Oil and gas companies operate in incredibly dynamic environments, where they face constant challenges, especially in terms of supply and demand.
For senior planners it can feel like being a juggler wearing a blindfold and oven gloves – they have to focus not only on their own product supply chains, but also deal with the vagaries of the non-hydrocarbon chains that takes care of the materials, services and personnel required to run what is a massive business.
The non-hydrocarbon supply chain is critical to delivering the equipment and services required to find, extract, refine and market oil and gas. This means companies need to constantly reassess the effectiveness of their procurement and supply chain and have in place robust strategies.
Here in Scotland we seem to be getting things right. Energy Minister Fergus Ewing recently announced that in 2013 sales from Scotland’s oil and gas supply chain reach a massive £22.2bn – an 11% increase on the year before.
Team this up with £7bn in international subsidiaries sales, a 13% increase in direct exports (a total of £4.2bn) and domestic sales for Scottish-based supply chain up to £11bn, and we can see just how vital the oil and gas supply chain is to the Scottish economy.
But, as Anne Robinson will tell you, a chain is only as strong as its weakest links.
So, what kind of skills are needed to ensure every link is strong and what are these links?
Well, it’s predicted the Scottish supply chain employs approximately 375,000 people. These figures are courtesy of a report from that nice Ernst & Young, which was released at the end of 2014.
It found five main specialisms and industries that were in the highest demand: geosciences, drilling, operations and maintenance, technical support and safety and, finally, labour.
What is most surprising, however, is that fact the Ernst & Young report found that 70% of respondents from the industry reported a skills shortage.
This means there will be opportunities in almost every link in the chain, from the geoscientist analysing data and logs, collecting and testing samples, mapping rock formations and primarily locating oil and gas reservoirs, all the way right through to business support staff, negotiating deals with suppliers, buyers and making sure costs and budgets are assigned.
There’s never been a better time to link into the supply chain.