Business Archive Council Scotland Scoping Survey
The documentary history of UK offshore oil and gas industry is held within the records of its operators, supply chain, trade associations, unions, overarching bodies and the people who worked within it. This represents thousands of organisations across the UK and further afield, yet no-one knows what records of historical value they have produced or are currently producing. A scoping survey is being undertaken by the Business Archives Council of Scotland to gain this information so that a strategic approach to documenting, and potentially collecting, the heritage of the UK offshore oil and gas industry can take place. This concentrates on the records of organisations and industry rather than personal papers and reminiscences.
The survey will:
- identify the different categories of companies and organisations who generate records relating to the UK offshore oil and gas industry
- physically survey the records of a representative sample of these organisation to define what records such organisations actually produce and retain
- offer advice to surveyed organisations on the management, storage and archival provision for their records
- identify organisations that already maintain a formal historical archive and/or records management function
- proposing future work priorities and areas of further research or surveying.
Over the coming months the Surveying Officer, David Powell, will be approaching numerous companies and organisation to arrange surveys. If your organisation is interested in taking part, then please contact him at bacs@archives.gla.ac.uk for further details.