Free protective visors turned down by NHS
Protective headgear made with the help of a donation from a taxpayer-backed Aberdeen organisation has been rejected by NHS Grampian.
Coronavirus
Stick to letter of the law
The challenges of the combination of Covid-19 and the fall in the oil price continue to place enormous stress on the industry. While those offshore have remained at their workplaces, albeit in smaller numbers and under strange and difficult circumstances, in order to maintain production from the UKCS, others who have now spent two months working from home are beginning to consider a return to the office or work site.
‘Relief’ for some as oil rises past $40, but North Sea activity to remain depressed
Oil prices rose past $40 per barrel mark on Wednesday amid speculation that quotas for international production cuts could be kept higher for longer.
Get set for ‘new normal’
As the lockdown measures are eased, the number of workers offshore will steadily increase. Many will be faced with a “new reality” which will, in time, become the “new normal”.
WATCH: Working for BP offshore Angola during Covid-19
BP engineer Arlette Giron Paiva lifts the lid on her experience of working offshore Angola during the Covid-19 pandemic. Arlette is away from her husband and son for six weeks at a time, with two weeks spent in isolation in a hotel with her crewmates before heading to the Greater Plutonion FPSO for four weeks.
Revised furlough scheme unlikely to ‘stem tide’ of oil job losses
The UK Government’s furlough scheme is unlikely to “stem the tide” of oil industry job losses as employers are told to start contributing to wages in the coming months, lawyers and politicians said.
Covid crude price crash gives oil firms ‘years, not decades’ to reshape, PwC says
The Covid-inflicted oil price crash has left oil and gas companies facing two distinct choices, a new report said.
Chancellor will ask employers to pay 20% of furlough wages
The Chancellor is set to tell employers they will need to contribute to their furloughed workers' salaries from August as the Government admitted the scheme cannot run "indefinitely".
‘Virtual’ Energy Exports Conference set for late September
The Energy Exports Conference (EEC) is now "fully virtual and free to attend", according to its organiser, the Energy Industries Council.
Subsea 7 to cut 3,000 jobs in the next year
Energy service firm Subsea 7 said today that it intends to lay off 3,000 workers over the next year.
ANPG warns of pandemic impact on licence round
Angola’s Agência Nacional de Petróleo, Gás e Biocombustíveis (ANPG) has released details on new blocks available for bidding this year but warned there may be delays as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Shell airlifts workers after coronavirus outbreak on Gulf rig
Shell Oil, the U.S. subsidiary of energy giant Royal Dutch Shell, has evacuated nine workers from a company platform in the Gulf of Mexico for testing and treatment of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus.
Renewables in Africa – Insights from the legal world
Renewable energy in Africa looks set for a bright future, with increasing investment and growing incentives from states to develop green infrastructure. But what are the key legal and contractual issues that stakeholders should consider?
Mozambique’s gas hub future
The LNG industry in Mozambique will have a transformative impact on the country’s economy – and establish it as a regional gas hub, participants on an Africa Oil Week webinar have said.
Covid pushes first oil from Neptune’s Seagull project back a year
The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a 12-15 month delay to first oil from Neptune Energy’s Seagull field in the UK North Sea.
Further postponement pushes All-Energy to November
Scotland’s largest renewable energy and decarbonisation conference will now take place on November 4-5 following a further postponement.
Sonatrach plans gradual resumption
Sonatrach workers will return to work in compliance with directives set out by the public authorities, the company said, attempting to quash rumours that this would occur on May 31.
Green climate technology key to Covid-19 pandemic recovery plans
In the wake of the historic global economic shutdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, governments are unleashing trillions of dollars in a bid to create jobs and spur economic recovery. The scale of this stimulus is unprecedented, in some cases amounting to more than 10% of countries’ gross domestic product. At the same time, an overwhelming number of economists, finance ministers, and business leaders are saying that much of that money needs to help—and certainly not hinder—our ability to cut emissions.
JGC positive on Middle Eastern contracts
Japan’s JGC remains positive about receiving the go ahead for work in Qatar, Iraq, Oman and Mozambique.
North Sea oil workers could get exemption from UK arrivals quarantine rules
Passengers arriving in the U.K. will be forced into quarantine for two weeks and face fines of 1,000 pounds ($1,217) if they break the rules, under measures set to be announced on Friday.
Rain eats into Orca’s Q1 sales
Gas sales by Orca Exploration in Tanzania fell in the first quarter as higher than normal rainfall boosted hydropower generation.
OGUK working with government on guidance to ease oil and gas lockdown
Trade body Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) said it is “continuing to work with the government” on sector-specific guidance for easing the lockdown in the industry.
Offshore helicopter chiefs lobby Westminster and Washington as firms fight to ‘survive’ downturn
Industry chiefs are fighting in Westminster and Capitol Hill to support global helicopter firms that operate in the UK North Sea, warning some “will probably not survive”.
The long and winding road to recovery
In a recent article I described the mechanisms which drive the market structures of backwardation and contango, which explained how and why the market got into negative territory, with a steep contango forward curve. But having got there, how does that same understanding of market behaviour help us form a view of where we go from here?
Call to resurrect Scottish Government oil jobs taskforce as thousands face redundancy
A call has been made to resurrect a Scottish Government programme to protect oil and gas jobs as thousands of workers face redundancy.