Henk Kombrink

Well testing - an essential element in quantifying the geothermal resource, or reserve. Photo taken by Elliot Yearsley during a test he conducted at the Patuha geothermal site in Indonesia in 1997. Comments and opinion based on information in the public domain as of 19 May 2026 In a press release dated June 10 2025, Fervo Energy announced a reserves report by DeGolyer & MacNaughton (D&M), which they say confirms that the Cape Station project can support over 5 Gigawatts of development.

One of the dominant themes in the petroleum industry in 2026 remains Venezuela and the rapid evolution of the country’s investment landscape. The year began with significant political changes and a resultant growing number of publications reassessing Venezuela’s subsurface potential and commercial outlook.

When I was doing an internship at NAM (Shell/Exxon joint venture) in the Netherlands in 2003, an experienced geologist took me aside and said, “Henk, be aware, China is coming, and you’d better be aware of that.” It is now 22 years later, and I increasingly realise that the geologist was right, even when I wasn’t overly concerned at the time. This article is based on some more recent conversations. And these conversations, or sometimes rather just some off-the-cuff remarks, tell a story.