A pair of Aberdeen-based officials at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) have been made OBEs.
They are Bill Cattanach, DECC’s head of industry and technology development for upstream oil and gas, and Wendy Kennedy, oil and gas environment and decommissioning director.
Mr Cattanach, who was honoured for services to oil and gas infrastructure, is a familiar figure at energy industry events in and around the Granite City.
He is a chartered surveyor and joined DECC after a spell working in the Scottish Executive’s rural affairs department.
His Aberdeen-based team run the government and industry forum PILOT, which is tasked with maximising hydrocarbon recovery from the UK North Sea.
PILOT started life as the Oil and Gas Taskforce, which was launched in 1998 to find ways to deal with high oil prices. It was only expected to last for six months.
Mr Cattanach’s duties heading up its secretariat, include promoting UK supply chain capability and helping the development of new and emerging technology from concept to deployment. His unit also has responsibility for ensuring the industry has an adequately skilled workforce.
Speaking from his home at Tarves after a spot of farm work at Fochabers, where he was helping twin brother Tom, Mr Cattanach said he was “delighted and thrilled” to be made an OBE.
“You think is is only other people who get them and don’t expect to get one yourself,” he added.
Ms Kennedy’s award was for her services to the oil and gas industry.
