The head of the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) said yesterday he is “working tirelessly” to get the newly-minted regulator up to speed – but warned it is not a silver bullet for the troubled sector.
The OGA is currently a work in progress, with three of its six director positions yet to be filled.
But it has already drawn up a report aimed at tackling the threats to the industry, and is now turning its attention to legislation that will help it enforce policies.
Andy Samuel, who took up the reigns about six weeks ago, has also already attended a meeting of the new oil and gas jobs taskforce, the brainchild of Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Mr Samuel, former head of gas giant BG, said one of the ideas generated at the “energetic” get-together even made it into this week’s Call to Action report.
The idea is to ensure that oil and gas companies keep traineeships and apprenticeships ticking over to keep talent coming in.
Some of the other committees that pervade the sector are likely to be phased out, although many of them realise that role duplication existed and are willing to step back.
Mr Samuel, said: “What we find from operators is that they are stretched thin attending groups.
“If we can get a better sense of shared priorities and action we can do a lot less talking and get into action more quickly.”
The regulator is slated to become a government company in 2016 and is preparing to start drafting the legislation needed to make that happen.
New legislation could also let it levy “modest” sanctions on companies if they fail to live up to their duties, for example, sharing exploration data with other firms.
Mr Samuel said it would be useful to have sanctions “in the tool kit,” but would be disappointed if he had to use them.
The OGA is not just looking at worst case scenarios, however. It is also in dialogue with the industry about reinforcing positive behaviour, with an awards night being considered.
Nor is the OGA prepared to do all of the thinking. Three weeks ago it asked the sector’s big players to submit plans for improving supply chain efficiency.
“We don’t want people to think the OGA will solve everyone’s problems,” Mr Samuel added.