Vince Cable, MP, secretary of state for business, innovation and skills (BIS) is to speak at SPE Offshore Europe 2013 at one of the conference’s keynote sessions.
The session, The technology imperative – collaborating today to realise the next 50 years of North Sea potential, will explore the key role to be played by technology in accessing and recovering the remaining reserves in the North Sea over the next 50 years. Opportunities will evaporate if the industry doesn’t move quickly and collaboratively.
The session will highlight the business importance that successful exploitation of the North Sea basin brings to national governments and the oil and gas industry as a whole.
Vince Cable said: “The oil and gas industrial strategy, developed by government and industry, will put the UK at the forefront of new technology in the oil and gas sector. This will help the industry reduce costs in extraction. By investing now we can ensure UK production for decades, securing jobs and growth across the industry and its supply chain. We know that skills, as well as innovation, are important to the sector. So we are also training tomorrow's workers with the right skills to make the UK competitive.”
The session is being held on the afternoon of Thursday, September 5, at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.
Malcolm Webb, chair of this year’s conference and Oil & Gas UK’s chief executive, said: “The industrial strategy for oil and gas aims to secure growth in the sector over the long-term and points to the vital importance of developing and implementing new technology through the supply chain, which is already worth a staggering £27 billion to the economy. Dr Cable’s attendance at the conference underlines the Government’s commitment to work with the industry to maximise the recovery of oil and gas and gives a welcome boost to the providers of expertise and technology across the country.”
Chaired by Trevor Garlick, Regional President, BP North Sea, confirmed session speakers in addition to Dr Cable include: Deputy Director General William Frank Christensen, Head of the R,D&D Office, Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, Norway; John Pearson, Group President Europe, AMEC; and Ellen Williams, Chief Scientist, BP. After the keynote speeches, attendees will have an opportunity to participate in a ‘Question Time’ style Q&A session hosted by Quentin Cooper, BBC Radio 4 presenter of ‘The Material World’ programme. The full session starts at 1430 and finishes at 1700.
The keynote session on the technology imperative forms one part of the free to attend SPE Offshore Europe 2013 conference, with 10 other keynote sessions, 100+ technical papers and ePosters, and daily breakfast briefings and topical luncheons. The sold-out exhibition halls, with more than 1500 organisations expected this year, will feature the complete supply chain of companies including operators, drilling contractors and oilfield service companies.
Visit www.offshore-europe.co.uk for full details on the conference and exhibition.