Member Info for romaron

Dumbly 30 May 07:35 - is this the answer? - "Carney says Ottawa will declare a certain number of projects to be in the national interest in an effort to get them built faster and has asked the provinces for a list of potential candidates. Approvals will be cut to two years, down from five."

Carney and Canadian premiers bid to speed up major projects, cut US reliance - we're both in the Commonwealth and Allies. Impossible that Starmer was unaware. Red Ed marginalised because the real world has turned up.

Frac - today 07:57 ‘ Nothing can prepare you for irrelevance’! Well he's had practise.

Net Zero cripples Government defence plans

A campaign group says that Ed Miliband’s decarbonisation efforts will cripple Britain’s defence plans. The remarks come in the wake of today’s publication of the Strategic Defence Review, which outlined the Government’s intention to rearm the UK, with up to six factories being built to supply munitions and related fuels and explosives.

Net Zero Watch, which campaigns for rational energy and climate policies, has pointed out that Britain’s high energy prices, and its rapidly declining chemicals industry mean that the plans of Defence Secretary John Healy are likely to come to nothing.

Net Zero Watch director Andrew Montford said:

‘A secure supply of munitions relies on secure domestic production of petrochemicals to make explosives and fuels. We cannot have national security if Ed Miliband is allowed to continue with his crazy plan to shut down the North Sea and to block onshore production of shale gas and coalbed methane.’

And Mr Montford also warned that high energy prices meant that all defence goods produced in the UK were going to be expensive.

‘Some estimates suggest that artillery shells procured in the UK are costing four times as much as the Russians or the Chinese pay. In any conflict, those cost differentials are potentially fatal. Net Zero is a real threat.’

On "X"

Dale Vince - "Why is @RobertJenrick chasing down common folk skipping out on a few quid? He should be chasing down the billions of public money, lost in the PPE scandal - gifted to Tory donors - chase them down Robert, why not?" x.com/RobertJenrick/…

Reply by Andrew Neil - "Or chasing the billions sequestered by green grifters …"

I agree with all your comments. This is a biased board I'll accept but Ed has resorted to Evangelism. From AI "The main difference between weather and climate is time. Weather describes the short-term, day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere, like whether it's sunny, rainy, or windy. Climate, on the other hand, describes the long-term average weather conditions of a place, typically over 30 years or more."

30 years is much longer than the election cycle. The sheer effrontery and audacity to assume moral and scientific ground on the basis of what is to an extent a religious cult that is replacing religion for many but with similar zealotry on the fringes. The message is "Salvation" which is another way of saying eternal life (I was brought up as a Catholic and was an altar boy). I don't believe but accept the cultural element and my daughter is getting married in a RC church. More importantly the propensity of the masses to believe in messianic prophecies.

We can damage soil and forests but even stone-age man knew this. We mitigate. Our garage driveway pushes rainwater into gullies and drains. We build sea walls. I saw Canvey Island in 1953. No repeat and a population growth 300 per cent. We'll probably have our arrogance wiped out by a gigantic volcan, earthquake and tsunami anyway. I sense Ed is flailing. Why else go to a friendly podcaster with limited exposure but likely to be repeated by the MSM? It has done more for Alistair Campbell's declining influence than helping Ed.

I was asked by a military blog moderator if he could give my email to another reader. He wanted to know more about Operation Healing 11 - Spilje Bay and did I have any map references. I assisted the guy and it soon became apparent that he knew his stuff. In the back and forth I made a mistake. Without checking I said my father had also been at Cassino. He immediately asked if he'd gone back to his regiment as 2 Commando were not at Cassino. I did some checking and I always confuse Anzio with Salerno. He was at Salerno and it was a far worse engagement than Himare according my father even though he was wounded in Himare (grenades and bayonets).

Turns out the guy is a military historian and author who served in the Royal Marines for 3 years (commando's were disbanded after WW2) and later joined the Rhodesian Light Infantry. He didn't say but I expect as a mercenary.

Whilst backchecking I came across various rabbit holes and one was the decision to move North up Italy from Sicily and the toe of the country against Napoleon's advice - "you always enter a boot from the top". The whole Italian Campaign was to draw Axis forces away from other fronts to enable D-Day and help Russia. The Himare raid was to confuse the Germans and I'm not convinced that the Allies knew exactly what they were doing but the importance of the Romanian oilfields of Ploesti were more important. Drawing German troops away from there could have been equally the aim.

My point is that with all this talk about beefing up our military do they expect us to be effective without access to our own oilfields and rely on imports?

Maybe I'm ignorant but in this world of AI and drones there still seems to be a requirement for trucks, tanks and manpower. Is the plan to have EV charging points on battlefields?

AI - "The global average surface temperature has risen by about 1.1°C (2°F) since the start of the Industrial Revolution in 1850. This warming trend is primarily attributed to human emissions of greenhouse gases."

Listen from 20:30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvMgNgoaKd8

I am saying this is prima facie evidence that Ed Miliband has a messiah complex. Ed states that the pathway of temperature increase from 2010 is 2.5-5 degrees by 2100. The fact that the increase (since 2010) is nothing like that required is because of the impact of measures that he and the likes of Greta have championed and been instrumental in governments taking up. With this nutjob there is no suggestion that the model and his "climate scientists" were WRONG. Temperature is not linear and like weather unpredictable. He's talking of 2.5degrees now. I doubt it'll get anywhere close and if it doesn't he will still claim the credit if he's around. A win-win in his deranged mind. Whether it goes up or stays the same he can claim he is relevant and that his measures were necessary and backed up by soothsayers (sorry, climate scientists). Next step conversion to Catholicism and Beatification along with Saint Greta and Sister Khan.

I recommend the whole video and the earlier one. They have not been accidentally released just before important news from government. It was the softest interview he will ever receive and Alistair Campbell (mentioned in the interview) is even more Left Wing than Miliband. Rory Stewart is becoming a National Treasure but for really incisive questioning maybe Lorraine Kelly would have been a tougher balance to Campbell. This was a choreographed podcast with Alistair Campbell desperate to be seen to be part of top level Labour politics. Ed is making outrageous suggestions to make it appear that the climate situation is an existential crisis that should receive priority funding with grants and subsidies. They're both a pair of desperate losers living off past notoriety. Ed must know that Doncaster doesn't want him to represent them.

I smell something. I just hope the rest of the cabinet don't drink their Kool-Aid.

Why has energy secretary Ed Miliband’s favourite new government agency gone coy? The National Energy System Operator (NESO), set up in October, started with a bang, delivering an “independent” verdict on the feasibility of Miliband’s plans for net zero carbon emissions and lower energy bills in 196 densely technical pages and an enormous “data workbook” spreadsheet. Miliband called NESO’s work a “rebuke” to his critics and justification of his policy.

But NESO turned out not to be so definitive or independent after all. Freedom of information enquiries revealed its staff had collaborated with Miliband’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to “ensure the 3 orgs [NESO, DESNZ and regulator Ofgem] are aligned on lines to take”, and other helpful prior collusion. When genuinely independent analysts looked into NESO’s extensive numbers they found them in need of big caveats at best, and at worst wildly optimistic. Since then, NESO seems to have gone off the idea of showing its workings.

Many subsequent FoI enquiries have been made to NESO and DESNZ for supporting evidence, but satisfactory answer comes there none. A case in point: recently Miliband announced his intention to award our old tree-burning friends at Drax a further four years of multi-billion-pound subsidies. He claims this is solely on NESO’s say-so, which it pronounced in just three cryptic sentences: there are “greater delivery risks” with any alternative means of providing security of electricity supply over that period. NESO offered nothing on what those alternatives and risks might be.

Ministers and NESO itself have been asked to elaborate, saying only that the matter is “commercially sensitive”. Yet the price and other key terms of Drax’s new bung have already been negotiated – and published, so what could be commercially sensitive? None of the select committees scrutinising DESNZ find this satisfactory. How long can Miliband get away with hiding behind an “independent” public body that declines to tell us its reasoning – and what is he hiding? ‘Old Sparky’ Private Eye 30 May 2025

I haven't really been following the Waldorf saga but I'd say it is wrapped up. The old guard has gone and the locums are in. Bond holders are like lawyers. Empathy is removed at birth and the stock holders are the ones who go down with the ship after the bond holders have sold everything that can be salvaged. I'm not too concerned as we know that they have valuable assets and Net Zero is finally being exposed as the scam that it is.

Perhaps the world will start worrying about REAL threats that are manmade - like invasions.

We are surrounded by technology and "science" so why is it still necessary to have men & women die on battlefields whilst tanks and ships still have their place. They don't run on fresh air.

Correction - not £34.6 but £34.6 billion. Easy to do - a billion here, a billion there, soon you're talking about real money!

I lean towards another Magnus type deal and don't rule out Shell.

Https://watt-logic.com/2025/05/30/high-wind-and-forecasting-errors-cause-havoc-on-the-gb-grid/

I'm sure this is important but how many people understand it? I don't. I'm not completely ignorant and would position myself above the general public in understanding the complexity of the energy markets along with most readers and posters here.

MPs have a variety of skills and there will be one or two who do understand it but the majority will be like us. Some are experts on the trans debate, education or the NHS etc.. They don't even have to fully understand the electricity supply mechanisms as they are fiendishly complicated and they are unlikely to be pulled up by a constituent or an interviewer. I've met my MP and he is clueless in this area. Taking it a step further how many of those in the media grasp the whole story and have the knowledge or ability to understand how the electricity and energy market works?

Luckily we only have to judge from our bills. And they've gone up dramatically. As the scapegoat of fossil fuels can no longer be used due to the low prices of oil & gas then the public will look for something else to blame. David Turver of Eigen Values did a short videohttps://x.com/7Kiwi and it is true that when the market price of CfDs is above the strike price money is paid back to consumers by the generating companies. In monetary terms we got back £346m but paid out over £10bn so a ratio of 29:1. The "1" was because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the graph only runs for 8 years. So if Europe were to stay war-free for another 20 years we are paying £34.6 for insurance that is a 100:1 risk. A bit expensive I'd say but you do get the added protection from the Norwegian petrostate becoming a dictatorship like the US.

Hi KO - I had probably switched off temporarily with the 3 year comment to use up the tax credits. I suppose you could argue that it is also what politicians say when a missed "target" gets downgraded to an "ambition". So a JV with Serica would have speeded things up and that has now been postponed or are we are looking at another deal? Someone mentioned that in 6 months the deal could be on again. It is an "aim" to use them up in 3 years only and possibly all they can say without breaking (say) an NDA.

I tried my best to be cynical but AB is either a very good actor or hiding something promising. I hadn't seen him like this for some time. Even Gareth Penny was almost friendly and they were relaxed enough to be cracking jokes.

They must be receiving feedback from the consultations and I don't think this is a state secret but the AGCC had a private dinner with Juergen Maier around the All Energy Conference and he {JM] reports back directly to Ed Miliband. There will be plenty of these plenary meetings and dinners. I'm guessing alcohol may even be involved. I imagine that some straight-talking and threats have been made. Sadly, the government can bully us smaller outfits but we can resort to guerilla warfare and sabotage. I know some in the industry are frightened of hardening the NZ stance of the government but others feel we have little to lose. I suspect the denouement is close and EPL may be the first step because even the public know the windfall was a chimera.

I am very hopeful and the jump in the HYNs today 98.50 > 99.75 means someone else is too! Seascape jumped today but I wouldn't read too much into it.

Thanks KO - so not worth pursuing. I don't want another "we are pursuing a variety of interesting opportunities in various regions".

Something else whilst here. The Seascape people were quite dismissive of Indonesia. They said that data was hard to come by, bureaucracy is snail-like and there is a lot of scamming around O&G. They said it is nothing like Malaysia which is gold-standard for the region.

My memory and attention span isn't the best but I don't hear voices (the tin foil helps). Some said (probably in the pub) that Africa was mentioned or alluded to at the AGM. It was a bit vague BUT is there anything in it? Gareth Penny's whole career has been in Africa whilst Rosalind Kaliyah (NED) was educated in Ghana and has worked for Tullow. Possibly hitman or KO said it.

I caught a bit of early TV. Junior doctors threatening to strike (again) for more money and using as part of their argument that some doctors are moving to countries (offshore) like Australia where they are wanted and valued. Fair enough. We import doctors from other countries who get an uplift in salary in UK. But hopefully the standards remain roughly the same.

In O&G we are losing skilled engineers and capital and replacing it with a cheaper workforce BUT the product (renewables) is much more expensive than fossil energy. Incoming capital requires massive subsidies and government grants to operate. O&G receives NO subidies (unlike Norway) This is a drain on UK resources because as we have established, doctors want a payment that reflects their status and years of study. So in part you have the ludicrous situation where the solution to the doctor/NHS dilemma is being exported too! I'll never forgive the Tories for bringing in the EPL and having the temerity to call it a "Windfall Tax".

Frac 7:56 - a guy from Veri was at the AGM. TBH I shut off a bit when Hydrogen and renewables get mentioned so never searched him out. Maybe one of the others attending did? I am of the opinion that there is a certain level of tokenism in EnQuest and renewables. We are essentially an O&G company. Renewables are a w.i.p. and years away from paying any bills. They are tactical investments to suck up to the government and wokeism imo.

My take on the AGM. Full board and very chirpy. I don’t think it was last year. I usually take that as a good sign because it means they have business and strategy to discuss after. I asked a question about DEWA. That morning at a Seascape investor presentation (26:45) they stated that EnQuest going full steam and that Seascape should be receiving their share of 5,000 boepd Net by end of 26. I couldn’t rewind it so had to trust to memory. That would mean 7,500 Net to EnQuest. AB didn’t seem to agree so either governance or Seascape got a phone call. I pressed them on revenue compared to NS and Farina Khan joined in saying that DEWA will not suffer the volatility of the NS but returns are steady. I like steady.

I asked about the government and how they felt about the ban on exploration. I made the point that Bressay and Bentley have lost what the public consider the “E” of exploration and should escape any ban. AB then waffled on about FID etc.. I made the point that Bentley has already produced and AB confirmed that it produced for 19 days.

I asked a final question that for some reason was not answered. I asked if AB, alone or with other NS CEO’s had ever spent time alone with Ed Miliband. We hear all this talk about tough talking but little evidence.

Someone said that Africa was mentioned but I don’t recall?

KO has either got a side-hussle delivering milk tray or is carrying on. Very slim and fit in black. I did mention in the pub that even I could fancy him which may have been the reason he left early.

Other snippets I picked up was that a visit to SVT by Gary Smith and Anas Sanwar cemented GMBs view and put pressure on Labour Scotland. No Director buying is because of closed periods and they’re always negotiating.

I think we ALL know that the near future is all about the ongoing consultations. Until there is clarity there we are in stasis. It probably prevents UK deals being done. GMB are imo an outlier among trade unions. The leaders of the others are idealists and not representing their members interests.

AB was extremely relaxed and happy. He has an amazing memory.

"Beyond this, EnQuest sees significant upside across its existing Asia portfolio, and is in advanced discussions around a further new country entry."

Is this deviation or repetition?

Hi KO - if you haven't seen Sunday's "Scandinavia with Simon Reeve" on BBC2 watch it. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002cg5n/scandinavia-with-simon-reeve-series-1-episode-2

Just one minute from 07:45 is enough.

I thought I'd got the RNS early yesterday but realised I was looking at an old one. Still not a total waste of time as today's [RNS] is mainly cut-and-paste. I usually see my Dominatrix for pain and humiliation on the fourth Tuesday but the AGM will probably be just as therapeutic in that sense though it has proven to be more expensive. See you there.

Zippy - I'm beginning to think that Scotland is getting what it deserves. I've only ever met Scottish people who live in England (easy to spot - funny accents) and they to a man have been aggressive, intelligent and articulate. They mostly like a drink and once you've passed whatever test they set they are loyal friends. I'm beginning to despair of those that stayed in Scotland. Do they like to be abused?

The 2cnd Simon Reeve Scandinavia programme on BBC mentions the Norwegian Sovereign Fund. He visits the Fund and finds that they have a limit on investment of 2% in renewables and at present there is plenty of headroom (0.2% invested). Their renewable investments in EVs and heat pumps is only possible imo because they have the cheapest hydro electric in Europe and are RICH. As Reeve described them in reference to O&G "they're like drug-pushers who don't use".