Welcome to the latest issue of Offshore Technology Focus.
In this edition, we consider the future of African oil and gas. For years there has been considerable potential for oil and gas development around the continent, and as Europe turns away from Russian supplies in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine, African oil producers have been presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to expand their reach into European markets.
Yet, as is always the case with fossil fuel developments, there are caveats. Alongside the well-established environmental and financial drawbacks to long-term oil and gas development, Africa also boasts considerable potential for renewable power, with abundant supplies of tidal, wind and solar power.
Any investments into expanding African oil and gas production, therefore, come at the cost of not investing in renewable power, and many energy producers in Africa will be faced with the choice of short-term profits driven by oil, and long-term investments into renewable power.
Elsewhere, we consider some of the human aspects of the oil and gas industry. In the wake of Pride month earlier this year, we profile how the offshore sector has engaged in LGBT+ events, and investigate the UK’s latest offshore training facility, as the industry looks to equip its workers with the most relevant skills for the future.
We also profile some of the most exciting regions for oil and gas development. Norway and Colombia both provide considerable potential for oil and gas investment, but both balance on a knife-edge as environmental concerns and shifting political influence offer alternative paths for both countries’ industrial development.
For all this and more, read on.
JP Casey, editor
