Paul Wheelhouse, Scottish Government Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands, visited Aberdeen to meet with companies within the oil and gas supply chain to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the sector.
During his time in the city, the Minister visited OPEX Group, a leader in the field of predictive analysis services, to discuss how the Scottish Government can support the industry to unlock value through the adoption of data analytics and digital technologies.
A recent oil and gas industry study, published by the Oil & Gas Technology Centre and the Oil & Gas Authority, found that adopting these technologies for offshore operations and maintenance could deliver savings of £1.5bn to the UKCS annually.
Jamie Bennett, CEO of OPEX Group commented: “We welcomed the opportunity to meet with the Scottish Government team to brief them on the impact that digital technologies and data analytics is having on the industry and the work we are doing with oil and gas operating companies to digitally enable their operations.
“The industry’s digital transformation presents significant value to the local and national economy and will lead to the creation of new jobs, particularly in the areas of data science and analysis.”
Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands, Paul Wheelhouse, said: “I am delighted to have had the opportunity to visit the OPEX Group. They are a dynamic company that is very well placed to play an important role in helping data driven innovation and reducing unplanned maintenance costs for producers and minimising health and safety risks. I was very impressed with their energy, their ingenuity and their drive to succeed in establishing the standard for digitally enabled oil and gas operations.
“I was particularly impressed with how they have pioneered new ways to help the oil and gas industry extract more value from existing data with measurable, tangible results. If we are to deliver the benefits of digital transformation across the industry, we need companies like OPEX in Scotland.
“In my view, innovation remains crucial to the oil and gas sector for maximising economic recovery and sustainably reducing costs, for driving exports and sales within the supply chain, and ultimately securing the long-term sustainability of the Sector in Scotland and the UK.”
Paul Wheelhouse with Fiona MacDonald of Scottish Enterprise and Jamie Bennett