OTC 2014: Aberdeen could lose out on oil HQ to Newcastle
Aberdeen could lose the new oil regulator being set up in the wake of the Wood Review to Newcastle if Scotland votes for independence.
Insights
Industry can’t afford to ignore the silent workforce
We all know that the oil and gas industry never stands still. It is always moving, always evolving, and when faced with constant change, the opportunity for uncertainty is rife. But transparent and constant communication can placate the fear and confusion that uncertainty can bring.
Perspective from OTC: ‘Scotland cements role as major oil and gas player’
They’ve been drilling oil out of the ground in Texas for over 100 years – so it’s no surprise that Houston has played host to the world’s foremost oil and gas event, the Offshore Technology Conference, for the past 45 years.
Opinion: Company value can be lost or added at OTC
OTC’s stats are impressive by any standards for a ‘trade show’. The largest annual energy industry showcase in the world pulls in audiences of more than 80,000, from more than 120 countries and representatives from more than 2700 companies.
For those who haven’t the foggiest!
Anybody who has been stuck on a platform at the start of their shore leave will know - only too well - that fog can disrupt their plans, and at this time of year when the fog does come it can be particularly bad.
The American stealth energy machine
When dramatic change occurs quietly, there is always a danger that its significance will be correspondingly under-estimated.
UK E&A crawls along into Q2
Nine wells are currently active on the UKCS, representing an increase of one since last month. The tally comprises three West of Shetland, five Central North Sea and one Southern North Sea probes under way.
Deepwater rig rates at watershed
There are signs of a sea change ahead for the deepwater rig market as rates soften and, so it appears, contract terms might be shortening.
The US market . . . fast moving and attuned to change
As we get to May each year a significant number of UK-based business leaders will make the annual pilgrimage to OTC in Houston. And it's with good cause.
Petrobras’ technological challenges and solutions for ultra-deepwater
In 2007, the Brazilian government revealed that largely state-owned Petrobras had discovered massive quantities of pre-salt light oil and gas. We are talking about an estimated 100billion barrels.
Cyber Risk – a new threat in the energy sector
Globally, it is estimated that cyber-attacks against oil and gas infrastructure will cost owners $1.87billion by 2018. In the US, 40% of all cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure in 2012 occurred against the energy sector.
Green, lean, water polo playing machine!
Name, age and where you live
Energy at the epicentre of Ukraine dispute
John Drake, Head of Intelligence and Max Hess, Intelligence Analyst at AKE Group, discuss the unraveling conditions in Ukraine and energy's role in it all.
Wood Review-interesting times ahead for industry lawyers
In many respects, however, the fiscal changes discussed are the most straightforward to implement. More challenging may prove to be the legal and regulatory innovations that the Review proposes.
Opinion: Ernst & Young’s Barry Fraser-Africa a continent on the move
Africa is on an upward growth curve, and it is both real and sustainable, underpinned by a longer term process of social, political and economic reform.
Climate Change – We need to deal with it
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has just released its third and final report on climate change.
North Sea industry resigned to CAA’s helicopter June 1 deadline for imposing safety diktats
The safety review of UK North Sea commercial helicopter operations by the UK Civil Aviation Authority and Norway CAA, started in October last year and from which emerged a stack of actions and recommendations, has certainly shaken the offshore industry . . . workers and companies alike.
RMT leader slams CAA’s dictatorial approach to workforce
Despite the many improvements that the 61 measures variously recommended or commanded by the CAA, many offshore workers are both angry and worried about the implications for their jobs.
Perspective from OTC: ‘US service companies in bullish form’
OTC is undeniably a barometer of global oil and gas activity and judging from Simmons & Company International’s reception in Houston last night delegates from across the industry are in a positive frame of mind.
Dean Wiseman: Human and organisational factors…do you tick the box?
Primitive, emotional, irrational – not exactly how most of us would characterise the workplace or indeed our thought processes and behaviours in it, but the best literature from the field of human and organisational factors tells us these adjectives may be more applicable than we think.
OTC: Travelling abroad? Stay fit and healthy
Typically, when we travel on work placements or for business, among our chief health and safety concerns are making sure we take necessary medications with us and ensuring we’ve had the correct vaccinations if travelling to a more exotic location.
Raising the US safety game
As the world’s oil and gas industry turns it eyes towards Houston and OTC, the foremost event for the development of offshore resources in the fields of drilling, exploration and production, I find myself reflecting on how the energy landscape in the area is changing.
Fergus Ewing ‘It’s time to address poor North Sea stewardship’
Scottish offshore excellence will once again be showcased on the world stage at this year’s Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, which I also have the pleasure of attending as Energy Minister for the third year.
Banff Academy students call for a common language on oil jobs
In our special Young Energy edition of Energy published in March, we reviewed a selection of oil industry recruitment presentations made by schools that took part in a competition run by the Society for Petroleum Engineers and International Coiled Tubing Association.
North Sea workforce 3D body scanning project gathers pace at Robert Gordon
A groundbreaking research project to measure offshore workers' body size and shape with 3D scanners in Aberdeen has assumed a dramatic relevance as a result of the Civil Aviation Authority's diktats regarding North Sea helicopters.