Greek oil company Energean has pledged to become a net-zero emissions company by 2050.
Illustration only; Energean Force / Image source: Energean
The London/Tel Aviv-listed, Mediterranean focused, oil and gas explorer and producer said Monday that it was supporting and is committed to the pledges of the United Nations “Business Ambition for 1.5°C: Our Only Future” campaign.
Energeran said it was specifically committed to set science-based targets across its entire value chain and “ is pleased to make a commitment to be net-zero emissions company by 2050.”
The oil and gas company’s pledge comes in parallel with a campaign is being launched at the 25th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference — also known as COP 25 — taking place from 2 to 13 December in Madrid, Spain.
“The campaign calls on business leaders to set emissions reduction targets with the highest ambition for their companies in line with the report on 1.5°C by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and to reach net-zero emissions by no later than 2050. It should be noted, that Energean is the first London listed E&P company that commits to the specific campaign,” Energean said.
Mathios Rigas, CEO of Energean said: “We are proud to participate in the United Nations Global Compact and are pleased to be playing a leading industry role by not only committing to and supporting the United Nations “Business Ambition for 1.5°C: Our Only Future” campaign, but also to be committing Energean to net zero emissions by 2050. We are creating the leading independent, gas-focused, sustainable E&P company in the East Med which is committed to reducing our emissions and to the sustainability agenda.”
Offshore Energy Today has reached out to Energean, seeking more details on how the company plans to achieve its net-zero emissions goal, and what happens if the target is not met. We will update the article if we receive any response.
Energean owns producing assets in Greece and is developing Karish and Tanin gas fields offshore Israel. The company also owns an offshore block in Montenegro.
According to the UN, since the launch of the Business Ambition for 1.5°C — Our Only Future campaign, the number of companies committing to align their science-based emission reduction targets with a 1.5°C trajectory is increasing rapidly, with more than 75 Chief Executive Officers committing to the 1.5°C pledge as of 2019.
The companies represent 26 countries with 2.10 million employees, as well as a wide range of 22 sectors, such as telecommunications (16%), chemicals (9%), construction & materials (9%), pharmaceuticals & biotechnology (7%), financial services (7%) and electronic & electrical equipment (7%).
“Building a prosperous, net-zero carbon economy by 2050 will require transformational change across the economy. A growing body of analysis and evidence makes it clear that such a transition is achievable but only with decisive business leadership supported by ambitious government policies. Businesses joining the campaign are playing a key role in this transition through decarbonizing their own operations and articulating the targets and policies they need or want to see from Governments to help accelerate this transition,” the UN has said.
Court bans Greenpeace from boarding Shell’s North Sea installations
Oil major Shell has won a court order against Greenpeace aimed at preventing environmentalists from boarding the company’s oil installations in the North Sea.
Shell’s Brent; Photo by Marten van Dijl/Greenpeace
Following the protest, Shell sought an order from the Edinburgh court to ban protests near the company’s platforms.
Following reports that Shell has won the injunction, Offshore Energy Today has reached out to Shell seeking confirmation and further details about the order.
A Shell spokesperson said: “Shell sought this court order only to prevent protestors breaching the statutory 500m safety zones around platforms in the Brent field, putting themselves and Shell staff at risk. We wholeheartedly support the right to protest peacefully and safely. We’re pleased this decision recognizes that the existing legal safety zone should be respected by campaigners.”
Shell called on Section 21 of the Petroleum Act 1987, which automatically establishes 500-meter safety zones around installations which are stationed, being assembled or being dismantled in waters within the UK Continental Shelf. Under the act, it is an offense for any vessel to enter or remain in the safety zone except in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State or a consent given by the Health and Safety Executive.
BBC reported that the judge had concluded that since the installations were private property, Shell had a legal right to stop the climate activists from accessing them. The news agency also reported that the judge had ruled that given the physical state of the installations, protesters could injure themselves.
A setback for Greenpeace
In a statement on Wednesday, Greenpeace confirmed that the Scottish Court had granted Shell’s request for a temporary ban on future protests by Greenpeace International and Greenpeace Netherlands near or on Shell’s oil platforms in the Brent oil field.
Responding to the court order, Meike Rijksen, Campaigner for Greenpeace Netherlands said: “This is a setback, but the public will understand the real concern here is Shell’s plan. We will continue to fight alongside experts and governments against Shell’s intention to dump 11,000 tonnes of oil in the North Sea. Greenpeace has almost 50 years of experience with safe and peaceful protest. We strongly believe in the right to protest and will keep defending it. Shell can try to shut us up, but we will only get louder.”
Michelle Jonker-Argueta, Legal Counsel for Greenpeace International stated: “Currently we are waiting for the written ruling. Then we need to thoroughly analyze it before making any decisions about a possible appeal. In any event, Greenpeace will get to fight for the right to hold the industry accountable through safe and peaceful protest when the court considers Shell’s request for a permanent ban.”
According to Greenpeace, a ban on dumping installations and platforms in the North-East Atlantic Ocean was agreed in 1998 by all members of the OSPAR Commission. Shell has requested an exemption from the UK government. Both the Dutch Government and the German Government have criticized Shell’s plan and came to the conclusion that Shell’s study into the complete dismantling of the platforms is inadequate.
TGS has completed the sale of one of its seismic datasets to OGCI Climate Investments’ Net Zero Teesside project, a carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) initiative planned for the North East of England.
Illustration. Source: TGS
TGS said on Thursday that the data would be used to verify the suitability for storage of CO2 in offshore reservoirs located in the Permian Gas Basin in the Southern North Sea.
Net Zero Teesside is an integrated CCUS project backed by OGCI Climate Investments, with direct project support from six of the largest oil and gas companies globally: BP, ENI, Equinor, Occidental Petroleum, Shell and Total.
OGCI Climate Investments and its partners are working closely with the UK Government on a supportive policy framework to enable the UK to become a leader and exporter of CCUS technologies globally.
Colin McGill, Net Zero Teesside Project Director, said, “To be able to remove carbon dioxide emissions and store them deep underground – preventing them from being released into the atmosphere – means we need to be 100 percent sure that the reservoir chosen is fit-for-purpose. Our agreement with TGS allows us to carefully analyze the geology of the reservoirs and make the correct decisions that will sustain our CCUS operations for millennia to come.”
Fredrik Amundsen, Executive Vice President, Europe and Russia at TGS, said, “The use of seismic data from TGS in the development of this landmark UK CCUS project is an important initiative for us as it marks the start of what could become a growing business area in the coming years. We recognize the need to actively engage in projects that support the energy transition and working with Net Zero Teesside is a recognition that our data can and will be used in new ways in the future.”
Austrian oil company OMV has been under attack by Greenpeace activists in New Zealand at two separate occasions. First, the protesters boarded OMV’s supply vessel at a port in Timaru and then moved the protests in front of OMV’s offices in Plymouth.
Source: Greenpeace New Zealand
Activists spent three days this week protesting in front of OMV’s Plymouth offices. This protest was preceded by an occupation of OMV’s support vessel Skandi Atlantic in late November.
Namely, 30 people, including a team of Greenpeace climbers, on November 24 climbed aboard the support vessel for OMV’s oil rig and some locked themselves to the ship to stop it from leaving the port.
According to Greenpeace, the Bahamas-flagged Skandi Atlantic was preparing to leave the Port of Timaru and travel north to meet an oil rig commissioned by OMV, now stationed off the coast of Taranaki.
Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner, Amanda Larsson, said: “By occupying OMV’s henchboat, we’re delaying the monster rig from drilling for new oil in the middle of a climate emergency.”
Larsson added: “People are over it. We’re over companies being allowed to search for new oil to burn in the middle of a climate emergency, threatening the lives of millions of people. At every turn, OMV can expect us to be all over them.”
After 50 hours of occupying the support vessel in Timaru to prevent it from leaving the port, the last 10 protesters were forcibly removed by the police on Tuesday, November 26. However, Greenpeace did not stop there. The environmentalist organization then announced its intentions to continue the protest in front of OMV’s offices in Plymouth.
Larsson said in a statement on November 26: “This resistance is only set to continue. Next week, hundreds of people from around the country are gearing up to take part in a Climate Uprising mobilization in New Plymouth, where this vessel is heading and OMV has its Taranaki Headquarters.”
Following the end of protests on the support vessel, a group of people who had been occupying the vessel in the Port of Timaru raced north to New Plymouth – the destination of the boat and OMV’s Taranaki base.
Plymouth protest
On Monday, December 2 protesters formed a human barricade around OMV’s offices in Taranaki – shutting it down. The activists called on OMV to leave New Zealand.
The three-day occupation of OMV headquarters in New Plymouth wrapped up on Wednesday. Greenpeace claimed that at least 300 of the oil giant’s staff were forced to stay away from the office during the protest.
However, the activists have left OMV a parting gift. They’ve installed an outdoor pop-up museum in OMV’s front car park, full of artifacts from the oil industry’s past.
Greenpeace stated that OMV is about to begin drilling for new oil and gas off Taranaki, and has plans to move into the untouched, deep seas of the Great South Basin off Dunedin afterward.
Larsson said: “We are encouraging OMV executives to help New Zealanders make oil history by surrendering their permits to drill in New Zealand waters. We can always find a place for it in our oil museum.”
According to information on OMV’s New Zealand website, the company’s exploration team is actively working towards a drilling campaign in the Taranaki basin in 2019/2020 aiming to grow OMV’s and New Zealand’s reserves through new discoveries. This exploration drilling campaign is supported by the acquisition of the largest seismic survey ever acquired in the Taranaki Basin.
In addition, the company is committed to drill one exploration well in the Great South Basin, which is required to be drilled by July 2021.
In October 2019, Greenpeace protested on the Shell-operated Brent field in the North Sea against the company’s plans to leave parts of old oil structures with 11,000 tonnes of oil in the North Sea.
Following the protest, Shell sought an order from the Edinburgh court to ban protests near the company’s platforms. The judge concluded that since the installations were private property, Shell had a legal right to stop the climate activists from accessing them
Activists looking to disrupt Wintershall Dea’s drilling plans off Norway
Activists from Norwegian environmental groups are targeting Wintershall Dea’s offshore drilling plans at Lofoten location in Norway.
The West Hercules drilling rig in the Barents Sea. (Photo: Equinor/Ole Jørgen Bratland)
The activists are from Natur og Ungdom (Nature and Youth), a Norwegian youth environmental organization, and Bellona, a non-profit organization.
On Monday, they decided to prevent the German oil company from drilling the Toutatis exploration well, located off the Lofoten Islands in the Norwegian Sea, by stopping the West Hercules semi-submersible rig which is scheduled to drill the well. The well location is close to a vulnerable cold-water coral reef.
The activists said on Monday they would use the Bellona vessel Kallinika to physically block the rig.
Their move to block Wintershall Dea’s operations was preceded by a decision from the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment, which reaffirmed the decision by the environmental directorate allowing Wintershall Dea to drill in the area. The oil company was given a drilling permit for the well in July 2019.
According to Nature and Youth, the Institute of Marine Research, the Coastal Fisheries Team, the Seafood companies and the Lofoten Council have all advised against the drilling.
Gaute Eiterjord from Nature and Youth underlined the organization’s refusal to accept drilling in “some of our most vulnerable areas, and are ready to stop this rig by any means.”
“This is a black day for the environment,” said Bellona leader Frederic Hauge.
The organization said that the West Hercules oil rig was off the Trøndelag coast and could be on the field on Wednesday.
The block was incorporated into the Predefined Areas Allocation Scheme (APA) in 2011. The drilling license was first awarded in 2012, and later again in 2016. The well is located approximately 7.5 km north of the Trænarevet and approximately 83 km from Røst. The block borders the petroleum-free area at Røstbanken and Lofoten.
Greenpeace activists have reportedly blocked entrances to BP’s headquarters in London.
The environmentalist organization tweeted on Monday morning: “We’ve just shut down @BP_plc’s offices in central London. This is a #ClimateEmergency.”
Greenpeace on said its activists were blocking entrances to BP’s London HQ.
“[The activists] have set up camp inside specially designed containers. BP can’t continue as if it’s business as usual in this #ClimateEmergency we’re in. #BPshutdown,” Greenpeace tweeted.
The group has said its activists are “prepared to stay there until BP agrees to stop searching for new oil & gas and take the #ClimateEmergency seriously.”
Offshore Energy Today has reached out to BP seeking comment and confirmation of Greenpeace’s claims of the shutdown of BP’s offices.
A BP spokesperson responded:”We welcome discussion, debate, even peaceful protest on the important matter of how we must all work together to address the climate challenge, but impeding safe entry and exit from an office building in this way is dangerous and clearly a matter for the police to resolve as swiftly as possible.”
Offshore Energy Today understands that BP employees not able to access the building are working either remotely or from other offices.
Australia’s major parties to audit offshore regulator’s decision on Great Australian Bight drilling
In the days leading up to the Australian federal election – scheduled for Saturday, May 18 – the Liberal Party of Australia has informed it will commission an independent audit of NOPSEMA’s, the country’s offshore regulator, current consideration of exploration in the Great Australian Bight.
The Great Australian Bight. Source: Equinor
Namely, Equinor’s plans for offshore exploration in the Great Australian Bight are currently being reviewed by the country’s independent offshore regulator, NOPSEMA.
The Liberal National Government said in a statement on Thursday it had recognized the importance of the Great Australian Bight and the surrounding region to local communities, and the fishing and tourism industries.
“The region is known for its unique environment and deserves strong protection,” the Liberal Party said in the statement, claiming that Australia has one of the safest regimes for offshore oil and gas in the world.
The industry is overseen by Australia’s independent regulator NOPSEMA (National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority), which was established on January 1, 2012.
“The Liberal National Government recognizes community concerns around drilling in the Great Australian Bight and community groups are seeking further assurance of environmental protection,” the party said.
The Liberal National Government will commission an independent audit, to be conducted by the Chief Scientist, to provide this additional level of assurance to the community.
According to the statement, the independent audit will be jointly commissioned by the Minister for Resources and the Minister for the Environment. The Chief Scientist will be asked to work with NOPSEMA to assure all environmental considerations are thoroughly considered as part of the assessment process and decision making of the independent regulator. The audit will be conducted in tandem with the assessment process.
Exploratory drilling proposals will continue to be assessed by NOPSEMA, which has an independent assessment process underway under Australian law.
Equinor’s drilling plans
To remind, Norway’s oil and gas giant Equinor in April filed an environment plan to Australian offshore regulator for its proposed petroleum drilling activity in the Great Australian Bight amid claims by environmental groups of it being too risky. Following the submission of the plan, NOPSEMA started the formal assessment of the plan, under which a proposed activity must be found to meet all legislative requirements to proceed.
Through its assessment, NOPSEMA said it would consider potential environmental impacts from the proposed activity to ensure appropriate precautions are taken. The regulator’s decision was initially expected by May 23, 2019.
Equinor Australia is the sole titleholder of exploration permit EPP39, located in the Ceduna Sub-basin in Commonwealth waters off southern Australia. As part of the permit commitment, Equinor plans to drill the Stromlo-1 exploration well, which is located approximately 400 km southwest of Ceduna and 476 km west of Port Lincoln and in a water depth of approximately 2,240 meters.
Equinor plans to spud the Stromlo-1 exploration well in late 2020. The duration of the drilling of the well is expected to be approximately 60 days.
Labor calls for study into oil spill impact
Meanwhile, Australian Labor Party has also said that, if elected, one of its first acts will be to commission an independent scientific study into the impact of an oil spill in the Great Australian Bight. The purpose of the study will be to help inform the decision making of the independent regulator.
The Labor said that it will be an independent scientific study to increase the capacity of the independent regulator to properly make an assessment and that the study will report before the project is approved.
In a statement on Thursday, May 17 environmental organization Greenpeace welcomed the Labor Party’s new commitment that a Shorten Labor government would block Equinor’s oil drilling approval from proceeding in the Great Australian Bight until an independent scientific study into the impacts of an oil spill is completed.
Greenpeace senior campaigner Nathaniel Pelle said: “A stay of execution is welcome. But it’s clear a total ban on drilling in the Bight is warranted.”
He added: “The Labor Party has responded to the growing calls from international experts, surfers, the fishing industry, and everyday Australians who love our beaches, by delaying this dangerous proposal to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight pending an independent inquiry.”
“If Bill Shorten is elected on Saturday, and is truly committed to putting the environment before oil company profits, he’ll go one step further and rule the project out completely,” said Pelle.
Regulator delays decision
While it was unclear at first how either of the parties’ proposals for independent studies would be done in practice, as NOPSEMA was initially expected to make its decision by May 23, the regulator issued a statement on Friday, May 17 changing the deadline.
In the statement the regulator said it was “unable to make a decision on their environment plan for proposed exploration drilling in the Great Australian Bight within the initial 30 day assessment period. The next decision point is now scheduled for 27 June 2019.”
The Great Australian Bight drilling plans have also been met with resistance by the Australian Greens and its Senator Sarah Hanson-Young who said that the party would not let “Australian tourism and fishing industries be put at risk for the sake of multinational corporate profits, no matter what spin Equinor tries to put on it.”
