ABSTRACT
The commencement of exploration in the UKCS following the award of licences in the First Round in late 1964 did not precipitate much excitement across British industry. Offshore exploration was highly risky, and there was no great expectation that the activity would in due course became very large and offer major opportunities to contractors, ranging from the construction of platforms, the manufacture of equipment, the supply of a wide range of consumable goods, and the provision of a multiplicity of services. The initial interest was in the Southern Basin, and the exploration and development technologies relied on those employed in the US Gulf of Mexico, but modified for the North Sea conditions. It was thus understandable that most of the installations for the early generation of gas fields were constructed by US companies, with Brown and Root playing a very prominent role. It is noteworthy, however, that a considerable number of (relatively simple) drilling rigs were constructed in the UK in the 1960s, including substantial numbers at the John Brown yard on the Clyde.
