International operations can be taxing challenge for firms
There is no doubt the north-east energy sector is operating on an increasingly global basis.
Opinion
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.
Militant threat in North Africa . . . nothing new
I have met the events of recent weeks in North Africa with great interest and a large degree of disheartenment. As former senior intelligence analyst for the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region, assessing these kinds of attacks was part of my daily work.
Is the UK suffering from ‘Dutch Disease’
No . . . it's got nothing to do with trees but an intriguing economic phenomenon that I have to admit I'd never come across until I heard it being discussed on a recent radio programme.
Precious sleep – chief nourisher in life’s feast
Getting enough sleep is important for our physical and mental health. When we are asleep our senses and motor activities are suspended and we experience total or partial unconsciousness with our voluntary muscles becoming inactive.
EU sees light over North Sea safety
For those unfamiliar with EU-speak, the quite positive response from Oil and Gas UK to the news of political agreement on offshore safety legislation might have seemed a little surprising.
Are mergers and acquisitions really worthwhile? Or a waste of time?
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the oil and gas industry have attracted a lot of publicity in recent weeks. Various bodies have produced reports on the number and value, which appear to have reached record levels in some respects.
Fram; whatever is going on Shell?
Energy has reached a milestone . . . its 10th birthday. Launched in March 2003, it was the successor to the Press & Journal's Offshore Journal which was published semi-regularly throughout the North Sea big boom and monthly from 1992 until replaced by Energy.
Call to declutter landscape and work together on skills issues
Have you ever noticed how good ideas seem to come in waves? Blu-ray and High Definition DVD, Microsoft Windows and the Apple Mac, even the films in our cinemas seem to follow a trend with one box office hit sparking a flurry of similarly themed offerings which leave the audience unsure about if they picked the best one to spend their money on.
Behind the bars of Britain’s political zoo
There are times when I seriously wonder whether the zoo that calls itself the UK Government has a clue about anything. As the carousel of time spins ever faster . . . or it seems that way . . . I become increasingly disillusioned about the manner in which we are governed.
Forecasters must be independent . . . free of any political bias
If there is one thing that particularly annoys me it's journalists and economists who have little real knowledge of the energy sector, not just passing themselves off as oil industry experts, but being accepted as such by some politicians because the story they're being told by them just happens to fit their particular political aims.
UK fabrication yards’ performance remains dismal
There has been a lot of good news from the North Sea oil and gas industry over the last few weeks, notably the announcement of over £5billion investments in the Mariner and Western Isles oilfields.
Setting stage for grand offshore power-grid scandal
Just about everyone, with the not-very-notable exception of Donald Trump, favours offshore wind farms - at least in principle.
Real-time environmental supply chain impact poses key challenge
The UK Government's long-awaited Energy Bill and concerns over its commitment to setting clear and challenging decarbonisation targets, has put energy policy firmly back on the agenda.