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UK Oil And Gas Industry Moves Forward with Major Programme of Change to Secure Long-Term Future
| Date: | 05 Feb 2001 | | Details: | The UK Oil and Gas Industry is now embarked on one of the largest change programmes in British industry today, and is making good progress towards ensuring its continued success to 2010 and beyond.
That is the conclusion reached by 'What's Possible', the end of year review of the work of PILOT, the joint Government/Industry body charged with delivering the change programme outlined by the Government's Oil and Gas Industry Task Force (OGITF) in 1999.
Energy Minister, Peter Hain said: "I am pleased that the industry is devoting the energy, time and resources vital to making the PILOT programme succeed. PILOT has performed well in 2000 and Government is playing its part. But there is no room for complacency. It is important that the industry as a whole continues to take responsibility for its future."
Malcolm Brinded, managing director of Shell UK Exploration and Production and co-chair of PILOT's Industry Leadership Team (ILT), said: "The increased confidence of investors in the UK Oil and Gas industry has been the key feature of the past year. Investor confidence is critical to what we are trying to achieve and the commitment shown by all sides of industry and Government, through PILOT, has played an important part in boosting that confidence.
"That said, there is still much to do," he added. "We still face the challenge of maturity - smaller fields and higher costs relative to our global competitors. We must continue to make the most of the UK's oil and gas resources and the opportunities they represent, both in terms of the UK economy, where our industry has accounted for at least 18 percent of the UK's total industrial investment in the last decade, and in terms of employment and the 270,000 jobs across the UK that our sector represents. PILOT's vision is to ensure that the success of the UK Oil and Gas industry is maintained and so secure oil and gas supply for 2010 and beyond. I believe PILOT has made good progress towards this in 2000."
Sir Ian Wood, Chairman of the John Wood Group and also Co-chair of the ILT, said:
"The PILOT message to companies in our industry is clear. We must continue to meet the challenge of greater competitiveness, we must maximise our export potential and we must be alert to the possibilities offered by new business in related areas. We must also capitalise on any advantage to be gained by greater collaboration with each other in areas like logistics and in the development and introduction of the new technologies and innovations we need to keep the UK Oil and Gas industry competitive. This is a key time for our industry. The companies of the future are those companies that are aggressively dealing with these issues now."
Danny Carrigan, Scottish Regional Secretary of the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union and a member of PILOT, said: "At the heart of any industry are the people that work for it. I am delighted at the importance PILOT and the industry as a whole places on attracting, training and retaining the high quality workforce on which our industry's successful future depends. Continued investment in people is vital."
The review identifies good progress in every area of PILOT's focus, especially in the drive for greater competitiveness through maximising the efficiency and value of the supply chain; in the establishment of an industry-wide, two-way, web-based recruitment system, Oilcareers.com, to facilitate employment in the industry; in the successful development of an industry-wide organisation to facilitate the development and introduction of vital new technologies for the UKCS; and in the development of a sectoral sustainability strategy incorporating economic, social and environmental performance. | | Contact: | Trisha O'Reilly, PILOT Communications
Tel: 020 7802 2422
Email: toreilly@ukooa.co.uk |
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For all press enquiries please contact:
Trisha O'Reilly at UKOOA Tel: 0207 802 2422 Email: toreilly@ukooa.co.uk
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