Latest news with #NorthSeaOil
Telegraph
15-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Trump tells Starmer: Get rid of ‘windmills' and focus on North Sea oil
Donald Trump has urged Sir Keir Starmer to 'get rid of the windmills' in Scotland and focus on extracting more North Sea oil instead. The US president issued the appeal as he confirmed he is to meet the Prime Minister in Aberdeen later this month – while noting the city was the 'oil capital of Europe.' In an interview with BBC News, Mr Trump said there was 'so much oil' remaining in the North Sea and argued that the UK Government should 'bring back' energy policies focused on extracting it. In contrast, he said wind farms were damaging 'the beauty of Scotland' and should be torn down. Mr Trump's intervention came ahead of his July visit to Scotland, when he is expected to visit his golf resorts in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire. He will meet Sir Keir and John Swinney, the Scottish First Minister, during the trip. Protests are expected to take place and up to 5,000 police officers could be deployed on 12-hour shifts. Mr Trump told BBC News: 'We're going to have a meeting with... a state meeting with the Prime Minister, and that's gonna be up in Aberdeen, which is the oil capital of Europe, they should bring it back too. 'They have so much oil there. They should get rid of the windmills and bring back the oil. [Because] the windmills are really detrimental to the beauty of Scotland and every other place they go up.' In 2019, Trump International lost a long-running court battle to stop a major wind power development being built in the North Sea off Aberdeen. Mr Trump argued that the project, which included 11 wind turbines, would spoil the view from his golf resort at Menie in Aberdeenshire. Sir Keir and Ed Miliband, the UK Energy Secretary, have come under fire over their ban on oil and gas licences to explore new fields in the North Sea. Gary Smith, the general secretary of the GMB union, previously attacked Sir Keir's 'bonkers' net-zero plan and warned there was a 'growing sense of betrayal' among North Sea oil workers. Although oil licensing is a responsibility reserved for the UK Government, SNP ministers have also adopted a presumption against further exploration in the North Sea. The SNP has also used its control over the planning system in Scotland to encourage the construction of thousands of onshore and offshore wind turbines. Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce said it was 'extremely proud' of the city's reputation as Europe's energy capital. A spokesman said: 'For as long as we require oil and gas as part of our energy mix over the decades to come, we should produce as much of that as possible from the North Sea – sustaining jobs and growing our economy. 'The biggest barrier to investment in the North Sea is a 78 per cent tax rate on profits, and perhaps the US President can persuade the Prime Minister to lift that punitive tax when they meet in Aberdeen.' But Patrick Harvie, the Scottish Greens' co-leader, attacked Mr Swinney's plan to hold a meeting with Mr Trump during the visit. Mr Harvie said: 'The SNP's decision to meet with this convicted felon is a tragic one, and is out of step with Scotland's values. Appeasing political extremists like Trump won't save us from his misinformation and toxic rhetoric.' He added: 'If the Scottish Government won't make it clear to Trump, then I'm sure the people of Scotland on the streets protesting his every move will make it loud and clear. Donald Trump is not welcome here.' Dame Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour's deputy leader, said Mr Swinney was right to meet the US president. She said: 'We live in a democracy. It is right that people have the right to protest, but, at the end of the day, I think this is a personal visit he's making.'
The Guardian
18-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
The first North Sea oil is pumped ashore in Britain – archive, June 1975
19 June 1975 In an English garden party atmosphere, under marquees in the middle of an oil refinery, Mr Tony Benn yesterday conducted a ceremony of what he called national celebrations of the first North Sea oil. He had just turned a large green valve on the tanker, Theogennitor, moored with 14,000 tons of oil worth more than £500,000 at the BP refinery on the Isle of Grain, Kent. On such a flaming June morning it was unpatriotic to dwell on the disclosure that delays at the well had caused the tanker to come in less than half full with £750,000 worth of oil space empty – so as not to delay the ceremony – and that the oil was not actually due to flow until the evening for safety reasons. It would also be rather brutal to harp on the fact that the occasion was an international one not a British one. The Japanese built, Liberian-registered, Greek-owned and skippered tanker was delivering Scottish oil to an English port for an Anglo-American consortium. Mr Benn said that Britain would be one of the top seven oil producers by 1980, and he believed that it was 'a day of national celebration for us. I feel sure that the British people would wish to offer their praise and thanks to the pioneers who faced the problem of extracting this oil from this hard environment and brought it to us.' There was 'no one living in any part of the United Kingdom who does not feel conscious of the historic nature of the achievements we are jointly celebrating.' Mr Benn also had a 'peculiar sense of security and satisfaction that comes from knowing that the UK has at its disposal the first trickle of oil supplies in which so much of our future is locked up.' Like the first piece of rock from the moon, the first drops of oil, changed dream into reality, brought home the facts in a personal way, and would stimulate a reassessment of Britain's prospects. Mr Benn said 'This really is in its own way exactly as significant as the first run of Stephenson's Rocket or whatever other industrial event you may choose. It is a turning point.' It would not save Britain's problems, but it provided a very great opportunity. He congratulated the courage of those who found and extracted the oil – a consortium of Hamilton Brothers of Colorado, Texaco, Associated Newspapers, and Kleinwort Benson. Mr Benn said that the nation 'will expect us to make the biggest possible British contribution to the development of our own oil resources. The government expects North Sea oil operators to buy British wherever possible. We must ourselves raise the British share of equipment and supplies to well above its present level of under 50 per cent' The government was also responsible for making certain that the oil resources were used widely for the benefit of Britain as a whole and to see that the British people received a full and fair return from its development. Mr Benn, surrounded by oil industry executives, said at his press conference: 'We have Concorde ready for anybody who worries about how we are going to use the oil.' Equally light-heartedly when asked whether Britain would apply to join the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, he said: 'It's just a wee bit early, but I appreciate the thought.' The BP oil platform Graythorp II – which is twice the height of Big Ben – was put into position in the Forties field early yesterday.
Scottish Sun
14-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
We need our North Sea oil and gas to power the economy
'What is the point of these companies staying here if they're being taxed out of existence?' PLEA TO PM We need our North Sea oil and gas to power the economy THE future of the North Sea Oil industry hangs in the balance as the UK rushes toward Net Zero. However experts insist that even with renewable energy sources, we will still need oil and gas for decades to come. 4 North Sea Oil platforms. 4 Mike Tholen, policy director of Offshore Energies UK. 4 Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour Prime Minister. North Sea Oil provides £20 billion a year in economic value to the UK but the Westminster Government has closed its consultation on the industry's future while another on the energy windfall tax closes later this month. Mike Tholen, policy director of Offshore Energies UK, pleads the case to help the our home grown oil industry before more jobs are lost forever. THE Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged his government would support jobs and families. Scotland's offshore energy family is in urgent need of that support right now. Last week alone hundreds of people were told they had lost their jobs. Harbour Energy in Aberdeen was forced to cut 250 onshore roles – a quarter of its workforce. Belmar Engineering, with 50 years of history supporting the UK global leading subsea industry, went into administration with the loss of more skilled jobs. There was further bad news when one of the world's biggest wind farm companies Orsted halted work on the Hornsea 4 wind farm in the sea off Humberside. They say they cannot make the sums add up. Warning lights are flashing but there is another path to our energy future. One that puts homegrown production at the heart of UK industry, supporting domestic oil and gas production alongside the build out of renewables. We need new oil and gas licences to show firms and the world the North Sea is open for business. That will also unlock more cash for companies to plough into renewable energy projects. We need to end the Energy Profits Levy - known as the windfall tax - which is driving away oil and gas producers that can't pay 78p in the pound in tax in a fiercely competitive world What is the point of these companies staying here if they're being taxed out of existence? Much better for them to move overseas. But that means the UK becomes even more dependent on imported energy which comes with a much higher carbon footprint. As the Prime Minister has said, the UK will continue to use oil and gas for decades to come. Our choice is whether we produce that oil and gas here or increasingly rely on imports. In an unpredictable world that is not the place to be. The North Sea remains a strategic national asset that has powered the UK economy and homes through oil and gas for half a century. Last year the UK imported almost 40 per cent of its total energy even though we still have significant untapped oil and gas reserves in the North Sea. Apart from these reserves we also have the second largest offshore wind capacity in the world and a pipeline of new opportunities. We have the geology to store more carbon dioxide under the North Sea than the country has produced since the industrial revolution. Building on these strengths, the UK is uniquely placed to support our energy future. But this is not the experience of many people working in our offshore energy sector and across industrial Britain. In recent weeks, my team and I have travelled across the country and spoken to hundreds of people in public meetings in Falkirk, Newcastle, and Humberside, as well as here in Aberdeen. These are communities dependent on the offshore energy industry. The message was clear - seeing UK industry shutting down to rely simply on imports is not the way forward. Yes, people want to see action on climate change, but they want that done in a way that supports jobs and value in our economy. And in a way that drives energy prices down. With practical policy, domestic energy production could support half of UK demand and add another £165billion of value to the UK economy, supporting jobs, and the very supply chain companies needed to build offshore wind, carbon storage, and hydrogen projects. This is not a black and white debate on one form of energy versus another. We reject the argument that it's wind electricity or oil and gas. The people of our industry and the public deserve better than that. We need all the homegrown energy we can get to keep the lights on, protect us from ever greater reliance on expensive imports and preserve the 200,000 plus jobs that depend on our sector. Our industry provides £20 billion a year in economic value to the UK. There are big decisions to be made by politicians. The UK Government just closed its consultation on building the North Sea's energy future. In a fortnight, another key consultation on the future of the Energy Profits Levy will close too. The UK's new industrial strategy is due for publication later this Spring. It is expected to focus on how better to manage energy production and use so industry has a fighting chance. We are on the brink of critical decisions which will impact hundreds of thousands of lives. For the future of our North Sea and for people and families across the UK, we must get this right. 4 North Sea Oil is worth £20 billion a year to the UK economy.
Scottish Sun
02-05-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
North Sea Oil worker who was ‘too fat for helicopter' sheds nearly half his weight
He said there was a turning point where he thought: 'This is enough.' 'UNBELIVEABLE' TRANSFORMATION North Sea Oil worker who was 'too fat for helicopter' sheds nearly half his weight Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A 26-STONE father-of-two who was regularly told he could not board a helicopter at work because of weight limits, has lost nearly half his body weight in an 'unbelievable' transformation. Dan Shilling, 39, an offshore electrical technician who lives in Norfolk, said he has always been 'overweight', but during the Covid-19 pandemic he reached his heaviest, 26st 1lbs (166kg). Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Dan working offshore, before his weight loss Credit: Family Handouts/PA Real Life 8 He said he previously used to struggle to keep up with his daughter Betsy Credit: Family Handouts/PA Real Life 8 He was nicknamed 'Big Dan' because of his weight Credit: Family Handouts/PA Real Life Dan, who is 6ft tall, said he regularly found himself unable to board the helicopter to the offshore rig because of weight limits and was nicknamed 'Big Dan' by his friends and colleagues. After one day finding himself sweating and out of breath walking just 50 metres at work, he knew his lifestyle needed to change and he signed up to the Man v Fat sessions at his local football club. Since January 2024, Dan has lost 10st 9lbs (68kg) and now weighs 15st 6lbs (98kg), his clothes size has dropped from 4XL to XL and he has lost 10 inches from his waist. He said he feels 'loads better' and can now be a better partner to his girlfriend Emma and father to his two children – Betsy, five, and Elsie, four months. Dan told PA Real Life: 'I've actually got a folder on my phone, I've got an album called Fat Me. 'Looking back at everything from then to now, you realise how far you've come. I made a promise to myself that I would no longer be the heaviest person on the team Dan Shilling 'It's unbelievable. I still can't believe it myself.' Dan said he was 'always bigger' during his teenage years and, although he played sport, such as rugby, football and squash, he struggled with his weight. 'I wouldn't say I was fat as such, but I was always overweight,' he said. 'When I started working properly, I grew into my body, but I was still overweight.' I shed 6.5st taking weight loss jabs - but the best bit is my glowing skin makes me look 10 years younger During the Covid-19 pandemic, Dan was working on an oil platform west of the Shetland Islands and travelling to Aberdeen, meaning he was often away from home. While offshore he was eating the self-serve meals provided, which included a full English breakfast, bacon rolls, lasagne for lunch, biscuits and cake in the afternoon and shepherd's pie or steak for dinner. He said his exercise was 'non-existent' and his weight gradually increased – although he did not realise it at the time. 'While I'm offshore, if you don't eat at that time, you don't eat as such, so you feel like you have to,' he said. 'I didn't realise how big I was getting and, even though we weigh in – each time you come offshore, you weigh in because they need it for the helicopter weights – I wasn't registering that it was creeping up.' During this time, his partner Emma lost her father to cancer and Dan said he was subjected to workplace bullying. Looking back at everything from then to now, you realise how far you've come. It's unbelievable. I still can't believe it myself Dan Shilling He said 'everything that could go wrong was going wrong' and his mental health deteriorated. 'Being a typical man, instead of talking about my issues I spiralled and tried to find comfort in food, which led me to piling on the weight and becoming an unpleasant person,' he said. At this point, Dan said he was still eating the meals at work, along with 1,200-calorie Marabou chocolate bars every night, and he reached his heaviest weight of 26st 1lbs (166kg). After Emma told him 'a few home truths', Dan visited his GP and was diagnosed with depression and prescribed anti-depressants. 'I wasn't really there, I was just existing,' he said. In 2023, Dan found another job working on a gas platform in the East Irish Sea, flying out of Blackpool. 8 The dad of two at work, after losing weight Credit: Family Handouts/PA Real Life 8 Dan with his partner Emma and two children, Betsy and Elsie Credit: Family Handouts/PA Real Life 8 Dan has lost 68kg to date Credit: Family Handouts/PA Real Life With this new job his mood lifted and he was 'generally happier', but he said his weight became an issue and he was regularly being left behind because of helicopter weight limits. 'Where I'm working, we fly out each day and they have to be able to carry a certain amount of fuel, they call it the payload,' he explained. 'If I'm sat in the helicopter weighing 160 kilos, that's quite a lot of weight for the helicopter to have to carry, so I would quite often get left behind because I was the easy one to knock off the list.' One day in December 2023, Dan said he was going offshore and he was 'pouring with sweat and out of breath' walking just 50 metres from the terminal building to the helicopter. He said he found it difficult to fasten his seat belt in the helicopter and, at this point, he thought: 'This is enough.' He then signed up to Man v Fat Football Norwich West, along with the Couch to 5K programme, and made a commitment to change his life from January 2024 onwards. About 8,500 men currently take part at more than 150 Man v Fat Football clubs across the UK. 'I made a promise to myself that I would no longer be the heaviest person on the team,' Dan said. Dan also started counting his calories and monitoring his portions at work, and he focused on increasing his daily step count. Within the first three months, he said he lost 3st 4lbs (21kg) and, to date, he has lost nearly 11 stone. The exact time of day you need to eat if you want to lose weight SCIENTISTS previously agreed there is a link between what time you eat your last meal of the day and weight gain. But experts now have a better understanding about why. Sixteen participants with a BMI in the overweight or obese range underwent two six-day tests during which their eating and sleeping habits were tightly controlled. Throughout one, they ate three meals a day - breakfast at 9am, lunch at 1pm and dinner at 6pm. The other schedule saw the times shifted by several hours, so breakfast was at 1pm, dinner 6pm and supper at 9pm. Blood samples showed that when eating later, the participants' levels of leptin, the hormone that tells us when we're full, were lower across 24 hours. This suggested they were hungrier, so more likely to eat more, and calories were being burned at a slower rate. The research, by investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, also found that eating later led to more fat being stored through adipogenesis. And the process that breaks fat down, known as lipolysis, was reduced. Combined, these changes can increase the risk of obesity, and therefore diabetes and cancer, the team warned. Dan now weighs about 15st 6lbs (98kg) and is able to wear clothes from when he was 20 years old again. 'I've still got some clothes from back then and I'm now wearing them again,' he said. 'I haven't had to buy a new wardrobe because I've still got my old one.' Dan has also taken up running and he plans to take part in the Rome Marathon 2026 to celebrate turning 40. While he still enjoys sweet treats and fast-food on occasion, he now has a healthier lifestyle and is no longer taking antidepressants. Asked for his advice to others, he said: 'Just stick to the basics – calories in versus calories out. That's all I've done. 'I'd be happy eating a KFC as long as I go for a run to cancel it out and I've got the calories spare.' Dan has been selected for Man v Fat Football's annual Amazing Losers match, which this year takes place at Leyton Orient's home ground in Brisbane Road, east London, on May 23. 8 Dan holding a certificate to highlight his weight loss percentage Credit: Family Handouts/PA Real Life
Daily Record
02-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
North Sea Oil worker who was 'too fat for helicopter' sheds nearly half his weight
After one day finding himself sweating and out of breath walking just 50 metres at work, he knew his lifestyle needed to change. A 26-stone North Sea Oil worker who was regularly told he could not board a helicopter at work because of weight limits, has lost nearly half his body weight in an 'unbelievable' transformation. Dan Shilling, 39, an offshore electrical technician who lives in Norfolk, said he has always been ' overweight ', but during the Covid-19 pandemic he reached his heaviest, 26st 1lbs. The father-of-two, who is 6ft tall, said he regularly found himself unable to board the helicopter to the offshore rig because of weight limits and was nicknamed 'Big Dan' by his friends and colleagues. After one day finding himself sweating and out of breath walking just 50 metres at work, he knew his lifestyle needed to change and he signed up to the Man v Fat sessions at his local football club. Since January 2024, Dan has lost 10st 9lbs and now weighs 15st 6lbs, his clothes size has dropped from 4XL to XL and he has lost 10 inches from his waist. He said he feels 'loads better ' and can now be a better partner to his girlfriend Emma and father to his two children – Betsy, five, and Elsie, four months. Dan said: 'I've actually got a folder on my phone, I've got an album called Fat Me. Looking back at everything from then to now, you realise how far you've come. It's unbelievable. I still can't believe it myself.' Dan said he was 'always bigger ' during his teenage years and, although he played sport, such as rugby, football and squash, he struggled with his weight. 'I wouldn't say I was fat as such, but I was always overweight,' he said. 'When I started working properly, I grew into my body, but I was still overweight.' During the Covid-19 pandemic, Dan was working on an oil platform west of the Shetland Islands and travelling to Aberdeen, meaning he was often away from home. While offshore he was eating the self-serve meals provided, which included a full English breakfast, bacon rolls, lasagne for lunch, biscuits and cake in the afternoon and shepherd's pie or steak for dinner. He said his exercise was 'non-existent' and his weight gradually increased – although he did not realise it at the time. 'While I'm offshore, if you don't eat at that time, you don't eat as such, so you feel like you have to,' he said. 'I didn't realise how big I was getting and, even though we weigh in – each time you come offshore, you weigh in because they need it for the helicopter weights – I wasn't registering that it was creeping up.' During this time, his partner Emma lost her father to cancer and Dan said he was subjected to workplace bullying. He said 'everything that could go wrong was going wrong' and his mental health deteriorated. 'Being a typical man, instead of talking about my issues I spiralled and tried to find comfort in food, which led me to piling on the weight and becoming an unpleasant person,' he said. At this point, Dan said he was still eating the meals at work, along with 1,200-calorie Marabou chocolate bars every night, and he reached his heaviest weight of 26st 1lbs. After Emma told him 'a few home truths ', Dan visited his GP and was diagnosed with depression and prescribed anti-depressants. 'I wasn't really there, I was just existing,' he said. In 2023, Dan found another job working on a gas platform in the East Irish Sea, flying out of Blackpool. With this new job his mood lifted and he was 'generally happier', but he said his weight became an issue and he was regularly being left behind because of helicopter weight limits. 'Where I'm working, we fly out each day and they have to be able to carry a certain amount of fuel, they call it the payload,' he explained. 'If I'm sat in the helicopter weighing 160 kilos, that's quite a lot of weight for the helicopter to have to carry, so I would quite often get left behind because I was the easy one to knock off the list.' One day in December 2023, Dan said he was going offshore and he was 'pouring with sweat and out of breath ' walking just 50 metres from the terminal building to the helicopter. He said he found it difficult to fasten his seat belt in the helicopter and, at this point, he thought: 'This is enough.' He then signed up to Man v Fat Football Norwich West, along with the Couch to 5K programme, and made a commitment to change his life from January 2024 onwards. He started counting his calories, monitoring his portions at work, focusing on increasing his daily step count and has taken up running and he plans to take part in the Rome Marathon 2026 to celebrate turning 40. Within the first three months, he said he lost 3st 4lbs and, to date, he has lost nearly 11 stone. Dan now weighs about 15st 6lbs and is able to wear clothes from when he was 20 years old again. He said: 'I made a promise to myself that I would no longer be the heaviest person on the team. 'I've still got some clothes from back then and I'm now wearing them again. I haven't had to buy a new wardrobe because I've still got my old one.' While he still enjoys sweet treats and fast-food on occasion, he now has a healthier lifestyle and is no longer taking antidepressants. Asked for his advice to others, he said: 'Just stick to the basics – calories in versus calories out. That's all I've done. I'd be happy eating a KFC as long as I go for a run to cancel it out and I've got the calories spare.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
