Freelancers and umbrella company contractors working in the oil and gas sector are set to reap the rewards of renewed investment by a major industry player.
Centrica – one of the largest international energy industry companies in the world and the firm behind British Gas – announced recently that its profits rose to an impressive £2.7 billion last year, an increase of 14 per cent, in the wake of investing a massive £2 billion in oil and gas asses in the North Sea and other places in 2012. The fantastically large bit of cash Centrica has sunk into the sector – and the huge reward it has already reaped – give freelancers a thrill in that it’s prime evidence that the industry is booming and that the investment efforts on Centrica’s part will lead to plenty of work for anyone with the skills and the experience to keep the sophisticated machinery maintained and working properly.
Umbrella company contractors aren’t the only ones that believe Centrica has their back when it comes to opportunities to earn a living. In fact, Centrica’s southern North Sea arm’s regional director, Greg McKenna, outright said as much, remarking that as the firm continues to invest in the area freelancers and companies will be able to ride Centrica’s coat-tails and find ample opportunities for work.
Mr McKenna pointed out not one but two separate initiatives that he felt would have a major impact going forward, one being the £1.4 billion Cygnus projet. Another programme, the York project with funding of a only slightly less impressive £400 million price tag, was also cited by the regional director as a fantastic opportunity for those working within the sector to benefit.
Mr McKenna felt that, across the supply chain, there could easily be thousands of jobs secured thanks to Centrica’s investments. For what it’s worth I believe him, considering how you’ve got more than just people getting paid to install and build platforms but an entire support structure springing up around firms that service offshore oil and gas drills and businesses that provide offshore workers with whatever they need.
Say whatever you will about non-renewable energy resources such as oil and gas, the North Sea is just chock-full of fantastic opportunities here. Don’t forget that there are offshore wind and wave farms being constructed as well, so if you think I’m simply avoiding news about more ‘green’ energy sources, think again; if Centrica dropped some £2 billion on building offshore wind turbines I’d be leaping about and shouting the news from the rooftops, trust me!
