The impact of the energy sector’s drive to become more efficient will be fully revealed at a major conference this week.
Deidre Michie, chief executive of industry body Oil and Gas UK (OGUK), is the keynote speaker at the Southern North Conference in Norwich, which kicks-off on Wednesday.
The two-day event, organised by East of England Energy Group (EEERG) is themed around collaboration, innovation and rejuvenation.
In her speech, Ms Michie will say the southern North Sea is helping lead the way in effective cost-management with the region delivering 20% lower operating costs than the rest of the UK Continental Shelf last year.
Ms Michie will say: “Collaboration, innovation and rejuvenation, the themes of EEEGR’s conference this year, are powerful words. They sum up our industry’s positive approach to managing tough business conditions to ensure continued energy security for the UK, revenue for the economy and the sustaining of hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country.
“At SNS2018, I will share what’s behind our industry’s improving performance and growing optimism and also our experience of initiatives that deliver greater efficiency and competitiveness for the sector as a whole.
“This is a powerful demonstration of the expertise of the supply chain which has developed world class capabilities over the past 50 years. It is the reason why we consider the East of England to be a key hub for some of the industry’s most progressive companies including well engineering specialists, data interpretation consultancies and engineering consultants to name but a few.”
SNS 2018 will also focus on areas including offshore wind, late life and decommissioning and nuclear energy.
OGUK’s efficiency taskforce will be presenting a roadshow at the event as well as be on-hand for drop-in sessions to help firms understand the resources available to them to improve their competitiveness.
Dr Mariesha Jaffray, the OGUK’s continuous improvement manager, said: “2018 will be a critical year for the UK offshore oil and gas industry to improve its competitiveness.
“The industry’s world-class supply chain is spread throughout the UK and we want to make sure the efficiency message is spread far and wide. We’re focused on extending our programme of roadshows which are designed to encourage interaction and highlight how businesses can benefit from the initiatives, tools and guidance the Efficiency Task Force has developed. The events also provide an invaluable opportunity for participants to explore areas of inefficiency and identify projects that are great examples of smarter working practices.
“These initiatives are having a positive impact as the industry has safely delivered both cost reductions and increased production and capital efficiency. This year we’ve already seen evidence, including the news about drilling activity in the SNS’s Chiswick field,that the basin is attracting investment – and the key priority is ramp up our efficiency efforts to maintain and build on that momentum.”