The UK Oil and Gas Authority was recently set up as the regulator for both onshore and offshore oil and gas operations in the United Kingdom. Director of Exploration, Production and Decommissioning, Gunther Newcombe, tells us about its work and aims.

Norwegian Foundation NORSAR is at the forefront of geophysical research. Senior Vice President Arve E. Mjelva tells us about their work.

Professor Jon Gluyas explains the concept and importance of carbon capture and storage.

IPIECA is the global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues. Executive Director Brian Sullivan tells us about its aims and its importance to the industry and the wider world.

Royal Holloway, University of London recently celebrated 30 years of their MSc course in Petroleum Geoscience. To mark the occasion, they hosted a 30 year Celebratory Symposium with speakers comprising alumni as well as past and present staff members.

Why and when do we need to use consultants? Philip Angell, Managing Director of Dubai-based consulting firm Vision Project Services DMCC, explains.

Regular GEO ExPro contributor Martin Landrø is Professor of Applied Geophysics at the Department of Petroleum Engineering and Applied Geophysics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway. Here he discusses some of the more important innovations in the science of geophysics when applied to the hydrocarbon industry.

Ken Cronin is CEO of UKOOG, which represents the onshore oil and gas industry in the UK, and is therefore heavily involved in ongoing discussions about unconventional exploration in the country.

The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) set up the Geoscience and Energy Policy Office in Washington, D.C. in 2005. Edith Allison, Director of the Office since 2012, explains its role.

Malcolm Fleming is CEO of Common Data Access Ltd (CDA), which was established with the aim of sharing the costs and benefits associated with managing subsurface UK E&P data through collaboration. He talks to us about the importance of sharing data.

Dr. Thomas A. Smith founded Seismic Micro-Technology (SMT) in 1984 and led the development of the widely adopted Kingdom Suite software suite for seismic interpretation. He went on to found Geophysical Insights in 2008, which launched Paradise™ at SEG 2013.

As unconventional gas and oil operations expand in Europe, understanding the nature of naturally occurring radioactive material is necessary for managing environmental effects, as Anna Kaniewska at Golder Associates explains.

In just eleven years, DownUnder GeoSolutions (DUG) has grown from a few people working in a shed in a Perth garden, to a company employing 200 people with seven offices based all around the world. Dr. Matthew Lamont, who founded DUG in 2003 with Dr. Troy Thompson, explains why he decided to start his own geosciences company.

An innovative collaboration between universities, research institutions, government funding bodies and the E&P industry promises to change the face of doctoral petroleum geoscience training in the UK. Keith Gerdes, Chair of the Industrial Advisory Board for the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)’s Centre for Doctoral Training for Oil and Gas, tells us about this important development.

More and more conferences on every facet of the petroleum industry seem to be appearing. What purpose do they serve, and what makes them effective? We talk to Ben Sayah, conference manager with events company Terrapinn.