Year 10 of speaking and moderating at ADIPEC nears

Delighted to announce that yours truly will be moderating and speaking at ADIPEC 2026 - the world's largest energy conference and exhibition - in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from November 2 to 5, on a number of panels and executive dialogues. This year's ADIPEC will also be The Oilholic's tenth outing at the event, where energy opportunity takes shape, and one can hardly wait. Super excited, going to drum roll and uncork the ol' champers for this one dear readers! 

Explore ADIPEC's exciting and wide-ranging agenda here. Discussions touch on critical energy issues of our age, geopolitics and technological advancements through industrial AI, automation and advanced computing. More details on The Oilholic's panels and sessions will appear here shortly. 

It's all about energy resource management and transition through innovation, visionary leadership and action.

Looking forward to the deliberations, meeting thought leaders, fellow industry professionals and colleagues. Join, if you can, for some fantastic industry exchanges and networking in Abu Dhabi. 

More from ADIPEC soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

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To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2026. Digital banner courtesy of dmgevents. 

Mixing it up with energy startups at Norrsken

This week, the Oilholic attended the launch of Norrsken Foundation's annual selection list of the 100 most promising early-stage startups - the Norrsken 100 - in Barcelona, Spain at IMPACT/WEEK 2026. 

What's piqued this blogger's interest in the list is the rising prominence of energy startups on it. Of the 100 startups to have received the recognition, 26 happen to be energy upstarts. 

First a word on the list, the foundation curates it from nominations made by 80-odd partners including prominent global venture capital firms, NGOs, academics and industry professionals in the sphere. 

This year they received over 1,400 applications to be judged on the criteria of those attempting to solve "global challenges at scale" by outperforming legacy models that created them. "In our opinion, they shape what comes next and perhaps represent 100 ways to fix the future," said a spokesperson. 

In a rapidly electrifying, digitizing and automating world that is staring at an exponential growth in energy demand, it is perhaps no surprise that over a fourth those attempting to change the way we do things on the Norrsken list happen to energy startups. 

At the unveiling of the Norrsken 100 - at Norrsken House, Barcelona on Wednesday - was none other than former US Secretary of State, Massachusetts Senator and Climate Envoy John Kerry. 

He's the current Co-Executive Chairman of investment firm Galvanize that focuses on scaling up commercially competitive climate solutions. 

Following the unveiling and keynote remarks by Kerry, yours truly caught up with him to discuss the energy market's direction and rising global demand permutations. 

"Meeting this rising challenge will require collaboration, and encouraging startups like the ones recognised here. Question here is not which energy transition solution to back but rather what can be accelerated and upscaled where in the shortest possible time at the most competitive price," he noted. 

Yours truly also discussed the emerging energy landscape in the US. He described it as pretty "promising," despite the febrile political atmosphere stateside that he alluded to in his opening remarks at the event, albeit a tad skewed to his political leanings. 

Beyond the US, Kerry emphasised the need to bring "Global South" along for the energy transition journey as the biggest effects of energy poverty and most devastating effects of climate change are often felt there. 

Following a conversation with Kerry, this blogger headed to the event's dialogues and a rather unique 'Fixathon.' A spokesperson described it a "hackathon, but focused on solving real-world challenges that desperately need fixing."

And based on this premise, the participants collaborate in teams to turn ideas into applicable solutions or working prototypes, using AI and open tools. 

Away from the sessions, dialogues, meetings and fixathons, the Oilholic mingled with the founders and CEOs of three energy startups on the Norrsken 100. 

They included Saurabh Kapoor, CEO of Metafuels, a name the readers of this blog should be pretty familiar with. (More here, if you are not). 

The other two included - Guilherme Studart, CEO of Delfos Energy, an energy-tech firm that deploys AI via a purpose-built platform for the advanced management of renewable energy assets, and Linus van Ginhoven, Head of Product at Blykalla, a company offering lead-cooled nuclear technology solutions. It was great hearing from both about their respective firms, and their plans for the future.  

Well that's all from Barcelona folks, more market musings to follow soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

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To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2026. Photo I: Norrsken IMPACT/WEEK 2026 proceedings.Photo II: Former US Secretary of State John Kerry (left) with Energy Market Analyst Gaurav Sharma. Photo III (right to left): Energy Market Analyst Gaurav Sharma, with Harry Ashcroft, co-founder of Perseid and Saurabh Kapoor, CEO and co-founder of Metafuels. © Gaurav Sharma, October 2026. 

That diesel deal & the subsequent kerfuffle

Another week, another geopolitical kerfuffle courtesy of US President Donald Trump. 

On Sunday, the President announced a confidence building diesel deal with Russia, allowing the Kremlin to reenter the global diesel market. 

That's if you believe no one was buying their's in the first place - a logic only applicable in West. 

Not one to shy away from controversy, Trump did what Trump does best - spring a surprise. It seems straight after pushing fellow G7 nations into releasing 100 million barrels of diesel, Trump indicated that Russia would be putting out diesel export tranches of 2.25 million barrels (immediately), 3.75 million (November) and 7.5 million (December). 

However, both Russia's ability to provide what Trump says the country would as well as the impact of the move on diesel prices at the pump - currently north of $6 per gallon stateside - remains questionable. Here's the Oilholic's take via his column on Forbes.

Yours truly also discussed the diesel deal development and general direction of the crude oil market in interviews on broadcast media this week. 

Starting with the latter point, in an interview with Asharq Bloomberg's Mohamed Fathy, yours truly touched on the current volatility and why there's a premium in favour of spot crude prices over already elevated futures prices. 

Ultimately, the market needs a solution to the Middle East crisis - however imperfect that might be - for this to end, and for prices to come down because there is plenty of crude in the market. Were peace to prevail, $100 per barrel Brent prices simply cannot be sustained and carry considerable downside in that eventuality. 

But the market remains in the land of geopolitical risk premiums that are hitting home harder via spot markets, rather than futures trading levels. 

As for the former point - Trump's new 'diesel deal' with Russia - yours truly discussed the figures related to it in an interview with Barbara Serra on Sky News, and why as noted in the Forbes column one is wholly unconvinced.

One additional thing worth noting here - as the Oilholic said on Sky News - is that people should spare a thought for Europe where the US-Russia move may perhaps come as an economic relief of sorts, but wont ease inflationary pressures caused by multiple geopolitical crises. 

For instance, in the UK, diesel is around £2.07 per litre ($2.75) at the pump at the time of writing! European economies are indeed heading for a very tough Q4 2026. On that sombre note, its time to say goodbye for now. More market musings to follow soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

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To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2026. Photo I: Fueling up a car © andreas160578 / Pixabay. Photo II: Energy Market Analyst on Asharq Bloomberg © Asharq Bloomberg, October 2026. Photo II: Energy Market Analyst Gaurav Sharma on Sky News © Sky News, October 2026. 

Turning to ocean energy at ICOE OEE 2026

Earlier this week, The Oilholic also attended ICOE OEE 2026 - a global event on ocean energy being held in The Hague, Netherlands, whilst in town for another engagement. 

The International Conference on Ocean Energy (ICOE) and Ocean Energy Europe (OEE) joint event, supported by the Dutch Energy from Water Association (EWA), featured a conference programme with several technology and policy content streams. 

These were accompanied by networking events and site visits to key Dutch ocean energy sites and companies. The Oilholic viewed it as a great opportunity to meet key stakeholders in the ocean energy sector from the industry and supply chain firms to startups, research fellows to those leading corporate innovation and development.

The event offered a glimpse of "watts in the water" and how the various forms of ocean energy can potentially be amplified in service of a rapidly electrifying world. The discourse touched on the wider offshore energy ecosystem and inter-organisational collaboration that's shaping the next generation of clean ocean energy across tidal, wave and other marine energy applications. 

In a nudge to the hosts, delegates also got a showcase of research and the real-world impact of initiatives in South Netherlands.

Alongside these wide-ranging discussions, two analysis strands stood out for this blogger. The first one being pragmatic discussions on the commercialisation of ocean energy technologies and the various avenues under consideration to go down the cost curve.

Indeed, many attendees offered (and presented) approaches and strategies to reduce cost at every stage of the design and project development process of what are unsurprisingly big ticket projects.

The second one was the use of AI in ocean energy and deployment of digital twins. Real sea demonstrations are pretty complex and capital intensive projects in often intimidating operating environments. It is why the capacity to accurately model and predict how a system will behave is extremely valuable. That is where AI is proving to be pretty handy. 

ICOE OEE 2026 discussed these very AI solutions being deployed today in ocean energy to support modelling, develop predictive digital twins, and ultimately reduce operational costs and improve ocean energy devices.

Away from the dialogues and networking with industry peers, yours truly also took time out to visit the event's exhibition floor. This year's expo drew in nearly 40 exhibitors from the UK to Canada.

To round up an exciting few days of discussions, here's a parting thought from ICOE OEE 2026 - with, of course, the caveat of the investment climate attached - research suggests the tidal stream energy market carries an estimated global resource of 800-1,200 Twh that could replace nearly 13% of the world's fossil fuel powered electricity generation! Let's see where that ship sails. 

But that's all from The Hague for now folks. More market musings to follow soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

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To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2026. Photo I: An ICOE OEE 2026 showcasing session in The Hague, Netherlands, October 5, 2026. Photo II: Marine energy technology on display at ICOE OEE 2026. Photo III: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma at the ICOE OEE 2026, October 7, 2026 © Gaurav Sharma, October 2026. 

Talking industrial cybersecurity at the ONE Conference

Greetings from The Hague, Netherlands, where The Oilholic is just rounding up a visit to the ONE Conference, a leading annual cybersecurity event, organised here with due emphasis on energy and industry. 

With artificial intelligence, internet of things, cloud computing, big data and automation now a big part of the inexorable march to industrial throughput optimisation, cybersecurity is at the heart of operational considerations. 

Unquestionably, given the world we live in, hostile actors are after that very digital estate the global industrial complex now takes for granted. At the ONE Conference, The Oilholic took heart from the fact that many energy and industrial firms said they'd gone from a reactive to proactive mode on cybersecurity, as complacency is unthinkable given the reputational, financial and safety implications of a breach. 

Willemijn Aerdts, Minister for the Digital Economy and Sovereignty, The Netherlands, got the event going in an opening keynote emphasising the need to build resilience given how crucial digitalisation and AI are "for innovation, economic growth, security and prosperity."

"Together with our European partners, we will therefore invest in infrastructure, technology and resilience. We will also build digital governance that is reliable, accessible and efficient. 

"This will reduce unwanted dependence on foreign players and strengthen our strategic position," she added.

Aerdts said the time to act and collaborate is "now" and invited "everyone to the solutions room." 

That ever evolving solutions room at The ONE Conference had a diverse cast of characters from cybersecurity providers and developers to ethical hackers. The event explored a range of cybersecurity solutions, industry training programmes predicated on the "trust but verify" philosophy, risk management, and this blogger's favourite - the concept of malware vaccines, i.e. using and deploying the techniques malware uses for self-preservation to turn the tables on attackers. 

Delegates discussed how all of these would need to be brought into play as the boundary between cybercrime and state-sponsored cyber operations get blurred, geopolitical tussles worsen and the global energy sector's AI-surge continues. 

Speaking on a panel, Matthijs van Amelsfort, Director, National Cyber Security Centre, The Netherlands (NCSC-NL), said that intertwined with preventative measures and technologies, cooperation between domestic and international agencies also needs to be stepped up.

Jessica Conquet, Global CISO of Randstad, said organisations and companies need to have a clear communication plan to avoid panic in the event of the breach, and a culture of notifying the relevant authorities in the first instance of an attack and not hold back due on account of embarrassment.

Miguel De Bruycker, Director General of the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium, called for stronger "EU-US cooperation" based on mutual respect and a shared desire "to secure cyberspace." He also said Europe risks falling behind and must adopt a more pragmatic approach instead of an overt focus on regulation. 

Away from the ONE Conference's dialogues and deliberations, yours truly also took time out to visit its expo of 30-plus exhibitors and catch-up with the many security startups attending the event. 

Finally, The Oilholic also paid a visit to meet the movers and shakers at the event's tried and tested "capital area" where start-ups meet private and public organisations to discuss funding, subsidies, and venture investments. So, after another great outing here - its goodbye from the ONE Conference. More market musings to follow from the Hague soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Forbes click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

To follow The Oilholic on Critical Mass click here.

To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2026. Photo I: The ONE Conference 2026 in The Hague, Netherlands. Photo II: Willemijn Aerdts, Minister for the Digital Economy and Sovereignty, The Netherlands addresses the ONE Conference. Photo III: The ONE Conference Expo. Photo IV: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma at the ONE Conference 2026 © Gaurav Sharma, October 2026.