Covid-19 a ‘dress rehearsal for peak oil and gas’ – Shell
The impacts of the coronavirus on energy consumption and prices hold crucial lessons for when oil and gas demand peak, says Maarten Wetselaar
Last week’s Gastech Virtual Summit was an opportunity to take the pulse of the natural gas industry at a time when decarbonisation is high on the political agenda. One clear message from Shell is that the Covid-19 pandemic has hardened its determination to accelerate its transition to a net-zero carbon company by 2050 – and preferably sooner. “If you look at what has happened, you could say it is a dress rehearsal for the moment that oil and gas demand really peak,” says Maarten Wetselaar, Shell’s director of integrated gas and new energies. He believes that peak oil and gas demand are still some way off, with demand for both commodities staging a recovery before reaching their respective pe
Also in this section
9 January 2026
OPEC+ remains on track as output falls, with only Gabon failing to hit its output targets in December, although Kazakhstan’s compliance was involuntary
9 January 2026
The Latin American producer’s crude prospects rely on a multi-pronged approach where even the relatively easy wins will take considerable time, effort and cost
9 January 2026
While many forecasters are reasserting the importance of oil and gas, petrostates should be under no illusion things are changing, and faster than they might think
8 January 2026
Indonesia and Malaysia are at the dawn of breathtaking digital capabilities. Their energy infrastructure must keep up with their ambitions






