About PILOT

PILOT Working Principles

Work drivers

• PILOT members will each be expected to contribute in their area of expertise to provide collective leadership to the oil & gas industry.
• Central to PILOT's working is a partnership between industry and government dedicated to the delivery of a stronger performance, sustaining jobs and developing services and technologies that the market requires.
• PILOT's work will be conducted within the context of sustainable development seeking to minimise environmental impact, with the goal of achieving a culture of continuous improvements in environmental performance.
• Work undertaken by PILOT must be able to demonstrate a significant, long-term contribution to a productive future for the industry and, thereby, substantial benefits to 'UK plc'.
• PILOT will develop strategies to maximise the economic production of UKCS oil and gas resources.
• PILOT will examine and prioritise work aimed at improving the competitiveness of the UKCS as an oil and gas development province and the supplies industry at home and abroad.

Working practices

• Proposals for collaborative work under the umbrella of PILOT should identify:
  • the work priority to which the work relates,
  • the reason for the work to be dealt with under the umbrella of PILOT and not elsewhere,
  • the expected value of the work,
  • he resource required,
  • the manner in which the work is to be conducted,
  • the leader/sponsor of the work,
  • expected deliverables,
  • when it will be conducted and reported back to PILOT.
• All participants in PILOT must give a clear indication to all members of the terms under which they participate.
• PILOT agenda will be constructed jointly by the ILT and Government, subject to the agreement of the chair, and recognise priority items.
• PILOT meetings will be held under the Chatham House rule.
• Members will be entitled to discuss possible changes of policy or practice without implying the approval of their companies, ministers, etc.
• Members will serve in a personal capacity, but will draw on their experience as members of companies, departments, industry bodies etc.
• Members may each bring an assistant to observe.
• All observers should be agreed in advance, the Secretariat notified and identified at the meetings.
• Only observers from member organisations will be permitted to attend, unless previously agreed with the Chair.
• All PILOT documents and papers will be available to the public, unless the members jointly decide otherwise.
• Government and industry will jointly agree PILOT press releases and communication materials.
• Communication not to drive agenda or work plans.
• PILOT must be able to discuss issues that may be commercially or politically sensitive, without prejudicing the interests of the industry or Government.
• Non-members will be invited to participate at PILOT meetings where the agenda requires external involvement. Attendance will extend to agenda items only and not the full meeting.
• PILOT recognises that taxation is a matter for the Chancellor of the Exchequer and therefore discussions of the quantum or structure of taxation which involved Government stakeholders is inappropriate. Where the administration of taxes provides an impediment to development of the UKCS, then these issues may be raised through PILOT channels.