New technology only half the battle for islands renewable energy
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
Opinion
Whistleblowing: Why energy industry should heed the warnings
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.
Preventing tragedy is greatest tribute we can pay Piper Alpha victims
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.
Challenge to show safety improvements demonstrate value
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.
Piper Alpha: Safety standards must improve year on year
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
Piper 25: Remembering the past, we must work together for the future
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.
Control systems must aid decision-making, not dictate it
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.
Piper 25: Vital to remember the individual lives lost to the disaster
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.
Piper Alpha: Challenge for industry to learn lessons from tragedy
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.
Piper Alpha: Why we must never forget its lessons
Three questions dominated our thoughts: Who was on the platform, were they still alive and what had gone so terribly wrong?
Offshore safety is key to longevity of Scotland’s energy industry
The lasting legacy of Piper Alpha is a safer, though always hazardous, industry, writes Fergus Ewing.
The clock is ticking for Scotland to join shale gas revolution
Fracking in the UK poses its own unique challenges but I believe it is still a worthwhile resource to pursue, writes Murdo Fraser.
Energy companies must be prepared to maintain communications chain
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.
Super Puma survey shows industry needs satisfaction over safety answers
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.
Blue water health quest
Most companies understand the value of improving the health of their employees. It requires effective top down management including:
Accelerating oil & gas careers… virtually anywhere
There are big changes happening in the world of well control training that are going to make it even easier for people to drive their careers in the oil and gas industry.
25 years after Piper Alpha, are we taking a backward step?
It is ironic that just as we are approaching the 25th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster when 167 men lost their lives and many were seriously injured, the Government has made a change which will remove the right to claim compensation based on breach of, among others, the very health and safety regulations introduced following Lord Cullen's report into Piper Alpha.
Piper 25: Taking stock for the future
Few will need to be reminded that next month marks the 25th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster. As the world's worst offshore incident, it claimed the lives of 167 men and cast a dark shadow over everyone and everything connected to oil and gas for a long time afterwards.
Ofgem’s ‘light touch’ regulation policy could be factor in price manipulation
A few years ago I did a study on oil prices for Christine Lagarde, then the French finance minister and now the head of the International Monetary Fund, writes Tony Mackay.
Risky business: threats and opportunities
A new entrant to the top 10 of risks is IT security, specifically the threat to companies' operations of cyber attacks.
Brian Wilson: Tuning into Holyrood … by accident
Brian Wilson on the rumblings of political point-scoring rhetoric cascading through the airwaves
Jeremy Cresswell: Piper Alpha and the generation gap
It might seem odd choosing this issue of Energy to mark the 25th year since the Piper Alpha disaster of July 6, 1988, but we have taken our cue from the North Sea industry's three-day Piper25 conference on June 18-20.
Dick Winchester: A question of trust
When it was announced that BP, Shell, Statoil and maybe others we don't know about were being investigated by the European Union for potentially having manipulated the oil price I have to admit to not being at all surprised. Disappointed and concerned perhaps but not actually surprised.
Fiasco of the EU carbon emissions trading scheme
The European Union is going through a difficult period, mainly because of the economic recession.
Renewables poised to eclipse power generation old guard
By the end of this year, it is likely that renewables will be the country's main source of electricity, providing more power than nuclear, coal or gas. Far from being "alternative energy", renewables is now a major part of our energy mix, and a significant part of Scotland's economy.