OTC 2013: Aberdeen can learn lessons on staging events from upbeat Houston
It's that time of the year again when the 2013 Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas beckons oil service companies from around the world.
Opinion
Collaboration needed for safety to take precedent over profit
It was the longest car journey of my life.
UK oil & gas industrial strategy – it’s good to talk
The Government's latest attempt at a strategy for oil and gas was published in March but its impact was somewhat diluted by the announcement on the same day of yet another change of energy minister.
Significant milestone met in ongoing challenge to reduce HCRs
Unplanned gas or condensate leaks are precursors to potentially major incidents, fire and explosion.
Chevron … time to wake up and talk!
Last month, one of the biggest stories for the UK North Sea was botched.
Mozambique proves a place of staggering potential. political forces allowing
Everyone seems to be talking about Mozambique. This former Portuguese colony in the East of Africa is the focus of a topical luncheon at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston this month and is the destination for a forthcoming trade mission for Aberdeen's Africa Business Centre.
Keep it slick: Protecting your IPR in the oil and gas industry
As I write the oil price has fallen 10 dollars in a week. This renewed volatility is a reminder of the sensitivity of our industry to geopolitical and economic issues beyond our control.
Danger of industry damaging unprecedented jobs momentum
Building a safer, more competent workforce, from the North Sea to West Africa, Iraq to Malaysia and everywhere in between, is the moral duty of all of us who work in the oil and gas industry.
Occupational health . . . take the robust approach
A robust programme of occupational health and safety at work enables employees to do their jobs without impediment. When healthy working conditions are achieved, ill-effects can be prevented, and a business is able to operate more efficiently.
Political football; well, what else did you expect?
As pious hopes go, suggesting that the North Sea should not be used as a political football in the current Scottish constitutional debate must rate pretty high.
Arctic oil and gas: The Frozen Frontier?
The region that lies north of the Arctic Circle accounts for only about 6% of the Earth's surface area but could account for as much as 20% of the world's undiscovered recoverable oil and natural gas resources.
Curious report forgets Scots used technology decades ago
What a curious document it is, the Commons energy and climate change committee’s report titled The Impact of Shale Gas on Energy Markets.
International operations can be taxing challenge for firms
There is no doubt the north-east energy sector is operating on an increasingly global basis.
MLC standards could have impact on oil and gas
The Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) is to become UK law on August 20 and will have a significant impact on worldwide shipping and its workforce.
Energy crisis? What energy crisis?
Britain has an energy crisis; make no mistake.
UK activity gearing up but Q1 closes with a whimper . . .
The UK sector currently has nine E&A wells active or in the throes of operational completion ahead of imminent rig moves. The number of wells spudded so far this year is seven (five exploration and two appraisal), with two wells (one each E&A) sidetracked. Six semi-submersibles and three jack-ups are active.
Welcome relief: Decommissioning certainty
Budgets come and go with monotonous regularity, and in recent years companies with UK oil and gas exploration and production activities have experienced frequent, unexpected and unwarranted tax increases.
Proof of the pudding – If you don’t own it then you simply don’t control it
It's great being proven right. I've long argued that who owns the companies that make up the energy, or indeed any other, sector is important because if you don't own it then you simply don't control it. The free market ideologues argue that it doesn't matter who owns what provided the jobs are anchored here and it's that attitude which has prevailed in the UK for the last 40 years or so.
When is an operator not an operator – when it’s a contractor?
Pemex, the Mexican state oil company, has recently called for bids for those interested in exploiting the oil and gas resources of the Chicontepec region of Mexico.
Support for industry in the shape of alignment with Government
Ten years into my association with UK oil and gas industry's leading trade association, I have growing confidence that a framework is emerging to enable maximum recovery of Britain's offshore oil and gas and to build on the jobs, innovation and exports already supported by the sector.
RGU team of academics set to get the measure of North Sea workers
A research project using the latest technology has been initiated in Aberdeen to measure both the size and shape of offshore workers.
Hydraulic fracturing – promise or peril
Controversy over hydraulic fracturing (HF) or "fracking" for shale gas has split the bed-rock of public opinion. Proponents point to the promise that HF will shift the balance in global value chain energy supply.
Time for a little grovelling from the UK Government
Oh no, not another UK energy minister shoved out through the revolving door and another sucked in.
North Sea oil and an Independent Scotland
In Autumn 2014, the people of Scotland will have a chance to vote on Scottish independence. For those of us in Aberdeen, among the many issues to be considered in casting our vote will be the implications for the oil and gas industry.
New approach to supplier risk required
Industries impacted by recent supply chain disruptions are moving quickly to improve their ability to manage procurement risks. Oil and gas companies can learn from their experiences.