It is that time of the year again when we have the finals of Strictly Come Dancing, the Apprentice, X Factor and, of course, the Sports Personality of the Year. For all the glamour and glitter, there is something quite comforting in enjoying the achievements of all of those participating in these great shows. The incredible drive and ambition to succeed, the relentless focus on continuous improvement and the performance feedback are all characteristics which are equally valid in the oil and gas industry.
There’s no doubt the oil and gas industry has undergone another turbulent and trying year, as the backlash of the oil price crash in 2014 has resulted in unprecedented job losses, project delays and cancellations, and a rather pessimistic outlook for 2017. However, the findings of a recent survey predict the sector has now hit its lowest point and that there are cautious signs of a much yearned for but measured upswing.
Aberdeen is full of it - energy. It’s palpable and it’s infectious. It’s a precious resource that pulsates between an ever-widening ecosystem of educators, professionals and enterprises that play their part to protect it because it’s precious. In the right hands it builds momentum, engenders creativity and allows the holder to face new horizons with an adventurous spirit, courage and a perspective of possibility.
On January 16, 2016 Iran celebrated the so-called Implementation Day. The milestone date saw the majority of the EU sanctions lifted, paving the way for North Sea firms to consider new frontiers.
Job losses aren't the only marker of Aberdeen's economic health. Despite being overwhelmed by the amount of "To Let" signs in one Aberdeen's best known places, our author isn't counting the Granite City out quite yet. Read his take on the city's future and more by scrolling through our gallery and clicking 'Read Article'.
From moral bankruptcy to Houston’s “mushy bottom”, we’ve got it all in our latest gallery. Don’t miss this selection from our ‘Best Opinion’ series of the year. Best Opinion 2016:
Shane Gorman was just 18-years-old when his father was killed on Piper Alpha in the North Sea. He last saw his father Dave when he dropped him at the train station the day before he went offshore.
Catch-up with all of our top stories below. This week’s Friday Five has been curated by our Guest Editor Philip Rodney, who is the chairman of Burness Paull.
It’s nearly here! As your auto-of-office beckons,but before you schedule it we thought we would share one more festive video. This time the staff at Atlas take on the viral Mannequin Challenge. From all of us at Energy Voice Happy Holidays!
Baroness Neville-Rolfe has stepped down as energy minister after just five months in post to be replaced by Lord Prior. That's six energy ministers in six years - or more changes than the number of images that David Bowie had over a forty year career. (Come to think of it Baroness Neville-Rolfe has featured more changes of hair colour over her career than Bowie.)
Low carbon power provided half of the UK’s electricity between July and September, official figures show.
Renewables such as wind, solar and biomass produced a quarter of the UK’s electricity in the third quarter of 2016, while nuclear power was responsible for another 25%, the Government data reveals.
Meanwhile coal fell to historic lows, contributing just 3.6% of the UK’s power mix, down from 16.7% for the same period the previous year, as the polluting fossil fuel continued to decline.
The Government has said it wants coal power plants which do not have technology fitted to store emissions to be phased out by 2025 to tackle climate change.
Gas’s share of electricity generation rose from 34.8% in July to September 2015 to 43.6% for the period this year.
In Scotland, where 42% of electricity came from renewables, low carbon power’s share of the mix was more than three-quarters (77%), although coal contributed 16% of the power over the three months.
When they are not busy pulling Santa’s sleigh, Rudolph and his friends are helping to protect the North Pole from climate change, scientists have discovered.
We’ve rounded-up our best opinion pieces of the year. Today we’re featuring the op-eds from Energy Voice Editor, Rita Brown. From her thoughts on a “ghost town” called Aberdeen to three things she learned at OTC, scroll the gallery and click ‘read article’ to see the story in full. Best Opinion: Editor’s Column
Will 2017 be the turnaround year for the upstream oil and gas industry? In terms of the industry learning to embrace innovative technology and the potential for this technology to deliver transformational operational and financial performance benefits – then I say yes!
Dong Energy has entered into an agreement to sell 50% of Race Bank, a 573 megawatt (MW) UK offshore wind farm project, to Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 5 and Macquarie Capital, the principal investment arm of Macquarie Group – with equal interests.
The Railroad Commission of Texas, the state’s oil and gas regulator, collected nearly $20 million in fines from the oil, gas and pipeline operators in 2016, according to the commission’s year in review report released Tuesday.
Dec. 21, 2016 came as a shock to the scientific community as protectionist sentiment swept across the world - spurring Trump’s presidential victory and Brexit. Scientists have historically relied on global collaboration to progress their field; sharing knowledge is vital to creating breakthroughs. And so experts hope that this can continue - in spite of major political changes.
