New Supplier assessment scheme launches for UK oil and gas industry

A new scheme has launched to enable buyers and suppliers in the oil and gas sector to manage their supply chains and streamline the procurement process - providing organisations with access to an IT platform that has been designed by the industry, for the industry.

The SEQual scheme has been developed in partnership with major North Sea Operators including: Apache, bp, CNOOC International, Harbour Energy, Repsol Sinopec Resources UK Limited, Serica Energy, Shell U.K. Limited, Spirit Energy and TAQA, through a joint industry project arranged by Leading Oil & Gas Industry Competitiveness (LOGIC), a not-for-profit subsidiary of OGUK.

This collaborative project has been developed to assist in the adoption of industry-recognised processes and standards for supplier tender pre-qualification, to help drive speed and efficiency into this critical industry activity. The scheme will be operated by LOGIC with the support of Altius, a specialist supply chain management company that utilises its own proprietary software-as-a-service (SaaS) technology to provide a comprehensive customer experience.

The SEQual scheme will provide the opportunity to identify, analyse and engage with pre-qualified suppliers that meet open industry standards implemented in SEQual by some of the leading industry players. Suppliers on the scheme will have the opportunity to be included in tender lists for contracts with many of the leading organisations in the sector, increasing value and visibility for their business.

It comes at a time of major transformation in the oil and gas sector, following the announcement by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) of the North Sea Transition Deal, which outlines over 50 government and industry actions to accelerate moves towards the government’s target of net zero emissions by 2050.

Daniel Brown, Managing Director at LOGIC, said:

“The SEQual scheme offers industry buyers and suppliers the opportunity to collaborate on an open platform operated on industry’s behalf on a not-for-profit basis. A well-designed and operated pre-qualification process saves time and eliminates duplicated effort and cost for suppliers and buyers alike. We welcome the increase in competition and choice in this critical business area afforded by the launch of SEQual.” 

Simon Gibbs, CEO at Altius, commented:

“We are proud to have been given the opportunity to support key oil and gas industry companies in the creation of their SEQual scheme. We run similar schemes for other industry communities and place a high emphasis on continuously improving the technology and services.”

A series of virtual launch events have been scheduled from 19th May 2021, so that interested suppliers and buyers can learn more about the SEQual scheme. A full list of events and registration details are available at www.sequal.co.uk/latest-news/

For more information about SEQual, visit  www.sequal.co.uk

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