'Capturing the Energy' was established to promote wider recognition of the technical and cultural importance of the offshore oil and gas industry to the UK. It has the support of government and 'Capturing the Energy' is now included in BERR's Decommissioning Guidelines.
Companies are encouraged to make provision for keeping the most important records as their operations evolve, ensuring that they can be safely stored, in an archive repository, so that they can be made accessible for current research, both within the sector and in the wider community, and for future generations.
By promoting its achievements, we hope to attract new recruits to the industry. The hub of the archives network is at the University of Aberdeen, which has strong links with the sector.
When assets are sold, redeveloped or decommissioned, companies have to consolidate the information concerning that asset. Archivists can quickly identify which groups of records are significant, using methodologies determined from previous experience and international appraisal guidelines. Much of this selection can be done remotely. The impact on company's time and staff resources is kept to a minimum, especially when the records are held in offsite storage facilities.