Friday 2 November 2007

Oil & Gas UK Awards 2007 Finalists Announced

Oil & Gas UK has announced the finalists for this year's prestigious Oil & Gas UK Awards sponsored by Maersk Oil North Sea UK Limited.

Prizes are being awarded in three categories: the Pearl Award for Overall Excellence, which recognises outstanding work by young people in the UK oil and gas industry; the Pearl Award for the Young Technician of the Year, which recognises the vital contribution of the industry's young technicians; and the Oyster Award for Mentoring, which recognises the important role mentors play in passing on their knowledge and expertise to the next generation of oil and gas workers. 

The finalists are:

• 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.

All candidates are Aberdeen-based, except Robert Doughty who works at Shells facilities in Norwich.

Malcolm Webb, Oil & Gas UK's chief executive, said: "The Oil & Gas UK Awards recognise the contribution being made by a new generation of industry employees and their mentors. I am delighted with the quality of all the entries and this year's finalists should be congratulated. Their achievement highlights the rich talent that can be found within the industry. Access to a workforce with the highest calibre of skills is vital for our industry today as we seek to maximise the recovery of the UKs oil and gas reserves." 

The shortlisted candidates face one final test, when they meet the judges face-to-face over lunch on 22 November, before the winners are announced at a dinner on the same day in Aberdeen, the evening following the PILOT Share Fair 9.

The winner in each category will receive a cash prize of £500 and a specially commissioned trophy designed by Elin Isaksson, winner of the Shell Livewire regional Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

For further information on the awards or to book a table please visit www.oilandgasuk.co.uk or telephone 01224 577250.

Notes to editors 

1. 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.
2. The Oil & Gas UK Pearl Awards for Overall Excellence and the Young Technician of the Year 2007 was open to any person working in the UK oil and gas industry between the ages of 19 and 30 and with at least two years' experience.  Entrants for the Oyster Award for Mentoring could be any age, but had to have at least five years' experience in the industry.    
3.  Candidates had to provide either a short essay outlining 'What measures 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?', or for the Mentoring Award - a case study illustrating how the candidates mentoring work has benefited their company and the UK oil and gas industry in general.

For more information, please call 020 7802 2400.