Drill, Baby, Drill: Upstream players navigate changing tides (Ep. 218)

The upstream industry has faced many challenges over the last few years, but global sentiment seems to be shifting. In an environment of rapidly evolving geopolitics and a continued demand for resources, we explore how the industry is responding to this changing landscape. Joining hosts Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys this week is Dan Pratt, Global Head of Upstream Solutions at S&P Global Commodity Insights, to talk about the global appetite for upstream oil and gas, what countries are doing to attract investors and the role AI will have in the future of exploration.  Learn more about S&P Global Commodity Insights energy coverage at: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en

The maritime and shipping sector, which accounts for 80% of global trade and 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, is under increasing pressure to decarbonize.  Dana Rodriguez, Programme Manager at The Decarb Hub, and Aroob Sheikh, Shipping and Freight Reporter at S&P Global, join hosts Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss the steps being taken within the shipping industry to reach net zero, from retrofitting the existing fleet to dual fuel technology. Learn more about The Decarb Hub at: Accelerating decarbonisation in shipping | The Decarb Hub Learn more about S&P Global Commodity Insights energy coverage at: https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en 

ENGIE Impact works with corporate and industrial clients to manage their energy portfolios and make progress toward sustainability targets through the procurement of renewable energy. Rick Margolin, Director of Resource Optimization and Renewable Energy at ENGIE Impact, joins Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss how industrial consumers can smooth volatility, reduce costs, and make progress toward sustainability goals by increasing the weight of renewable sources in their energy portfolios. Learn more about ENGIE Impact at: https://www.engieimpact.com/ Learn more about S&P Global Commodity Insights energy coverage at: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was signed on July 4, 2025, and rewrote many of the rules associated with federal tax credits supporting low-carbon energy projects in the US. S&P Global Commodity Insights experts Anna Mosby and Conway Irwin join Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss how the OBBBA may influence the development of various energy technologies and when these new rules take effect. Learn more about S&P Global Commodity Insights energy coverage at: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en

Rich Africa Consultancy is a strategic advisory firm based in Namibia, specializing in natural resources law, energy policy, and sustainable investment. Since 2011, it has guided governments and businesses in unlocking value from Africa's resource wealth through expert advice, ESG alignment and thought leadership.  Ndapwilapo Selma Shimutwikeni, founder and CEO of Rich Africa Consultancy, joins Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss Namibia's transforming oil and gas landscape, as the country moves to first oil from its major discovery, and the role expectation management plays in achieving that milestone. Find out more about Rich Africa Consultancy 

Buildings in the United States account for about 40% of domestic energy demand and about 25% of greenhouse gas emissions. Increased electrification of buildings, particularly in heating, is core to policy makers realizing decarbonization ambitions. Julia Kim, a US power markets expert at S&P Global Commodity Insights, joins Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss incentives behind US building electrification and explain how the pace of heat pump adoption will reflect regional differences in incumbent heat source and state-level policy. Learn more about S&P Global Commodity Insights energy coverage at: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en

Upstream operators in the Permian Basin have reduced emitted methane by 50%, or 29 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent, since 2022 according to overflight data.  Importantly, this reduction has occurred at the same time as oil production has grown and reflects an improvement in the methane intensity of Permian operations. Raoul LeBlanc, vice president of upstream at S&P Global Commodity Insights, joins Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss how methane management is becoming a normal part of Permian operations and technology is shifting focus from 'find and fix' to 'predict and prevent.' Learn more about S&P Global Commodity Insights energy coverage at: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en

Conduit Power is a Houston-based independent power producer and services platform working behind the meter to co-locate distributed gas-generation assets alongside the projects of its commercial and industrial customers. The three-year-old company, backed by Grey Rock Investment Partners, also works in front of the meter through a model that allows upstream producers in the Permian Basin to share in the upside of converting their low-value natural gas molecules to higher-value electricity. Travis Windholz, CFO at Conduit Power, joins Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss how Conduit's modular dispatchable generation projects use natural gas to provide the reliable and fast-to-deploy power that its oilfield, data center, and other industrial clients require. Learn more about Conduit Power at: https://conduitpower.co/ Learn more about S&P Global Commodity Insights energy coverage at: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en

Holtec International is an established company focused on nuclear energy technology, specializing in spent fuel storage, small modular reactors (SMRs), and nuclear plant decommissioning. Its Palisades Power Plant in Michigan was shut down in 2022 and is now in the final stages of restarting after becoming in 2025 the first nuclear plant in the US to return to operations from decommissioning. Patrick O'Brien, Director of Government Affairs and Communications at Holtec, joins Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss how Holtec has transitioned from decommissioning nuclear power plants to restarting them, and how the company is on track to have its Palisades Plant in Michigan up and running later this year. Learn more about Holtec International at: https://holtecinternational.com/ Learn more about S&P Global Commodity Insights energy coverage at: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en

Carbon Catalyst is a UK-based carbon capture & storage project developer focused on a portfolio of carbon transport and storage projects within the North Sea.  Nick Terrell, executive director of operations at Carbon Catalyst, joins Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss how the pure-play carbon transport and storage company is working with partners to leverage depleted gas fields in North Sea in the development of its Poseidon and Orion CO2 sequestration projects. Learn more about Carbon Catalyst at: https://carboncatalyst.com/about-us/ Learn more about S&P Global Commodity Insights energy coverage at: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en