• Find out about future potential and projects from Equinor, Total and CNOOC
  • Hear how material discoveries Glengorm and Glendronach are motivating investors.
  • Tune in! – listen via iTunes, Spotify and the OGA website  

The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has launched its latest podcast with hosts, Chief Executive Andy Samuel and Nick Richardson, Head of Exploration & New Ventures, getting the lowdown on the exploration scene with three industry leaders:

  • Jenny Morris, Head of Exploration UK & Ireland at Equinor
  • Mohamed-Amine Soudani, Exploration Manager at Total
  • Eliza Larrett, General Manager, UK Exploration at CNOOC International

The episode delves into the leaders’ thoughts on whether the UKCS is witnessing a turning point - a revival in exploration. We hear the inside story on the recent significant discoveries, Total’s Glendronach, Equinor’s Verbier and CNOOC’s Glengorm discoveries, which were welcome news, following a period of some of lowest levels of activity since the 1960s.

Nick Richardson, Head of Exploration & New Ventures at the OGA said: “It’s a very positive time for exploration, especially in the frontier West of Shetland region which is now a key area for growth. The OGA estimates there is 4 billion boe yet to be discovered from existing mapped prospects, with an additional 11 billion boe possible from new plays in the UKCS. Finding costs have gone from $9 to $1 per barrel, adding a further incentive to explore. The extensive opportunity-set, and improved industry performance, underlines the considerable potential of the UKCS with there being every chance of more significant finds.”

Since the OGA was established, it has placed a strong focus on exploration; the ‘lifeblood’ of the basin. This includes: commissioning new government-funded seismic surveys to acquire new geophysical data; overhauling the licensing regime to make it more flexible with lower entry barriers; establishing annual licensing rounds focusing alternately on mature and frontier areas; and making high quality seismic, digital well logs, geological mapping, reports and lessons-learned information openly available to all. The OGA recently launched the new National Data Repository, which has for the first-time opened-up the UKCS’s released subsurface data to the public.

The OGA is inviting feedback on this series of podcasts, including any ideas for future episodes. If you would like to become a guest, please let us know.

You can listen to the free podcasts anytime on the links below:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/oil-gas-authority-podcast/id1449120243

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7glj5qgsHpnTuOz9cS8Glm?si=mb_EdFzFSVyzYS--eHiw5Q

OGA Website: https://www.nstauthority.co.uk/news-publications/media-library/oga-podcasts/

For further information, please contact Tracey Miller, Communications Manager at the Oil and Gas Authority:

Tel: +44 (0) 300 020 1072 Email: Tracey.Miller@nstauthority.co.uk or oga.pressoffice@nstauthority.co.uk