A pre-departure Negroni & more ahead of Gastech 2025

The Oilholic is off to attend and speak at the natural gas industry's biggest jamboree - Gastech 2025 - for yet another year. This year's installment - the 53rd year in a row - is in Milan, Italy. Here's more on this blogger's panels.

So, what better way to contemplate the week that's about to follow other than over a delicious Negroni at the British Airways departure lounge dear readers. 

Now depending on the energy industry or ESG [or lack of] vernacular, call natural gas an 'interim' or 'bridging' or 'destination' or whatever you wish fuel, it's err.... here to stay. Let's face it, those hyperscale datacentres that you continue to hear about on the airwaves, the telly, and all else in between are not going to be powered by renewables in totality anytime soon. 

Because you and yours truly here need Grok, Gemini, Chat GPT and the wider global industrial and manufacturing complex need Industrial AI, and IIoT and more. So, they aren't going away, AI isn't going away, automation isn't going away, and well... natural gas fired power plants aren't going away either. 

That's why the U.S. of A, Australia and Qatar, and pretty much all of the GECF membership are pumping billions of gas dollars (yup,its not just petrodollars) into the business. And the great and good of the industry will be in Milan, including none other than US Energy Secretary Chris Wright. 

To quote the US Department of Energy, he will be there to "engage with energy ministers, nuclear and natural gas providers, members of the European Parliament and Commission, and other high-ranking officials to strengthen long-lasting partnerships and encourage countries to join the US as President [Donald] Trump builds a energy secure and prosperous future.

"This trip follows the announcement of President Trump’s Historic Trade Deal, which included an agreement from the EU to purchase $750 billion in US energy and invest $600 billion in the United States, all by 2028."

And, there you have it! 

But before one takes your leave, here's a bit more pessimism on that deal via yours truly's column in Forbes, and a word on natural gas and the Middle East via Energy connects. 

That's all for now folks. More musings to follow soon from Milan. 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 2025. 

Meeting billionaire energy entrepreneur Femi Otedola

Energy and Finance Entrepreneur Femi Otedola (left) with Energy Analyst Gaurav Sharma in London, UK

Late last month, the Oilholic had the pleasure of a very special meeting in London with an extraordinary energy and finance entrepreneur - none other than Nigerian billionaire and noted philanthropist Femi Otedola - who made his fortune with Forte Oil, a company he subsequently sold for a handsome profit. 

These days Otedola is the Chairman and majority owner of Geregu Power, a power generation company in Nigeria, and has sizeable stakes in Zenith Bank and FBN Holdings. 

The serial entrepreneur sat down for a meeting with yours truly late last month to discuss his life's journey, investment philosophy and his first book - Making it big: Lessons from a life in Business (currently trending on Amazon's Best Sellers list in business books category). 

Read the Oilholic's latest Forbes exclusive for more on Otedola's entrepreneurship, philanthropy, inspiring journey, and why he felt it was the right time to publish his first book. 

In the book, the self-made billionaire recounts that he always felt his true calling was in "business" and not academia, and that he started dreaming about it before he was even 10 years old. It also lays bare the ups and downs he faced, the challenges he met and the opportunities he took advantage of to get to where he is today. 

But what really stood was his passion for researching and conviction investing. "To this day, I follow the courage of my convictions and research when going for an asset acquisition." 

"I tend not to rely on an army of advisers. It may not be everyone's thing, but it is mine. I cannot say that there haven't been challenges in such an approach. Of course, there have been - but you learn from them to make your beliefs and investment approach stronger," he added. 

Overall, a most remarkable encounter with a great industry captain. That's all for now 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 2025. Photo: Energy analyst Gaurav Sharma (right) with billionaire energy and finance entrepreneur Femi Otedola in London, UK © Office of Femi Otedola, August 2025.

A Brent crude price floor at $65 for now?

The global oil market saw crude futures jump to two-week highs on Thursday with the Brent front-month futures contract keeping up its defence of $65 per barrel. But for how long that is the question? 

What's just happened is that a dip in US inventories bumped up the prices a smidge, with little tangible movement on the Ukraine peace push by US President Donald Trump. 

But as The Oilholic told Reuters this morning, if the White House's efforts do result in a halt to hostilities in Ukraine, and Russia gradually coming back into the international fold, it will be bearish for the crude market. 

While for now the Brent price floor to watch out for remains at $65 per barrel, geopolitical infractions aside, there appears to be a mismatch in where the prices are at compared to current global OPEC and non-OPEC crude output levels. 

There will likely be a supply surplus as we enter the fourth quarter of the year and head to the first quarter of 2026, as yours truly said in a recent Al Jazeera interview.

Year-till-date, Brent remains down by around 10% and there's further ground to give. And well, that can only be price positive for global consumers. 

Away from crude prices, here are a couple of Forbes missives from this blogger published over the last few days on Elon Musk and Tesla's potential bid to shake-up the UK electricity market, and why New Zealand's lifting of its 2018 oil and gas drilling ban is unlikely to alleviate the industry pain and energy shortages it caused anytime soon. 

Well 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 2025. Photo: Energy analyst Gaurav Sharma on Al Jazeera English TV network. © Al Jazeera, August 2025. 

Speaking and moderating at Gastech 2025

Delighted to announce that yours truly will be speaking and moderating at Gastech 2025 in Milan, Italy, from September 9 to 12, one of the world's largest natural gas industry event. 

Explore this global event's critical conference agenda that is driving the energy transition through groundbreaking innovation, visionary leadership and action here.

Further details on the Oilholic's panels and sessions to follow here over the coming weeks.

Entering its 53rd year this September, Gastech will champion the role of natural gas in delivering affordable, reliable, low carbon energy to meet rising global energy demands. 

Over four days, Gastech will convene 50,000 attendees from over 150 countries, 1,000 exhibitors and 21,000 expert speakers, present company included, uniting the world’s leading energy professionals to power the sustainable energy ecosystem of tomorrow. 

Looking forward to the deliberations, meeting thought leaders and friends. Join, if you can, for some fantastic industry exchanges and networking in Milan. 

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 2025. Digital event banner courtesy of dmgevents, August 2025.

Seesawing crude price, fresh lows & more

Oil prices have been seesawing all of this week in the wake of another round of Trump Tariffs, an OPEC+ production hike, market uncertainty, and so it goes. You name it, the market bears have it with crude prices currently lurking around 8-week lows. 

Brent closed at its lowest since June 10 on Wednesday, while the WTI closed at its lowest since June 5. 

However, even if you were to drown out the latest din, it is almost inescapable that both benchmarks have struggled to meaningfully maintain a price floor of $70 a barrel. 

Specifically on the global proxy benchmark Brent, as The Oilholic told Reuters, for all of what has been thrown the oil market's way geopolitically, it has struggled to stay above $70 a barrel for any convincing length of time. 

At the time of writing, Brent is down by over 10% on the year, 9% on a six-month basis, and, even more tellingly 11% year-to-date. That's because despite the various permutations and shifts the market has seen, it essentially remains well supplied at a time of uncertain demand.

Furthermore, the various macro factors - most notably China’s manufacturing contraction, weak US labour market data, and the chaos of Trump Tariffs - continue to temper expectations of any sort of lasting bullishness for crude.

Away from crude prices, here are yours truly's Forbes missives on a 10th successive quarterly profit decline at Saudi Aramco, Shell's share buybacks despite its own profits dip, and BP's latest bid to cheer up its underwhelmed shareholders. 

Additionally, here's The Oilholic's latest column for Energy Connects on the sector's incremental embrace of industrial AI and the commercial opportunities that presents the technology industry. 

Well that's all for now 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 2025. Photo: Oil pump jack building block model at the AVEVA World 2023 Conference, Moscone Center, San Francisco, US © Gaurav Sharma, October 2023.