OTC: adapting to new realities

The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) returns to Houston with strategies for adapting to the new normal.

Images from OTC.

In its 48th run, the 2016 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) will once again bring together energy leaders and professionals from all over the world to Houston to tackle the oil and gas industry’s current low oil price environment, with ideas and strategies on how to adapt and move forward.

The mega conference is placing focus on adapting to today’s “new environment,” and coping with lower oil prices, overcapacity, sluggish economic growth, and price volatility, in addition to opportunities, and solutions.

On Tuesday, 3 May, two panels filled with heavy hitters such as Mexico’s Minister of Energy Pedro Joaquin Coldwell, Pemex’s new CEO José Antonio González Anaya, Mexico’s National Hydrocarbons Commission (CNH), Statoil, and more, will discuss Mexico’s historic energy reform. One panel will take an in-depth look at new deepwater plays offshore Mexico that have been identified in new multi-client exploration data.

Technical highlights will include presentations of floating LNG projects and developments, extending the life of aging fields, as well as a look at Statoil’s Asgard and Gullfaks projects, the world’s first two subsea compression stations.

New this year, OTC is introducing several training courses that will be hosted by several sponsoring societies, and will take place on 30 April and 1 May at the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston. Some course topics include: ASME code design for HPHT wellhead components, deepwater riser engineering, modern well design, recognizing catastrophic incident warning signs, subsea production and technologies, deepwater drilling and production technology, and petroleum geology for engineers.

To switch things up this year, OTC will replace its Annual OTC Dinner, by hosting the Distinguished Achievement Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, 3 May, at NRG Center. The 2016 beneficiary of the OTC Distinguished Achievement Awards Luncheon will be presented to the Junior Achievement (JA) of Southeast Texas for its strong focus on students whose families have been directly affected by the industry downturn. The luncheon will raise funds for scholarships to students pursuing degrees and certifications needed for, and careers in, the offshore industry. Priority will be granted to those students whose family has been impacted by layoffs related to the economic downturn. Resources will be used to support the growth of JA Inspire, Junior Achievement’s work readiness program aimed at eighth grade students, informing them of the opportunities in the offshore oil and gas industry.

After the successful debut of d5 last year, the forward-thinking event will return in 2016 as global innovators speak and lead group discussions aimed to spark creativity and identify the next big step for the energy industry through technology, leadership practices, and competitive advantages. There will be presentations available, along with the chance to participate in discussions set to inspire ideas, innovation, and to leave a lasting impact.

This year’s d5 event will be held at Rice University on Friday, 6 May.

Sponsoring organizations for OTC 2016 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 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).

OTC takes place 2-6 May 2016 at Houston’s NRG Park complex. For more information on OTC, including the full conference and events, visit 2016.otcnet.org.