The UK's Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) is urging the oil and gas industry to accelerate the development of the licensees, in order to enhance a culture of internal and external collaboration with existing joint venture (JV) partnerships.

Recommendations outlined in Sir Ian Wood’s UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) Maximising Recovery Review, Petroleum Act 1998 included collaboration as a key aspect to achieve the principal objective of maximising economic recovery (MER), which now has became a statutory obligation.

The OGA’s Asset Stewardship Collaboration Implementation Guide (SE-09) provides detailed information about the authority’s requirements regarding collaboration, as well as the usage of a recognised collaborative behavioural assessment tool.

OGA has published its Collaborative Behaviour Quantification Tool (CBQT) containing additional supporting guidance, which includes negotiations, in addition to the ability to learn and share experiences.

OGA chief executive Andy Samuel said: “Over the last two years, we have seen many positive examples of collaboration between companies leading to solutions to long-running issues.

"With the publication of the OGA’s Asset Stewardship Expectations, and the Collaborative Behaviour Quantification Tool, we can continue to catalyse positive behavioural change."

“Significant value has been created as a result, however, there remains more to do if we are to maximise value from the UK’s considerable remaining hydrocarbon resources.

“With the publication of the OGA’s Asset Stewardship Expectations, the Collaborative Behaviour Quantification Tool and most importantly with the right people round the table in constructive dialogue, we can continue to catalyse positive behavioural change.”

OGA conducted a successful pilot of CBQT with Chevron North Sea (CNSL) in the fourth quarter of last year. It will now be undertaken by operators and the OGA every two years, starting in 2017.

The authority may request operators to submit an improvement plan within six months of the review, in order to improve collaboration under the CBGT.

The OGA has also been supporting the Oil & Gas UK Commercial Behaviours Work Group, which brings together all commercial managers from E&P companies to lead in developing and embedding the collaborative commercial behaviours needed to deliver MER UK efficiently.