Gallery: Forties at 40
Energy Voice looks back through the archives to chart the evolution of the Forties Field, which began pumping oil 40 years ago.
Insights
Forties at 40: Changing the world? I was more interested in having a day off!
When young petroleum engineer Frank Musgrave stepped on board BP's brand new Forties Alpha platform in the late summer of 1975, he was entirely focused on his role in getting the oil flowing, not on playing a part in a key period of British history.
Forties at 40 – the ultimate North Sea prize
Located in late 1970 and brought onstream 40 years ago, Forties was the first major oil discovery made on the UK Continental Shelf, not counting the Arbroath field discovered in 1969, which was also a BP prize, though not developed until the 1990s.
Total’s Philippe Guys: My open letter to the industry
In the final installment of our three part series, Total's departing UK managing director pens a final farewell.
Opinion: We have renowned scientists in the UK but can you name a female scientist?
The United Kingdom is home to some of the most renowned scientists in the world. Yet if you asked many people they might find it difficult to name anyone apart from Stephen Hawking. Ask them to name a female scientist and I think they would struggle but we have some exceptional scientists in Dame Athene Donald, Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell and Dame Carol Richardson amongst others. Encouragingly, more women than ever before are working in science, technology and engineering occupations, according to official data. The Labour Force Survey reveals that nearly 800,000 women work in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematic occupations, 104,000 more than in 2014.
EV Insights: In case you missed them, Energy Voice’s Friday Five
Each week Energy Voice pulls together the Friday Five. Click below to see the site’s most read and engaged with copy of the week.
Opinion: Asia-Pac fab yard delays no longer acceptable
EI chief says young oil workers should consider skills transfer to wider energy sector
Young people should consider how their skills transfer to the wider energy remit, according to the boss of industry body the Energy Institute.
Opinion: Big oil, environmentalists face common challenge in climate change
Before the Energy Transitions Commission was even launched here in Houston a few weeks ago, environmentalists had already dismissed it as a public relations ploy by major oil companies and other peddlers of fossil fuels. They immediately questioned the climate change credentials of companies like Shell, which is one of the leaders of the initiative to help meet the energy needs of growing world population without damaging the environment beyond repair. Just a few weeks ago, activists from the environmental community took to their kayaks and posed for pictures in front of Shell’s Polar Pioneer rig moored in Seattle. Paddles raised in defiance, they decried the company’s plans to drill in the Arctic.
EV Insights: In case you missed them, Energy Voice’s Friday Five
Each week Energy Voice pulls together the Friday Five. Click below to see the site’s most read and engaged with copy of the week.
Opinion: Nuclear deal is poor replacement for ‘ravaged’ renewables industry
The Government has been relentlessly strangling the UK’s green energy sector, arguing that this is all part of their campaign to reduce energy bills for consumers. Now, not only are we risking inflating our energy bills in the future, but we are also at risk of handing control of our future energy security to China.
Listening to industry will help Mexico in next licence rounds
Mexico’s second oil and gas auction marked a turning point for the industry.
Opinion: Are you in this to be liked?
Are you in this to be liked? Have you asked yourself how well you managed the cost reduction exercises in your business this year? This recession has cut deeper and lasted longer than most of us ever expected, but that doesn’t mean we have to wait for it to be over to be liked. Most leaders in this market have been through recession and subsequent headcount reductions several times. Many will admit that managing redundancies is the toughest thing that they have had to do in their careers.
Tata’s oil and gas success highlights quality of UK products and skills
In what has been a tough week for the UK steel industry, and at Tata Steel in particular, the company's energy and power division is set to continue delivering high performance products to the oil and gas industry.
Opinion: 27 years after Piper Alpha, we should be much further than we are
I posted this on Linked-In a few months back:
EV Insights: In case you missed them, Energy Voice’s Friday Five
Each week Energy Voice pulls together the Friday Five. Click below to see the site’s most read and engaged with copy of the week.
What would connect the future of North Sea Oil and a Rolling Stones classic? Yep! Paint it Black
Sir Ian Wood’s analysis in 2012 that the North Sea industry was not viable when Brent crude was $114 a barrel and that drastic action had to be taken to save the industry is a sobering thought.
EV Insights: In case you missed them, Energy Voice’s Friday Five
Each week Energy Voice pulls together the Friday Five. Click below to see the site’s most read and engaged with copy of the week.
Opinion: Collaboration – ideas from the construction industry?
During the current difficult period faced by the UKCS oil and gas industry, collaboration between the various parties in the offshore industry has been identified as one of the key factors in ensuring that the oil and gas output from the UKCS is maximised. There has been recent discussion in Energy Voice about some of the ways in which this can be done – and some of the problems being encountered, including the publication of some very interesting survey results published by Deloitte. Looking at these things in terms of their legal and contractual dimensions, there might be lessons to take from the way that the (onshore) construction and engineering sector has dealt with these issues in the last decade or so. In that area, particular forms of standard form contracts and the use of “good faith” obligations have been at the centre of trying to ensure collaborative working – with some success.
Les Linklater: Confused? Me too!
I don’t know about other readers, but I am confused by the recent spate of reporting regarding helicopter “incidents” in outlets other than Energy Voice and the P&J.
Opinion: Smoke, mirrors and hot air
At time of writing, 5% of the UK’s electricity consumption is coming from wind. Another few per cent is powered by other renewables, mainly long-established hydro; 39% from gas, 21 from nuclear and 22 from coal.
EV Insights: Robin Watson’s rise to the top
Wood Group has revealed Robin Watson will take the reins of the company after Bob Keiller retires at the end of the year.
Shell Opinion: Inspiring teacher led me to become a woman in STEM
There has been a lot of talk recently about the ‘barriers to entry’ for girls studying science and mathematics at school. Whether it is not feeling smart enough, not knowing about the different career options or just not having the support and role models to encourage and inspire them to take that leap of faith to study science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects, girls are not pursuing STEM careers in the same way boys are.
Scotland’s universities: Shouldn’t they be hot houses of frontier busting energy technologies?
There’s something seriously wrong with the energy technology innovation process in this country.
Opinion: ‘Brutus’ Osborne and his nuclear madhouse
It is years since I commented about nuclear power in the UK, though we have carried stories from time to time.