The UK oil industry regulator – the Department of Trade and Industry reports a ‘major step forward’ for the government’s e-agenda with an electronic transaction between Shell, the DTI and third parties via the UK Oil Portal. The transaction is a digitally signed chemical consent for Shell’s Shearwater platform and is now held digitally in a legally admissible form within DTI.
O’Brien
Energy Minister Mike O’Brien (who also holds responsibility for e-government) said, ‘Paperless working will be of increasing benefit to everyone. The DTI is at the forefront of the e-agenda and this initiative shows how we can use new technologies to the full.’
T-scheme
The DTI’s digital signature policy uses the Oil and Gas Trust Scheme or ‘T-scheme’ process. Shell, BP and ExxonMobil have agreed on a series of standards based around T-scheme and are now considering including these standards in their own operating procedures, according to the DTI.
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