The UK North Sea is a mature basin, but the pace of decline is determined by policy, not geology, argues Jon Fitzpatrick, Founder and President of Gneiss Energy. This story first appeared in Energy Voice. The white paper ‘One basin, two outcomes’ can be downloaded here. BP’s decision to sell its UK North Sea business […]

By Patrick Harris, Atef Hassan and Akshaya Hari (This article first appeared in Mergermarket.) Key points • Domestic M&A volumes highest since 1H21, partially offset inbound decline • Telecoms, digital infrastructure and healthcare M&A expected to remain robust • Shift of capital to jurisdictions including Egypt likely to be a long-term trend War, what is […]

By Patrick Harris, Atef Hassan and Manu Rajput. (This article first appeared in Mergermarket.) War in the Persian Gulf has caused a countercyclical spike in M&A activity around natural resources in some EMEA markets, sector advisors have noted. Total EMEA natural resources M&A has dipped in 1H26 to EUR 20.9bn compared to EUR 23bn in […]

A lack of realism in the debate around energy is leaving Scotland behind, writes Jon Fitzpatrick, Executive Chairman of Gneiss Energy. (This article first appeared in Global Energy Network.) Having just returned from the Gulf, I can affirm first-hand what we all already know – the economies of the world still run on gas and […]

By Patrick Harris (This article first appeared in Mergermarket.) While the human cost and geopolitical chaos unleashed by joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran demand sober assessment, the oil and gas industry will not mourn USD 60/bbl crude prices. With Brent crude having hit USD 101/bbl today (13 March), stretched sector players have a lifeline, majors […]

With a backdrop of softening commodity prices and reduced transition pressures, 2026 is likely to see continued capital discipline, selective M&A activity and investment focused on regions offering best ‘bang for buck’, writes Luke Kanczes, Head of Oil and Gas at Gneiss Energy. (This article first appeared in Energy Voice.) Softer commodity prices, disciplined capital […]

By Patrick Harris, Akshaya Hari and Marie-Laure Keyrouz. (This article first appeared in Mergermarket.) Deal activity across the European, Middle Eastern and African energy and natural resources sector is in the doldrums. Transaction volumes and deal count were both down in the first half of this year due to power and utilities transactions taking a […]

Rising insecurity in the Persian Gulf has once more moved energy security up the political agenda. Is it now time to have a balanced debate on the role of domestically produced gas, asks Jon Fitzpatrick, Founder and Executive Chairman of Gneiss Energy. (This article first appeared in Energy Voice.) Whilst the news of a fragile […]

The UK’s gas policy is potentially adding millions of tonnes of additional CO2 to the atmosphere – according to a study released today. The report, by analysts at Gneiss Energy, puts numbers on the impact of running down production from the UK continental shelf (UKCS) whilst in tandem increasing imports of emissions-heavy liquefied natural gas […]