bp’s Senior Vice President for the North Sea Doris Reiter says 2023 has been another exciting year for the energy firm as it progresses new oil and gas projects, pursues opportunities in low-carbon businesses and invests in the skills and talents of its people.
Speaking exclusively to the Business Bulletin, she said: “bp’s ambition is to become a net zero company by 2050 or sooner, and help the world get to net zero.
“We’re investing in today’s energy system, which is predominantly oil and gas, and - not or - at the same time as investing in the energy transition.
“Elements of all of this are playing out right here in Aberdeen which has been our home for almost 60 years and where we continue to invest - providing energy, jobs and economic growth for the UK.”
BP's Senior Vice President for the North Sea, Doris Reiter
Doris continued: “We have invested significant sums to build, maintain and modernise our North Sea oil and gas portfolio over the decades.
“The five production hubs that we now operate here are valuable energy assets that can continue to support energy production, jobs and the supply chain.
“It’s our mission - my mission - for bp in the North Sea to keep energy flowing through these hubs to where it’s needed today, by producing safe, reliable oil and gas with lower operational emissions.”
Doris, a mother of two boys – aged 19 and 13 – has led the North Sea business since 2022. She started out with bp in 1998 and is a reservoir engineer by background.
She feels hugely motivated about the company’s direction of travel.
“As we transition into an integrated energy company, I see Aberdeen as a microcosm of bp’s strategy,” she added.
“We’re leading new low-carbon and renewables opportunities like the Morven offshore wind project east of Aberdeen with our partner EnBW and a planned green hydrogen production facility in a joint venture with Aberdeen City Council.
“The milestones we’ve met this year already reflect Aberdeen’s place at the heart of bp’s journey to net zero.”
The company recently:
- Received planning permission for the planned green hydrogen production hub it is developing with Aberdeen City Council.
- Successfully bid to develop its first floating offshore wind demonstration project in the North Sea - energy from which could be integrated into the planned hydrogen hub.
- Pledged £1.25million to the Energy Transition Zone Ltd to help develop an energy incubator and scale-up hub in Aberdeen.
Doris said bp’s North Sea headquarters in Aberdeen is home to a hive of incredible talent that can, and is already, being deployed across all parts of bp’s integrated energy business.
Doris during a recent visit to bp's Eastern Trough Area Project (ETAP)
She is a strong believer in delivering a just transition that places the expertise in the oil and gas sector in Scotland at the heart of the energy transition.
“It’s hugely exciting to see colleagues in our North Sea headquarters now pursuing careers in offshore wind, hydrogen, CCUS and electric vehicle charging as well as oil and gas,” she said.
“Technicians, engineers, environmental experts, and commercial specialists, to name a few disciplines, are taking their expertise from oil and gas and applying them directly to our low-carbon projects.
“At the same time, we continue to recruit into our oil and gas business - from apprentice level right up to experienced hires. And this will continue to offer a challenging and rewarding career path within bp for many decades to come.”
As the first woman to lead bp’s North Sea business, Doris has a passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“I grew up in a small town on the banks of the river Danube in Austria,” she said. “Energy was not an industry I was particularly familiar with, and I could never have envisaged the fantastic opportunities that working in it - and for a company like bp - would offer me and my family.
“We need more diverse talent coming into the energy industry - not less - to help us build a better energy future.”
Doris with Career Ready Students in bp's North Sea office this summer
Reflecting on her five years in Aberdeen, Doris says she and her family have grown incredibly fond of the city and region, having lived in the US for 20 years prior.
“I want to see this city and indeed Scotland and the UK as a whole, continue to prosper. Along with investing in our projects and people, we’re proud of the positive impact our activity has across Scotland where we have a century of history.”
Asked what enthuses and excites her, Doris said: “Outside of work it’s ski-ing with my family and pursuing personal passions like yoga, cooking and reading
“At work, the simple answer is people. I’m hugely passionate about supporting the talent of the future. When I reflect on my own journey, it started with an inherent passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects at school.
“That inspired my choices and career path, but what was missing for me was a role model. Therefore, I’m keen to do all I can to inspire others and hopefully be a role model for them - by nurturing the brilliant young minds that will deliver tomorrow’s solutions.
“I find my own inspiration from my bp colleagues both onshore and offshore - taking every opportunity possible to get onto our assets to connect directly with the teams in the heart of the action, keeping energy flowing. I’m privileged to work with this fantastic community of colleagues, eager to play their part in the energy transition and bp’s journey to net zero.”