The first joint chairmen of Oil & Gas UK will be Dave Blackwood, head of BP’s North Sea Business, and Tom Smith, managing director of Nessco Ltd, and the chief executive will be Malcolm Webb, who formerly held that role at the UK Offshore Operators Association (UKOOA).

The first Board of the new organisation comprises 16 leaders drawn from across the industry (see below for a list of the Board of Directors).

Dave Blackwood said: “The role of Oil & Gas UK is to develop and further the case for a safe, sustainable and successful future for the UK offshore oil and gas industry.It will do that by promoting an active and informed dialogue within and across all sectors of the industry on the issues affecting it, whether of a technical, financial, economic, safety, environmental, social or any other nature, and developing co-operative solutions to those issues.The combined perspective of operators, non-operators and contractors will give our activities greater depth and a more coherent voice for the industry, particularly in its conversations with the government.”

Tom Smith said: “The UK’s oil and gas supply chain has emerged as a significant economic sector in its own right.Its future is very much linked to the future of North Sea oil and gas production.The time is therefore right for the creation of a new industry body which represents the whole of the oil and gas sector, simplifying the industry’s overall engagement with government, regulators and other organisations as well as managing that representation more efficiently by replacing the Industry Leadership Team (ILT).”

Malcolm Webb said: “Oil & Gas UK continues a process started several years ago to give the UK oil and gas industry a forward looking and dynamic representative body with the skills and resources required to address the full range of issues before it.The Association will operate from premises in Aberdeen, London and Brussels to develop and deliver pan-industry policies to secure the long-term health of the sector.”

Oil & Gas UK’s first formal engagement takes place tomorrow (April 24, 2007) at one of the regular PILOT meetings where its Board of Directors, representing the industry, will meet with the Secretary of State of Trade & Industry, Alistair Darling, other government representatives from the UK and Scotland and the trade unions to discuss issues of current concern.

Alexa Chaffer                                        Tel:       0207 802 2412/2400
Oil & Gas UK Media Relations                Fax:      0207 802 2401
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