UK Onshore Operators Group

The United Kingdom Onshore Operators Group, also referred to as United Kingdom Onshore Oil & Gas (UKOOG), is a trade lobby group. It calls itself the 'the UK voice for onshore oil and gas exploration' and has been at the forefront of the push to develop shale gas in the country.

Discussing fracking 'lines to take' with UK govt

This article is part of the Spinwatch Fracking Portal and project

In January 2014 Freedom of Information requests made by Greenpeace revealed that the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) had emailed what it called "lines to take" to UKOOG before the publication of the potential public health effects of chemical and radioactive pollutants from fracking in a review by Public Health England.

One such line was: "We are confident that there is robust and appropriate regulation in the UK to ensure safe operations that minimise impacts to human health."

The Guardian reported:

In one case the Decc apologised to UKOOG: "Sorry to raise your blood pressure on this subject again, no expletives please!" following a discussion of contentious policy points. In another email, UKOOG's chief executive, Ken Cronin, tells Duarte Figueira, head of Decc's office of unconventional gas and oil: "Thanks for a productive meeting (it's like being set homework)."

A spokeswoman for Decc told the Guardian:

Decc has working relationships with external partners across its portfolio and this is no different with regards to shale gas. It is right and proper that Decc facilitates discussions between companies, regulators and other interested parties as part of this. The government believes that shale gas has the potential to provide the UK with greater energy security, growth and jobs. We are encouraging safe and environmentally sound exploration to determine this potential."

Cronin, of UKOOG, said: "Given the amount of regulatory and wider industry issues at present, you would expect Decc to have a fairly open dialogue with the industry trade body just as Decc has with environmental NGOs, as witnessed by the NGOs' input into the strategic environmental assessment announced in December."

'Consultation' - 'Let's talk about shale'

A 'pilot initiative' shale gas 'roadshow' set up in September 2014 by UKOOG, claimed to be 'the first of its kind in the UK' and focused 'on a handful of towns and cities in the North West and East Midlands'. It notably came after the industry's refusal over the summer of 2014 to engage in high-profile 'Talk Fracking' events run by an activist group fronted by the fashion designer Vivienne Westwood.

The ‘Let’s talk about shale’ campaign directly targeted a public audience with careful stakeholder PR usage of the first person about 'hearing and answering YOUR questions on shale gas':

...If you live in one of the pilot areas you may have seen posters and information in your local paper, a postcard through your door, and may have spoken with members of the ‘Let’s talk about shale team’ handing out postcards in shopping centres and high streets. We have also been running local events and discussions with local community groups, and will continue these for the next few weeks.

Over the last few weeks, this website has enabled people to submit their questions about shale gas. Since 8th September, we have received over 1500 questions and comments through this website and postcards.

We have received a huge variety of questions. 17% have been about water, 8% about energy security and we have also received many about safety, air, planning rules, community benefits and regulations.

The campaign included the use of a ‘Let’s talk about shale’ digi-van: a high-tech vehicle equipped with flatscreen TVs - and promotional staff with tablet computers.

UKOOG told local press that it had set up the campaign because 'the public are subjected to a stream of information from a range of sources and much of this information is wrong'. The roadshow was criticised by community and anti-fracking activists for it appearing to be less about talking about fracking than recording questions on postcards.

Professor Sarah O'Hara‎‎, of the University of Nottingham, said: 'Our polling shows people want to know more about shale so I welcome the industry’s efforts.'

However, others were less impressed with this type of public engagement. Jackie Copley, planning manager for the Lancashire branch of Campaign to Protect Rural England, said she believed that people were generally well-informed. 'The industry should give the public a bit of credit... With all due respect, the Let’s Talk About Shale initiative [by the industry body UKOOG] that I saw was really quite patronising.'

Political access

Attendee at UK energy minister's May 2018 shale gas roundtable

Energy minister Claire Perry hosted a roundtable with the fracking industry in May 2018 just hours before she gave evidence to a committee of MPs on the Conservative government's proposed changes to relax the rules on shale gas development in the UK.

A 'reconstructed' attendee list was released under the freedom of information act to North Yorkshire resident Jonathan Bales following an internal review of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy's initial almost completely redacted FOI response.

Oil and gas companies at the roundtable included:

• Aurora Energy, BP, Cuadrilla, IGas, Ineos, Third Energy and lobby group UK Onshore Oil and Gas.

• Service companies: Ground Gas Solutions, Marriott Drilling, Onshore Energy Service Group, Zetland Group.

• Investors and fund managers: Riverstone (a major partner in Cuadrilla), Kerogen (investor in IGas), Global Natural Resource Investments (formerly part of Barclays which invested in Third Energy), KKR, JP Morgan.

Other industries and organisations: Chemical Industries Association chemical company SABIC, Coalfield Regeneration Trust, Engineering Employers’ Federation, GMB.

National College For Onshore Oil And Gas

In November 2014, former energy minister Matthew Hancock announced government backing for a 'National College for Onshore Oil and Gas' and the provision of £750,000 in funding for its development. The college will provide specialist skills needed by the industry from ‘A’ level equivalents right through to postgraduate degree level, and train teachers and regulators. It will also fund academic research into fracking, and promote careers in the industry to children.

At the announcement, Hancock said:

'Shale gas is an enormous opportunity for the UK and one that we simply can’t afford to miss out on.'

'That’s why we are investing in the people behind the project. Only by arming people with the skills they need to be shale specialists can we provide career opportunities for thousands of young people, boost the power and competitiveness of our firms and help the UK economy remain strong and competitive.'

UKOOG led the bid to set up the college, which was formally set up in September 2015. Ken Cronin, UKOOG's CEO, is also the college's director, alongside Gary Haywood of INEOS, and Lee Petts. It is based in Lancashire. It is jointly funded by the shale industry.

Studies

In January 2014 UKOOG announced on Twitter that it was conducting a study with Ernst and Young (EY) into supply chain benefits of shale gas in the UK.

People

• Ken Cronin - UK chief executive, joined UKOOG in February 2013, formerly head of Kreab Gavin Anderson’s global energy practice

Events

• 6 July 2016: Planning and Environment Summit - A national conference of 'planning committees, academics, planning officers, health and safety teams, environmental health regulators and energy managers' to provide guidance and the 'right and most accurate information' on determining fracking applications. Speakers include Ken Cronin, Lincolnshire planning manager Neil McBride, Environment Agency adviser Charlotte Danvers, UKOOG policy officer Tony Almond, Professor Kevin Anderson and Professor Peter Styles.

Former Directors

• Geoffrey Davies - chief executive of Celtique Energie stepped down April 2015
• Steve Thompsett director, appeared as a witness during the 2015 UK parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee inquiry into the risks of fracking in the UK.

Advisers

• Corin Taylor, senior adviser seconded from energy giant Centrica between 2014-15, where he was communications research director. Now a UKOOG director. Taylor was a co-author of a widely-quoted Institute of Directors report that claimed 74,000 jobs would be created if shale gas development were to go ahead in the UK.

Company directors

• Mark Abbott 16 Apr 2013 ⇒ Present day (3 Years ) (as at August 2016). Director of Egdon
• Stephen Bowler 2 Jul 2015 ⇒ Present ( 1 Year ) Director of Dart Energy (now owned by IGAS)
• Graham Dean 2 Nov 2013 ⇒ Present day (2 Years ) (Reach Coal Seam Gas
• Francis Egan 2 Nov 2013 ⇒ Present day (2 Years ) Director of Cuadrilla
• Gary Haywood 2 Jul 2015 ⇒ Present ( 1 Year ) Director of INEOS Upstream
• Paul Mason 2 Jul 2015 ⇒ Present ( 1 Year ) Director of E.F oil & gas limited (Owned by Total)
• David Robottom 17 Oct 2012 ⇒ Present day (3 Years ) Third Energy
• Stephen Sanderson 6 Sep 2016 ⇒ Present ( 11 Months )
• Martin York 1 Aug 2016 ⇒ Present ( 1 Year )

Company name changed September 2014 from UK Onshore Operators Group to UK Onshore Oil & Gas

Previous directors:

• Andrew Austin 17 Oct 2012 ⇒ 9 May 2015 (2 Years ) Director of Igas
• Christopher Hird17 Oct 2012 ⇒ 2 Nov 2013 (1 Year )
• Mark Lappin 17 Oct 2012 → 2 Nov 2013 and then 2 Jul 2015 ⇒ 1 August 2016( 1 Year ) Director of Centrica, Bowland resources, Elswick Energy
• Johnny Kopecky 2 Nov 2013 ⇒ 8 Oct 2015
• Geoffrey Davies 2 Nov 2013 ⇒ 30 Apr 2015 Director of Celtique Energy

Lobbying firms

• Newgate Communications - Jason Nisse and Deborah Saw appear as contacts on UKOOG's press releases with these details: ukoog@newgatecomms.com 0207 680 6550. Newgate also declares UKOOG as a client in the APPC Register.

In August 2013 UKOOG was planning to pitch out its Brussels public affairs project for its interaction with European regulators.

• Westbourne Communications - from June 2014,worked on the 'Let's talk about shale' series. No longer listed on the APPC register as a Westbourne client.

Affiliations

• Member of the 'advisory panel' of the now defunct All Party Parliamentary Group on Unconventional Oil and Gas (which was initially run by heavyweight lobbying and PR firm Edelman until August 2014 then Hill and Knowlton Strategies) until July/August 2017.

Contact

Address: 63 Duke Street, London W1K 5NS, United Kingdom.

Website:

Twitter: UKOOG (315 followers as of 20 January 2014, 682 followers as of 19 January 2015)

Resources

See: Fracking lobbying firms

• Melissa Jones and Andy Rowell, Access all areas: Westminster's (vast) fracking lobby exposed, 29 April 2015.