The U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has been abolished by the newly appointed U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May, who stood up the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Department in its place.

Greg Clark was appointed secretary of state for the new department as Amber Rudd, the former secretary of state for the DECC, moved onto her new role as secretary of state for the U.K. Home Office.

Others appointed to the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy were: Jo Johnson, Nick Hurd and Baroness Neville-Rolfe, ministers of state; and Margot James and Jess Norman, parliamentary undersecretaries of state.

In a statement following the announcement, Oil & Gas UK CEO Deirdre Michie said the association hopes the ministers will continue supporting the oil and gas sector and thanked the departing officials for their service.

“Offshore oil and gas is one of the country’s greatest industrial success stories and must remain a linchpin of a U.K. industrial strategy,” Michie said. “Yet we are at a critical juncture, and we need to work with the government to address low levels of exploration and development in the North Sea and send a strong message that the U.K. Continental Shelf is a great place to invest in.”

Offshore