Have you heard the one where the oil company recovered 4,000 lost working days a year by improving its offshore and site recruitment processes? Or what about the one where an app provides real-time information on vessel sharing?
In an age where fake news, sad news and worrying news seem to generate more heat than light, it can be easy to lose sight of where progress is being made.
You might not have heard it yet, but there is a positive story to tell about the UK’s offshore oil and gas industry. The Efficiency Task Force needs your help to spread the good news.
Led by industry for industry, the ETF works to seek out, promote and provide access to efficient practice while maintaining safe operations. Every day we hear about exciting new initiatives or technologies which are unlocking change in the UK Continental Shelf. The facts show our relentless focus on efficiency is reaping results.
Unit operating costs have halved since 2014 to around $14 per barrel, with companies now more resilient to fluctuations in oil price.
Production has increased by 16% in this time, driven by production efficiency improvements and new field start-ups.
These positive signs aren’t a chance happening. They are the direct result of our focus on working smarter and more efficiently.
Behind the high-level statistics are the stories of companies and people championing innovative technology, working collaboratively and challenging old habits.
Our online Efficiency Hub hosts more than 100 case studies and is a valuable resource in our collective endeavour to continuously improve how we work.
The ETF shares some of these stories at its roadshow events which take the case for change directly to companies. Last year we delivered seven roadshows and reached more than 500 people. This year we plan to do even more.
While we work hard to keep efficiency at the top of the agenda through our events, guidelines and efficiency champions network, the task force recognises it has a role to play in promoting and sharing successes.
It’s why we created the online Efficiency Hub to serve as a one stop gateway for the sector to share and learn lessons.
Our proactive approach has generated global interest and attendees at a recent roadshow were encouraged to learn that the ETF has presented to colleagues in Canada, Australia and Mexico. Their surprise served
as a good reminder that we need to get better at selling our successes if we are serious about improving our competitiveness and reaping its rewards.
Working smarter is essential to realising Vision 2035, where oil and gas will continue to provide secure, affordable energy to the UK for many decades to come. The tentative signs of recovery we are beginning to see are built on more sustainable and more efficient foundations.
This is the case we must continue to make to those who make easy assumptions about going back to old ways. It’s this positive story which the Efficiency Task Force needs your help to tell.
Dr Mariesha Jaffray is continuous improvement manager for Oil & Gas UK
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