How much does the UK know about the oil and gas industry?

The oil and gas industry has come up against many challenges over the last few years but, how much do you really know about it?

Whether you are hoping to find a job in this industry or are just intrigued and would like to know more, read on…

A huge amount of energy comes from abroad

When you switch on the light do you think about where that energy actually comes from? Probably not – why would you? But you may or may not be surprised to hear that 60% of the UK’s energy comes from abroad. In fact, the UK is increasingly relying on imported energy.

Most of the UK’s electricity is produced by burning fossil fuels, mainly natural gas – a very small amount is produced from oil, in comparison.

Coal has been reduced significantly

Did you know that positive steps have already been taken to reduce harmful fossil fuels? In April, Britain went a day without coal-fired power for the first time since use of the fossil fuel began. Coal has seen a significant decline over the last few years and the plan is to phase it out completely by 2025.

Renewables are becoming far more important

While fossil fuels, particularly coal, are slowly being phased out, renewables have become the second biggest source of electricity. This is as a result of the Paris Agreement, a global plan to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming.

It employees hundreds and thousands of people

In 2016, more than 330,000 jobs in the UK were delivered through or supported by oil and gas production. Nearly 60% of jobs in this industry and in England and about 40% are in Scotland – primarily in and around Aberdeen.

Oil rigs are much bigger than you might expect

The Gulf of Mexico accounts for more than one-fifth of domestic oil production. Here you will find the Olympus production platform and drilling rig. 130 miles south of New Orleans, this rig produces 100,000 barrels of oil each day. It is 40-storeys high, 406 feet tall and weighs more than 120,000 tons. Nearly 200 people will live and work on here at any one time, for 12-hour shifts, two weeks at a time.

The industry offers a diverse range of careers

There are a wide range of job roles available in this industry, as well as the more obvious such as drilling engineer, there is also supporting roles from project management and catering to IT support and human resources.

The industry is doing its bit to fight climate change

The Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) backed by ten oil and gas companies representing more than 20% of the world’s production, appointed a new CEO to newly formed investment company. The aim of this company is to invest $1 billion over the next ten years to significantly reduce green gas emissions.