Energy technology company Fotech has secured 6.5 million pounds venture funding from Scottish Equity Partners, Energy Ventures and Saudi Arabia-based Shoaibi Group to commercialise its pioneering solutions for the monitoring and surveillance of oil and gas wells and pipelines.

Fotech, which is headed by Chief Executive Douglas Gibson, has developed optical fibre-based acoustic monitoring systems with a wide range of applications. These include the oil and gas industry which requires high-performance systems to detect pipeline leaks and other problems. (more…)

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced that outsourcing firm Capita is its preferred bidder in the gas installer registration scheme tender meaning current registrar CORGI, based in Basingstoke, has been appointed reserve bidder.

CORGI expressed its disappointment with the decision but said it would work to ensure a smooth transition process between scheme providers. It stressed the decision would have no disruptive impact on the day-to-day running of CORGI-registered businesses. (more…)

Local MP Maria Miller has met with CORGI’s Chief Executive, Mike Thompson, to discuss how the Basingstoke-based company is continuing to push the gas safety message in the UK.

CORGI is the UK’s gas safety watchdog and, by law, anyone that works on gas is required to be registered with CORGI.

Speaking following the meeting, CORGI’s Chief Executive Mike Thompson explained:

The visit to our Basingstoke headquarters gave us an important opportunity to discuss the work of CORGI and to exchange ideas on how we promote the gas safety message. Maria has an ongoing interest in the topic so we are very much pushing the same direction.

Maria Miller, Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Gas Safety Group which brings together interested parties from across the political spectrum, said:

I was delighted to visit CORGI again to meet the people who are working so hard to improve further the safety of gas appliances that we rely on in our everyday life. The people at CORGI are an important local Basingstoke business and have a vital role in national gas safety. I know through the work that I do in Parliament the tremendous contribution that CORGI makes. I would particularly like to applaud the work they have done in raising awareness of carbon monoxide poisoning and what we can all do to stop so many needless deaths.