Page 6: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Mar/Apr 2017)

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Undercurrents

PUBLISHING & MARKETING

Chairman/Publisher

Unlocking OE OPINION

Shaun Wymes [email protected] future success

EDITORIAL

Editor/Associate Publisher e might still be wallowing in the you more about all of the above in the

Audrey Leon

W mire of one of the most pain- months and years to come. [email protected] ful downturns the oil and gas industry The center will comprise of a number

European Editor has suffered, but, there are some who of thematic “solutions centers” focusing

Elaine Maslin believe that this is an industry to stay. on well construction, small pools, asset [email protected]

With a similar spirit to those who led integrity, decommissioning and digital.

Asia Paci? c Editor

Audrey Raj

North Sea exploration in the 1970s (mi- At the center’s launch (complete with [email protected] nus the ? ares), the Oil & Gas Technology haggis bon bons) a multi-million pound

Web Editor

Centre (OGTC) has been set up with ? eld life extension and decommission-

Melissa Sustaita

US$224 million government funding ing research and development center [email protected] (to be matched with cash or in kind by was announced, in partnership between

Contributors industry) to make Aberdeen a center of the OGTC, Robert Gordon University

Emma Gordon oil and gas technology for years to come. and the University of Aberdeen. Other

Steve Hamlen

Undaunted by the ongoing pain be- excellence centers, in partnership with

Scott Weeden

Editorial Assistant ing suffered by many, with little new academia, will follow. There’s also to

Jerry Lee investment being made and with modest be a Technology Accelerator, to sup- funds, the center’s aims are bold. Goals, port smaller companies delivering new

ART AND PRODUCTION which will build on work already done technology, and an Innovation Hub, a

Bonnie James

Verzell James by the likes of the Pilot program and collaborative space, where the OGTC more recent Ef? ciency Task Force (an launch was held early February.

CONFERENCES & EVENTS

Oil & Gas UK initiative) include halving The center’s focus is more about the

Events Manager

Jennifer Granda the cost of drilling wells, increasing long-term future of Aberdeen, than [email protected] production ef? ciency to 80%, reducing concern about the current climate.

Exhibition/Sponsorship Sales asset integrity costs by 50% and solving Funding for the center is coming from a

Patrick Wymes issues like corrosion under insulation $311 million Aberdeen City Region Deal [email protected] (CUI) monitoring and management, fund and its key backer is Sir Ian Wood,

PRINT and the high cost and complexity of whose seminal Maximizing Recovery

Quad Graphics, West Allis, Wisconsin, USA well plugging and abandonment (P&A). Report set out actions the ailing North

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Digital technologies are also within the Sea industry needed to take – even

To subscribe or update details, email: scope of the OGTC, whose focus is being before the downturn. Speaking at the [email protected] or visit oedigital.com. led by the guidance of the Technology launch, Wood said: “The truth is, we

Rates $99/year for non-quali? ed requests.

Leadership Board, an industry-regulator haven’t developed new technology for $10 for individual copy.

body. Initial projects will focus on a number of years.” He said, at $100/

NOTICE: Print magazine delivery for free quali? ed rigless P&A, improving the speed and bbl, it was too easy; the industry was subscriptions restricted to North America & Western

Europe. All other regions will be receive digital performance of drilling wells, includ- doing what it had done in the past. The format – email address is required ing through use of augmented decision industry is also conservative, he says. making, and asset integrity, says Colette “There is a frustration in the supply

CIRCULATION

Inquiries about back issues or delivery problems

Cohen, a former Centrica exec, and now chain that’s keen to differentiate itself, should be directed to [email protected] the OGTC’s CEO. but, in many cases, is unable to get new

Within asset integrity, the initial focus technology deployed.” If new technol-

REPRINTS

Print and electronic reprints are available for an is CUI and vessel entry. “We want zero ogy isn’t developed, the industry will upcoming conference or for use as a marketing tool. vessel entry by 2025,” Cohen says. Two struggle to unlock the 10-20 billion boe

Reprinted on quality stock with advertisements sets of ? eld trials focusing on these tech- remaining in the basin, he said. Many removed, our minimum order is a quantity of 100.

nologies are due to take place this year, suppliers will say they have new tech-

For more information, call Rhonda Brown at Foster through the OGTC. Another ? eld trial, to nology but it is hard to get in the door at

Printing: 1-866-879-9144 ext.194 or email rhondab@ test new P&A technology, will also take operators. “[The OGTC] will only suc- fosterprinting.com place, ? rst onshore and then offshore. ceed with operators, the supply chain

DIGITAL

The North Sea’s so-called small pools and others involved,” Wood said. www.oedigital.com – some 210 small ? elds that are cur- Another gripe is the lack of R&D fund-

Facebook: fb.me/ReadOEmag

Twitter: twitter.com/OEdigital rently uneconomic to develop – will ing for industry in the UK. It’s hoped the

Linked in: www.linkedin.com/groups/4412993 also come under focus. We hope to tell OGTC might help change that, too.

March 2017 | OE oedigital.com 8 008_OE0317_Undercurrents_em1.indd 8 2/21/17 3:27 PM