This event will be held during Ocean Business at the NOC.  You must register for Ocean Business to attend this event.

Thursday 10 April | 10:00-11:00 | Conference Room 344/32, Level 4, NOC

How do you identify marine risks, mitigate them, buy adequate insurance cover, and avoid nasty surprises in the marine and subsea environments, industries and activities?

Join us for an insightful session with industry-leading experts as they guide you through the critical steps to managing risk in the marine and subsea environments. From identifying potential risks to securing the right insurance coverage, this event is designed to provide you with the knowledge and strategies to protect your business and avoid costly surprises.

Our expert speakers will cover:

Identification of Marine Risks
Learn how to pinpoint potential hazards in the marine and subsea industries, and understand the factors that contribute to risk exposure.

Risk Management and Mitigation Tools
Discover the best practices and innovative tools available to reduce risks and ensure the safety and efficiency of your operations.

Risk Transfer Through Insurance
Understand how to effectively transfer risks through insurance, securing the right coverage to protect your business from unforeseen events.

Factors Affecting Insurers’ Willingness to Accept Risk
Gain insights into what insurers look for when assessing risk, and how to position your operations to secure the best possible coverage.

Presenters:

Spencer Clark

Spencer is a Chartered Engineer and also holds a Master’s degree in Insurance and Risk Management. Having over 28 years international marine and offshore energy experience, Spencer has been involved with many large losses.

Throughout his career Spencer has handled a wide variety of claims, including offshore energy sectors (including MOUs, FPSOs and drilling systems), machinery systems, subsea equipment, shipping, yachts, ports and terminals, ship repairer’s liability, and renewable energy. Initially working for Lloyd’s Register of Shipping Classification Society Spencer spent several years working overseas carrying out Class surveys, and also worked in London and Copenhagen carrying out structural engineering plan approval work.

From 2001 he joined a specialist international loss adjusting firm and has been involved with complex insurance claims, technical surveys, forensic engineering and root cause investigations. Spencer has also provided litigation support and expert related work in UK, Europe, USA and South Asia. He has lectured on marine and energy subjects including FLNG, FPSOs, MOUs, subsea equipment and claims handling around the world. In 2015 he became a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights.

Keith Rogers

Keith is a Chartered Insurance Broker and holds an Economics degree. He is also an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute, and member of The Society for Underwater Technology.

With over 38 years experience across all lines of marine insurance Keith has specialised in physical damage risks, builder’s risks, subsea and surface autonomous craft and equipment, designing and placing bespoke policies and programmes for a wide variety of clients from around the world.

Harry Henley

After successfully completing a Geography Degree at Newcastle University, Harry joined Beazley in the marine liability team.

Whilst in the liability team Harry studied and completed the Institute of Chartered Ship Brokers Professional Qualification.

Following Beazley’s acquisition of the subsea specialist underwriter Leviathan Harry decided to change his focus to concentrate on the subsea sector with 8 of his 12 years in the Lloyd’s market working as a subsea equipment underwriter.

Harry was promoted to Underwriter in March 2023.

This event will be held during Ocean Business at the NOC.  You must register for Ocean Business to attend this event.

Wednesday 9 April | 11:45-13:00 | Seminar Room, Level 4, NOC | Lunch will be provided

An engaging networking lunch celebrating women in the marine industry. Hear from inspiring speakers as they share insights on leadership, innovation, career journeys and the future of maritime. Connect with like-minded professionals, gain valuable perspectives and enjoy a relaxed lunch in great company. Free to attend.

Breaking Waves: Empowering Women in Maritime Leadership through innovation and new ways of working

Speaker: Claire Budden, Deputy Director, Navy Commercial

Promoting from Head of Procurement to Deputy Director of Navy Commercial in 2024, Claire is a commercial, procurement and governance lead with twenty years experience as a solicitor (now registered non-practising). In these roles she leads projects and procurements across the public and private sector from initial concept through delivery to long term relationship management.

People and Culture

Speaker: Catherine Jennings, People & Culture Director, Scientific Management International (SMI)

Catherine is a driven and enthusiastic HR Director with over 25 years’ experience leading HR functions for a wide range of businesses encompassing SMEs and large complex matrixed organisations. Her experience includes talent acquisition, learning and development, coaching, engagement, compensation and benefits, HR information systems (HRIS) and financial planning of the department, delivering change initiatives and major projects. Catherine formulates personnel systems and culture strategies appropriate to the SMI’s mission and vision, providing strategic counsel on all people matters. She is also providing oversight and direction for diversity & inclusion and our ongoing commitment to the Women in Defence Charter.

From Palaeo-climate Nerd to UXO expert

Marine Biology Masters to the Future

Thursday 10 April | 18:00-20:00 hours

Wednesday 18 June 2025 | 18:00 – 20:00hrs

Aberdeenshire Cricket Club, Aberdeen

Registration – £15 SUT members / £25 non-members (+ VAT) / £10 students

PLEASE NOTE: Your ticket includes a buffet meal.  There is a bar on site where you can buy a good selection of drinks.

Sharing experience is a key enabler to reduce decommissioning costs: based on recent campaigns and technology developments our presenters will share their learnings across subsea well abandonment and subsea asset removal.

Presenters:

Title: Shell’s learnings taken over the last 3 years on their Wellhead Severance campaign.  The presentation will look at issues encountered and equipment development over the campaign

Rainier Duijts is the Subsea Decom Project Manager in Shell UK, looking after all subsea decommissioning projects in the Central and Northern North Sea. Wellhead Severance is one of the projects in portfolio. Previous roles include assignments in Ireland, Nigeria, Russia and the Netherlands on a range of greenfield and brownfield subsea projects with over 21 years of experience in the industry. Rainier holds a MSc degree in Civil Engineering from Delft, University of Technology in the Netherlands.

Title: BP Andrew Marine and Subsea Decommissioning Operation Case Study

Alex Dow is a Construction Project Manager with over 40 years of experience in the Oil and Gas, Ship Building, Nuclear, Ministry of Defence, and Marine Industries. He has worked in the oil & gas, refining & energy industry for Amec Foster Wheeler, WorleyParsons, Petrofac, and now bp for 18 years, contributing to major Greenfield and Brownfield projects. Alex’s expertise spans the full life cycle of projects, including EPM, EPC, EPCC, and HUC, from Concept through FEED, Detailed Design, Procurement, Fabrication, Execution, and Closeout.

Title: Multi-String Cutting: Solutions for Cutting and Abandonment of P&A Wells

Craig Baxter is the Decommissioning Technical Manager at Claxton Engineering Services. A Chartered Engineer with a strong practical background in mechanical engineering, Craig has honed his skills through hands-on experience and part-time further education, having undertaken technical qualifications up to degree level in engineering and pursued an MBA to enhance his management capabilities. Currently, Craig enjoys the challenge of managing a team of engineers and drafters working across various product lines and technologies at Claxton. He is dedicated to fostering a culture conducive to cross-team success by ensuring engineering collaborates closely with other functions and product lines within Claxton. Craig will present on the latest developments in subsea well abandonment technologies, sharing some latest test results and future plans for subsea and nuclear decommissioning.

Title: Diving to Diverless – the presentation will focus on change of strategy part way through the delivery of a project and the challenges to overcome

Graeme Barnett is a Project manager with Boskalis Subsea Services currently managing 2 subsea decommissioning projects with major Operators in the North Sea.  Both planned using divers for initial phases but as challenges were encountered the opportunity to complete one in a diverless fashion presented itself.  Previously having worked in heavy fabrication and subsea construction in various engineering and management roles for projects in the North Sea, and North Africa.  Graeme has a Degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Post Grad in Computer Based Engineering Systems from Abertay University (formerly Dundee Institute of Technology).

SUT Event Policy

Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable, although discretion may apply in exceptional circumstances. The SUT reserves the right to make changes to the event schedule, lineup, or venue. Attendees assume all risks associated with the event. By entering, you consent to photography and video recording for promotional purposes. Terms and conditions apply.

Contact [email protected] for enquiries.

Tuesday 25 March | 18:00-20:00 hours

Join us for an insightful Joint In-Person Seminar with the SUT ECOSIGG and British Geotechnical Association Early Careers Group (BGA ECG).

Pishun Tantivangphaisal will present his recent PhD research on the numerical modelling of long-term cyclic loads on offshore monopiles and share his journey from industry to academia. The seminar will delve into advances in computational tools for offshore geotechnics, comparing field-scale and test-pit scale load tests against finite element predictions.

Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the intersection between academia and industry in geotechnics!

Teas, coffees, and biscuits will be provided.

Synopsis

The talk will consists of two parts: the speaker’s recent PhD research on the numerical modelling of long-term cyclic loads on offshore foundations, as well as sharing his experience starting out first in industry, then crossing over back into academic research. The technical presentation will focus on recent advances in computational tools for offshore geotechnics. Offshore wind turbines in shallow seas continue to rely heavily on fixed bottom monopile foundations, designed to resist long-term cyclic environmental loads. Two instrumented pile load tests will be compared against finite element predictions using a high-cycle accumulation numerical framework for long-term cyclic loading:

• A retrospective prediction of the field-scale response in Dunkirk sand (PISA project)
• A blind prediction of a test-pit scale load test in Darmstadt sand (by TU Darmstadt)

Titles

Part 1 – Numerical modelling of long-term cyclic loads on offshore monopiles;

Part 2 – Why do research: navigating the intersection between academia and industry.

Bio

Pishun is a PhD student in the Geotechnics research section at Imperial College London since 2022, after starting his career initially at Arup in 2018. The main scope of his PhD research is the development of numerical tools to predict the long-term cyclic behaviour of offshore foundations. He is keen to bridge academia with engineering practice, seeing first-hand the need for innovation in the industry via targeted, practical and timely research. His research interests include the development and validation of practical computational tools, probabilistic and data-driven methods, urban and offshore geotechnics.

SUT Event Policy 

Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable, although discretion may apply in exceptional circumstances. The SUT reserves the right to make changes to the event schedule, lineup, or venue. Attendees assume all risks associated with the event. By entering, you consent to photography and video recording for promotional purposes. Terms and conditions apply. 

 Contact [email protected] for enquiries. 

26 June 2025 | Presentations from 1800-2000hrs |
Registration and refreshments from 17:30

Wills Memorial Building, University of Bristol

Join us for a relaxed evening of engaging presentations for those interested in all things offshore and south-west-focused followed by refreshments and networking with like-minded people.

17:30 – 18:00   Welcome Drinks
18:00 – 20:00  Presentations
20:00 – 21:30  Networking and Refreshments

Key Note:
A New Era: Engineering Tidal Power from the Severn – Peter Kydd

Presentations:

1. How to support a positive impact offshore wind farm through data collection, geoscience, and methodology innovation –  Danny Bonnett, Wood Thilsted
2. “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it” The importance of communicating ground risk effectively – Dr Dan Morgan – Sulmara
3. Xlinks – Challenges and Considerations for Successfully Building and Operating a First of a Kind Power Project – George Arvanitakis – Xlinks

Ticket Price (inc VAT)
Standard –  £15
Student – £8

Ticket includes a welcome drink and post event canapes

SUT Event Policy

Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable, although discretion may apply in exceptional circumstances. The SUT reserves the right to make changes to the event schedule, lineup, or venue. Attendees assume all risks associated with the event. By entering, you consent to photography and video recording for promotional purposes. Terms and conditions apply.

Contact [email protected] for enquiries.