OEUK Chief Hails Awards Event

In a statement posted on industry body Offshore Energies UK’s (OEUK) website on Friday, OEUK Chief Executive David Whitehouse hailed this year’s OEUK awards ceremony, calling it “the largest awards event we’ve had for a decade with over 40 finalists inspiring us with their achievements”.

“These remarkable people, exceptional teams, and enterprising companies are making a difference to our everyday lives and their exciting achievements are helping to ensure we can become a world leader in delivering the clean energies of the future,” Whitehouse added in the statement.

Around 600 people “from across the industry” were present at the awards ceremony, which was held at the P&J Live on November 28, OEUK highlighted in the statement, which noted that the OEUK Awards “recognize outstanding performance from companies, as well as high-performing individuals, for their unique contributions to the sector”.

The ceremony was hosted by Rob Rinder, described in the statement as a “barrister turned broadcaster, writer, and social equality advocate”.

Winners

Apprentice of the Year - Dylan Fettes, Ithaca Energy

OEUK’s statement noted that Fettes, an apprentice operator on the Captain Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel, “won an award for his forward-thinking approach, which has helped drive greater efficiency when planning weekly scopes of work”.

“Always proactive, he regularly sets up equipment for testing multiple times, collaborating with instrument technicians to ensure safety and permit controls are always in place,” the statement added.

Early Career Professional of the Year - Amy Connelly, Shell U.K.Ltd,

Connelly, a wells engineer, was “recognized for using her technical skills, willingness to learn, and leadership to make her mark in promoting sustainable well operations,” the statement highlighted.

“She combines this with her passion and enthusiasm for the energy industry resulting in her becoming a role model and inspiration for young people through her dedication and voluntary work across the sector,” it added.

People & Culture – Ocean Installer Limited

OEUK’s statement said this award was presented to Ocean Installer “for its CARE values which it developed in collaboration with employees and which stand for Collaboration, Adaptable, Reliable, and Energetic”.

The industry body noted that the company has experienced a rapid increase in its workforce and continuously looks at ways to ensure its culture is rooted in psychological safety, trust, and openness.

Outstanding Contribution to Energy Security – Ocean Winds

According to OEUK’s statement, Ocean Winds won the award for helping to ensure the UK’s security of energy supply through the provision of renewable energy sources.

“As a major offshore wind developer with a 6.1 GW UK portfolio, Ocean Winds has significantly contributed to regional and national economies,” OEUK said.

“Its Moray East project notably cut offshore power generation costs by more than 60 percent, from GBP140/MegaWatts per hour (MWhr) to GBP57.50/MWhr, showcasing cost-efficiency and driving renewable energy growth,” it added.

Outstanding Contribution to Energy Decarbonization – Centrica Energy Storage+

This award was presented to Centrica Energy Storage+ “for its progress in most effectively cutting carbon emissions from the production of energy, which is vital to meeting the UK’s climate goals and supporting energy security”, OEUK said in the statement.

“Centrica Energy Storage+ has hydrogen projects across the UK including its Easington Terminal on Humberside. This forms part of the Humber Hydrogen Hub initiative which supports industrial decarbonization by supplying local heavy industries with hydrogen to reduce reliance on fossil fuel,” it added.

Innovative Supply Chain of the Year (large enterprise) – SLB

OEUK highlighted in its statement that SLB won this award “for its commitment to speeding up the adoption of technologies needed for the energy transition”.

“Working with the Net Zero Technology Centre on its TechX accelerator program, it helps boost enterprising local start-ups,” OEUK added.

“Using its global expertise in innovation, SLB supports projects including a Scottish Hydrogen Hub and is pioneering automated drilling systems as well as manufacturing and distributing this technology,” it went on to state.

Innovative Supply Chain of the Year (SME) – AISUS Offshore Ltd

AISUS Offshore Ltd won an award “for the innovative way it gives clients detailed information about the condition of their assets,” OEUK noted in its statement.

“Specializing in remote inspection technology, AISUS tools include robotic crawlers for inspecting hard to reach hazardous areas and using ultrasonic data to provide clients with accurate corrosion rate readings so their assets including topsides are safely, cost-effectively, and efficiently maintained,” it added.

Neighbor of the Year – Spirit Energy

OEUK pointed out in its statement that this award recognizes companies that have “exemplified exceptional corporate social responsibility and community engagement” and highlighted that it is voted for by the audience at OEUK’s awards celebration.

“This year it went to Spirit Energy in recognition of its values, which are delivery, care, collaboration, agility, and courage,” OEUK said in the statement.  

“In Aberdeen and Barrow- in-Furness, it contributes to community projects including skills events for local unemployed adults and supports St Mary’s Hospice in Cumbria,” it added.

“To help young professionals, Spirit has offered over 3,000 hours of work experience locally and its employees have volunteered over 200 hours at local schools and career day events,” OEUK went on to state.

In a release sent to Rigzone recently, OEUK announced that Rinder was confirmed as the host for its annual awards ceremony in Aberdeen. That release highlighted that awards would be presented for the categories above.

In a release posted on its site back in September, OEUK announced the finalists for its 2024 awards ceremony.

“Well over a hundred nominations were considered by an expert panel and whittled down to a shortlist of finalists whose contribution to the industry has been exceptional,” OEUK stated in that release.

Decom Awards

In a statement posted on its site on November 20, OEUK announced that awards for excellence in decommissioning were presented to CNOOC International and J+S Subsea “at a celebratory dinner for more than 500 leaders of the North Sea specialist industry organized by OEUK as part of its annual Decommissioning Conference”.

OEUK noted in that statement that the CNOOC award was for “excellence in the decommissioning operator category” and that the J+S Subsea award was for “excellence in the supply chain category”.

Runners up for the operator award were Enquest and Harbour Energy, and runners up for the supply chain award were DeepOcean and Exceed, OEUK highlighted in the statement.

“CNOOC’s award was for successful creation of an efficient multi-disciplined team, able to deliver fast, safe, and cost-effective decommissioning in an environmentally responsible way,” OEUK said in the statement.

“The new approach was used for abandoned North Sea wells in the Ettrick field 75 miles North East of Aberdeen. It has been successfully repeated in different operations with refinements to its management each time,” it added.

OEUK said that J+S Subsea won the award “for its Legacy Locker initiative which focuses on repurposing and reusing underwater equipment to minimize waste and extend the lifecycle of critical components, helping operators avoid the high costs and long lead times associated with new equipment”.

“It is a cost-effective scheme aligning with OEUK’s supply chain principles supporting sustainability through rigorous environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting,” it added.

In the statement, OEUK said the UK decommissioning industry is successfully tackling the legacy of Britain’s 50-year North Sea oil and gas industry with a target to decommission 200 disused oil and gas wells a year.

Ricky Thomson, OEUK Decommissioning Manager, said in the statement, “excellence in decommissioning is evident throughout the UK supply chain and operations community”.

“The finalists and winners showed innovation, collaboration, teamwork and resilience in the face of technical and commercial challenges. The UK decommissioning industry should be proud of its achievements and OEUK are proud to acknowledge excellence amongst our members,” he added.

To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com