News

Blog post: Climate change litigation – a new class of action

Ahead of Oil & Gas UK's business breakfast "Energy Transition: Upholding our Licence to Operate" on Tuesday 13th November, Mark Clarke and Tallat Hussain from event sponsor White & Case LLP provide an overview of current considerations in climate change litigation. The transition to a lower global carbon economy has been entrenched in [...]

By Lucy Buglass Nov 9, 2018

Ninth offshore decommissioning conference to tackle cost and collaboration challenges

The ninth Offshore Decommissioning Conference run jointly by Oil & Gas UK and Decom North Sea, takes place from 26 - 28 November at the Fairmont Hotel, St Andrews, with around 450 industry professionals expected to attend. Over the past decade, decommissioning of the North Sea's oil & gas assets and infrastructure has steadily risen within [...]

By Lucy Gordon Nov 5, 2018

Book fuels industry to inspire next generation of female talent

Kay Heidenreich of Oil & Gas UK officially launches her book at an event in Aberdeen on Friday, November 2 Over 120 people from across the UK’s oil and gas industry gathered in Aberdeen today to mark the launch of a new book which aims to inspire the next generation of female talent. Author and Oil & Gas UK operations optimisation manager, [...]

By Dionne Abolghassem Nov 2, 2018

Inspiring industry leaders and pioneering projects recognised at annual awards

The finalists and winners of the Oil & Gas UK Awards 2018 celebrate   An inspirational graduate whose safety initiatives have led the way for critical emergency response plans offshore, and an industry-leading project which championed collaboration were among those who secured accolades last night (Thursday, November 2) at the Oil & [...]

By Dionne Abolghassem Nov 2, 2018

Innovation takes centre stage as supply chain eyes future growth 

  New developments, exciting opportunities and increasing optimism dominated Oil & Gas UK’s Share Fair today where major buyer companies highlighted the wave of UK North Sea opportunities to companies keen to understand the growing market for their expertise, products and services.   More than 550 people from industry attended to [...]

By Lucy Gordon Oct 31, 2018

New book set to ignite girls’ energy ambitions

An inspirational new book which shines a light on leading women in the UK’s offshore oil and gas industry will be published this week. Titled “The Oil Industry’s Best Kept Secret: A book full of inspiration and advice”, the project, penned by Oil & Gas UK Operations Optimisation manager Katy Heidenreich, aims to encourage more girls to [...]

By Natalie Coupar Oct 31, 2018

New interactive dashboard to unlock industry efficiencies and “optimise” businesses

  A new interactive online tool which aims to help oil and gas firms “streamline and optimise” for the future will be launched at Oil & Gas UK’s revamped Share Fair this week. The industry’s Efficiency Task Force (ETF) is gearing up to exhibit at this year’s event on Wednesday, October 31 – and will unveil a new online [...]

By Dionne Abolghassem Oct 30, 2018

Commitment to maintaining fiscal conditions welcomed by industry

Oil & Gas UK has welcomed the UK Government’s commitment to maintain fiscal conditions in recognition of industry’s hard work in improving its competitiveness, following the publication of the government's 2018 Budget this afternoon. Chancellor Phillip Hammond announced that the current headline tax rate will continue.  He also [...]

By Natalie Coupar Oct 29, 2018

Innovators’ ideas come under expert scrutiny at Oil & Gas UK’s Share Fair

Industry experts from Equinor, Premier Oil, Spirit Energy and Nexen Petroleum U.K. Limited (Nexen), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC Limited, have selected seven forward-thinking companies and organisations to participate in Oil & Gas UK’s new Innovation Forum which launches at Share Fair in Aberdeen’s Exhibition and Conference Centre on October [...]

By Lucy Gordon Oct 25, 2018

Company experts join forces to re-launch key Oil & Gas UK network

  Mariesha Jaffray, Oil & Gas UK's Continuous Improvement Manager Over 50 oil and gas company representatives have been nominated as part of a key network re-launch that Oil & Gas UK is spearheading under its Efficiency Task Force (ETF). Set up in 2015, the Continuous Improvement Network looks to better understand the nature of [...]

By Dionne Abolghassem Oct 25, 2018

New developments show conditions breathing fresh life into basin

Commenting on news that Zennor Petroleum Limited has been given field development plan approval for the Finlaggan field in the Central North Sea, and BP has received field development plan approval for its Alligin development west of Shetland, Oil & Gas UK Upstream Policy Director Mike Tholen said: “This brings the total number of new field [...]

By Dionne Abolghassem Oct 22, 2018

Industry scholarships awarded for Petroleum Data Management courses

Four petroleum data management students have been awarded scholarships funded by Common Data Access (CDA), a subsidiary of Oil & Gas UK which provides data management services to the UK oil and gas industry. Wonuola Scott from Aberdeen and Nora Ribera from Argentina will study the Graduate Certificate course at Robert Gordon University while [...]

By Lucy Buglass Oct 10, 2018

Shell proceeds with Arran field development marking confidence in UKCS

Commenting on the news today that Shell has announced a final investment decision (FID) for the Arran field in the North Sea – whilst also becoming operator of the project – Oil & Gas UK’s Upstream Policy Director, Mike Tholen, said: “This is a significant announcement from Shell, marking its fourth FID in the UK North Sea this year, [...]

By Dionne Abolghassem Oct 10, 2018

OGA report on UKCS operating costs reflects period of stability

  Commenting on OGA's report published today on UKCS operating costs, Oil & Gas UK's Market Intelligence Manager, Ross Dornan, said: “The UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) is a more attractive investment proposition today which is evidenced by recent commitments and discoveries – our challenge now is to encourage continued investment [...]

By Dionne Abolghassem Oct 9, 2018

No room for complacency despite industry health and safety improvements

The UK’s offshore oil and gas industry continued to see improvement across a broad range of health and safety indicators last year, according to a key insight into the health and safety landscape published by Oil & Gas UK today (Wednesday 3 October). Findings from the leading representative body’s Health and Safety Report 2018 showed a continued [...]

By Natalie Coupar Oct 3, 2018

New decommissioning team unveiled

  Oil & Gas UK has appointed a team of decommissioning experts in a move that underlines the industry body’s strengthened capacity to serve the growing decommissioning needs of its members and key stakeholders. The decommissioning market in the North Sea is forecast to grow steadily and is likely to be worth £1.8 billion per annum [...]

By Lucy Buglass Oct 1, 2018

Industry efficiency taskforce to host key roadshow on subsea knowledge and best practice

Oil & Gas UK’s Efficiency Task Force (ETF) is hosting a free roadshow next month in a bid to share best practice in the subsea sector. In collaboration with Subsea UK and Scottish Enterprise, the event will explore and share ways in which the subsea community can work together to improve the competitiveness of the UKCS (UK Continental Shelf). Attendees [...]

By Dionne Abolghassem Sep 27, 2018

BP’s Vorlich development approval bolsters confidence in region

Commenting on BP’s Vorlich development approval, Oil & Gas UK Upstream Policy Director Mike Tholen said: “The Vorlich development gives us a view into the future of the UK Continental Shelf and news of its FDP approval will further bolster confidence in the region. BP’s focus on efficiency, innovation and collaboration confirms its commitment [...]

By Lucy Buglass Sep 27, 2018

Oil & Gas UK comments on Total’s Glendronach discovery

Commenting on the news that Total has made a significant gas discovery West of Shetland, Oil & Gas UK’s chief executive, Deirdre Michie, said: “This is a major discovery by Total which demonstrates the exciting potential the West of Shetland frontier region holds. The focus on quick commercialisation of this find, made viable by the UKCS’ [...]

By Lucy Buglass Sep 24, 2018

Verus Petroleum acquisition shows improved competitiveness of UKCS

  Commenting on the news that Verus Petroleum announced a multi-million pound deal for North Sea assets, Oil & Gas UK Upstream Policy Director Mike Tholen said: “This multi-million-pound transaction stands to be a neat illustration of how the hard work to improve the attractiveness of the UK Continental Shelf is enabling a diverse range [...]

By Dionne Abolghassem Sep 21, 2018

Tailwind Energy confirms Columbus Field Development, EOG UK acquisition

Following the completed acquisition of the UK unit of EOG Resources, Tailwind Energy Ltd has confirmed sanction of the Columbus Development in the UK North Sea. The project recently received approval for a Field Development Plan (FDP) from the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA), as announced by Serica Energy in October 2018. Following its acquisition of [...]

By Andrew Dykes Nov 12, 2018

CHC to take on 12 new UK apprentices

CHC Helicopter is recruiting 12 new apprentice engineers as it looks to strengthen its capabilities in the UK. The company currently employs approximately 100 engineers in its main operational centre in Aberdeen and other UK locations at Humberside and Norwich, and is presently recruiting additional licensed engineers for its Aberdeen business. Read [...]

By Andrew Dykes Nov 8, 2018

Technology to drive safety improvements, says Petrotechnics PSM report

Petrotechnics has released part two of its 2018 Operational Risk and Process Safety Management (PSM) report, suggesting that technology is expected to help drive improvements in process safety and operational risk management (ORM). In part one, insights from more than 100 senior industry leaders revealed significant areas of concern, including the [...]

By Andrew Dykes Oct 29, 2018

Alpha Petroleum to deploy Teekay FPSO to Cheviot field

Alpha Petroleum Resources has entered into agreements with Teekay Offshore for use of the Petrojarl Varg Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit, to be deployed to the Cheviot oil field. The agreements will facilitate Cheviot-specific process modifications to be made to the FPSO unit, ensuring that it can safely operate for the maximum [...]

By Andrew Dykes Oct 25, 2018

Zennor secures OGA approval for Finlaggan field development

Zennor Petroleum has received approval from the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) to proceed with the Finlaggan Field development in the central North Sea (block 21/05c). It has also secured a £170 million senior secured term loan facility to fund the development into production. The project to recover 26 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe) of 2P [...]

By Andrew Dykes Oct 23, 2018

BP receives OGA approval to develop Alligin field

The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has approved BP’s plans to proceed with the Alligin development. Located 140km west of Shetland in the Greater Schiehallion Area, the development will target 20 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe), and at peak is expected to produce 12,000 boe per day. Operated by BP (50%) and partner Shell (50%), the project [...]

By Andrew Dykes Oct 22, 2018

Stork awarded asset integrity contract extension by Chrysaor

Stork, part of Fluor’s Diversified Services segment, has been awarded a two-year contract extension by Chrysaor to deliver integrated specialist asset integrity services for its Armada, Everest and Lomond offshore production platforms in the central North Sea. Under the extension, Stork will continue to deliver a range of solutions to extend the [...]

By Andrew Dykes Oct 19, 2018

Crondall Energy to support Cambo field development

Floating production and subsea specialist Crondall Energy has secured a frame agreement contract with Siccar Point Energy to provide support on the Cambo field, west of Shetland. The contract will initially cover the identification and evaluation of FPSO options for the development and pre-FEED technical assurance of the subsea design. The FPSO scope [...]

By Andrew Dykes Oct 16, 2018

Prosafe Safe Zephyrus chartered by BP for 2019

BP has chartered the Prosafe accommodation vessel Safe Zephyrus to provide gangway-connected operations at the Clair Ridge platform west of Shetland during summer 2019. The US$19 million, five-month contract commences mid-May 2019, with a one-month option, and will support the completion of some post-first oil scopes at the project. The contract [...]

By Andrew Dykes Oct 12, 2018

BHGE partners with Strathclyde’s AFRC

The University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) and Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE), have joined forces to explore how new advanced manufacturing tools and processes can drive more efficient, smarter ways to reduce cost and increase productivity across BHGE’s operations. BHGE will work with the AFRC’s team of engineers [...]

By Andrew Dykes Oct 12, 2018

Shell invests in the Arran field in the North Sea

Shell UK Limited, alongside partners Rockrose Energy and Dyas U.K. Limited, has announced a final investment decision (FID) for the Arran gas and condensate field in the UK North Sea. This is Shell's fourth FID announcement in the North Sea in 2018, and will also see it become operator of the Arran project. At peak production, Arran is expected [...]

By Andrew Dykes Oct 10, 2018

Awilco Drilling signs contract with Shell

Awilco Drilling has signed a contract amendment with Shell UK, granting three additional options on the WilPhoenix rig. Each option covers the drilling of a single exploration well within or at the end of the current decommissioning programme, with options to be declared by 31 August 2019. WilPhoenix is one of Awilco Drilling's two Enhanced Pacesetter [...]

By Andrew Dykes Oct 9, 2018

Petrofac secures contract extension with Chevron

Petrofac’s Engineering and Production Services (EPS) division has secured a 12-month engineering services contract extension from Chevron North Sea Limited (Chevron). The agreement, which has been held by Petrofac since 2014, commenced on 30 September. The contract will see Petrofac continue to provide engineering support to key Chevron North Sea [...]

By Andrew Dykes Oct 5, 2018

OGTC opens second round of TechX Pioneer programme

The Oil & Gas Technology Centre (OGTC) has launched the next round of its TechX Pioneers programme. The accelerator and incubator is backed by more than 120 industry partners and mentors, and is aimed at enabling a select group of start-up developers to take their solutions to market faster. Supported by strategic partner BP Ventures, the Pioneer [...]

By Andrew Dykes Oct 2, 2018

Equinor acquires 40% stake in Rosebank project

Equinor has signed an agreement to acquire Chevron’s 40% operated interest in the Rosebank project, one of the largest undeveloped fields on the UK Continental Shelf. The Rosebank field was discovered in 2004 and lies about 130 km north west of the Shetland Islands in water depths of approximately 1,110m. The other partners in the field are Suncor [...]

By Andrew Dykes Oct 1, 2018

BMT and Sonardyne collaborate on subsea monitoring

Engineering consultancy BMT and subsea technology company Sonardyne International have signed an agreement to provide integrated marine integrity monitoring solutions to the oil and gas industry. BMT’s monitoring and analysis capabilities will be paired with Sonardyne’s expertise in autonomous, long-endurance data collection and through-water telemetry. Announced [...]

By Andrew Dykes Sep 28, 2018

BP receives OGA approval to develop in central North Sea

BP has announced that they have received from the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) to proceed with the Vorlich development in the central North Sea. The development will target 30 million barrels of oil equivalent and is expected to produce 20,000 barrels gross of oil equivalent a day at peak. The £200 million project is is expected to come onstream [...]

By Katie Lazell Sep 27, 2018

BP receives OGA approval to develop Vorlich field

BP has received approval from the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) to proceed with the Vorlich development in the central North Sea. The £200 million project will target 30 million barrels of oil equivalent and is expected to produce 20,000 boepd at peak. The two-well development will be tied back to the Ithaca Energy-operated FPF-1 floating production [...]

By Andrew Dykes Sep 27, 2018

New EXCEED contracts support growth strategy

Well management specialist EXCEED Energy has underlined its continued global expansion with a number of significant contract wins and a move into new Aberdeen premises. Recent contract wins totalling over £18 million will see EXCEED deliver well management services offshore The Gambia for a southern hemisphere-based exploration company, as well [...]

By Andrew Dykes Sep 26, 2018

New emergency response simulator arrives at Montrose Port

Montrose Port Authority, a major support and service hub for the energy industry, has welcomed its latest tenant – behavioural safety specialist Ethos Empowerment. Ethos has invested a six-figure sum in a new facility at the Port to deliver interactive emergency response training sessions. In addition, the company has launched its latest oil and [...]

By Andrew Dykes Sep 26, 2018