Tuesday 14 August 2001

Offshore Oil and Gas Sector Appoints New Industry Leaders

On the 7th August, 2001, Tom Botts, the new managing director at Shell UK Exploration and Production (Shell Expro), and Paul Blakeley, director and general manager at Talisman Energy UK Ltd, were appointed to key leadership positions within the UK offshore oil and gas industry, the UK Offshore Operators Association.

Paul Blakeley takes over from the former Shell Expro managing director, Malcolm Brinded, at the end of September as co-chairman of the Industry Leadership Team (ILT) which represents operator and contractor interests in PILOT, the joint Government and Industry initiative to boost investment in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS). He will share the chairmanship with Sir Ian Wood of the Wood Group, who has co-chaired ILT with Malcolm Brinded since it was set up in January 2000.

Paul Blakeleys new responsibilities with ILT will mean him relinquishing the chairmanship of the pan-industry steering committee which oversees the innovative Step Change safety campaign, a position he has held for the past 12 months.

Step Changes new chairman will be Shell Expro managing director, Tom Botts, who has also been formally appointed an executive officer to UKOOA following the departure of his predecessor, Malcolm Brinded. Both positions officially start from the end of September.

Commenting on his appointment, Paul Blakeley said: I am delighted at the prospect of working with PILOT and the ILT. The only way we will maximise recovery from the UKCS is by working co-operatively. That means involving operators, contractors, suppliers, trades unions and government in the issues we face together as an industry. PILOT is proving to be a highly effective mechanism for bringing these different parties together and finding solutions.

"Step Change is now part of the PILOT agenda and as ILT co-chair, I am determined to stay close to the initiative which is beginning to have a real impact on improving safety offshore," he adds.

Tom Botts said: "I look forward to working with PILOT and the ILT. Nothing is more important than safety and while I dont underestimate the challenge of making the step change, I am encouraged at the progress we are beginning to make as an industry."

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