Aberdeen University North Sea economics expert to advise Japanese national oil company
The Japan National Oil Company (JNOC) has contracted Professor Alex Kemp of the University of Aberdeen’s Department of Economics to conduct a study on the lessons of the history of the North Sea gas and oil experience for the possible development of the oil and gas resources off Sakhalin, an island off the extreme east of Russia and north of Japan.
Professor Kemp described the project: “These resources are of interest to Japan because of their geographic proximity. Procuring gas from Sakhalin world would involve significant policy changes in Japan, especially if gas via pipeline is contemplated.
“As a result, a full understanding of the factors determining the likely pace and scale of developments is very important. Our research involves the construction of a quantitative economic model which explains the interaction of the factors determining the speed and scale of North Sea gas and oil developments. From this, lessons will be learned which will be of great value to the Japanese policy makers.”
The award of the contract by JNOC reflects Professor Kemp’s acknowledged world-wide expertise in North Sea economics and its history.