EFC Mechanical Handling joins top decommissioning knowledge-sharing summit as industry grapples with era of cheap oil
January 15, 2016
A leading engineering company, EFC Mechanical Handling joins more than 60 top-tier thought and practice leaders at the premier international D&A networking and business development experience, as they gather during a pivotal time for the industry.
The Annual Decommissioning & Abandonment Summit, hosted by DecomWorld at the Omni Houston Hotel, will see more than 700 offshore experts and decision-makers from around the world grapple with the commercial, strategic and technical issues thrown up by the ongoing low oil price environment.
“Attendees will benefit greatly from EFC’s input as the downturn ramps up pressure on business-as-usual in approaches to end-of-life issues in all major decommissioning markets,” said Paul Soskin, project director at leading information provider, DecomWorld.
Now in its eighth year, the Decommissioning & Abandonment Summit will probe cost and organizational planning, helping delegates re-evaluate their approach to cessation-of-production, plugging and abandonment (P&A), and asset removal issues to regain control over schedules, efficiency and resources.
For the first time, the Summit will unite the well intervention and late-life production community with operators’ top decommissioning leaders to look afresh at the technologies and techniques needed for cost-effective end-of-life transition.
Giving their big-picture view will be senior specialists from the world’s top offshore operators. Paul Smy, D&R Excellence Manager for Shell Exploration & Production, will discuss Shell’s landmark North Sea Brent Field decommissioning in a special workshop, providing valuable insight into looming challenges in the North Sea and beyond.
Sharing insights into the priorities of regulators will be the new director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Abigail Ross Hopper, who took over the helm of BOEM in January 2015. Hopper will offer insights on BOEM’s updated NTL to understand the changes to supplementary financial assurance, including the transition from waived status to self-insurance.
Bryce Randle, Completions and Workover Engineer, HESS will discuss the world’s first P&A project using resin as an alternate material. Steve Ashcraft, Senior Staff Production Supervisor at Anadarko, will chair a frank exchange on rigless versus rig-based abandonments in the era of cheap oil.
Also providing perspectives will be Scott Sanantonio, Shell’s lead on GOM deepwater interventions, Lars Endre Hestenes, Chief Completion Engineer at BG Group, and Gus Johansson, Engineering & Decommissioning Manager for Black Elk Energy, David Jones, Completions Advisor, Chevron.
A number of subject specialists and policy experts from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) will shed light on their ongoing efforts to ensure offshore safety.
Offering a new and unique North Sea perspective will be Carlo Procaccini, Senior Commercial Advisor for the UK’s new Oil & Gas Authority, an executive agency created by the UK government in April 2015.
New to this year’s Summit will be the exclusive Decommissioning and Abandonment Awards, celebrating the achievements and contributions of companies to the D&A industry, focussing on innovation, technology, project management excellence, and more.
For the first time also interactive workshops will bring the well intervention and late life production community together with top decommissioning leaders to unlock better deepwater strategies.
“From our extensive field research we know that operators are looking afresh at decommissioning and abandonment issues because of the low oil prices,” said DecomWorld’s Paul Soskin. “With everyone wondering how to do more with less, this year’s summit, and participation from leaders like EFC Mechanical Handling, will help ensure the industry moves sensibly into an uncertain future.”
• The 8th Annual Decommissioning & Abandonment Summit 2016 will take place over February 23-25 in Houston, Texas. For more information, visit: http://www.decomworld.com/decommissioning/