Eleven panel sessions will give visitors to the SPE Offshore Europe 2013 conference unprecedented access to hear the views of top industry executives, government ministers and discipline specialists.
The panel sessions will all aim to respond to the conference theme, ‘The Next 50 Years’, and they form just one part of the free-to-attend event to be held at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre from 3-6 September 2013.
Malcolm Webb, Chairman for SPE Offshore Europe 2013 and Chief Executive of industry trade association Oil & Gas UK, said: “The current strong resurgence in activity shows that the offshore oil and gas industry has an exciting and important future ahead of it, with planned projects we already know about spanning the next 50 years. However, with great opportunities come great challenges. Accordingly, at the Offshore Europe 2013 conference, we are bringing together leaders from the industry, government and other stakeholders to address the issues of the moment.
“The conference will be twice the size of anything which Offshore Europe has staged before and will embrace commercial, employment, operational, safety and environmental aspects as well as the policy and regulatory framework in which the industry operates. This will be the definitive event for our industry as it moves through the 21st century.”
Five of the panel sessions have a confirmed line-up of speakers – the remaining six sessions will be announced next month. These sessions range from oil and gas in the future energy mix, North Sea drilling and industry progress since Macondo to technology and decommissioning. Conference delegates will have the opportunity to put their questions to the speakers at the end of each session.
Oil and gas in the future energy mix The topics covered in this session will include the global energy outlook, the future of transport fuels, the unconventional gas revolution in the US and a look forward for unconventionals in Europe. It will also address the role of technology and partnerships in the future of the European offshore industry.
Chaired by Glen Cayley, Shell’s Vice President United Kingdom and Ireland, the confirmed panel speakers include: Capella Festa, Senior Energy Analyst, International Energy Agency; Andy Eastlake, Managing Director, Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership; Pete Stark, Senior Research Director and Advisor, IHS Energy; Jos de Groot, Director Energiemarkets, Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Planning for long-term North Sea drilling
Drilling in the North Sea has witnessed significant fluctuations in recent years. A period of intense drilling activity, fuelled by high oil prices and strong demand especially from emerging economies, was followed by a dip in 2010 as a delayed reaction to the 2008 financial crisis and the credit squeeze experienced by many oil and gas operators. However, a revamped UK tax regime and strong oil prices have contributed to a new surge in drilling orders since 2012, injecting a lot of renewed confidence in the sector. But what does the future hold, and what can be done to sustain this uptrend?
Mark Stephen of BBC Radio Scotland will facilitate the session. Confirmed panel speakers include: Mike Tholen, Economics and Commercial Director, Oil & Gas UK; Rod Hutton, Senior Manager – Rigs, IHS Petrodata; John Rune Hellevik, Managing Director, Rig Management Norway; Roddy Smith, Chief Operating Officer, Awilco Drilling; Adrian Rose, Managing Director, Transocean; Mark Burns, Chief Operating Officer, Ensco; Gavin Sutherland, UK Country Manager, KCA Deutag Drilling; Kjell Jacobsen, Partner, Energy Ventures; Amjad Bseisu, Chief Executive, EnQuest; Leo Koot, Managing Director, TAQA Bratani; Jim Pearce, Partner, AT Kearney; and Jean-Claude Perdigues, Managing Director, GDF Suez E&P.
Industry progress since Macondo
Since the Macondo incident in April 2010, the oil and gas industry in the US, internationally and in the UK has been propelled into a significant number of investigations, reviews and initiatives intending to address findings from this incident and prevent any future reoccurrences of this scale and nature.
Individual companies, cross-industry bodies and regulators have executed preventative initiatives which have resulted in the development of very high quality operational guidelines and procedures.
In addition, a number of technical initiatives intended to address a reactive situation where a well blowout has occurred have been put in motion. This session intends to review the reactive as well as the regulatory initiatives.
Gordon Ballard, Chairman and Country Manager of Schlumberger UK, is the session chair. Confirmed panel speakers are: Joop Coppes, European Vice President, Production, Shell; John Hayes, UK Minister of State for Energy; Robert Limb, CEO, Oil Spill Response Limited; Owen Kratz, CEO, Helix Energy; Michael Bromwich, Founding and Managing Principal, The Bromwich Group; and Jan Panek, Head of Unit, Directorate General for Energy, European Commission.
The technology imperative – collaborating today to realise the next 50 years of North Sea potential
The session will document the key role technology has played in the development of the North Sea to date and will explore how technology will play a key role in accessing and recovering the remaining reserves in the North Sea over the next 50 years. However, the clock is ticking and 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. In addition to four key note 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.
Chaired by Trevor Garlick, Regional President, BP North Sea, confirmed panel speakers include: Lars Erik Aamot, Head of Oil & Gas Department, Ministry of Petroleum & Energy, Norway; John Pearson, Group President Europe, AMEC; Ellen Williams, Chief Scientist, BP; and a senior government minister.
Decommissioning and value extraction for end of life
Operational decisions taken late in the life of fields can have a significant effect on maximising overall asset value and on the cost of decommissioning. This session seeks to highlight why asset managers and decommissioning project managers need to develop an integrated plan which enables a cost-effective transition through cessation of production. With consideration of the fiscal framework for decommissioning liabilities, speakers will share the key considerations and opportunities to maximise value and the vital role for the contracting community.
Gerry Borghesi, UK/Netherlands Production Manager for ExxonMobil is the session chair. Confirmed panel speakers are: James Edens, Vice President & Managing Director, CNR International (UK) Ltd; Edward Heerema, President, Allseas Group SA; and Austin Hand, Project Director, Brent Decommissioning Project.
The topics of the other six panel sessions are:
More information on these sessions will be announced next month, together with the details of the technical paper sessions. Supporting the 2013 conference content will be a full programme of breakfast briefings and topical lunches.
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