OPITO to Conduct Major Research Into Global Training Standards

ABERDEEN, Scotland, September 20, 2010 - In its drive to improve and align safety and competence standards in the
global oil and gas industry, OPITO International has commissioned a major
research study.

The oil and gas training standards body has commissioned the Aberdeen
Business School at Robert Gordon University in Scotland to undertake this
pioneering research programme.

The focus of the research is to explore how internationalisation impacts
on emergency response and basic safety training requirements in the industry.
The research will inform OPITO's work towards its goal of rolling out global
standards for safety and competency that would ensure every worker, anywhere
in the world is trained to the same standards.

OPITO is committed to improving safety and reducing risk for people,
assets and companies in one of the most hazardous working environments.

The independent study will seek to identify good practice from around the
world, highlight specific regional challenges, examine the barriers to
effective and consistent training delivery and quantify the value to
companies and the industry and how that value is being measured.

"Recent events in the Gulf of Mexico serve as an on-going reminder that
this industry operates in a highly challenging environment. Safety is
paramount and the industry has a fundamental duty to make sure that its
people are competent and trained to the best possible standards," said David
Doig, chief executive of OPITO International.

"Our aim is to achieve buy-in from the industry globally for one set of
common standards to improve safety for every worker, no matter where they
operate in the world."

Commenting on the research, Rita Marcella, Dean of the Aberdeen Business
School said: "This is an exciting research project and we are delighted to
use our experience and expertise in the international oil and gas sector,
along with independent, academic talent to deliver a study that will help
OPITO understand the significance to companies of the development of
international standards by which training may be bench-marked to assure
capacity and competence are displayed by their workforce."

Around 100 senior decision makers from multi-national oil companies,
independents and IOCs, along with major contractors and drilling companies
will be interviewed as part of the research. The findings will be presented
at the up-coming OPITO Safety and Competence Conference 2010 (OSCC 2010) in
Abu Dhabi on 25th November.

Those wishing to participate in the research should contact Tracy Pirie,
Centre for International Labour Market Studies at Aberdeen Business School on
t.a.pirie@rgu.ac.uk

Issued on behalf of OPITO International by The BIG Partnership.

Zoe Corsi, +44-1224-615014 or +44-7973983243; Tracy Pirie t.a.pirie at rgu.ac.uk