MOL Energy UK announced yesterday it had completed its collaborative partnership process championed by managing director Chris Bird following the Hungarian major's entry into the UK market last year.
Low oil prices, concerns over late-life assets and majors performing heavy staff cuts have left the North Sea bleeding over the past year, so collaboration has become highly topical as operators and suppliers recognise the future relies on a movement away from competition and towards closer partnerships along the value chain.
"At MOL Energy UK we are clear the path to success lies in adopting a collaborative business model; and as a new market entrant, we are in an ideal position to create a corporate culture and values-driven approach that is based on effective collaboration from the start," Bird said.
After putting into practice the collaborative process required to meet the certification standard BS11000, as well as undertaking a commercial assessment, MOL now has five collaboration partners: AGR Tracs (subsurface), Petrofac company SPD (wells), Wood Group (facilities), Subsea 7 (subsea) and Proserv (hardware).
"We are at the start of our journey to overcome the challenges in our current environment and find solutions which will make the basin successful and support government initiatives to attract new investment and maximise economic recovery," Bird said.
''From the outset the company has made early engagement with potential partners a priority, and our aim is to build long term, mutually beneficial partnerships. I'd like to specifically thank our partners as well as the rest of the supply chain for their willing engagement in this process."
MOL's head of supply chain and procurement, Ian Rattray, said the selection process covered the commercial offering, added value, cultural alignment, managing the interfaces between the company and external partners, resourcing, good communication and having a process for managing conflict.
Reflecting the importance of this approach, collaboration is also the theme of the OGUK Share Fair in November, and OGUK, OGA, the UK government and Deloitte are working together to "embody the need for collaboration" within the Energy Bill before parliament.
The bill, which was introduced into the House of Lords on July 9, aims to continue to support North Sea oil and gas development and allow locals to have a greater say on new onshore wind farm applications, as well as to close the Renewable Obligation scheme to new onshore wind from April next year.
It will also formally establish the Oil and Gas Authority as an independent regulator, charged with the asset stewardship and regulation of domestic oil and gas recovery; and transfer the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change's existing regulatory powers on oil and gas to the OGA.
The OGA will gain additional powers including access to company meetings; data acquisition, retention and transfer; dispute resolution; and enforcing sanctions.
