That's a wrap! Closing out CERAWeek 2026

The final day of another CERAWeek has ended, bringing the proceedings to a close.This year's event was held under the cloud of a profound crisis for the global energy market - the Iran War. 

Understandably, quite a lot of the dialogues were dominated by geopolitics, and the impact of the conflict on oil and gas supply and demand, economic shocks, and how it will all perhaps end. 

Throughout this week, oil (and gas) prices swung wildly and the Brent front-month futures contract seesawed up and down. Such volatility also turned the conversation towards the impact of the current market on much needed investment in all forms of energy. 

The crisis a deep one for the oil markets as various heads of industry discussed, but perhaps an even deeper one for the global LNG. On the latter point, here is the Oilholic's op-ed for Forbes on how the disruption may upend the LNG market, and on the former point, here's one on why many worry the full impact of the Iran War may not yet have been fully priced into the oil market. 

Another interesting point to emerge from this year's CERAWeek was potential for demand destruction, in particular for LNG, serviced by the twin polar opposite energy sources - coal and renewable energy, with desperate Asian markets turning to both. 

As with any crisis to the upside (or downside), many got talking about how technology can be a great leveller not just in improving efficiencies for energy production but also playing a major role in reshaping the whole sector as it invests in its future.

On that note it's goodbye from Houston 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: CERAWeek 2026's signage © Gaurav Sharma, March 2026.  

CERAWeek's Innovation Agora goes mega

The Oilholic took some time out to visit CERAWeek's Innovation Agora programme today - the event's - marketplace of ideas on energy innovation and emerging technologies. 

Yours truly remembers that nearly a decade ago, both the displays and talks would fit within half a hotel foyer, often with ABB's Yumi robot (or 'co-bot' as the company called it at the time) at the centre of it all. 

Things look and feel very different for the programme these days, and particularly so at CERAWeek 2026. Agora proceedings now practically occupy a whole floor at the George R. Brown convention centre adjacent to the event's venue - Hilton Americas in Downtown Houston. 

According to the organisers S&P Global, this year's Agora will have 420 sessions, nearly 900 speakers, over a fourth of whom are from start-ups, and 66 partners. The dialogues are "dedicated to advancing solutions to the greatest challenges facing our energy and environmental future" and exploring new pathways "for lower emissions, affordability and reliability."

The nine key themes for this year happen to be AI and Digital, Electrification Technologies, The Innovation Ecosystem, Managing Emissions, Low-Carbon Fuels and Mobility, Climate and Sustainability, Chemicals and Materials, Investment and Financing and Workforce Strategy. 

Agora has pulled in technologists, VCs, investors and corporate innovators to hobnob with startups in ever greater numbers, very much like any energy technology conference yours truly has attended. 

The Oilholic went from listening to Microsoft executives discussing energy AI to JOGMEC experts talking about pathways for blue hydrogen in the US, and much else in between, earlier this afternoon. 

This blogger can only see the event grow bigger as the years roll on. More musings from Houston soon. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'! 

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To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2026. Photo: CERAWeek 2026's Innovation Agora programme © Gaurav Sharma, March 2026.  

Geopolitics dominates opening day at CERAWeek 2026

The Oilholic is back in Houston for another CERAWeek - one of the world's leading energy events organised by S&P Global. This year's event is taking place at a time of the most profound crisis in the energy market as the US, Israel and Iran trade missiles, drones, barbs, and more. 

Unsurprisingly, the conflict that began on February 28 dominated the discourse on day one of the global event. Many industry insiders the Oilholic spoke to lent further credence to the belief that the war will likely not last longer than six weeks. That date would be April 9 and we aren't that far from it. So, assuming peace is restored on the date or thereabouts, where next for the oil price?

Conversations with traders confirm, the Oilholic's own modelling in that eventuality - a baking in of a minimum 10% premium for the remainder of 2026. That's because even if peace arrives to the region tomorrow, it will take months to restore production. 

Which, for a market that was staring at a pre-war surplus, will now see supply constriction last for much of the year. The premium of that dynamic would be reflected in Brent prices till the end of the year. 

Speaking at the event, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright admitted Asia would be worse off, but said the Trump administration would increase the volume of its crude supplies heading to the region. Chevron CEO Mike Wirth reflected what many have been saying here in Houston that the Iran War has not been fully priced into the oil market. 

Meanwhile, addressing the event via video link, Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Group CEO of ADNOC, said weaponizing the Strait of Hormuz was "economic terrorism" against every nation and this sentiment is being reflected across the global economy. Here's yours truly's full report on the morning's proceedings from day one of CERAWeek for Forbes. 

Elsewhere, there was another interesting development that made attendees sit up an take notice. The US Department of the Interior and TotalEnergies announced an agreement on Monday for the company to redirect capital from "expensive, unreliable offshore wind leases toward affordable, reliable natural gas projects that will provide secure energy for hardworking Americans."

As part of the agreement, TotalEnergies has committed to investing approximately $1 billion - the value of its renounced offshore wind leases - in oil and natural gas and LNG production in the United States. Following the French major's "new" investment, the US will subsequently reimburse the company dollar-for-dollar, up to the amount they paid in lease purchases for offshore wind. Additionally, TotalEnergies has pledged not to develop any new US offshore wind projects.

“This agreement is yet another win for President Donald Trump’s commitment to affordable and reliable energy for all Americans,” said US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. 

“Offshore wind is one of the most expensive, unreliable, environmentally disruptive, and subsidy-dependent schemes ever forced on American ratepayers and taxpayers. We welcome TotalEnergies’ commitment to developing projects that produce dependable, affordable power to lower Americans' monthly bills while providing secure US baseload power today—and in the future.”  

For his part, Patrick Pouyanné, CEO of TotalEnergies, said: "We are pleased to sign this settlement agreements with the DOI and to support the Administration’s Energy Policy. Considering that the development of offshore wind projects is not in the country’s interest, we have decided to renounce offshore wind development in the US, in exchange for the reimbursement of the lease fees. 

"Furthermore, these agreements, under which we will reinvest the refunded lease fees to finance the construction of the 29 Mt Rio Grande LNG plant and the development of our oil and gas activities, allows us to support the development of US gas production and export. These investments will contribute to supplying Europe with much-needed LNG from the U.S. and provide gas for US data center development. We believe this is a more efficient use of capital in the US."

It's started off with a bang folks, but that's all for now. More musings from Houston 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: CERAWeek 2026 signage. Photo II: US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum (left) and Patrick Pouyanné, CEO of TotalEnergies at CERAWeek 2026 © Gaurav Sharma, March 2026. 

India Energy Week sessions to be hosted by yours truly

As India Energy Week 2026 approaches, the Oilholic is looking forward to moderating panels and fireside chats at the event being held in Goa, India from Jan 27 to 30, covering vital topics across the international energy sphere. It will bring together global leaders, corporate visionaries and technical experts. Here are the detail's of yours truly's sessions:

Wednesday, January 28, The Addition Stage, MDF Building, ONGC ATI, Goa @ 12:00pm

From reset to results: translating Canada–India political momentum into a priority partnership for long-term energy and critical minerals cooperation

• A fireside chat under the event's Energy Talks programme with Hon. Timothy Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Government of Canada.

Wednesday, January 28, The Transition Stage, Convention Centre, ONGC ATI, Goa @ 10:30am

Global South clean energy solidarity: Powering South-South cooperation for a shared future

With panellists:

• H.E. Prof. Elmutasim Ibrahim Ahmed Ali, Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Republic of Sudan
• H.E. Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology and Geo-Hazards, Energy, Environment and Disaster Management, Vanuatu
• H.E. Dr. Eng. Sultan Welle Ahmed, State Minister of Energy, Ministry of Water and Energy, Ethiopia
• H.E. Indra Mani Pandey, Secretary General, The BIMSTEC Secretariat

Wednesday, January 28, The Resilience Stage, Convention Centre, ONGC ATI, Goa @ 13:40pm IST

Establishing global models for City Gas Distribution (CGD) networks: building clean, secure and equitable gas-based economies

With panellists:

• Suresh P Manglani, Executive Director and CEO, Adani Total Gas
• Goutom Chakraborty, CEO, GAIL Gas Limited
• Kamal Kishore Chatiwal, MD, Indraprastha Gas Limited
• Abhilesh Gupta, MD & CEO, THINK Gas
• Sandeep Jain, Former Executive Director, Gas, Indian Oil Corporation Limited

Thursday, January 29, The Resilience Stage, Convention Centre, ONGC ATI @ 16:30pm IST

Coal’s evolving role in a secure energy mix: charting a balanced and pragmatic approach

With panellists:

• Shri Vikram Dev Dutt, Secretary, Ministry of Coal - Official, Government of India
• Kyle Haustveit, P.E., Assistant Secretary for Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
• B. Sairam, Chairman-cum-MD, Coal India Limited

Explore the event's exciting agenda here, and be sure to register here. 

The Oilholic is excited to play his part in the deliberations on pathways towards secure, inclusive, and affordable energy systems, tackling critical challenges such as decarbonisation, investment security and industrial transformation.

Looking forward to meeting old friends and making new ones! See you in Goa, if you can make it! More to follow. 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 email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma, January 2026. Photo: IEW 2026 speaker profile of energy analyst Gaurav Sharma © India Energy Week / dmgevents, January 2026.