Industry body Oil & Gas UK has welcomed the appointment of Theresa May as Prime Minister of the UK.
Chief executive Deidre Michie said the organisation was keen to work with the new Conservative leader as it looks to support the North Sea oil and gas industry amid the current decline in global oil price.
More than 65,000 jobs have been lost across the sector since 2014 both directly and indirectly with the total estimated to be as high as 120,000 by the end of the year.
Michie said: “We congratulate the Prime Minister on her appointment and want to work with Mrs May and her administration to ensure a sustainable future for this vital industrial sector that supports hundreds of thousands of jobs.
“Throughout the EU referendum campaign, Oil & Gas UK maintained its political neutrality. We welcome the stability that Theresa May’s appointment can bring and urge politicians of all parties to work together to ensure a smooth transition as we move forward.
“We will be consulting closely with our members in the coming weeks and look forward to engaging with all governments in representing our industry’s interests.
“While Brexit raises challenges and opportunities for governments, it is so important that we do not lose focus on the very real difficulties being felt by the sector at this time. The low levels of exploration and development activity on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) are of real concern and we need to ensure the basin continues to attract investment going forward. The UK Government must continue to support the UKCS as being a competitive place in which to do business.
“We would also like to take the opportunity to thank the Rt Hon David Cameron MP, for the strong support he gave to the industry during his premiership.”
The chief executive’s comments come as the former head of Oil & Gas UK called for the “hapless” Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to be “put out of its misery” in an exclusive interview with Energy Voice.
