Deepwater emerges from its slumber
The post-2014 investment decline can be fully arrested if processes are standardised and regulators become more responsive
A decline in deepwater investment could be halted through a combination of cost control, the standardisation of requirements, and local regulators becoming more flexible, delegates heard at the annual meeting of energy technology heavyweight Baker Hughes in Florence on Tuesday. The long development times—and therefore delay in return on investment—associated with deepwater projects have become particularly problematic since the oil price crash of 2014, but industry leaders are applying innovative approaches with the aim of overcome financial barriers. "We need to be able to develop fields in deepwater much faster than we have done, and to be much more proactive than we have been in the past,
Also in this section
12 December 2025
The federal government is working with Alberta to improve the country’s access to Asian markets and reduce dependence on the US, but there are challenges to their plans
12 December 2025
The latest edition of our annual Outlook publication, titled 'The shape of energy to come: Creating unique pathways and managing shifting alliances', is available now
11 December 2025
The removal of the ban on oil and gas exploration and an overhaul of the system sends all the right messages for energy security, affordability and sustainability
10 December 2025
The economic and environmental cost of the seven-year exploration ban will be felt long after its removal
