NOF Energy, the business development organisation for oil, gas, nuclear and offshore renewable sectors, is working with the UK arm of international company Maersk Oil to help the business develop its workforce and equip them with an in-depth understanding of the supply chain.

As part of its two year graduate training programme, Maersk Oil UK (MOUK) wanted to broaden its employees’ technical awareness of supply chain companies and contractors, which support operations and projects in the energy and gas sectors.

The Aberdeen-based company has harnessed NOF Energy’s substantial expertise with the organisation creating a week-long Supply Chain Engagement Programme for trainee engineers at MOUK.

The programme has shared knowledge and best practice and improved the flow of information, giving the MOUK trainee engineers a comprehensive insight into the needs of contractors and suppliers involved in different stages of major projects.

NOF Energy organised a fact-finding mission for the trainee engineers at several  member companies which focus on subsea, pipeline engineering or fabrication.

The programme involved visiting businesses including GE Oil & Gas, Duco Ltd, BEL Valves, SMD, Pipeline Engineering & Supply Co, Subsea Innovation Ltd, Modus Seabed Intervention Ltd, DeepOcean, Reef Subsea, Heerema Fabrication Group, and Wilton Engineering.

The inaugural Supply Chain Engagement venture has proved so successful that NOF Energy is now extending the support to other operators and contractors within the industry including its strategic partner members.

The Strategic Partner Programme (SPP) involves NOF Energy working closely with a number of operators, developers or main contractors, those classed as Tier 1 and Tier 2 contractors, such as Aker Solutions, Petrofac and EDF Energy. Each strategic partner works with NOF Energy in a different way with the ultimate outcome being building better relationships within the wider supply chain

Duncan Henderson, of Maersk Oil UK, said: “The assistance we have received from NOF Energy has been first-class. The organisation proved to be highly efficient and effective in understanding what we required. This led to NOF Energy arranging a programme that was ideal for our graduate engineers’ training needs.”