But the UK’s Oil & Gas Authority (OGA) aims to turn it into a positive force for cost-cutting by staging a first so-called hackathon to identifiy new technology and practices that can result in savings on well construction in the British sector.

The event, to be staged at the new Oil & Gas Technology Centre in Aberdeen on 13 December, will bring together suppliers and developers, and feature five themed stations covering topics such as borehole stability, wellbore isolation and maximising well productivity.