlies on Tuesday too, starting with the BBC's morning business bulletins, with two market commentary hits in quick succession on the same channel. 

The Oilholic noted that while both companies managed to beat earnings expectations, unsurprisingly their returns were nothing like we saw in the wake of Russia-Ukraine war. The low oil price environment for much of the previous quarter also dented earnings. 

Aramco kept its bumper base dividend (of $21.1 billion) while BP maintained its share buyback at $750 million. In the case of the latter, whisper gently, but perhaps a turnaround may be on the horizon. 

Later on Tuesday, yours truly also moderated a panel titled 'Future-proofing feedstock strategies: from sourcing advantage to system adaptability.'

The panellists included Maurits van Tol, Chief Executive, Catalyst Technologies, Johnson Matthey, Marc-Xavier Joubert, Corporate Strategy Officer, SUEZ, and S. Bharathan, Member of the Board of Directors, Refineries, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited. We discussed how downstream players are reshaping sourcing models, processing capabilities and risk strategies to unlock value across an increasingly complex feedstock landscape.

The panellists offered a steer on how forward-thinking refineries and petrochemical plants should attempt to align their sourcing strategy with infrastructure adaptability, harnessing technological leaps and innovative solutions to unlock both commercial advantage and long-term sustainability. 

And the Oilholic rounded up an interesting first two days at ADIPEC over a round of drinks with none other than the inimitable Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director Emeritus of the International Energy Agency (IEA). 

It was a privilege to unwind after a hectic but rewarding first two days at ADIPEC and hear Tanaka's views on the evolving energy mix, his faith in the potential of hydrogen (that's still intact) and prevailing geopolitics. Well that's all for the moment from ADIPEC folks. More musings to follow real soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'!

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2025. Photo I: Exhibition floor of ADIPEC 2025 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Photo II: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma with Devan Pillay, President Heavy Industries at Schneider Electric. Photo III: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma offering market commentary on the BBC from ADIPEC 2025. Photo IV: ADIPEC panel on future-proofing feedstock strategies moderated by Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma. Photo V: Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director Emeritus, International Energy Agency (left) with Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma. Photos I, II, IV & V © Gaurav Sharma 2025. Photo III © BBC, November 2025.

ADIPEC 2025 sessions to be hosted by yours truly

The Oilholic is delighted to be back in Abu Dhabi, UAE for ADIPEC 2025, the world's largest energy conference and exhibition of its kind, being held here from November 3 to 6. Yours truly will be hosting four panel sessions at the event with distinguished industry leaders. Here are the details of the sessions as ADIPEC week unfolds:

Tuesday, November 4, ADNEC Conference Room A @ 16:00 GST

Future-proofing feedstock strategies: from sourcing advantage to system adaptability

With: 

- Maurits van Tol, Chief Executive, Catalyst Technologies, Johnson Matthey
- Marc-Xavier Joubert, Corporate Strategy Officer, SUEZ
- S. Bharathan, Member of the Board of Directors, Refineries, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited

Wednesday, November 5, ADNEC Conference Room A @ 13:05 GST

Driving hydrogen forward: technology, standards and a level playing field

With:

- Nobuo Tanaka, CEO, Tanaka Global & Executive Director Emeritus, International Energy Agency (IEA)
- Raphaël Tilot, CEO, John Cockerill Hydrogen
- Koji Yamamoto, CTO, JOGMEC
- Michèle Azalbert, Chief Hydrogen Officer, Gentari

- Lionel Sinai-Sinelnikoff, Strategic Advisor, Beyond Aero

Wednesday, November 5, ADNEC ICC Hall B @14:30 GST

The future of refining: decarbonisation, demand disruption, and strategic direction

With:

- Sultan Albigishi , CEO, ADNOC Refining
- Arvinder Singh Sahney, Chairman, Indian Oil Corporation
- Dr. Mumuni Dagazau, EVP Downstream, NNPC Limited
- Anibor Kragha, Executive Secretary, African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARDA)
- Sylvain Cabalery, SVP Sustainable Fuels, Technip Energies

Thursday, November 6, ADNEC Conference Room A @12:30GST

Financial innovation: building the future energy system through infrastructure investment:

With:

- Rajarshi Gupta, MD & CEO, ONGC Videsh Ltd
- Jamil Asfour, Head of the Energy & Utilities Sector, Contango

Can't wait to get going! Join, if you can, for some fantastic industry exchanges and networking in Abu Dhabi. More to follow. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2025. Digital event banner courtesy of dmgevents.

Attending the Fuellers' Master installation dinner

The Oilholic joined friends and colleagues from across the energy spectrum for a very special occasion last Wednesday - the installation ceremony and dinner of his good friend and fellow industry analyst Ashutosh Shastri as the Master of The Worshipful Company of Fuellers, one of the livery companies of the City of London. 

The company has its historic roots in coal and the earliest known references to it appear in 1376, according to national archives. 

Its origins can be traced backed to the Worshipful Company of Woodmongers & Coal Sellers, commonly known as the Fuellers. Some other fun facts at a glance include being granted City Status in 1981, Livery Status in 1984, and (another) Royal Charter in 2014. It had a Royal charter previously, but surrendered it not so long ago in 1667! The Fuellers are now associated with the entire energy sector. 

For the next year, Shastri will have the privilege and pleasure of leading the Company that is a powerful voice across the industry with members representing oil, gas, renewables, nuclear, hydrogen segments, and more. 

They engage in a range of activities from production, supply and distribution to research and analysis, finance and education to energy procurement. 

As for the Master Fueller Ashutosh "Ash" Shastri himself, yours truly first met him some 15 years ago at an energy conference in Istanbul. A sparring match on a panel over the future of LNG and role of natural gas in the energy mix subsequently led to a friendship that's stood the test of time. 

In his address, the Master Fueller spoke of the need for collaboration, listening and engaging when it comes to dealing with the pressing issue of our age - energy security and competitive pricing. It was great joining him on this momentous occasion, and to meet so many familiar faces and friends from the industry. 

In particular, it was great to catch up with the inimitable Neil Atkinson, a voice of reason in the world of energy analysis and Court Assistant to The Fuellers, in-person for a change after ages (rather than via a video call), and raise a glass (make that two) of bubbly. 

Also met Valerie Ducrot, Executive Director of the Global Gas Centre, for the very first time and heard about the Centre's sterling work. 

Along with the installation of Shastri as the Master, came the appointments of Louise Thompson as Senior Warden, and Dr Tom James, Junior Warden, as officers of the company. The Oilholic's sincere congratulations to the Worshipful Company of Fuellers for putting on a splendid event, and to Shastri, Thompson and James for their installation as current officers of the Company. 

Last, but certainly not the least, sincere congratulations also to Elena Oderstone, the immediate past Master who handed over Shastri, for her sterling work for the Company over the last 12 months, and her longstanding engagement with it through various offices.

Well that's all for the moment folks. More musings to follow soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'!

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2025. Photo I: Installation ceremony of Ashutosh Shastri as the Master of The Worshipful Company of Fuellers on October 8, 2025. Photo II: Master Ashutosh Shastri addresses he Worshipful Company of Fuellers' dinner attendees. Photo III: © Gaurav Sharma (left) with fellow independent energy analyst, and court assistant to the Fuellers Neil Atkinson. October, 2025.

Media missives from Gastech 2025

With Gastech 2025 drawing to a close, the Oilholic capped a fascinating and engaging week out in Milan, Italy by hosting four pivotal panel sessions on subjects ranging from the natural gas-AI nexus to solutions for the decarbonization of heavy industries and climatetech finance.

Yours truly also hit the airwaves and spoke to media outlets about the energy market and developments at the conference. The first broadcasting call was with the TRT World, and the final one with Energy Connects. This blogger's week also included plenty of other missives via the keyboard for Forbes and of course, via this blog.

All blog entries for Gastech 2025 may be found here. And here are selected Forbes copies in chronological order based on soundbites and insight from the event. 

• Trump’s Top Envoys Tell Europe U.S. Will Double Gas Exports In 5 Years, September 11, 2025
• Ditch Russia’s Oil For More U.S. Sanctions On Moscow, Trump Tells NATO, September 14, 2025
• OPEC’s Bid To Tame U.S. Shale Failed In 2014. Will 2025 Be Different?, September 16, 2025

More musings to follow soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2025. Photo: Energy analyst Gaurav Sharma speaks on TRT World on September 9, 2025 © TRT World, September 2025.

Meeting billionaire energy entrepreneur Femi Otedola

Energy and Finance Entrepreneur Femi Otedola (left) with Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma in London, UK

Late last month, the Oilholic had the pleasure of a very special meeting in London with an extraordinary energy and finance entrepreneur - none other than Nigerian billionaire and noted philanthropist Femi Otedola - who made his fortune with Forte Oil, a company he subsequently sold for a handsome profit. 

These days Otedola is the Chairman and majority owner of Geregu Power, a power generation company in Nigeria, and has sizeable stakes in Zenith Bank and FBN Holdings. 

The serial entrepreneur sat down for a meeting with yours truly late last month to discuss his life's journey, investment philosophy and his first book - Making it big: Lessons from a life in Business (currently trending on Amazon's Best Sellers list in business books category). 

Read the Oilholic's latest Forbes exclusive for more on Otedola's entrepreneurship, philanthropy, inspiring journey, and why he felt it was the right time to publish his first book. 

In the book, the self-made billionaire recounts that he always felt his true calling was in "business" and not academia, and that he started dreaming about it before he was even 10 years old. It also lays bare the ups and downs he faced, the challenges he met and the opportunities he took advantage of to get to where he is today. 

But what really stood was his passion for researching and conviction investing. "To this day, I follow the courage of my convictions and research when going for an asset acquisition." 

"I tend not to rely on an army of advisers. It may not be everyone's thing, but it is mine. I cannot say that there haven't been challenges in such an approach. Of course, there have been - but you learn from them to make your beliefs and investment approach stronger," he added. 

Overall, a most remarkable encounter with a great industry captain. That's all for now folks. More musings to follow soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2025. Photo: Energy analyst Gaurav Sharma (right) with billionaire energy and finance entrepreneur Femi Otedola in London, UK © Office of Femi Otedola, August 2025.

Moderating panel at Applied Computing's Orbital demo

Delighted to announce that yours truly will be joining Applied Computing's Demo Day proceedings on June 10, 2025 at IET London Savoy Place in London, UK. The Oilholic will also be moderating the panel discussion titled - Redesigning Energy: New Technologies Powering the Transition - where we'll explore the critical role of technologies and their potential to help reshape the future of energy, industry, and sustainability.

The session will bring together leading voices from across the world of energy, venture capital, and AI innovation to explore the insights, strategies, and technologies reshaping the energy landscape, including Kari Jordan, Founder, Leaps and Bounds, Ulrika Wising, Senior Energy Executive (Former Centrica, Shell & Macquarie), Eliza Eddison, Vice President of Operations at Applied Computing, and Fred Destin, Founder of Stride.VC

If you’d like to attend the panel discussion or Applied Computing's full Demo Day, kindly register here. 

Really looking forward to the proceedings and discussions, meeting the Applied Computing tech team and friends from the wider energy industry. 

More soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma, June 2025. Photo I & II: Speaker profile of energy analyst Gaurav Sharma for Applied Computing's Demo Day on June 10, 2025, and details of a discussion panel on how new technologies are powering the energy transition. © Applied Computing, June 2025. 

Media missives from CERAWeek 2025

With CERAWeek 2025 by S&P Global drawing to a close on March 14, the Oilholic capped a fascinating and engaging week out in Houston by having insightful 1-on-1 discussions, panel chats and wider interactions on the global energy mix and where it is heading to. 

All blog entries for CERAWeek may be found here. Yours truly also provided insight to Energy Connects and Forbes throughout the event as detailed below. 

First off, here are one's daily observations for Energy Connects on the first three days of the event:

• US Energy Secretary and oil industry leaders call for a realistic approach to the energy transition, March 11, 2025.
• Energy leaders call the US a prime investment market, March 12, 2025.
• Leading cross-sector executives pledge to triple global nuclear capacity by 2030, March 13, 2025.

And secondly, here go all observations, interactions and interviews from CERAWeek for Forbes:

• U.S. Energy Secretary Blasts Renewables, Vows To Support Oil And Gas, March 10, 2025.
• Guyana’s Buoyant Oil Exports Find Eager Buyers In Europe, March 12, 2025.
• Activist Investor Drives BP To Do ‘Fewer Things, With Higher Returns’, March 12, 2025.
• Practical Decarbonization Solutions Must Be Nurtured, Says MHI Group’s Green Solutions CEO, March 13, 2025.

And that's all for the moment folks. More musings to follow soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Motley Fool click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2025. Photo: Gaurav Sharma at CERAWeek 2025 © Gaurav Sharma 2025. 

Media missives from ADIPEC 2024

With ADIPEC 2024 drawing to a close on November 7, the Oilholic capped a fascinating and engaging week out in Abu Dhabi by hosting four pivotal industry panel sessions at the event on subjects ranging from climate finance to hydrogen markets in Asia.

Yours truly also hit the airwaves to discuss the wider energy market, impact of the US elections, an incoming Donald Trump administration and the various developments at ADIPEC 2024 which attracted over 200,000 people this year. 

These included broadcasting calls with the BBC, WION, Energy Connects and more, with this blogger's week also peppered with plenty of missives via the keyboard for Forbes, and of course this blog.

All blog entries for each ADIPEC day may be found here. And here are selected Forbes copies in chronological order based on soundbites and insight from the event. 

• ADNOC Boss Urges Energy Peers To Fully Embrace Power Of AI, November 4, 2024
• Donald Trump’s Presidency Will Likely Boost U.S. Oil Output In 2025, November 6, 2024
• Strait Of Hormuz: Why Iran Wont Harm Critical Oil Shipping Route, November 7, 2024
• British Energy Majors May Lean More On Oil And Gas To Boost Profits, November 8, 2024
• New U.K. Tax Rates Are Hammering North Sea Oil And Gas Drilling, November 12, 2024

That's a wrap for this year's ADIPEC. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Motley Fool click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2024. Photo: Gaurav Sharma at ADIPEC 2024 studio in Abu Dhabi, UAE on November 4, 2024 © dmgevents /APCO Worldwide. 

Media missives from ADIPEC 2023

With ADIPEC 2023 drawing to a close last week, the Oilholic capped a fascinating and engaging week with a rounding off piece for Forbes on the criticality of scaling up technology - and, of course, backing it up with petrodollars and willpower, if a meaningful energy transition is to be achieved. To this end, this blogger had great conversations with ABB, AiQ, AspenTech, AVEVA and Avaada Group. (More here)

Yours truly also hit the airwaves to discuss the various soundbites coming out of the conference and various developments in Abu Dhabi, all in the midst of a very volatile crude oil market riddled with demand concerns, supply-side tightening and geopolitical complications. The final broadcasting call before departing was with Asharq Bloomberg News, with this blogger's week out in Abu Dhabi peppered with plenty of other missives via the keyboard for Forbes, the Motley Fool, and of course via this blog. 

All blog entries for each ADIPEC day may be found here. 

Some commentary on Shell's share price direction via the Motley Fool may be found here. And here are selected Forbes copies in chronological order based on soundbites and insight from ADIPEC 2023. 

• Emirati COP28 President Calls For A "Just, Orderly, Equitable And Responsible" Energy Transition, October 2, 2023.
• India "Will Manage" And Won't Panic If Oil Rises Above $100, Says Energy Minister, October 3, 2023.
• Abu Dhabi To Unveil World’s Fourth Largest Solar Farm "Very Soon", October 4, 2023.
• Oil Futures Slump Further On Uncertain Global Demand Outlook, October 5, 2023.
• Abu Dhabi In First Wind Farm Launch As 2GW Solar Project Nears Completion, October 8, 2023.
• 4 Middle East Geopolitical Scenarios That May Hike Oil Market Risk Premiums, October 9, 2023.
• Scaling Technology And Willpower Critical For 'Fast-Tracking' Global Energy Transition, October 10, 2023.

And that's a wrap. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'!

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Rigzone click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2023. Photo: Gaurav Sharma on Asharq Bloomberg TV on October 4, 2023 © Asharq Bloomberg 2023.

Back on a road (err...flight path) well travelled!

It's nearly time for BA706 - a very familiar British Airways flight number as far as the Oilholic's travels go. For after a gap of over three years in earnest, the Oilholic is back on a 'crude' road (err...flight path) well travelled and heading to the 8th International OPEC Seminar in Vienna, Austria. The core subject for deliberations is "Towards a sustainable & inclusive energy transition" and yours truly is looking forward to a fascinating few days of international dialogues. 

One must say, waiting for a flight to the Austrian capital once again for an OPEC gathering after gap years spent in the "in-house" corporate world brings a renewed sense of excitement and anticipation, eagerness to reconnect with old friends in energy analysis community and make new friends. 

Prevalent energy market conditions are miles apart from where we were in a pre-Covid world in March 2020 (scene of the last crime....err...visit). And who can forget the negative WTI oil price that followed in April 2020. Furthermore, energy transition is high on the agenda in a changed (hopefully pragmatic) world. So cheers to it all. 

To warm up, and prior to embarking on this journey, yours truly has fired a few missives via Forbes. Based on the Oilholic's reading of the current market situation and macroeconomic climate, oil prices remain rangebound and stuck in $70s for Brent (More here). 

And here are yours truly's thoughts on Shell's dividend hike and return to 'crude' basics. If sustainable investment trusts, learning more about Scope 1, 2 & 3 emissions and OPEC's June meeting are topics of interest, you can find your way there via the Oilholic's Forbes profile (details below). But that's all for now, and for the moment folks. Am BACK! So keep reading, keep it 'crude'!

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here. 

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here. 

To follow The Oilholic on Rigzone click here. 

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk

© Gaurav Sharma 2023. Photo © Gaurav Sharma, July 4, 2023.

Crude arrival in Vienna in the age of Coronavirus

The Oilholic has arrived in Vienna for the 178th 'Extraordinary' meeting of OPEC Ministers, only to be told that analysts and journalists will not be allowed into the Secretariat to mitigate chances of the spread of the coronavirus.

It seems the conference and its goings-on would be 'live streamed', and all of us would be moved to the confines of a meeting room at the Palais Hansen Kempinski with no media briefings and contact with oil ministers. Still old friends and diehards have turned for some outdoor coffee and cookies outside OPEC HQ.

More diehards outside #OPEC HQ this afternoon than the number of people on my flight in to Vienna from London yesterday afternoon! pic.twitter.com/SI1ZtIFutp

— Gaurav Sharma (@The_Oilholic) March 4, 2020

No handshakes at #OPEC with @eithnetreanor in the age of the #CoronavirusOubtreak; we settled on a 'crude' but friendly elbow nudge :) #OOTT #oilandgas pic.twitter.com/hgO2mAEf9h

— Gaurav Sharma (@The_Oilholic) March 4, 2020

 And here's the agenda for the next few days:

Schedule of #OPEC+ 'live streaming' starting soon at a laptop near you! #OOTT #oilandgas pic.twitter.com/Q3TYsyhAwR

— Gaurav Sharma (@The_Oilholic) March 4, 2020

That's all for the moment folks! More from Vienna soon; but in the interim, keep reading, keep it 'crude'!

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.
To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.
To email: gaurav.sharma@oilholicssynonymous.com

© Gaurav Sharma 2020. 

OPEC+ announces deeper cuts of 500kbpd

It's official - OPEC+ has decided to "deepen its cuts" by ~500,000 barrels per day (bpd), thereby upping its output reduction from 1.2 million bpd, 1.7 million bpd.

And if the new chief OPEC powerbroker Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman is to be believed, and every participant well...err....participates, the market could well be looking at a real terms cut of 2.1 million bpd. 

That is wishful thinking and will be severely tested as the Saudis say OPEC+ compliance would be keen monitored. To this effect, OPEC will have an extraordinary meeting of ministers in March 2020, on top of its regular meeting in June. 

For its part Saudi Arabia will up its cuts "voluntarily" to 400,000 bpd (+167,000 bpd) bringing its headline production down to 9.744 million bpd. Errant Iraq has promised to cut 50,000 bpd. Nigeria, Libya and Iraq remain exempt, but Nigerian Minister Timipre Marlin Sylva said his country would be cutting production "voluntarily."

There seems to be no shortage of volunteers. Here are two other key quotes:

• "Signal we want market to take is that we are collectively showing readiness to rebalance the market, prevent heavy inventory buildup in Q1 2020," - Abdulaziz bin Salman.
• "Russia wants to avoid any oil market turbulence in 2020. We are not concerned with US shale, seeing signs of shale slowdown," - Russian Oil Minister Alexander Novak. 

Finally, the Saudi Minister sounded pretty peeved about getting a "battering from the media" about the Saudi Aramco IPO, adding that the company's valuation would hit $2 trillion very soon. And that's that; more composed thoughts upon the Oilholic's return to London, but that's all for the moment from OPEC folks! Keep reading, keep it 'crude'!

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To email: gaurav.sharma@oilholicssynonymous.com

© Gaurav Sharma 2019. Photo: Saudi Oil Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman speaks at the conclusion of the OPEC+ meeting in Vienna, Austria © Gaurav Sharma December 6, 2019.

Why drone attacks on Saudi Aramco haven’t sparked sustained oil price spike

The Oilholic returned from researching enhanced oil recovery in rural Pennsylvania on Friday (September 13), only to wake up to a tumultuous weekend, and week, for the oil market in that order. For in the small hours of Saturday morning, multiple drone and alleged missile attacks, claimed by Houthi rebels, hit Saudi Aramco’s crude processing facilities in Abqaiq and the Khurais oilfield. 

The attack took out 5.7 million barrels per day (bpd) of Saudi production capacity. Going by the last Platts survey, the Kingdom pumped 9.77 million bpd in August, implying the attack created a 58% drop in production at the very least when measured against last month's production levels.

The situation remains unpredictable, and as yours truly told the BBC – were it not for US production serving as a buffer, current oil pricing scenario and modelling would be very different.

The Americans remain the world's largest oil producer pumping in excess of 12 million bpd, and the country’s production could rise to 13.4 million bpd at some point in 2020. That is what has largely kept the market sane. Predictably, Brent futures shot up 20% to $71 per barrel at the Asian open on Monday but the uptick did not last. As the week’s trading came to a close on Friday (September 20), a look at benchmark prices - ironing out the week’s volatility - says it all. Brent closed at $64.28 per barrel, up $4.06 or 6.84% while the WTI closed at $58.09 per barrel, up $3.24 or 5.9% on the week.

The said movement is hardly the stuff of bullish dreams; even if the week belonged to the longs, short-sellers did not take as big a hammering as some feared. And consumers need not be overly concerned for now at least. As the Oilholic said on ITN/Channel 5 News, the physical crude market’s response and its domino effect on fuel prices depend not on the here and now, but on where from here? Lot depends on the Saudi and US response to the attack that both parties near instantaneously blamed on Iran which backs the Houthi rebels.

If the Saudis, in concert with the Americans, hit sites in Iran, then that could lead to a wider conflict in the Persian Gulf and some very real turmoil associated with it; not just knee-jerk price reactions of the sort we saw in the immediate aftermath of the revolt.

It is here that the market could see a sustained geopolitical risk driven uptick in oil prices for $10 to $15 per barrel. Plausibly, you will see prices at the pump rising given that retailers pass an oil price rise near instantaneously but are pretty slow in cutting them in the event of a price drop. And of course governments who in many cases take two-thirds of the price we pay per litre at the pump, might have some serious thinking to do as well.

For now an eerie calm prevails, with the market soaking in verbal salvos between Riyadh, Washington and Tehran. Logical conclusion is that an attack of this magnitude cannot go unanswered or Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the power hungry favourite son of Saudi King Salman, would look weak. Finally, here are the Oilholic’s thoughts in detail on Forbes summing up the turbulent trading week. That’s all for the moment folks! Keep reading, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To email: gaurav.sharma@oilholicssynonymous.com

© Gaurav Sharma 2019. Photo 1: Gaurav Sharma on BBC News at Six on September 15, 2019 © BBC, Photo 2: Gaurav Sharma on 5 News on September 16, 2019 © ITN