Subsea UK is looking to establish a regional hub in England which could bring together businesses across the subsea supply chain and help identify new opportunities within the sector.
The Industry body will host its second event in Bristol tomorrow, where around 40 businesses are estimated to be involved in the sector, which is focused on underwater activity in relation to oil and gas, defence, oceanology and marine renewables.
Neil Gordon, chief executive of Subsea UK said: “The south-west of England is home to a huge amount of innovation and expertise, particularly in the areas of oil and gas. As an organisation covering the whole of the UK, we want to help these companies exploit the potential to increase business at home and abroad.
Energy logistics company Peterson Offshore Group has created and filled two senior positions in response to growth within the business.
Netherlands-based Peterson said it had appointed Loek Sakkers as director of projects and Stephen McCrindle as supply chain manager, within its offshore business.
Mr McCrindle, who joins after three years with hydraulics industry supplier Stauff UK, will focus on the firm’s UK and Netherlands business.
The “deliberately confusing” bills provided by energy companies are the biggest barrier to consumers switching suppliers, according to a study.
Confusing tariffs and badly-presented billing information is stopping households from getting the best deal, the report by the CentreForum think-tank for comparison site comparethemarket.com claims.
The report warns that switching rates have been in decline since 2012 despite efforts by the UK Government and regulator Ofgem to make it easier to change supplier. Despite identifying general barriers to switching such as a lack of internet access, CentreForum said the biggest problem facing customers was the “deliberately confusing way that suppliers present information”.
This week's top story on Energy Voice was an opinion piece by Jeremy Cresswell regarding a potential strike by North Sea oil workers over shift patterns.
In his article, he says workers unhappy with changes that may result following the recent oil price decline, may be lost from the industry altogether.
He writes: "They deserve far better treatment. If at the end of this crisis there are once again skills shortages because the rank and file have been badly handled by bosses who should know better, then it is only what the operators deserve."
UK corporate profitability reached a 16-year high in 2014 despite easing back in the fourth quarter.
But the Office for National Statistics figures showed the oil and gas industry hit an 18-year low in the final quarter of last year.
Measured as “net rates of return”, corporate profitability for all non-financial UK firms improved to a high of 11.9% in 2014.
This was up from 11.2% in both 2013 and 2012 and a low of just 9.7% in 2009, according to analysis by economics firm IHS.
The UK and Argentina summoned each others’ ambassadors as Britain stepped up its defenses of the Falkland Islands and the South American nation filed criminal charges against oil companies operating in the area.
The Argentine Foreign Ministry said it called in the UK ambassador to explain the defense spending and revelations by former US National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden that the UK had spied on the Argentine government since 2009.
Argentine ambassador Alicia Castro was questioned by the UK after President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said the islands will be Argentine sooner or later, the Telegraph reported, citing a Foreign Office spokesman it didn’t identify.
The Argentine government “expressed its discomfort” at recent comments by UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon in which he alleged “a supposed and improbable Argentine ‘threat,’” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday.
No large scale solar farms will be built under the new green energy subsidy system in the next year, it has been revealed.
The industry hit out at “rollercoaster policies” for solar - which it said could be cheaper than gas in a few years - after it emerged neither of the two solar projects which won funding for 2015/2016 in the first renewables subsidy auction of its kind were going ahead.
It means only three of the five solar farms awarded subsidies, paid for through consumer bills, in the auction will be built in the next few years, compared to all 15 onshore wind projects which won payments under the new “Contracts for Difference” scheme.
A marine specialist firm has appointed a new sales manager to its team.
Steven Simpson will join the company, which was established in 2010, at their Aberdeen offices.
Mr Simpson brings more than 10 years of experience to the role after having previously held a number of positions within the oil and gas industry.
Firstly, seeing everyone else has had a crack at it I’d like to comment on George Osborne’s fiscal plan for the oil & gas industry.
To be honest I was somewhat underwhelmed by the chancellor’s tax plans for the UK oil & gas industry.
I still believe that Labour’s Supplementary Charge should be scrapped completely and I am very disappointed – although not at all surprised – that exploration incentives are now going to be consulted on when the Treasury has had over a year to come up with a plan.
It’s also clear now that the so-called bareboat charter tax aimed at preventing drilling contractors and others from not paying their full whack of tax in the UK is going ahead in some form or another and I’m told, may be rolled in with the new rules on taxation of overseas companies such as Amazon or Google who have been accused of shifting profits overseas and thus avoiding their full UK tax liabilities.
More support is needed from politicians to reduce energy demand and boost energy storage, according to environmental campaigners.
The call from WWF Scotland came as they published figures showing that March broke records for wind power output in Scotland.
Their analysis of data showed that wind turbines alone provided the National Grid with enough electricity to supply, on average, the energy needs of 110% of Scottish households, 2.6 million homes.
This represents an increase of 16% compared to the same period last year.
Overall, wind power generated the equivalent of 57% of Scotland’s total electricity consumption - domestic and non-domestic - for the month.
An Aberdeen firm set up by two entrepreneurs has completed a survey of its promising gas field in Australia.
Warrego Energy,founded by Dennis Donald and Duncan MacNiven, expects to drill the West Erregulla field at the end of this year or in early 2016 following completion of the seismic survey.
The company undertook significant preparatory work to ensure the site’s cultural and botanic heritage is preserved.
Sales from Scotland’s oil and gas supply chain grew by 11% in 2013/14, new figures show.
The sector recorded sales of about £7 billion through international subsidiaries, up from £6.3 billion in the previous financial year.
Direct exports from Scotland also grew by 13% over the same period, reaching a total of £4.2 billion, according to figures from Scottish Enterprise.
Combined international sales for Scottish-based supply-chain companies was up 12% to an estimated £11.2 billion while domestic sales rose from £9.9 billion to £11 billion.
David Rennie, Scottish Enterprise’s international sector head for oil and gas, said the survey showed the importance of the industry to the Scottish economy but acknowledged it faces a challenging future.
Industry body Oil & Gas UK and the Gas Forum have criticised a decision by the European Energy regulator regarding changes to the EU Network codes.
A call has been made for the UK to retain its existing ‘gas day’ of 6am until 6am.
However ACER , the European Energy Regulator, has decided that, from October 1 2015 the UK gas market will have to operate two different gas days for its upstream and downstream network.
Today,March 20, is apparently the international day of happiness, inaugurated by the United Nations in 2012! Does the oil and gas sector share that happiness after the end of an eventful week?
The start of the week saw a clarion call from Sir Ian Wood for the Chancellor to act decisively in reforming the North sea fiscal regime. Without decisive action Sir Ian warned of job losses of up to 100, 000 as the industry continues to struggle to come to terms with the oil price slump.
Aberdeen-based oil and gas firm Seafab has ceased its operations due to “insurmountable” cash flow problems brought on by the crude price collapse.
The price of oil has fallen by about 50% since last summer due to chronic over-supply, prompting energy companies to resort to drastic belt-tightening measures, often at the expense of employees.
Those at Seafab are the latest casualties. The service provider’s 23 staff members at its facility in Dyce have been made redundant.
Industry body Oil and Gas UK have hailed the North Sea package introduced by the Government as “sensible and far-sighted”.
Chief executive Malcolm Webb, said: “Today’s announcement lays the foundations for the regeneration of the UK North Sea. The industry itself must now build on this by delivering the cost and efficiency improvements required to secure its competitiveness.
“These measures send exactly the right signal to investors. They properly reflect the needs of this maturing oil and gas province and will allow the UK to compete internationally for investment.
“We also welcome the Government’s support for exploration announced today. With exploration drilling having collapsed to levels last seen in the 1970s, the announcement of £20 million for the newly formed Oil and Gas Authority to commission seismic and other surveys on the UK continental shelf (UKCS) is a very positive step.
Trade body Scottish Renewables has announced the appointment of its new chairman and vice-chairman.
Patricia Hawthorn, partner at law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn, has been appointed chairman of the renewables body while Gordon MacDougall, managing director, Western Europe at renewable developer RES, has been appointed vice-chairman.
Ms Hawthorn replaces Ronnie Bonnar, managing director of Repsol Nuevas Energias UK, who has chaired Scottish Renewables since 2013.
A three-pronged approach comprising tax incentives and cuts as well as industry cost reduction could increase North Sea production by as much as 3 billion barrels of oil by 2050, a new report has shown.
The research paper, by leading petro-economist Professor Alex Kemp and Linda Stephen, also showed how a combination of tax cuts and incentives, plus a 15% cut in industry costs, would see firms invest a further £22billion in field development as well as spend a further £23.4billion in operating costs than if things stayed as they were today.
Professor Kemp and his associate worked out a range of scenarios affecting North Sea economics ahead of tomorrow’s budget, which is expected to provide some relief for beleaguered oil and gas producers.
A north-east business body has called on the UK government to stick to its promise on cutting North Sea oil and gas taxes and to maintain fiscal stability after the general election.
The Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC) has also called for “swift delivery” of a proposed £2billion Aberdeen ‘city deal’ to boost local infrastructure and make up for the benefits other cities will get with investment in high speed rail in its manifesto ahead of the May election.
DOF Subsea S&P UK has secured a contract extension with Heerma Marine Contractors.
The contract will cover global provision of survey and positioning services on board Heerma Marine Contractor's vessels, including the Hermod, Balder, Thialf, Aegir, support vessels and anchor handlers.
The boss of Maersk Oil UK will be returning to Denmark as the firm appoints a new head of its UK business.
Martin Rune Pedersen will become head of the Danish firm’s domestic oil business, while Morten Kelstrup will become managing director in Aberdeen from 1 April 2015.
Mr Rune Pedersen has been managing director of the business since 2010. He has worked for the firm for 17 years following a career as an officer in the Danish Army.
Industry body Oil & Gas UK has announced Deirdre Michie as its first female chief executive.
She will take on the role following the departure of Malcolm Webb in May, joining the team from Shell, where her career has spanned almost 30 years in senior UK and global upstream and downstream management positions.
Her appointment follows a search by the board of Oil & Gas UK led by the Curzon Partnership.
Having worked extensively in both operator and supply chain orientated roles, she brings significant experience of the upstream oil and gas industry, with a strong and proven background in strategic contracting and procurement, commercial negotiation and communications.
Premier Oil has reduced investments on the back of the decline in oil price, but its chief executive insists the company could finance the purchase of new North Sea assets in 2015.
The company, which has operations in the North Sea, Falkland Islands and Indonesia, reported a loss of $210.3million.
Premier said its losses had been mainly caused by impairment charges of $328million relating to some of its field in the North Sea.
Cheap and popular solar power has lost out in an auction of contracts for green energy projects worth more than £315 million, the industry has claimed.
The first auction of its kind has awarded subsidies, paid from consumer bills, to 27 renewable electricity projects which together could power 1.4 million homes - equivalent to all the households in Wales.
But just five solar farms, which were competing with other “established“ technologies such as onshore wind and hydro for a share of a £50 million pot, have secured contracts for 71 megawatts (MW) of power.
Fifteen onshore wind farms, providing 10 times as much capacity (749MW), have secured subsidies in the auction.
Offshore wind was competing as a less mature technology in a separate part of the auction which accounted for the majority of the £315 million, and secured contracts for two wind farms with a combined capacity of 1,162MW.
The Mexican president will visit Aberdeen next week to sign an energy collaboration agreement, it has been confirmed.
Enrique Pena Nieto will formally announce the memoranda of understanding at a meeting with North Sea leaders in the Town House on Thursday.
He will be hosted by Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael and Energy Minister Matt Hancock.
In the afternoon, he will visit Robert Gordon University to meet academics and view a presentation on the energy sector, before viewing a demonstration of the Drilling and Advanced Rig Training Simulator.
