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
21 February 2025
While large-scale planned LNG schemes in sub-Saharan Africa have faced fresh problems, FLNG projects are stepping into that space
20 February 2025
Greater social mobility means increased global demand for refined fuels and petrochemical products, with Asia leading the way in the expansion of refining capacity
19 February 2025
The EU would do well to ease its gas storage requirements to avoid heavy purchase costs this summer, with the targets having created market distortion while giving sellers a significant advantage over buyers
18 February 2025
Deliveries to China decline by around 1m b/d from move to curb crude exports to Shandong port, putting Iran under further economic pressure