Media Centre
Wednesday 16 June 2010
Oil & Gas UK Breakfast Highlights Resourcing Challenge of UK Energy Security
With debate around how best to achieve UK energy security intensifying, delegates at Oil & Gas UK’s second London breakfast briefing of the year heard speakers from the world’s leading energy company and the UK’s largest engineering and design consultancy take a closer look at the likely pattern of energy demand over the next two decades and consider the challenges and tensions associated with 'skilling up' to meet the requirements of all sectors of the energy industry. The event was sponsored by Herbert Smith and the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Gerry Borghesi, ExxonMobil International Ltd's UK/Netherlands joint interest manager, first presented a detailed forecast of energy demand and supply over the next 20 years. He commented: “By 2030, global energy demand will be almost 35 per cent higher than it was in 2005. Supplies from the UK continental shelf (UKCS) will continue to play an important role in meeting that demand as all economic fuel sources are expanded to provide reliable, affordable energy which meets social, economic and environmental challenges.
“As the energy mix becomes more diverse, we will see natural gas, a cleaner-burning fuel, increase in use - by approximately one per cent per year in European countries like the UK – and by as much as four per cent per year in Asia."
Martin Grant, Atkins group managing director for energy, then considered what these forecasts mean for the demand for skilled people in the UK and how the oil and gas and other energy sectors are working to attract and develop employees in response to the energy security challenge. He commented: “To meet the challenges ahead we will need to attract high quality people at graduate level and high quality people with relevant experience from other industries. In addition, we need to remain consistent in our endeavours irrespective of fluctuations in oil price.
He concluded: “The good news, though, is that we work in one of the world's most exciting industries so why wouldn't the best people want to work here.”
Mike Tholen, Oil & Gas UK’s economics director, and chair of the event, said: “There has been much discussion about how to secure the massive investment needed to deliver the country’s future energy supplies but we also need to consider whether there will be sufficient numbers of people with the right skills for these large scale projects.
“It was enlightening to hear about the possible tensions that might arise between energy sectors with similar skills needs and how this might impact upon our energy security. Given that so much of our future energy will still come from oil and gas (at least 70% in 2020) and a large part of that will be met by domestic production, the demand for skilled workers for the oil and gas sector will not diminish. This must remain a central consideration in the strategies of companies and the government.”
Ends
For more information, please call Sally Fraser on 020 7802 2404.
Notes to Editors
- Oil & Gas UK is the leading representative organisation for the UK offshore oil and gas industry. Its members, which number over 100, are companies licensed by the Government to explore for and produce oil and gas in UK waters and those who form any part of the industry's supply chain.
- ExxonMobil, the largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, uses technology and innovation to help meet the world’s growing energy needs. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading inventory of resources, is the largest refiner and marketer of petroleum products, and its chemical company is one of the largest in the world. For more information visit www.exxonmobil.com
- Atkins (www.atkinsglobal.com) is the UK’s largest engineering and design consultancy and the world’s 11th largest design firm. We have the depth and breadth of expertise to respond to the most technically challenging and time-critical infrastructure projects and the transition to a low-carbon economy. Whether it’s the concept for a new skyscraper, the upgrade of a rail network, the modelling of a flood defence system or the improvement of a management process, we plan, design and enable solutions. Atkins is the official engineering design services provider for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
- After the event, slides will be available here.
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