Nova Scotia Energy Team Gets Down to Work in Scotland

By the time Nova Scotians were sitting down to lunch on Tuesday, Sept.2, Nova Scotia's energy team had put in a full day at the Offshore Europe Oil and Gas Exhibition and Conference in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Led by Energy Minister Cecil Clarke, the largest Nova Scotian delegation in over a decade has been networking with representatives of the international oil and gas market and demonstrating their expertise in today's offshore environment.

The day began with the opening of Nova Scotia's booth. A partnership between the Department of Energy and the Offshore/Onshore Technologies Association of Nova Scotia (OTANS), the booth serves as headquarters for the 14 companies and organizations participating in the event.

After attending the opening roundtable, Mr. Clarke toured the facilities at RIGTRAIN, a state-of-the-art training facility providing hands-on training in well control and safety procedures that uses simulators and on-site working drilling rigs.

"There's no substitute for the hands-on training these types of simulators can provide to workers in the oil and gas industry," said Mr. Clarke. "That's why the Department of Energy has supported the dynamic positioning simulator and other frontline training programs through our partnership with the Nova Scotia Community College."

Later in the afternoon, Nova Scotia hosted a partnership forum, allowing a number of UK companies to learn about the advantages of doing business with Nova Scotia firms. Natural Resources Canada Minister Herb Dhaliwal attended the event, which featured testimonials from two major offshore companies, AMEC and the Craig Group.

In business for more than 30 years, AMEC plc is an international engineering services company with more than 15,000 employees worldwide. It has partnered with Irving Shipbuilding and Black and MacDonald. Neil Bruce, managing director, highlighted Nova Scotia's engineering capabilities and AMEC's vision of making Halifax a worldwide engineering centre for the company.

Douglas Craig, managing director of the Craig Group, a diversified marine services company with more than 70 years experience, stressed the importance of partnerships in building international opportunities. He also praised local company Welaptega for its innovation and use of technology. Welaptega has partnered with the Craig Group on a number of projects including one of the world's smallest 3-D underwater cameras.

"What we're seeing here is that Nova Scotia's investment in training, in promotion and in building our industry is paying off," said Mr. Clarke. "These international, award-winning companies are in a position to learn from our experience and our local knowledge through partnerships that help our companies grow and access new markets."

The Offshore Europe (OE) conference is among the premier offshore oil and gas exploration and production events worldwide. OE 2001 attracted more than 24,500 visitors from 72 countries.