Friday 23 November 2007

Oil & Gas UK Awards 2007 Winners Announced

Oil & Gas UK last night announced the winners of the prestigious Oil & Gas UK Awards 2007, at a ceremony celebrating the outstanding talent that is found in the sector.

Caroline Laurenson, a process engineer with Wood Group Engineering (North Sea) Ltd. in Aberdeen, won the Pearl Award for Overall Excellence; Darren Wilson, a production technician (instruments) working at Marathon Oil U.K., Ltd, scooped the Pearl Award for Young Technician of the Year; while David Martin, an asset leader with Shell U.K. Limited, received the accolade of the Oyster Award for Mentoring at a dinner in Aberdeen, attended by over 500 people.

The First Minister, the Rt Hon. Alex Salmond MSP presented each winner with a specially commissioned trophy designed by sculptor Elin Isaksson, and a cheque for £500. The Pearl Award for Overall Excellence recognises outstanding work by young people in the UK oil and gas industry, while the Pearl Award for the Young Technician of the Year celebrates the vital contribution of the industrys young technicians. The Oyster Award for Mentoring recognises the important role mentors play in passing on their knowledge and expertise to the next generation of oil and gas workers. 

Speaking on behalf of the evenings main sponsor, Michael Engell-Jenson, managing director of Maersk Oil North Sea UK Limited said, "Maersk Oil has always recognised the importance of attracting talented young people into the oil and gas industry, and the need to support them in their careers.  The Oil & Gas UK Awards provide a wonderful opportunity to encourage and reward the excellent contribution from our graduates, technicians and mentors to the long term future of the industry."

Candidates entering the Pearl Awards each submitted a short essay outlining their view of the measures that should be taken by the UK oil and gas industry to ensure its demand for skilled people is met so that a sustainable, long-term future is built for the industry. Those put forward for the Mentoring Award had to demonstrate their commitment to fostering skills, talents and expertise in their work colleagues.

Oil & Gas UK chief executive, Malcolm Webb, said: The Oil & Gas UK Awards recognise the contribution being made today by a new generation of young people and their mentors.  The North Seas future relies on the abilities, technical skills and ambitions of the people working in our industry today to meet the economic and technical challenges presented by the UKs maturing basin. These people will carry the sector forward through the challenges of the decades ahead.

Notes to Editors

1. The Oil & Gas UK Awards 2007 finalists were: - The Oil & Gas UK Pearl Award for Overall Excellence (sponsored by Marathon Oil U.K., Ltd): Kirsty Beetham, an instrument engineer with Wood Group Engineering, Caroline Laurenson, a process engineer for Wood Group Engineering, and Obinna Uchechukwu Njoku, a pipeline engineer integrity management at Shell U.K. Limited; - The Oil & Gas UK Pearl Award for the Young Technician of the Year (sponsored by OPITO):  Robert Doughty, a trainee operations technician with Shell U.K. Limited, Scott Geddes, an electrical technician with Shell U.K. Limited, and Darren Wilson, a production technician (instruments) at Marathon Oil U.K. Ltd; - The Oil & Gas UK Oyster Award for Mentoring (sponsored by Shell U.K. Limited): Robert Bell, a chief structural engineer with PSN, Vivien Broughton, a staff development manager with Applied Drilling Technology International, a division of Global Santa Fe, and David Martin, an asset leader for Shell U.K. Limited.
2.  The judges were: - Pearl Award for Overall Excellence:  Jeremy Cresswell, editor of the Press & Journals Energy Monthly, Tom Van Leenen, technical director of Maersk Oil, Trisha OReilly, communications director of Oil & Gas UK, and Tom Smith, managing director of Nessco Ltd. - Pearl Award for Young Technician of the Year: David Doig, chief executive of OPITO, Martin Wylie of Marathon Oil, winner of the Oyster Award for Mentoring 2006, and Jessica Burton, business analyst at Oil & Gas UK. - Oyster Award for Mentoring: Sandy Bremner, head of news at BBC Aberdeen, Malcolm Webb, chief executive of Oil & Gas UK, and Professor Rita Marcella, dean of faculty at Robert Gordon University.
3. Oil & Gas UK is the leading representative organisation for the UK offshore oil and gas industry. Its members are licensed by the Government to explore for and produce oil and gas in UK waters and those who form any part of the industrys supply chain. It has 64 members.

For more information, please call 020 7802 2400.