Oil chiefs from Total, Talisman and Schlumberger to lead N. Sea cost-efficiency seminar in Aberdeen

Pan-industry action on the cost efficiency improvements needed to secure a long-term future of the North Sea offshore energy industry will be the topic of two seminars being held next month – one on the eve of the election and one afterwards.

The Aberdeen event is due to be held on 6 May and the second one in London on 19 May by Oil and Gas UK.

Speakers at the breakfast briefings will share updates on the work of OGUK and other organisations which are co-ordinating a number of initiatives under the key themes of people, efficiency improvement, logistics collaboration, simplification and standardisation and late life asset management.

At the briefing in Aberdeen, Dan Cole from McKinsey management consultants, will outline the scale of the industry’s challenge, while Gordon Ballard, Chairman, Schlumberger UK, will report on progress in pan-industry initiatives.

Paul Warwick, Executive Vice-President Europe-Atlantic, Talisman Energy, will provide an update on current work from the perspective of a major operator.

At the London breakfast, a speaker from Deloitte will bring financial analysis to bear on the challenges facing the sector while a cost efficiency ‘champion’ from Total E&P will describe the cost efficiency project that Total is implementing, with particular focus on the UKCS and collaboration with the wider industry. Both speakers’ names will be confirmed shortly. Following a short networking break after the speakers’ presentations, Colette Cohen, Senior Vice President, Centrica E&P, will join the speakers for a panel session.

An OGUK spokesman commented: said: “The industry is clear on the challenge it faces in three significant areas – fiscal, regulatory and cost.

“We believe that the tax reforms announced in the Government’s 2015 Budget, and the regulatory changes the Oil and Gas Authority is now setting in motion, lay strong foundations for the regeneration of the UK North Sea.

“To secure maximum effect from these changes, the industry is working flat out to tackle its costs and improve efficiency to secure its international competitiveness.”