This is where to look for news from the UK Oil & Gas Chaplaincy. The News Page
changes several times a week so why not add it to your "Favourites"
and come back on a regular basis? If you have any news events relating to the UK
Oil & Gas Chaplaincy which you feel we ought to include on this page then please email
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hope you enjoy your visit.
Annual Service of Remembrance Addressed by Moderator
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Rt Rev David Lunan, addressed the congregation at the UK Oil and Gas Chaplaincy Annual Service of Remembrance held in the Kirk of St Nicholas Uniting, Aberdeen on Friday 31 October.
This annual service gives those in the industry as well as families, friends and colleagues an opportunity to remember those who have lost their lives offshore and onshore over the years.
Speaking before the service, the Chaplain said, "This service gives people the opportunity to remember those who have died over the years, not just in accidents, but by natural causes and worked in this industry both offshore and onshore. We tend to think of those who died in the terrible tragedy of Piper Alpha but we must never ever forget all those who have died in other accidents as well as through natural causes. Their families feel the pain of their loss every bit as much."
The Moderator in his address reminded the congregation that "This was a hazardous industry and we must never forget the human cost of bringing energy into our homes."
Pictured is the Chaplain welcoming the Moderator to the Kirk of St Nicholas. Picture Press and Journal.
Moderator Goes Offshore During Visit To The Chaplaincy
The Rt Rev David Lunan, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, got the opportunity to go offshore during his recent visit to the UK Oil and Gas Chaplaincy. The Moderator was visiting the Chaplaincy as part of his official programme and was keen to learn at first hand about the industry and its challenges.
Matt Bower, General Manager of Bluewater invited the Moderator to visit the Haewene Brim an FPSO situated an hours flying time east of Aberdeen. (Click here for details of the Haewene Brim)
This was the first occasion the Moderator had been offshore and whilst he had flown in helicopters before he had never had to suit up and wear a LAP Jacket. As well as learning about the particular task the Haewene Brim was engaged in he also had an opportunity to meet and speak to some of those onboard. We are grateful to Sparrows Offshore for providing the Moderator with his PPE for the visit.
Although the weather had been poor in the early part of the week the conditions were near perfect when the Moderator made his 5 hour visit. The Chaplaincy would like to thank the OIM and all on board the Haewene Brim for making the visit so enjoyable. Top picture left to right,
Matt Bower (Bluewater), The Moderator, the Rev Andrew Jolly. Bottom picture, The Moderator preparing to embark on the helicopter for his return journey to Aberdeen. (Photos courtesy of Craig, Haewene Brim)
To read the Moderator's Weblog of his visit to the Chaplaincy please click here.
Moderator Attends OCA Annual Dinner
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland the Rt Rev David Lunan, as part of his visit to the UK Oil and Gas Chaplaincy, was a guest at the recent Annual Dinner of the Offshore Contractors Association held at the Marcliffe at Pitfodels. The Moderator was visiting the Chaplaincy to give the address at the Annual Service of Remembrance but took the opportunity to learn about the industry as well as make a visit offshore.
In attending the Dinner the Moderator had the chance to meet many people involved in the contracting side of the business
and learn of some of the issues facing the industry at this time. The principal speaker at the Dinner who also proposed the toast to "The Industry" was Dave Blackwood, Director of North Sea Operations at BP Exploration and Production. The Moderator said, "I am very grateful to the OCA for inviting me to their dinner and it has been a privilege to have this opportunity to learn about this particular aspect of the industry".
Pictured are left to right, Rev Andrew Jolly (UK Oil and Gas Industry Chaplain), Brian Nixon (Scottish Enterprise), George Brown (Wood Group), Bill Murray (Chief Executive OCA), Bob Keiller (Chairman OCA and Petroleum Services Network), Dave Blackwood (BP Exploration and Production), Ian Nickerson (BIS Salamis), Ian Irving (After Dinner Speaker), the Moderator.
UK Chaplaincy Maintains Links With Norwegian Chaplaincy
The UK Oil and Gas Chaplain was recently a guest of the Sjomannskirken at Offshore Northern Seas 2008. The event which is held every two years in Stavanger in Norway is a showcase for companies operating in the Oil and Gas Industry. The Sjomannskirken (Seamen's Mission) is a worldwide organisation based in Norway and provides Chaplaincy services to offshore installations, supply vessels and stand-by vessels in the Norwegian sector. The Chaplain, the Rev Andrew Jolly, said "It is good to get together with my Norwegian counterparts as it provides an opportunity for fellowship and an exchange of ideas and experiences from our respective environments".
This was underlined in July when the UK Oil and Gas Chaplaincy marked the 20th Anniversary of the Piper Alpha Disaster and Rune Birkeland and his wife attended representing the Sjomannskirken.
At the exhibition and conference the Sjomannskirken traditionally serve waffles and coffee. Pictured enjoying a coffee are from left to right Lief Johannes Netland (Offshore Chaplain Norway), Andrew Jolly (UK Oil and Gas Chaplaincy) and Tormod Woxen (Offshore Chaplain Norway). For further information on the Norwegian Sjomannskirken please click here.
Reunion After 24 Years Takes Place On The Talisman Clyde
Brought together by a chance encounter were George McCready and the UK Oil and Gas Chaplain. The Chaplain, the Rev Andrew Jolly, had been assistant minister at Knightswood St Margaret's Parish Church in Glasgow from 1982 to 1984. At that time George was a boy in the Company section of the 243rd Glasgow Company of the Boys' Brigade which met in the halls of St Margaret's.
Now George is employed by RBG maintaining the HVAC system on the Talisman Clyde. Pictured are from left to right, The Chaplain and George McCready.
Night Out Turns To Cash From IADC For The Oil Chaplaincy Trust Ltd
The IADC, which recently held its Annual Awards Dinner at Ardoe House, asked its members that night to contribute to two charities. Once again the Oil Chaplaincy Trust Ltd was one of the charities to be supported at the event. The magnificent sum of £4660 was raised for the Trust and the cheque was handed over by Steve Rae of Seawell UK, the current Chairman of the North Sea Chapter of the IADC. He was joined by Roger Hodgson, and John Davies of the IADC. The Trust expressed its very sincere thanks to the IADC for their continuing support which has extended over many years. The UK Oil & Gas Chaplain can be seen shaking hands and receiving the cheque from Steve Rae with left Roger Hodgson and right John Davies.
In accepting the cheque, the UK Oil & Gas Chaplain expressed his thanks to the IADC and all those who contributed so well at the dinner for their continuing support and encouragement for this valuable part of the Chaplaincy's work.
Sparrows safety dividend
Rev Andrew Jolly, Chaplain to the UK Oil and Gas Industry, was recently delighted to receive a cheque for £5,000 on behalf of the employees of Sparrows Offshore; the donation is to the UK Oil Industry Chaplaincy Welfare Trust – the only charity dedicated to providing crisis support for current or former offshore employees.
The money was ‘earned’ for the charity by Sparrows employees in the UK through their achievement of safety objectives for 2007. Sparrows’ UK business unit makes an annual £3,000 grant to the charity with the opportunity for employees to earn an additional £5,000 bonus for the charity through the attainment of safety goals. In 2007, the workforce recorded an excellent 17% reduction in incident potential severity, as recorded by the company’s sophisticated incident potential severity measurement system.
“I’m extremely grateful to the staff and management at Sparrows for coming up with this scheme to support the Chaplaincy Welfare Trust – and particularly for their success in raising funds,” says Rev. Jolly. “Age and declining health take their toll on so many friends in the industry, and it is important that those of us who are blessed with robust health do all we can to support those less fortunate than ourselves. Charity begins at home and, for us, home is the oil and gas industry.”
“Since the introduction of the Sparrows scheme, I’ve made it my business to remind Sparrows employees when I meet them on my twice-monthly visits to offshore installations that, while the most important thing is that they get home safely to their families, there is now an extra incentive to think and act safely at work. There’s more to being a Chaplain in his industry than meets the eye!”
The UK Oil & Gas Chaplaincy Welfare Trust provides support in cash and kind to those who have worked in or are working in the UK sector of the Oil and Gas Industry or their immediate dependents who, through illness or injury find themselves with pressing needs.
Neil Byiers, a senior offshore supervisor with Sparrows who lives in Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire, was invited to make the presentation on behalf of the workforce following a poll of Sparrows contract managers on the UKCS inviting them to nominate a recognised leader in making workplace safety a reality offshore.
“It was an honour to be invited to represent the Sparrows workforce in making this donation,” Neil Byiers said. “I did not realise how much work the Chaplaincy does supporting people who have been forced into early retirement by illness or injury; now I know more, the charity will have my full backing and I hope another Sparrows employee will have the same pleasure I had this year in making a cheque presentation to mark another year of safety targets achieved for 2008.”
Attached photo caption: Rev Andrew Jolly (centre), Chaplain to the UK Oil and Gas Industry, receives a cheque for £5,000 on behalf of employees of Sparrows Offshore from offshore supervisor Neil Byiers of Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire (right), with Sparrows’ chief operating officer for Europe, Malcolm Wilson (left) looking on.
The Chaplain recently spent three days on the Talisman Beatrice Alpha. During his visit he was invited to climb to the top of one of the Turbines that have been erected close to the platform as part of the Wind Farm Demonstrator Project..
It was in July 2007, that Talisman installed the second of two 85-metre high, 5MW wind turbines adjacent to their Beatrice field, 25-kilometres off the east coast of Scotland.
The two turbines are part of a $70 million deepwater Wind Farm Demonstrator Project which will run for a period of five years and provide a better understanding of the overall impact of deepwater wind farms and explore the cost effectiveness of deepwater sites. During the five-year trial, they will collect performance data, look for ways to reduce costs and develop operating procedures. Initial electricity from the two demonstrator units provides electric power via subsea cable to the Beatrice platform.
The project is the largest renewable energy development in Scotland and could become the world's largest wind farm. However, at this time, the vision of the commercial wind farm can only be realized if the costs can be brought down.
The Beatrice Wind Farm Demonstrator Project has received funding from the Scottish Executive, the UK Department of Trade and Industry, the European Commission and Scottish and Southern Energy.
The Chaplain can be seen standing at the top of the turbine with the Beatrice Alpha in the background.
A special word of thanks must go to the OIM Mike Scott, the Turbine Project Team Leader Grant Bell and the crew of the ERIC for making the trip possible.
The Rt Rev David Lunan, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, got the opportunity to go offshore during his recent visit to the UK Oil and Gas Chaplaincy. The Moderator was visiting the Chaplaincy as part of his official programme and was keen to learn at first hand about the industry and its challenges.
anager of Bluewater invited the Moderator to visit the Haewene Brim an FPSO situated an hours flying time east of Aberdeen. (Click here for details of the Haewene Brim)
The UK Oil and Gas Chaplain was recently a guest of the Sjomannskirken at Offshore Northern Seas 2008. The event which is held every two years in Stavanger in Norway is a showcase for companies operating in the Oil and Gas Industry. The Sjomannskirken (Seamen's Mission) is a worldwide organisation based in Norway and provides Chaplaincy services to offshore installations, supply vessels and stand-by vessels in the Norwegian sector. The Chaplain, the Rev Andrew Jolly, said "It is good to get together with my Norwegian counterparts as it provides an opportunity for fellowship and an exchange of ideas and experiences from our respective environments".
Brought together by a chance encounter were George McCready and the UK Oil and Gas Chaplain. The Chaplain, the Rev Andrew Jolly, had been assistant minister at Knightswood St Margaret's Parish Church in Glasgow from 1982 to 1984. At that time George was a boy in the Company section of the 243rd Glasgow Company of the Boys' Brigade which met in the halls of St Margaret's. 
This is where to look for news from the UK Oil & Gas Chaplaincy. The News Page
changes several times a week so why not add it to your "Favourites"
and come back on a regular basis? If you have any news events relating to the UK
Oil & Gas Chaplaincy which you feel we ought to include on this page then please email
us at We
hope you enjoy your visit. 
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Rt Rev David Lunan, addressed the congregation at the UK Oil and Gas Chaplaincy Annual Service of Remembrance held in the Kirk of St Nicholas Uniting, Aberdeen on Friday 31 October.
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland the Rt Rev David Lunan, as part of his visit to the UK Oil and Gas Chaplaincy, was a guest at the recent Annual Dinner of the Offshore Contractors Association held at the Marcliffe at Pitfodels. The Moderator was visiting the Chaplaincy to give the address at the Annual Service of Remembrance but took the opportunity to learn about the industry as well as make a visit offshore.
The IADC, which recently held its Annual Awards Dinner at Ardoe House, asked its members that night to contribute to two charities. Once again the Oil Chaplaincy Trust Ltd was one of the charities to be supported at the event. The magnificent sum of £4660 was raised for the Trust and the cheque was handed over by Steve Rae of Seawell UK, the current Chairman of the North Sea Chapter of the 
Rev Andrew Jolly, Chaplain to the UK Oil and Gas Industry, was recently delighted to receive a cheque for £5,000 on behalf of the employees of Sparrows Offshore; the donation is to the UK Oil Industry Chaplaincy Welfare Trust – the only charity dedicated to providing crisis support for current or former offshore employees.
The Chaplain recently spent three days on the Talisman Beatrice Alpha. During his visit he was invited to climb to the top of one of the Turbines that have been erected close to the platform as part of the Wind Farm Demonstrator Project..
It was in July 2007, that Talisman installed the second of two 85-metre high, 5MW wind turbines adjacent to their Beatrice field, 25-kilometres off the east coast of Scotland.