During market downturns, collaboration across industry is critical in order to share best practice
Lloyd’s Register Energy has spent this week at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) 2015 in Texas challenging oil and gas companies to re-think their approach to safety, performance and technical innovation to secure the world’s energy supply in a sustainable way, from reservoir and refinery to beyond.
A Lloyd’s Register Energy survey of attendees at OTC 2015 revealed more than 36% of respondents consider skills / knowledge shortage to be the primary issue. the regulatory environment (21%), commercial barriers to collaboration on innovation (17%), ageing assets (12%) and inability to adopt technology (14%), were also seen to be important issues.
Duco de Haan, Lloyd’s commercial development director said: “As part of this, there is a need to understand where there are opportunities to leverage crossover technologies whilst addressing the issue of how we tackle potential knowledge shortage and the need to collaborate on innovation. These are all areas which Lloyd’s Register Energy has placed at the center of its strategic focus as we support our clients to operate more safely and more productively.”
Other challenges facing the American oil industry include a continued focus on increasing safety in deepwater exploration, FLNG, developing cleaner and more efficient hydrocarbon technology, while work on new forms of energy provision must be stepped up.
At the close of OTC 2015, Lloyd’s Register Energy identified three short-term priorities the industry must address if future oil and gas assets are to be safely and reliably exploited.
They are: striking the balance between safety critical issues and operational pressures; improving the prioritization of maintenance so that safety critical areas are addressed and not deferred; and ensuring competence through skills, technology and innovation to help deliver on upcoming energy sources -- maximizing economic value and energy security issues.
“The responsibility for ensuring the future of the oil and gas industry lies with each of us – business, academics, regulators and government alike. By working more collaboratively, more intelligently and with a greater vision, then we will all effectively advance the industry’s success,” de Haan said. “During market downturns, collaboration across industry is critical in order to share best practice and evolve joint ventures, and this should not be hampered by a focus on cost reduction.”
Lloyd’s Register Energy is committed to working with all industry stakeholders to promote more awareness and understanding of how assets should be managed and certifying new technologies to meet new energy sources and future energy demands.
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