School children ‘invent’ new technologies for oil industry

The competition, part of the launch of the new £180 million Centre in Aberdeen, invited primary seven children to develop solutions to maximise delivery of the natural resources from the North Sea.

Managers from the Centre visited schools to talk about the oil and gas industry, the technologies it currently relies on and how this will change in the future, as new solutions such as 3D printing, robotics and virtual reality are adopted offshore.

The competition attracted entries from Scotstown School, St Josephs School, Hazlehead Primary School and Muirfield Primary School, which ranged from high tech presentations to intricate drawings and large-scale cardboard constructions.

All the entries were on display at a special event on Friday 10 February, when Lord Dunlop, UK Government Minister for Scotland and Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Scottish Government Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy officially opened the Centre.

They joined leaders from industry, universities and local councils to hear how the Centre – a core part the £250 million Aberdeen City Region Deal – aims to become the go to oil and gas technology centre in the UK and internationally.

The designers of 12 best entries were invited along to the launch event, where the Centre’s Chief Executive and her fellow judges, Sir Ian Wood, Chairman, Archie Kennedy, Vice Chairman, and Ian Constance, Chief Executive of the Advanced Propulsion Centre selected the winner and two runners up.

Rebecca Allison, Asset Integrity Solution Centre Manager, said:

“We really enjoyed visiting schools, talking about the oil and gas industry and how new technologies can transform the way we work in the future. Every single design was fantastic, with the children clearly putting a great deal of energy into creating new technology ideas.

“The Oil & Gas Technology Centre will help unlock the full potential of the UK North Sea, anchor the high-value supply chain in the North East of Scotland but most importantly, our vision is make sure the region remains a great place to live, work and invest for decades to come.”

The Centre will work with a wide range of partners to accelerate the development and deployment of technologies that improve efficiency and increase productivity, creating a global technology hub that benefits the industry and the region.

Hundreds of opportunities have already been screened and many projects are underway. These include a field trial in 2017, which could create a step change in how we plug and abandon wells, with the potential to save hundreds of millions of pounds.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• The Oil & Gas Technology Centre is a not-for-profit, industry-led, technology research and development organisation based in Aberdeen.
• The Oil & Gas Technology Centre was established in October 2016 with £180 million funding as part of the Aberdeen City Region Deal.
• The Deal is a long-term improvement programme to enhance growth, competitiveness, connectivity, infrastructure, housing and employment into an already successful regional economy.
• The Deal is supported by the Scottish Government, UK Government, Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and Opportunity North East.
• An additional £174.1 million has to be generated in matched funding from industry, university or others as part of the Centre’s long-term funding, which can be both cash and in-kind.