Shortlist for prestigious oil oscars revealed

The minister will deliver the keynote speech at the awards ceremony at the Ardoe House Hotel, Aberdeen, on March 20.

The awards, now in their 23nd year, are organised by the Scottish Enterprise Energy Team, in conjunction with sponsors, to celebrate the success and innovation of individual companies in the offshore industry.

David Cairns, minister of state at the Scotland Office, said: "This year's awards ceremony rounds off a hugely successful year for the ever-important offshore industry.

"It's only right to celebrate the huge contribution the sector makes to the economy and employment but these awards are about more than that. They are also a showcase for the technology, innovation and commitment that will take the industry forward into a future which looks extremely bright.

"With 2,000 companies and 100,000 people already employed by the energy sector in Scotland, it's clear that we have to build on that momentum by further investment in skills and a stable operating environment from which Scottish companies can take their expertise out onto the global market."

Energy Team director Brian Nixon said: "We are pleased the minister has accepted our invitation to take part in what has become known as one of the highlights in the oil and gas calendar.

"We have had more than 30 years of North Sea oil and gas and have another 30 years ahead of us, albeit very different ones from the first decades. Scotland is leading the world in offshore technology, with our talented people and companies driving the advances increasingly at the core of developments around the globe. I very much look forward to the awards giving us the opportunity to honour their expertise and innovation.''

Meanwhile, the shortlist for this year's prestigious Scottish Offshore Achievement Awards is today revealed and includes major players in the industry as well as younger companies making their mark.

Anglo Irish Bank is the main sponsor of the awards for the second year. Jim Brydie, head of lending UK at Anglo Irish Bank, said: "The oil and gas sector is hugely important to the UK economy and these awards give companies of all sizes an opportunity to share their successes with the wider industry. Making it onto the shortlist is a real achievement and I would like to offer my congratulations to the finalists and wish them the best of luck on the night.''

A total of 20 oil and gas service companies are in the running for the top award in the nine categories.

Those on the shortlist are: AMEC, Aramark; Brinker Technology; Caledyne; Cyclotech; Dominion Gas; Framo Engineering; INTEQ; MCS; North Star Shipping; Oilexco North Sea Ltd; Petrofac; Petrotechnics; Petrowell; Prospect; PSN; Red Spider Technology; Shell; Subsea 7, and Wood Group.

The categories are:

• Innovative Technology (sponsored by the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform - BERR);

• Safety (sponsored by BP);

• Sustainable Development (sponsored by Shell);

• Export Achievement  (sponsored by the Press and Journal);

• Rising Star (sponsored by Production Services Network);

• Succeeding Through People (sponsored by Chevron Upstream Europe);

• Most Promising Small Company (sponsored by The Offshore Europe Partnership);

• Internationalisation of Scottish Skills (sponsored by Scottish Qualifications Authority) and

• UKCS Operator Technology Uptake (sponsored by BERR).

The top award on the night is the overall achievement title, given at the judges' discretion. The winners in each category receive £5,000 worth of bespoke support to help them achieve their growth ambitions. A limited number of tickets for the event are available  contact Strategem on 0141 331 2991 for details.