| Description | Tape 1 Side A ALAN CAMPBELL born Glasgow 22 July 1949. Description of present position, Information & Research Manager, Aberdeenshire Council. Family details, home. Father's background - war years, work as teacher, lecturer, interest in languages, influence; importance of education in family. Details re other family members. Recollection of homes, education at Aberdeen Grammar School, family moves between Glasgow, Aberdeen. Family details, paternal grandfather's work in brewery. Background to involvement with church, decisions re university. Approach to dealing with people, achieving goals in job etc. Explanation of importance of disciplined approach to work. Description of Aberdeen in 1959/60. Inspiration of teacher Irene Valentine, her encouragement of environmental education, visit to Press & Journal. Recollection of attitudes then to Aberdeen, own delight in it. Details re church activities, lifelong support of Care Fund relief agency, attitude to religion. Description of Aberdeen society, population trends in 1950s. Background to career aspirations, choice of course in geography/economics at Strathclyde University.
Tape 1 Side B Background to Strathclyde University course choice. Explanation of ways of dealing with speech problem. Recollection of tradition of political polling at Strathclyde, impact of this on course choice. Details re course, interest in transport, career interview procedures followed. First awareness of oil; contact with Norman Elliott, specialist on ports, leading to postgraduate research at Edinburgh. Family, childhood details, interest in sea, shipping. Description of Aberdeen in 1969/70/71, changing situation with oil industry shipping post-discovery of Forties, Arbroath etc fields. Impact on harbour. Cautious initial reaction of Aberdeen to oil. Critical nature of decisions taken; key aspects of Aberdeen harbour. Comparison with situation in Dundee where BP established base. Details re decision to convert Aberdeen harbour to 24-hour access, significance of this. North Sea's loss of leadership in deep sea technology to Gulf of Mexico, place of Houston in decision making. Background to first job in Cardiff working on land reclamation, leading to job with Grampian Regional Council (1975). Family details. Description of range of project management work involving oil industry. Details re oil industry in Britain, housing boom in Aberdeen in 1975, salary, mortgage situation, difficulty getting accommodation, high prices. Recollection of work related to controversial process of laying pipelines, gas terminal, ammonia plant in Peterhead, power station at Bodham, construction in Peterhead. Invasion of sociologists looking for problems. Work done by University of Aberdeen. Explanation of lack of social problems, quality of work camps etc.
Tape 2 Side A Reaction of farmers and others to pipelines. Background to public enquiry, nature of hazards involved. Attitude of pipeline engineers who came from Persian Gulf, their reaction to environmental impact assessments. Difficulties for Shell getting planning approval for plant in Fife, time lost; attitude in Aberdeen. General acceptance of oil/gas in Buchan. Recollection of feelings in Peterhead at effects of industry on wages etc. Effect of employment situation on women. State of Aberdeen airport. Comparison of British, Norwegian government attitudes to oil. Attitude of councils to industry. Own role in dealing with industry, particular projects. Increases in staff numbers, availability of money. Recollection of role of Shell's David Hope, now Solicitor General of Scotland. Comparison of employment prospects then with now. Own biggest personal achievement, involving a big saving for British Gas. Explanation of planning application procedures, role of council, learning curves for companies etc. Recollection of public meetings, attitudes; situation in St Fergus where gas not available to locals. Attitude of Totale, other companies to local communities. Explanation of Section 50 of Planning Act. Explanation of work as Planning Assistant involving infrastructure etc; work on Council forecasting in Oil & Gas Prospect Update. Evolving attitude in Aberdeen to oil industry, effects on population, housing, airport. Attitude of University of Aberdeen, RGIT (Robert Gordon Institute of Technology). Comparison with situation at Herriot Watt (University), Dundee. Details re ex-patriot situation, housing market, company purchases. Changes in attitudes, personnel in industry, attitudes to risk. Recollection of industry personalities.
Tape 2 Side B Risks involved for companies, Council, Government; uncertainty re life of industry. Forecasting in Oil & Gas Prospect Update. Details re changes in technology over the years. Detailed description of different cultures of companies; US, UK, Dutch, French influences. Recollection of Hamilton Brothers, Amerada Hess personnel. Explanation of role in Regional Council, role and status of Aberdeen Harbour Board, weakness of link with them. Impact of licensing rounds. Background to organisation, with industry (Amerada Hess), of 1983 lobby to parliament re PRT (Petroleum Revenue Tax) laws; 6 month-duration of Association of for Supply & Service Oil Companies (ASSOC). Long term impact of tax. High level of employment in oil industry, effect of oil price; effect on local housing market. Background to Grampian Quarterly Economic Review; details re compilation, content of Oil and Gas Prospect Update; work with industry on publications. Reasons for changing relative status of operators and contractors. Changing process of contracting work out to service companies, greater difficulties for small/medium enterprises (SME). Future dependence on innovative ideas, diversification. Recollection of Piper Alpha disaster (1988). Role of Council Emergency Control Centre. Significance of disaster on industry. Involvement in lobbying for Aberdeen jobs in new Health & Safety Division.
Tape 3 Side A Change of mood in and outside industry after Piper Alpha disaster (1988). Background to expansion, contraction etc in Aberdeen population, employment patterns (1984 to present). Influential people in second phase (1990s) of industry, eg Ian Wood, Scottish Enterprise, Bob Middleton. Own involvement as trouble shooter with projects, lobbyist for move of DTI (Department of Trade & Industry) oil division to Aberdeen. Increase in partnership between various groups involved with oil industry. Change in culture, office procedures, in local government. Details re efforts to encourage businesses to come to Aberdeen, incentives. Attitudes to other nationalities, dependence of fabrication industry on market trends. Explanation of need for effective forecasting; feelings about impact of organisation Aberdeen Beyond 2000 (early 1990s). Attitude of Aberdeen to positioning itself for worldwide recognition. Significance of Houston as centre of drilling etc. Importance of face to face contacts compared with electronic communication. Change in culture of UKOOA (United Kingdom Offshore Operators' Association). Role of local authority in influencing trends in industry; significance of transport communication, eg airport, roads. Significance of industry networks. Influence of party politics, links with politicians over the years. Earlier possibility of centre of excellence in Aberdeen. Own attitude to politics. Lack of energy policy in UK. Comparison with planned economy situation in Russia. Spending of local authorities, Regional Council on oil industry. Future prospects for Aberdeen, industry.
Tape 3 Side B Situation in Louisiana in 1920s, possibilities for greater extraction of oil in North Sea; significance of technology, taxation, price, costs. Own employment situation, prospects, continuing involvement with oil/gas industry. End of interview.
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