Friday 3 December 2004

UKOOA Announces Winner of Pearl Award 2004

Jonathan "Jono" White, a 28 year-old engineer with Talisman Energy (UK) Limited, was announced the winner of the prestigious UK Offshore Operators Association Pearl Award at a ceremony last night at the Ardoe House Hotel, Aberdeen.

He was presented with his prize, a trophy and a cheque for £500, by Michel Contie, managing director of Total E&P UK plc and vice president of the UKOOA Council.

Jono, who has worked with Talisman for almost four years since graduating in chemical engineering from Bradford University, was praised as a bright, young engineer who exemplifies the new breed of graduate entrant into the UK continental shelf (UKCS).  He was nominated by his manager, David Heslop, who described him as having an excellent grasp of the bigger picture in all aspects of his work and, importantly, in his vision of the future of the North Sea.

In his written submission, which was judged by a panel of seven senior industry figures, Jono outlined the key commercial and technological issues that the North Sea must face and argued that it is people that the industry must rely on to deliver the solutions.  "By incorporating the training of a new skills base to complement the existing, and promoting innovative thinking and a zest for the challenges ahead, the UKCS can continue as an internationally respected hydrocarbon basin", he said.

The UKOOA Pearl Award was launched last year to celebrate young talent in the UK oil and gas industry.

UKOOA Chief Executive Malcolm Webb said: "The Pearl Award recognises the contribution being made today by a new generation of industry employees and acknowledges that it will be these young people who will carry the sector forward through the challenges of the decades ahead.

"Maximising recovery of the UK's oil and gas reserves in a mature basin with increasing economic and technical complexities, represents considerable opportunities for young people who want to test their skills, abilities and ambitions to the full.  I am delighted with the calibre of all six Pearl finalists, who were short-listed from a very strong field of entries.  Their achievement highlights the rich talent that may be found within the sector.

"Jono is just the right kind of young person our industry needs to nurture and I am sure we will hear a lot more about him in the future."

Entrants had to be employed in the UK oil and gas industry and aged between 20 and 30 years old.  Each had to submit a short essay on how they saw the future of the UK continental shelf.  The entries were judged on the style of writing, originality of thought, viability of concept and understanding of industry issues.  Six finalists were subsequently invited to meet the judges and present their views in person, culminating in the selection of the eventual winner.

Ends

Notes to Editors

1.      Since August 2004, Jono White has been working in a challenging developmental assignment as the Focal Point for the Clyde onshore support team.  This involves helping to integrate offshore, facilities and subsurface considerations for a variety of production and process improvement initiatives as well as helping to manage daily production optimisation.  Prior to his current assignment, Jono was working with the Claymore reservoir engineering team as an operations reservoir engineer. 

In his spare time, Jono is an active member of the Cults canoe club, serving as chairman in 2003.  He has recently qualified to teach Tai Chi and runs a class at Ferryhill.  In addition, he is studying for the distance learning MSc in Petroleum Engineering from Heriot-Watt University.

2.      The other finalists of the UKOOA Pearl Award 2004 are:

• John Braisby, Shell Exploration & Production
• Richard Drinkwater, Total E&P UK plc
• Gregg Nicolson, Marathon Oil UK Ltd
• Scott Shirreffs, KBR Production Services
• Andrew Steele, Talisman Energy (UK) Limited

3.      The judges were Malcolm Webb, UKOOA Chief Executive, Mike Salter, Abbot Group Chief Operating Officer, John Ramsay, Cogent Chief Executive, Jeremy Cresswell, editor of the Press and Journal's Energy Monthly, Steve Harris, UKOOA Director of Communications, Annette Thomas, a learning and development consultant, and Jeanette Gordon of Peak Well Management, last year's Pearl Award winner. 

4.      The UK Offshore Operators Association (UKOOA) is the representative organisation for companies licensed by the British Government to explore for and produce hydrocarbons in UK waters.  It has 30 members.

 For more information, please call 020 7802 2400.