A record-chasing Perth entrepreneur, who is backing a bid to build the world’s first 1,000mph car, has set his sights on drilling the globe’s longest oil well.
Fife-raised Iain Hutchison set out his vision ahead of a visit by energy minister Fergus Ewing later this week to officially open the new Perth headquarters of his firm Merlin ERD.
The firm, which is based at Necessity Brae, designs and drills long, difficult-to-reach oil wells in areas from the North Sea to Australia.
However, Mr Hutchison said a major problem facing the industry was a lack of new talent coming through.
He said his involvement in the Bloodhound Project, a scheme to build the world’s first 1,000mph capable car which will attempt to smash the land speed record next year, had been spurred as it demonstrated the capabilities of cutting-edge engineering.
Mr Hutchison said it was important that engineering should be seen as a real career option for young people.
“At the heart of our industry’s future are its people. We need to ensure we are nurturing the next generation of engineers, inspiring them to have courage in innovation and the ability to break through technical boundaries.
“That’s why I can relate so easily with the Bloodhound and its bid. It’s gearing up to break one of the most challenging records out there.
“At Merlin, we’re trying to do the same thing. We’re currently doing a feasibility study for a company to drill to 20km from the well site. This would be longest well in the world.
“It’s the record-breaking stuff that captivates our engineers, developing tools and techniques to take their projects where no drill bit has gone before.
“The recurring question we should be asking ourselves is ‘how far can we go?’
“Ultimately, we’ll find that with the proper inspiration, encouragement and support, we’re only restricted by our imagination.
“Scotland has an exceptional reputation for innovation in the global oil and gas arena. At Merlin, we pride ourselves on our ability to reinforce that reputation, win international business and provide opportunities for up and coming engineers.”
The company, which employs around 30 people, saw turnover double last year and the firm has ambitious expansion targets.
Mr Ewing said: “Scotland’s oil and gas strategy lays out a plan to help the industry go from strength to strength, and capital investment, which is rising to £13.5 billion in 2013, demonstrates the confidence investors and the industry have in Scotland.
“Companies like Merlin ERD reinforce the fact that Scotland is leading the way when it comes to new ideas, new solutions and new developments that will help us meet the technical challenges associated with future oil and gas fields.”