UK Government pledges £15million to set up new oil and gas regulator
Oil and gas chiefs have welcomed a £15million contribution from the UK Government towards the cost of a new industry regulator.
Insights
Video: Regulator funding key for industry success globally
The £15million funding by the UK Government towards the new energy regulator will ensure the body can address the industry's needs as soon as possible, believes a Scotland Office Minister.
Government pledges £15million for new industry regulator in response to Wood Review
Funding of £15million to help kick-start a new independent regulator for the North Sea oil and gas industry has been announced by the UK government.
Opinion: We must make the most of falling rig rates
With a softening rig market upon us, now is a good opportunity for operators to secure a rig for drilling projects and at a significantly lower cost than the high rates we have been seeing recently.
Deals v holidays : Which wins?
You can’t help having noticed a flurry of corporate acquisitions and investments reported recently. The timing is no coincidence. The school holidays are upon us. Most deal timelines start with an ambitious 10 week plan from when the heads of agreement are signed. There is a lot to do, five types of due diligence to complete, seemingly hundred of documents to agree and a bank to get on board. That’s alongside numerous egos to stroke, and contract realities to explain.
Oil and gas weaker with home rule, MP claims
An independent Scotland would be “unlikely to be able to provide the same level of support” to the oil and gas industry, a leading UK Government minister has claimed as a review of tax arrangements for the industry is launched.
Kurds take over two Iraq oil fields
Kurdish fighters have taken over two oil fields outside the disputed city of Kirkuk, Iraq’s Oil Ministry says.
Chief Treasury Secretary challenges SNP over “fantastical” North Sea claims
Chief Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander has challenged SNP chiefs over what he branded as “fantastical” claims on future North Sea revenues.
Video: A side-by-side comparison of the new EBS
Author Loren Steffy once described the North Sea as the stuff of “Gothic legend”.
New breathing system for helicopter passengers approved
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) today confirmed the approval of the new Category A emergency breathing system (EBS).
Helicopter safety inquiry rejected
Transport minister Stephen Hammond has refused to commit to a full public inquiry into helicopter safety within the offshore oil and gas industry.
Taking the message to the people with ‘doors open’
Plans were unveiled last month for a major initiative which we hope will shine a new light on the success of the oil and gas industry at a UK level.
50 found dead amid Iraq turmoil as major oil centre taken
Some 50 bodies have been found in Iraq, many of them blindfolded and with their hands bound, raising concerns over a possible sectarian killing amid the battle against a Sunni insurgency.
Brazil: Land of opportunity?
The eyes of the world are on Brazil now for sporting reasons, currently with the Football World Cup and then, two years later, the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Ace Winches helps young people into the workforce
Deck machinery firm Ace Winches has become the first organisation to achieve a new government accreditation recognising its support helping young people into the workforce.
Market short-termism screws up UK power
It is a measure of how precarious our electricity supply industry has become that National Grid has put in place precautionary measures to protect us from the possibility of black-outs in the months ahead.
Big lifts and dangerous small waves
Now the summer's arrived, we're at a time when it's possible to carry out offshore operations and maintenance. So what are ideal conditions?
Helicopter ditchings and crashes kill 20 in four years
A series of recent helicopter crashes and ditchings in the North Sea has led to several inquiries and plans to tighten-up safety.
Crash survivors relive trauma for MPs
MPs held a private meeting with six survivors from last year’s Super Puma crash off Shetland.
Oil & Gas UK director rejects call for “full, independent public inquiry”
Oil & Gas UK’s health and safety director last night rejected a call from the House of Common’s Transport Committee to launch a “full, independent public inquiry” into offshore helicopter safety.
UK government fears oil workers in Iraq could be kidnapped and handed over to Isis
UK government officials fear that oil workers working in Iraq could be kidnapped and handed over to the brutal militant group looking to create a new Islamic state in the region.
MPs call for full inquiry amid fear of “creeping complacency” in offshore safety standards
MPs are calling for a “full, independent public inquiry” into offshore helicopter safety amid fears that “a creeping complacency is affecting safety standards”.
Opinion: Building for a boom that’s evaporating
Over the past five years, the wealth creation in the Scottish north-east has been conspicuous. This said, the UK is facing a crisis due to reduced production and major cost increases which is simply killing the industry.
Opinion: Capturing the Imagination
The effects of greenhouse gases are beyond dispute. The more CO2 there is in the atmosphere, the warmer the planet becomes.
Westminster – expert in economic camouflage
I recently had an e-mail from a friend of mine containing a link to an article which said "UK R&D funding is strikingly below rivals such as the US and Germany and could be increased by up to 50% to match them".