OTC is undeniably a barometer of global oil and gas activity and judging from Simmons & Company International’s reception in Houston last night delegates from across the industry are in a positive frame of mind.
Primitive, emotional, irrational – not exactly how most of us would characterise the workplace or indeed our thought processes and behaviours in it, but the best literature from the field of human and organisational factors tells us these adjectives may be more applicable than we think.
Typically, when we travel on work placements or for business, among our chief health and safety concerns are making sure we take necessary medications with us and ensuring we’ve had the correct vaccinations if travelling to a more exotic location.
As the world’s oil and gas industry turns it eyes towards Houston and OTC, the foremost event for the development of offshore resources in the fields of drilling, exploration and production, I find myself reflecting on how the energy landscape in the area is changing.
Scottish offshore excellence will once again be showcased on the world stage at this year’s Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, which I also have the pleasure of attending as Energy Minister for the third year.
As industry leaders gather at the year's flagship event, don't fall into the cocktail trap of empty deals and undeliverable promises.
In this final part of our thumbnail sketch of the North Sea, it falls to me to try to paint a picture of the future. So I raked around my desk drawer for the bag of rune stones that I keep especially for such occasions, gave them a rattle and scattered them on the floor.
These are worrying times for many in the North Sea with question marks hanging over one of its most fundamental activities of crew changes for offshore installations. It is everyone’s understandable wish to be able to travel safely to and from their place of work and discussions around this issue can be emotive, sometimes driven by fear and confusion about the actual risks
With declining oil production, rising costs and a crisis in exploration, the North Sea is at a crossroads. Press and Journal Business Editor Ryan Crighton reports on what the industry needs to do to remedy its problems.
Professor John Howell, chair in geology and petroleum geology at Aberdeen University, explains why a 'Yes' vote is the only answer.
The UK oil and gas industry has, for some time, operated within a tight labour market and the need to expand the talent pool has been talked about for many years, writes Aker regional president David Currie.
Loren Steffy, author of "Drowning in Oil: BP and the Reckless Pursuit of Profit", looks back at the safety lessons learned in the wake of the Macondo disaster
The Russian Federation is playing a chess game with Ukraine that threatens to destabilize energy supplies to economies located west of Russia and their regional energy markets.
The prosperity derived from North Sea oil and gas is due in no small measure to Scotland being part of the UK, argues Energy Secretary Ed Davey
The UK’s offshore industry finds itself at the centre of what could become a very dangerous farce – one that has huge safety and economic implications.
As the last edition of Energy went to press, the ink was barely dry on the final report of Sir Ian Wood's Maximising Recovery Review and the political bandwagon was still in town.
For those of us who work within the oil and gas industry, organisation is a key factor when preparing for a trip offshore. There are a number of considerations, one of which is typically your medication, which commonly may not be something that would be at the top of your list.
The Chancellor's Budget on March 19 was largely positive for the UK oil & gas sector. Announcements such as the High Pressure/High Temperature Allowance will hopefully stimulate further developments.
Rising costs of production and a sharp decline in drilling and exploration - these are the harsh realities of today's oil and gas industry in the North Sea.
It really has been a tough winter in the North Sea, with platforms running short of fuel and water, tankers unable to access ports, and the evacuation of personnel from some installations because of high seas.
if relations between the West and Russia worsened and Gazprom - which is a state-owned company - was ordered to either reduce or even cut off supplies to Europe how could we deal with the loss of that much gas?
It is difficult to avoid the impression that the potential for a major new Scottish industry in renewable energy is slowly ebbing away.
David Pritchard's Aberdeen address was riveting, devastating in its brutal frankness. You could have heard a pin drop, so rapt was the attention.
For Britain's oil and gas sector the most far-reaching announcements in Budget 2014 were those indicating the launch of a full tax review for the UK Continental Shelf and confirmation of the Government's acceptance of the Wood Review recommendations, writes Professor Alex Kemp.
As the oil and gas industry prepares to celebrate the UK Oil and Gas Industry Safety Awards later this month, we're provided with a time for reflection, and a reminder the sector must continue to remain ever vigilant.