Editorial Advisory Board members weigh the future of offshore investment
Access to capital remains a critical ingredient for offshore project development, as operators balance rising energy demand, evolving market dynamics and increasing expectations for financial discipline.
Offshore asked members of its 2026 Editorial Advisory Board to identify the single biggest factor that will influence investor confidence and project financing over the next five years. Their responses highlight a range of considerations—from capital efficiency and project economics to energy security, shale competitiveness and the long-term outlook for global energy demand.
What is the single biggest factor that will influence investor confidence and access to capital for offshore energy projects over the next five years?
“The single largest factor for investor confidence in offshore energy will be the ability of shale producers to continue posting productivity gains. If these E&Ps show signs of weakness in their ability to provide volumes to the global market, the markets will pivot toward offshore energy as the highest potential source of low-cost barrels outside OPEC+.”
—Matt Hale, SVP Drilling & Wells, Rystad Energy
“Capital efficiency is king. The offshore industry has been on a positive trend over the past decade to improve capital efficiency and this must continue to inspire investor confidence. The headwinds for this trend will be volatility in oil price and in the cost of goods and services.”
—Tim Mitchell, General Manager of Capital Projects (Retired), Chevron
“The biggest factor will be confidence in long-term energy demand. Capital is available for offshore projects, but investors increasingly want to see strong economics under conservative commodity price assumptions, backed by disciplined supply growth and a clear path to sustainable returns.”
—Sofia Forestieri, SVP Offshore (Rigs & Wind), Esgian
“Energy security is likely the biggest factor for capital deployment coupled with returns and commodity price. Both returns and commodity price are likely to be elevated through the end of the decade and hence a new offshore drilling cycle is underway.”
—James West, Managing Director & Head of Energy and Power Research, Melius Research
"The single biggest factor influencing investor confidence will be sustained global energy demand. As markets gain a clearer understanding of the world's ongoing need for oil and gas to sustain economic growth and rising energy consumption, offshore projects will remain an attractive destination for capital because they have consistently demonstrated strong long-term economics, competitive returns, and a compelling value proposition for long-cycle investors."
—Alan Curtis, SVP and CFO (Retired), Oceaneering International
“Having a strong understanding of both the growing global energy needs and that renewables alone are not sufficient to meet those needs should boost investor confidence in oil and gas. Taking it a step further, investors that understand the huge strides made in offshore technology that have made the industry safer and more efficient should be an influencing factor in providing access to capital for offshore energy projects over the next five years.”
—Cinnamon Edralin, Americas Research Director, RigLogix, Westwood Global Energy Group
COMING SOON:
Check back in early August for our “Financing Offshore Oil & Gas Projects Special Report."
Want more industry insights? Visit the 2026 Editorial Advisory Board page for more information on all 15 of our board members and the strategies and insights they'll continue sharing throughout the year.
About the Author
Ariana Hurtado
Editor-in-Chief
With more than a decade of copy editing, project management and journalism experience, Ariana Hurtado is a seasoned managing editor born and raised in the energy capital of the world—Houston, Texas. She currently serves as editor-in-chief of Offshore, overseeing the editorial team, its content and the brand's growth from a digital perspective.
Utilizing her editorial expertise, she manages digital media for the Offshore team. She also helps create and oversee new special industry reports and revolutionizes existing supplements, while also contributing content to Offshore's magazine, newsletters and website as a copy editor and writer.
Prior to her current role, she served as Offshore's editor and director of special reports from April 2022 to December 2024. Before joining Offshore, she served as senior managing editor of publications with Hart Energy. Prior to her nearly nine years with Hart, she worked on the copy desk as a news editor at the Houston Chronicle.
She graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Houston.