Skills training specialists in Scotland and the rest of the UK could harvest a huge bounty of opportunities by selling their services to international markets, according to a new economic study.

German energy group Siemens is reported to be preparing to make an announcement about boosting the UK wind farm industry this week with a major new investment.

UK-based Tullow Oil announced on Wednesday a 16% fall in oil and gas production in the first half of this year which led to after tax profit for Europe's biggest independent oil and gas explorer diving to £21.4m ($35m) for the period - down from £126m last year.

A new degree course has been launched by the University of Aberdeen to tackle the widely reported skills gap in structural engineering in the oil and gas sector.

Refining group Neste Oil says it is to start talks with employee groups aimed at reducing 450 jobs in Finland, as part of efforts to respond to the company's recent drop in profit performance and ensure the group's fuure.

Scottish school pupils are getting ready to take part in a competition playing the parts of international oil operators in a bid to excite interest in the offshore industry.

Seimsic explorer Petroleum Geo-Services has been hit by a strike. It has annnounced that it and the Seismic Union Parat - the union organizing about 15% of the company's marine seismic crew - have not been able to come to reach accord on the employment agreement for 2009.

International oil and gas training association Opito has created a new post to ensure liaison between the government and industry skills training.

Aberdeen-based hydraulics specialists C-Mar has launched a training course aimed at operatives in the offshore sector to give them a better understanding of fluid power systems in association with Tullos Training.

Supply chain companies in the Scottish offshore oil and gas sector have been asked to cut costs by up to 20% in pricing their goods and services, an employment expert has said.

Offshore industry association Oil and Gas UK has welcomed an employment tribunal ruling which supports a decision to include the time workers spend at home as part of the their minimum legal annual leave

A joint venture in Angola established by British-based Amec is set to enhance technical training in the oil industry for the local population.

An effort to help North Sea operators ease the pain of surviving the offshore recession has been launched  by the UK-based Opito Oil and Gas Academy through a new evaluation system for training courses which the organisation believes can save up to £5 million and 66,000 man hours of work.

Leaders of the engineering and construction industry in the UK have been warned to get ready for a new surge in activity as the renewable and nuclear energy industries take off by the UK government as it launches a review of sector capabilities.

Bucking the current gloom in the offshore industry Aberdeen-based MCS has declared plans to increase its work force in Scotland's oil capital by 55% to meet higher demand for its offshore engineering services.

Trondheim University in Norway has struck a long-term research and education deal with marine specialist Kongsberg Maritime which has agreed to sponsor a new professorship within the Department of Marine Technology.

A new business leader has been appointed to spearhead an improvement in UK oil and gas industry expertise through a newly established academy in Aberdeen.

More North Sea jobs could go after American major ConocoPhillips said it is conducting a review of its operations - in a move that follows staff cutbacks reportedly planned by Schlumberger, and previous cutbacks by Shell and BP.

Schlumberger is to cut jobs in the North Sea at several of its UK bases it has emerged, after the company announced plans to shed 5,000 posts worldwide

StatoilHydro extended its links with Russian students by signing up to training agreements with schools in Murmansk and Arkangel which are set to become significant centres for the Shtokman development.

Norwegian oifield services group Subsea 7 has axed contractors in the Scottish oil capital of Aberdeen in the face of low oil prices and flagging consumption, but says it remains confident of the future for its industry.

An executive recruitment and people management consultancy has set up in new offices in the centre of Aberdeen to help oil and gas sector players find and retain the right staff.

Academics coming out of Norway’s primary technical university will be more multi-skilled and better equipped to work in the oil industry of the future one of the institutions top academics has claimed.

Bow Valley Energy and partner Faroe Petroleum are plugging and abandoning their Central north Sea 22/11b-13 Fulmar L exploration well after encountering just a 3 m (10 ft) reservoir section.

StatoilHydro has presented proposals to cut 650 offshore employees on the Norwegian Continental Shelf - nearly 10 percent of the offshore staff.

Marine navigation and positioning specialist Ixsea has appointed a new UK sales manager.

Energy industry professionals believe that they are making a valuable contribution to society and are highly motivated, according to new research.

Oil and Gas UK has lifted the lid on the entries for its 2008 Oil and Gas Awards which are aimed at highlighting outstanding achievement within the industry over the past year.