A Den Of Inquiry

A Den of Inquiry

The Official History of North Sea Oil and Gas

Written by the leading expert in the history of UK energy, this study provides new, in-depth analysis of the development of UK petroleum policies towards the North Sea oil and gas industry from the early 1960s to the early 1980s. Following on from volume I (The Growing Dominance of the State) to discuss the more recent history of the North Sea oil and gas industry, here Alex Kemp offers new insights into developments in the industry. The controversial decisions to raise gas prices to consumers and to introduce the Gas Levy are discussed, while the thinking behind the gradual reduction in taxation - including the abolition of SPD (Supplementary Petroleum Duty) and the removal of royalties on new developments - is fully explained. The various options considered to reduce the powers of BNOC (British National Oil Corporation), then privatise its upstream assets, and finally to abolish the state company altogether are fully discussed, as is the thinking leading up to the privatisation of the British Gas Corporation in 1986. This volume also sheds light on the development of policies onshore, particularly the role of the OSO (Offshore Supplies Office), and the response of British industry to the North Sea opportunity. Finally, the evolution of policies relating to health, safety, decommissioning, and the environment over the whole period of the study are examined. The Official History of North Sea Oil and Gas will be of interest to students of North Sea oil and gas, energy economics, business history, and British politics, as well as to petroleum professionals and policymakers.

Freedom to Live

Freedom to Live: The Robert Hartman Story: What am I here for in the world? Why do I work for this organization? What can this organization do to help me fulfill my meaning in the world? How can I help this organization help me fulfill my meaning in the world? In the course of answering these questions we are taken on a personal exploration of the systemic, extrinsic, and intrinsic dimensions of value as they apply to our individual lives. The purpose of this exercise is to help each of us in our search for meaning and in our endeavor to prioritize our values as we make decisions. Dr. Hartman also explores our spiritual nature by applying his thinking to the intrinsic realm in religion. Robert Hartman's vision was to give us the means to recognize and fulfill "the good" within each of us, thereby enriching our lives. By applying these principles on a broader scale, we may also enrich our world and make it a place of more "goodness" and peace. When the light of formal axiology is cast upon our world, the elements involved in making particular decisions are revealed with a kind of value clarity previously unknown. This Second Edition of Freedom to Live: The Robert Hartman Story includes many minor editorial improvements, a new and much expanded table of Contents, a much more detailed Index, and new photographs. Many thanks to Stacey McNutt for the new photos she contributed to this Second Edition--Numbers 1, 5, 6, and 11. Many thanks also to Rodopi, Amsterdam - New York, its original publisher, for returning the rights to this book to the Robert S. Hartman Institute.