Off-payroll rule changes could widen North Sea skills gap
The UK North Sea oil and gas industry may suffer further skills shortages after a widely expected tax grab on working practices, an expert has warned.
Pinsent Masons
Budget: Bob Ruddiman believes tax changes will act as North Sea ‘incentive’
Bob Ruddiman, head of oil and gas at legal firm Pinsent Masons, has welcomed Chancellor Philip Hammond’s Budget tax reform on Transferable Tax Histories for North Sea oil and gas operators.
Opinion: Next government must deliver energy diversity…in a strong, stable way
There can be few people in the UK who will not welcome some respite from hearing the phrase “strong and stable” but for those of us working in energy, a strong and stable energy policy is just what is required.
Opinion: Time to bang drum for UK oil industry
A substantial number from Aberdeen’s oil and gas community are this week on the other side of the Atlantic as OTC kicks off in Houston and never has there been a more important time for those involved in the energy sector to be banging the drum for the UK oil and gas industry.
Bourbon Dolphin remembered 10 years after disaster
A marine disaster which caused the greatest loss of life in the North Sea since Piper Alpha has been remembered ten years after the Bourbon Dolphin capsised with the loss of eight lives.
North Sea on crest of “third wave of evolution”
North Sea oil and gas is on the crest of a “third wave” in its evolution following a series of major deals worth more than $6billion (£4.8billion), energy professionals have claimed.
Gender pay rules pose reputation threat to oil companies
Falling into line with new gender pay gap regulations could prove to be an onerous task for small- to mid-sized oil and gas companies, according an employment law expert at Pinsent Masons.
Ruddiman says Opec deal ‘not the end of the story’
The breakthrough on oil production by Opec members is “not the end of the story”, a leading industry lawyer warned yesterday.
Forth Ports targets decommissioning with £10million facility in Dundee
The Port of Dundee is pressing ahead with plans to grasp opportunities in the North Sea decommissioning market with the establishment of a £10million waste management facility.
Junior market aims for reluctant Scottish firms
Scotland is lagging behind the rest of the UK in the number of companies represented on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) it was claimed at an event yesterday.
Bob Ruddiman: New energy secretary has “impossibly wide remit”
His new title – secretary of state for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) – is “challenging” but Greg Clark, the new "energy secretary" to all intents and purposes, arrived in Aberdeen this week for his first "meet and greet" with industry and civic leaders.
North Sea faces losing skills workers and R&D funding in wake of Brexit
The UK’s oil and gas industry faces losing skilled workers and research and development funding in the wake of the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, a lawyer has warned.
Pinsent Masons and Brodies hail revenue increases
Two law firms with operations in Aberdeen managed to grow their revenues in 2015/16, they revealed today. Pinsent Masons recorded global turnover of £382.3million in the year to April 30, 2016, up 5.5% on the previous 12 months. The firm’s profits per partner increased by 2.3% to £550,000.
Blowing in the wind: Brexit storm for renewables
The UK’s renewable energy industry could be harmed by Brexit with the loss of incentives to develop a low-carbon economy, legal experts have warned.
Budget 2016: Law firm adds to North Sea pressure on the chancellor
Oil and gas experts at international law firm Pinsent Masons are calling for a package of North Sea concessions to be unveiled by Chancellor George Osborne during this week’s Budget.
Opinion: The industry’s gender pay gap
The publishing of gender pay gaps by employers has been expected, although the prospect of sector-based league tables has come as more of a surprise. Now the pressure is on businesses to get their act together and meet this challenge head on.
New Iran opportunities for Scottish firms – but issues with US remain
The lifting of sanctions on Iran is good news for Scottish exporters and oil and gas service companies, but a legal expert has warned that with a US trade embargo still in place, Western banks remain reluctant to support Iranian related businesses.