Scotland’s jobless total drops by 11,000
Unemployment in Scotland has fallen by 11,000 between February and April to stand at 160,000, official figures show.
Oil and Gas UK
OGUK 2016: No easy solutions to secure long term future of North Sea.
There no easy solutions to the longer term future of the North Sea oil and gas region, but the prize continues to be worth fighting for, said a senior industry analyst.
OGUK 2016: Industry proves resilience but supply chain under threat
Few other sectors could have matched the British energy industry’s reaction to the challenges it has faced over the past 18 months, the chief executive of Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) said yesterday. Deirdre Michie said the oil and gas industry had shown its resilience by reducing costs and increasing production for the first time in 15 years last year. Companies have also shown their willingness to work together on projects such as inventory management and the standardisation of subsea projects, she said.
OGUK 2016: Compromise key for North Sea future, industry expert says
Oil and gas majors must compromise to deliver an upturn in the sector’s fortunes, an industry analyst said yesterday. Stephen Halliday, group president of consultancy group Wood Mackenzie, said the energy industry was competitive by nature and that for serious progress to be made, the sector’s leadership had to get in a room together and collaborate. It comes days after PwC published a report saying the industry needed a “change in guard at the top” to disrupt its “we’ve always done it this way” mentality.
UK oil and gas job losses reach 120,000
An estimated 120,000 jobs will have been lost by the end of this year as a result of the collapse in fortunes of the UK offshore oil and gas industry.
Ministers to meet oil industry leaders in Aberdeen
Scottish ministers will travel to Aberdeen tomorrow to meet with key oil and gas figures to hear how the industry is coping to the oil price crash.
Tech developments can generate £1bln revenues for oil and gas industry, report says
The struggling oil and gas industry could unlock £1billion worth of revenues by developing new techniques for inspecting offshore infrastructure, a new report says. The study said companies’ efforts to check installations for corrosion and inspect vessels used to extract oil and gas were being hindered by technology gaps, which were lowering efficiency and increasing costs. It set out to identify new and existing technologies which could cut costs associated with these two key areas of asset integrity, without compromising on safety.
OGUK seeking subsea data experts
Trade body Oil & Gas UK (OGUK) us seeking data experts to help the industry make sense of one of the world’s largest collections of subsurface oil information.
North Sea collaboration on the rise, according to new research
New analysis suggests the North Sea collaboration is on the rise.
Offshore workers tell OGUK chief “we don’t get it” over offshore cuts
The boss of industry body Oil and and Gas UK has moved to clarify comments she made to MPs after angry oil workers objected to her claiming they "get it" about why cost cutting measures are being taken by companies.
Offshore Safety Awards postponed following helicopter crash
The Offshore Safety Awards ceremony has been postponed following the North Sea helicopter crash which claimed 13 lives.
The changing face of the North Sea – and of OGUK
Moves to restructure infrastructure ownership in the North Sea were in the spotlight at an Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) business breakfast in Aberdeen.
OGUK dismisses new report from trade union alliance
Industry body Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) yesterday dismissed a report ordered by an alliance of trade unions on the potential dangers of offshore rota changes to the North Sea workforce. The Offshore Co-ordinating Group (OCG), which commissioned the report, called on operators to stop moving offshore workers to 3:3 rotas until further research was undertaken. The report, by Dr Robert Stewart and the Scottish Centre for Employment Research (SCER), admitted that while it could not make “clear conclusions” about whether working regular three-week tours posed significant health and safety risks, it said that “there are suggestions this may indeed be the case”.
OGA releases seismic data to industry
The Oil and Gas Authority has begun the release of data from the 2015 Government-funded seismic shoot off the UK coast.
Latest well integrity guidelines published by Oil and Gas UK
The latest revision of well integrity guidelines have been published by industry body Oil and Gas UK.
Prospective MSPs to address oil and gas industry
The future of oil and gas industry to be discussed by prospective MSPs at an event organised by industry body Oil & Gas UK.
North Sea operators team up to reduce warehouse stock
A group of North Sea operators have come together to improve efficiency with the launch of a trial scheme to share 200,000 inventory items.
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.
Collaboration: what do we think it means?
Collaboration: what does it mean to you?
OGUK lauds companies for “tooling up”
Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) yesterday hailed the increase in demand for “tools” it helped develop in an effort to improve efficiency in the industry. The trade association said more than 900 companies had signed up to the industry mutual hold harmless (IMHH) deed. OGUK said the deed, which was originally developed in 2002, helped firms clarify the allocation of risks and avoid doubling up on the insurance of identical liabilities offshore.
UK oil and gas drilling down in 2015, new figures show
Exploration and appraisal drilling in the UK North Sea went down in 2015, new figures show. A dozen exploration wells were drilled in the North Sea last year, one fewer than in 2014, according to UK Government statistics published this week. Offshore appraisal drilling decreased from 14 two years ago to 12 in 2015.
Aberdeen MSP calls for safety over “cutting costs”
An Aberdeen MSP has warned the “first-rate” safety culture in the North Sea that emerged after Piper Alpha could be at risk as firms strive to cut costs. The SNP’s Mark McDonald is seeking urgent talks with Deirdre Michie, the chief executive of Oil and Gas UK.
OGUK launches new oil spill response guides
Four new guides have been added to an information ‘toolkit’ to help offshore oil and gas operators implement their response should there be an oil spill in the North Sea.
Oil industry to back new collaborative charter
The trade body for the North Sea oil and gas sector has called for the industry to back the tenets of a new charter that outlines collaborative behaviours to achieve “transformational change”.
Oil and Gas UK warns further job losses “inevitable” in North Sea
Further job losses in the North Sea are inevitable as the “challenging times“ for the oil and gas industry continue, MSPs have been warned.