A trade union has claimed that the windfall from dismantling redundant oil platforms in the North Sea could reach £75billion.
The GMB union said oil decommissioning will create thousands of jobs for the north-east, but added the Scottish Government must ramp up its efforts to ensure Scotland does not miss out.
Union official Alan Ritchie valued the industry at between £50billion to £75billion, but is concerned much of that cash will be lost overseas.
He told The Press and Journal it was “terrible” that Scotland had missed out on the decommissioning of an installation from the Brent oil field to Hartlepool.
Mr Ritchie said: We have been raising the issue about decommissioning for well over a year.
“We have been saying to the Scottish Government that we should be making preparations and getting the industry geared up, so we are not behind everyone else. But there does not seem to be the impetus.
“The first one going to the north of England strikes a fear that the rest of the rigs could be going the same way.”
He added that he feared the trade being shipped out to Europe and Asia and issued a warning over safety issues if the lowest bidders were allowed to win the contracts.
The Scottish Government has already been accused of failing to wake up to the opportunities presented by oil decommissioning.
Labour MSP Jenny Marra has lambasted the situation where oil platforms are “sailing past” Dundee and other Scottish ports to be decommissioned in England.
Patrick Harvie, the joint leader of the Scottish Greens, said Scotland must “accelerate activity” in oil decommissioning, which should be “our principal focus”.
Nicola Sturgeon responded that the matter was in hand and warned against prematurely giving up on the industry when there are billions of barrels of oil and gas still to be extracted from the North Sea.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said they are “committed to investing in the necessary infrastructure to support decommissioning activity in Scotland”.
She added: “Our commitment is also demonstrated through the £2.4million of public support from the Scottish Government and Highlands & Islands Enterprise to develop the Dales Voe Quay in Shetland.
“[Such] projects of strategic importance will enable Scotland to compete in winning contracts for lucrative decommissioning work.
“The Oil & Gas Innovation Centre, supported by £10 million funding from the Scottish Government, represents a very positive step in the right direction in ensuring adequate support exists to ensure the supply chain is able to capture future decommissioning activity.”
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