President’s Page- Stephen Boldy

As incoming President this is my first editorial and I can think of no better way to start than by thanking my predecessor Alan Booth for hi s sterling efforts on behalf of the PESGB during 2003. But the PESGB was not the highlight of Alan’s year in 2003, neither was it England winning the Rugby World Cup (though that was terrific wasn’t it? I didn ‘t know Aberdeen had such a large Australian population! ); the highlight was the birth of his daughter Kara on November 19th. I am sure you will all join with me in congratulating Alan and Deborah and wishing them all the best for the future.
Those of you that read the President’s page regularly during 2003 will know how passionately Alan has been expounding the hydrocarbon potential remaining in the North Sea, as demonstrated
by EnCana’s Buzzard Field discovery. In particular Alan has been active in getting ‘ released’ data truly released and available to those that want to explore. This has been/will be one of the cornerstones in revitalising exploration in the UKCS.
In October, Simon Toole of the DTI addressed the PESGB evening lecture audience in Aberdeen and outli ned the steps the DTI are taking to promote activity in the UKCS. Amongst a number of points he made the ones that struck me most forcefully were that the UKCS is a world-class hydrocarbon system, with extensive infrastructure in place and that the DTI is seeking to maximise
recovery, ensure the UKCS competes globally and that they attract the right players who will be active. He also asserted that the UK has a stable political environment, but I’m not going to comment on this’.
Simon Toole also spoke about the Promote Round, which came about from the recognition that there was a wealth of UKCS experience and ideas out there (mostly held within the massed
brainpower of the PESGB Membership) that was not being tapped. To move forward this intellectual capital (to use a hackneyed but in this case appropriate phrase), access was needed to:

• Data
• Acreage
• Infrastructure
• Capital

On November 18/19 the PESGB in association with the DTI held the UK Prospect Expo at the Business Design Centre in Islington and it was an outstanding success. There were more than 400 registrations and the PESGB office staff did a magnificent job in coping with the huge number of late (myself included) and ‘on the day ‘ registrations. The Prospect Expo brought together all of the various strands discussed above to promote exploration activity on the UKCS – data is now available; through the Promote Round acreage is now available at reasonable terms for entrepreneurial explorers, and there were even providers of capital in attendance!
Which just leaves access to infrastructure! In his talk in October Simon Toole indicated that progress has been made recently towards reaching a situation where there is greater openness about tariffing arrangements to tie into existing infrastructure and that tariffs will be agreed at reasonable levels.
This gives grounds for optimism and hopefully by the time of the next PESGB/DTI Prospect Expo there will be a number of new satellite field tie-in case hi stories and opportunities to discuss.
Which just leaves me to wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year, and find lots more in 2004.