Preparing for a new (low oil price) world

Melissa Sustaita provides an overview of activities slated for this year’s Offshore Technology Conference.

An overview of OTC 2016’s exhibition hall. Photo from Offshore Technology Conference (OTC).

The 2017 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), the annual four-day event taking over the entire NRG complex in Houston, has crafted its technical program to invite discussion on ways to cope with the new normal.

As one of the world’s largest oil and gas conferences, OTC brings together energy leaders and professionals from around the world to discuss the industry’s latest technological advances, today’s environment, and ideas and strategies on how to adapt.

Technical highlights for the conference include updates on mega projects, such as Shell’s Stones and BP’s Mad Dog in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as Total’s Moho Nord, which came online in mid-March. Other featured topics will include adapting to the low oil price environment; safety and risk management; renewables; and the digital revolution.

On Monday, 1 May, the breakfast sessions at OTC start off with a look at challenges facing operators in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, entitled “A Fresh Look at the Gulf of Mexico: How Oil and Gas Companies Can Adapt to the New Challenges of Operating Safely and Efficiently in the Deepwater.” Other breakfast sessions include a look at new business opportunities in Brazil, and Indonesia. The rest of the day includes profiles on the aforementioned Moho Nord, BP’s Mad Dog, and cost-effective solutions for oil and gas.

On Tuesday, 2 May, two technical sessions will be dedicated to Shell’s Stones development. Shell and SBM Offshore will discuss the Turritella, which is the world’s deepest floating production unit, and second FPSO in the Gulf of Mexico. Later that day, Shell will take the stage to go over the Stones project, including FPSO installation work, development, safety, and the subsea, umbilical, riser and flowline systems.

On Wednesday, 3 May, Pemex CEO José Antonio González Anaya will discuss the next five years of the Mexican Energy Reform. Other discussions will cover the UK North Sea with ExxonMobil; Vietnam’s plans to open deepwater acreage, featuring PetroVietnam; and Mauritania and Senegal’s new offshore gas developments, featuring Kosmos Energy.

On Thursday 4 May, discussions will continue regarding Mexico’s deepwater opportunities with Chevron, ExxonMobil, Statoil, BHP Billiton, and Murphy Oil.

OTC will host the Distinguished Achievement Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, 2 May at NRG Center. The conference will recognize John Bomba for individual achievement, the LLOG Exploration – Delta House Project for institutional achievement, Mike Conner for the Heritage Award, and a Special Citation for Art Schroeder.

The d5 event, designed to spark creativity and innovation in the energy industry, will be held at Rice University on Friday 5 May.

Sponsoring organizations for OTC 2017 include: American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Oceanic and Engineering Society (IEEE-OES), Marine Technology Society (MTS), Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration Inc. (SME), Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), and The Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society (TMS).

Supporting organizations include: American Association of Drilling Engineers (AADE), American Petroleum Institute (API), Association of Energy Service Companies (AESC), ASTM International, Center for Offshore Safety, Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA), Institute of Marine Engineering, Science, and Technology (IMarEST), International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), International Society of Automation (ISA), National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA), and Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA).

Endorsing organizations include: the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) and Petroleum Equipment & Services Association (PESA).

OTC takes place 1-4 May 2017 at Houston’s NRG Park complex. For more information on OTC, including the full conference and events, visit 2017.otcnet.org.