Wireline Issue 47 Spring 2020

Image below left: (L-R) Alistair Macfarlane, Scott Robertson and Pauline Innes.

In October 2019, Alistair Macfarlane was promoted to Area Manager — SNS and EIS. Alistair has been with the OGA since May 2016 as Business Development Manager for the Central North Sea Team and was primarily involved in shaping and delivering the OGA’s work on Area Plans and providing commercial guidance to industry. Alistair is a qualified accountant with 30 years’ experience in finance, commercial, planning and change management.

from the operational production of oil and gas. Deirdre Michie said delivery of the plan will mean “we will have delivered a truly fair, inclusive and sustainable transition to a low carbon future where our transformed and thriving industry is part of the solution.” Michie continued: “While all industries, businesses and people need to think about what they can each do, our industry needs to be generous in deploying our skills, infrastructure and expertise to help find those solutions. And we are already stepping up to the challenge.” "Stepping up to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 in the UK and by 2045 in Scotland is also an opportunity for the UK’s oil and gas industry to shine in a competitive global market — sustaining jobs, contributing to public services through taxation, providing secure energy supply and diversifying as we help to find solutions.” Blueprint for net zero goes to Canada At the invitation of the Newfoundland Environmental Industries Association (NEIA) OGUK Stakeholder & Communications director Gareth Wynn visited St John’s to explain Roadmap 2035 and how it was developed. Canada is the world’s fourth-largest producer of oil and gas, but a relatively small proportion of this comes from offshore production, although this is growing. Like the UK, citizens and the Government of Canada are wrestling with the challenge of how to balance the ongoing need for energy with the need to tackle the greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change. GarethWynn said: “In the UK, we were one of the first major industry sectors to respond positively to the Committee on Climate Read the full speech on the OGUK website.

OGA appoints new leadership roles The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has begun 2020 with a trio of new leadership appointments. Scott Robertson has been promoted to Director of Operations. Scott will be responsible for the OGA’s exploration, production, and technology agenda. Having been with the OGA since June 2015, Scott developed and implemented the OGA’s Asset Stewardship Strategy and was responsible for stewarding the large portfolio of oil and gas activity in the Central North Sea. Scott replaces Gunther Newcombe who will be retiring in March 2020. In December 2019, Pauline Innes was appointed as Head of Decommissioning. Pauline has a background in the public sector, working for Scottish Government in social and economic policy before joining the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in 2015 to work in offshore oil and gas decommissioning.

OGUK sets out industry’s response to climate commitments

Addressing an audience of politicians, policymakers and campaign groups in Edinburgh on 30 January, Deirdre Michie OBE outlined the details of its response to UK and Scottish Government net zero commitments in a keynote speech. The plans, praised as “bold” bymedia outlets, outlined 60 actions across five key areas and included news that the sector is developing a detailed action plan to tackle emissions

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