08 Dec Energy/Automotive news,commentary and analysis | Dec. 08 2025
Baker Hughes Rig Count: U.S. +5 to 549 Canada +3 to 191
London, December 08, 2025, (Oilandgaspress) –––Equinor and its Brazilian subsidiary Rio Energy have begun commercial operations at the Serra da Babilônia Solar facility, co-located with the existing Serra da Babilônia Wind project. This marks Equinor’s first hybrid power asset, combining 140 MW of solar and 223 MW of wind capacity, expanding its renewable energy portfolio in Brazil. Read More
The Board of Shell plc today announced the pounds sterling and euro equivalent dividend payments in respect of the third quarter 2025 interim dividend, which was announced on October 30, 2025 at US$0.358 per ordinary share.
Shareholders have been able to elect to receive their dividends in US dollars, euros or pounds sterling. Holders of ordinary shares who have validly submitted US dollars, euros or pounds sterling currency elections by November 28, 2025 will be entitled to a dividend of US$0.358, €0.3070 or 26.85p per ordinary share, respectively. Read More
ExxonMobil, Saudi Aramco, and Samref have signed a Venture Framework Agreement to evaluate upgrading the Samref refinery in Yanbu and expanding it into an integrated petrochemical complex.
The partnership will explore capital investments to diversify production, including low-emission distillates and high-performance chemicals, alongside strategies to reduce operational emissions. Aramco’s Downstream President, Mohammed Y. Al Qahtani, highlighted the project’s role in enhancing liquids-to-chemicals conversion and supporting the Kingdom’s petrochemical sector growth. The companies will commence a preliminary front-end engineering and design phase for the proposed project, which would aim to maximize operational advantages, enhance Samref’s competitiveness and help to meet growing demand for high-quality petrochemical products in the Kingdom. Plans are subject to market conditions, regulatory approvals and final investment decisions by Aramco and ExxonMobil. Read More
EU to Present Updated Combustion Engine Phaseout Proposals Next Week
The European Commission will unveil proposals for potential adjustments to the planned phaseout of combustion engine vehicles on December 16 in Strasbourg, a spokeswoman confirmed. Alongside possible revisions to the phaseout timeline, the Commission will also present a new battery strategy and measures to promote more environmentally friendly company cars. Read More
Baker Hughes Rig Count: International +14 to 1,073, U.S. +5 to 549 Canada +3 to 191
U.S. Rig Count is up 5 from last week to 549 with oil rigs up 6 to 413, gas rigs down 1 to 129 and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 7.
Canada Rig Count is up 3 from last week to 191, with oil rigs up 5 to 126, gas rigs down 2 to 65 and miscellaneous unchanged at 0.
International Rig Count is up 14 from last month to 1,073 with land rigs up 14 to 833, offshore unchanged at 226.
The Worldwide Rig Count for November was 1,812, up 12 from the 1,800 counted in October 2025, and down 95, from the 1,907 counted in November 2024.
| Region | Period | Rig Count | Change |
| U.S.A | December 05, 2025 | 549 | +5 |
| Canada | December 05, 2025 | 191 | +3 |
| International | November 2025 | 1073 | +14 |
Baker Hughes |
Octopus Energy will introduce a six-hour cap on ultra-cheap charging under its Intelligent Octopus Go tariff from January 2026.
The change means households will only receive the lowest off-peak rates for up to six hours per session, with any additional charging billed at a higher price. Octopus says around 80% of current charging sessions already fall within the new limit, so most electric vehicle drivers won’t see an impact. The move aims to manage demand and keep off-peak prices stable. Read More
Octopus Energy Generation has joined a major international effort to expand renewable energy across Africa, as part of the European Commission, South Africa and Global Citizen’s Scaling Up Renewables in Africa campaign. The initiative announced $17.8 billion (€15.5bn) in combined public and private commitments during the G20 Summit in Johannesburg.
Octopus is the only UK company involved and will mobilise $450 million through its Power Africa Initiative, targeting solar, wind, grid upgrades and distributed clean-energy technologies. The campaign represents the largest coordinated push yet to accelerate Africa’s renewable and grid infrastructure development. Read More
Octopus Energy Tops Customer Satisfaction Ratings
Octopus Energy has achieved record-high customer satisfaction, with 90% of customers satisfied or very satisfied, well above the UK average of 82%, according to Ofgem and Citizens Advice. Only 3% of customers reported dissatisfaction.
On customer service, Octopus scored 84%, beating the national average of 76%. Ofgem notes these are the highest satisfaction levels recorded since the survey began in 2018, with Octopus outperforming the market across all key metrics. Read More
Reference is made to the stock exchange announcements made by Dolphin Drilling AS (the “Company”) on 11 November 2025 regarding the private placement of new shares in the Company, raising gross proceeds of NOK 151.5 million, equivalent to approximately USD 15 million (the “Private Placement”), and on 1 December 2025 regarding the Company’s extraordinary general meeting resolving to, inter alia, approve the issuance of new shares in the Private Placement and grant an authorisation to the Board to issue new shares as compensation to the underwriters in the Private Placement (the “Commission Shares”).
The Company’s board of directors has resolved to increase the share capital by issue of **1,365,156,818 Commission Shares, as authorised by the extraordinary general meeting on 1 December 2025.
Upon registration of the share capital increase, the Company’s registered share capital will be NOK **477,724,074.92, divided into **47,772,407,492 shares, each with a nominal value of NOK 0.01. Read More
Lotus announced Emeya has beaten its own record as one of the fastest-charging electric vehicles (EVs) – using the public charging network.
The test was completed independently by Lotus Al Ghanim, the official dealer of Lotus in Kuwait, and used Lotus’ ultra-fast 450kW DC charger. The car was able to maximise nearly the full capacity of the charger, reaching a peak charging power of 443kW, enabling it to charge from 10 to 80 percent in just 13m35s.
This was achieved in extensive heat conditions in the region, highlighting the durability, reliability and efficiency of both the car and charger.
Lotus is committed to futureproofing its electric cars, so as the charging infrastructure develops, its drivers have the confidence that their vehicles will continue remain excellent for efficiency and capability.
Emeya features a cell-to-pack battery structure, which means that 20 percent more cells can be packaged in the same space compared to a standard module architecture. It also uses a new cooling system architecture that is designed to improve the thermal performance and efficiency of the battery.
The car also has a state-of-the-art 800-volt charging system, which is designed to deliver rapid charging and greater efficiency for drivers, no matter what charger they are using. This technology is also featured in the Lotus Eletre – the company’s hyper-SUV. Read More
Subsea 7 S.A.announced the award to Seaway7, part of the Subsea7 Group, of a sizeable contract by Ocean Winds for the BC-Wind project.
The BC-Wind offshore site is located in the Baltic Sea, approx. 23 kilometres off the Polish coast, and will comprise 26 wind turbine generators. Seaway7’s scope of work includes the transport and installation of 26 transition pieces and an offshore substation with offshore activity expected to commence in 2027.
Stuart Fitzgerald, Seaway7’s CEO, said: “We are looking forward to supporting Ocean Winds on the BC-Wind project and being able to continue contributing to the Polish offshore wind targets with our third contract award in this market.” Read More
ZeroUSV has started building the Oceanus17, a new class of large, ultra-long distance, high-payload uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), at Manor Marine, Portland. Designed under a spiral development process, Oceanus17 accelerates design-to-prototype timelines from years to months, enabling rapid iteration and delivery at scale. Built entirely in the UK, the project strengthens domestic shipbuilding, keeps intellectual property and advanced autonomy systems onshore, and supports the National Shipbuilding Office’s vision for a high-tech, innovative, and resilient maritime sector. Read More
Taiwan has reached a major milestone in its transition towards renewable energy with the unveiling of the country’s first offshore power cable factory. The inauguration marks a significant achievement in the pioneering joint venture between Taiwanese cable company Walsin Lihwa and NKT. Through this collaboration, NKT is leveraging its technology and factory-building expertise to meet global demand for power cables driven by electrification, digitalization, the green transition, and energy independence. Read More
Eavor Technologies has begun delivering electricity to the German grid from its Geretsried facility, marking the world’s first commercial deployment of its Eavor-Loop™ closed-loop geothermal system. The technology enables 24/7 clean power and heat with minimal maintenance, no water treatment, and adaptability to diverse geologies.
Eavor sees Geretsried as a blueprint for global rollout, offering a sustainable, low-footprint solution for carbon-free energy. The project demonstrates the potential for scalable, commercially viable geothermal power across Europe and beyond. Read More
PTTEP announced its 2026 investment plan with a total budget of USD 7,726 million with a target of an 8% growth in sale volume, focusing on enhancing Thailand’s energy security, strengthening and expanding investments in E&P business internationally as well as accelerating ongoing development projects to commence production as planned. For the 5-year investment plan (2026–2030), PTTEP has allocated USD 33,279 million to support long-term growth..In addition, a comprehensive roadmap for greenhouse gas emissions reduction is in place, with the goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This target includes both direct (Scope 1) and indirect (Scope 2) emissions from PTTEP’s exploration and production business under operational control. Interim targets have been set to reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity by at least 30% by 2030 and 50% by 2040, relative to 2020 baseline. Among these is the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project at the Arthit field in the Gulf of Thailand. The CAPEX budget of USD 118 million (equivalent to THB 3,865 million) is allocated for emissions reduction activities. Read More
Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas Ltd. has signed a binding framework agreement with Navitas Petroleum LP, granting Navitas options to farm into the Orinduik Block offshore Guyana and Block 1 CBK offshore South Africa.
Under the deal, Navitas will pay US$2 million to secure the options, with potential follow-on payments of US$2.5 million for Orinduik (80% working interest) and US$4 million for Block 1 CBK (up to 47.5% working interest). Navitas will carry Eco Atlantic’s share of exploration and appraisal costs, repayable from future production proceeds. Read More
TotalEnergies SE announces, as of today, December 8, 2025, the commencement of trading of its ordinary shares on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), replacing the listing of its American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”).
These ordinary shares trade under the same ticker symbol “TTE” as the one on Euronext and as the former ADR ticker.
On October 30, 2025, the Company had announced the termination of its American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) program and the conversion of ADRs into ordinary shares, with each ADR exchangeable for one NYSE-listed ordinary share. As of December 8, 2025, TotalEnergies converted all outstanding ADRs into ordinary shares listed on the NYSE.. Read More
| Oil and Gas Blends | Units | Oil Price | Change |
| Crude Oil (WTI) Oilprice | USD/bbl | $59.34 | Down |
| Crude Oil (Brent) | USD/bbl | $63.01 | Down |
| Bonny Light 05/12/25 CBN | USD/bbl | $65.77 | — |
| Dubai | USD/bbl | $63.89 | — |
| Natural Gas | USD/MMBtu | $5.04 | — |
| Murban | USD/bbl | $64.86 | Down |
| OPEC basket 04/12/25 OPEC | USD/bbl | $63.27 | Up |
| At press time December 08, 2025 . |
More Energy, Oil & Gas Stories !!! �The squeaky wheel gets the oil�
OilandGasPress Energy Newsbites and Analysis Roundup | Compiled by: OGP Staff, Victor Cole , victor@oilandgaspress
OilandGasPress.com is a website that provides news, updates, and information related to the oil and gas industry. It covers a wide range of topics, including exploration, production, refining, transportation, distribution, and automotive market trends within the global energy sector. Visitors to the site can find articles, press releases, reports, and other resources relevant to professionals and enthusiasts interested in the energy, oil and gas industry.
Disclaimer: News articles reported on OilAndGasPress are a reflection of what is published in the media. OilAndGasPress is not in a position to verify the accuracy of daily news articles. The materials provided are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to provide tax, legal, or investment advice.
Information posted is accurate at the time of posting, but may be superseded by subsequent press releases
“Stay informed with Oilandgaspress.com—your independent source for global energy, oil, gas, EV, and automotive industry news and analysis.”
Submit your Releases or contact us now!, victor@oilandgaspress
Follow us: on Twitter | Instagram
Your Daily Source for Oil, Gas, Renewables & EV Market Insights :
latest oil and gas updates
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.