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this issUE: Marine transfer operations

energy worksoil and gas growth is increasing career opportunities

striking a balanceoperators should move towards a data-centric world

Buildingrelationships

relationship risk and the challenges of partnership working

As the oil and gas industry expands, project complexity increases, and in this environment collaboration

and partnerships are essential to successful operations.

Of course, in that increased complexity the challenges of

partnership working also increase, as we discover in our lead

feature in this issue.

We were fortunate enough to gain valuable insight from Alex

Cameron and David Archer, both directors of Socia Ltd and

authors of Collaborative Leadership: Building relationships,

handling conflict and sharing control. On page four they

address the challenges of partnerships in oil and gas, pointing

out the greatest risks in any system are at the boundaries

between one part of the system and another and that's

never been truer than in todays interconnected business

environment.

If you are working in the energy industry the chances are that

partnerships and collaboration are part of your everyday life,

and with the risks that accompany this type of work, Alex and

Davids feature is essential reading. After all, as they explain,

In an even more interconnected world in the future, the

skills of collaboration and relationship risk management will

become critical.

editors Libbie HAmmond & mAtt HigH

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in an even more interconnected world in the future, the skills of collaboration and relationship risk management will become critical

pLeASe nOte: the opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers within this publication do not necessarily coincide with those of the editor and publisher. every reasonable effort is made to ensure that the information published is accurate, but no legal responsibility for loss occasioned by the use of such information can be accepted by the publisher. All rights reserved. the contents of the magazine are strictly copyright, the property of Schofield publishing, and may not be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Chairman Andrew Schofield Group Managing director mike tulloch

Managing editor Libbie Hammondlibbie@schofieldpublishing.co.ukeditor matt Highmhigh@schofieldpublishing.co.uk staff Writers Kirsty birkett-StubbsJo Cooperdrew dann editorial Administrator emma Harris

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Editors

Profiles Regulars

4 Lead feature Relationship risk and the challenges of partnership working

12 News A look at some of the recent developments in the oil and gas industry

14 IT Why operators should move towards a data-centric world

16 Lead feature How oil and gas growth is increasing career opportunities 20 Special feature - marine transfer operations Robin Proctor of Reflex Marine on offshore crew transfer operations

8 Transvac Systems41 ALE45 Kuantan Port Consortium48 Seven Seas Services50 Zenith Structural Access Solutions53 Ugland Construction55 HMVT58 Thermtech60 Gasunie63 Top Oilfield Industries65 Ben Line Agencies68 CS Combustion Solutions70 Brubakken

72 Motherwell Bridge75 BAM Energie79 Providence Resources

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24 SPE Offshore Europe 2013

26 gE oil & gas

34 ITW Densit

39 oldham Engineering

Contents

109 Enterprise Engineering Services113 Kongsberg Maritime116 Cryo AB119 Icon Offshore Berhad122 ms Neumann Elektronik125 Prime Drilling

81 Karmsund85 Ventspils Nafta Terminals91 Overseas AST Company95 Suretank101 Wessington Cryogenics103 Essar Oil107 VTT Vasiliko

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ind the gap its a phrase every visitor

to London has heard a thousand times.

Originally recorded in the 1960s as a short

automated announcement to passengers

to watch out for the gap between the

platform edge and the tube train door at curved station

platforms, its become an English language clich. But as a

safety announcement it contains a simple truth. People have

always known that the greatest risks in any system are at

the boundaries between one part of the system and another

and thats never been truer than in todays interconnected

business environment.

The oil and gas sector is more experienced than most at

working in this interconnected manner, and it might be

reasonable to suggest that some sectors newer to partnership

working (transport or Government, for example) might

have something to learn from the experience in the energy

industry. But we all know that its not so easy to make

these partnerships work over time. There are inherent

risks in sharing control with other organisations and being

dependent on their performance to deliver your business

objectives. And when these arrangements go wrong, the

consequences can be catastrophic. Theres no need to go over

the lessons from Macondo or Piper Alpha here, but its worth

reflecting on whether we are paying attention to all the right

factors in these complex interconnected situations.

Identifying relationship risksRisks that originate in your partners organisation, or risks

that arise because of the interaction (or lack of interaction)

between two organisations, need a place on a joint risk

register. They also need to be watched carefully because these

relationship risks have their own peculiar characteristics that

make them particularly difficult to manage.

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was ridiculed

for his remarks about unknown unknowns with regard to

Iraqs links to terrorist organisations, but there was some

truth behind his scrambled syntax. Conventional risks

registers deal in known knowns; risks whose impact and

likelihood can at least be reasonably estimated. These risks

are comfortable for engineers to handle, but when risks are

being managed across an organisational boundary, things are

never that transparent. Its difficult to interpret the potential

warning signs that may be seen coming from within your

partners organisation and, in turn, its difficult for them

to understand the signs from your organisation. Trying to

manage relationship risks brings us into the world of known

unknowns and unknown knowns.

Known UnknownsIn these situations you know your own organisation has

some vulnerability to how your partner may operate and

you may be unsighted on their lack of technical competence,

M

DavID archer andalex cameron discuss relationship risk and the challenge of partnership working in oil and gas

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Buildingrelationships

Belowdavid archerdirector of socia ltd

Belowalex cameron director of socia ltd

Lead one

transparency and unwillingness of one partner to talk to

anyone else about a problem because they think they have it

under control again creates an unquantified risk.

However, in order to build a resilient collaborative

partnership to be able to explore the known unknowns

and the unknown knowns - both sides must be committed

to talking about their attitude to risk and to understand their

own and their partners risk profile. In our experience this

goes far beyond a simple high, medium or low risk profile

rating and means understanding more about your partners

business, its culture and its history.

All our attitudes to risk are informed by what we have

seen going wrong in the past, the price we have paid for it

and the lessons we have drawn from the experience. But

how does the industry put this experience into practice?

Tackling relationship risk When it comes to addressing relationship risks and

building a management framework for handling them

successfully, we cant just depend on the usual approaches

to risk management and the creation of risk registers. It

comes down to a balance between three aspects of how

the partnership is run, namely Governance, Operations

and Behaviours. Of course the amount of effort required in

each will depend on the specifics of the situation you face,

but a risk management plan that only addresses one or two

the capability of their subcontractors, etc. But what is largely

unknown is the likelihood of your partner triggering this risk

by their actions. Its difficult to get your partner to let you

know their vulnerabilities, particularly if they have over-sold

their capability when they contracted with you.

This is particularly true when partners are working

across different organisational cultures: all the subtle

cues that would indicate that something is wrong arent

there. In fact, there may be cultural barriers to discussing

problems or failings, and so the risk to project, well or

developments are unquantified.

Unknown knownsThen there are the situations where you simply dont know

what your partner knows the unknown knowns. These

could be instances where your partner has uncovered a

problem or a potential risk and is working very hard to

resolve that part of their process before telling you, or anyone

else, about it. These situations can sometimes be described as

guilty knowledge.

These may be risks that havent been considered: issues

that had not been conceived as likely ever to pose a problem.

And from your partners point of view, these can look like

risks that are contained totally within their own business:

things that are their responsibility to resolve, with little

or no knock-on impact on their partners. But the lack of

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people can make mistakes, but the consequences are much

more dangerous. A robust relationship risk system will

incentivise partners to identify these early indicators and

communicate them early to partners.

Behaviours: Formal risk governance and efficient joint safety management systems are essential foundations for relationship

risk management, but they are not enough. The behaviour of

leaders plays a crucial part in setting the culture of the rela-

tionship and building its appetite to risk. Like any marriage,

strong enduring relationships dont happen by accident and

they have their ups and downs. Business relationships also

need tending carefully too. This means leaders must recognise

the need to invest their own time and resources in building

those relationships when the partnership is going well so that

the goodwill built up can be drawn down when times are

tough. If these relationships cross cultures, as they so often do

in the oil and gas sector, this can be seen as a reason to keep

your distance. But this natural reticence should be tempered

by the need to establish open and effective communication

and trust in these relationships. This has to be the priority for

the leaders of the partnership.

The future is more collaboration and so more relationship risksThe response to the high profile disasters of the past

means more scrutiny from regulators and new ways to

respond to avoid environmental impacts. Take the example

of the industry-owned co-operative Oil Spill Response

Ltd, which exists to respond to oil spills and works with

other industry organisations to share experience and

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of these areas will be less resilient than one that addresses

all three. And this needs to be set up at the start of any

new partnership at the point where the ink is still wet on

the new contract and there is sufficient goodwill to make

it work.

governance: The first step is to build relationship risk man-agement into the formal governance process. All organisations

and projects have risk registers that should be reviewed. But,

in our experience, these risk registers often dont focus on

the partners real worries and fears. Issues as complex as the

relationship between organisations are rarely identified in

these documents. If the future success of the venture depends

on building strong partnerships, then there needs to be an

agreed process to check that the risk register reflects the need

to manage relationship risks that could be overlooked. This

will mean addressing some sensitive issues that cant always

be quantified but are likely to be the issues that keep partners

awake at night.

operations: Operationalising the early warning systems is an important factor in the effective management of relationship

risk. Experienced managers pick up signs intuitively some-

thing just doesnt feel right but, between organisations, these

feelings are often dismissed. These early indicators might

include one party being excluded from a task, a key person

being unable to attend an important meeting or the late deliv-

ery of a report, etc.

But what happens when warning signs start to emerge

from such a system? Here its important to have the right set

of incentives and sanctions to hand. In a complex technical

environment such as oil exploration, equipment can fail,

Socia LtdDavid Archer and Alex Cameron are co-directors of Socia Ltd, a consultancy specialising in advising private and public sector leaders, leadership teams and boards on managing critical business relationships. Their oil and gas sector clients include Premier Oil, Salamander Energy and Ophir Energy.They are co-authors of Collaborative Leadership Building relationships, handling conflict and sharing control (Routledge, March 2013).

For further information please visit:socia.co.uk

Lead one

develop knowledge. Here is an organisation that has to

have collaboration in its DNA: it can only deliver benefit

to the industry in times of crises by using the knowledge,

contribution and goodwill of all the participating

organisations. This means that if the relationships between

these partners dont work, then the risks in times of crisis

are significantly increased.

And the greatest risks in an interconnected partnership

are often found at the platform edge the points of high

interdependence between different parties. These are

where relationships matter, where communication needs

to be effective and trust needs to be high. Yet the greatest

opportunities are often found at precisely the same points.

Here different organisations have to work closely together.

This can be tricky, but the friction can also be creative:

people challenge each others assumptions, ask apparently

stupid questions that make people see in a new light,

and posit different ways of doing things. But this wont

happen without individual leaders taking relationship risk

seriously. Successful leaders in the oil and gas industry

have always been those who can manage relationships

well. In an even more interconnected world in the

future, the skills of collaboration and relationship risk

management will become critical.

The leaders response In essence, we would suggest that leaders have four

imperatives with regard to managing risks that could result

in failure or worse.

Leading across a partnership means you have to deal with 6

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the paradox of shared control. To create more systemic

control of joint risk means that you need to let go of some

aspects of control and focus on developing an open and

trusting relationship with your partners.

6 Leaders need to be skilled at effective communication that transcends cultural differences. This means being prepared

to admit to some vulnerabilities in your own organisation

and encourage your partners to do the same so you build

resilient ways of managing risk together

Set up any partnership in a manner where relationship 6risks are explicitly addressed as part of a risk management

process risks have their own place on the risk register.

Be aware of your own attitude to risk and what drives it. 6Does this fit with the risk profile of your own organisation

and with the demands of the objectives of the partnership

or project?

When it comes to addressing relationship risks and building a management framework for handling them successfully, we cant just depend on the usual approaches to risk management and the creation of risk registers. It comes down to a balance between three aspects of how the partnership is run, namely Governance, Operations and Behaviours

We have just celebrated our 40th year, which was a couple of weeks ago,

says marketing manager of Transvac, Peter

Ainge. Its a nice milestone - we have been

around for a long time. At the heart of all of our

oil and gas solutions lies the Ejector, sometimes

also known as an eductor or surface jet pump.

They are essentially pumps that have no moving

parts, require little or no maintenance and often

require no new energy to run. They use a jet

of either liquid or gas to create a low pressure

region in the body of the Ejector which then

draws in a third fluid, which again can be either

a gas or a liquid. Its an old principle that has

been around for hundreds of years but is very

effective and offers some exciting opportunities

to the oil and gas industry.

The principles behind Transvacs Ejector

systems may be hundreds of years old but the

company is breaking new ground across a host

of industries. The oil and gas industry however,

has been the companys most important catalyst

for growth as it looks for ways to improve on the

levels of resources recovered. We use Ejectors

across a range of industries including nuclear,

oil and gas, food and pharmaceutical, water

treatment, steam and vacuum, Peter explains.

These have kept our business nice and steady

over the years, however the oil and gas industry

is our most exciting market. A very topical

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kproFilE Transvac sysTEms

recoveryaboveTransvac's research & development test facility

BelowMarlim, Campos Basin, Brazil

A flare for

There are two common ways in which an

Ejector can be driven, requiring no new energy

and no running costs. This means that any gain in

production is free, 100 per cent efficient. The first

opportunity is where there is a high pressure (HP)

well that is being choked to reduce its pressure.

This is common practice so as to maintain

production across other nearby wells sharing

the same production facilities. However, there

is energy being wasted across the valve, offering

no benefit. We can use this energy to drive an

Ejector. The Ejector becomes the choke device in

effect, but also creates a suction that can be used

to literally suck on the LP, dead well, bringing it

back to life. Liquid loaded wells are no problem

as, unlike mechanical compressors, Ejectors can

handle liquid slugs with without issue.

The second opportunity lies where

mechanical compressors are operating in recycle,

which is commonplace in mature fields where

the throughput has fallen off. By recycling

some of the gas from the discharge side of the

compressor and feeding it back into the suction

side, the compressor then sees a throughput

closer to its design point. Again, there is a

loop of wasted energy, which can be tapped

into and used to drive an Ejector. Weve had

some great success with this and the beauty of

our technology is that it has no moving parts,

it doesnt require any electrical power and it

doesnt require any maintenance, says Peter. It

looks like a simple piece of pipe to be honest,

its not an exciting piece of kit to look at but

what is going on inside, and the opportunities it

presents, really are.

Weve had huge success with these, they can

create hundreds of thousands of dollars worth

of revenue a day for no extra cost apart

from the cost of the Ejector. It doesnt

require any power or

maintenance, it will run itself

its just a principle of physics. A lot

of the time well have engineers saying,

That sounds too good to be true, whats the

catch?, but there really isnt one.

In 2010 Transvac opened its research and

theme in the

industry,

particularly

in the North

Sea is about

recovering more,

extending field life and

if possible restarting dead wells. With a

mature field and depleting reserves one

of the challenges is not to abandon a well or a

field when it has only had 40-50 per cent of its

resources recovered. Our patented production

boosting Ejectors reduce backpressure on

wells, or indeed lower the backpressure from a

separator, to enhance recovery.

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proFilE Transvac sysTEms

It looks like a simple piece of pipe to be honest, its not an exciting piece of kit to look at but what is going on inside, and the opportunities it presents, really are

BelowTransvac subsea Ejector for Petrobras' Marlim Field

aboveTransvac conducts detailed CFD Ejector performance analysis

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Hone-AllHone-All would like to congratulate our valued partner Transvac on their 40th Anniversary! Specialising in deep hole boring, deep hole drilling, CNC honing and CNC turning on components up to three metres long, Hone-All is the market leader in providing precision machining services for the key suppliers into the oil and gas industry. Come and meet us at Offshore Europe, Hall 2E Stand 125, and see for yourself just how we could be your sourcing solution.

Transvac Systems LtdTransvac.co.uk

ServicesProduct boosting and recovery solutions

development test facility, which has allowed the

company to break new ground in a big way. A

great example of this is Transvacs new flare gas

recovery solution, FlareJet. We have over 20

years experience in delivering flare gas recovery

solutions to the industry, but armed with this new

performance data and some cutting-edge Ejector

designs we can now offer gas compression up to

90:1, says Gary Short, R&D director. FlareJet is

the result of many years of development and our

latest IP. It has opened up many new opportunities

for our clients who can now enjoy zero-flare

operation at their facilities.

In many cases produced water can be used

to drive an Ejector. This can achieve very high

compression, which allows flare gas, often close

to atmospheric pressure, to be compressed up to a

pressure high enough to either re-enter production

or be used as a fuel gas elsewhere on the facility.

Its a very effective solution and a great alternative

to liquid ring vacuum pumps or mechanical

compressors that are often plagued with

maintenance issues and spiraling running costs.

Elaborating on the success of Transvacs

research and development centre, Peter says We

have used the research and development facility

for a number of projects including sand cleaning

packages, and we are currently in the process

of testing a gas-flaring package for flare gas

recovery in Oman for PDO. Its groundbreaking

work were doing, we have been making liquid

jet Ejectors for 40 years but now we have

been able to completely rewrite the rulebook

regarding what we are able to do with them.

Moving beyond 2013 Transvac is determined

to push into its largest market, the oil and gas

industry, as well as developing the way it operates

in other sectors. Alongside delivering its FlareJet

system, the company will look to take advantage

of the growing subsea industry, which it sees as

perfectly suitable for its Ejector products.

Many technologies have fallen by the wayside

and many require complete redesign to operate

subsea. Ejectors do not and as such, Transvac

has been part of some of the subsea industrys

most groundbreaking projects, such as Marlim,

the FMC/Petrobras subsea separation and

reinjection module currently installed in the

Campos Basin off the coast of Brazil. Transvac

also supplied the worlds first subsea Ejector to

Tordis, the FMC/Statoil separation module. This

was the worlds first full-field subsea separation

system. Ultimately, 2013 is looking very exciting

for Transvac.

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proFilE Transvac sysTEms

leftTransvac supplied the world's first subsea ejector for Tordis - the world's first full field subsea separation system

Next months SPE Offshore Europe exhibition and conference will be the largest in the events

history with more exhibiting companies and countries represented than ever before.

The sold-out exhibition halls, covering a record 27,082.42 square metres equivalent to four

football pitches will feature the complete supply chain of companies including operators,

drilling contractors and oilfield service companies. Over 1500 organisations are expected this

year, including 262 companies exhibiting for the first time. With 22 operators taking stands, this

is the largest operator representation in the history of the event. E.ON and Talisman Sinopec are

new additions this year, and Statoil has increased its presence, alongside the majors such as Shell,

BP, Chevron, Total, GDF Suez and Saudi Aramco. All of the big four service companies Baker

Hughes, Schlumberger, Halliburton and Weatherford are exhibiting at the event for the first time

in a decade.

Vasyl Zhygalo, senior exhibition director, Reed Exhibitions, says: We are delighted that the

exhibition space is sold out and larger than ever before. This is especially fitting as we celebrate the

events 40th anniversary this year. Visitors will have a rare opportunity to see a huge range of goods

and services from small, medium and large companies and, even more importantly, talk to the

experts on hand. And attendance is free to all registrants.

Chain reaction

Show time

At this years Offshore Europe, igus UK, will be showcasing its industry-leading e-chain cable

carriers and chainflex continuous-flex cables developed specifically for mechanically and

environmentally challenging offshore applications, as well as its maintenance free range of plain,

spherical and linear bearings. Visitors to the stand will be able to see live demonstrations of

the worlds largest plastic energy chain, E4.350, and meet industry experts to discuss the latest

innovations.

igus energy chains are manufactured from high performance plastics making them tough, resistant

to corrosion and impact, offering high UV, temperature and precipitation stability. They are lubricant-

free so require no maintenance and have very long working lives, making them an extremely cost-

effective choice.

They are also available in ATEX-ESD compliant versions, and have been proven by test to

function reliably even at extreme temperatures and in adverse weather conditions, making them the

perfect solution for offshore applications. For example, the E4.350 is well suited to carrying large

cables and hoses 15 metres up and down during operations such as drilling head stroke or lateral

rig skidding. In addition, igus will show its chainflex range of flexible cables, which are designed for

millions of moving cycles in energy chains.

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learning togetherA new Shell Centre for Exploration

Geoscience is to be established

jointly by Shell International

Exploration and Production B.V.

and Heriot-Watt at the Universitys

Edinburgh campus. The Centre,

headed by Professor John Underhill,

a renowned geoscientist, represents a

3 million investment by Shell over a

five-year period.

Based within the Universitys

highly regarded Institute of

Petroleum Engineering, the Centre

will establish a seismic interpretation

and exploration geoscience research

group. Researchers will deploy

the latest technologies, data,

and industry insights to further

understanding of some of the worlds

major petroleum systems, including

the UK Continental Shelf.

Professor Underhill, holder

of the Shell Chair of Exploration

Geoscience, will lead a group

consisting of sponsored post-

doctoral, PhD and Masters (MRes)

students. He said: Taken together,

Shells significant investment and

Heriot-Watt Universitys commitment

to applied academic research activity

provide a tremendous opportunity

to undertake new, novel and

fundamental geoscientific research

at the Centre. The results will

help further our understanding of

the development, evolution and

deformation of sedimentary basins

and complement existing strengths

within the Institute of Petroleum

Engineering.

Ceri Powell, executive vice

president, Shell Exploration,

said: Shell is pleased to partner

with Heriot-Watt University.

This collaboration highlights our

commitment to facilitate world-class

research at leading universities in

subjects of importance in meeting

the worlds growing energy demand.

Bookings have officially opened for the annual Offshore

Decommissioning Conference organised by Decom North Sea

in partnership with Oil & Gas UK.

This years event, sponsored by Ernst & Young LLP, will be

held at the Fairmont Hotel, St Andrews, on 2-3 October. With

annual expenditure for North Sea decommissioning projects

forecast to top 1 billion in the coming years, this years event

will focus on collaboration and promoting knowledge share and

best practices among operators and supply chain members.

The two conference days feature a full schedule of

workshops and presentations including market updates

on global decommissioning, well abandonment, industry

initiatives and an investigation of the future of the industry.

The programme will also feature case studies on collaboration

as well as a panel debate on the subject.

The conference will be chaired jointly by Brian Nixon,

Decom North Seas chief executive, and Mick Borwell, Oil &

Gas UKs environmental issues director. They will be joined by

a line-up of industry experts, who will share their knowledge

of decommissioning and encourage delegates to participate in

a range of interactive discussions on topical issues including

current and projected decommissioning levels, lessons learned

from recent major projects and collaboration and re-use.

For further information and to register, please visit: oilandgasuk.co.uk/events/Offshore_Decom_Conf_2013.cfm.

Supervisory roleHydro Group Plc, a global designer and manufacturer of

underwater cables and connectors for subsea, underwater,

topside and onshore applications, has announced plans for

further investment in South East Asia and the appointment of

a technical support supervisor to aid growth in the region.

Doug Whyte, Hydro Group managing director, said: Hydro

Group has invested close to 300,000 in developing the South

East Asia operation, with plans to invest further and increase

staff numbers considerably. These significant developments

mean we are on track for the Singapore office to become self-

sufficient by the end of 2014.

We are already moving onto the next phase of development

ahead of schedule, appointing two new members of staff to the

Singapore office, with the key appointment of Gabriel Tan as

technical support supervisor.

Gabriel spent 16 years in the Republic of Singapore

Navy (RSN) and as a result is a highly qualified electronic

technician and trainer. Currently based in Hydro Groups

headquarters in Aberdeen, Scotland, Gabriel has been

brought to the UK for intensive and extensive training over

four months.

Following his time in the UK, Gabriel will be returning

to the Singapore office where he will take up his new role

of managing the technical support team and passing on his

knowledge of Hydro Groups technologies and products.

Save the date

Above: Gabriel Tan, technical support supervisor and Steve Ang, technical sales manager, Hydro Group

News

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ven before the Facebook entrepreneur

Mark Zuckerberg was born, in the

mid-1980s the oil and gas industry was

working with big data and solving complex

mathematical problems. By the time

he had started high school, Schlumberger had launched

the GeoQuest product line and Landmark Graphics

Corporation had acquired GeoGraphix, before being in turn

acquired by Halliburton.

When Zuckerberg launched the social media site from

his dorm in Harvard University in 2004, Schlumberger had

already completed the purchases of Technoguide Petrel

and VoxelVision. The oil and gas industry was pushing the

technology envelope, driving innovation and expanding

compute boundaries. Fast forward nearly ten years and its

clear that early leadership has not entirely delivered against

the vision and aspirations of users.

In an ideal world, complex reservoir models would

now be dynamically updated with inputs from drilling

and production sensor data. Investments in digital oilfield

technologies would ensure that predictive algorithms are

monitoring complex production systems and alerting

operators of potential hazards, allowing them to visualise

the information and recommend corrective action from their

handheld device.

New insights would be generated on an almost daily basis

from data streaming from permanent arrays on the ocean

floor, and then used to plan interventions that continually

improve reservoir management.

So what has prevented the realisation of this operator

utopia? One of the most likely factors was the oil crisis that

occurred back in the 1970s. Under pressure to reduce costs,

huge numbers of people that worked in the industry were

made redundant.

This greatly affected the burgeoning information

technology groups in major operators as investment in

research and development of new computing solutions

dried up. Nature abhors a vacuum and as a result,

the service providers stepped in. With the growth of

worldwide oil exploration triggered by the OPEC oil

embargo of 1973, companies like Schlumberger were able

to invest heavily in technologies, applications and software

to support the oil industry.

Over the last 30 years we have seen the concentration of

specialised domain expertise and application development

skills in the service providers and their software

application divisions.

Todays operators primarily rely on service companies

for the delivery, support and operation of applications that

enable various parts of the workflow. The service companies

in turn have grown by acquiring smaller application

companies that have developed highly specialised tools,

adding them to their growing software portfolios. This has

had a number of consequences for the industry.

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k RatheR than being held hostage by cuRRent it systems oR solution vendoRs, opeRatoRs should look to move fRom an application-centRic enviRonment towaRds a data-centRic woRld, says niall oDohErty

balancestriking a

Belowniall odoherty, international director of business development at teradata

TeradaTaNiall ODoherty is international director of business development at Teradata and works in the Emerging Industries Team. In his current role, Niall is responsible for growing Teradatas presence, solutions and strategies in the emerging industries of manufacturing, oil and gas, government and utilities.

For further information please visit: teradata.co.uk

IT

solution could be developed.

Today, the need for the different factions to work together

has never been greater. IT vendors must acknowledge that

specialist domain expertise is required to build solutions

that work. For the incumbent service providers that own

the current application stack in E&P, there is a need to

understand that technology capability has dramatically

changed over the last number of years and they should take

advantage of these changes.

In the era of big data, sensor data and the Internet of

Things, most other industry verticals are now facing many

of the challenges that the oil industry has been facing for

decades. IT companies are providing technologies that really

do allow operators to leverage horizontal solutions for the

data management challenges.

Moreover, the increasing use of sensor data is bringing

scientific and mathematical calculations and geospatial

functionality into the data management arena for many

verticals. Both have what the other craves, so there would

appear to be a natural synergy to working together.

But what about the customer? After all, arent they the ones

that really matter? Some operators may be happy to wait for

the IT and industry vendors to get together and build what

they want. Others may actively encourage the union.

Whats clear is that the leading operators need to take back

control of the key part of the entire equation and the part

that has the most value: the data. In spending vast amounts

of resources obtaining data that is the key raw ingredient

in E&P, this should be then valued accordingly. After all,

the data is only created once; the seismic trace, the well log

measurement, the resistivity, the flow sensor reading; all these

are unique in time and space.

How you use each data point over the lifetime of an asset

will vary greatly, and the value that will be derived from

each data point will depend on the people and tools made

available to the data. The real value will be in ensuring that

users are able to find and use all the unique data points

and the information derived from that data so that they can

impact the business; make better and safer decisions.

Operators that move from the current application centric

architecture to a more open data centric architecture will be

best positioned to do more with their data. They will be able

to leverage the best that the IT vendors and the specialist

solution vendors can provide, today and long into the future.

The proliferation of applications across the E&P

workflow, many of which are standalone, has resulted in a

complex application and data management landscape. This

complexity has led to many IT deployments failing to live up

to expectations and many operators questioning why they

are making significant investments in IT solutions that are

not really addressing their most pressing challenges or even

offering the same level of sophistication they get from the

consumer technologies that they are using at home.

There has also been a migration of specialist skills and

research away from the operators to the software startups and

key service providers. Leading operators are now concerned

about the uniformity of solution capability. If they are relying

on their service provider vendors to develop and deliver

new capabilities then they are resigned to having the same

capability as everyone else in the business. Where is the

competitive advantage going to come from?

Now look at the IT vendor side of the equation. When

you consider that, according to a paper delivered in 2012

by Piotr Luszczek of the University of Tennessee, The iPad

2 could have stayed on the list of the worlds fastest super-

computers through 1994 faster than a Cray 2, you start

to get a sense of the explosion in computing power that has

occurred over the last decade.

IT vendors are looking at the budgets and data volumes

in the oil and gas industry and thinking that they can do

better than the traditional service company based application

vendors. After all, they are real IT guys who develop leading-

edge software and technologies and not a bunch of oil service

guys who set up a programming division to build some

solutions. How hard can it be?

This has, in some cases, led to arrogance on the part

of IT vendors, who assume that there is nothing difficult

in dealing with oil and gas data. They believe that the

industry has simply fallen years behind other industries like

telecommunications, banking and retailing because they

are insular, they dont keep up with IT trends and the latest

technologies, or that they are resistant to change and stuck

in the past. And they view those in oil and gas as either

geology types who prefer crayons to computers, or a bunch

of roughnecks who have just read coding for dummies.

So a bunch of arrogant computer jocks or a herd of

roughneck coding dummies? As usual, the truth is always

somewhere in the middle. There is reluctance from the oil

and gas industry to try horizontal IT solutions since they

wont work with our data because our data is different"

its too big, or too complex, has strange formats, or is too

scientific. But its also true that the solutions that IT vendors

assumed would work easily didnt work that easily at all,

because of data volume, or data structure, or the way the

scientific calculations are used so frequently.

Vendors discovered that, in this complex environment,

it was not just a case of loading the data and pushing a

button. The science needed to be better understood and time

invested in really understanding the problem so that the

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ts no secret that the worldwide war for

engineering talent is intensifying. More

than half of the workforce is due to

retire during the next decade and this,

combined with the fact that many skilled

workers have failed to return to European shores after the

recession forced them overseas, means we are facing a tough

fight. However, it also means that oil and gas skills are in

huge demand and that there are an abundance of career

opportunities available for those with the necessary skill sets

and experience.

Skills shortageThe oil and gas skills shortage is the biggest barrier to

growth for companies in the North Sea. According to UK

Government figures, there are an expected 15,000 jobs to

be created in the oil and gas sector over the next five years.

However, more than half of the respondents to the latest

Labour Market Intelligence Survey by oil and gas body Opito

said that finding appropriately skilled staff was the number

one challenge facing their company.

North Sea operations have long been seen as a training

ground by global operators, who quickly snap up talented

workers. While Europe is home to some of the very best

engineering talent in the world, this, combined with

the exodus caused by the recession, means demand is

outstripping supply and companies are struggling to find the

professionals that they need.

Although the UK and Europe in general has suffered in

recent years from maturing assets, several new discoveries

have been made in the North Sea and this, together with

the advancement of technology that prolongs field life, is

I

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Simon Coton of NES Global TalENT diScuSSES carEErS iN ThE oil aNd GaS iNduSTry, aNd why Now may bE ThE riGhT TimE To coNSidEr workiNG iN ENErGy

Energyworks

Lead two

this view point adding that Britain must be at the heart of

the shale gas revolution.

OpportunitiesWith so many new projects in the pipeline, the talent

shortage poses a very serious problem for the oil and gas

industry. However, it also means that there are plenty of

opportunities available for people interested in a career in

oil and gas. In fact, there has never been a better time to join

this exciting sector.

If its variety that you are looking for then the oil and gas

sector delivers. As the industry develops and transforms,

new roles are being created within areas such as crisis

management, sustainability, and digital and social media,

meaning there is something to suit a whole spectrum of

skill sets.

boosting productivity.

At the same time, the UK Government is introducing new

fiscal and regulatory measures, which will also encourage

new investment. Indeed, trade body Oil & Gas UK said that

following the introduction of tax changes earlier this year, the

industry has responded by investing the highest amount for

more than 30 years. Investments totaling almost 100 billion

are now in companies plans, the organisation added.

Outside of the North Sea, the UK is also trying to

cash in on the shale gas revolution. Although more

restrained than other countries, with no commercial shale

gas production to date, Energy and Climate Secretary

Ed Davey recently said that shale gas could contribute

significantly to the region's energy security, reducing

reliance on imported gas as it moves to a low carbon

economy. The Prime Minister David Cameron reinforced

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projects such as Gorgon in Australia, there are a host of

new projects worth in excess of $25 billion which are being

developed in a number of global locations

The future certainly looks bright. Brazil and Iraq remain

hotspots for exploration and production activity with Africa,

Asia, Australia, Europe and the US also experiencing a surge

in oil and gas jobs. With an estimated talent shortfall of

40,000 engineers in Brazil alone, engineering skills will be

in huge demand. In addition, just building or rebuilding the

infrastructure required in many emerging countries to meet

economic growth targets will take a massive share of the

worlds graduating civil, electrical and mechanical engineers

for years to come.

Its clear that theres an abundance of opportunities within

the oil and gas industry for suitably qualified technical and

engineering personnel. However, new entrants shouldnt

be under any illusion that securing such opportunities will

be easy. Its important to remember that experience is key.

Caution is often shown towards hiring less experienced

professionals ahead of their more knowledgeable peers.

In order to succeed, your qualifications must meet certain

standards, but you must also have the relevant work

experience.

SolutionsIn regards to the skills shortage in Europe, while there is no

quick fix, many of the measures being adopted globally are

helping those who are interested in embarking or moving

into a career in the oil and gas industry.

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Not only are there a wide range of disciplines to choose

from, but candidates will also have the flexibility of working

on either temporary or permanent assignments. Of course,

there are pros and cons with both types of work, with higher

earning potential and variety among the positive aspects of

contract roles, while permanent positions often offer benefits

such as a pension and provide more job security.

The choice of whether someone prefers to work on a

contract or permanent basis is their own. However, its

important to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages

and if you are a new entrant it is wise to try and secure

a permanent role as these positions tend to offer the best

opportunities for training and development. Once you have

gained the necessary practical skills and experience, you may

then decide that contract work is more preferable, depending

on your circumstances.

During the recession, NES Global Talents consultants

noted that there was a preference among oil and gas

companies for permanent workers as it allows for greater

budget control and also cuts the cost of labour. This is

another reason to consider playing it safe by opting for a

permanent position at the start of your career.

Fortunately, while we are not out of the woods yet, the

financial crisis is easing and the oil and gas industry is getting

back on track. A number of approved energy projects that

were put on the back burner during the global recession are

now developing well and getting closer to peak manpower,

while there are more new projects in the pipeline for 2013

and beyond. As well as the continued development of mega-

Oil and gas companies are also re-training and recruiting people from other heavy industries, for example structural engineers and electrical engineers from the shipbuilding or infrastructure industries due to similar skill sets. This phenomenon is not unique to Europe, its happening worldwide given the increase in energy demand and the retirement of skilled, experienced workers

NES Global TalENTSimon Coton is NES Global Talents managing director. He joined the company in 1995 as a graduate and has since risen through the ranks, leading both its UK and Houston teams as part of his career progression. Established in 1978, NES Global Talent is an award winning manpower specialist that has placed over 70 different nationalities into 69 countries across the oil and gas, power and infrastructure sectors worldwide.

For further information please visit:nesglobaltalent.com

Lead two

The sector is focused on working with educational

establishments and institutions to educate the younger

generation about the amazing careers available working as

an oil and gas engineer. Schemes such as the Institute of

Chemical Engineers Whynotchemeng campaign help to

promote the oil and gas industry to students at an age where

theyre making key decisions about their future.

In addition, the sector is boosting the number of graduate

engineering schemes and investing in entry-level training or

re-training in order to strengthen the oil and gas workforce.

For example, earlier this year the UK Government gave 7

million to Newcastle University to establish the Neptune

National Centre for Subsea and Offshore Engineering, which

will help produce the highly skilled graduates needed to

address the skills shortage. A new facility has also been

opened at Expro, an offshore and technology services

specialist in Aberdeen, which shows the industry is working

hard to address the talent challenge.

Oil and gas companies are also re-training and recruiting

people from other heavy industries, for example structural

engineers and electrical engineers from the shipbuilding

or infrastructure industries due to similar skill sets. This

phenomenon is not unique to Europe, its happening

worldwide given the increase in energy demand and the

retirement of skilled, experienced workers. Particular skills in

demand globally include deepwater subsea engineers as well

as LNG and shale specialists.

Another sector the industry is keen to tap into more is

the military. Ex-servicemen and women are highly trained

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and well-disciplined with strong leadership skills, lots of

systems and project management experience, a strong eye

for detail and the ability to follow processes and procedures

closely. These qualities are highly sought after in the oil and

gas industry. Military personnel are also used to moving to

multiple international locations and operating in challenging

environments. Most servicemen and women have travelled

far and wide, and are familiar with the locations where the

oil and gas sector operates.

As you can see, there are plenty of different paths into the

oil and gas industry, and whether you are a new entrant or

are looking to transfer your engineering or technical skills,

the opportunities are there waiting. Hard work, a desire

to solve problems and a determination to help meet the

increasing global demand for energy are all required by those

looking to establish themselves. And if youre prepared for

that, youll reap the rewards.

s the industry continues to develop

offshore exploration and production is

booming like never before, increasingly

in extreme environments with some of

the most difficult and hostile operating

conditions. With that growth comes the inevitable need to

transfer increasing numbers of workers to offshore platforms

and installations, and with each drilling rig accommodating

up to 100 people, companies are transporting thousands of

people every month to and from their installations on an

enormous scale.

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transferA seamlessrobin proctor of Reflex MARine tAlks to euRopeAn oil And GAs About offshoRe cRew tRAnsfeR opeRAtions

belowRobin proctor,business manager for europe at Reflex Marine

Special feature - marine transfer operations

and offshore access until now, with our two key products

being the FROG and TORO, with some 650 units being

supplied over the last 20 years, he explained by way of an

introduction. More recently however we have been striving

towards becoming more than just a manufacturer and

supplier, but a true partner and expert on the topic of marine

personnel transfer.

Reflecting the industry in general, the field of offshore

transfer has advanced enormously since Reflex Marine

was established, when higher risk practices were more

commonplace, as Robin highlighted. Our success relates

to our roots in innovating and introducing products that

were far ahead of the methods being used at the time,

both in terms of technology and accepted practices. This

culture of innovation and drive to raise standards further

continues with our design team currently developing an

all-new FROG, which incorporates 20 years of experience

and learning. The new FROG-XT will be an even more

comfortable and secure experience for passengers, more

compact, quicker to fit a stretcher, and easier to ship and

The oil and gas industry is global, and as such the method

of offshore crew transfer varies from region to region.

Yet, while the majority of journeys are still carried out by

helicopter transfer, recent events, particularly in Europe, have

seen other methods of marine transfer, largely by vessel and

crane, coming to the fore particularly for inter-field transfers,

evacuations, medevacs or other emergencies, and during

inclement weather that may hinder the use of aviation. This is

truer nowhere more than in the North Sea, where a string of

recent events including the grounding of EC225 helicopters

in October 2012 prompted operators to refocus on marine

transfer, with one UK operator noting the advent of a

paradigm change in North Sea personnel transfer.

European Oil and Gas recently spoke with Robin Proctor,

who is business manager for Europe at Reflex Marine, a

global leader in marine access solutions. As a leader in

the field the company is determined to drive standards in

offshore marine personnel transfer, and thus, Robin is ideally

placed to give insight to the industry.

Reflex Marine has largely specialised in crane transfer

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transfer

clouds, no-fly zones, and helicopter incidents, including

the grounding of the EC225 fleet, all of which have caused

disruption to crew transfer operations and have highlighted

the need and value of having viable alternatives.

These events have really brought to the fore the need for

available alternatives to air travel, Robin confirmed. The

Paradigm change in North Sea personnel transfer statement

was from one of our clients in Aberdeen after they were

directly affected by the helicopter grounding and there was

a real air of change in the philosophy for offshore transfer.

Whereas before you had people not using crane transfer

unless for emergencies or other special circumstances,

since then the industry has shifted perspective and this has

become a standard practice.

Alongside these various incidents there has been an

increasing general trend for updating and upgrading existing

equipment to raise and improve safety, whether that is due to

operating in deeper waters or extreme environments or just a

general focus on improving standards, he added.

Broadly speaking you have offshore access, said Robin,

which can be split between aviation and marine. Marine

itself can be divided into crane based transfer, which is

the type of solution that Reflex Marine provides, then the

walk-to-work systems that are popular in Europe and use a

motion compensated gangway from ship to installation.

The choice of solution depends on a number of factors

including prevailing weather, distances and operations. For

example, in the Caspian in 2008 a study was undertaken by

an operator who commissioned the DNV to quantify risk

measurements of the different transport options and as a

result they completely switched from helicopters to vessel

and crane transfer. In the Gulf of Mexico there is a lot of

marine transfer activity taking place, whereas in Europe and

the North Sea the helicopter is still the primary method.

In Canada aviation and marine transfer run side-by-side

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maintain. The new FROG-XT will be launched at Offshore

Europe (Aberdeen 3rd-6th September) where visitors will be

able to see, and sit in it.

Traditionally, when working offshore personnel were

transferred from vessels to installations using simple rope

baskets, with few alternatives. It was the industry standard

method with few accompanying standards or guidelines

existing to ensure safety. This was not really acceptable

considering that in reality, all that was happening was

something very routine people going to work.

In a bid to improve marine transfer Reflex Marine

introduced the FROG to the industry although as Robin

explained, achieving a step change in all regions is never

straightforward. Initially the response varied according

to region or operation and even now things are not too

different, he said. For example, a lot of the earliest

challenges that existed are still prevalent today to some

extent in that there continues to be a debate over what is the

safest method of offshore transfer.

There are a lot of different views on what the safest methods

are based on perception, personal experience and of course

from region to region, rather than it being based on actual

data or objective analysis, something we are working hard to

change. Peoples perceptions of risk and safety can be quite

subjective, so throughout the industry the debate is quite

varied. In Europe for example, while aviation remains the

favoured and most commonly used method, rules for marine

transfer are strict. Whereas in other parts of the world they are

still using more basic devices or relying solely on aviation.

In Europe, as Robin explained, the North Sea has been at

the forefront of using new marine transfer technology despite

aviation being the primary method of transfer. However, as

previously mentioned, a number of aviation related events

have prompted a rethink on the topic. In recent years the

industry in the North Sea has experienced volcanic ash

We are seeing a trend for higher capacity transfer devices in order to provide more efficient operations involving fewer lifts all of which could ultimately reduce the risk. Alongside technology will continue to develop to further improve safety

Reflex MaRineRobin Proctor is business manager for Europe at Reflex Marine, a global specialist in providing the oil and gas industry with safe, high quality crew transfer solutions. Over the past two decades the company has partnered with oil and gas operators, lifting specialists and vessel operators around the world, and its main transfer devices, the FROG and TORO, have helped to significantly raise the standard for the safe transfer of personnel to and from offshore installations and vessels.

for further information please visit:reflexmarine.com

Special feature - marine transfer operations

depending upon weather conditions. The difference in this

market, however, is that it is seen as a standard operation,

so they have developed the vessels, the training, the systems

and logistics, as well as the infrastructure to complete the

work successfully.

This highlights the importance of ensuring that the

correct infrastructure is in place for marine transfer to

work. At present, there is little or no regulatory advice

on the topic and whereas activity levels and incident data

in the helicopter sector are carefully monitored with the

oversight of international aviation authorities the marine

alternative lags, with no systematic industry collation of

transfer data. In addressing this Reflex Marine has taken

a leading role in some key initiatives, particularly the 10

Golden Rules of Crane Transfer and the establishment of a

Marine Transfer Forum.

In the case of the 10 Golden Rules, Reflex Marine

co-operated with Seacor Marine and Sparrows Offshore

to create a set of ten rules for the safe marine transit of

offshore oil and gas employees. It provides a high level

industry best practice guide on the different elements

involved in a crane transfer, said Robin. Its about

recognising that the device alone is just one way of

addressing risk but there are other important variables

like training, practice, other equipment involved (like the

vessel of the crane), and the safety management systems.

So, its based on recognising the importance of each aspect

of the operation to the overall success.

The Marine Transfer Forum will be a focal point for

companies showing leadership in this area to help the

industry quantify risks, levels of activity, and develop and

share best practices. We recognise that there is formal

reporting, governance and regulation of helicopter operations

but this isnt the case for marine transportation so we are

working with others in the industry to form a body to focus

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on this. It will be a global forum involving operators, vessel

operators, lifting and transfer specialists, manufacturers, and

the regulatory, trade and safety bodies.

The Marine Transfer Forum should play a key role in

the growth and progression of marine transfer operations.

Of course, as the industry develops, the need for viable

transfer options will continue to increase. Concluding, Robin

highlighted a number of trends foreseen at Reflex Marine.

We are seeing a trend for higher capacity transfer devices

in order to provide more efficient operations involving

fewer lifts all of which could ultimately reduce the risk.

Alongside technology will continue to develop to further

improve safety.

Environments like the Arctic will see a closer emphasis

on the methods used for crew transfer. Operating

temperatures are often below the limit of helicopters, for

example, so its one area where I predict an increased use

of marine methods. Ultimately, the post-Macondo legacy

across the industry has increased the focus on safety

in every area. As the crew transfer market diversifies

initiatives like the Marine Transfer Forum will play an

important role moving forwards.

The 2013 exhibition is set to break records

in every sense, with the space welcoming 262

first-time visiting businesses to SPE Offshore

Europe from small, innovative start-up

companies through to global service companies.

Furthermore, this year sees 22 of the worlds

operators taking stands in Aberdeen, completing

the largest operator representation in the

history of the event. Statoil is increasing its

presence this year, alongside the majors such as

Shell, BP, Chevron, Total, GDF Suez and Saudi

Aramco, while E.ON and Talisman Sinopec are

new additions to event. In addition, all of the

big four services companies - Baker Hughes,

Schlumberger, Halliburton and Weatherford -

are exhibiting at the show for the first time in a

decade. Of course, as well as these established

names visitors will find a wide selection of small

innovative companies, whose stands provide the

ideal opportunity to see a vast range of new and

exciting technological developments.

Despite its European location, SPE Offshore

Europe has become a truly global event, and

this year is no different. There is set to be a

large international exhibitor presence that will

see participating companies from 37 countries

- spanning the continents from the Americas

and Africa, to Asia and Australia - and 33

international pavilions. For the latter, visitors can

expect to see pavilions from Korea, Denmark

and Australia for the very first time at SPE

Offshore Europe, whilst the Norwegian presence

will extend over three pavilions.

Alongside this standard exhibition space lies

the Deep Water Zone, which was launched at

the last event in 2011. This year Mexicos state-

This year marks the 40th anniversary of SPE Offshore Europe, the worlds leading

offshore, and oil and gas, conference and

exhibition experience that attracts a global

audience of engineers, technical specialists,

industry leaders and experts, who meet to share

ideas and debate the issues of the moment in the

upstream industry.

For years this event has proven to be one of

the key dates in the E&P communitys calendar,

providing a forum for continuous learning,

and showcasing the innovation, solutions and

tools required to compete in an accelerating

technology race and an increasingly complex

industry. This years event, to be held between

the 3rd and 6th of September in Aberdeen

promises to be the largest in history, with more

exhibiting companies and countries represented

than ever before.

In fact, exhibition space in the halls, covering

a record 27,082 square metres - equivalent to

four football pitches - has already sold out and

will feature stands and presentations from the

complete supply chain of companies, from

operators and drilling contractors through to

oilfield service companies. We are delighted

that the exhibition space is sold out and

larger than ever before, said senior exhibition

director, Vasyl Zhygalo, ahead of the event.

This is especially fitting as we celebrate the

events 40th anniversary this year. Visitors will

have a rare opportunity to see a huge range of

goods and services from small, medium and

large companies and, even more importantly,

talk to the experts on hand. Attendance is free

to all registrants.

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kspE oFFsHorE EuropE 2013

futureLooking to the

SPE Offshore Europe 2013

SPE Offshore Europe takes place between the 3rd and 6th of September in Aberdeen.

For further information please visit:offshore-europe.co.uk

The technology imperative - collaborating 6today to realise the next 50 years of North Sea

potential

Oil & gas skills - your future today 6

Alongside these more general topics, a range

of technical sessions have been organised to

address all of the key technical developments in

the industry, as well as looking at the potential

innovations that may be needed to secure

long-term E&P. These cover areas such as

developments in pipeline analysis, exploration

case studies, health and safety, enabling field life

extension, reservoir depletion and production

enhancement, advances in subsea construction

and technology, drilling technologies, managing

oil spills, ensuring structural and marine

integrity of floating production installations,

reservoir evaluation, cementing and completion,

and environment.

Essentially, whatever area of the industry you

operate in, SPE Offshore Europe is an event

that cannot be missed. Not only is it widely

recognised as the leading global platform to

connect with the upstream oil and gas industry,

it provides the perfect opportunity to meet key

suppliers in your field of business, network

and connect with industry leaders from around

the world, share and learn technical expertise

and innovative techniques, gain a better

understanding of the market, and have first hand

involvement in the most important debates.

Most importantly, a visit to SPE Offshore Europe

provides the inspiration and motivation that

enables the E&P industry to remain one of the

most important in the world.

owned oil and gas company, PEMEX, which

ranks fifth in crude oil production and eighth

as an integrated company worldwide, will be

the featured operator in this zone. This reflects

the fact that the Gulf of Mexico is still regarded

as one of the key areas globally for deepwater

E&P, and a proving ground for new techniques

and innovative equipment. Alongside PEMEX,

38 specialist subsea companies from Aberdeen,

the rest of the UK and abroad will display their

products and services.

As ever the enormous exhibition runs

alongside the in-depth conference, which this

year will be opened by Malcolm Webb, SPE

Offshore Europe 2013 conference chair and

chief executive, Oil & Gas UK. The conference,

which starts on 3rd September and runs the

length of the event, features 11 keynote sessions,

100+ technical papers and ePosters, and daily

breakfast briefings and topical luncheons. The

keynote sessions in particular are billed as not

to be missed and cover a broad spectrum of

industry topics including:

Oil and gas in the future energy mix 6 The global opportunity: exporting oil and gas 6services, goods and expertise

Planning for long term North Sea drilling 6 The independent oil company - mighty oaks 6from little acorns grow

Industry progress since Macondo 6Taking operations to frontier areas 6 Decommissioning and value extraction for 6end of life

Journey from procedure to practice 6 Financing investments in the oil and gas 6industry: challenges and opportunities

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spE oFFsHorE EuropE 2013

Most importantly, a visit to SPE Offshore Europe provides the inspiration and motivation that enables the E&P industry to remain one of the most important in the world

subsea equipment, going back to the early days

of subsea exploration and production in the

1980s when companies were developing their

own individual, project-by-project operations

and in an era when fewer government

regulations existed. Only after subsea activities

became more commonplace did these niche

project specifications start to cause problems in

terms of project delivery times.

Flash forward to the 2000s. With more

offshore companies now needing faster

equipment delivery times to meet their urgent

project timetables and with the global energy

Facing a surging global demand for critical subsea oil and gas production equipment

as the energy industry also deals with a

shortage of skilled engineers, GE Oil & Gas

is expanding its Structured Products Portfolio

of pre-engineered subsea product lines to

dramatically reduce the time it takes to design,

deliver and deploy vital subsea production

equipment to customers, meet evolving

equipment needs, and tackle the challenges

faced by offshore companies.

Traditionally, large super-major oil and gas

companies have long required more customised

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Revolutionary

that is pre-designed and pre-aligned with a

customers needs.

Initially, GE focused its attention on smaller,

independent companies that require detailed

solutions but also are more comfortable using

more standardised equipment when compared

to the larger super major companies, which

preferred the more customised approach until

they, too, began to recognise the economic

benefits of becoming less dependent on

customised systems.

Instead of rolling out the programme

independently, to foster early industry

acceptance of its new Structured Products

strategy, GE has collaborated with a number

of key customers to design and evaluate the

new subsea manifold option for a number of

projects, including off the coast of Angola.

These companies could also expand their

discussions to include offshore projects in

Asia, the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil. So far the

initial response from customers has been very

positive as they recognise the logistical and cost-

savings gained by reducing their dependence on

customised technologies.

Looking ahead, to make the Structured

Products Portfolio initiative work as effectively

as possible, GE recognises the need to work

with customers to meet their quality inspections

requirements in a way that does not impede the

streamlined delivery schedule. GE is committed

to building customer confidence in its new

streamlined supply chain strategy; in contrast to

industry facing a shortage of skilled engineers,

GE introduced its Structured Products Portfolio

to include more standardised, prefabricated

products, while also still offering customised

components when required by a customer.

The company first utilised the Structured

Product approach in the development of

more standardised subsea production trees to

complement its more customised product lines.

GEs subsea manifold systems are the latest

to join its Structured Products product family.

Conventional manifold systems were designed as

modular blocks that were customised to meet a

customers individual configuration requirements

and design options. GE Oil & Gas has more

than 20 years of experience in this segment and

has deployed more than 100 custom manifolds

around the world. The new subsea manifold

offering can be more quickly deployed to

meet a diverse range of applications. The new

manifolds option can help reduce manifold

delivery times by up to 50 per cent, depending

on various project factors. Meanwhile, GEs new

manifold offering can still be reconfigured to

meet individual project conditions, up to a fully

customised solution if customers prefer.

The Structured Products approach represents

a significant evolution in how GE designs,

delivers and deploys its subsea product lines

on behalf of customers. Previously, GE would

meet with customers in advance to discuss their

specific project requirements and then design

customised product solutions for them.

But now GE also can offer customers the

option of a pre-engineered tree or manifold

solution that can meet a variety of project

conditions. The goal of product structuring

is not to make something different but, rather,

to optimise the execution model by avoiding

special adaptations while also working

proactively, ahead of time, to develop something approach

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GE Oil & Gas has more than 20 years of experience in this segment and has deployed more than 100 custom manifolds around the world. The new subsea manifold offering can be more quickly deployed to meet a diverse range of applications

GE Oil & Gasge.comFollow GE Oil & Gas on Twitter @GE_OilandGas

ServicesAdvanced oil and gas and offshore technologies and services

costs by requiring their engineering employees

to more closely examine the cost-benefit ratio

of selecting a customised solution over a more

standardised approach.

In addition to helping its offshore oil and

gas customers streamline their own project

installation schedules, the new Structured

Products strategy also enhances GEs competitive

position as a leading supplier of subsea

components as the industry seeks ways to

streamline their engineering, manufacturing, and

delivery supply chain delivery times and costs.

GE recently embarked on a modernisation and

expansion of its UK subsea equipment production

facilities, including at its subsea headquarters site

in Aberdeen, as well as in Montrose, Scotland.

The upgrades will support GEs smooth rollout

of the Structured Products Portfolio by giving the

company more flexibility to adjust equipment

production schedules at a given facility. In short,

GEs Structured Product Portfolio represents a

productivity game-changer in the subsea segment

from both an engineering capacity and supply

chain optimisation perspective.

the current model in which the customers need

to be able to inspect components all the way

back to the steel mills where forgings are taking

place. If this process can be improved then its

a win win situation for GE, for the customers

and suppliers that will all be in the same boat,

pulling in the same direction.

In addition to reducing their project delivery

times, offshore companies also are looking for

more standardised equipment that is easier to

operate in the face of a continued global shortage

of skilled engineers. The lack of sufficient

personnel with subsea project experience

means customers cannot develop the desired

volume of projects that they would like to

at the pace they want to maintain under the

current labour supply conditions. This skilled

workforce shortage has become a major driver

in generating customer interest in expanded

standardisation of products specifications and

document requirements.

Also driving this move to greater acceptance

of standardisation is the fact that customers

are also looking to lower their own operational

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GE's Structured Product Portfolio represents a productivity game-changer in the subsea segment

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17

Wandfluh is recognised as an international market leader in the design and manufacture of

hydraulic valves and electronic controls systems. It serves a worldwide market through its sister

companies and distribution network with a wide range of products covering most industries.

The principle advantage of Wandfluh Worldwide is that it has, for many years been able to

design and manufacture bespoke valves for customers' requirements based on its standard

range. Wandfluh's hydraulic valves, solenoids and electronics are designed in-house, which gives

greater flexibility to offer a comprehensive range of products.

Wandfluh UK designs bespoke integrated manifold systems, with full in-house test facilities able

to set valves etc.

Considerable development time has been invested in the digital electronic controls for

proportional valves. The SD6/7 and MD2 ranges offer both simple amplifier features to closed

loop control, including PQ. The user friendly PASO software is available FOC.

The MD2 can control up to eight solenoids, both proportional and switching. The solenoids

operations can be linked. For switching solenoids there is a feature to reduce power after the

initial operation, this reduces the amount of heat the solenoid generates.

The SD6/7 and MD2 cards are being increasingly used to control other manufacturers valves

due the ease of set up and analytical information, with built in oscilloscope type graphs that

prove very useful for closed loop set up.

Wandfluh UK ha