While operators have been quick to position themselves for the upcoming 'decommissioning boom’, few projects have kicked off and it’s fast emerging that one of the main challenges will be knowing when the volume of work will be available. We speak to decommissioning companies about the tricky art of timing. We also look at what Denmark's greenlighting of Nord Stream 2, in spite of fierce opposition from the US, means for the gas industry.

Elsewhere, we assess how risks to workers' physical health have changed and what can be done to increase mental health awareness, and consider the delicate balance behind wildcat drilling and whether the risk is worth the potential reward.

Also, we sit down with Oilfield Helping Hands to hear about the realities of oilfield workers' lives and how the organisation helps them. And as we approach the tenth anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon disaster,  we talk to the Southwest Research institute about developments in well safety and preventing blowouts. 

Finally, we speak to BirdLife Africa about the effects the oil and gas industry can have on biodiversity and explore innovations in plug and abandonment technologies as a variety of solutions head towards the market. 

Callum Tyndall, editor

Follow us for daily updates and join the discussion: