Wednesday, 2 September 2026

Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. and Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. have closed their previously announced combination in an all-stock transaction, according to Offshore Engineer OEDigital.

The merged business keeps the Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. name, Offshore Engineer OEDigital reported, and starts trading on the New York Stock Exchange on September 2, 2026, under the ticker symbol "HOS".

Todd M. Hornbeck takes the roles of President, Chief Executive Officer and Director at the combined company, per the same report. William L. Transier becomes Chairman of its Board of Directors.

IEEFA reviewed the 47 largest banks in Europe and found their outstanding green bonds averaging under 1% of assets. Combined, those lenders carry more than EUR 35 trillion in assets, with many running diversified retail, corporate and markets arms.

Allocated proceeds and emissions results diverge sharply. Renewable energy takes roughly 20% of what European bank green bonds allocate, yet accounts for 90% of the avoided emissions those bonds report, per IEEFA.

The IEEFA review also examined where the money lands inside the largest diversified universal banks. At some of them, clean energy system investments make up only about a quarter of total allocated green bond proceeds.

Issuance from lenders is not marginal within the wider market: roughly 30% of European green bond issuance comes from financial institutions, IEEFA said.

Kevin Leung of IEEFA said the volumes are too small to shift how European banks allocate assets, pointing to two constraints on their green bond programmes: "business-as-usual lending to high-emitting assets" and a limited pipeline of green projects.

BP plc has confirmed Ian Tyler as Chair, ending a search that covered internal and external candidates, according to Offshore Engineer OEDigital.

Tyler is no newcomer to the board. He joined BP as a non-executive director in April 2025 and took the Interim Chair role on May 26, Offshore Engineer OEDigital reported. The permanent appointment converts that temporary mandate into a standing one.

He holds two other board seats. Tyler is Chair of Grafton Group plc and Senior Independent Director of Anglo American plc, per the same report.

A second board change lands alongside the chair decision. Dame Amanda Blanc has told the board she will not stand for re-election at BP's 2027 annual general meeting, according to Offshore Engineer OEDigital. She will leave the board once a successor as Senior Independent Director is in place, meaning her exit is tied to that appointment rather than to a fixed date.

That sequencing leaves BP with one senior board vacancy still to fill even as the chair question closes.

Shell plc has closed its takeover of ARC Resources Ltd., a producer with operations in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada, after clearing shareholder, court and regulatory approvals, GlobeNewswire reported.

The purchase brings roughly 370 kboe/d of liquids and gas output into Shell's portfolio immediately.

Counting approximately USD 2.5 billion of net debt and lease obligations that transfer to the buyer, the deal carries an enterprise value of approximately USD 16.5 billion.

Equity in the Canadian producer was valued at USD 13.9 billion. Shell is paying USD 3.3 billion of that in cash, with the remaining USD 10.6 billion issued as new Shell shares.

Each ARC common share converts into CAD 8.20 of cash together with 0.40247 Shell ordinary shares.

Shell projects the transaction will be accretive to free cash flow per share from 2027 onwards.

Shell Chief Executive Officer Wael Sawan said the company welcomes "ARC colleagues to Shell" and pointed to their technical expertise in Canada's Montney basin.