Entry Deadline Looming for Highly Anticipated Offshore Achievement Awards
November 2015
There is just over a week left to enter the 2016 Offshore Achievement Awards, which offers companies and individuals the opportunity to be recognised amongst some of the industry’s greatest success stories of the last 30 years.
Entries for the 30th annual awards, organised and hosted by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Aberdeen Section and supported by principal sponsor TAQA, close on 1 December. Nominations are open to UK-registered companies operating in the renewables or oil and gas industries.
Winners in recent years include well-known names such as Shell UK, AMEC, Hydrasun and Maersk Oil, as well as companies focused on more niche technology including Coretrax, SengS Subsea Engineering Solutions, ROVOP and Merlin ERD.
International oil and gas services firm Expro has been named as a winner in technology categories four times throughout the 30 years of the awards. Kay Marshall, marketing and communications director at Expro, said: “The OAAs were not only an opportunity for us to celebrate our achievements, but also an inspiring platform in which to drive forward future innovation within the company, acting as a showcase for others.”
This year sees the return of well-recognised categories, such as Great Large and Great Small Company, Young Professional, Emerging Technology, Safety Innovations, The Innovator and Export Achievement.
Further categories for 2016 are Environmental Innovation, Collaboration, Outstanding Skills Development Programme, Above and Beyond and Significant Contribution.
Ian Phillips, chief executive of the Oil and Gas Innovation Centre and the SPE Aberdeen board member responsible for the OAAs, said: “The industry has significantly changed since the 2015 awards, and we have evolved the categories to reflect key focuses in today’s climate.
“We expect entries for the innovation focused categories to remain at the high level of previous years, as this is a prime time to raise the profile of technologies which offer cost, time and safety advantages.
“We also encourage those involved in collaborative projects to tell us their story. The need for collaboration has become a huge focus in the last year, and we want to hear from those already demonstrating best practice in this area.
“From company success to individual achievement to advancements in technology, the range of categories this year offers an even bigger opportunity for companies and professionals to be recognised for their work.”
In line with SPE Aberdeen’s commitment to supporting the talent of the future, a competition to design the award trophies was run for the fifth consecutive year. Following the presentation of prototypes on 19 November, Gray’s School of Art student Irina Viskanta was selected by a panel of judges to produce his/ her design.
23 year old Irina, from Latvia, said: “The competition was a fantastic opportunity and I am delighted that the judges have chosen my trophy design to present to the winners on the night. There are so many different aspects that make up the oil and gas industry, from technology to the people, and that’s where the layered effect in my design came from.
“This has been the first step I’ve taken into real life work, and I’m looking forward to developing the final trophy for the ceremony next year.”
The awards are open for entries until Tuesday, 1 December, with the black tie ceremony taking place at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre on Thursday, 17 March, 2016.
