Eye ‘must be kept’ on the decommissioning ball, experts warn
The UK oil and gas sector must be alive to the threat of rising costs in its quest to become the global expert in cost-effective decommissioning, industry experts have warned.
Mike Tholen
Necessity is the mother of invention when it comes to CCUS
If necessity is the mother of invention, the Committee on Climate Change’s “Net Zero – The UK’s contribution to stopping global warming” report should spur a jump-start for the carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) industry in the UK.
Ineos investment a show of faith in North Sea’s future
Ineos’ investment in the Forties Pipeline System (FPS) was hailed as a show of faith in the North Sea’s future by industry leaders.
Decom Conference: Ospar decommissioning rules ‘in the right place’, OGUK says
Industry body Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) said today that rules governing offshore decommissioning were "right, at this point in time".
Decom tax reforms would create ‘sweet spot’ for industry and Treasury
Reforming the decommissioning tax relief system would create a “sweet spot” for the UK Government and the oil and gas sector, an industry expert has said.
UK North Sea decommissioning – is a skills crisis looming?
Oil and gas industry woes have created a potential skills crisis for North Sea decommissioning, an expert has warned.
North Sea projects typically late and over budget, OGA reviews
A study of nearly sixty major North Sea oil and gas projects has shown that they are typically late and significantly over budget.
New trainee levy ‘effectively another tax on oil industry’
The interim chief executive of Opito told MPs yesterday the UK Government’s new apprenticeship levy will have “unacceptable” implications for Scotland’s oil and gas sector.
Two significant North Sea milestones in one day
Two major new milestones for the beleaguered UK North Sea oil and gas industry have highlighted resilience in the face of a downturn.
New guidance aims to help firms exploit North Sea’s small pools
Industry body Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) has published a blueprint for cutting development costs for so-called small pools in the North Sea by up to 25%.
Subsea 2017: Get scary to tap North Sea small pools, Tholen says
Industry needs to get “bolder and scarier” if it is to unlock the potential of the North Sea’s marginal fields, an industry chief has said.
World oil and gas industry faces rig overload in 2017
The global oil and gas industry is facing a glut of new-build assets with no contracts in place for their use, the boss of an Aberdeen-based energy service firm has warned.
North Sea recovery like an ‘elephant in David Attenborough programme’ says OGUK’s Mike Tholen
Energy Voice's Guest Editor Philip Rodney sat down with Oil and Gas UK's Upstream policy director Mike Tholen to discuss 2016's influence on the North Sea. Find out why Tholen thinks the industry can be best described as an 'elephant in a David Attenborough programme' below.
Oil & Gas UK’s Mike Tholen calls for clarity over post-Brexit energy policy
A senior voice within the offshore industry has said the ability to access the European single market with the “least friction possible” will be vital to efficient trade post-Brexit.
Opinion: Budget a decisive move in the right direction
Budget day is always faced with some trepidation in the Oil & Gas UK offices – but I’m please to say that yesterday felt like a decisive move in the right direction.
OGUK’s Mike Tholen: Budget needs to deliver 20% tax cut or risk hundreds of thousands of jobs
Oil and Gas UK today made a rallying call to the UK government to rethink its tax strategy or risk costing the North Sea a billion barrels of oil and hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Opinion: There is still plenty to play for
As an industry we are going through a tough time – and all indications are pointing towards it staying that way. With the value of our product having plummeted to just over $30 a barrel and respected commentators suggesting it’s going to be lower for longer than we might hope, the fear is that it may get worse before it gets better as globally some $400 billion has been cut from E&P budgets.
OGUK reacts to Autumn Statement
Oil & Gas UK's economics director Mike Tholen said it was important the industry continue to boost confidence and encouragement investment in the North Sea following Chancellor George Osborne’s Autumn Statement and Spending Review.
Offshore Europe 2015: The industry’s £2billion of savings isn’t without regrets
The industry’s £2billion of savings isn’t without regrets, according to Oil & Gas UK’s Mike Tholen. Speaking at Offshore Europe, the economic director acknowledged that savings were also reflection of mass overspend. “I suspect that we should have some regrets that we didn’t evolve earlier, “ he said.