Oil and gas industry figures will today be urged to keep their focus on efficiency as they move to the future with 'cautious optimism'.

Deirdre Michie, chief executive of Oil & Gas UK, will make the call as she gives a speech at the trade body's annual conference in Aberdeen.

At the East of England Energy Group's (EEEGR) Southern North Sea conference at the Norfolk Showground in March, speakers including Ms Michie and EEEGR chief executive Simon Gray said collaboration between sectors and technologies would be vital in bringing down costs for businesses and consumers.

In her keynote address at the Aberdeen conference, Ms Michie will say: 'We are moving forward with cautious optimism, recognising that oil market fundamentals have changed almost beyond recognition in the last 10 years and that they are not going to change back any time soon.

'Bold steps have been and are being taken and we have great examples of companies working differently to improve cost and efficiency and working hard to lock these benefits in for the long term.

'The cynics say that we are a cyclical industry that never learns its lessons. Well this time we have an opportunity to do things differently – especially if we remind ourselves that we have been part of the problem and therefore we all need, including the cynics, to be part of the solution too.'