Inspiring individuals and enterprising companies provided the focus for the Oil & Gas UK Awards 2011 in Aberdeen in November. The prestigious annual event provides an opportunity for the industry to celebrate the outstanding performances of the people and the businesses who contribute significantly to the success of the UK oil and gas sector.
Malcolm Webb, chief executive of Oil & Gas UK, welcomed Sir Robert Smith, MP for West Aberdeenshire & Kincardine and joint vice-chair of the UK Offshore Oil and Gas Industry Group, and thanked him for his principled support of the UK oil and gas industry and the people who work in it. As guest speaker, Sir Robert addressed an audience of more than 500, which included Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing, Lord Taylor of Holbeach, Dame Anne Begg and Malcolm Bruce MP.
Sir Robert praised people across the industry for applying their energy, expertise and pioneering approach to addressing the challenges presented by the mature province of the UKCS. He remarked that it was the exceptional skills of those people within the sector that enabled such hi-tech leading edge industrial activity.
Sir Robert also reflectd on the dynamism and diversity of the industry and the immense contribution of oil and gas productio which has boosted the UK balance of payments by £32 billion, almost halving the UK defecit. He also noted that progress has been made in communicating the sector's issues within Parliament where representatives from all parties now share an interest and much greater knowledge of the industry. Referring to the recent changes in tax regime which he opposed, Sir Robert said that the Government was now working more constructively to ensure that the industry can continue to male a valuable and productive contribution to the UK economy.
Glen Cayley, vice president technical at Shell Upstream International, was also welcomed as a speaker. On behalf of principal sponsor, Shell U.K. Limited, Mr Cayley put forward the case for gas, explaining that in Shell's view it was one of the nation's most underappreciated energy opportunities that has all the advantages of a fuel that is abundant, affordable and accepatable
The winners
Turning to the main focus of the evening and the presentation of the awards, Mr Webb commended all the finalists on achieving exceptional recognition by being acknowledged by their peers for their outstanding contributions.
In the individual awards category, Ann Davies, a well intervention engineer (subsea) at BP, won the Oil & Gas UK award for overall excellence sponsored by Marathon Oil. Ann was praised for her drive, determinatin, innovation and leadership skills, which were most recently demonstrated during the implementation of one of BP's most complex well interventions in the North Sea. Ann was successful in overcoming complex logistical challenges to apply concentric coiled tubing vacuum technology on an unmanned installation.
They young technician of the year award, sponsored by OPITO, was presented to John Piper, an instrument technician at BP Exploration, in recognition of his exceptional 'can-do' attitude and self motivated drive towards understanding the challenges of his job and securing solutions. John demonstrated his ability at a very early age in his career, when he earned the Tallow Chandler Award and is nor pursuing an honours degree in engineering while holding a wide range of significant responsibilities on BP's Magnus platform.
Paul Martin won the award for mentoring, sponsored by Chevron Upstream Europe. Paul's ability to share his knowledge and experience, as a platform trainer on Alwyn for Petrofac, has already enabled him to make his mark as a passionate and dedicated mentor. He has mentored around 15 colleagues working for Petrofac and Total through various stages of their carrer and, in his own time, helped his fellow employees achieve their NVQ and SCQ qualifications. His contribution has been recognised by OPITO who have asked him to become an external verifier.
In the corporate categories, the award for people development, sponsored by the University of Aberdeen, when to Cape whose commitment to maknig a major investment in training has significantly developed the skills of its employees. AS a result of a seven-year programme, Cape has a well resourced and fully integrated system through which it delivers a suite of training and development programmes that are used group-wide. Their innovative approach and willingness to engage and partner with specialist providers, including business psychologists, has achieved tangible benefits not only for them but also for their clients worldwide.
RBG Limited was the winner of the business efficiency award, sponsored by Apache North Sea Limited. The award was presented to RBG in recognition og its innovative contract system for delivering offshore fabric maintenance services. The system has the potential for widespread industry application and could have a substantial positive impact on industry competitivenessin terms of productivity and efficiency. The judges also noted that the system ensured enhanced alignment between client and contractor.
