Scottish energy minster Paul Wheelhouse is set to lead strategic task force meetings on the future of the North Sea workforce during the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is understood the group will hear directly from the sector and supply chain on the immediate impact and response to coronavirus, and the predicted medium to longer term challenges caused by the crash in oil and gas prices.
The extraordinary meeting of the Strategic Leadership Group took place on April2 and will be followed by a further meeting on the oil and gas sector and the energy transition on May 7.
Mr Wheelhouse, who will chair the meetings, will be joined by the Oil and Gas Authority, Oil and Gas UK, trades unions, offshore operators, downstream sector representatives and supply chain companies and wider industry representatives.
The meetings will be convened virtually.
Outcomes from the task force will then be liaised between the Scottish and UK Governments.
Mr Wheelhouse said: “The Strategic Leadership Group, which I will convene next week, will adopt a task force approach that will initially focus on the COVID-19 response, the longer term economic response and the route map for energy transition.
“It will complement and reinforce work already underway, and identify any gaps in support.
“We must ensure the industry and its supply chain continue to have a sustainable future in the longer term and that it can fulfil the important role we need it to perform in the energy transition in areas such as carbon capture utilisation and storage, the hydrogen economy and developing floating offshore wind.”
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