John Wishart News

Cost-cutting in Britain's North Sea oil and gas sector could lead to more acute skills shortages in future, industry experts have warned, with some expressing concerns that safety could be compromised. A plunge in crude prices over the last 12 months has prompted oil majors such as Royal Dutch Shell, BP , Chevron and ConocoPhillips to lay off hundreds of workers. Oil field services groups such as Amec Foster Wheeler , Wood Group and Petrofac are also in consultation with employees over job cuts.

New research from Lloyd's Register Energy explores the drivers for technology and innovation in the global oil and gas industry. The Technology & Innovation Radar survey results are released today, May 5, 2014, from booth #2173 at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston by Lloyd’s Register Energy. It provides insight into the adoption and development of new technologies which are fundamental for the advancement of the Oil and Gas sector in addressing the global demand for energy, and to cope with the environmental challenges in the decades ahead.

Lloyd’s Register (LR) announced a significant investment in global services company Senergy to create an industry-leading offering - from the reservoir to refinery and beyond. The deal will see LR and Senergy provide a unique and comprehensive portfolio of services to the upstream sectors of exploration, production and transportation through to refinery and beyond. The combined business will also provide life of field services from inception to decommissioning and offer unparalleled…

The intent is to establish a Joint Lab facility with A*STAR’s Institute for High Performance Computing (IHPC) to co-develop applications and solutions in the marine and offshore sectors. This arrangement will promote R&D activities in modelling and simulation, providing bespoke technical solutions for companies in these sectors. To encourage the development of technical expertise and young engineers, PhD students will be trained at the GTC during the program’s initial five-year period.

Lloyd's Register acquires WEST Engineering Services to become the top independent provider of technical services to the offshore drilling sector. Acquisition of WEST, subsea systems specialists, builds support for exploration and production activities. Lloyd’s Register has acquired Houston-based WEST Engineering Services in a move that secures the Group's position as the premier independent risk-management organisation supporting the global offshore drilling industry. WEST Engineering Services…

John Wishart takes the helm as higher energy prices spur asset investment and demand for technical assurance. Wishart, who has assumed the role of Energy Director after joining the organisation from GL Noble Denton, will be based in London and is expected to bring a wealth of experience to the job, having spent more than 30 years in the industry before joining Lloyd's Register earlier this month. “Rising energy prices, stricter emission standards and the complexities of exploring new energy sources are increasing the technical assurance needs of companies operating in the energy supply chain…

Oil and gas industry professionals are divided in opinion on whether the price of a barrel of oil will exceed $150 by the end of 2011, according to an Industry Snapshot poll conducted by GL Noble Denton at the SPE Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) 2011 in Houston. 52% of participants believed that oil will not exceed $150 per barrel by the end of 2011, while 48% thought it would. Nearly three quarters (72%) of participants in the research also felt that the industry is not doing enough to avert an impending shortage of technical professionals…

Over the next two years GL Noble Denton plans to hire more than 700 new technical personnel, engineers and marine operations specialists. GL Noble Denton is the newly rebranded technical service provider for the oil and gas industry with a comprehensive service portfolio combining former marine and offshore consultancy Noble Denton with GL's oil and gas division. GL Noble Denton is part of the GL Group and currently employs over 2,900 technical and operations specialists and experts in 54 offices throughout the globe.

Noble Denton appointed Ian Bonnon as Group Managing Director, Renewables. Bonnon, will develop the renewables business globally and will report directly to group managing director, John Wishart. This strategically important role reflects Noble Denton’s intention to secure significant worldwide market share in the provision of engineering, consultancy and project management services to the renewables industry. Over the last ten years, Bonnon has led the development of the UK renewables business within Noble Denton and this new role underlines the company’s commitment to this emerging sector.

Noble Denton, a global offshore engineering and marine consulting firm, announced the award of a $21.3m contract from ACS Cobra Castor UTE in Spain. The scope of work includes the provision of project management and procurement support services for Castor’s underground gas-storage development initiative. John Wishart, Noble Denton’s group managing director, said, “This initiative will see the redevelopment of the abandoned Amposta reservoir to provide back-up gas supplies for the Mediterranean coast of Spain in periods of high gas demand. The project, which will ensure a reliable gas supply to industrial and domestic consumers in Spain, will run over a four-year period and involve up to 25 Noble Denton personnel.

Noble Denton, global offshore engineering and marine services company, announced Graeme Reid as regional managing director UK and Kazakhstan. Reid, who was previously the company’s northern operations director, will report directly to group managing director, John Wishart. He will be responsible for focusing on growth in the UK and Kazakhstan region, ensuring the effective delivery and marketing of Noble Denton’s services. He started his career with Arjo Wiggins in Aberdeen before…