Catalogue description Records of the Petroleum Engineering Division

In 1976 the Petroleum Engineering Division (known then as the Petroleum Engineering Directorate) formed Branch 3 of the Petroleum Production Division. The following year it was designated as a Division in its own right with four branches and and two inspectorates. Branch 1 was responsible for the development programme, Branch 2 for the assessment of petroleum discoveries and prospects, Branch 3 for operations and safety and Branch 4 for research and development related to the safety of offshore installations and the exploration and exploitation of petroleum resources. There were two inspectorates in the division:-diving and pipelines. In 1980 the inspectorates were subsumed into branches 5 and 6 respectively and Branches 7 for the exploration and appraisal aspects of the search for oil and gas and Branch 8 for the investigation of field development options were created.

When responsibility for energy matters was transferred to the Department of Trade and Industry in 1992 the Division became the Petroleum Engineering Directorate within the Oil and Gas Division.