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'! 

To follow The Oilholic on Twitter click here.

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To follow The Oilholic on Energy Connects click here.

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To email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2026. Digital banner courtesy of dmgevents. 

Media missives from Gastech 2026

With Gastech 2026 drawing to a close, the Oilholic capped a fantastic and engaging week out in Bangkok, Thailand by hosting three pivotal panel sessions on subjects ranging from the transformation of human mobility to the natural gas-AI nexus to regulation of the energy business.

Yours truly also hit the airwaves and spoke to media outlets about the energy market and developments at the conference. The first broadcasting call was with the TRT World, followed by Asharq Bloomberg, and the final one with Energy Connects. This blogger's week also included plenty of other missives via the keyboard for Forbes, Energy Connects and of course, via this blog.

All blog entries for Gastech 2026 may be found here, and here's an Energy Connects preview of the event. And here are selected Forbes copies based on soundbites and insight from the event. 

• Europe Faces ‘Decades-Low’ Winter Natural Gas Storage Levels, September 21, 2026
• Data Center Boom Driving LNG Demand Uptick In Southeast Asia, September 22, 2026

More market musings to follow 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: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma speaks on Asharq Bloomberg, September 16, 2026. © Courtesy Asharq Bloomberg, September 2026.

Gastech 2026 Days III & IV: Deals and dialogues galore

As Gastech 2026 entered its home stretch, alongside the deep dives came news of mega-deals. According to data gathered by various stakeholders and the event's organisers, billions of dollars in energy agreements were seen moving from discussion to delivery in Bangkok. 

By the end of day three, memoranda of understanding, supply agreements and investment commitments with a combined estimated value of $40 billion were either announced or advanced at Gastech.

Among the many deals and MoUs, the four that stood out for this blogger include - (1) China Gas Holdings and Venture Global LNG's 20-year sales and purchase agreement for 0.5 mtpa of US LNG from 2030, (2) GE Vernova and B.Grimm Power's agreements on natural gas-turbine supply and long-term services, aimed at new and existing power-generation capacity in Malaysia and Thailand, (3) PETRONAS, PTTEP JDA and the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Authority's formalisation of a 35-year production-sharing contract and natural gas sales agreement in the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Development Area, delivering new natural gas supply to both countries, and (4) Samsung Heavy Industries' $1.2 billion order for LNG carriers and crude oil tankers, adding to the fleet capacity required to keep global energy trade moving.

As the deals flowed, Gastech's 800-plus speakers - present company included - advanced the event's discourse about the future of energy security, sustainability and affordability. 

A huge part of that is human mobility - the subject of this blogger's final moderating engagement of Gastech 2026 with Pras Ganesh, EVP & CISO, Toyota Motors Asia. 

We discussed the topic - Mobility in motion: What emerging markets teach us about real-world energy transitions. 

As the global energy transition gathers pace, emerging markets across the Global South are charting pragmatic pathways shaped by affordability, access, and rapid demand growth. Nowhere is this more visible than in mobility, where alternative fuels and electrification are unfolding in diverse and often unexpected ways. 

Ganesh explored how these markets are integrating power systems, digital technologies, and investment to support cleaner transport. Drawing on real-world experience across Southeast Asia, he shared his perspectives on how real customer needs are driving innovation, offering lessons for building resilient, inclusive, and economically viable energy systems for mobility.

The Oilholic also took time out for some energy market commentary onsite in interviews with TRT World, Asharq Bloomberg, and Energy Connects, given the situation in the Middle East. 

Elevated geopolitical risks have made the market very jittery to every new security development in the region. It's all making near-term modelling very difficult. Supply-side complications will persist for a while even if the security situation were to ease imminently. 

For yours truly, the latest moving part - disruption to the flow of the Saudi East-West pipeline - remains a big driver of elevated prices as Aramco is/was using it to mitigate the effects export constriction via the Strait of Hormuz. 

Of course, Hormuz, Ukraine-Russia and (currently) Libya are also pushing prices to the upside, while US light sweet crude is keeping a lid on a pricing overshoot to $150/bbl. 

But the global market and refining complex needs a variety of crude oils, and US light sweet crude at Asian hubs can only help so much. More so, with the shipping costs associated with it. Thanks to all the broadcasters who carried one's 'crude' thoughts. 

And as the event neared its conclusion on day four, it was revealed that 50,000-plus attendees from 150 countries, and 800+ exhibitors came to Gastech 2026. Next year, the event will return to the energy capital of the US - Houston. 

And that's a wrap from Bangkok folks! More market musings to follow 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: Gastech 2026, Bangkok, Thailand. Photo II: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma (left) with Pras Ganesh, EVP & CISO, Toyota Motors Asia © dmgevents, September 2026. Photo III collage: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma speaks on TRT World, Asharq Bloomberg and Energy Connects. © Courtesy TRT World, Asharq Bloomberg and Energy Connects, September 2026.

Releasing Schneider Electric's latest automation research at Gastech

On Tuesday, at Gastech 2026, the Oilholic was delighted to release the latest instalment of Schneider Electric's global automation research on the energy sector that this blogger contributed to. 

The project is part of one's ongoing partnership with Schneider Electric. At the release, the Oilholic was joined by Devan Pillay, President of Schneider’s Heavy Industries Segment (left) and Ryoko Aoyagi, Country President of Schneider Japan (centre). 

The global study suggested that Asia ranks second in current autonomous maturity, just behind GCC, but aims to lead the pack in five years. More details on the findings are available here. Have a read. Your feedback, dear readers, is always appreciated. 

More musings to follow soon from Bangkok as Gastech progresses and the energy dialogues advance over the coming days. 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: © Schneider Electric, September 2026.

Gastech 2026 Days I & II: 'Transition fuel' to 'pillar of resilience'

The first two days of Gastech 2026 - which officially runs from September 14 to 17 in Bangkok, Thailand - have flown by with senior energy officials, CEOs and global industry experts finding common ground in regarding natural gas as a "pillar of resilience" for powering up the global economy. 

That's a marked contrast to the covid pandemic years leading up 2023, when renewables were all the rage and natural gas was labelled a "transition fuel." 

The proliferation of datacentres and AI, pivot of nations to a digital future and electrification has brought home the realisation that renewables alone cannot by any stretch of anyone's imagination meet the rising power demand. The perceived abundance of natural gas and rising US LNG exports - that have effectively resulted in a US to Asia LNG corridor - is certainly helping. 

In the words of Akanat Promphan, Thailand’s Minister of Energy, and hosting dignitary for this year's Gastech, energy security is not an isolated challenge that each country can address independently. 

Promphan added in his opening remarks that he is committed to strengthening supply resilience and accelerating energy delivery both at home and across ASEAN predicated on a natural gas a firm part of the regional energy mix.

The region and indeed the world it seems is coming around to that conclusion too. That's as the first of Gastech's 200 sessions spread across 15 programmes got underway. Among them were your's truly's first two engagements. The first of these was a Gastech Energy Talk series discuss with Dr. Harald Link, Chairman of B.Grimm Power. We explored how LNG can strengthen energy resilience and support sustainable economic growth across Thailand and the wider region.

Link offered viewpoints on the role of LNG in a rapidly evolving energy landscape, highlighting the need for energy strategies that balance affordability, reliability and long-term sustainability and "the importance of building a compassionate energy ecosystem" that balances consumer affordability with investment certainty, while strengthening fuel security, system stability and the reliable energy foundation needed for inclusive economic growth.

The Oilholic's second engagement over the first two days was a strategic dialogue with Dr. Poonpat Leesombatpiboon, Secretary General of Energy Regulatory Commission of Thailand, Hasan OZKOC, Secretariat Director, MEDREG - Mediterranean Energy Regulators, and Laura Swett, Chairman, US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. 

The panel explored how effective regulation can support investment, strengthen resilience and advance the energy transition. In particular, Swett provided good cheer for the market highlighting the potential for US energy resources to support both domestic and international markets.

“America and FERC, working together, can position both the American economy and those of our international allies to expand and grow through the abundance of resources that we have in America," Swett noted. 

"We have more than enough to power our grid and meet exponential demand, but also to support grids all over the world." 

More musings to follow soon from Bangkok as Gastech progresses and the energy dialogues advance over the coming days. 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: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma at Gastech 2026. Photo II: Akanat Promphan, Thailand’s Minister of Energy speaks at Gastech 2026. Photo III: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma (left) with with Dr. Harald Link, Chairman, B.Grimm Power. Photo IV: (Left to right) Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma moderates Gastech 2026 strategic dialogue with Dr. Poonpat Leesombatpiboon, Secretary General, Energy Regulatory Commission of Thailand, Hasan OZKOC, Secretariat Director, MEDREG - Mediterranean Energy Regulators, and Laura Swett, Chairman, US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. © dmgevents, September 2026.

Gastech 2026 sessions to be hosted by yours truly

The Oilholic is delighted to be back speaking and moderating at Gastech 2026 being held this year in Bangkok, Thailand. One of the world's largest natural gas conference and exhibition of its kind will run here from September 14 to 17. 

Yours truly will be hosting three sessions at the event with distinguished industry leaders from energy sector and its entire value chain. 

Please do join if you can for some fantastic and insightful industry dialogues. Here are the details of the sessions:

Monday, 14 September 2026 | 13:00 - 13:20 ICT 

Empowering the world compassionately: Reimagining LNG’s role and resilience in Thailand2

Strategic Conference - Energy Talk Session 

With:

• Dr. Harald Link, Chairman, B.Grimm Power

Monday, 14 September 2026 | 16:15 - 16:45 ICT

Regulate or stagnate: The policy choices that will define the next decade

Strategic Conference Session - Executive Leadership Panel

With: 

• Dr. Poonpat Leesombatpiboon, Secretary General, Energy Regulatory Commission of Thailand
• Hasan Ozkoc, Secretariat Director, MEDREG
• Laura Swett, Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

Tuesday, 15 September 2026 | 12:15 - 12:35 ICT

Mobility in motion: What emerging markets teach us about real-world energy transitions

Strategic Conference - Energy Talk Session 

With: 

• Pras Ganesh, EVP & CISO, Toyota Mobility Foundation

More musings to follow soon from Bangkok. 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. Session details imagery © dmgevents, September 2026.

Speaking and moderating at Gastech 2026

Delighted to announce that The Oilholic will be speaking and moderating at Gastech Exhibition & Conference 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand, from September 14 to 17.

Explore the event's exciting agenda here. 

The year's event will serve as a vital platform for progressing the global energy agenda amid rising demand, accelerating electrification and growing energy security challenges. 

Convening ministers, CEOs, policymakers, investors, technologists and myriad industry movers and shakers, Gastech's multiple conference streams will address the partnerships, investments and strategic actions required to enhance resilience, secure supply and drive sustainable economic growth. 

Looking forward to the deliberations, meeting old friends from the industry and making new ones. Register here as a delegate and join The Oilholic, if you can, for some fantastic industry exchanges and networking in Bangkok this September. 

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. Digital banner courtesy of dmgevents, August 2026.

Talking smart home control systems with Starflow

Gaurav Sharma, Energy Analyst, Oilholics Synonymous, (left) with Jonas Helmikstøl, CEO of Starflow in Oslo, Norway.

As the concept of digital home control systems, or energy home hubs advances - there's is a lot of kit out there promising to optimise your 'smart' home, complete with energy savings to back that up. 

But last month, the Oilholic got a rather unique demo in Oslo, Norway from Starflow, a startup backed by serial entrepreneur Jonas Helmikstøl. The company is working on bringing together the concept of a home hub and a direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) inverter under one console. 

Here's the logic - solar panels are increasingly finding favour with end-consumers in smart homes. But solar panels, and batteries, use DC while homes run on AC. Inverters help with the conversion between the two. In tandem, the home hubs bring an efficient energy control dynamic for a smart home into view. 

"Our idea is to not treat the inverter like a commodity, but as the foundation of a seamless home energy experience by overlaying it with a home console and control unit," Helmikstøl said. 

The idea was born in 2023, after Helmikstøl and fellow Starflow co-founders Ola Stengel (Chief Technology Officer) and Nikolai Konopelko (Principal Electronics Engineer) saw an opportunity to "harmonise the chaos" of various smart home concepts, technologies and residential renewable energy generation via solar panels. 

Following a very interesting demo, Helmikstøl told The Oilholic that while both home hubs and inverters have been around for a while, his company's bid to integrate the two into a lightweight, modular, and "visually appealing" kit is its selling point. 

Plans for pilots in five homes are underway with the number of homes eventually rising to 25. Thereafter, commercial upscaling will begin, potentially in 2027. The company has raised around $10 million and counting. Read The Oilholic's detailed Forbes report from October 2025 for more on that. 

For now, this blogger wishes Team Starflow well and will be keeping an eye out for the startup and its cool kit. That's all for the moment folks. More musings to follow 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 email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2026. Photo: Gaurav Sharma, Energy Analyst, Oilholics Synonymous, (left) with Jonas Helmikstøl, CEO of Starflow in Oslo, Norway.

Media missives from India Energy Week 2026

India Energy Week 2026 drew to a close on January 30, as the Oilholic rounded off an engaging week out in Goa. Yours truly hosted pivotal industry panel sessions and fireside chats at the event on subjects ranging from city gas distribution networks to the evolving energy mix. 

This blogger also had the privilege of hosting high ranking officials from India, US, Canada and Oman. In the between the speaking, meeting and greeting, yours truly also wrote plenty of missives via the keyboard for Forbes, Energy Connects and of course this blog. 

All blog entries for India Energy Week 2026 are below: 

• Speaking and moderating at India Energy Week 2026
• India Energy Week sessions to be hosted by yours truly
• IEW 2026 Days I & II: A $500bn investment opportunity?
• IEW 2026 Days III & IV: Speaking, meeting & greeting

And here are selected Forbes copies in chronological order based on soundbites and insights from the event:

• India Ups Energy Clout With Renewables Surge And 40-Plus Oil Suppliers, January 23, 2026
• India’s Biofuel Blended Gasoline Initiative Enters Overdrive Mode, January 30, 2026
• Canada Nears $3 Billion Uranium Deal With India, May Be Inked In March, February 1, 2026

And finally, here are a couple of reports on the Oilholic's panels by Energy Connects and an Indian renewables preview by yours truly ahead of the event: 

• Mapping India's rise as a superpower of unconventional energy, January 12, 2026
• Global South nations look to renewables to tackle energy access and climate risks, January 28, 2026
• Canada eyes doubling trade relations with India to $60bn by end of decade, January 28, 2026

That's a wrap for this year's India Energy Week. More musings to follow 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 email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma, January 2026. Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma at India Energy Week 2026 © Photo: Gaurav Sharma, January 2026. 

IEW 2026 Days III & IV: Speaking, meeting & greeting

Days three and four brought another 60+ insightful sessions for the benefit of the attending delegates. There was plenty to deliberate on from downstream AI to smart-grids, biofuels to coal's evolving role in the energy mix. 

On the latter subject, the Oilholic hosted his fifth and final session of the event on the topic of 'coal’s evolving role in a secure energy mix: charting a balanced and pragmatic approach.' Panellists included Vikram Dev Dutt, Secretary, Ministry of Coal, Government of India, Kyle Haustveit, Assistant Secretary for Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy, US Department of Energy and B. Sairam, Chairman and MD, Coal India Limited.

Despite the global push against it, coal remains a leading source of electricity generation across the world, providing viable power for millions, as well as underpinning energy security and economic growth.

It is also believed in many quarters that coal demand will remain at elevated levels until at least the end of the decade, and furthermore, the exponentially growing boom in AI data centres is creating a new need for the readiness and consistency of coal-fired plants. 

So, with coal set to remain an essential component of the energy mix for decades beyond its projected peak in 2030, the panellists discussed how can this reality be reconciled with the need for energy transformation. 

From integrating Clean Coal Technologies (CCTs) and Clean Coal Utilisation (CCU) solutions, and implementing AI-driven efficiency measures, to enabling co-firing with biomass or hydrogen fuels, advanced technology innovations are the most viable routes to reducing coal’s ongoing carbon footprint while meeting energy demand. Their widespread adoption, however, will be reliant on enabling policies, financing mechanisms and incentivising private sector engagement. 

Bearing these points in mind, the panellists offered insights on optimising coal’s socioeconomic benefits as a core component of the mid-term energy mix, while minimising its environmental impact through climate technology and digital efficiencies. Officials from both the US and India also advocated for a pragmatic approach to coal and its usage. 

Additionally, Assistant Secretary Haustveit revealed the launch and repurposing of the National Energy Technology Laboratory in Morgantown, West Virginia as a Center of Excellence for Coal research this February - a place and a town very familiar to yours truly and the readers of this blog, when one visited it in 2019. 

Another subject of note over Thursday and Friday of India Energy Week was biofuels, and India's Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri's pet project of enhanced ethanol blending into fuel dispensed at the country's petrol forecourts. 

The initiative is now firmly in overdrive mode, as noted by yours truly's in a Forbes post from the event. Have a read here if you wish. 

With speaking engagements all done on Thursday, it was time for some more meeting and greeting at the exhibition halls and getting to know what the energy sector was bringing to bear in 2026 and beyond. 

The Oilholic's many engagements included meeting Emerson's Chief Sustainability Officer and longstanding industry colleague Mike Train, as well as Erik Lindhjem, President of Asia Pacific and Anil Bhatia, Vice President & Managing Director India. We had a great discussion on investment opportunities in India (see above right, click to enlarge).

A meeting with Abhilesh Gupta, CEO of Think Gas, who was also a panellist yours truly panel on city gas distribution (CGD) networks and their potential, followed (see left, click to enlarge).

It was great discussing the plans of this prominent Indian CGD company specialising in the distribution of compressed natural gas (CNG), piped natural gas (PNG), and liquefied natural gas (LNG) for residential, commercial, and industrial use with him.

Also had a fascinating discussion as the event's conclusion approached with Chander Mani, GGM, Impex & Shipping, at Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL), a subsidiary of ONGC (see right, click to enlarge).

MRPL is a crucial part of the ONGC group, acting as a refining arm that processes crude oil from ONGC’s fields in Mumbai High, and other imported crudes. 

In Dec 2024, MRPL and ONGC signed a performance MoU to improve operational efficiency and secure energy at the 300,000 barrels per day refining facility in Southern India.

We also discussed the refining industry's current operational complexities with the state of global geopolitics and crude supplies as they stand. 

Finally, the Oilholic also caught up with the team at Applied Computing, a UK energy AI start-up making waves with its downstream platform Orbital (see below left, click to enlarge).

The duo of Hari Ramani, Vice President of Commercial Markets at Applied Computing (left) and Harry Ashcroft, Communications Advisor (right), discussed the company's expansion plans, including the recent opening of a new office in Bengaluru, India, pointing to the inexorable direction of travel for many energy technology firms both large and small.

Well that's all for now from India Energy Week 2026 folks. It has been a memorable and insightful time out here in Goa. More missives to follow 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 email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma, January 2026. Photo I: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma chairs India Energy Week 2026 panel on coal on Thursday, January 29, 2026. Photo II: (L to R) Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma with Emerson's Anil Bhatia, Vice President & Managing Director, India, Mike Train, Chief Sustainability Officer and Erik Lindhjem, President of Asia Pacific. Photo III: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma (left) with Abhilesh Gupta, CEO of Think Gas. Photo IV: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma (right) with Chander Mani, GGM, Impex and Shipping, MRPL. Photo V: (L to R) Hari Ramani, Vice President of Commercial Markets at Applied Computing, Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma and Harry Ashcroft, Communications Advisor. © Photos: Gaurav Sharma, January 2026.

IEW 2026 Days I & II: A $500bn investment opportunity?

India Energy Week 2026 got underway in Goa, India, on Tuesday with yours truly in attendance to hear the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, who declared the event open via video-link and noted that the energy sector was at the heart of his country's aspiration's for the future. 

India's burgeoning economy needs energy, and his government is working overtime to ensure security of supply of all sources traditional and renewable. The move holds over $500 in billion investment opportunities, according to the PM. 

It certainly seems that way with more than 75,000 attendees from over 120 countries in attendance and 700-plus exhibitors here in Goa. Making a pitch for his nation, PM Modi urged them to "Make in India, Innovate in India, Scale with India, and Invest in India." 

Later on in the opening morning's proceedings, India's Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri emphasised on the diversity of supply with over 40-plus crude oil suppliers. 

He also noted: "India's rapid expansion of LPG coverage, clean cooking access and diversified energy mix reflect the country's commitment to inclusive growth and equitable energy access." 

Additionally, it was widely acknowledged on the first day of India Energy Week that the country remains on track to meeting its 500GW renewable energy capacity target for 2030. The opening day also heard market observations of ADNOC Group CEO Dr Sultan Al Jaber in his keynote address to the event.  

"From air conditioning to AI, exponential growth in energy demand will require all forms of energy. Oil demand will remain over 100 million barrels per day for a good few decades yet. As the world third's largest consumer of oil and power, India is an unquestionable driver of global demand that energy sector players simply cannot ignore," Dr Al Jaber told India Energy Week delegates. 

As the event's exhibition floors opened their doors and the dialogues began in earnest, the Oilholic also began his flurry of speaking engagements. 

This kick-started with a fireside chat on day one with Mohsin Hamed Al Hadhrami, Undersecretary, Ministry of Energy & Minerals, Oman on his country's energy sector potential, minerals industry and how it can be a strategic trading partner for India and indeed the world (See above left). 

With 30-odd insightful conversations successfully negotiated on day one, Wednesday - day two - brought a similar number of panels and dialogues to the fore, with yours truly keeping busy with three sessions of his own. 

The first of these was a fireside chat with Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Canada, who set out his country's stall for a reset and reboot of relations with India drawing a line under the diplomatic spats of 2023. Hodgson outlined an array of commodities Canada could reliably supply to India, not just oil and natural gas, and that a state visit to the country by Prime Minister Mark Carney was imminent. (See above right)

Following the fireside, yours truly hosted two unique panels. The first of these, was titled 'Global South clean energy solidarity: powering South-South cooperation for a shared future.' 

The panellists included Prof. Elmutasim Ibrahim Ahmed Ali, Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Republic of Sudan, Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology and Geo-Hazards, Energy, Environment and Disaster Management of Vanuatu, and Indra Mani Pandey, Secretary General, BIMSTEC (see left).

We discussed strategic energy solidarity, and how policymakers can empower the Global South’s geopolitical voice in the evolving multi-polar world order, reflective of the rising economic weight behind its emerging and diverse markets.

The second of the Oilholic's panels touched on establishing global models for city gas distribution (CGD) networks, with panellists Suresh Manglani, Executive Director and CEO, Adani Total Gas Limited, Goutom Chakraborty, CEO, GAIL Gas Limited, Kamal Kishore Chatiwal, MD, Indraprastha Gas Limited, Abhilesh Gupta, MD and CEO, THINK Gas, and Sandeep Jain, Former Executive Director, Gas, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (See right), 

As CGD markets are projected to more than double in size to $30 billion in the coming decade, we discussed which strategic models, collaborations and technologies will be key to delivering the next phase of international development. Well that's all for now folks. As the second half of India Energy Week 2026 approaches, there's 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 I: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma at India Energy Week 2026 in Goa, India. Photo II: India's Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri speaks at India Energy Week 2026. Photo III: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma hosts India Energy Week 2026 session with Mohsin Hamed Al Hadhrami, Undersecretary, Ministry of Energy & Minerals, Oman. Photo IV: Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma hosts India Energy Week 2026 session with Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy And Natural Resources, Canada. Photos V & VI: India Energy Week panels hosted by Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma. © Photos I & II: Gaurav Sharma, January 2026. © Photo III: Sammy Ahmed, KPMG. © Photos IV, V & VI: India Energy Week / dmgevents, January 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.

Media missives from WFES 2026

The World Future Energy Summit 2026 - held as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and hosted by Masdar - drew to a close on January 15, as the Oilholic rounded off an engaging week out in Abu Dhabi.

Yours truly hosted pivotal industry panel sessions and fireside chats at the event on subjects ranging from hydrogen to green bonds. 

This blogger also wrote plenty of missives via the keyboard for Forbes, and of course this blog. 

All blog entries for WFES 2026 are below: 

• WFES 2026 sessions to be hosted by yours truly
• WFES Day I: Kick-off after ADSW opening ceremony
• WFES Day II: Nexus of Next at ADSW
• WFES Day III: Talking green bonds & more on final day

And here are selected Forbes copies in chronological order based on soundbites and insights from the event:

• ‘Artificial’ Intelligence Craves ‘Actual’ Energy, Says Masdar Chairman, January 13, 2025
• Middle East Set For High Renewable Energy Capacity Growth By 2040, January 14, 2025
• UAE’s Masdar Raising Green Finance On An ‘Industrial Scale’, Says CFO, January 19, 2025.

That's a wrap for this year's WFES. More musings to follow 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 email: journalist_gsharma@yahoo.co.uk  

© Gaurav Sharma 2026. Photo: Gaurav Sharma at WFES 2026 in Abu Dhabi, UAE on January 15, 2026 © Gaurav Sharma, 2026.