The SPE Offshore Europe Conference and Exhibition will be held in Aberdeen from 3 to 6 September 2013 with a focus on the continuing success of the regional oil and gas industry and maintaining future production and a strong supply chain. The theme for this year’s conference is “The Next 50 Years.” It will present an opportunity for members of the oil and gas industry to come together to reflect on achievements, debate current challenges, and develop ideas for the future. This biennial conference is the largest upstream oil and gas event outside North America.
Technical Program
Two years ago, Offshore Europe unveiled the “Deep Water Zone,” a technical program dedicated to innovative technologies driving advancement in one of the world’s most challenging environments. As more discoveries are being made within deepwater and ultradeepwater fields, the role of deepwater E&P is increasing.
This year’s “Zone” will feature demonstrations of the latest technologies, showcase existing and new projects from leading deepwater operations, and provide presentation areas to foster discussion and exchange regarding the latest industry trends and challenges. The 2013 “Zone” will focus on projects within deepwater fields by organizations specializing in the deepwater industry to highlight the challenges and expertise necessary to operate within this highly specialized area.
Panel Sessions
Eleven panel sessions—more than double the number in 2011—are scheduled during the conference. Two panel sessions will be held Tuesday afternoon: “Oil and Gas in the Future Energy Mix,” introduced by Glen Cayley of Shell, and “Exporting Oilfield Goods and Services,” chaired by Malcolm Brinded, ambassador of UK Trade & Investment. “Oil and Gas in the Future Energy Mix” will include representatives of the International Energy Agency, the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, IHS Energy, and the Dutch government to discuss the global energy outlook, the future of transport fuels, the unconventional gas revolution, and the role of technology and partnerships in the future of the European offshore industry.
Wednesday morning panel sessions consist of “Planning for Long-Term North Sea Drilling,” chaired by Mark Stephen of BBC Radio Scotland, and “The Independent Oil Company—Mighty Oaks From Little Acorns Grow,” chaired by James Paton of ADIL. Panelists in the first session will debate what can be done to sustain the current uptrend in the oil and gas industry offshore Europe. In the second session, panelists—Tony Hayward of Genel Energy, Simon Flowers of Wood Mackenzie, Tom Reynolds of Bridge Energy, Simon Toole of DECC, Graham Stewart of Faroe Petroleum, and Marcus Richards of Dana Petroleum—will discuss and debate the role of independent oil companies in stimulating regional exploration activity.
Panel sessions will continue Wednesday afternoon, with “Taking Operations to Frontier Areas,” chaired by Norrie McKay of KCA Deutag, which will discuss the challenges and opportunities that frontier areas offer, and “Industry Progress Since Macondo,” chaired by Gordon Ballard of Schlumberger, which will discuss the technical and regulatory framework that resulted from the Macondo blowout and spill.
On Thursday morning, Louise McKenzie of ExxonMobil will introduce “Decommissioning and Value Extraction for End of Life.” Panelists James Edens of CNR International, Edward Heerema of Allseas, Austin Hand of Brent Decommissioning Project, and Atle Rettedal of Statoil will share key considerations and opportunities for maximizing overall asset value and minimizing decommissioning costs. “Journey From Procedure to Practice” will be chaired by Archie Kennedy of Nexen and will discuss why procedures are important, the psychology behind them, and how they can best be used.
Thursday afternoon panel sessions consist of “Financing Investments in the Oil and Gas Industry: Challenges and Opportunities,” led by John Martin of Standard Chartered Bank, and “The Technology Imperative—Collaborating Today to Realize the Next 50 Years of North Sea Potential,” introduced by Trevor Garlick of BP. Panel sessions will conclude on Friday morning with “Oil & Gas Skills—Your Future Today,” chaired by Jim House of Apache North Sea. The first half of this panel will focus on the needs of the present and future and explore what the industry is doing to ensure sufficient trained resources are available. The second half of this panel will be a follow-up debate over questions gathered at the Skills breakfast earlier that day.
The Offshore Europe technical committee is headed by leaders of the E&P sector. Conference chairman Malcolm Webb, chief executive of Oil & Gas UK, will lead the opening plenary session with a panel of four high-profile industry and government figures.
Each day will begin with a Breakfast Briefing to provide participants with the opportunity to join colleagues and peers to network and hear leading industry figures. Topics include “Chamber of Commerce,” “The UK’s Energy Policy: Will It Deliver and What Might It Mean for Oil and Gas,” “Step Change in Safety,” and “Oil and Gas Skills—Your Future Today.” This year’s lunch session topics include “The Role of the Independent/IOC/NOC Over the Next 40 Years,” “Women in Industry,” and “Energy Markets—the Short and Long Term.”