News reports suggest analysts are optimistic that 2019 will improve upon 2018 activity with regard to exploration and attendant project development sanctions, development projects and decommissioning activities. What will 2019 bring from a global outlook and how will it impact the North Sea?

This event offers an opportunity for the business community to hear about the market from senior people within the industry.

Chairperson – Tony J A Laing, Research and Market Accelerator Director, NSRI

Speaker – Mike Beveridge, Managing Director, Simmons & Co

2018 has proved another volatile year with initially strong recovery followed by renewed weakness in oil prices against a backdrop of macro-economic headwinds globally and Brexit related political turmoil in the UK. The oil services industry will have gained some confidence of a future upturn in the cycle but real momentum in the market continues to be slow. As we enter 2019 how will industry activity levels play out given this dynamic market place and how will this impact strategic decision making, company valuations and M and A?

Speaker – John Warrender, CEO, Decom North Sea

Decommissioning is no longer a thing of the future. However, our industry continues to operate in an environment of considerable uncertainty. Commodity prices remain volatile, assets continue to change hands and operator strategies need to balance investment in maximising economic recovery with funding of decommissioning commitments. These factors make it difficult for the operating community to generate long-term business plans which incorporate predictable decommissioning campaigns that assist the supply chain present cost-efficient, profitable, solutions. As we move further into the implementation phase, how is our sector responding to these challenges?

Speaker- Christopher Pearson,  Manager, Marginal Developments, The Oil and Gas Technology Centre (OGTC)

An introduction to the OGTC and the opportunity of realising the value of the UKCS using technology where appropriate. Marginal Developments is focused on delivering technology investments that can reduce the life cycle costs of stranded reserves and potentially extend the life of the UKCS. One vision of the future and technology investment trends as seen from within the OGTC.

Please click here for the event flyer

Summer is fast approaching, which means its time to advertise our annual “away day” site visit. This year we have four short tours centred from the Newcastle University Marine Station in Port of Blyth. The tours are followed by food, refreshments and networking hosted by Port of Blyth.

Numbers for the tours are limited to 48 people (attendees will go on all the tours in rotation). Booking is therefore essential for this event

Tour A: Newcastle University Marine Propulsion Laboratory
Newcastle University has recently opened a new large scale marine technology lab in the Port of Blyth. The centrepiece of the facility is the Emerson Cavitation Tunnel – a propeller testing device originally housed on the university campus and now enhanced with upgraded capability for future R&D. This is co-located with several other innovative flumes and experimental test equipment for marine hydrodynamics research. The tour will explain the phenomena of hydrodynamic cavitation experiments, the historical connection to the North East (starting with Charles Parsons), and the future opportunities for research of novel marine propulsors, turbines, coatings and subsea devices.

Tour B: Blyth Tall Ship
Blyth Tall Ship is a pioneering project that sets out to recapture the spirit of adventure and global entrepreneurship that was employed in Blyth to discover the Antarctic land mass 200 years ago in a sailing ship called the Williams. The project aims to recreate the original voyage and conduct an expedition to celebrate the discovery of Antarctica. Our tour won’t quite reach Antarctica, but will visit the boat yard where a team of volunteers are currently restoring and refitting the tall ship. Be careful, you might end up signing up for a leg of the voyage!

Tour C: Royal IHC
A quick peek inside the Royal IHC facility in the Port of Blyth. The tour will act as a “show and tell” for some of the innovative subsea products currently in production.

Tour D: Newcastle University research vessel and port tour
Port of Blyth is buzzing right now, and what better way to see what’s going on than to get on a boat and tour the river! Weather permitting, groups will head out on the Newcastle University research vessel, the Princess Royal, and sail up to the top of the river and then back down to the breakwater. Although we don’t plan to have official tour guides on the boat, we figure there might be enough experts on board anyway to enlighten everyone about the exciting engineering currently spread along the port.

Post Tour: Food and networking with Port of Blyth
Locally sourced food together with refreshments from the Newcastle University student micro-brewery (Stu-Brew), followed by a talk and networking event hosted by Port of Blyth showcasing their exciting future plans for the port.

Please click here for more information and the flyer.

SUT Aberdeen are pleased to confirm the next Subsea Awareness Course will be held on 11th – 15th March 2019.

To avoid disappointment, book now as places are limited.

 

Please click here for information and joining instructions for the Aberdeen Subsea Awareness Course

Energise Confidence in the ‘Blue Economy’

The Subsea sector creates great opportunities across a wide variety of industries, generally recognised as the ‘blue economy’ (ie O&G, wind, wave, tidal, current, storage, mining, defence and aquaculture). The industry today is estimated to be £50 billion and by 2035 estimated to be £150 billion. This evening shall share the potential market opportunities, along with a case study and what enabling support facilities and organisations can assist in unlocking the market potential.

Chairperson: Peter Blake – Chevron Global Subsea Manager

Scottish Enterprise: Chris Bryceland – Subsea Opportunity Manager
This presentation will share recent research undertaken by SE that investigated the international opportunities for the Scottish supply chain across a range of sectors where underwater technology or operational experience could be applied.

EC-OG: Richard Knox – Managing Director
Subsea power current technology can play a key part to supporting local power, using the natural predictable environment to support local power demands, reducing subsea infrastructure and offering a backing-up system

The Underwater Centre: Steve Ham – Commercial Director
‘Make sure your technology reaches the next level’. Case studies demonstrating the role of real-life testing in helping your new technology reach achieving the appropriate technical readiness level, enabling market confidence.

National Subsea Research Initiative: Tony Laing – Research and Market Acceleration Director
Enabling and facilitating market led opportunities in the subsea sector across the blue economy, NRSI shall share how matchmaking can support the subsea industry in unlocking opportunities.

For more information and the flyer please click here.

Tuesday 17th April 2018
Registration 12.00pm – Presentations 12.30pm – Lunch 1.30pm

Price Forbes, 6th Floor, 2 Minister Court, Mincing Lane,
London EC3R 7PD

Registration Fees:
This is free to attend but booking must be made in advance

Do you want to know about Subsea Technology and Operations?
Understanding the full lifecycle of a subsea, oil and gas, production field development from Inception through to Decommissioning – then the SUT’s Subsea Awareness Course is geared towards YOU.

The Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) delivers a foundation level Subsea Awareness Course (SAC) that is suitable for personnel from the Operators, the Contractors and other interested organisations, for example; Legal, Finance and Engineering Houses.

This course provides underpinning knowledge for new entrants in the subsea sector of the offshore energy industry, as well as offering a refresher for experienced professionals seeking to update their knowledge.

London and South of England Evening Meeting

TEN Tullow: Subsea Flowline System Lateral Buckling Design and Start-up/Operational Performance Verification

Registration 5.30pm -Presentations 6.00pm followed by cheese and wine
Lecture Theatre 207, Skepton Building, South Kensington Campus, Exhibition Road, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ

Registration Fees
SUT Members: £15 Non-Members: £25 Student Members: £5.00
inclusive of VAT

Subsea 2025: Data Centric Value
Presenter: Ross Doak, Subsea Engineer – Shell

Enabling Technologies for Infield Inspection Automation
Presenter: Jean Bernard Blamengin,Business Development Manager, OneSubsea

Digitally Enabled Real Time Control Systems
Presenter: Mario Alonso, Digital Solutions Product Leader, Baker Hughes

Remote Operations and Digital Twin Integrations
Presenter: Mark Stevens , Digital Innovation Director, Oceaneering

AutoNaut: Wave-propelled Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) for MetOcean.

AutoNaut USV is a long-duration oceanic platform that can act as a survey vessel and/or “unmoored buoy”. This enables a novel method for the acquisition of MetOcean data. This presentation will give an overview of the AutoNaut’s technical capabilities, with examples of missions undertaken in conjunction with the Met Office, PML and the oil and gas industry.

Presenter: Phil Johnston – AutoNaut

Phil Johnston has a background working at sea as an offshore environmental consultant. He specialised in the effects of underwater anthropogenic noise and passive acoustic monitoring for marine mammals. Phil now leads business development for AutoNaut USV.

‘MetOcean: Challenges and Practical Application of Big Data’

Presenter: Robin Stephens – BMT

The presentation will consider the concept and impacts of ‘Big Data’ in the context of applied meteorology and oceanography, particularly in the offshore industry. Examples will be presented including large, fine-resolution ocean basin numerical model simulations, and high temporal resolution in-situ measurement systems. There will be discussion about what physical processes are important and operationally limiting in particular ocean basins, and how they can best be quantified. Consideration will be given to necessity, affordability, fitness for purpose and economic sustainability of some wonderful technical capabilities that have come to fruition during a time of major challenge to the deep water oil and gas business.

Robin Stephens manages the MetOcean consultancy group at BMT ARGOSS. He has 36 years’ experience in applied physical oceanography and maritime civil engineering. Robin graduated in Civil Engineering from the University of Bristol in 1981, and later undertook a Masters’ degree in Physical Oceanography at Bangor University. He is a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Marine Scientist.

Robin’s experience has been predominantly in the commercial sector, working on projects in many countries throughout the world, across a diverse range of client sectors, including oil and gas, renewables, maritime and coastal engineering and shipping. He has spent periods of employment in conventional maritime civil engineering, maritime engineering research and development, commercial applied physical oceanography and the commercial application of applied ocean modelling and remote sensing. His experience has included senior level technical, commercial and managerial responsibilities.

For more information and the flyer click here.