About OilCity

The OilCity project was created by Bernie Vincent, who worked in the oil industry for 23 years in various positions related to business systems and business improvement projects. He was an early adopter of internet technologies and for the last 20 years he has been advising companies and managing projects related to the Internet.

Along with many others, Bernie recognised that the oil sector was constantly losing valuable skills and important knowledge, as people retired; where made redundant when the downturns happened; or just moved onto to jobs in other parts of the world.

The idea of OilCity, is to gather personal experiences and knowledge that exists in the minds of the tens of thousands of people who have worked in the North Sea over the past 50+ years, for the future benefit of the industry and to provide a valuable historical record. Most of all, OilCity is a way for you to tell your own stories and anecdotes that that have contributed to the success of the industry.

OilCity is about people rather than the companies. By encouraging those who have worked in, or been closely connected to, the industry to share their experiences we will be able to preserve a vast amount of knowledge and make it freely available for those who are working in the industry today and will in the future or those who will study the notes for their education. A historical record that is created by those that were present is far more interesting that one created by someone who wasn't even born at the time.

History alone is not enough. There is a continued need for the industry to broadcast that it is regaining its original dynamism reflected in the current oil prices generating significant development within the industry. It must also counter the view that it is an industry with poor career potential which now pervades the sector at every level from highly skilled professionals to clerical support personnel onshore.

The joining of forces of a readable and web-accessible history with a compelling and positive view of the future would counter the views that it is a dying industry with poor career potential. It is this perception which has created the missing generation of technicians and graduate recruits currently creating the skills shortage which is such a threat to future North Sea success. The opportunities for long term and rewarding careers are considerable - the future part of OilCity will demonstrate that fact.

We hope that you will find time to take part and add your story.

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OilCity aims to use the same principles as Wikipedia, to create a comprehensive encyclopaedia of the North Sea oil and gas industry.

The OilCity project is owned and managed by The Eminent Trading Company Limited.

The system is developed by Aberdeen based Creatus.