In Episode 7, I explore carbon capture, utilization, and storage or CCUS. It’s a term that’s been showing up in more and more climate conversations, but what does it actually mean? How does it work? And is it really a solution or just a distraction? This episode covers the basics of CCUS, how the technology works, and why it's gaining traction now. I also look at the case for and against it. If you’d like to learn more, check out the resources included below.

• 00:00 Introduction
• 02:48 What is CCUS?
• 03:41 How Carbon Capture Works (Capture, Transport, Storage)
• 08:17 Why It’s Gaining Traction Now
• 14:38 The Case Against and For CCUS
• 18:37 Closing Thoughts

Want to learn more? Check out the resources I used for this episode below.

• International Energy Agency. Tracking Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage. Accessed May 2025.
• International Energy Agency. Net Zero Roadmap: A Global Pathway to Keep the 1.5 °C Goal in Reach - 2023 Update. Accessed May 2025.
• World Resources Institute. 2023 IPCC AR6 Synthesis Report: What it Says, Why it Matters. March 2023.
• Global CCS Institute. Global Status of CCS Report 2024. November 2024.
• Reuters. U.S. Carbon Capture Storage Hit by Inflation, Trump-Era Investment Drop. April 30, 2025.
• Heidelberg Materials. We Decarbonize the Construction Industry: Carbon Capture in Brevik. Accessed May 2025.
• World Resources Institute (WRI). Carbon Capture Technology 101: What It Is and Why We Need It. April 2024.
• Statista. Global CO₂ Emissions from Fossil Fuels and Industry (1940–2024). Accessed May 2025.
• University of Texas at Austin. UT Energy Symposium: Sanjay Bishnoi (Entropy Inc.) on the Future of Carbon Capture. YouTube. Published April 2025.

Projects Worth Checking out

• Entropy’s Glacier Power Plant (Alberta, Canada): Capturing CO₂ directly at a natural gas facility and reusing it on-site without pipeline transport.
• Heidelberg Materials Brevik Plant (Norway): One of the world’s first full-scale carbon capture systems at a cement plant, targeting 400,000 tonnes of CO₂ captured annually.
• Petra Nova (Texas, USA): A coal-fired power plant that captured over 3 million tonnes of CO₂ during its initial run; recently restarted with updated systems.
• Climeworks Mammoth Plant (Iceland): The world’s largest direct air capture plant, designed to remove 36,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year and store it permanently in volcanic rock.
• 1PointFive (Texas, USA): Backed by Occidental Petroleum, this project is building one of the first commercial-scale direct air capture hubs with plans to capture up to 500,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year.
• Northern Lights (Norway): A joint venture by Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies, aiming to transport and store CO₂ captured from across Europe under the North Sea.

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If you listened to Episode 4, I explored the scientific reasons behind how oil and gas contribute to climate change. We talked about carbon emissions, methane leaks, aging infrastructure, and health and environmental impacts. That episode laid out all of the challenges.

In Episode 6, I share a roadmap for the four-part mini series of the solutions that address these challenges. Tune into this short episode to learn more!

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In Episode 5 I am taking you straight to the exhibition floor at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) 2025 in Houston, where I captured conversations with engineers and energy leaders about the future of offshore energy.

OTC 2025 highlighted big themes like robotics and automation, electrification of offshore operations, carbon capture and storage, and how oil & gas expertise is being adapted for emerging energy technologies.

You’ll hear from:

• Jacob Belleau, a Technical Sales Engineer from Arc Specialties & Offshore Robotics working to make offshore rigs safer
• Fernando Mendes, a Wells Construction Manager from Petrobras, on offshore trends and electrification
• Brian Mizell, a leader from Oil States, on market dynamics, deepwater production, and the crossover between oil & gas and offshore renewables

The expo floor was noisy (and my small mic setup struggled!) but these insights were valuable and I wanted to share them with you! If you want a quick pulse on what people in the industry are talking about, this episode is for you.

• 00:00 Welcome to the Let’s Talk Energy Podcast
• 00:26 Intro to the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) 2025
• 02:21 Interview with ARC Specialties & Offshore Robotics Technical Sales Engineer - Jacob Belleau
• 04:17 Conversation with Petrobras Wells Construction Manager - Fernando Mendes
• 07:33 Insights from Oil States VP of Marketing, Business Development & Investor Relations - Brian Mizell
• 18:20 Key Takeaways and Outro

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In Episode 4 which is Part 1 of a two-part series, I cover the key ways oil and gas contribute to climate change. Drawing from both global case studies and my own experience working with oil and gas infrastructure data, this episode explores the challenges we face when health, safety, and environmental systems fall short. In Part 2, we’ll shift our focus to the technologies and engineering solutions that are already making a difference.

• 00:00 Introduction
• 02:56 Carbon Dioxide Emissions
• 04:39 Methane Emissions
• 06:21 Refining Process and Its Impacts
• 07:39 Locked-In Infrastructure
• 10:04 Health, Safety, and Environmental Impacts
• 13:11 Conclusion and Preview of Part Two

Sources

• International Energy Agency. World Energy Outlook 2024. October 2024.
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), Working Group III: Mitigation of Climate Change. April 2022.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990–2022. April 2024.
• National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Deep Water: The Gulf Oil Disaster and the Future of Offshore Drilling. January 2011.
• Harvard Political Review. Big Oil: Chevron in Ecuador. May 2020.

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In this episode, I talk about oil and gas pricing. I discuss common pricing benchmarks like Brent, WTI, and Henry Hub. Then I explore various factors that impact prices like supply and demand, market sentiment, geopolitical events, and the cost of production. If you’ve ever wondered why oil and gas prices fluctuate all the time and want to understand why, this episode is for you.

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:51 Oil and Gas Pricing Benchmarks
• 04:55 Supply and Demand
• 10:15 Pricing and Supply & Demand Dynamics
• 13:56 Impact of Geopolitical Events
• 18:03 Cost of Oil and Gas Production
• 20:04 Recap and Final Thoughts

Sources

• U.S. Energy Information Administration. Short-Term Energy Outlook. March 2025.
• U.S Energy Information Administration. Oil and petroleum products explained. Accessed March 2025.
• CME Group. Henry Hub Natural Gas Futures Quotes. Accessed March, 2025.
• International Energy Agency. Oil Market Report - March 2025. March 2025.
• MarketWatch. Trump's reciprocal tariffs hit next week. Here are 4 big hurdles for his plan. March 26, 2025.
• The New York Times. Trump Tariffs on Venezuelan Oil: Impact and Reactions. March 24, 2025.
• Reuters. Renewables and natural gas surge ahead of oil and coal. March 24, 2025.
• Reuters. IEA sees global oil market surplus for 2025 as demand disappoints. March 13, 2025.
• Reuters. OPEC Takes Long-Term View of Global Oil Markets, Aims for Stability. February 12, 2025.
• International Energy Agency. World Energy Outlook 2024. October 2024.
• CNBC. Why the U.S. is pumping more Oil than any country in history. September 24, 2024.
• Investopedia. How Does the Law of Supply and Demand Affect the Oil Industry? July 16, 2023.

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In the second episode of the Let’s Talk Energy Podcast, I cover the history of oil and gas, from their formation millions of years ago to their early use in ancient civilizations. Highlights include Edwin Drake’s first commercial oil well in 1859, the rise and breakup of Standard Oil, and major discoveries in Texas and the Middle East. I also discuss how technological advances, like LNG, expanded natural gas from local use to a global energy source, and how the industry is working to address environmental challenges.

• 00:00 Introduction to Oil and Gas
• 02:17 Early Uses and Discoveries
• 03:22 Rise of the Modern Petroleum Industry
• 04:15 Standard Oil and Industry Domination
• 06:16 Technological Advancements in Oil Extraction
• 07:05 History and Evolution of Natural Gas
• 10:24 Conclusion and Future Outlook

Sources:

• International Energy Agency. World Energy Outlook 2024. IEA, 2024.
• Houston Chronicle. How Houston Became the Energy Capital of the World. Houston Chronicle, 2025.
• Library of Congress. History of Oil and Gas.
• EKT Interactive. History of Oil.

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Join me on the first episode of the Let’s Talk Energy Podcast, where I break down where our energy comes from, how different countries are navigating the energy transition, and what’s driving global demand.

I discuss why fossil fuels still dominate, the challenges renewables face in scaling up, and how technology, infrastructure, and economic growth are reshaping energy use. I also look at the ongoing challenge of balancing energy security, sustainability, and economic needs.

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:22 Our Global Energy Demand
• 02:23 Country-Specific Energy Strategies
• 06:44 Drivers of Growing Energy Demand
• 07:22 Technological Impact on Energy Consumption
• 08:38 Challenges in Renewable Energy Infrastructure
• 09:28 Economic Growth and Energy Demand
• 10:36 Recap and Closing Thoughts

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In this intro episode, I’m sharing my background and why I started this podcast. This podcast is a mix of solo episodes and conversations with experts across oil and gas, renewables, and energy tech. My goal? To explore where energy is today and where it’s headed.

Tune in, subscribe, and join me on the Let’s Talk Energy Podcast!

Connect with me:

• LinkedIn: Kirti Chintalapudi
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