Call for UK to become oil and gas pioneer

The UK must “seize the opportunity” to become a pioneer in oil and gas decommissioning, Treasury minister Andrew Jones has said ahead of an industry conference.

Mr Jones, who will address the Offshore Europe event in Aberdeen today, said the sector should develop expertise in cleaning up and dismantling old rigs and pipelines, and sell it to the world.

The North Sea is one of the first regions to start decommissioning on a large scale.

The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) forecasts UK operators will spend almost £60 billion on the process between now and the 2050s.

Mr Jones, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said: “The UK oil and gas industry sup- 0 Treasury minister Andrew Jones in Aberdeen today ports 300,000 jobs and, with up to 20 billion barrels of oil yet to recover, has many productive years ahead.

“W must seize the opportunity to cement the UK as a world-leader in this field and export this knowledge globally. Efficient decommissioning means big changes to the oil and gas industry.”