Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised

In this Market Focus episode of the Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast, Conglin Xu, managing editor, economics, takes a look into the LNG market shock caused by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the sudden loss of Qatari LNG supply as the Iran war continues. Xu speaks with Edward O’Toole, director of global gas analysis, RBAC Inc., to examine how these disruptions are intensifying global supply constraints at a time when European inventories were already under pressure following a colder-than-average winter and weaker storage levels. Drawing on RBAC’s G2M2 global gas market model, O’Toole outlines disruption scenarios analyzed in the firm’s recent report and explains how current events align with their findings. With global LNG production already operating near maximum utilization, the market response is being driven by higher prices and reduced consumption. Europe faces sharper price pressure due to storage refill needs, while Asian markets are expected to see greater demand reductions as consumers switch fuels. O’Toole underscores the importance of scenario-based modeling and supply diversification as geopolitical risk exposes structural vulnerabilities in the LNG market—offering insights for stakeholders navigating an increasingly uncertain global gas landscape.

In this Then & Now episode of the Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast, Managing Editor and Content Strategist Mikaila Adams reconnects with Deborah Byers, nonresident fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies and former EY Americas industry leader, to revisit a set of questions first posed in 2017. In 2017, the industry was emerging from a downturn and recalibrating strategy; today, it faces heightened geopolitical risk, market volatility, and a rapidly evolving technology landscape. The conversation examines how those earlier perspectives have aged—covering oil price bands and the speed of recovery from geopolitical shocks, the role of US shale relative to OPEC in balancing global supply, and the shift from scarcity to economic abundance driven by technology and capital discipline. Adams and Byers also compare the economics and risk profiles of shale and offshore development, including the growing role of Brazil, Guyana, and the Gulf of Mexico, and discuss how infrastructure and regulatory constraints shape market outcomes. The episode further explores where digital transformation—particularly artificial intelligence—is delivering tangible returns across upstream operations, from predictive maintenance and workforce planning to capital project execution. The discussion concludes with insights on consolidation and scale in the Permian basin, the strategic rationale behind recent megamergers, and the industry’s ongoing challenge to attract and retain next‑generation talent through flexibility, technical opportunity, and purpose‑driven work. A focus on operational excellence - 2017 In 2017, Adams sat down with Byers—who was then a managing partner in Ernst & Young's Houston office and led the Southwest Transaction Advisory Services and the firm's US energy practice—to talk about her 30-year career with EY and her view of the industry going into 2017. Take a look back and review the interview that spurred the podcast.   

In this bonus episode of the Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast, Head of Content Chris Smith is joined by Jim Krane, the Diana Tamari Sabbagh Fellow in Middle East Energy Studies and Center for Energy Studies Lead for Energy and Geopolitics in the Middle East at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. The two discuss the regional political forces shaping the Iran war so far, exactly how vulnerable the Strait of Hormuz is, and—shifting inland—what’s in it for the Kurds.

In this Then & Now episode of the Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast, Laura Bell-Hammer examines how US crude oil imports have evolved from structural dependence in the mid-1990s to today’s model of strategic grade optimization. Using historical and current data, the episode traces how refinery configuration, shale-driven production growth, regional pipeline integration, and shifting geopolitics reshaped US trade flows over three decades. From OPEC’s dominant role in 1995 to Canada’s system-critical position today and the reemergence of Venezuelan barrels under evolving sanctions policy...this episode explores how long-cycle capital investment and policy decisions continue to influence refinery economics and supply strategy.

In this Insights episode of the Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast, Head of Content Chris Smith updates the evolving situation in Venezuela as the industry attempts to navigate the best path forward while the two governments continue to hammer out the details. The discussion centers on the new legal frameworks being established in both countries within the context of fraught relations stretching back for decades. Want to hear more? Listen in on a January episode highlighting industry's initial take following the removal of Nicholas Maduro from power. References Politico podcast Monaldi Substack Baker webinar Washington, Caracas open Venezuela to allow more oil sales 

In this Insights episode of the Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast, Alex Procyk, Upstream Editor, recaps four recent technical papers shaping today’s upstream decisions. He looks at how lightweight and ultralight proppants are influencing fracture performance and gravel-pack stability, why updated data show the Marcellus continuing to expand without signs of productivity loss, and how airborne monitoring offshore Angola is exposing gaps in reported methane emissions. The episode is a practical walkthrough of what the latest research means for completion design, resource expectations, and environmental oversight. Article references If you’d like to dig deeper, the full articles are available with your membership on OGJ.com.  Marcellus assessment shows continued expansion [Free - Members Only] New assessment suggests substantial Appalachian shale gas resources [Premium] Lightweight proppants improve completion [Free - Members Only] Airborne Angolan methane monitoring reveals discrepancies [Free - Members Only]

In this Insights episode of the Oil & Gas ReEnterprised podcast, OGJ Head of Content Chris Smith talks with Bob Crossen, Vice-President of Content Strategy for the Water and Energy Groups of Endeavor Business Media, about the latter’s first trip to the world’s largest oil and gas trade show: Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (ADIPEC). Conference themes discussed as they relate to the year ahead include the shift from automation to autonomy, AI, the energy addition, and sustainability.

In this Insights episode of the Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast, Oil & Gas Journal Head of Content, Chris Smith, talks about the issues shaping what happens next in Venezuela now that Nicholas Maduro has been removed from power. An oversupplied crude market, deep infrastructural needs, and in-country political uncertainty are only a few of the problems to be addressed. But there are also opportunities, particularly if progress can begin quickly. This episode was based on and expanded from an OGJ article written by Conglin Xu, Managing Editor - Economics.   

In this, the final Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast episode of 2025, Mikaila Adams, managing editor, along with a team of OGJ editors, walks readers through content that most captured readers’ attention throughout the year. In this episode, you’ll hear short recaps of this year's most-read content from OGJ.com...shared in our editors’ own words...with thoughts to carry into 2026.  Give it a listen...you don't know what you may have missed!  References Laura 2024 Worldwide Reserves/Production tables   2025 Worldwide Reserves/Production tables Conglin   2025 Forecast & Review webinar   2026 Forecast & Review webinar (REGISTER TODAY!) Geert Aethon president: Natural gas needs to top $5 to spur Haynesville investment Mikaila  TGNR adds East Texas gas assets in $525-million deal with Chevron Chris   Venture Global withdraws Delta LNG from pre-filing to focus on Plaquemines expansion Alex   Shell starts oil production from deepwater Gulf of Mexico Whale development Shell designed Vito development for present deepwater economics Chevron Anchor pioneers 20K subsea development

In this Market Focus episode of the Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast, Conglin Xu, managing editor, economics, takes a look at the growing oversupply in global crude markets and the shift now underway as fundamentals begin overtaking sentiment and geopolitics as the primary price driver.  

In this Then & Now episode of the Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast, Statistics Editor Laura Bell-Hammer takes listeners on a journey through three decades of oil-market transformation. Bell-Hammer looks back at the mid-1990s, when US production was believed to be in irreversible decline, fast-forwarding to today’s record production highs powered by shale technology, deepwater advances, and new global producers. From the Permian basin to Brazil’s presalt and Guyana’s meteoric rise, this episode reveals how technology reshaped the world’s supply map.

This Insights episode of the Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast examines the rapidly growing power demands in the Permian basin region and the implications for operators, utilities, and adjacent industries. OGJ Editor-in-Chief Chris Smith interviews Will Kernan, Power Solutions Strategy Manager for Caterpillar Oil & Gas, on why electricity demand has surged by multiple gigawatts since 2021 and why traditional reliance on the grid is no longer sufficient to ensure timely project development and stable operations. Kernan outlines how accelerating electricity demand from both oil and gas operations and new industrial entrants—particularly data centers—has strained transmission capacity, driving greater interest in on-site natural-gas-fired generation and microgrid models. The episode closes with a look at major grid-expansion proposals under consideration in Texas, their long lead-times, and how distributed generation, waste-gas utilization, and field-scale microgrids will shape a more flexible and resilient power ecosystem for the Permian in the years ahead.  

In this episode of the Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast, OGJ managing editor Mikaila Adams sits down with Andrew Stakelum, an energy disputes partner at King & Spalding LLP, to unpack oil and gas decommissioning from a big picture standpoint.   Wondering what happens when an operator goes bankrupt? Or when decades-old wells still need to be plugged? Stakelum explains why decommissioning is a business and regulatory puzzle shaped by bankruptcy law, fragmented oversight, and shifting federal rules. From 'boomerang liability' to the ripple effects of financial assurance requirements, the conversation notes how operators, regulators, and sureties are all recalibrating in real time. About our guest Andrew Stakelum is an energy disputes partner in King & Spalding’s Houston office. His focus on the energy industry includes the oil and gas, renewables, and refining sectors. A key aspect of Andrew’s energy practice involves helping clients navigate the highly regulated environments in which they operate. Stakelum holds a J.D., cum laude, from Tulane University Law School; and a B.B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Georgia.   

In this episode of Oil & Gas Journal’s ReEnterprised podcast, Alex Procyk, Upstream Editor, talks with Allen Sinor, Geothermal Sector Council Manager for The Competency Alliance, about effective geothermal design and drilling for electricity and district heating.  

In this episode of the Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast, Chris Smith, editor-in-chief, talks with Kristin Leonard, North American Marketing Director for the Energy Market at Sherwin-Williams. They discuss the causes and consequences of CUI, including its impact on asset integrity and operational safety. This episode offers insights into how evolving engineering solutions are addressing long-standing challenges in energy operations.  This episode is sponsored by Sherwin-Williams.

In this ICYMI episode of the Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast, Robert Brelsford, Downstream Editor, dives deeper into the state of California’s recent decision to walk back more aggressive policies governing in-state refiners and what the move potentially could mean in the future for other US states with refineries.

In this Market Focus episode of the Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast, Conglin Xu, Managing Editor - Economics, asks Dr. Robert Brooks about his outlook on global LNG markets and the forces shaping prices in the near and long term. Dr. Brooks is CEO and founder of RBAC, a provider of global and regional gas and LNG market simulation systems.  Brooks highlights how storage levels, new supply projects, and shifting demand across key regions could influence market dynamics well into the next decade. The conversation explores the geopolitical weight of Russia-China gas agreements and how these moves may ripple through the global energy system.  The discussion includes a look at how importers are balancing short-term and long-term LNG strategies in a volatile market. From Europe’s uncertainties to Asia’s energy security priorities, the discussion outlines tensions shaping contracting decisions—and what an expected wave of new LNG supply might mean for emerging economies.

In this second part of a two-part Insights episode of the Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast, Alex Procyk, upstream editor, continues his discussion with Laura Capper about about opportunities and challenges related to produced water in the Permian basin.  Procyk and Capper discuss Permian produced water cleanup standards, projects, and goals.  Capper is chief executive officer of EnergyMakers Advisory Group and CAP Resources. Capper holds a BS (1983) in electrical engineering with a minor in bioengineering and computer science from Rice University, Houston. She is active with the Produced Water Society and the New Mexico Produced Water Recycling Consortium.  References In this episode, Procyk refers to previous podcast episodes. You can find them listed here: Insights: Produced water in the Permian basin (Part I) Insights: Produced water in the Permian basin (Part II) Insights: Permian produced water needs someplace new to go - a discussion with Laura Capper (Part I)

In this first part of a two-part Insights episode of the Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast, Alex Procyk, upstream editor, talks about opportunities and challenges related to produced water in the Permian basin.  Joining Procyk is Laura Capper, chief executive officer of EnergyMakers Advisory Group and CAP Resources. Capper holds a BS (1983) in electrical engineering with a minor in bioengineering and computer science from Rice University, Houston. She is active with the Produced Water Society and the New Mexico Produced Water Recycling Consortium.  Together, Procyk and Capper discuss Permian produced water disposal challenges, new permitting guidelines, and beneficial reuse options.

Introducing Then & Now, a new series in the Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast lineup. In these episodes, Oil & Gas Journal editors and guests will discuss the many ways in which the oil and gas industry has transformed. In this episode, Laura Bell-Hammer, Statistics Editor, takes listeners on a journey through the dramatic changes undergone by the industry—from early wildcat drilling and gut instincts to today’s data-driven exploration, automated drilling, and predictive production. Bell-Hammer reflects on the legacy of the Journally Speaking column and Oil & Gas Journal, which has documented the industry’s milestones for over 120 years. Blending history, technology, and industry insight, the episode shows how far we’ve come, where we’re headed, and why trusted resources remain essential for the next generation of energy professionals.