Delay rumbles on for BP Aberdeen office move

As Shell gets set to move into its new office in Aberdeen, delays are afoot for a similar move for Big Oil rival BP (LON: BP).

BP revealed in December 2020 that it would be leaving its North Sea headquarters on Wellheads Avenue in Dyce for a smaller premises at Aberdeen International Business Park (AIBP).

At the time, BP said the move was expected to complete “towards the end of 2021”.

Another push to the timeline was announced was in May 2021 when Savills and Knight Frank were appointed joint agents for the building.

At the time it was said redevelopment work would start once BP vacates the site in “December 2022”.

A BP spokesperson told EV the “relocation to Aberdeen International Business Park has been delayed and we have extended our lease at our current North Sea Headquarters”.

The company made no comment on why there’s been the multi-year delay, or when the move might take place, due to ongoing commercial discussions.

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BP’s new site, in the same premises as firms including Aker Solutions in Dyce, is half the size of its current base at 100,000 square feet.

The firm employs roughly 2,000 people UK-wide, with Aberdeen and London its largest offices.

It comes as Shell is due to move into its new base, on Aberdeen’s Union Street, imminently, having struck a deal for use of 80% of the nearby Chapel Street car park during weekdays.

Offshore wind

BP intends to set up an offshore wind centre of excellence in Aberdeen as part of its £10bn ScotWind plans.

The firm is also heavily investing in Port of Leith as part of the bid, which recently found success through Forth Ports’ freeport status success, which covers Leith as well as Rosyth, Burntisland, Grangemouth and Edinburgh Airport.

Aberdeen meanwhile missed out.

However, BP said it has no intention to change its investment plans as a result of the freeport status.

That’s after Jeremy Cresswell and Aberdeen University  professor Tavis Potts questioned the impact of the freeport status allocation in Energy Voice – read more here.