Offshore Energies Magazine - Issue 55 Spring 2023

mentioned OEUK’s annual Economic Report in September and the subsequent comments from the interim CEO, Mike Tholen. He said there are still 15bn barrels of oil equivalent under the UKCS. March saw the third-highest spike of the year, with the second-highest volume and third-highest reach figure at 11.7bn. This was the result of coverage of Shell’s decision to pull out of the Cambo oil field project, where OEUK was widely quoted. OEUK also achieved headline coverage in March following warnings on the UK’s growing oil and gas import dependency. Without investment, we said, the UK would be wholly dependent on exports by 2037. These articles included comments from Ms Michie, by then back in the driving-seat once more, stating that energy security was an "absolute priority" following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

OEUK’s top outlet by reach in 2022 was Mail Online, having achieved a reach of 19.3bn from a result of 53 articles. BBC Online was next, with a reach of 18.5bn from just 29 articles. OEUK achieved what the analysis describes as "prominence", where ‘substantial mentions’ made up the largest proportion of coverage at 43%, followed by headline mentions at 22% as a result of comments made by OEUK spokespeople. But not all the coverage was reactive: OEUK's internally generated, "business as usual" activities also drew favourable coverage. These included a string of regular conferences covering topics such as on decommissioning and health & safety, and business breakfasts surrounding the launch of new research. As much as 98.6% of the coverage was comprised of positive and neutral articles. The remaining 1.4%were articles that were tagged as negative, which included some criticism of the OGUK-OEUK re-brand at the start of the year.

Seabed users call for regulatory alignment on the UKCS

Carmichael, Duncan Baker, David Duguid, Sir Peter Bottomley and Jacob Young. Defra's domestic marine conservation head Jen Ashworth said Defra was working very closely with the SUDG, "making sure we're sustainably using our seas. They have been really proactive in protecting the environment." Mr Aldous commented that the event "reinforced the key role that all the industries play in UK plc. The message coming out of today is that by working together, we achieve a great deal more for the benefit of the whole country." membership at no extra cost and look forward to working together with our members to enhance the safety and sustainability of the oil and gas industry in the UK." The basis of the SWIS MAFA – and now the UK MAFA – is the IPIECA/ IOGP Oil Spill Response JIP 13. MAFA formalises the intent, but not the obligation, for signatories to work together in the event of an incident. It does not relieve an individual operator of the responsibility to maintain robust emergency response processes.

As a member of the Seabed User & Developer Group (SUDG), OEUK participated in a Parliamentary Reception March 7 hosted by Peter Aldous, MP. Its representatives spoke to Rt Hon. Lord Benyon (Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) on the need for government action on regulatory alignment. The shared seabed will be central to UK energy security for many decades to come. The event showcased the scale and breadth of the UKmarine industries with The UK Mutual Aid Framework Agreement (MAFA) is now live and ready for signing – although it is hoped that it will never actually be used. The outcome of several years’ work by OEUK-led forums, it answers OPRED's concerns about operators' capability and readiness to deal with a major offshore event. A company acting alone might find it hard to source sufficient manpower to deal with a prolonged oil spill. If operators were able to share these resources, success would be likelier.

a shared commitment to sustainable devel0pment. Mr Aldous and Peter Barham from SUDG came out in solid support for the SUDG's work and its dedication to the marine environment. Other bodies representing marine industries included the Carbon Capture & Storage Association; Energy UK; Renewable UK; and the European Subsea Cables Association. Among the guests were representatives from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; Defra; Natural England; and the MPs Alistair

UK operators reach historic Mutual Aid Framework Agreement Oil Spill Response Ltd (OSRL), an industry association, offered for the forums' consideration a MAFA that already existed for its Subsea Well Intervention Service (SWIS). It is free for members of the OSRL UKCS Aerial Surveillance contract.

Now, if a participant requests aid, the registry of other participants' emergency contact details will be provided to the requesting party. OSRL, which now administers the MAFA, said at the launch: "We are proud to offer this additional value of

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