Opportunity North East (ONE) is working with oil and gas industry leaders to establish Aberdeen as a global center for offshore technology research and development.
The funding announced by the UK and Scottish governments through the Aberdeen City Region Deal (CRD) will enable industry to establish an international Oil and Gas Technology Centre (OGTC) to support the oil and gas industry in the UK and internationally.
The OGTC will have a key role to play in maximizing economic recovery from the UKCS, anchoring the supply chain in the region for the longer term, enhancing exports by helping develop new technology in the supply chain, and retaining high value jobs.
The OGTC will be industry led and supported by the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University, the Oil & Gas Authority, Oil & Gas UK, the Technology Leadership Board, Scottish Enterprise and ONE.
One of the first priorities for the OGTC is to establish managed Solution Centres. These will be led by a dedicated team, bring together knowledge and expertise from across industry and focus on delivering practical solutions for immediate challenges such as managing asset integrity, reducing the cost of drilling wells and finding cost effective ways of developing smaller and more marginal offshore fields.
Over time, OGTC will establish and enhance research facilities, including new test facilities, and support new technology and processes being brought to market faster.
ONE’s oil and gas sector board is now supporting the development of the detailed business case for OGTC, which will enable the drawing down of CRD funds. An OGTC board will be in place by the end of April and the final business case for OGTC will be submitted by early summer. ONE is funding this development stage of the project with partners.
Subject to CRD funding being secured by summer 2016, the expectation is that the first managed Solution Centres will be created this year, with initial delivery and output expected from 2017 onwards.
Sir Ian Wood, chair of ONE’s main economic leadership board and of its oil and gas sector board, said: “The OGTC is a transformational project which will make the most of the North Sea maximizing recovery opportunity and support technology development in the supply chain, which will grow exports and sustain high value jobs in the Northeast of Scotland and UK.
“The project also has a catalytic role to play in the longer term transitioning of the Northeast of Scotland from a center of operational excellence to a global hub for oil and gas innovation, which will help anchor more of the supply chain in the region.
“Reflecting the priorities already identified by industry via the Technology Leadership Board, OGTC will have a particular focus on subsea production, mature basin asset management, maximizing economic recovery and ensuring decommissioning excellence.”
Image: Sir Ian Wood/The BIG Partnership
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