New Chinese investment in N. Sea know-how to create 10 new energy jobs in Edinburgh

China’s iRes-Geo Technology has opened its first Scottish base at Heriot Watt University’s Research Park as the company aims to expand its North Sea and global business.

It will initially create 10 new energy jobs in Edinburgh with plans to see its Scottish operation grow into a substantial hub.

The company, which specialises in geosciences and reservoir technology, recognises Scotland’s strengths in the subsurface engineering market and aims to capitalise on these to maximise its opportunities in exploration, appraisal, development and field maturation projects.

A spokeswoman for Scottish Development International – a Scot-Govt quango –  said: “This announcement is welcome news for Scotland’s oil and gas sector and reinforces our world-wide reputation as being a global hub for oil and gas activity.

“Our skills, experience and expertise together with our world-class training facilities and strengths in innovation made Scotland the location of choice for iRes-Geo Technology. Despite the current challenges that we are all aware of, investments such as these demonstrate we are still seen as an attractive long-term location.

“Our teams in both China and Scotland have worked intensively with the company providing on the ground advice and guidance including financial assistance to get established as well as supporting the company to join an SDI/UKTI inward mission to Offshore Europe last year.”

iRes-Geo Technology Ltd has already created three of the initial jobs within research and development and marketing fields.

YI Huang, Chairman and founder of iRes-Geo Technology – a former reservoir geophysicist in Statoil and a graduate of Heriot Watt University – said:

“We have set up a new office in Edinburgh to support our North Sea and global expansion plans. To date we have created three positions, two of which are high value jobs, and we’re actively recruiting in Scotland to take our total staffing levels to five this year.”