It’s often said that we measure success by counting failures. It’s the same with safety. Whether it’s the number of hydrocarbon releases or lost-time incidents, we tend to count and measure what’s gone wrong rather than what’s gone right.
Just a few weeks ago, Oil & Gas UK hosted its first Oil & Gas UK Annual Conference – the largest of its kind for the UK oil and gas sector in 2014. Now, as summer approaches, like many organisations in the offshore oil and gas sector, we’re working hard to plan and prepare in anticipation of a busy autumn period.
Last May it was reported that the percentage of women in the offshore oil industry had dropped to a new low, despite long running efforts to make it more attractive to the women.
Energy Voice spoke to David Bell, Professor of Economics at University of Sterling, about how the Iraq crisis can realistically impact global prices of oil - including those at the pumps.
Oil and gas play a crucial role in providing modern Britain with the energy it needs; the importance of that role is unlikely to change any time soon.
Last week I was pleased to chair the very first Oil & Gas UK Annual Conference.
There is on the PolicyMic website some marvellous old British Pathe footage of Iraq during the 1950s. It paints a picture of an ancient land once called Mesopotamia and people aware of their heritage.
On the Obama side of the Atlantic, several rounds of opaque negotiations have been going on since July 2013 in order to father a USA-EU transatlantic trade and investment partnership, or “TTIP”.
Overcoming a challenge without tapping into the knowledge and information that already exists within a culture or community is one of the oldest human follies.
In the energy world, the battle to win and keep the best workers is well and truly underway. New job vacancies appear every day, the number of skilled workers is declining and in their desperation to recruit the brightest and best talent, companies offer fat pay cheques, bumper benefits and the opportunity to travel to far-flung locations. And in order to stop employees from succumbing to external temptations, employers offer even more: more zeros on a pay cheque, a corner office, the promise of promotion, luxury business travel – the list goes on.
As the North Sea enters the next phase of its life, we will make sure it continues to provide jobs and wealth throughout the UK. North Sea oil and gas can work alongside wind, solar, tidal and nuclear power to cut expensive foreign imports and help keep our lights on with British-produced energy. The broad shoulders of the United Kingdom is unlocking the power of Scotland to take its place as one of the world’s great energy hubs – generating energy and generating jobs.
Forty-five percent of oil and gas firms recently surveyed claim that the Scottish referendum on independence is impacting their investment plans (so says Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce’s 20th Oil and Gas Survey sponsored by Bond Dickinson).
Extracting and using fossil fuels is fundamentally embedded in industrial society. But carbon dioxide emissions from these cause climate change, sea level rise and ocean acidification.
The release of Sir Ian Wood’s report in February marked a seminal moment in the history of the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS).
I've long been a sceptic as far as the oil and gas recruiting problem goes because I think it's almost unbelievable the industry can't find enough qualified and experienced people to satisfy its demand.
While on holiday in Skye recently I had the pleasure of meeting a forester who was involved with the planting of Sitka spruce as part of a carbon offset scheme.
While malaria is not a medical problem one would typically associate with workers on North Sea oil rigs, it is nevertheless a condition that warrants a degree of awareness. Indeed, just last month, we assisted an offshore worker who had a case of imported malaria.
Scotland's record as an exporter is not as good as it should be or needs to be if we are to create economic growth and sustain employment. In recognition of this, the Scottish Government set its own target a couple of years back of doubling the number of companies engaged in exporting by 2020.
Every day there are headlines about the shale gas revolution that is engulfing the US and which the current UK Government hopes will sweep the UK.
Trap Oil Group (Trapoil) aims to cash in on a £60million-plus private-equity swoop on the North Sea.
Hastily agreed Confidentiality Agreements or Non-Disclosure Agreements (“NDA’s”) are dangerous in the wrong hands. Careers are on the line. Game changing technology can become the equivalent of freeware overnight if not protected. However practice varies enormously when it comes to the terms agreed. Very small businesses might be forgiven for lack of knowledge or management time. Their quoted cousins have less excuse.
I see the challenges of our generation not as inhibitors of creating a better world, but as exciting challenge.
The renewable energy industry continues to grow in Scotland, but not all companies are fully exploiting the opportunities for protecting and commercialising their innovation.
Whether it is imposed upon a company externally or driven from within an organisation, audit - that ubiquitous marker of corporate performance - is often a troublesome process.
I'm quite sure that like me most Energy readers will have been following or are at least aware of the takeover battle between the UK/Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and its US rival Pfizer with the latter being the "aggressor".