Here are the stories making the headlines in the North-east and across the country this morning.
Buchan: NEO hits milestone on UK’s third-largest upcoming oil and gas project
The third-largest upcoming project for the UK North Sea has hit a key milestone ahead of reaching the development green light.
NEO Energy has submitted environmental documents to the UK Government for the redevelopment of the Buchan field, 93 miles off Aberdeen.
A redevelopment of a former Repsol Sinopec field in the Moray Firth, Buchan has an estimated 162m barrels of oil equivalent (gross 2C).
Under the plans, NEO will establish a new production hub at the renamed Buchan Horst field using the Western Isles floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO).
Read more in Energy Voice.
BP set to appoint Kate Thomson as its first female finance chief
BP is set to appoint its first female finance chief – making her the most powerful woman to work for the company in its 115-year history.
The FTSE 100 energy giant is expected to name Kate Thomson as chief financial officer as it completes a leadership reshuffle in the wake of Bernard Looney’s departure.
Thomson was handed the job on a temporary basis when the incumbent Murray Auchincloss took Looney’s role after he stepped down in September for failing to disclose his relationships with staff.
Auchincloss, 53, was named permanent chief executive last week and the board is expected to decide on the full-time appointment of Thomson, 55, before BP reports its full year results on February 6, according to Reuters.
New national treatment centre in Aberdeen delayed in budget crisis
Plans for a new NHS national treatment centre in Aberdeen to help cut patient waiting lists have been put on hold, the P&J can reveal.
Staff were told the “hugely disappointing” news in an update from NHS Grampian today.
It comes after health boards across Scotland were told to halt new construction projects due to an “extremely challenging” budget pressures.
Work on the new £130m national treatment centre for Grampian, including an MRI suite for Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin, will be halted.
Plans to refurbish the mental health ward at Dr Gray’s, which were scheduled to take place at the same time as the MRI suite construction, will now be reviewed.
Stonehaven to get Tesco ‘superstore’
Stonehaven is getting its first Tesco supermarket, creating around 100 jobs for the area.
The supermarket giant has announced it will build a ‘superstore’ at the Stonehaven Gateway development.
News of the development was first revealed last year, with plans to include an electric vehicle (EV) charging hub.
Tesco’s involvement is major step forward for the project, which is being brought forward by property company Ashfield Land.
It will be built on a five-acre site to the west of the roundabout that links the A90 at the AWPR Stonehaven Fastlink interchange.