The head of the new Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) confirmed three new appointments to the fledgling body yesterday and suggested experts from other industries may be brought in to bring fresh thinking into the sector.
Chief executive Andy Samuels announced that half of the six director posts had now been filled at the regulator set up following Sir Ian Wood’s review of the UK oil and gas industry last year.
The former BG Group boss stressed the importance of striking a balance in the make-up of the Aberdeen-based OGA, which is due to be fully up and running by April.
He said: “It’s horses for courses. One of the key roles we will be filling is the E&P (exploration and production) director, for that role I want an industry professional.
“When I’m looking at other roles, like technology and special projects, I am looking maybe for someone from a different industry to bring in some new thinking.
“I’m also going to be very consciously looking for a very diverse leadership team with the right balance and skills across the piece, headquartered in Aberdeen of course, but there is also room to recruit in London.”
Mr Samuel described yesterday’s summit in Aberdeen as “useful” and said it had served to “reconfirm” what the three tiers of government, as well as the OGA itself, had to do. He added: “Things have moved very quickly with the rapid change in the oil price, so for everybody to catch up and get this consensus has been a very positive thing.”
The civil servant, who raised eyebrows when it emerged he would be paid a salary of £280,000, refused to be drawn on criticism from some quarters of the industry at the length of time it has taken government to set up the new body.
Mr Samuel said: “What happened in the past, I wasn’t around, so I think it is probably inappropriate for me to comment, but going forward I think we are making good progress with strong support.”
Energy Secretary Ed Davey announced last month that Mr Samuel would be tasked with leading a commission to identify ways to mitigate the impact of the tumbling global price of Brent Crude. He is due to report back by the end of the month, but insisted that the timescale would not hinder the strategic work of the OGA.
He said: “Having a sharp deadline is helpful, I’ve also been able to bring in resources quicker than I might otherwise.”
Simon Toole, currently head of offshore licensing, exploration and development in the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), will become director of licensing and legal at the OGA, tasked with leading on onshore exploration and production activity, industry-wide licensing and dispute resolution.
Stuart Payne, former human resources director at Dana Petroleum, has also been appointed in an HR capacity, while Ian McKenzie, DECC’s head of coal liabilities, has been named as chief implementation officer with responsibility for finance, procurement, internal audit and IT activities.
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