| Description | Tape 1 Side A: MICHAEL JOHN LAWRENCE SALTER born 18 May 1947 Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Explains current responsibilities as Chief Operating Officer, Abbot Group. Details re Abbot, KCA Deutag Drilling Group, software, manufacturing businesses. Based in Aberdeen, travels a lot. Joined Abbots 1995, helped expand business beyond North Sea. Explains overseas strategy, staffing etc. Aberdeen a centre of excellence. Attitude to employment of locals overseas. Situation in Angola after civil war. Compares Abbot with other Aberdeen companies widening business beyond North Sea. Comments on future of Aberdeen after oil. Explains significance of transportation infrastructure. Details re involvement with Scottish Enterprise, subsidiary Scottish Caspian Trade in Azerbaijan. Comments on work of North East of Scotland Development Association (NESDA) and its successors attracting businesses. Recalls McDermott's early difficulties getting office facilities. Current challenges for Aberdeen. Mentions situation in North East England 1960s-70s. Mentions current license round discount. Was only child. Parents married in Ceylon, father in Royal Naval Reserve, Indian Navy, mother VAD nurse. Brought up in Newcastle-on-Tyne. Father an engineer, apprenticed at Woolwich Arsenal, developed his own engineering business. Paternal grandfather, Lewis Salter, had haulage business, later Clerk of Works, Palace of Westminster. Mentions his association with coronation, Big Ben. Great uncle drove for London Transport. Origin of family name Pike. Reference ancestor mayor of Norwich. Recalls train-spotting when young. Grandmother Irish, strict. Maternal family: grandfather in Indian Army. Details re family members, Indian experience. Grandfather became chemist, inventor. Recalls childhood holidays in Bournemouth. Gained mathematical knowledge from grandfather. Uncles were policemen. Details. Describes parents. Mentions mother's wartime convoy experience. Describes own personality. Explains independence. Reference to management development programmes.
Tape 1 Side B: Childhood continued. Recalls affection for maternal grandmother. Relationship with adults, immediate family as only child. Recalls camping holidays, scouting, school trips overseas. Details re 11-plus exam, Heaton/Manor Park Technical School, exams, College of Further Education. Sport: took part in championship sailing, rugby. Reference to Tynemouth Sailing Club. Benefit of sailing for self-discipline, its continuing importance in own life. Sailed across North Sea. Career ideas when teenager - engineering, management. Father's ideas re succession of his business. Details re relationship with him. Explains situation as only child. Parents most influential people in young years. Went to university on own initiative. Details. Joined CEGB (Central Electricity Generating Board) around 1967 as student apprentice. Got Higher National Certificate in mechanical engineering. Background to decision to leave CEGB, go to Glasgow University. Details re course taken, grant. Recalls work at power stations during training, high level of responsibilities. Explains attraction of power stations, similarity to ships. Recalls commissioning of first offshore windfarm in UK at Blythe power station 2001, 30 years after working there during original commissioning. Reference to Helen Liddell, Energy Secretary. Did BSc at Glasgow. Attitude to lecturers there. Recalls first lecture. Met wife there. Details re her degree, name etc. She ran a hall of residence, Queen Margaret Hall. Recalls marriage, birth of first child while doing degree. Explains influence of wife on own life. Joined Rohm & Haas, chemical intermediates manufacturer at Jarrow on Tyne, 1974. Recalls unsettled industrial situation at time, effect of inflation on salary. Bought house in Newcastle. Describes. Birth of younger son. Mentions oil price. Details re Rohm & Haas products, e.g. polymers.
Tape 2 Side A: Importance of experience with Rohm & Haas, involvement in adaptation of company to new oil prices. Characterises chemical, mechanical engineers, relationship between them. Recalls classic mistakes made in company own work sorting out centrifuge, refrigeration. Had freedom to experiment. Importance of safety regime. Details re safety review, typical in company. Recalls Flixborough disaster 1974. Surprised at situation when first offshore. Promotion to Plant Engineer, supervision of boiler-house. Details re sale of steam, inert gasses, air within company. Explains use of steam for heat. Chairman of Work Safety Committee, developed people skills. Details of area of responsibility, routines. Mentions youth at time. Relations of company with unions, game-playing. Own feelings about politics, government, self-help, unions. Reference to Jim Callaghan, Edward Heath, Harold Wilson, Maggie Thatcher. Details re Rohm & Haas. Background to move to McDermott subsidiary Oceanic Offshore Services in Aberdeen. Feelings about own potential as an individual in work. Mentions Shell job offer, reason for turning down. Details re salary. Explains structure, work of OOS involving jacket, topside construction, hook-up contract. OOS had done work on Piper Alpha. Details. Gives examples of can-do attitude in the 1970s. Details of hookups done by OOS. Details re company, their experience in America. Own work started in maintenance, became business development. Details re compressors, maintenance necessary. Company took on maintenance as a business. Sent offshore to manage recertification of Ninian Southern platform. Recalls first trip offshore, primitive facilities, ferry Stena Germonica - 'Steaming Geranium', use of helicopters offshore, busy air traffic control. Recalls working arrangement with 'coon-arse' (superintendent) from Louisiana. Details re organisation of maintenance work. Recalls American workers.
Tape 2 Side B: Lot of workers, electricians, chemists came from North East England. Mentions closures of mines, decline in other industries. Recalls hierarchy offshore, daily routines, safety procedures, boredom when accommodation platform pulled away from platform for days during storms. Top class chefs, food. Continuous battle for supplies, e.g. scaffolding. Mentions enthusiastic New Zealand roustabouts, tricks played. Can-do mentality, gung-ho attitude to safety. Details. Unions deliberately not visible. Recalls dealing with a union agitator, strikers, safety agitators. Mentions use of NRB (Not Required Back). Safety a greater concern on drilling than construction side. Gives example. Details re maintenance work, business development with OOS. Entrepreneurial approach, never said no. Reference to Great Yarmouth work. McDermotts decided to give up maintenance contracts. Explains. Reference to Wood Group. Background to joining Bawden Drilling, Canadian company, as project engineer 1980. Compares Bawden culture with McDermotts. Worked on contracts on fixed production platforms. Details re day rate. Enjoyed job because of mix of technical expertise, entrepreneurial environment. Details re children, names, ages. Impact of job on family, schooling arrangements. Reference to birth of children. Working hours. Ran Scouts for period. Recalls family activities, involvement with children. Details re extended family, home in country, skiing, holidays, sailing. Project Manager on Beatrice B platform job 1982. Details. Attitude to career, preference for being in charge. Mentions attitude to possibility of starting own business. Describes Bawden Drilling. Details re Peter Bawden, later MP. Explains own role in work-over rig construction in Aberdeen, Beatrice field's particular requirements. Details re signing off procedure, day rate, tactics. Attitude of Canadians etc to Brits. Details re case involving an Australian.
Tape 3 Side A: Impressions of Aberdeen in early days of industry. Recalls restaurants. Wife's impression of shops then. Confident attitude of Aberdonians. Mentions belonging to University Royal Navy Unit. Details. Recalls strange supply ships in harbour. Aberdeen a hard place. Moved to Banchory. Describes. Mentions advantage of being from north of England. Recalls bubbly atmosphere, Marcliffe, Treetops etc hotels. Reaction of Aberdeen establishment to oil industry. Shortage of office space. Recalls Petroleum Club, Peterculter, an expatriate-oriented community. Promoted to Manager Engineering/Maintenance 1981. Instructed to use Kippy Lodge for networking etc. American school established. Importance of golf. Recalls Aberdonians, e.g. Ron Neave, Ian Maitland. Mentions attitude of Ian Wood, Jimmy Milne, John Ray. Describes a Rigblast barbecue. Own attitude to alcohol. Recalls people who lived themselves to death. Describes drillers, drilling business, team approach necessary. Comments on sense of ownership of hole, hazards of job, nature of job. Remoteness of drillers from oil or production. Problem for industry that oil barely seen, abstract notion. Recalls well-testing in Morecambe Bay, impact of flare. Intuitive aspect of drilling, particularly in early days. Compares early, current technology. Resistance of drillers to automation. Developed engineering business. Recalls job with Britoil (ex-BNOC) for Beatrice Field 1982. Became Project Manager. Comments on own organisational, business development skills. Did workover rig job for Occidental 1983. Details of job including making of model. Describes makeover rig that could be dismantled, moved; equipment involved. Attitude of Occidental. Piper one of most prolific fields in North Sea. Comments on maintenance level of Occidental platforms. High degree of trust then. Reference high oil price up to 1982.
Tape 3 Side B: Recalls early state of Occidental platforms. Mentions work with other companies - compares them with Occidental. Comments on attitude, ethos of Oxy before Piper Alpha disaster, its procedures, culture. Reference to Claymore platform. Some companies, e.g. Conoco, promoted safety culture in early days. Always a push on safety in drilling work. Details re progress in this area. Recalls Forties Echo workover for BP. Looked after project management, maintenance. Procedures became more sophisticated. Changes when ex-pats moved out 1984-5, effect of tax breaks, tax-free salaries. Increase in numbers of Brits. Promoted to Manager, Business Development UK, Europe, parts of Africa. Mentions Management Centre Europe management psychology programme. Recalls interview with self and wife by company vice-president, sophistication of company. Long-cycle sell of drilling business. Details re company projects, winning contracts. Few favours done. Importance of personal relationships particularly in early days, presentations. Competition mostly straight forward. Main profit in operations, less in engineering work. Details re Peter Bawden, his personality, background in lumber business, entry into oil drilling business, entrepreneurial approach. 1986 oil price crisis. Business Development Manager in UK. Recalls impact of oil price crisis on company. More Brits brought into company. 1987 Vice-President/General Manager. Details. Young for job. Was ambitious. Rebuilt business which became more commercial, professional. Details. Impact of Piper Alpha disaster on company. Recalls hearing news of event, sense that something wrong, going into office. Details re Oxy, survivors. Company had 36 on Piper. Mentions sale of Bawden to Noble Drilling. Recalls calls from families at time of Piper, media. Situation at Oxy. Details re survivors. Reference to Glenda Hogarth, supply of clothing.
Tape 4 Side A: Piper Alpha disaster (cont'd). Glenda Hogarth arrived with clothing. Details re actions taken to get men home etc. 26 men from company lost. One survivor jumped off helideck. Wife helped in dealing with people. Recalls dealing with bereaved and other situations, procedure followed with bodies. Reference to Gavin Cleland. Details re wrongful allegation of insensitivity of company re a casualty. Reference to DNA identification. Example of human, sad stories. Company casualties died in Z rescue boat. Details re survivors leaving accommodation area as most drilling crew did. Details re escape of crane drive, John Ducat. Drilling crew led to drill floor by toolpushers. Comments on Cullen Report. Recalls old American approach to rules. Involved in development of safety case procedures for offshore drilling rigs 1991-2. Details re sale of company to Noble Drilling 1988. Reference to Jim Day. 1989 best year for company. Reasons for purchase by Noble. Mentions safety award programme in Bawden Drilling. Compares American, UK approach to safety etc. Cultural clash with Nobles. Recalls attitudes to religion, drugs, firearms. Ignorance of Noble people about UK. Approached by headhunter for Smedvig. Details re Peter Smedvig, his company, need for it to be sorted out. Reference to Danair. Recalls trip with Jim Day to Italy. Impact of his attitude on own departure from company to join Smedvig 1990. Importance of wife in career decisions etc. Describes culture of Smedvig, need for forensic accountancy, poor safety record, personnel changes made. Turned business round in 2-3 years. Details re retraining, building esprit de corps. Impact of training on own attitudes in dealing with staff, management style.
Tape 4 Side B: Smedvig Chief Executive 1990. Details re costs of rigs, equipment, marketing, management. Spent time in Aberdeen. Details re help from wife, events, change in tone of company, Christmas parties etc. Held regular company briefings. Mentions chairmanship of IADC (International Association Drilling Contractors). Reference to Jim Day. Involved in introduction of post-Piper safety case regime, development of template by drilling companies - ahead of oil companies. Mentions important involvement of HSE (Health & Safety Executive). Background to leaving Smedvig. Explains Norwegian ceiling. Feelings about leaving company. Response of Peter Smedvig. Details re appointment as Development Director, Abbot Group 1995. Relationship between Abbot, KCA Deutag. Explains role in development of group. Recalls opportunity followed up in Azerbaijan, link with BP, hostile acquisition of OIS International Inspection. Details re company development, own role. Changes made to KCA's old-fashioned ways. Reference to Maurice White. Introduced personal development/profile programme for all managers. Recalls meeting old faces from McDermott's on first visit to Baku. Delegation of KCA work. Feelings about role of Chief Operating Officer. Details re responsibilities. Current role as mentor for drilling business, external focus, acquisitions etc. Future plans, attitude to retirement. Current challenge of turning round manufacturing business, difficulties with dollar, euro. Future prospects for North Sea, current hiatus. Attitude of new operators. Example of Ninian Field. Royalty changes in US. Need for similar move in UK. Compares situation now with 30 years ago, outsiders' awareness, local knowledge. Own approach to company reorganisation, recognition of importance of staff motivation. Details re use of German consultants, restructuring, improved profits. Has intuitive approach to reorganisation. Business currently profitable. Feelings about work.
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