Scottish oil and gas awards launched

Organised by Scottish Enterprise and supported by industry sponsors, the awards showcase and recognise outstanding achievements across the sector.  

A prestigious awards ceremony and dinner will be held at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre on 26 March 2009 to celebrate the successes of the finalists.

Brian Nixon, director of energy, Scottish Enterprise, said: "The Scottish Offshore Achievement Awards are a celebration of excellent performance in one of our most successful sectors and an opportunity to recognise Scottish-based companies and individuals that are setting world-class standards, both at home and abroad.

"Known as the 'Oil Oscars', the awards recognise the innovation, ambition and talent that the industry enjoys and are regarded as one of the most prestigious industry awards in the UK sector. Following a year which has presented a number of economic and technical challenges, the sector remains crucial to Scotland, and indeed globally, as new challenges and opportunities emerge.  

"There are more than 2000 companies active in the offshore sector ranging from small scale technology specialists to large engineering companies. We would like to encourage players from industry leaders, to project managers and engineers, in businesses of all sizes to enter the awards, share their stories of success and demonstrate how and who is at the forefront of continued industry development.

"The awards have been a great success since 1984, and the awards process helps to raise awareness of potential business opportunities across the sector and encourages companies and individuals to consider how best to market their products and services more effectively."

Scottish Enterprise works across the energy sector in Scotland to stimulate and support business growth through accessing new markets, developing new products and services, seeking new routes to investment and exploiting market intelligence.

The award categories and sponsors for the Scottish Offshore Achievement Awards 2009 are:

• Export Achievement - sponsored by The Press & Journal
• The Innovator - sponsored by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)
• Safety - sponsored by BP
• Succeeding Through People - sponsored by Chevron
• Internationalisation of Scottish Skills - sponsored by Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)
• Outstanding Contribution - sponsored by Shell U.K. Limited
• Small Company Great Performance - sponsored by The Offshore Europe Partnership
• The Idea - sponsored jointly by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Industry Technology Facilitator (ITF)
• Rising Star - sponsored by AMEC

From among the category winners an overall winner will also be recognised for outstanding achievement.

Full details of the categories and how to enter can be viewed at the Scottish Offshore Achievement Awards website. The closing date for entries is 30 January 2009. The category winners receive £5,000 worth of bespoke support to help them achieve their growth ambitions. Further information and table booking details for the event are also provided on the website. Judging will be carried out by a fifteen-strong panel of industry experts during February 2009.