University Of Aberdeen News

The UK Offshore Wind and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Colocation Forum, set up to provide strategic coordination of colocation research and activity on the nation’s seabed, has commissioned two research projects. The projects are designed to inform the best approach to test and demonstrate the colocation of offshore wind and CCS activities in the future.To achieve the UK’s net zero targets, the UK Government is targeting the delivery of 50 gigawatts of offshore wind energy and the capture of 20-30 million tons of CO2 per year by 2030.

The National Decommissioning Centre (NDC) is opened by Lord Duncan, UK Government Minister for Scotland and Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Scottish Energy Minister, in Newburgh, in North-East Scotland’s Energetica Corridor.The Centre aims to work in partnership with companies to become the global leader in research and development (R&D) focused on reducing costs, extending field and asset life, and transforming the traditional approach to decommissioning.100 offshore platforms and 5,700km of pipeline are forecast to be decommissioned or reused over the next decade on the UK Continental Shelf. With the Oil and Gas Authority estimating the total cost of oil and gas decommissioning to be £58bn…

The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Aberdeen Section has announced the recipients of its annual student bursaries programme for 2015-2016. In total, £7,500 was awarded to seven students attending Aberdeen, Robert Gordon, Dundee, Heriot-Watt and Strathclyde universities. Almost 100 applications were received and for the first time this year, the shortlisted finalists were invited to present one of their answers from their bursary application to a panel of judges before the final recipients were selected. Two bursaries of £2,500, were awarded to Andrew MacDonald, MEng Mechanical and Offshore Engineering student at Robert Gordon University, and Mohammed Mehdi Walji, MSc Petroleum Engineering student at Heriot Watt University.

MacGregor (GBR) Ltd has established a new relationship with Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen by providing work placements that support the career development of graduates. The Aberdeen office of MacGregor's Global Lifecycle Support Division will work with the university to provide practical workplace opportunities for undergraduate and post-graduate students that will assist with their development activities. Through a series of planned short-term placements students will assist with marketing and commercial development for MacGregor's UK-based operations, including its new training centre. Recently introduced to deliver specialist skills and competencies to MacGregor engineers and its customers…

Coldharbour Marine Ltd. has appointed Professor Bruno Pollet to head its R&D department. Bruno Pollet moves to Linby, Nottinghamshire from the University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa where he was Professor of Energy Materials and Systems and Director of the National DST Hydrogen South Africa Systems Competence Centre, an industry led R&D group with an emphasis on prototype development and manufacturing. Pollet’s first task will be to recruit and build a strong…

A joint taskforce has launched a Code of Practice to protect Bottlenose dolphins near Aberdeen’s Harbour mouth, and provide guidance to vessels operating in the port. The code has been developed by a joint taskforce who have come together as a result of increased interest in the dolphins. The group includes Aberdeen Harbour Board, East Grampian Coastal Partnership, Police Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage; with expert advice from the University of Aberdeen, RSPB, the Sea Mammal Research Unit and Whale and Dolphin Conservation.

Bibby Offshore Holdings Limited, [the subsea services provider to the oil & gas industry, is pleased to announce its continued international expansion with the opening of an office in Stravanger, Norway. The Norwegian office for Bibby Offshore will be headed by Arne Lier. Bibby Offshore has a leading subsea services position in the UK North Sea and the opening of the office in Norway further increases the Company’s growing international presence. The Company is current participating in a number of tenders in the Norwegian Continental Shelf (“NCS” or the “Region”) and is focusing on expanding its existing services to offshore operators in the Region, benefiting from the depth of relationship that Bibby Offshore already has with the UKCS divisions of many operators.

Aberdeen head-quartered global shipping and energy services firm, Craig Group, has marked its 80th anniversary with strong performance as it lodges its accounts at Companies House. The privately owned, family-run business, now employing the fourth generation of the Craig family, has reported turnover of £146.8 million with operating profits of £17.4 million for the year ending 30 April 2013. These are up on the previous year when turnover was £123.3 million and profits were £15.2 million.

Oil and gas industry offers ex-military personnel chance for a challenging second career. A former soldier has swapped foreign battlefields for the oil and gas industry, highlighting the vital role transferrable skills can play in addressing talent shortages within the energy sector. Duncan Harwood spent five years in the armed forces, leading soldiers on tours of Iraq and Northern Ireland, along with managing construction sites in the Falkland Islands. The 32-year-old has now joined Aberdeen-headquartered independent energy consultancy ADIL as a subsea project engineer.

Writing in the scientific journal Nature, scientists have called for increased discussion of independent monitoring of deep-sea hydrocarbon industry activity with the aim of obtaining a better understanding of its ecological impact. The hydrocarbon industry is increasingly searching for hydrocarbon resources at much greater depths and developing drilling technology to exploit them. However, drilling the seafloor at great depths is technically very challenging and carries with it poorly known risks.

The National Subsea Research Institute (NSRI) has achieved its initial target to recruit 20 companies to join in developing a vision for the long-term future of the subsea industry. The organisation, jointly established just over a year ago by Subsea UK, the University of Aberdeen, the University of Dundee, Newcastle University and Robert Gordon University, is developing a national research program to benefit the UK subsea industry over the next 15-20 years. As NSRI begins the implementation of its first flagship research programs…

The National Subsea Research Institute (NSRI) has appointed Dr. Richard Neilson as academic research director. Dr. Neilson has more than 20 years experience as a lecturer and researcher in a number of Scottish Universities. During this time he spent four years on secondment with oil service company, Rotech Drilling Services, where he was responsible for the design and analysis of downhole tools. Dr Neilson has a PhD and BSc in Mechanical Engineering and an MSc in Biomedical Engineering.