©AFP “Lower for longer” is a maxim widely bandied about in oil markets of late, amid a prevailing view that crude prices will remain at depressed levels for some time to come. But Argentina isn’t having any of it. In fact, Juan José Aranguren, Argentina’s oil minister, is wagering that
The GGF has announced that they have appointed Billy Quinn as the Managing Director of their commercial subsidiary companies, FENSA, GGFi, BFRC, RISA and Borough IT. The GGF, or the Glass and Glazing Federation is known for being the primary trade association for companies that make, supply and glass and
The Association for Project Safety is calling for every new UK construction projects that will be designed by people who are equipped with a range about bespoke skills, knowledge and experience that will be best suited to each project in order to help to mitigate the fire risk of the
Tricon Foodservice Consultants have been looking into all day dining, or 3 meal restaurant. This offering is thought to spell the end of the sensory fulfilling and dynamic meal experience and creating a new way in which a restaurant could be deemed as a success. Determining the appearance of a
The Chief Executive of Hesco has identified the challenges that are faced by planners that seek to adopt an integrated approach to tackle the threat that terrorist attacks could pose. Michael Hughes, was speaking on the topic at the UK Security Expo 2017 which took place at Olympia where civil
A range of leading professionals from the thriving property and construction sector in the East Midlands were invited by rg+p, the multi-disciplinary architectural practice in order to celebrate the opening of the firm’s new Leicester office. The office was officially opened in last month and sees the architectural company located
The Energys Group has called on the UK to do more in order to meet their Carbon reduction targets. The Managing Director of Energys Group, Kevin Cox has commented following the recently published IFC report on energy efficient buildings and has called on the UK Government in order to help
The Association for Project Safety is calling for every new UK construction projects that will be designed by people who are equipped with a range about bespoke skills, knowledge and experience that will be best suited to each project in order to help to mitigate the fire risk of the
Developers of the MeyGen tidal project will combine with a local windfarm to export power to the grid at times when tidal capacity is low. The current distribution network is constrained until wider transmission upgrade works are completed in the next few years, but the deal with
Independent inspections of construction sites have led to concerns over the use of dust masks in the industry. The results of the 10,000 site visits made by the Building Safety Group (BSG) earlier this year reveal that many workers may not be correctly fitting the protective masks. According to the
©AFP “Lower for longer” is a maxim widely bandied about in oil markets of late, amid a prevailing view that crude prices will remain at depressed levels for some time to come. But Argentina isn’t having any of it. In fact, Juan José Aranguren, Argentina’s oil minister, is wagering that during 2016 the price of locally produced oil will reach $67.50 a barrel. With May Brent crude futures trading at $40.90 — up from $34 in late February, the level set by Mr Aranguren betokens either uncanny foresight or rash optimism. More On this topic EM Squared Mr Aranguren, the former head of Royal Dutch Shell in Argentina, announced the government’s buy-in price of $67.50/barrel, around which Argentina’s oil industry will be organised, in January. Any producer is entitled to sell locally-pumped oil to refiners at this price. A report by FT Confidential Research, a unit of the Financial Times, shows that while other national oil companies in the region are retrenching, Argentina’s state-controlled YPF continues to invest to address the country’s energy deficit. Already, Argentina’s bullish stance on oil is turning the nation into the only potential bright spot among Latin America’s oil producing nations, now darkened by the global downturn and battered by huge losses. Brazil’s Petrobras lost $10.2bn in the fourth quarter of last year and Mexico’s Pemex $9.6bn in the same period. Mr Aranguren’s presence and the (widely forecast) appointment of Miguel Ángel Gutiérrez, formerly head of telecoms company Telefónica, as the new head of YPF, show the new business-friendly government of president Mauricio Macri is taking an energetic grip on the industry. Argentina’s enormous shale oil and gas reserves help further explain why oilmen and the oilfield service companies that support the industry are making tracks for Buenos Aires. The relative stability of YPF’s budget plans compared with peers in Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela — together with the generous buy-in price set by the new administration — add to Argentina’s appeal for oil majors. True, YPF is not immune to dwindling oil revenues. The company reported its first quarterly loss for at least a decade in the fourth quarter of 2015. However, this is still good going. Pemex, Mexico’s national oil company, hasn’t recorded a profit since 2012 — notching up its 13th consecutive loss in the final quarter of last year. YPF’s overall investment fell last year to 61.2bn pesos ($4.2bn), $2bn less than originally planned. However, the company plans to cut spending by a less savage 25 per cent in 2016, according to a March announcement. For oil majors eyeing Argentina, the drawcard is the vast onshore reserve of shale oil and gas, widely believed to be the largest shale reservoir outside of the US (see graphic). Argentina is already the biggest producer of unconventional energy outside North America. However, FTCR’s report cautioned that companies still risk overestimating the shale opportunity given the high cost of production and the fact Argentina is still in the proof-of-concept stage of development. Lucinda Elliott covers Latin America for FT Confidential Research Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016. You may share using our article tools. Please don’t cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web. Source link
The GGF has announced that they have appointed Billy Quinn as the Managing Director of their commercial subsidiary companies, FENSA, GGFi, BFRC, RISA and Borough IT. The GGF, or the Glass and Glazing Federation is known for being the primary trade association for companies that make, supply and glass and other related products that represent more than 60% of the industry’s turnover. Billy Quinn is highly accomplished as a Business Leader, Commercial Director and Non-Executive Director that will be an asset to the GGF Group. In his last professional role, Billy worked as the commercial Director for the online digital training provider CCUK. As well as this, the new Managing Director at GGF has also successfully held senior commercial roles in several different blue chip retailing Groups. In the past Billy has worked for HRG, Kingfisher and B&Q. On top of this, Billy has experience in the not-for-profit sector of the Non-Executive Board Chair of The Furniture Ombudsman. Billy will be joining the Federation at a time of steady growth as well as during a transitional period of restructure. With the recent appointment to the GGF Group, Billy will bring a wealth of experience and it is hoped that he will help to strengthen their commercial arm, a move which will subsequently have a knock on benefit for all of those who are connected to the Federation. The GGF is a recognised and leading authority used by employer and companies within the flat glass, glazing, window, home improvement, plastics and window film industries. The GGF also works to offer support to homeowners, professional specifiers and anyone who is looking for professional and unbiased information on any aspect of glass and glazing in the UK. GGF also works to promote energy efficient glazing and offer the GGF Carbon Calculator which allows homeowners and others to see how much money on carbon can be saved with the installation of more Energy Efficient Windows.
The Association for Project Safety is calling for every new UK construction projects that will be designed by people who are equipped with a range about bespoke skills, knowledge and experience that will be best suited to each project in order to help to mitigate the fire risk of the completed building. The Association for Project Safety, or APS, has made this all in a response to The London Fire Brigade’s recent assertion that, unless the construction industry started to take fire safety more seriously, another Grenfell Tower tragedy cannot be discounted. A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade has said that it has taken a tragedy on such an enormous scale like Grenfell for everyone to take fire safety seriously and then listen to what the Brigade has been saying to them for year about the required aptitude and skill for building design. The President of the APS, Bobby Chakravarthy, has echoed the remarks made by the Brigade spokesperson, and added that all construction projects are different, but each one needs to be designed by people who have the right blend of skills, knowledge and experience for that particular project. The Association agrees with the London Fire service’s submission to the recent review of fire and building regulations. Fire safety is a vital part of construction and should never be seen as an off the shelf package that can be bolted on to the construction design. The key to an effective and fire safe design in the use of intrinsic fire safety elements that can then lead to a reduced risk of fire for the people living in and working in the buildings, but for firefighters and other emergency services who may be called out in the event of an incident. The construction industry needs to collectively examine how they minimise fire risk in order to avoid another Grenfell Tower incident.
Tricon Foodservice Consultants have been looking into all day dining, or 3 meal restaurant. This offering is thought to spell the end of the sensory fulfilling and dynamic meal experience and creating a new way in which a restaurant could be deemed as a success. Determining the appearance of a successful restaurant could be simplified to the being busy and having customers who are inspired to return. Tricon are the largest specialist foodservice consultancy in the UK and the Middle East. The company has worked with a range of leading architects in the past in order to offer a range of different services such as consultancy, guidance and advice on the strategic, operational and financial issues that are connected to the foodservice and hospitality operations of the built environment. When looking to design or create a restaurant, ensuring that the layout of the space is conducive to success can rely on design direction and support, a concept that could cover every and any aspect. In order to create a successful venture, Edward Harvey, the Food & Beverage Concept Director & GM of Tricon Dubai has created a list of common mistakes that should be avoided in order to create a successful all day dining experience. Firstly, it is vital to have strategy as well as vision, as the accompanying business and strategy for the creative restaurant vision is necessary in order to make a business successful. The creation of clear goals and objectives need to be solidified throughout the organisation. Next, it is vital to ensure that the design direction is not dictated entirely by the interior design experts, as there is the risk of a lack of substance that would be needed to create a successful food and beverage sensory experience for guests. Following on from this, there needs to be a concept and direction for the restaurant, with the final design considering the operating meal periods as well as the consumer market, financial modelling and the restaurant food and beverage programming. Another mistake that is made with the all-day dining experience is the use of a buffet, that fails to create an engaging dining experience, with the delivery of hot and cold structures filled with food and installed with sneeze guards and heat lamps is the go to for international hospitality operators where regionally expectations can differ and it has been widely assumed that the creation of a buffet is better and easier to execute. Finally, a restaurant needs an identity that consumers are able to trust and experience an enjoyable dining experience with. Also, today diners use social media to document and share their experience with a wider audience than ever before, therefore this is the perfect opportunity to create a unique and memorable housing experience.
The Chief Executive of Hesco has identified the challenges that are faced by planners that seek to adopt an integrated approach to tackle the threat that terrorist attacks could pose. Michael Hughes, was speaking on the topic at the UK Security Expo 2017 which took place at Olympia where civil and military planners will be able to share the best practice and the latest technologies. The integrated approach to tackle these threats are being explored with the aim of making city and town centres safe while still being open. Mr. Hughes has said that there is a dual threat to civic protection as terrorist groups are looking to encourage their activists to cause mayhem, using low-tech equipment such as driving a heavy vehicle at crowds, while also requiring vigilance at leisure and commercial venues in order to prevent attacks from suicide bombers. The civic planners face a range of threats, all in different guises. While working to identify the threats they are also under commercial pressure to ensure that civic centres still remain open and vibrant in order to deliver a successful enterprise. This is added on to the economic pressures that they have to deal with and the provision of effective protection can be extremely difficult. It is vital that planners must maintain a high level of security in the areas which are most likely to be targets, where large numbers of people gather for work, leisure and education. Conducting regular searches of people will be a vital step towards improving safety however it would be impossible to check every van or lorry in order to anticipate when it will change gear and turn from a mundane transportation device into a deadly weapon. In these instances, the installation of a perimeter of security around venues will offer peace of mind and confidence to planners and people that they will be protecting.
A range of leading professionals from the thriving property and construction sector in the East Midlands were invited by rg+p, the multi-disciplinary architectural practice in order to celebrate the opening of the firm’s new Leicester office. The office was officially opened in last month and sees the architectural company located at Waterloo House in the city centre. The new Leicester office has been converted by rg+p into approximately 6,500 sq. ft. of open plan, design-led office space that will be able to cater for as many as 100 people. The new office includes a range of dedicated meeting rooms that have been fitted with the latest touch screen technology, a central collaboration space to be used for presentations, workshops and seminars as well as a kitchen and breakout zone that has games tables and a welcoming reception area. The new office has led to the complete transformation of how the company operates. Discussing the decision to move, the Director or rp+g, James Badley has said that part of the move was to create more space for the growing business, as the company now employs 96 members of staff across two different office locations. However, the main intention of the move was to re-imagine the work environment in order to be more inclusive for clients and colleagues. The integration of interactive technology means that the company is instantly more connected, and allows clients to better engage with the working drawings while also being able to work alongside their London team in a situation that emulates face-to-face communication. The creation of an open plan office allows sub teams to work more closely together. The result has been a greater amount of expertise drawn from their landscaping, interiors, animation, planning and architectural divisions drawn into one scheme. In order to celebrate the new scheme rp+g invited clients and contacts for an evening drinks reception which included a tour of the premises, technology demonstrations/workshops and a presentation about the architectural firm’s refreshed approach to working.
The Energys Group has called on the UK to do more in order to meet their Carbon reduction targets. The Managing Director of Energys Group, Kevin Cox has commented following the recently published IFC report on energy efficient buildings and has called on the UK Government in order to help the private sector to unlock more energy saving possibilities. The international Finance Corporation, or the IFC, has also expressed their view on energy efficiency. The organisation is a member of the World Bank Group which is the largest global development institution which focuses on the private sector of developing countries. It is thought that these developing countries will be the areas where climate change is expected to hit the hardest. According to the report that has been published by the IFC, called the Creating Markets for Climate Business, working to make buildings more energy efficient could reduce carbon emissions significantly. However, these dramatic changes are only possible if entire countries adopt better building codes and the higher standards that would enforce the construction of energy efficient buildings. The IFC has offered a range of compelling headline stats that look at what the right mix of energy efficiency, codes and standards can be put into place in order to mitigate global CO2 emissions. In Indonesia, the regulations that has been created with the support of the IFC have mandated energy efficiency requirements for large buildings throughout the capital. The IFC has worked out that the benefits from this work could avoid more than 700,000 metric tons of carbon emissions as well as energy savings for as many as $70 million over the course of the last three years. It is hoped that the private sector holds the key to fighting climate change. It is felt that if more private investment is unlocked, with the support of government reforms and more innovative business models created, new markets will be developed and attract the necessary investment to make real change and allow the UK to fulfill the promises of the Paris Agreement.
The Association for Project Safety is calling for every new UK construction projects that will be designed by people who are equipped with a range about bespoke skills, knowledge and experience that will be best suited to each project in order to help to mitigate the fire risk of the completed building. The Association for Project Safety, or APS, has made this all in a response to The London Fire Brigade’s recent assertion that, unless the construction industry started to take fire safety more seriously, another Grenfell Tower tragedy cannot be discounted. A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade has said that it has taken a tragedy on such an enormous scale like Grenfell for everyone to take fire safety seriously and then listen to what the Brigade has been saying to them for year about the required aptitude and skill for building design. The President of the APS, Bobby Chakravarthy, has echoed the remarks made by the Brigade spokesperson, and added that all construction projects are different, but each one needs to be designed by people who have the right blend of skills, knowledge and experience for that particular project. The Association agrees with the London Fire service’s submission to the recent review of fire and building regulations. Fire safety is a vital part of construction and should never be seen as an off the shelf package that can be bolted on to the construction design. The key to an effective and fire safe design in the use of intrinsic fire safety elements that can then lead to a reduced risk of fire for the people living in and working in the buildings, but for firefighters and other emergency services who may be called out in the event of an incident. The construction industry needs to collectively examine how they minimise fire risk in order to avoid another Grenfell Tower incident.
Developers of the MeyGen tidal project will combine with a local windfarm to export power to the grid at times when tidal capacity is low. The current distribution network is constrained until wider transmission upgrade works are completed in the next few years, but the deal with the four-turbine windfarm will result in improved utilisation of the grid network without affecting MeyGen’s generation. The partnership between the developers, Atlantis, and Lochend Wind Energy will also demonstrate the feasibility of blending sustainable sources of generation as a long-term solution. Atlantis chief executive Tim Cornelius said: “We believe this to be a world first, and to show that the predictability of generation from the tides can also benefit other forms of renewable energy by allowing those generators to accurately forecast and access spare grid capacity. “Tidal power makes for more efficient grid use and management, and we are delighted to have been able to assist a local wind farm in getting connected.” The first phase of the MeyGen project was connected to the distribution network last month and is expected to deliver first in power at the end of this year. “Sharing transmission assets in this way and capitalising on the predictability of tidal power will ensure that, in the long term, our energy needs are better served whilst also maximising access to a constrained network in the immediate future,” Cornelius added. Source link
Independent inspections of construction sites have led to concerns over the use of dust masks in the industry. The results of the 10,000 site visits made by the Building Safety Group (BSG) earlier this year reveal that many workers may not be correctly fitting the protective masks. According to the findings, there was a 58% increase in breaches of the regulations surrounding the use of personal protective equipment between the first and second quarters of 2016. The majority of these breaches were associated with the way companies “face-fit” dust masks, the BSG said. This is a particular concern, the BSG said, as the masks help to reduce the risk of workers inhaling dust containing dangerous chemicals. These substances can lead to fatal diseases including lung cancer, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and silicosis. In total, the BSG inspections found that occupational health non-compliance issues rose by 28% between Q1 and Q2 this year. Of these, there was a 13% increase in infringements concerning dust fumes and a 43% rise in violations associated with the control of substances hazardous to health. The results have prompted BSG managing director Paul Kimpton to call for construction firms to regularly review their health and safety protocol to ensure they remain compliant with the most recent legislation. “Everyone involved in construction has a responsibility in managing risks to health, and all parties must take ownership of their part of the process. Construction dust is not just a nuisance. It can seriously damage your health and cause life-changing lung diseases,” he said. It comes as huge steps are being taken across the construction industry as a whole to reduce health and safety risks. Alison Rodgers, Health and Safety Strategy Manager at CITB, said: “The figures highlight the need to eliminate dust at the source. This should be either through design, dust extraction and capturing, rather than relying on protective equipment which should be the last resort. “The Construction Dust Partnership works hard to raise awareness among employers and workers about the serious health risks caused by dust exposure. It is pushing for new methods to be explored to keep construction workers safe.” Source link