Ken Milliken of KPMG explores why oil and gas companies could learn lessons about reputational and commercial fallout from high profile supply chain breakdowns like this year’s horsemeat scandal...
The SNP’s energy minister Fergus Ewing is not listening to reasonable requests for a public inquiry into the events that led to the failure of the coal sector, warns Willie Rennie.
Obesity is a big problem for the oil & gas sector and, like the size of offshore workers, it's growing, writes Verity Clark. But what does a heavier workforce mean for an employer?
With so many voices out there, the landscape has become confusing for those trying to get into the industry, writes David Doig.
There is enormous pressure in many countries to make illegal or undisclosed payments in order to win exploration licences, writes Tony Mackay.
While EU Directives are not meant to make life more difficult, certain countries may prohibit disclosure, causing some companies to have no option but to withdraw from projects, warns Penelope Warne.
A report by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) in June officially ranked the Gulf of Guinea as the world's most piracy-infested waters.
Tax avoidance and tax evasion have become sustained banner headlines, writes Derek Leith.
When the Energy Bill was published in May last year, I wrote here that it seemed a decent attempt to address the intractable challenge of how to incentivise the switch to low carbon generation while at the same time keeping the lights on and the bills just about affordable.
Ed Davey - UK secretary of state for energy and climate change - has made my day. I was mulling over what to write about for the July issue of Energy but then up popped Ed with the announcement that he's going to have another review of how to maximise the economic benefits of North Sea oil and gas.
Last Friday, a team from Eurocopter met the North Sea oil and gas industry's Step Change Helicopter Safety Steering Group to discuss a set of measures that the company feels will get currently grounded EC225 helicopters back to work.
Lack of infrastructure and the challenge of getting renewable electricity from Scotland’s islands to market remain major obstacles to growth, writes Orkney MSP Liam McArthur
With the 25th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster drawing near, the on-going commitment to health and safety is rightly at the forefront of the industry's collective consciousness.
The Piper Alpha disaster – still the world’s worst offshore industrial tragedy – changed the lives of the loved ones of all on board and it brought about fundamental changes to the way Scotland’s offshore industry treated the health and safety of its workers, writes Alex Salmond.
We were delighted to be able to accept the invitation and go to Melbourne in person to explain our joint approach to Process Safety and why we believe the Energy Industry is still struggling to avoid catastrophic incidents.
As the 25th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster approaches, it provides not only a time to reflect on the terrible tragedy but also an opportunity to look forward, writes David Mundell
It was 24 years ago, almost to the day, when I spent my first night offshore on-board the Tharos support vessel. I had just finished my first shift on Claymore as part of a commissioning squad preparing for first oil post the Piper tragedy. In the days to come I would be caught up in the industrial action that dominated our offshore life and the headlines in 1989.
One of the most common questions asked by customers is which type of Control of Work system will deliver the best results – paper-based or electronic? The answer is always the same: that there is no absolute answer.
That was the last time I saw Carl Busse, his curly mop of black hair and a warm, engaging smile that literally did light up the room. On the night of July 6th he and 166 other souls lost their lives in the worst rig disaster of all time. I was lying in bed and listening to the radio when the news of the fire began to unfold.
The safety case, involvement of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the goal-setting regime has stood the UK CS oil and gas industry in good stead from a health and safety perspective since Piper Alpha.
Three questions dominated our thoughts: Who was on the platform, were they still alive and what had gone so terribly wrong?
The lasting legacy of Piper Alpha is a safer, though always hazardous, industry, writes Fergus Ewing.
Fracking in the UK poses its own unique challenges but I believe it is still a worthwhile resource to pursue, writes Murdo Fraser.
The energy sector is uniquely positioned in terms of its communication requirements. Offshore operations, maritime integration and onshore offices are all elements within a tightly meshed chain. One link in the chain breaks and the integrity of the whole organisation can be seriously damaged.
You would be hard pressed to have made it through the past week without being drawn into the discussion about the EC225 offshore helicopters that are currently out of service – and with good reason.