The age of snake oil
Keir’s famous poster portrays petroleum as an effective remedy for every conceivable want, highlighting how any product may be marketed with absurd false promises. For hype to be a successful…
In the News
A return to energy realism
In today’s interconnected world, nothing of significance happens without insurance. While often associated with personal matters – such as driving a car, building a home, or securing health and life…
“Surviving the next reorganisation is all my generation looks forward to”
“Did you see that Exxon has a recruitment sign on their stand?” somebody told me at the IMAGE Conference last week. It was a very telling remark, a remark that…
Storing radwaste: Transcending the limits of geoscience
Today, we have an estimated total of 370,000 to 400,000 tons of spent radioactive waste globally, which is the equivalent of 16 Olympic-sized swimming pools, that have been generated since…
Subsurface noise, Issue 3, 2025
SHALLOW GEOTHERMAL IS BOOMING IN ICELAND In contrast to drilling deep for geothermal energy, the geological risks for shallow geothermal are minor or even non-existent, as loops are based on…
Storing radwaste: From academic pipe dreams to more practical ideas
The history of radioactive waste disposal is probably one of the best examples of how subsurface projects evolve. Starting in the 1950s, the spectrum of project ideas was broad-ranging, from…
Maybe the energy sector does not need so many new geoscientists after all?
There was an outcry when the Free University in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, recently announced its intention to close its geoscience department. Many well-respected geoscientists posted on LinkedIn how bad this…
And all the while, hydrocarbons are transitioning away from us
”It’s the hope that keeps us here,” wrote Neil Hodgson and the Searcher team this week. He alluded to those promising ultra-deepwater fields that are about to be discovered. Hope…
Subsurface noise, Issue 2, 2025
THE EARLY DAYS OF SUBSURFACE MODELS I recently spoke to a geologist who was heavily involved with the introduction of the first generations of reservoir modelling software. He told me…
Taking a seat on the 4-legged stool of honest energy policy
It’s time to start being honest to ourselves regarding the suitability of an ambitious, high-profile goal such as “net zero”. The unpopular truth is that it has long been evident…
Subsurface noise, Issue 1, 2025
HOW TO KEEP PEOPLE ON YOUR PAYROLL WHEN YOUR ASSETS HAVE ALL CEASED PRODUCTION? That’s the question one particular operator faces in the North Sea. And they have found a…
Energy sobriety – a moment of clarity in a “dry January”
As we enter a new year it’s always important to ponder what we have learned from the previous year. I discovered that most people think that energy is simple and…