An article was recently published about the IADC North Sea Chapter in the March 2026 issue of the Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce magazine, “All Energy Business Bulletin” (p 12-13). The IADC North Sea Chapter’s Regional Director, Stuart Clow, spoke to the local publication about the serious challenges facing the North Sea drilling industry.
Stuart warns of a “use it or lose it” situation, noting that upstream activity in the UK Continental Shelf has fallen dramatically — with no new exploration wells drilled in 2025 — and the number of drilling contractors in the region has dropped from 15 to 11 over the past decade. He cautions that as rigs leave the region, the ripple effects extend well beyond the contractors themselves, impacting a broad local supply chain including crew, service companies, and port operations. Stuart emphasizes that while the energy transition is widely supported, domestic oil and gas resources remain critical to the UK’s energy security, and that once the region’s hard-won drilling expertise is lost, it will be both costly and difficult to rebuild.
