Insights: When wells go idle – regulation, bankruptcy, and the business of decommissioning
In this episode of the Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast, OGJ managing editor Mikaila Adams sits down with Andrew Stakelum, an energy disputes partner at King & Spalding LLP, to unpack oil and gas decommissioning from a big picture standpoint. Â
Wondering what happens when an operator goes bankrupt? Or when decades-old wells still need to be plugged? Stakelum explains why decommissioning is a business and regulatory puzzle shaped by bankruptcy law, fragmented oversight, and shifting federal rules.
From 'boomerang liability' to the ripple effects of financial assurance requirements, the conversation notes how operators, regulators, and sureties are all recalibrating in real time.
About our guest
Andrew Stakelum is an energy disputes partner in King & Spalding’s Houston office. His focus on the energy industry includes the oil and gas, renewables, and refining sectors. A key aspect of Andrew’s energy practice involves helping clients navigate the highly regulated environments in which they operate.
Stakelum holds a J.D., cum laude, from Tulane University Law School; and a B.B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Georgia.Â
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Insights: Geothermal design and drilling for electricity and district heating
In this episode of Oil & Gas Journal’s ReEnterprised podcast, Alex Procyk, Upstream Editor, talks with Allen Sinor, Geothermal Sector Council Manager for The Competency Alliance, about effective geothermal design and drilling for electricity and district heating.
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The Business: Mitigating and Eliminating Corrosion Under Insulation
In this episode of the Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast, Chris Smith, editor-in-chief, talks with Kristin Leonard, North American Marketing Director for the Energy Market at Sherwin-Williams. They discuss the causes and consequences of CUI, including its impact on asset integrity and operational safety. This episode offers insights into how evolving engineering solutions are addressing long-standing challenges in energy operations.Â
This episode is sponsored by Sherwin-Williams.
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ICYMI: California rethinks refining oversight measures
In this ICYMI episode of the Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast, Robert Brelsford, Downstream Editor, dives deeper into the state of California’s recent decision to walk back more aggressive policies governing in-state refiners and what the move potentially could mean in the future for other US states with refineries.
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Market Focus: Geopolitics, price volatility shape the path of LNG
In this Market Focus episode of the Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast, Conglin Xu, Managing Editor - Economics, asks Dr. Robert Brooks about his outlook on global LNG markets and the forces shaping prices in the near and long term. Dr. Brooks is CEO and founder of RBAC, a provider of global and regional gas and LNG market simulation systems.Â
Brooks highlights how storage levels, new supply projects, and shifting demand across key regions could influence market dynamics well into the next decade.
The conversation explores the geopolitical weight of Russia-China gas agreements and how these moves may ripple through the global energy system.Â
The discussion includes a look at how importers are balancing short-term and long-term LNG strategies in a volatile market. From Europe’s uncertainties to Asia’s energy security priorities, the discussion outlines tensions shaping contracting decisions—and what an expected wave of new LNG supply might mean for emerging economies.
The Oil & Gas Journal ReEnterprised podcast addresses issues facing the petroleum industry in a way that highlights its transformation in light of the energy transition to a net-zero carbon future, as well as the ongoing evolution to a more inclusive and equitable society. With in-depth perspectives from OGJ editors and guests from all facets of the business, the podcast will explore and discuss the ways operators, service companies, and their employees from this historically very traditional industry are working through and finding solutions to these more progressive, nontraditional issues.
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