Suksan Phaseeda/Shutterstock Save for later Print Download Share LinkedIn Twitter Global independent E&Ps will remain a critical source of new supply growth in the coming years to help meet energy security needs. The energy crisis in Europe has temporarily quieted calls to halt fossil fuel financing and given oil and gas companies more flexibility. While investor pressures to decarbonize and diversify remain, the enterprising spirit that served independents well in the past could help some come through the energy transition intact. Independents, both publicly listed and private companies, have become an important source of supply, and some are starting to wield some political clout. In the UK, for example, over two-thirds of domestic oil and gas is now produced by independent E&Ps, with North Sea-focused Harbour Energy the country’s biggest producer. “When the government now has concerns about energy security, they don't necessarily just call the Shells and the BPs, they have to engage with the independent oil and gas community as well,” says Harbour CEO Linda Cook. “I think if you ask most people, then at least in this country, we're critical to energy security,” she told the Energy Intelligence Forum in London earlier this month.
