Wind, Waves & Wells with Joe

joeleather92

Wind, Waves & Wells with Joe, offers an inside look at the dynamic energy industry, from the latest innovations in renewable power to the untold stories of those working in oil, gas, and beyond. Each episode dives into the real-world impact of energy on our daily lives, exploring how it shapes economies, communities, and the environment. Whether you’re an industry veteran or simply curious about the forces powering our world, join Joe for insightful conversations, personal stories, and fresh perspectives on the energy sector.

  1. 6d ago

    Piper Alpha Survivor Joe Meanen Tells His Story - 38 Years On

    On 6 July 1988, 167 men lost their lives in the Piper Alpha disaster. Joe Meanan was one of only 61 survivors. In this episode of Wind, Waves & Wells, Joe shares his first hand account of life offshore in the 1980s, working on Piper Alpha, the night of the disaster, escaping from the platform and the lasting impact it has had on his life. This conversation is not just about what happened on one night in the North Sea. It is about offshore culture, speaking up, safety, leadership, lessons learned and why Piper Alpha still matters nearly four decades later. As we mark 38 years since the disaster, this episode is being shared again as a reminder of the people behind the headlines, the families affected, and the lessons the industry must never forget. Joe speaks openly about the conditions on Piper Alpha, the lack of direction after the first explosion, the decision to leave the galley, the moment he jumped into the sea, being rescued, survivor guilt, accountability and why the offshore industry changed forever after Piper Alpha. If you work offshore, in oil and gas, renewables, marine operations, health and safety, or you simply want to understand one of the most important moments in North Sea history, this is a conversation worth hearing. 00:00 Introduction 02:08 Joe Meanen’s journey offshore 04:54 Offshore life in the 1980s 08:25 Working aboard Piper Alpha 09:37 Warning signs before the disaster 13:44 The day of 6 July 1988 16:10 Watching Caddyshack before the explosion 18:16 The first explosion 20:58 No alarms and no instructions 22:45 Realising something was badly wrong 24:28 Why people were afraid to speak up offshore 26:27 Was Piper Alpha heading for disaster? 31:32 Making it to the galley 35:21 The Mayday call 39:22 Leaving the safe area 41:14 The Tharos and the rescue attempt 43:20 The Tartan gas riser explodes 45:14 The decision to jump 47:37 Escaping into the North Sea 50:30 Being rescued 55:10 Getting back to Aberdeen 59:40 Living with survivor guilt 01:06:15 How Piper Alpha changed offshore safety 01:13:20 The inquiry and industry change 01:18:30 Why speaking up matters 01:23:15 What today’s offshore workers should remember 01:32:13 Did 167 lives save thousands more? 01:35:17 Life after Piper Alpha 01:37:20 Final thoughts

  2. 6d ago

    Piper Alpha 38. Through the Eyes of a Commercial Diver - Ed Punchard's Story

    On the night of 6 July 1988, commercial diver Ed Punchard was working beneath Piper Alpha. Within minutes, he found himself caught in the world's worst offshore oil disaster. Unlike many accounts of Piper Alpha, this conversation comes from someone working below the platform, coordinating dive operations before escaping as the explosions tore through the installation. Ed doesn't just describe what happened. He explains why it happened. From the culture offshore during the 1980s, to the failures that led to the disaster, the rescue efforts aboard the Silver Pit, and the lessons the industry must never forget, this is one of the most detailed first hand accounts you'll hear. Following Piper Alpha, Ed became heavily involved in improving offshore safety, worked alongside journalists and politicians to explain what had happened, wrote one of the earliest books on the disaster, and later built an award winning career as a filmmaker. As we mark another anniversary of Piper Alpha, conversations like this remain just as important today. If you work in offshore oil and gas, offshore wind, commercial diving, marine operations or simply want to understand one of the defining moments in industrial history, this episode is well worth your time. 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Becoming a commercial diver 02:01 The Byford Dolphin disaster 04:18 The accident that changed my career 05:38 Why I ended up on Piper Alpha 06:07 My job beneath the platform 07:15 What Piper Alpha was really like 08:37 How many trips I'd done before the disaster 09:05 My last shift before going home 09:59 The first moments of 6 July 1988 11:15 The first explosion 13:05 Finding the dive team 15:05 Racing to save a diver 17:34 No alarms. No escape route. 19:55 "We've got to get off." 21:55 Escaping beneath Piper Alpha 24:28 Watching the platform burn 27:22 The Tartan pipeline explodes 29:50 Watching the inferno from the Silver Pit 30:08 Why so many divers survived 32:13 Losing friends 33:35 What was going through my mind? 35:20 Turning chaos into action 37:18 Organising the rescue 39:09 Calling the rescue helicopters 41:11 The Claymore pipeline explodes 43:12 Hanging from the side of the Silver Pit 46:12 How Piper Alpha changed my life 48:13 Fighting for offshore safety 50:15 Writing one of the first books on Piper Alpha 52:45 Why I never went offshore again 01:06:40 Why podcasts matter 01:10:30 My proudest moment 01:15:20 Final thoughts

  3. Jul 1

    Commercial Diving: The Risks, Near Misses and Reality of Offshore Life - Rob Hinton

    This week I'm joined by Rob Hinton. Rob is a former Royal Navy mine clearance diver, commercial diver, military diving instructor and founder of HoldFast Elite and the HoldFast Schools Mission. We discuss the realities of commercial diving, the risks that come with working underwater, near misses that still stay with him today, and why humour is often a vital coping mechanism in high risk industries. Rob also shares stories from the North Sea, Norway, West Africa and the Middle East, along with the lessons he learned during nearly 15 years as a commercial diver. We finish by discussing why he stepped away from offshore life and how he turned his diving experience into a mission focused on mental and physical resilience. Topics include: • Royal Navy diving • Commercial diving offshore • Near misses and diving incidents • Offshore culture and dark humour • Air diving vs saturation diving • The realities of life offshore • Mental health and resilience • HoldFast Elite • Building purpose after offshore life 0:00 Introduction 0:26 Who is Rob Hinton? 1:05 Learning to dive in South Africa 1:47 Why he joined the Royal Navy divers 2:31 Moving from military diving into offshore oil and gas 4:40 First impressions of offshore life 5:30 Why he left the North Sea to work worldwide 6:41 The reality of risk in commercial diving 7:45 Why dark humour is essential offshore 11:10 Near misses and dangerous situations offshore 12:54 The Norway incident that nearly became a fatality 14:57 Equipment failures and emergency situations underwater 16:54 The closest call of Rob's diving career 20:35 Air diving vs saturation diving 21:31 Why air diving can be riskier than people realise 22:20 What people misunderstand about commercial diving 23:33 The reality of life away from home 25:00 Burnout and the mental toll of offshore work 26:31 Why Rob stepped away from offshore diving 27:50 Creating HoldFast Elite 28:52 Using military training to improve mental resilience 31:13 Building the HoldFast Challenges 32:25 Looking back on life offshore 33:13 Advice for anyone considering commercial diving 34:35 Rob's proudest career achievement 35:39 Closing thoughts

  4. Jun 24

    Energy Security: The Missing Piece of the Energy Transition - Erik de Haas

    This week I'm joined by Erik de Haas. Erik has worked across offshore oil and gas, renewables, subsea operations and major marine projects around the world. We discuss why offshore remains a "prove it, not potential" industry, whether the sector really has a skills shortage, and why valuable experience is often being overlooked. We also dive into the energy transition, the risks of an increasingly polarised debate, and why energy security may be the missing piece in conversations about affordability and sustainability. A thoughtful conversation on leadership, commercial decision making, offshore culture and the future of energy. Topics include: • Offshore hiring and skills shortages • Why experience still matters • Oil and gas vs renewables • The energy transition debate • Energy security and geopolitics • Offshore wind challenges • Leadership and decision making offshore • Learning from failure • Building high performing teams #energy #energysecurity #offshoreenergy #podcast   0:00 Introduction 0:20 Erik's background and journey into offshore energy 2:56 Moving from engineering into commercial leadership 5:18 Why offshore is a "prove it, not potential" industry 7:30 Is the industry protecting itself from new talent? 8:40 Offshore wind vs oil and gas on developing people 10:12 Why innovation struggles to gain traction offshore 12:34 Why offshore wind treats every project like a prototype 14:23 Where offshore projects lose the most value 16:22 Who really owns project interfaces? 17:31 What actually drives major offshore decisions? 18:51 Is there a disconnect between onshore and offshore? 25:15 Skills shortage or hiring problem? 27:50 Why experienced workers are being overlooked 30:18 Oil and gas, renewables and the energy transition 33:07 The missing pillar: energy security 35:35 Groningen, Aberdeen and domestic energy production 37:22 Energy transition vs energy addition 39:08 What happens when energy shortages become real? 40:59 Politics, taxes and difficult energy decisions 42:52 Why energy should not be a tribal debate 44:55 Learning from what doesn't work 47:24 Erik's proudest career moments 49:35 Advice for people struggling to find opportunities 50:05 The abundance mindset that shaped Erik's career 51:05 Closing thoughts

  5. Jun 17

    Ian Garden - Offshore Safety, False Positives & Speaking Up

    In this episode of Wind, Waves & Wells, I sit down with Ian Garden, Managing Director of RigDeluge and creator of the False Positives documentary. Ian discusses concerns he has raised over more than a decade regarding offshore firefighting systems, emergency response planning, rescue capability and what he describes as the growing gap between safety messaging and operational reality. We talk about HSE investigations, platform shutdowns, speaking up in the industry, leadership, accountability and why Ian believes the offshore sector needs to focus more on action and less on optics. Whether you agree with Ian or not, this is a conversation that raises important questions about safety, culture and the future of the UK energy industry. As always, the purpose of this podcast is to provide a platform for discussion and allow listeners to make up their own minds. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 00:18 Who is Ian Garden? 01:10 Building RigDeluge and lessons from offshore 04:30 The origins of False Positives 07:12 Documenting concerns since 2013 08:11 Early firefighting system trials and resistance to change 11:20 Flare boom safety concerns 14:00 Taking concerns to regulators 15:10 Six firefighting systems that should have been condemned 18:00 Refusing to continue work on an unsafe asset 19:50 Escalating concerns to the HSE 22:20 Platform shutdowns and industry response 25:50 Being NRB'd and speaking up 28:10 Has offshore safety improved since Piper Alpha? 30:15 Safety culture versus safety performance 32:00 The gap between onshore messaging and offshore reality 33:20 Why False Positives was created 35:30 Industry reaction to the documentary 36:30 Why people are reluctant to speak up 40:00 The 124kg rescue capability debate 45:45 Government policy and the future of the North Sea 50:05 Ian's vision for the UK's energy future 52:00 Politics, energy policy and investment 57:10 What if a major incident had happened? 58:00 Firefighting systems and reliability concerns 01:00:15 Will there be a False Positives 2? 01:02:10 Why Ian continues to challenge the industry 01:11:00 The personal cost of speaking out 01:14:00 Proudest career moment 01:15:20 Leadership, accountability and integrity 01:18:30 Safety in numbers and collective action 01:20:30 Paperwork versus real safety 01:21:00 What happens next? 01:24:00 Final thoughts

  6. Jun 10

    Keeley Bell - Five Years Sober, One Mission: Changing Offshore Culture

    What happens when an offshore driller hits rock bottom and decides to rebuild his life from the ground up? In this episode, I sit down with Keeley Bell, founder of Silverback GRIT, to discuss offshore life, addiction, mental health, leadership, fitness, and why the energy industry needs to start taking care of its people as seriously as it takes care of its equipment. Keeley shares his journey from the drilling rigs of the Gulf of Mexico to becoming a passionate advocate for mental resilience and personal transformation. From battling alcoholism and surviving a heart attack to building a company focused on improving the wellbeing of offshore workers, this is an honest conversation about the realities many people face but few talk about openly. The discussion covers offshore culture, isolation, leadership, fitness, sleep, nutrition, mental health, family life, and what companies can do to better support their workforce. Most importantly, it is a reminder that no matter how difficult things get, there is always another day to keep moving forward. 00:00 Introduction 00:48 Life as an offshore driller in the Gulf of Mexico 02:25 Offshore rotations and the drinking culture 05:30 The story behind Silverback GRIT 09:13 Bringing mental health conversations offshore 12:32 Hidden pressures of offshore life 13:52 Why being open about your struggles matters 17:03 Is there a mental health crisis in the industry? 18:36 Breaking the culture of bottling things up 21:01 Hydration, sleep and physical wellbeing offshore 23:53 Isolation and building support systems 29:06 Offshore vs onshore culture challenges 31:47 Is the industry finally changing? 34:03 Leadership, generations and culture shifts 37:02 Fitness, longevity and staying physically capable 39:16 Offshore weight limits and workforce health 43:56 Why people are the most important safety barrier 46:40 Advice for younger workers entering the industry 48:28 The future of Silverback GRIT 50:10 Advice for anyone currently struggling 53:10 Keeley's proudest moment 54:56 Final thoughts and closing remarks

  7. Jun 3

    John Underhill - Oil, Gas & Renewables: Why It’s Not Either Or

    This episode is one of the most balanced and honest conversations we’ve had on the podcast. John Underhill, Professor at the University of Aberdeen and Director for Energy Transition, joins me to break down what’s actually happening in the energy world right now. This isn’t about picking sides. It’s about understanding reality. We get into the North Sea, the role of oil and gas in the transition, the truth behind emissions reporting, and why energy has suddenly become such a political battleground. John brings decades of experience across academia and industry, and gives a perspective that cuts through a lot of the noise. We also talk about: • Why the UK has become more dependent on imports • The unintended consequences of how emissions are measured • The real challenges of transitioning from oil and gas to renewables • Why job losses in traditional energy are not being replaced like for like • Whether the North Sea still has a future • The idea of “energy addition” rather than just transition • Why energy has become so divided and politicised • And what a realistic energy future actually looks like If you want a proper, grounded view of where we are and where we’re heading, this is one worth listening to. 00:00 – Intro 00:24 – Introduction to John Underhill 01:27 – Working in the North Sea during its peak 02:49 – Academia vs industry experience 05:17 – What a day looks like in energy today 07:37 – Why energy has become centre stage 11:49 – The role of oil and gas in the transition 14:19 – The global reality of fossil fuel dependence 16:47 – Addition vs transition mindset 19:41 – The truth about emissions reporting 23:26 – Are we just shifting emissions elsewhere? 26:04 – Domestic vs imported energy and carbon footprint 29:45 – Global emissions and energy realities 32:00 – Impact on communities and jobs 37:10 – Can renewables replace oil and gas jobs? 40:23 – The reality of offshore wind jobs 42:41 – Skills gaps and retraining challenges 47:09 – How much is left in the North Sea? 49:41 – Tax policy and investment challenges 55:39 – Why energy has become so divided 58:16 – The real state of the energy transition 01:00:51 – Challenges with hydrogen and new technologies 01:03:14 – Public perception and community pushback 01:06:22 – Proudest career moment 01:08:54 – Independent thinking in energy 01:13:42 – Unique career experiences and insights 01:18:12 – Final thoughts

  8. May 27

    Juan Cottier - Geology & Why the Oil Industry Is Eating Itself

    This one is a proper deep dive into the world behind the wells. Juan Cottier joins me to break down what geology actually is, how it fits into oil and gas, and why it’s one of the most misunderstood parts of the industry. We get into how oil is really found, the different stages from exploration through to production, and why geologists spend their careers making decisions with incomplete data. But this goes well beyond rocks. We talk about the disconnect between offshore and the office Why careers in oil and gas are becoming more unstable How the industry has changed over the last 30 years And one of the biggest points in this episode: Why the oil industry might actually be “eating itself” Juan also shares stories from working across the world, including West Africa during civil unrest, and gives a brutally honest view on where the industry is heading. This is one for anyone in energy who wants to understand what’s really going on beneath the surface. 00:20 Introduction 01:30 Career background 03:00 What is geology 05:30 Getting into oil and gas 07:30 Working with limited data 09:30 Oilfield lifecycle explained 11:30 Arrogance in geology 12:30 Development vs production work 14:30 Why he supports oil and gas 16:30 Global experience 18:30 Offshore life realities 20:30 Offshore vs office disconnect 22:30 Decision making on wells 24:30 Team collaboration 26:30 Career instability 29:00 Fewer young geologists 31:00 Career advice 33:00 Norway vs UK 36:00 Norway model explained 39:00 UK missed opportunity 40:30 Knowledge gap 42:00 Industry eating itself 44:00 Debt and private equity 47:00 Layoffs and cycles 49:00 Social media presence 51:00 Humour in industry 52:30 Career reflections 54:30 Family decisions 56:00 Biggest finds 57:10 End

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About

Wind, Waves & Wells with Joe, offers an inside look at the dynamic energy industry, from the latest innovations in renewable power to the untold stories of those working in oil, gas, and beyond. Each episode dives into the real-world impact of energy on our daily lives, exploring how it shapes economies, communities, and the environment. Whether you’re an industry veteran or simply curious about the forces powering our world, join Joe for insightful conversations, personal stories, and fresh perspectives on the energy sector.

Information

  • Creator
    joeleather92
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    73
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Wind, Waves & Wells with Joe

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