The oil and gas industry was also in the national limelight as a source of employment to the local job seekers. A few years earlier the Minister of Energy in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had chided the oil industry (especially the major player, Brunei Shell Petroleum Company) for not employing more Bruneians. Over the last two years there has been a marked increase in local interest in the industry through various schemes. The number of local and joint-venture companies engaged in the hydrocarbon sector has increased, thus providing more opportunities at various levels of employment. The First Energy White Paper was launched by the Sultan in March 2014 during the opening of Energy Week. This paper attempts to take stock of the country’s energy sources, needs and prospects. The Energy Department had revealed that the planned recruitment of 3,000 locals in the energy sector in 2014 would most likely exceed expectations; 2,473 jobs had already been secured and another 2,000 jobs were available at the industry’s job fair in November 2014.