Page 32: of Marine Technology Magazine (June 2013)

OTCOTC 2013: Near Record 104,800 Attendees The offshore industry gatherered May 6-9 for the 2013 Offshore Technology Conference at Reliant Park in Houston. And lest anyone doubt the resurgence in the global offshore market, attendance at the conference reached a 30-year high of 104,800, the second highest in show history and up 17% from last year. Attendance surpassed the 2012 total of 89,400 and the sold-out exhibition was the largest in show history at 652,185 square feet, up from 641,350 in 2012. The event had 2,728 companies representing 40 countries, including 244 new ex- hibitors in 2013. International companies made up 39% of exhibitors. This year?s event featured nine panel sessions, 29 executive keynote presentations at luncheons and breakfasts, and 298 technical papers. Speakers from major IOCs, NOCs, and independent operators presented their views on the cur- rent challenges and future directions of the industry. OTC?s Spotlight on New Technology recognized 15 tech- nologies for their innovation in allowing the industry to pro- duce offshore resources. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell toured the exhibition  oor and held a press conference where she discussed her commitment to work with industry leaders to ensure safe and environmentally responsible off- shore oil and gas operations. Norway?s Crown Prince Haa- kon and his wife, the Crown Princess Mette-Marit attended the Annual OTC Dinner on Sunday to celebrate the 40th an- niversary of Norway?s participation in OTC. The royal couple toured the exhibition  oor where more than 60 Norwegian companies were part of Norwegian Pavilion. The Annual OTC Dinner was attended by more than 1,000 industry leaders and conference attendees, and raised $250,000 for the Offshore Energy Center. OTC also presented its 2013 Distinguished Achievement Award to Ken Arnold; OTC Heritage Awards to James Brill and Dendy Sloan; and the Distinguished Achievement Award for Companies, Organizations, or Institu- tions to Total?s Paz or deep offshore development at the sold- out event on the  oor of Reliant Stadium. www.otcnet.org Industry Award to Aker Solutions? MPO unit Aker Solutions? subsidiary, Managed Pressure Operations, won the Woelfel Best Mechanical Engineering Achievement Award at OTC for its Riser Safety System (RSS). The award recognizes products, devices or systems that re ect innovation or practical use of mechanical engineering in solving prob-lems, improving design or maximizing performance, accord- ing to the ASME International Petroleum Technology Insti- tute. The RSS is designed to assist in control of wellbore  uids while undertaking oil and gas drilling offshore. www.akersolutions.com Bureau of Safety and Env ironmental Enforcement (BSEE) Director James Watson and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Rear Admiral Jose ph Servidio announced a new Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) t hat will strengthenthe wor king relationship between their two a gencies onthe management of safety and env ironmental protectionresponsibilities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).Under current regulatory regime, both the USCG and BSEE have s hared responsibilities for the regulation of safety management systems on the OCS. T his MOA ensures a comprehensive, joint approach to safety and env ironmental management. To gether, BSEE an d the Coast Guard will use this agreement to establish a pro-cess for the identi cation of offshore safet y and envi -ronmental management requirements within the juris-diction of both agencies and to spur the deve lopment of joint policies and guidance. The agreement also provides a mechanism to ensure that all future re gula-tions, policies and guidance are enforced consistently by both agencies.The MOA is implemented in accordance with an overarchin g Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between BSEE and the Coast Guard signed Novem -ber 27, 2012. T he MOU outlined the efforts of the two agencies to closely coordinate responsibilities for reg-ulation and enforcement on the OCS and for the estab-lishment of future focused agreements such as the one announced today. It was t he  rst MOU between the two a gencies since BSEE became a bureau in 2011. BSEE and USCG Partner to Improve O shore Oversight 32 MTRJune 2013MTR #5 (18-33).indd 32MTR #5 (18-33).indd 326/3/2013 1:09:59 PM6/3/2013 1:09:59 PM