Tuesday 31 March 2015

OGA’s Andy Samuel to be keynote speaker at Oil & Gas UK Annual Conference

Oil & Gas UK, the leading trade association for the offshore oil and gas industry, is today (Tuesday 31 March), delighted to announce that Andy Samuel, Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) chief executive, will be speaking at its second Annual Conference in Aberdeen, which runs from 17 to 18 June 2015.

The conference will take a unique look at the challenges and opportunities that face the industry, offering key insights into the solutions that will help the UK oil and gas industry maximise economic recovery over the coming decades.

Oil & Gas UK’s chief executive, Malcolm Webb, said:

“For many businesses in this industry times remain tough, our members are telling us that there has never been a more important time to network and to share ideas through collaboration. It’s in that spirit I’m delighted to note that Oil & Gas UK plans to hold its second Annual Conference.

“Just over a year ago Sir Ian Wood delivered game-changing proposals for radical reform of industry regulation. There is, I believe, cross party and industry alignment on the need for full implementation of the Wood Report, including the full establishment of the Oil and Gas Authority, which we are pleased to see, under Andy Samuel’s leadership, is proceeding well.

“The recent Budget laid strong foundations for the regeneration of the UK North Sea. It was the outcome of Government, regulator and industry collaboration for the benefit of all parties – a culture which I am sure Andy Samuel will strengthen further through his leadership of the OGA. Industry greatly looks forward to his speech in June.”

The conference will take place at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre from 17 to 18 June 2015. Under the theme of Maximising Economic Recovery from the UK Continental Shelf, it is titled: ‘MER UK: The Next 40 Years’ and will aim to highlight, define and debate the critically important issues facing upstream petroleum exploration and development on the UK Continental Shelf.

The two day event will offer attendees the opportunity to hear from Government, regulators, industry leaders and specialists on a wide range of topics including: commercial issues, energy policy, exploration, safety, and employment.

Plenary sessions focusing on policy updates, panel discussions and case studies will run alongside four parallel sessions, each themed to represent a key stage in the oil and gas life cycle. This year’s agenda has been further revised to include hosting those parallel sessions on the exhibition floor, making that area the main hive of activity for the conference.

Malcolm Webb concluded:

“The UK’s offshore oil and gas industry is undoubtedly a major national asset. Our indigenous resources are a valuable prize offering energy security and we have unsurpassed technical capabilities in Aberdeenshire and throughout the country. 

“Last year’s conference gave this sector a great opportunity to plan for a more successful future – we hope that this year will be even better.”

Following the publication of the Wood Review, last year’s conference focused on the establishment of the MER UK initiative, and featured Sir Ian Wood, who spoke alongside Scotland’s then First Minister, the Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSP and Chief Secretary to the UK Treasury, Danny Alexander MP, in addition to a number of high profile industry leaders and politicians.

Ends

Notes to Editors

More information regarding the conference is available here.

For press enquiries please contact Helen Jackson at hjackson@oilandgasuk.co.uk.