60 years of progress: pioneering energy in the North Sea

Engine for progress

Heat, power and light. Thousands of jobs. Technology and innovation.

The North Sea is providing the UK with more than oil and gas alone. It is an engine for progress, helping to spread energy and expertise across the globe. 

bp has been in the North Sea for the past 60 years – an industry pioneer. With safety as the first priority, bp has supported the development of technologies, skills and more. And this has happened in some of the world’s most challenging conditions, from high winds to large waves.

The Pitcaithly family has been part of bp’s growth in the North Sea during much of that time.

Three generations – John, Graeme and Lara – have worked across three bp platforms in the waters off the coast of Scotland. John Pitcaithly first went offshore to Forties Alpha in 1979.

Graeme works on Clair Ridge, and Lara is now learning the ropes on Clair Phase One, so she can one day achieve her dream of working in the control room – just like her dad. 

Check out bp’s economic impact in the UK

“My family has benefited – and still does – from bp’s operations here in Scotland,” says Graeme Pitcaithly, who started his career working for bp chemicals at Grangemouth in 1997.

“My father encouraged me to work for bp, and Lara’s a bit like me in that she’s hands-on and practical, so I was happy when she said she wanted to start her career with an apprenticeship in the industry.” 

From letters to video calls

Graeme not only works on Clair Ridge, but he also played a vital role in its early development. During the design and construction phase, he helped to write the platform’s operating procedures and used a control room simulator at bp’s headquarters in Sunbury to uncover any potential challenges.

Graeme still uses the simulator several times a year to map out any modifications to the control systems, or to test the installation of a new piece of equipment.

The Clair Phase One platform, where Lara works, lies approximately six kilometres from Clair Ridge. She first started at bp around four years ago as an apprentice though the training organization OPITO, working in Aberdeen and offshore.

Last year, she was hired by bp as a trainee to help maintain and support the functionality of the platform. She is slowly gaining more responsibility in her role and, when she’s fully trained, will be able to work as a production technician.

Lara often talks with both her father and grandfather about her work. Her experiences offshore are quite different to the early days on the platforms, John and Graeme say. 

“When I first started in 1979, there was a lot of mechanical work and maintenance that we needed to do manually. We were much more isolated as well. To stay in touch with our families, we could only write letters. Now, Lara can call home daily on her mobile,” says John, who retired in 2000.

Change through the years

Lara has embraced the lifestyle offshore, and often spends her free time on the platform in the common room chatting with her colleagues and watching TV.

She works about three weeks at a time at sea, before taking a helicopter back to Aberdeen for four or five weeks to take time off, attend training courses, or even compare notes with her bp team from home. 

As the industry continues to change and develop, Lara feels that the skills she’s learning now will be applicable wherever her career takes her, offshore or onshore. 

“I came into the industry at an exciting time, with bp announcing its net zero ambition just months after I started,” says Lara, who had initially considered studying chemical engineering, but chose an apprenticeship instead.

“This is a great industry, and I’ve learned so much. I’m proud to work for bp at this exciting time and to play a role in producing energy the world still needs. I look forward to a bright future in this fascinating sector.”