The Oil and Gas UK trade association has shed jobs and re-organised its business structure in response to the ‘lower for longer’ crude oil price and also the enlarged presence of the industry regulator (OGA) because of the MER Collaboration Code.
The association has reduced the number of its teams from seven to five. It has also streamlined the number of work groups it runs for its members by 40% to provide greater focus on industry priorities.
Oonagh Werngren, former operations director, has left the organisation following the re-shuffle. Oil & Gas UK’s five new teams are:
• Upstream Policy team, led by Michael Tholen, which aims to provide members with strategic guidance to encourage a competitive business environment and support the sector in its ambition to maximise economic recovery
- Business Excellence team – led by Stephen Marcos Jones to create a thriving business environment, reflected in strong local and international demand for the industry’s goods and services
- HSE team led by Mick Borwell
- External Affairs and Communications unit
- Finance and Corporate Services team led by Graham Elgie,
Deirdre Michie, Chief Executive, explained: “The new model, which has been endorsed by Oil & Gas UK’s Audit Committee and Board, allows us to deliver a membership focus with a clearer value proposition.
“It will also enable us to work even more effectively with industry to develop policy in support of the sector’s specific needs and issues.”
Some industry observers believe that Oil and Gas UK has been caught on the corporate back-foot by the slump and has only reluctantly embraced change with loose alliances with Decom North Sea and the increasingly vocal Norfolk-based East of England Energy Group.
Terry Savage, Oil & Gas UK contractor co-chairman and corporate relationship director at Global Energy Group, said: “The newly-restructured Oil & Gas UK is now better placed to address the challenges ahead and is appropriately organised to work with members to secure an enduring future for the sector.”
Neil McCulloch, President, North Sea at EnQuest, and Oil and Gas UK operator co-chairman, said; “Oil & Gas UK has taken a proactive step to improve the effectiveness of what is already a highly influential organisation.
“Oil & Gas UK continues to play an important role, particularly at this critical time, and is now even better placed to support operators and our supply chain in becoming more competitive and in maximising economic recovery of the UK’s hydrocarbon resource.”
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