Petroleum Economist Podcast

In this podcast, Petroleum Economist is joined by Matthew McManus to discuss how energy sanctions have become one of Washington’s most powerful diplomatic tools. Matthew is a visiting fellow at the National Center for Energy Analytics and a former senior US State Department official with more than three decades of experience working on international energy and economic policy.

In 2026, what will define success in the oil and gas industry? In this podcast, industry experts Jorge Herrera and Aneel Bhandari examine the need to master cost control, risk visibility and operational discipline in a year that will squeeze margins and push asset productivity to the foreground. On the technology side, AI and digital twins are moving beyond back-office support to drive real-time decisions, predict failures and improve processes. They also look at how methane abatement and carbon capture are being integrated into day-to-day operations, bringing them closer to the oil and gas business model.

Denise Hamilton joins Rachel McGhie, conference director, WGLC to follow up from her electric keynote at WGLC 2025 in October. In this podcast they discuss why connection, communication and community are the skills leaders need most right now.

Next year could be pivotal for the oil & gas industry, as long-standing challenges in maintenance and asset management come back into focus. Many operators still face fragmented systems, limited visibility across engineering, safety and maintenance and difficulty linking day-to-day activities with business goals. In this episode, Gemma Fornes and Dennis Filthaus from Octave (formerly Hexagon) explain how building a physical digital twin provides the reliable data backbone needed for risk-based maintenance, regulatory compliance, and ESG reporting—and how it connects with performance, integrity and maintenance twins to give asset teams consistent, trusted information across the enterprise.

Dennis Jol, CEO, AIQ, discusses the transformative role of AI in the energy sector, particularly in optimizing operations and enhancing sustainability. He highlights AIQ's collaboration with ADNOC and other global partners to develop innovative solutions that redefine industry roles and improve efficiency. The discussion also touches on the future of AI in oil and gas, emphasizing the potential for AI to change the narrative around the industry and contribute positively to society.