The eagerly awaited Energy Bill was published on Friday, setting out the proposed new statutory powers anticipated by the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) Framework Document published in April of this year.
The Bill sets out the details of the tools that the OGA will use to implement the MER UK Strategy, working in conjunction with other governmental departments and the oil and gas industry.
Undoubtedly it is the new powers to be conferred on the OGA – rather than simply the transfer of existing powers from the Secretary of State – that will be of particular interest to those in the sector.
The role of the OGA (Oil and Gas Authority) has been strengthened with backing of the Government’s Energy Bill published today.
Earlier this year it was announced the body would have a number of powers it would be able to enforce as part of its remit.
The move has been made as part of the implementation of the Wood Review last year and the Oil and Gas Fiscal Review which helped to establish the OGA.
Led by chief executive Andy Samuel, the government has handed the body a raft of powers.
A £20million programme of seismic surveys in the UK continental shelf will get under way within weeks, the energy industry’s regulator said today in Aberdeen.
The programme − announced in the last Budget − is aimed at stoking North Sea drilling, which is currently at an all-time low.
Gunther Newcombe, director of exploration and production at the Oil and Gas Authority, said the surveys would cover an expanse of 15,000 to 20,000 kilometres with data slated for release in the second quarter of 2016.
Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) chief executive Andy Samuel will deliver the keynote speech at today’s Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) conference.
The industry leader, who was tasked with carving out the new regulatory body’s role in the sector, will discuss why the industry must simplify its current landscape and ‘ruthlessly prioritise and focus on the things that really matter – value and urgency’.
Oil & Gas UK and industry regulator the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) have both welcomed the energy bill announced earlier today.
The Government introduced its energy bill which included a raft of new measures aimed at increasing energy security and boosting domestic oil and gas production, including giving the OGA the powers to create a robust, independent regulator and enable it to maximise the economic recovery of oil and gas from UK waters.
The Conservatives also want to see a change in the law which will remove the need for the Energy Secretary to approve large wind farms of more than 50 megawatts (MW) in England and Wales.
Andy Samuel, Chief Executive of the Oil and Gas Authority said:“We welcome the Energy Bill announced at today’s State Opening of Parliament, which will give the Oil and Gas Authority the powers it needs to become a robust, independent and effective regulator, and enable it to maximise the economic recovery of oil and gas from the UK Continental Shelf.
Shell has a new boss at the helm of its UK North Sea business after Glen Cayley, who was the oil and gas giant’s upstream director for the region, left to join the new Oil and Gas Authority (OGA).
Paul Goodfellow took over as Shell’s upstream vice-president for the UK and Ireland last month in a low-profile change.
One of his first tasks was to oversee last week’s announcement of 250 job cuts and changes to offshore shift patterns.
Mr Goodfellow was previously unconventionals vice-president, US and Canada, for Shell’s upstream business in the Americas.
Before that, he was onshore development vice-president in the Americas upstream operations, with responsibility for field development planning, technical and technology functions.
Operators have set out how they plan to improve operations and boost production in the UKCS (UK Continental Shelf).
The North Sea's top 20 oil and gas producers have fulfilled the requirement to present “stewardship improvement plans” as required by the OGA (Oil and Gas Authority).
These will be used to improve efficiency by 30% to 40% following a decade of decline and a five-fold rise in exploration costs.
A number of companies including BP, Shell and GE Oil and Gas have all made submissions.
The UK’s newly-minted oil and gas industry regulator has appointed Sir Patrick Brown as its chairman, Energy Secretary Ed Davey said today.
The establishment of the fledgling Oil and Gas Authority (OGA), headed by chief executive Andy Samuel, was called for in last year’s Wood Review, which set out a series of recommendations aimed at maximising the recovery of UK fossil fuels.
Andy Samuel, the head of the new Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) last night published an “urgent call to action” to the industry and government in the face of the “significant risks” facing the North Sea industry.
The paper was prepared in response to Secretary of State Ed Davey’s demand in January that the fledgling OGA to identify key risks to oil and gas production following a more than 60% decline in oil prices.
The report outlined key risks to the sector as well as the OGA’s top priorities as it becomes the North Sea’s official regulator in April .
Sir Ian Wood charged to the defence of the new Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) yesterday, saying big pay deals for its bosses were essential for attracting the best talent.
The former Wood Group chairman and chief executive hit back at criticism of the OGA over £150,000-plus salaries for its top team.
It was Sir Ian’s Wood Review of the oil and gas industry last year that paved the way for the new regulatory body, which is now taking shape around chief executive Andy Samuel.
In his blueprint for maximising economic recovery for the UK North Sea amid stiff global competition, Sir Ian said a new regulator with broader skills and capabilities was needed to “significantly enhance” co-ordination and co-operation in the industry.
A trio of recruits to the senior management team at the new North Sea oil and gas industry regulator are poised to join the ranks of the UK’s best-paid civil servants.
Their salaries and those of existing members of the Oil and Gas Authority’s executive lineup has prompted concern about excessive pay.
The recently launched OGA is offering £150,000-plus salaries for the people it needs to fill three top level posts.
Two of the vacancies are in Aberdeen, with the Granite City-based regulator seeking a director for offshore exploration and production and another for technology and projects to join its top team.
A recruitment campaign has been launched by the recently appointed chief executive of the OGA (Oil and Gas Authority) to attract a number of high-calibre leaders to senior level roles with the North Sea regulator.
Andy Samuel recently confirmed the appointment of the first three members of his leadership earlier this month.
Now the search is continuing for the three remaining executive level directors, as well as four further senior leaders, who will be influential in delivering the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) maximising economic recovery strategy.
Mr Samuel, said: “The recent decline in the global oil price has magnified the challenges facing the UK oil and gas industry.
The first senior appointments to the new Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) have been made.
Chief executive, Andy Samuel, has selected the first of his three directors of the new regulatory body, created following Sir Ian Wood's review of the UK oil and gas industry in 2014.
The chief executive of the newly formed Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has taken up his new role.
Andy Samuel was appointed in November last year following the establishment of the independent body.
Its creation was an integral part of the recommendations made by Sir Ian Wood as part of a review into maximising the UK’s offshore oil and gas resources.
Eyebrows were raised after it emerged that the incoming chairman of the new oil and gas regulator would enjoy a £100,000 pay packet for a job that requires just 2.5 days a week work.
The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA), formed on the recommendation of the Wood Review, is on the hunt for a chairman or woman after it recruited former BG Group boss Andy Samuel as its new chief executive.
Mr Samuel, who takes up his new job on January 1, will be paid £250,000 per year.
The newly appointed Oil and Gas authority (OGA) chief executive said the biggest challenge the industry faced was a change in culture and behaviour in the industry.
Andy Samuel, BG managing director, was named as the man to take the helm of the new industry body during a visit with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander in Aberdeen.
Mr Samuel said he wanted to work at pace but with “wisdom” to ensure no “false starts” were made as the industry body moved a step further to becoming fully operational.
Speaking at Archer’s headquarters in Blackburn, he said: “I think I want to work at pace but with wisdom, we don’t want to make any false starts.
“We need to work together in a tripartite relationship. The industry, the OGA and the government closely working together is vital.
