UK Onshore Operators Group

The United Kingdom Onshore Operators Group (UKOOG) calls itself the 'the UK voice for onshore oil and gas exploration'.

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.

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.

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.

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

Studies

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

People

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

Directors

• Geoffrey Davies - chief executive of Celtique Energie
• Steve Thompsett director, appeared as a witness during the 2015 UK parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee inquiry into the risks of fracking in the UK. During its hearings Committee chair Joan Walley asked head of the new industry-funded Task Force on Shale Gas, Lord Chris Smith, if he would write to the government to ask for the release an unredacted version of a report released under Freedom of Information laws in mid-2014 into the impacts on rural communities. Lord Smith said he was committed to openness and would write to the government on the matter.

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.

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 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).

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.