OGV Energy - Issue 70 - July 2023 - Skills & Training

SKILLS & TRAINING

GLOBAL ENERGY NEWS

WORLD PROJECTS MAP

MONTHLY THEME

INNOVATION & TECH

RENEWABLES

CONTRACT AWARDS ON THE MOVE

DECOMMISSIONING STATS & ANALYTICS

LEGAL & FINANCE EVENTS

A WORD FROM OUR EDITOR

Welcome to the July edition of ‘OGV Energy Magazine’ where we will be exploring the theme of ‘Skills and Training’.

A big thank you to our front cover partner 3T Energy Group, and you can read all about they are delivering transformational training to their global customer base on pages 4 and 5 inside.

We also have contributions from Norwell Edge, Advance Global Recruitment, Omniscient Safety Innovations, Quensh HSE Specialists and QHSE Aberdeen

The rest of this month’s magazine as always provides you with a review of the Energy sector in the North Sea, Europe, the Middle East, the US and Australasia along with industry analysis and project updates from Westwood Global Energy Group, the EIC and Renewables UK.

Daniel Hyland, Sales and Operations Director, OGV Energy Media Group

Kevin Franklin, CEO of 3t Energy Group (3t), the global training powerhouse, speaks to OGV about how their combination of training and technology is creating positive transformation across the energy sector.

Training, Technology and Transformation –the cornerstones of 3t and its world-leading businesses; AIS Survivex, Drilling Systems, 3t Transform, UCT and joint venture 3t EnerMech. Boasting a truly global customer base, 3t operates across 60 countries, is represented by 17 nationalities, and has offices and training centres located in the UK, North and South America, and the Middle East. 3t proudly offers the highest-impact learning for safety-critical industries including energy, renewables, marine, construction, gas, electric and water.

3t is in an exciting period of growth as a Group, expanding its portfolio of training businesses, diversifying and strengthening its product offerings enhanced with leading edge technology, and investing in its senior team internationally. Leaders across the wider energy sector for training and learning, what makes 3t different is the combination of its portfolio of businesses and expertled divisions, with no single player in the marketplace offering programmes tailored to suit any requirement, or for any size and scale, quite like 3t does.

3t’s training business, AIS Survivex, is the UK’s largest within the oil and gas, wind, and power industries, and a major player globally, and with the recent acquisition in 2022 of UCT, is also making a significant impact in the wider energy and utilities sectors including gas, electric and water. Now with training centres in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, and London, as well as international jointventures and consulted services in the Middle East, North and South America, and beyond, 3t is on a mission to deliver the world’s best training to the global energy industry.

Pair this with award-winning, cutting-edge technology offered through two further businesses within the 3t family – the world’s number one advanced drilling simulator business, Drilling Systems, and learning technology software experts, 3t Transform –3t has the ability to offer the highest-impact learning and training solutions to safetycritical industries throughout the world.

“The combination of our total portfolio offering is what really sets us apart in the industry. We have many competitors across all of our

business streams, but none that can meet the scale of what we can deliver across our combined offering. What we can create for customers at 3t is impressive and it’s why our biggest customers come to us again and again, because we have the best training and the best centres to train them in, awardwinning systems and technology, and the people expertise and knowledge under our 3t umbrella.

“We continue to grow our team and this year has marked some key appointments to support our global bases. People are vital to our offering and the wealth of experience they bring from multi-discipline and multi-cultural projects reinforces the strength of the Group across our businesses.”

At 3t, they proudly state that their people are their greatest asset, and with the significant growth has also come a significant investment in industry talent.

3t has appointed Deborah Yeats as Training and Competence Director early this year, spearheading this new workstream bringing with her knowledge of the industry spanning back to the mid-1980s; Ian Hunt based in the MENA region as Vice President - Sales joined in 2022 and has grown his team and the impact of the Group in the region significantly over the past year, with further expansion on the horizon; and Martin Hottass joined the senior leadership team last year, too, as Corporate Development Director strategically supporting on new ventures, apprenticeships and funded learning. A recent appointment and a further new role for 3t, Dominic Zanre joins with a focus on the Group’s innovative blended learning solutions for major assets following the recent success of an awardwinning onboarding and induction project in collaboration with bp.

“The strength in our team and our ability to develop our own employees that support our growth and vision for the future of 3t is vital to our continued expansion. We are creating learning solutions for our clients that aren’t a

one-size-fits-all, that truly push the boundaries and achieve even the most complex brief, that are transformational for workforces operating in safety-critical roles and industries around the world. Many of them are industry-first. We can achieve this because our team is passionate about creating a better future for the industries we work in, where many of them have worked in these roles themselves and know what is really needed to create safe, competent, and efficient workforces – and just as important, a positive impact on their own careers and lives.”

3t’s core values have always revolved around developing a safer, smarter, and more efficient workforce. To do this, they are constantly challenging the norm when it comes to learning and striving for better outcomes for people and businesses. Through 3t’s digital arm of the business, including Drilling Systems and 3t Transform, there’s a continued focus on creating learning solutions that improve learning retention, that are highly engaging and that beat knowledge fade. First-class examples of this can be seen through the adoption and imbedding of 3t’s virtual reality (VR) learning programmes by global customers including many national oil companies throughout the world, and also through the recent launch of Knowledge Coach, a games-based learning app that is proven to improve knowledge retention by an impressive 70%. Drilling Systems is a worldrenowned name in the oil and gas industry, with many customers referencing its drilling simulation technology as the most impactful way to ensure that people working in the field are safe, giving them the ability to have their worst days in their training centre, rather than in a real life situation.

Up-skilling, re-skilling and diversifying workforces are also a core offering for 3t with the ability to take expertise to the furthest flung locations around the world. Through its Workforce Solutions division within 3t and with the use of learning technologies, they can provide bespoke, fit-for-purpose competence and training programmes that are immersed into customer cultures, with the regulations and compliance requirements of the industry and region in mind at all times.

“The needs of the workforce constantly evolve and wherever we are working around the world, it is essential the preferred learning of that demographic and culture is captured and that we work in harmony with them.

A blended solution is a powerful tool which combines both the in-person and more traditional means of learning with digital elements. Our recent award-win at the Offshore Achievement Awards for our training solution as part of bp’s Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project in Mauritania and Senegal is a prime example of this. We created a digital twin of the FPSO asset before it was even built and created a bespoke onboarding and induction programme for Operations and Maintenance crews that considered where the workforces were physically around the world, what they needed to know in advance to make operations safe and efficient, whilst creating a solution that achieved every business objective set including cost effectiveness and timing. It was a landmark project for bp and showcased what we do best – bringing multiple capabilities from across our Group of businesses together to create a solution that combined our expertise across training, competence, digital twin, and learning technologies.”

Allowing personnel to train in fully immersive, hyper-realistic environments means that mistakes can be made in safe and controlled environments, with the tools, training, and expertise to practice project-relevant techniques and improve their abilities in advance. This provides the same in-depth experience needed to prepare delegates for taking part in real-life operations, but without the unnecessary risk that is associated with high hazard environments across the energy industry.

Training through the Transition

With the energy transition being a significant focus for many of 3t’s clients, the drive to ensure workforces are ready to move into new roles to support a net zero future is vital, with 3t leading the way in a number of areas.

“We are part of an industry-first project as part of the North Sea Transition Deal (NSTD), led by OPITO to create a ‘Skills Passport’ for cross-recognition for comparable skill sets

that will support employers and skills bodies to map workforces to new roles cross-sector. The skills gap and the re-skilling and upskilling of workforces are noted as being one of the greatest challenges that must be met to support the energy transition, so ensuring that world-class training and learning is available to enable this is crucial. This is where our digital expertise come into play, as we are creating a solution for the industry that will help to reduce duplication of training and learning where it can, and ultimately help the industry save time and money on moving skilled workers into the right kind of roles that are needed to support the vision. It’s an exciting project for 3t to be taking the lead on, and we see a huge opportunity for this in other countries throughout the world.”

Indeed beyond the energy industry, there are huge labour and skills shortages that are cited to impact the UK’s national infrastructure pipeline delivery, with a drive for talented and skilled professionals as demand continues to increase.

“We believe that the passport solution we are creating for OPITO can also be diversified across further industry skills sectors and bodies, and can support the future of the wider energy and safety-critical industries. Through the expertise we have within 3t Transform, the architecture in which it is built has fantastic scalability and we can see a real need for this type of solution in the market. When you combine this with our wider expertise and knowledge across this sector through our training business, UCT, we know that we can make a significant positive impact to the future of this sector in the coming years.” 

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Going global leads to award success for JBS Group

JBS Group, the innovative multi-disciplined engineering firm, has landed a prestigious business award for its international successes.

The company, based in Peterhead, was the winner in the Going Global category at the 2023 Northern Star Business Awards in Aberdeen. The prestigious event was organised by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce.

More than 60% of JBS Group’s sales come from international markets, with the firm trading in over 80 countries.

Clients include well-known businesses in the space, energy – including subsea and renewables – nuclear, power, defence and fishing sectors.

JBS has seen growth in its fabrication and engineering services as well as increased demand for its screw conveyors, including a dual drive version.

Imrandd Expands Office Space to Accommodate Growing Workforce

Imrandd, an innovator in digital asset management, has announced the expansion of office space to meet the needs of its rapidly growing workforce. The company has experienced significant growth in recent months, necessitating the expansion to ensure a productive and collaborative working environment.

Imrandd's expansion is a direct result of continued success and an increasing demand for its datadriven solutions within the energy market and other industries. With a commitment to excellence and a focus on delivering innovative solutions to its clients, Imrandd continues to attract top talent and has expanded their team across various departments in recent months.

Roland To Lead Development Of Rovop’s Next Generation Of Rov Pilots

In appointing Roland, ROVOP brings in more than 30 years’ experience across traditional and renewable energy.

Roland recently spent 12 years at Subsea7 in a global training and competency management remit.

COO Paul Yeats: “We are thrilled to have Roland onboard at ROVOP. We have committed to bringing in the very best people into senior roles and Roland is certainly one of them. His experience speaks for itself.”

In his new position, Roland will be responsible for the training and competency development of ROVOP’s trainees, including the company’s next generation of skilled ROV pilots.

AquaTerra Training and Polaris Learning are delighted to announce that after many years of working closely together, they are now strengthening this relationship with AquaTerra Training investing in Polaris Learning with a 50% share. Both companies have been looking for an opportunity to grow their businesses, and build on the offer of a complete training and competency service for their clients. This new arrangement is key to achieving this.

AquaTerra Training, a leading provider of practical health & safety training took the decision to invest in Polaris Learning as part of AquaTerra Training's ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional training services to its clients. By joining forces with Polaris Learning, AquaTerra Training aims to broaden its range of training offerings and provide an even higher level of expertise and resources to its customers.

EthosEnergy, which specialises in services and solutions for rotating equipment in the energy and industrial sectors, has launched the industry’s first life cycle assessment (LCA) solution for gas turbine rotors, enabling full visibility of environmental impact and a quantifiable reduction in CO2 emissions.

Developed in partnership with Politecnico di Torino and Politecnico di Milano, the new CO2 assessment tool – EcoView™ - provides comprehensive environmental insights across each phase of the rotor life cycle. These evaluations quantify the carbon and financial reductions which can be achieved from maintaining existing equipment compared with purchasing new.

Predator Oil & Gas Holdings, the Jersey-based group, which in mid-March raised £2m at 5.5p per share to cover its works programme costs, has issued an Interim drilling Update on its MOU-3 well in Morocco. It has encountered unexpected overpressured shallow gas at that well while appraising its Moulouya Fan primary reservoir target.

Group Interests

The £26m capitalised company is engaged in the exploration, appraisal, and development of oil and gas assets in Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean. The company owns a diversified portfolio of oil and gas interests comprising a CO2 enhanced Oil Recovery project in Trinidad; as well as two gas exploration and appraisal projects in offshore Ireland; and a gas exploration project in onshore Morocco.

New developments at AquaTerra Group set to double turnover

Aberdeenshire headquartered Integrated Services provider, AquaTerra Group, has announced two developments which has set the business on track to double its annual turnover to £14 million.

The company has invested in developing their own new bespoke NDT reporting software which streamlines and improves the quality management of client inspection reports, provided in a secure portal. NDT Manager and Inspection Technical Authority, Martin Longmuir, said: “Our new reporting tool dramatically reduces the possibility for human error. A typical inspection report would normally be provided to clients in a Microsoft Excel format, but our new software is far more practical and efficient, giving clients access to an online web application which displays same day inspection results.

AquaTerra Training Invests in Polaris Learning to Strengthen Training and Competence Offerings of Both Organisations

ROVOP Appoints Roland Reid As New Training & Competency Manager

Predator Oil & Gas shares up 30%

EthosEnergy launches industry first CO2 assessment tool for gas turbine rotors

Specialists in Flexible Pipe Riser and Flowline Integrity Management. TIG are also dedicated to developing a knowledge hub for flexible pipe understanding and research by utilising joint ventures with operators.

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Kloeckner Metals UK is the largest mill independent multi-metal stockholder & distributor in the UK, and a key member of the Klöckner & Co. group, one of the largest independent distributors of steel and other metal products as well as one of the leading steel service centre companies worldwide.

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At Apollo, we engineer smart, sustainable solutions for the energy sector, working across oil and gas, hydrogen and carbon capture, nuclear, and offshore renewables.

Fuelled by a diverse and talented workforce, we deliver transformational engineering projects. At Apollo, we’re not afraid of a challenge, because impossible only means not possible yet.

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Sentinel Subsea specialises in providing advanced passive integrity monitoring solutions for subsea infrastructure and equipment. Operating assets in a marine environment can often be complex and challenging. With transformative passive technologies, Sentinel Subsea delivers continuous subsea monitoring solutions that lower risk, reduce costs and protect the environment.

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Engineering, design, fabrication, installation, service and maintenance of offshore assets and comprehensive project management across all phases of energy projects.

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OceaneeringWe provide engineered services and products to the oil and gas, defense, entertainment, logistics, aerospace, science, and renewable energy industries.

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Revolutionising your Supply Chain Management with Digital Inventory Systems. A Platform which enables Operators and their Global Suppliers to collaborate through a trusted network, in order to minimise lead items, reduce supply chain complexity in support of local and regional manufacturing.

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We pride ourselves on being Energy Recruitment Specialists. We are a growing, dynamic agency who will push boundaries to guarantee we deliver on our promise.

Founded in 2011, ten years ago, AGR opened for business. The aim was to create a recruitment consultancy that not only produced exceptional results but a consultancy that everyone loves to deal with.

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Providing E2E Corporate Training, Compliance & Education Solutions in Virtual & Augmented Reality. IoT Integration with predictive AI models, leveraging best-in-class data analytics and visualisation for collaboration and Actionable insights.

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Caledonia Competence is a Competence and Learning & Development Consultancy providing specialist services in the area of personnel assessment and development. Core services included are the set-up, auditing and health checks of client Competence Management Systems.

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Wintershall Dea is Europe’s leading independent natural gas and oil company with more than 120 years of experience as an operator and project partner along the entire E&P value chain.

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OEG Offshore is the world's largest supplier of specialist offshore cargo-carrying units CCU and DNV 2.7-1 A60 engineering cabins. One of the world’s largest offshore service cabin rental fleets. Also providing comprehensive refurbishment and maintenance service for customer-owned cabins.

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JULY 2023

UK NORTH SEA Oil & Gas Review

By Tsvetana Paraskova

The UK government announced in early June that the Energy Profits Levy, commonly known as the windfall tax, could fall back to lower levels if and when oil and natural gas prices consistently return to normal levels for a sustained period. The levy, which currently puts the overall tax rate for operators in the UK North Sea at 75%, will remain in place for the next five years while oil and gas prices remain higher than historic norms – but this will fall back to 40% when prices consistently return to normal levels for a sustained period of time, the government said.

The move is part of the government’s strategy to support households with energy bills while providing certainty to investors to secure the long-term future of domestic energy production. However, the tax rate for oil and gas companies will only return to 40% if both the average oil and gas prices fall to, or below, $71.40 per barrel for oil and £0.54 per therm for gas, for two consecutive quarters.

Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), the biggest industry association, said that the price floor mechanism was a step in the right direction, but many more are needed for the industry to overcome the current challenges.

“This is a step in the right direction, but many more will need to be taken to restore confidence to our sector. We will now work closely with government and lenders to understand the detail of the measure and its effectiveness at unlocking investment,” OEUK Chief Executive David Whitehouse said.

“Enabling continued UK energy production now and in future depends on a predictable and fair fiscal environment. The UK must be competitive if we are to be successful in the global race for energy investment.”

Whitehouse also noted, “By investing in homegrown production, we avoid costlier, less secure and higher carbon imports while supporting an industry we need to make cleaner, more affordable energy in the UK, for the UK. Our sector is expanding into renewable energy, supported by a world class supply chain.”

The opposition Labour Party, tipped to win the next general election, presented its vision for the UK energy of the future, saying it would ban new oil and gas exploration licences in UK waters.

OEUK’s Whitehouse commented on the proposed ban, saying that this would undermine the UK’s energy security, jobs, and attempts to reach net zero.

“Labour’s proposed ban on new exploration licences is too much too soon,” he said.

“The figures are clear. The UK has 283 active oil and gas fields but 180 will shut down by 2030. If we don’t replace them with new ones, then production will decline much faster than we can build low carbon replacements. It means the UK will become increasingly reliant on imports,” Whitehouse added.

The most recent comments of Labour leader Keir Starmer that the party would ban new oil and gas exploration licences will be viewed as a largely symbolic gesture, according to analysts at Wood Mackenzie

Starmer has said that all activity on existing licences would be allowed to continue, which could be interpreted as a softening of Labour’s previous position, WoodMac’s Principal Analyst Upstream Greg Roddick said.

“Labour has said changes would only impact the offer of new licences,” Roddick commented. “Opportunities in existing licences are more material and, in recent years, exploration drilling has already dropped to historic lows.”

The industry has already largely secured the most prospective and promising acreage in the UK North Sea, according to Roddick.

“There is no guarantee that new, commercial discoveries will be found. Those that are will likely be small and are unlikely to reverse the trend given the maturity of the UK Continental Shelf,” Roddick added.

One of the biggest acquisitions in the European oil and gas sector in recent years, the UK’s tax and regulatory policies, and the consequences of those policies for North Sea operators were the highlights of the UK North Sea oil and gas industry in the past month.

In early June, research by the Offshore Energy Digital Strategy Group (OEDSG) at an OEUK-hosted webinar showed that digitalisation across the oil and gas and renewable energy sectors was gathering momentum. Digital maturity has improved by 8% across key metrics, the 2023 Offshore Energy Digital & Data Maturity Survey report found.

The 2023 Offshore Energy Data & Digital Survey was undertaken by Deloitte in partnership with OEUK, North Sea Transition Authority, The Crown Estate, Crown Estate Scotland, NZTC, ONE and the Technology Leadership Board.

The survey of UK organisations across the oil and gas and renewable energy sectors, including the supply chain, identified a lag in data maturity. This indicates that more companies need to focus on developing data strategies if they are to capitalise on the opportunities. Access to data and digital skills was found to be one of the key barriers to data maturity, the survey showed.

In addition, collaboration has made some progress, but organisations continue to be wary of data sharing, particularly where sharing of data may be seen to be a risk to an organisation’s competitive advantage, according to the key findings of the survey.

The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) launched in early June a digital platform which operators will now use to submit and update Supply Chain Action Plans (SCAPs) containing important information about their contracting activities.

“It will help the NSTA make better use of the huge volumes of information contained in SCAPs, which are a core part of our work to ensure that security of supply and net zero projects are carried out efficiently and support UK supply chain’s evolution into a world leader in energy transition,” said Pauline Innes, NSTA Director of Supply Chain and Decommissioning.

In response to popular demand, NSTA has also extended a pilot scheme providing free access to an online platform that raises awareness of emerging and field-proven technologies and encourages their use.

In deals and contracts, the biggest news of the past month was the agreement between Eni and Neptune Energy, under which Eni and Vår Energi—a company in which Eni holds 63% — will buy the global and Norwegian portfolios of Neptune for an enterprise value of $4.9 billion, including the operations in the UK North Sea. Eni will buy the Neptune Global Business with an enterprise value of around $2.6 billion, while the Neptune Norway Business with an enterprise value of $2.3 billion will be acquired by Vår Energi.

“This transaction delivers to Eni a high-quality and low carbon intensity portfolio with exceptional strategic and operational complementarity,” Eni’s CEO Claudio Descalzi said.

“Neptune will contribute predominantly gas resources to Eni’s portfolio,” Descalzi added.

The Prax Group has announced the successful completion of the strategic acquisition of UKbased Hurricane Energy Plc, which holds a 100% operated interest in the Lancaster offshore oil field in the West of Shetland basin.

Hartshead Resources has submitted its Phase I Field Development Plan for the Anning and Somerville gas field developments to NSTA, marking a major and material milestone in the company’s development of its UK Southern Gas Basin assets. The field development consists of an unmanned dual platform development with gas transportation via a subsea tie-in to the offtake route. After receiving NSTA feedback on the plan, Hartshead expects to take Final Investment Decision for the Phase I development with its joint venture partner RockRose Energy. If the planned development and milestones go according to plan, Hartshead expects First Gas from the fields in 2025.

Energy group Parkmead has reviewed its UK North Sea plans and concluded that amid the challenges the industry faces – including increased tax burdens that have made operators in the area extremely cautious – “it has become clear that without full and committed engagement from industrial partners it would not be practical to progress the Perth development to FID, particularly recognising the massive level of capital investment required.”

Parkmead therefore advises that the potential Perth oil development will not be pursued and that the P588 and P2154 licences containing the Perth discovery are not being extended.

In the UK Central North Sea, Skerryvore is an exciting area which, despite the new fiscal and regulatory challenges, could be developed in a timely and cost-efficient manner, Parkmead said. The company therefore plans to drill this highimpact well as soon as possible.

IOG plc has decided to defer the drilling of the Kelham and Goddard appraisal wells at this time. The IOG-CalEnergy Resources joint venture will continue to assess the best options to drill the two appraisal wells by 31 March 2024 as per the respective licence terms, and it is also offering potential farm-in partners up to 50% of the Goddard licence (P2438) via the previously announced farm-out process.

Kistos Holdings plc said that the exploration drilling on the Benriach well, West of Shetland, was completed in June. The well encountered gas-bearing sands in the target Royal Sovereign formation, but the discovered resource is expected to be sub-commercial, said the company, which is a minority holder of 25% in the licence operated by TotalEnergies.

Drilling, engineering, and technology provider KCA Deutag said it had been awarded new contracts and extensions with a total value of over $70 million, with existing clients for the provision of drilling and maintenance services in the UK North Sea.

“KCA Deutag has been the drilling contractor of choice on some of these assets since the early nineties and we are delighted to continue our excellent long-term working relationships with our customers in the UK North Sea,” said Peter Skinner, UK country manager. 

Europe Energy Review

By Tsvetana Paraskova

Issues at Norway’s Hammerfest LNG export terminal and maintenance at the gas processing plants in Nyhamna and Kollsnes lowered gas flows to Europe, adding to maintenance on the Oseberg field offshore Norway which was also reducing supply and contributing to higher prices.

After Russia stopped gas deliveries to many EU customers following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Norway is now the single-largest supplier of gas to Europe.

At the end of May, Equinor said the gas leak that occurred at the Hammerfest LNG plant at Melkøya on 31 May had been stopped and normalisation was under way. The first LNG cargo loaded fuel at the Hammerfest facility during the weekend of 17-18 June after the restart on 14 June.

Oil & Gas

Europe’s benchmark natural gas prices at the TTF hub in the Netherlands started rising in June, from two-year lows seen for the most of May, as maintenance and outages at Norwegian gas processing facilities tightened supply amid warmer than usual weather in many parts in northwest Europe.

Separately, Equinor signed later in June a 15-year purchase agreement with Cheniere, doubling the volumes of LNG that Equinor will export out of Cheniere’s LNG terminals on the U.S. Gulf coast.

“Europe will need natural gas to ensure flexible energy on demand to support the build-out of more intermittent renewables and LNG will play an important role,” said Helge Haugane, Equinor’s senior vice president for Gas & Power.

“Equinor has an ambition to strengthen its role as a leading supplier of natural gas and with our supply agreements with Cheniere we are expanding our global position.”

Low-Carbon Energy

In low-carbon energy, The Crown Estate has started work to digitally map the seabed resource needed to meet future demand. In collaboration with a wide range of organisations which have a role to play offshore, The Crown Estate is building an integrated, spatial analysis platform which will consider: existing and future demands on the seabed out to 2050; geographical constraints for all key offshore sectors; existing infrastructure; and environmental designations and future resource requirements for environmental habitats and nature recovery.

The UK’s National Grid ESO has introduced targeted further reforms to speed up connections to the electricity grid by up to 10 years. National Grid and Ofgem are working to more effectively manage the queue of connections to the grid.

There are around 220 projects due to connect to the national transmission system before 2026, totalling some 40 gigawatts (GW), equal to more than double peak demand in the summer months for all of Great Britain.

Rising natural gas prices in Europe due to tighter supply amid maintenance, UK reforms to accelerate the clean energy rollout, and a number of clean energy new projects featured in Europe’s energy industry over the past month.

However, only half of these have got planning consent at this stage and some have moved their connection dates back by over fourteen years, National Grid noted.

“This announcement is a significant step forward, as it will unlock new clean energy capacity faster by letting projects which are ready to connect to the grid move ahead of projects that simply aren’t making progress,” RenewableUK’s Director of Future Electricity Systems, Barnaby Wharton, said, commenting on National Grid’s proposed reform.

The UK government gave Ofgem a statutory net zero duty to prioritise the UK's 2050 net zero target.

“We’re laying the foundations for the energy system of the future. The net zero mandate has overwhelming backing from every part of the energy industry, consumer campaigners and climate activists,” Ofgem CEO Jonathan Brearley said.

RenewableUK’s Wharton commented, “This measure will help to unlock at least £15 billion of investment in offshore wind alone between now and the end of the decade.”

RenewableUK’s latest EnergyPulse market intelligence data report shows that the UK’s pipeline of offshore wind projects has reached 97,944 MW, up from 91,287 MW a year ago. The UK total pipeline was second globally at 98 GW, second only to China with 157 GW, followed by the US in third place with 82 GW, Sweden is fourth with 75 MW, and Brazil fifth with 63 GW, according to the report.

The Scottish Government’s Minister for Energy and the Environment, Gillian Martin, highlighted the economic opportunities offered by floating offshore wind at RenewableUK’s Global Offshore Wind 2023 conference in the middle of June.

“Crucially we cannot deliver our ambition for floating offshore wind without a supply chain that’s fit for purpose, so an early priority will be investment in ports and harbours,” the minister noted.

A report by the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) showed a significant increase in jobs in the offshore wind sector is required by 2030, with forecast jobs exceeding 100,000 for the first time, compared to over 32,000 jobs today.

In the short-to-medium term, job numbers need to grow rapidly as several offshore wind farms progress to the construction phase –88,509 jobs are forecast to be required by 2026, which is over 56,000 more than today’s workforce, according to the report.

In Norway, the government proposes to open parts of the Norwegian Continental Shelf for commercial seabed mineral activities.

“Currently, the resources are controlled by a few countries, which makes us vulnerable. Seabed minerals can become a source of access to essential metals, and no other

The Scottish Government’s Minister for Energy and the Environment, Gillian Martin

country is better positioned to take the lead in managing such resources sustainably and responsibly,” Norway’s Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Terje Aasland, said.

In Spain, renewable power is expected to generate more than 50% of electricity in 2023, which will make the country the first of the top five European economies by power demand to accomplish this feat, according to Rystad Energy forecasts

Spain will reach this significant decarbonisation milestone this year, with renewable-sourced generation surpassing the 50% average and beating France, Germany, Italy, and the UK to this record, Rystad Energy noted in a report in early June.

In company and project news, Boom Power is set to begin work developing a proposal for a new solar farm in Fenwick, north of Doncaster. The Fenwick Solar Farm will have a generation capacity of up to 237.5 MW, enough to power around 60,000 homes per year. Boom Power plans to start consulting with local stakeholders and residents, before making an application to the Planning Inspectorate for approval to begin construction of the solar farm.

SSEN Transmission will invest £10 billion in networks to enable connection of up to 11 GW of ScotWind offshore wind projects. The capacity would be enough to power more than ten million homes in the UK, while the investment will support 20,000 jobs across the UK, including 9,000 in Scotland.

Alcemi have received planning permission for a 500 MW energy storage facility in Coalburn, Scotland. The facility, developed in partnership with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, will store renewable energy during periods of excess generation, releasing it back into the system during periods of peak demand. The project is expected to prevent around 1.6 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over 35 years.

The Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO) is investing US$400 million in Northvolt AB to enable the battery maker’s planned expansion. Northvolt's first gigafactory in northern Sweden has already begun producing batteries using fossil-free electricity. Future gigafactory additions will support Northvolt's goal of delivering 150 GWh of annual production capacity by 2030.

Portuguese energy firm Galp and France’s supermajor TotalEnergies have agreed to jointly explore potential offshore wind opportunities in Portugal. The country has an ambition to promote the development of 10 GW of offshore wind capacity, opening a range of opportunities given its wide coastline with favourable weather conditions and the existing industrial infrastructure.

“Offshore wind energy will strengthen TotalEnergies' renewable activities in Portugal where we have a total portfolio of more than 1 GW of solar and wind projects in operation or under development,” said Olivier Terneaud, VP Offshore Wind at TotalEnergies.

TotalEnergies has also signed a 100 GWh biomethane purchase agreement with SaintGobain France for three years starting in 2024. The biomethane will be produced by TotalEnergies at its BioBéarn biomethane plant, which came on stream at the beginning of 2023 and whose production is certified sustainable by International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) under the highest sustainability criteria of the European Union REDII Directive.

Germany’s RWE plans to invest more than 50 billion euros gross in the energy transition by 2030 as part of its ‘Growing Green’ investment and growth strategy. RWE will focus on its core businesses of expansion of renewables, battery storage technologies, carbon-free backup capacities, and ramping-up the hydrogen economy. 

“Crucially we cannot deliver our ambition for floating offshore wind without a supply chain that’s fit for purpose, so an early priority will be investment in ports and harbours,

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Energy Review

By Tsvetana Paraskova

Texas and New Mexico Oil and Gas Activity Flat

Activity in the oil and gas sector in the Eleventh District—Texas, southern New Mexico, and northern Louisiana— was unchanged in the second quarter of 2023, the quarterly Dallas Fed Energy Survey showed at the end of June.

The business activity index—the survey’s broadest measure of conditions—edged down to zero in the second quarter from 2.1 in the first, according to oil and gas executives responding to the survey.

Oil and natural gas production increased at a slower pace compared with the prior quarter, executives at exploration and production (E&P) firms said.

Costs continued to rise, for a tenth quarter in a row, but cost increases continued to moderate. While the indexes remained above series averages, the rate of cost increases slowed. Among oilfield services firms, the input cost index remained positive but fell sharply to 41.2 from 61.6. Among E&P firms, the finding and development costs index plummeted to 14.9 from 46.8. Additionally, the lease operating expenses index declined to 26.0 from 37.6.

The company outlook index remained negative in the second quarter but moved up to -9.1 from -14.1 in the first quarter. The overall outlook uncertainty index plummeted by 26 points to 36.9, suggesting that while uncertainty continued to increase on net, fewer firms noted a rise this quarter than last quarter, according to the survey.

On average, respondents expect US crude oil and natural gas prices to be higher at year-end than they were in June.

Executives see the US oil benchmark, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), at $77 per barrel by year-end 2023, with responses ranging from $60 to $100 per barrel. For reference, WTI spot prices averaged $69.89 per barrel during the survey collection period.

Participants see a Henry Hub natural gas price of $2.97 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) at year-end. Henry Hub spot prices averaged $2.03 per MMBtu during the survey period.

Across all firms, 60% of executives expect drilling and completion costs per well to end the year higher than where they were at year-end 2022, while 28% expect them to be lower. Generally, larger firms expect lower costs, with 42% of executives at larger

Oil and gas activity in the top-producing US shale basin was unchanged in the second quarter, while operators and oilfield services providers continued to report uncertainties regarding regulations and the near-term outlook amid lower oil and gas prices and growing challenges in access to capital as interest rates rise.

firms said they expect their firm’s drilling and completion costs per well to be slightly lower, with another 4% expecting costs will be significantly lower. On the other hand, smaller firms generally expect their drilling and completion costs at year-end 2023 to be higher than at year-end 2022.

Assessing the rising interest rates and tighter credit conditions this year, services firms and small E&P firms are more likely to expect significant impacts relative to large E&P firms. Twenty-four per cent of support services companies expect a significant impact, compared with 22% from small E&P companies and 13% for large E&P companies.

“Natural gas prices are unsustainable, and if they stay at this level for the better part of 2023, it is going to do great damage to our ability to provide natural gas in the future. If we lose the low-producing wells, they aren’t coming back,” and E&P executive said in comments to the survey.

Another executive commented, “Our country’s leadership for the last two years has created a lot of uncertainty in the energy sector. The crystal ball says that this same leadership over the next two years will maintain that uncertainty and it will grow exponentially.”

A third one added, “Commodity pricing continues to soften, while operating costs have continued to increase and stay at elevated levels, which has led to a continued narrowing of profitability. Regulatory uncertainty remains an issue.”

Industry Hopes for Progress on Permitting Reform

The American Petroleum Institute (API) applauded the bipartisan debt limit bill Congress passed in early June.

“We applaud the Congress for passing the debt limit bill that includes important progress on permitting reform. Our current system for reviewing the infrastructure projects that fuel our economy and support our way of life did not become an endless gauntlet of bureaucratic hurdles overnight, and it will take more than one step to develop a workable process,” API President and CEO Mike Sommers said in a statement

“This is a positive start, and we look forward to continuing to work with policymakers on both sides of the aisle to build on this progress.”

"We applaud the Congress for passing the debt limit bill that includes important progress on permitting reform. Our current system for reviewing the infrastructure projects that fuel our economy and support our way of life did not become an endless gauntlet of bureaucratic hurdles overnight, and it will take more than one step to develop a workable process"

Upstream, Oilfield Services Employment Rises

Upstream oil and natural gas employment in Texas surged by 6,900 jobs in May, the highest single-month reported job growth in the 33 years of data available from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), the Texas Oil & Gas Association (TXOGA) said in June.

The job additions in May bring the total upstream oil and natural gas job count in Texas above 200,000 – at around 206,000 – for the first time in more than three years. Upstream in this statistics includes oil and gas extraction and support activities for mining, and excludes midstream and downstream sectors such as pipelines and refining.

Since the COVID-low point of September of 2020, the Texas upstream industry has added 49,000 jobs. May 2023 jobs were up by 22,700, or 12.4% higher compared to May of 2022. Months with an increase in upstream oil and natural gas employment have outnumbered months with a decrease by 28 to 4.

Oil and natural gas jobs pay among the highest wages in Texas with employers in oil and natural gas paying an average salary of approximately $115,000 in 2022, TXOGA says.

“Texas remains a powerhouse of production and all sectors of our economy benefit from robust activity,” Todd Staples, President of the Texas Oil & Gas Association, said, commenting on the employment figures.

“Texas remains a powerhouse of production and all sectors of our economy benefit from robust activity. These numbers reported for May are the highest in decades and push upstream employment numbers above the 200,000 mark for the first time since 2020. Despite a slowdown in rig count and concerns about the global economy, the world remains dependent on the tremendous resources produced every day by dedicated men and women in the oil patch.”

“These numbers reported for May are the highest in decades and push upstream employment numbers above the 200,000 mark for the first time since 2020. Despite a slowdown in rig count and concerns about the global economy, the world remains dependent on the tremendous resources produced every day by dedicated men and women in the oil patch.”

Employment in the oilfield services and equipment sector across the United States rose by 4,385 jobs to 665,213 in May 2023—its highest level since March of 2020, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and analysis by the Energy Workforce & Technology Council.

The OFS sector has added 35,937 jobs in the past 12 months and the increase in employment in May continues to bring the oilfield services and equipment industry closer to the pre-pandemic numbers of 706,528 jobs in February 2020.

“The oilfield services sector is thriving and welcoming new talent across numerous specialties,” said Energy Workforce & Technology Council CEO Leslie Beyer.

“For the past year, our sector has added almost 40,000 jobs, and it is still hiring.” 

API President and CEO Mike Sommers

Todd Staples, President of the Texas Oil & Gas Association

MIDDLE EAST Energy Review

By Tsvetana Paraskova

OPEC Ministerial Meeting at any time to address market developments, whenever deemed necessary.

Saudi Arabia surprises the market again

showed earlier this year that the Saudis needed at least $80 per barrel oil to balance their budget for 2023.

OPEC+ extends cuts through 2024

The OPEC+ group agreed in early June to extend the ongoing crude oil production cuts until the end of 2024 and tweaked the quotas for African OPEC members Nigeria and Angola, who have long been underperforming compared to their quotas. One of the biggest producers in the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), got its output quota raised by around 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) for 2024, to 3.219 million bpd. The production level for Russia, which was at par with the Saudi quota until June, was lowered to 9.828 million bpd in view of its pledge to cut 500,000 bpd and the effect of the Western sanctions on Russia’s oil industry. Saudi Arabia will have a quota of 10.478 million bpd for next year, the OPEC+ ministerial meeting decided.

The OPEC+ meeting also decided to grant the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) the authority to hold additional meetings, or to request an OPEC and non-

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While the OPEC+ alliance collectively decided to extend the current cuts – originally planned to end in December 2023 – into next year, the biggest producer in OPEC and the world’s largest crude oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, announced a unilateral voluntary cut of 1 million bpd for July 2023, “to support the market.” The Saudi cut could be extended beyond July, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said.

After the OPEC+ meeting in Vienna on June 4, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said, referring to Russia, “We discussed with Russia the issue of its production and asked it to clarify its data, and we have strengthened the concept of transparency with Russia about its oil production figures.”

Some analysts saw in the unilateral decision from Saudi Arabia a reluctance from other OPEC and OPEC+ producers to continue cutting production in order to support market balances and oil prices.

Neither Saudi Arabia nor OPEC admit they are aiming at a specific price of oil, but estimates from the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

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Between mid-April and the end of June, Brent oil prices lingered in the mid- to low$70s per barrel, due to concerns about the global economy and the possibility that recessions would depress oil demand while economic data out of China pointed to an uneven recovery.

The latest Saudi cut could also suggest that the Kingdom is worried about lower-thanexpected demand, some analysts say. Some traders and analysts have interpreted the proactive Saudi cut as an admission that demand may not be as strong as initially expected.

But others believe the production cut will tighten the market so much in the second half of the year that prices will rise toward the end of 2023 to above $80 per barrel, and even $90 and $100.

A day after the OPEC+ meeting and the surprise Saudi cut, the Kingdom surprised the market again by raising the official selling price (OSP) of its flagship crude grade Arab Light for July for Asia by $0.45 per barrel to a premium of $3.00 over the Oman/Dubai average, off which Middle East crude for Asia is priced.

Saudi Arabia’s surprise new production cut, OPEC were the highlights of the oil and gas sector in the Middle East in the past month.

The price hike from Saudi Arabia was unexpected; Asian refiners had expected lower prices for Arab Light in July in a Reuters poll. The poll, however, was carried out before the OPEC+ meeting at which Saudi Arabia said it would cut production in July.

OPEC Affirms Oil Demand Outlook Despite Higher Economic Uncertainty

A week later, OPEC affirmed its forecast of global oil demand growth for 2023, but warned of increased economic uncertainties stemming from inflation and higher interest rates.

In its closely-watched  Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) for June, OPEC said it expected global oil demand to grow by 2.35 million barrels per day (bpd) this year. The growth forecast was essentially unchanged from the 2.33 million bpd estimate in the previous month’s report.

Most of the oil demand growth will come from non-OECD economies, where oil demand is expected to rise by around 2.3 million bpd, while OECD oil demand will increase by only 50,000 bpd, OPEC said in the latest report.

The organisation kept its oil demand growth forecast for 2023 unchanged for a fourth straight month, but warned of higher risks for the global economy. Economic growth is expected at 2.6% this year, unchanged from the May report, but OPEC noted that “While economic activities have been steady so far in the 1H22, the global economy continues to navigate through uncertainties including high inflation, higher interest rates in the US and the Euro-zone, and high debt levels in many regions.”

“There are rising uncertainties regarding economic growth in 2H23 amid ongoing high inflation, already elevated key interest rates and tight labour markets,” OPEC said. “Moreover, it is still unclear as to how and when the geopolitical conflict in Eastern Europe might be resolved,” the cartel said, referring to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

So far this year, the positive effects of China’s reopening have continued to support global economic growth, and the resilient US growth has also helped.

In the second half of 2023, oil demand in the non-OECD is forecast to grow on average by 2.2 million bpd year-on-year, with China remaining the largest contributor to demand growth, OPEC noted.

Upsides to the economic and oil demand growth could come from “an even strongerthan-anticipated rebound in China” as well as the US keeping the growth momentum and managing at the same time a soft landing after all the rate hikes, OPEC said.

Middle East company deals

In company news, the United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) announced it had supported a strategic collaboration agreement between ADNOC, John Cockerill Hydrogen, and Strata Manufacturing, to manufacture electrolysers in the UAE for local use and for export.

“The agreement will be particularly beneficial to the field of hydrogen, which represents one of the most important future industries and underpins a greener economy,” said Omar Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of the UAE’s Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology.

In Qatar, state-owned firm QatarEnergy celebrated in early June the steel cutting of the first of its new generation of chartered LNG vessels to be constructed in a Korean shipyard. QatarEnergy decided in 2020 to enter into Ship Slot Reservation Agreements with three Korean shipyards: Samsung Heavy Industries, Hyundai Heavy Industries, Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering. In 2022, QatarEnergy signed multiple Time Charter Parties with various shipowners, including affiliates of JP Morgan Asset Management, a fund investing in a wide array of transportation assets.

In late June 2023, QatarEnergy signed definitive agreements with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) for the long-term supply of LNG to China and partnership in the North Field East LNG expansion project (NFE).

Under the agreements, QatarEnergy will deliver 4 million tons of LNG per annum from the NFE project to CNPC’s receiving terminals in China over a span of 27 years, which is the industry’s longest-term sales and purchase agreement. The two parties also signed a share sale and purchase agreement pursuant to which QatarEnergy will transfer to CNPC a 5% interest in the equivalent of one NFE train with a capacity of 8 million tons per annum. This transfer will see CNPC become a partner in the NFE project and will not affect the participating interests of any of the other shareholders in the project, the Qatari firm said. 

“We discussed with Russia the issue of its production and asked it to clarify its data, and we have strengthened the concept of transparency with Russia about its oil production figures.”

“The agreement will be particularly beneficial to the field of hydrogen, which represents one of the most important future industries and underpins a greener economy,”

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman

Omar Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of the UAE’s Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology.

(Photo Credit Marco Sabadin/ AFP via Getty Images)

BRENT OIL PRICES OVER THE YEARS

THE DIGITAL MEDIA STRATEGIST

Building Digital Communities:

These communities serve as virtual spaces where professionals share industry insights, discuss emerging trends, and seek solutions to common challenges.

1 Year Ago – $115.86

Oil prices began to drop in July as fresh Covid-19 curbs in China, the world’s biggest crude importer, and fears of a global economic slowdown weighed on the demand outlook. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused prices to soar, but it began sliding back to pre-invasion levels in July.

By Eric Doyle

We are in the midst of the biggest evolution in modern commerce since the industrial revolution. Sales, Marketing and Business development has evolved more in the last 3 years than it has in the last 30 years… yet the entire subject of digital and social is ignored by hirers.

The same flat, uninspiring list of basic requirements from Sales, Marketing and BD job adverts for the last 40 years…

“Car wanted, must have wheels and engine…”

By actively participating in these communities, professionals can establish themselves as thought leaders, gain visibility, and build credibility within their respective fields. Furthermore, these communities provide fertile ground for networking, lead generation, and potential business collaborations. Digital and social media skills empower professionals to convert their network growth and digital community engagement into tangible commercial interactions.

A study by BCG found that 75% of B2B buyers use social media to support their purchase decisions, and 84% of C-level and VP-level buyers are influenced by social media when considering suppliers.

This underscores the significance of having a strong digital presence and actively engaging with potential clients through relevant content, thought leadership, and relationship-building activities.

Investing in Digital and Social Media Training:

5 Years Ago – $71.99

Oil prices fell after the President of the United States at the time, Donald Trump, sent a tweet demanding that OPEC reduce prices for crude. President Trump also used his social media to talk about Saudi Arabia; suggesting the country should increase its oil production.

If we are hiring people to help us grow in the 2020’s, we must be sure and hire people who have the digital and social media skills to network, prospect, create influence, and grow relationships online.

They also need to understand and have the skills to convert all of this into valuable commercial interaction.

If you don’t do this, you are hiring yet more people who will plug into your organisations and fail to deliver, all whilst eating away at your precious overhead.

Hiring the digital first Sales. Marketing and Business development professionals is a leadership imperative now and for the future. This begs the question, where do you start..?

Hiring for digital and social skills in sales and business development

Given the significant impact of digital and social media on B2B buying decisions, it is crucial for organisations to invest in training their teams. Engineers, Human Resources, Sales, HSE, Quality, Marketing, Operations, the leadership team…everyone has a vital role to play in your digital commercial future.

By providing comprehensive training programs, businesses can equip their teams with the necessary skills to navigate the digital landscape effectively.

Training should encompass social media strategy development, content creation, analytics, engagement techniques and most importantly, how to convert all of this into conversations that turn to commercial interaction.

10 Years Ago – $109.67

There were concerns over a looming Chinese economic slowdown and decadeshigh oil output in the United States. Despite this, the price stayed over the $107 mark due to a weak US dollar and several supply disruptions. The dollar hovered near more than a one-month low against major currencies and China’s manufacturing market hit an 11-month low.

Perform a full Commercial Activity Risk Assessment of where your Sales, Marketing and Bd activity is right now. Not a little half an hour discussion at the end of a Sales meeting, this is important.

We see the best success when organisations make this an internal improvement project and have Quality, HR, Ops and Finance involved. Really opening the ‘box’ that is Sales, Marketing and Business Development to same level of improvement scrutiny we give our other critical business processes.

In the digital world of B2B commerce, the rules have changed and so has the language so, we need to be thinking differently:

Moreover, organisations should encourage continuous learning and adaptation to stay abreast of the ever-evolving digital landscape. In a world driven by digital connectivity, professionals armed with robust digital and social media skills are poised for success. These skills empower individuals to grow their networks, build thriving digital communities, and convert these interactions into valuable commercial opportunities.

As B2B buyers increasingly rely on digital and social media for supplier choices, organisations must recognise the transformative power of digital and social media skills and invest in training their crossfunctional teams accordingly.

By doing so, you will unlock new growth channels, establish yourselves as industry leaders, and become the digitally dominant voice of your sector…and that's just the start.

Eric Doyle is the Managing Director of The OGV Studio, a Digital Media Strategy company whose mission is to Energise your Media for growth. Eric is a Fellow of the Institute of Sales Professionals.

DO YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE THE DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA SKILLS REQUIRED FOR GROWTH..?

“GOOD MEDIA MAKES PEOPLE VISIBLE, GREAT MEDIA MAKES THEM THE LEADERS IN THEIR SECTORS...”

NTOKON OIL AND GAS DISCOVERY NIGERIA

TotalEnergies

$250 million

TotalEnergies has announced the Ntokon oil and gas discovery on OML102 offshore Nigeria. The Ntokon-1AX discovery well encountered 38 metres of net oil pay and 15 metres of net gas pay, whereas the Ntokon-1G1 sidetrack well encountered 73 metres of net oil pay. The discovery is planned to be developed as a tie-back to the existing facilities at Ofon Field.

JOHAN CASTBERG FIELD NORWAY

Equinor

$6.19 billion

Aker Solutions has been awarded a contract to supply its Submersible Wireless Installer for Tubing (SWIFT) technology to Johan Castberg Field. The SWIFT deployment scope includes 18 tubing hanger installations at the field. SWIFT is expected to eliminate the need for 60 tonnes of topside equipment, as well as associated maintenance and transport. Activities are expected to start in June 2024 and continue for two years.

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www.eicdatastream.the-eic.com

TINAMÚ-1 DISCOVERY OIL DISCOVERY COLOMBIA

Ecopetrol

$100 million

Ecopetrol and Repsol have announced a new oil discovery at the Tinamú-1 wildcat well, located in Block CPO-9, in Colombia's Meta department. The well was drilled to a depth of 2,400 metres and both companies intend to execute a testing phase to further explore and quantify the resources. Initial tests produced a total of 7,329 barrels of 16° API.

Energy projects and business intelligence in the energy sector

The EIC delivers high-value market intelligence through its online energy project database, and via a global network of staff to provide qualified regional insight. Along with practical assistance and facilitation services, the EIC’s access to information keeps members one step ahead of the competition in a demanding global marketplace.

BÚZIOS OIL FIELD (PHASE 11 - P-83 FPSO) BRAZIL

Petrobras

$3.5 billion

Petrobras has awarded OneSubsea a contract that requires the installation, commissioning and maintenance of 15 wet christmas trees (WCTs). The contract scope also includes the delivery of electrohydraulic distribution units, the Drill Pipe Riser system and specialised offshore service fronts. The value of the deal is of between US$100mn and US$200mn. The equipment will be manufactured at OneSubsea's base in Taubaté, São Paulo.

The EIC is the leading Trade Association providing dedicated services to help members understand, identify and pursue business opportunities globally.

It is renowned for excellence in the provision of services that unlock opportunities for its members, helping the supply chain to win business across the globe.

The EIC provides one of the most comprehensive sources of energy projects and business intelligence in the energy sector today.

SWING – BAB, NORTHEAST BAB AND SOUTHEAST FIELDS

UAE ADNOC

$400 million

ADNOC Onshore has awarded CPECC the EPCM contract for Project Swing. The project involves refurbishing the existing facilities located at the Bab, Northeast Bab and Southeast fields. The project will increase the oil and gas processing capacity at the fields by at least 20%. The project is expected to come online after 39 months.

ZAMA OIL FIELD MEXICO

PEMEX

$2.2 billion

Mexico's National Hydrocarbons Commission (CNH) has approved Zama's development plan under which Pemex intends to invest a total of US$4.5bn throughout the field's life cycle. About US$2.2bn will be invested by ends of 2025 in the installation of the platforms and in putting the first producing well on stream.

APHRODITE GAS FIELD CYPRUS

Chevron

$3 billion

Chevron and its partners have submitted an updated development plan to the Cypriot government for approval. The new plan will see gas exported to Egypt via construction of a subsea pipeline that will connect the reservoir in Cyprus to existing production infrastructure in Egypt. The plan comprises an initial three well project, supplying gas to Egyptian subsea facilities near coast via a pipeline between 260 and 390 kilometres long, with output peaking at 600 MMcf/d. Currently, the size of the reservoir is estimated at 4.4 Tcf.

DOVER FIELD DEVELOPMENT PROJECT USA

Shell

$350 million

Shell has awarded TechnipFMC an engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) contract for the SPS and SURF scopes associated with the Dover development. The contract covers the supply of subsea trees in addition to the EPCI of umbilical, riser, and flowline systems. The contract is worth US$75-250m.

SAFANIYA, ZULUF, BERRI, MARJAN, HASBAH, RIBYAN, QATIF AND ABU SAFAH FIELDSBROWNFIELD DEVELOPMENT - LONG TERM AGREEMENT (LTA) PROGRAMME SAUDI ARABIA

Aramco

$9 billion

COOEC has confirmed that it has been awarded the contract for CRPO 122 which is for the EPCI of 13 offshore jackets for the Safaniya field. Saipem has been awarded the CRPO 124 contract by Saudi Aramco which focuses on the Marjan oil field. The scope of work includes the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) of five offshore jackets and five production deck modules intended for the Manifa field.

F27, F22 AND SELASIH GAS FIELDS DEVELOPMENT MALAYSIA

Shell

$250 million

OceanMight Sdn Bhd and RNZ Integrated (M) Sdn Bhd has been awarded a contract for the provision of EPC of standard wellhead platforms for MLNG FAS gas field development. The FaS project will include will be developed as a tie-back development with one well drilled from an unmanned wellhead platform. The wellhead platform will have an output of 100MMcf/d of gas from F27 and Selasih fields. The F22 will have an output of 150MMcf/d.

JASMINE OIL FIELD THAILAND

Valeura Energy

$100 million

Valeura Energy has secured an extension for Modec’s FPF-003 FPSO deployed on the Jasmine oil field. The charter of FPSO and Petrofac's contract for the provision of operating and maintenance services for the floater have both been extended by five years until the end of 2028.

LAKE ALBERT DEVELOPMENT - BLOCK 1 AND 2 (TILENGA) UGANDA

TotalEnergies

$2.2 billion

Expro Group has secured a five-year well intervention and integrity contract worth over US$30mn. The contract covers slickline services, and work will commence in Q2 2023. It will initially support drilling, followed by production optimisation, integrity and well workover support.

Skills and Training for the Energy Industry of the Future

Skilled and trained workforce is critical to global energy supply now and will continue to be key in the energy transition as more renewable energy sources are being deployed around the world. The right skill set and proper training or retraining can ensure smoother transition for both the energy industry and the employees.

Currently, there are skills gaps in data science and digitalisation in the energy industry, while another gap is emerging in the talent pool for the renewable energy industry. Oil and gas workers are generally paid more than those in renewables which does not help the clean energy sector attract skilled talent from the fossil fuels sector.

The renewable energy industry needs hundreds of thousands of skilled workforce if the UK, the EU, or the US have a chance to meet net-zero goals and install much higher solar and wind power capacity than they are currently having installed.

Safety and Skills

The keys to the UK’s vision for the energy industry in 2030 are safety, skills, and sustainability, according to Alex Spencer, Director of Operations at OPITO, the global skills body for the energy industry.

While the UK has a target of having 50 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind installed by 2030, with up to 5 GW coming from floating offshore wind, oil and gas will continue to deliver the energy it needs, and in a more sustainable way, Spencer wrote in an opinion piece at the end of May.

“For us, safety is the number one issue in any vision of the energy industry’s future. It is essential to ensure that our workforce has the right training and that this training has safety at its core,” Spencer noted.

“Our health and safety record across high risk industries is now one of the best in the world. But we must never become complacent. Quite simply, we want to ensure that our 2030 energy workforce can continue to go to work and come home safely to their families.”

Skills and Net Zero

Earlier this year, OPITO and the Aberdeen-based National Energy Skills Accelerator (NESA) announced a partnership aimed at providing clarity and support to both the workforce and employers looking to maximise the opportunities presented by the energy transition.

NESA is a collaborative initiative between Robert Gordon University, the University of Aberdeen and North East Scotland College and is supported by key partners Skills Development Scotland and Energy Transition Zone Ltd.

“The collaborative Energy Skills Passport project is being delivered through a £5 million grant from the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Fund and aims to streamline the transfer of skills and address the lack of recognition of cross-sector skills,” OPITO said in February.

“The Passport will display an individual worker’s current qualifications and the required credentials to transition into another energy sector, supporting oil and gas workers move to another energy sector.”

John McDonald, CEO of OPITO, said,

“We recognise that there is much to do to streamline the skills landscape and ensure training is safe, effective and accessible to meet the demands of an integrated energy sector. Meeting this challenge will require renewed focus on collaboration and that is why our partnership with NESA is an important step to realising this ambition.”

Despite the higher skill requirements in most cases, jobs in renewables are not paying more than high-carbon jobs, which “is problematic for attracting workers into low-carbon jobs,” a  study by London School of Economics’ Grantham Research Institute has found recently.

By comparing job vacancy data from the US and UK, the study found that across the US and UK, jobs in clean energy have greater requirements for technical, managerial, and social skills compared with other jobs. Low-carbon jobs require higher-level IT and cognitive skills too, which are also in high demand due to the ongoing digital transformation.

“The emerging skill gap resulting from the low-carbon transition is therefore larger and broader than previously considered,” the authors of the study noted.

Moreover, “The lack of a positive wage premium in recent years despite these jobs having higher skill requirements is problematic for attracting workers into low-carbon jobs,” according to the study.

Net Zero and Skills/Wage Gap

Across Europe, a skills gap could be a constraint in the energy transition.

For example, the WindEurope association said in April that the offshore wind workforce in Europe alone would need to grow from 80,000 today to 250,000 by 2030 if Europe wants to achieve its energy transition and offshore wind installation targets.

“Investments alone don’t manufacture blades, navigate vessels or operate wind farms. Above all, national Governments must support build up the necessary skills base,” the association added.

To address the shortage of talent, renewable energy trade associations and representatives of installers of clean technologies, with the support of the European Commission, have set up a large-scale skills partnership for the renewable energy industries.

In 2020, around 1.3 million people were employed in the EU renewable energy sector, but if the EU wants to meet its target under

the REPowerEU plan, it will require the creation of over 3.5 million jobs by 2030, the European Commission said.

In the UK, the government is funding training courses and programmes to boost numbers of skilled retrofit, energy efficiency and heat pump installers.

In offshore wind, the UK has the advantage of an early-mover, but unless development and approval processes are sped up, and the skills and expertise of the existing offshore oil and gas workforce are transferred, the UK could lose this advantage, Offshore Energies UK’s Supply Chain and People Director Katy Heidenreich says

“We must work together to engineer for a successful, sustainable energy future that not only builds on our current offshore energy skills, but harnesses our existing supply chain for a healthy, diverse energy future,” Heidenreich added.

The UK’s existing offshore wind workforce has increased to over 32,000, including more than 17,000 direct jobs and nearly 15,000 indirect jobs, a new report by the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) showed in June. In the short-to-medium term, a rapid growth in jobs is needed as several offshore wind farms progress to the construction phase

– 88,509 jobs are forecast to be required by 2026, which is over 56,000 more than today’s workforce.

The industry will require 104,401 people by 2030 to meet current targets – an increase of 6,936 since last year’s forecast, OWIC says.

“To ensure we can meet the existing ambition, it’s essential for us to work right across our own industry, across adjacent industries with transferable skills, and with the next generation, to make offshore wind an attractive career choice for people from the widest range of backgrounds and with a whole variety of different skill sets,” said Jane Cooper, Director of Offshore Wind at RenewableUK, commenting on the report.

Earlier this year, a survey by UK-based Energy Systems Catapult showed that there is a digital and data skills gap in the energy sector. At least 40% of surveyed businesses in the energy sector found it difficult to hire data scientists with the skills needed to meet the challenges of a data-led future, the survey found. 39% of companies in the energy sector had teams of four or fewer data scientists, while 68% of the data science teams were created in the past five years.

Among data scientists, 95% believe the most common modeling technique implemented is forecasting.

Survey respondents highlighted the relative immaturity of the adoption of data science within the energy industry in comparison to other sectors such as FinTech, for example.

“This is despite an increasing need and demand for the technical skills and experience of data scientists to overcome the challenges faced by organisations in the pursuit of Net Zero,” Energy Systems Catapult said.

“We expect that as the opportunities from the energy sector become more evident, there will be a rapid uptick in organisations trying to build their data capabilities. We have already witnessed the gradual occurrence of this over the last five years, and as this is ramped up, it will put further stress on recruitment and training,” said Dr Stephen Haben, Digital & Data Consultant at Energy Systems Catapult.

“If we do not demonstrate the exciting challenges facing the industry or provide the necessary upskilling to the next generation of data scientists, then the energy industry risks losing out to other sectors such as social media and FinTech,” Haben added. 

WITH ZYNQ

The ZynQ 360 team capture the physical characteristics of your asset and convert them into a detailed digital twin. Providing a realistic training environment within our secure, cloud-based platform that can:

EXCELLING IN ISO COMPLIANCE AND BEYOND: BROADENING HORIZONS WITH QHSE ABERDEEN'S TRAINING COURSES

In today's competitive business landscape, organisations strive for excellence across various domains, including Quality, Health & Safety, Environmental and Information Security Management. QHSE Aberdeen, a leading training provider, offers a comprehensive array of courses designed to empower professionals and organisations in their pursuit of excellence.

This article explores QHSE Aberdeen's ISO Auditor courses while also highlighting additional training opportunities available through its diverse curriculum.

QHSE Aberdeen is renowned for its specialisation in Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment (QHSE) courses. The following ISO Auditor courses (all courses are designed for Foundation, Internal or Lead) provided by QHSE Aberdeen enable professionals to excel in compliance auditing:

Incident Investigation Training:

Focused on investigating workplace incidents, this course enables participants to conduct thorough investigations, identify root causes, and implement preventive measures. It emphasises incident reporting, evidence collection, and post-incident analysis.

Safety Leadership Training:

This training program aims to develop effective safety leaders within organisations. Participants learn leadership techniques, communication strategies, and behavioural approaches to foster a safety-conscious culture.

Environmental Sustainability Training:

Addressing environmental concerns, this course provides knowledge on sustainable practices, resource conservation, and compliance with environmental regulations. It covers topics such as carbon footprint reduction, waste management, and renewable energy initiatives.

Quality Assurance Training:

This course focuses on implementing quality management systems and achieving operational excellence. Participants learn about quality assurance principles, process optimization, and customer satisfaction measurement techniques.

Feedback from Participants:

ISO 9001:2015

Foundation/Auditor/Lead Auditor Course:

This course focuses on quality management systems (QMS) based on ISO 9001:2015. Participants gain expertise in conducting audits, identifying non-conformities, and providing recommendations for continual improvement.

ISO 14001:2015

Foundation/Auditor/Lead Auditor Course:

Tailored for environmental management system (EMS) auditors, this course explores ISO 14001:2015 requirements. Participants learn to evaluate environmental performance, identify potential risks, and suggest sustainable practices.

ISO 45001:2018

Foundation/Auditor/Lead Auditor Course:

This course is designed for occupational health and safety management systems (OH&SMS) auditors, emphasising ISO 45001:2018 standards. Participants acquire skills in auditing OH&S performance, assessing risks, and recommending improvements.

ISO 27001 Foundation/Auditor/Lead Auditor Course:

This course targets professionals involved in auditing information security management systems (ISMS) based on ISO 27001:2013. Participants learn to assess information security risks, evaluate controls, and propose enhancements.

Additional Training Opportunities at QHSE Aberdeen:

In addition to the ISO Auditor courses, QHSE Aberdeen offers extensive training programs to meet diverse industry needs. Some of the notable courses available on their website training page include:

Risk Management Training:

This course equips professionals with the skills to identify, assess, and manage risks within their organisations. It covers risk analysis techniques, mitigation strategies, and the development of effective risk management frameworks.

Here are a few testimonials from participants who have benefited from QHSE Aberdeen's training programs…

ISO 9001 Lead Auditor Course

“Lee is a great Trainer. Happy to explain further when unsure of context”

ISO 9001 Internal Auditor Course

“Enjoyable Course, Thorough, well explained”

IMS Internal Auditor Course

“Excellent Course, Well delivered. Correct length and detail level”

Emma - Sustainability Coordinator:

"The Environmental Sustainability Training offered by QHSE Aberdeen was enlightening. The instructors were knowledgeable and passionate about sustainable practices. This training has helped us implement impactful initiatives and reduce our environmental footprint."

QHSE ABERDEEN’s client Mitosis Digital Technologies, who gained ISO 9001 Quality and ISO 27001 Information Security Management Systems last quarter, explains why they chose these standards and what difference it will make to their business.

“Obtaining the ISO certifications has enabled Mitosis Digital Technologies to improve its operations through the implementation of effective processes to manage information security risks, increase customer confidence and build on an already impressive track record of customer satisfaction.

As digital construction specialists, Mitosis is hoping the ISO accreditation will provide a competitive advantage in the marketplace, attracting new clients into the world of 4D visualisation and the benefits of digital construction.

Huge thanks to QHSE Aberdeen for helping us achieve the double accreditation – we couldn’t have done it without you!”

New Product Development ramps up as Re-Gen Robotics positions itself for next phase of growth

Re-Gen Robotics is preparing for the launch of its next product generation in terms of its service offering, later this year. The proven successes of its current robotic equipment and the focus on adding more value in the industry with new technologies, is laying the foundation for future business growth.

The company, founded in 2018, is already a leader in the Oil & Gas terminal sector with its intelligent and patented no man entry tank cleaning technologies. Re-Gen Robotics counts numerous global oil majors as customers, and the company is working hard to strengthen further its leadership position and conquer new markets.

Re-Gen Robotics continues to think bigger with this current round of NPD projects and is reinforcing its leadership in the tank cleaning sector by delivering the most efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly cleaning process available on the market. Robotic tank cleaning features a closed loop cleaning circuit, permitting highly efficient hydrocarbon recovery to protect the environment.

Concentrating the team’s expertise on two core challenges, they have committed to further increasing the speed and efficiency of de-sludging heavy crude tanks and to reclaiming as much valuable hydrocarbon material from the crude sludge as possible.

Re-Gen Robotics’ Managing Director Aidan Doherty says that the team; “is busy designing new cleaning heads for the ATEX robot including a steam injection head which will inject steam into heavy crude materials in order to heat it and liquify it. This will ensure the crude material is pumpable and will help increase the spend and efficiency of the tank de-sludge.

“We are also working on a number of specific redesign elements to increase efficiency with regards to the dedicated control room that will

decrease mobilisation time at site ensuring we set up more efficiently and that every clean, no matter what category of tank is remotely controlled with permanent visual connection, he said.”

Increased speed and efficiency are being delivered through mixed injection systems which allow Robotics operators to use not just cutting agent and hot water in order to improve the pumpability of oily sludges, but also in injection of steam. This introduction of more heat, together with efficient methods to promote the transfer of that heat to the sludge which is being mobilised, form one aspect of the Robotics team’s strategy for improved customer service.

The Re-Gen Robotics team have also identified the potential to offer their clients increased benefits by developing an economically useful alternative to the conventional disposal of petroleum sludge, with reduced impact on the environment. Through the development of innovative disposal approaches and new applications for petroleum sludge, Re-Gen Robotics believes this disposal problem can be overcome.

Recycling has proven to be an important alternative to simple disposal of petroleum sludge. Recycling allows the reprocessing and reformulation of oily sludge for energy recovery. It will positively reduce the volume of hazardous petroleum sludge from storage tanks and decrease environmental pollution and the economic consumption of non-renewable energy resources.

At present Re-Gen Robotics’ R&D Team are investigating and trialling a type of vertical centrifuge system which will enable their crews to separate solids and liquids to reduce waste volume for disposal and recover viable hydrocarbon materials for clients use.

Centrifugation treatment is an advanced, clean and efficient method for petroleum sludge treatment, which does not require high energy consumption. In this method a pre-treated petroleum sludge is drawn through high-speed rotating equipment with strong centrifugal forces to break up its elements according to their different densities. Pre-treatment of the sludge is carried out to reduce its viscosity and enhance the centrifugation performance and save energy.

Their NPD Department has given Re-Gen Robotics greater agility in the development of new products and prototyping and will push even further their research around the different technologies they can use to offer breakthrough tank cleaning technology that will add value to their customers’ bottom line.

According to Mr Doherty, they are developing a growing range of approaches which will enable them to tackle a wider range of sludge compositions rapidly and effectively; “Since we began offering our services in 2019, oil companies that we have partnered with have appreciated and recognised our considerable technical knowledge and on the job expertise and they have full trust in us to continue to engineer the no man entry, autonomous tank cleaning robots of the future.” 

At Quensh, we understand the importance of training and the benefit it brings to your organisation. We have various training courses suitable for all levels of experience, with a sample shown below:

IOSH Managing Safely Incident Investigation

This is a great introduction to a health and safety qualification in the workplace for supervisors, managers, and directors.

In-depth training to highlight the importance of incident investigations and provide your team with the knowledge of how to cope if an incident was to occur.

For any training, HSEQ, ESG & HR Consultancy queries, please get in touch via our website / info@quenshspecialists.co.uk

AGR Training identifies industry skills gaps

It has leveraged existing knowledge of the industry to identify the areas causing the greatest issues for clients across a broad range of projects, establishing key partnerships to improve the level of training offered for contractors globally.

Within months of opening its doors the newlyestablished training division had supported more than 600 delegates through a variety of courses, including:

• Trainee ROV Pilot Program

• Greenhand Program

• ACO Program

• Blade Tech Programs

• Industry Safety Training Globally

• Verification and Competency Training

The Trainee ROV program, which has had an overwhelming response globally, has seen every attending candidate go on to support client operations upon completion.

AGRT’s efforts to tackle the skills shortage were borne out of its understanding of the importance of training and competency to its

clients and its ability to create an innovative service with the ability to identify, assess and manage training and competency for candidates and clients.

We are fully aware of the skill shortage across the energy sector, and this has played a huge part in the reason we have opened our new division. Acknowledging the extent of the skill shortage AGRT has been set up to be proactive, not only to support the Training and Competency Requirements but to explore the promotion of the energy market as a carrier for the next generation.

Training and technical programmes are a way of collaborating with our clients to transition skill sets. AGRT have developed several bespoke Training Programs such as the ROV Training Program which has had an overwhelming response globally.

AGRT has also been building its relationships to provide skills with higher and further education institutions and with those who are leaving the military. Enabling those attempting to transition to a new career to pay for training while actively working also makes the process more accessible and breaks down the barriers to entry that put many potential candidates off.

AGRT works with clients across the industry to identify and understand the internal bespoke competence and training requirements and develops interactive online Training Management System to manage all aspects of personnel. This bespoke Training Management System (TMS) has full client traceability and enables AGRT to run real-time reports, ensuring all training requirements are foreseen and scheduled around rotations.

While the work done to identify clients training needs at the outset enables us to marry our industry leading knowledge of the recruitment market with client’s upcoming project and operational requirements, our innovative partnership with AIS Survivex allows us to add meat to the bones of what is a new approach to the supply of energy industry personnel.

The agreement sees AIS Survivex provide all UK training and competency delivery for AGR’s new division, as well as helping identify and manage training globally via industryrecognised training partners.

Its been a tough few years for the energy industry, and with many workers having left the sector following the Covid pandemic, companies now considerable resourcing issues as activity now ramps up. This new approach addresses the issue head on to ensure a steady stream of fully compliant, skilled, safetyconscious personnel are available to employers as and when they need them.

But it is vital that we look to the future, too, in attracting new talent to the industry, which is why we’re establishing partnerships with universities and increasingly targeting those leaving the military and other sectors with transferrable skills.

Offering targeted training programmes and attracting new talent will be key to the development of new projects which are key to our collective net zero ambitions, but simplifying the offshore working requirements will represent a huge step forward too.

That’s why alignment of offshore safety and technical standards being progressed on behalf of industry will be a welcome boost to many who have the skills and capability to work across multiple sectors of our energy industry to contribute more broadly to the transition.

At every stage collaboration is key, and we must continue to pull together to realise the potential of the energy transition for our industry and our workforce. 

Last year saw Advance Global Recruitment diversify its service to the energy industry, with significant investment in an innovative new training division to tackle the skills shortages threatening major projects across all sectors of industry.

KNOWLEDGE FOR PREVENTION: E-LEARNING'S POWER IN PREVENTING THE NEXT MAJOR INCIDENT

By Mike Adams

In the drive to improve safety and minimise risk, some of the energy industry’s major incidents have proven to be its biggest catalysts for change. With this year marking 35 years since the Piper Alpha tragedy and with the Deepwater Horizon incident a more recent driver of change, our industry has made significant progress in keeping our people and the environment safe, but more needs to be done.

Norwell EDGE was founded in response to the UK government’s investigation into the Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico that claimed the lives of 11 people and resulted in the largest spill of oil in marine drilling history. The outcome of the investigation led to the development of the energy industry’s first comprehensive guidelines on the competency requirements of wells personnel by the Well Life Cycle Practices Forum.

This was the first time the industry had come together to recognise the key role that wells skills play in mitigating major accident hazards, and the demand for new methods to train, develop and measure competency for wells teams.

Our aim for Norwell EDGE was to develop a platform that would improve health, safety, environment, and quality (HSEQ) standards around the globe by broadening people’s technical understanding through easy and affordable access to quality training.

Norwell EDGE has built the industry’s only e-learning platform that aligns with each of these guidelines, and we are proud that many thousands of people around the world have benefited from access to the courses. Not only have we worked hard to open access to

operators and service companies but we have also partnered with universities globally to provide free access to thousands of students. However, we know much more can be done.

As an industry, we must work to ensure that all personnel, no matter their role, have a base understanding of the technical fundamentals that impact their work. From well construction through production, well integrity and on to decommissioning. We will all benefit from a workforce with more understanding and knowledge of technical principles.

A shift in approach to training in energy is needed. We must prioritise the transfer of knowledge to the workforce, and we must increase the flow of technical information outward. More information on even the very basic principles of well engineering, well control and well integrity will help to shift the momentum.

We need to empower everyone in our industry to play their part in major accident prevention, and possibly the biggest step we can take is opening up access to basic technical training and awareness like we have not done before. Giving open access to the information that can start to build a foundation of knowledge critical for keeping our wells, people and environment safe.

A modern approach to the old challenge of making learning stick

Given what we now know about how learners absorb knowledge, simply changing the content of training is not enough to achieve the change needed. It is widely accepted that attention spans have shortened in recent decades and younger generations need and benefit from the short, bitesize approach to learning that is designed to make sure information is retained. It’s that model which Norwell EDGE has been built around.

Interactivity, trial and error and exploration of scenarios in a safe environment are valuable learning tools which are best achieved with the use of blended e-learning techniques including testing, gamification, and media such as video. This blended learning method is proven to boost knowledge retention by more than 50% by repeating and reinforcing information in different ways, without overload.

Access and convenience is everything

Individuals want to learn at a time when they can focus and apply themselves to training and companies want to minimize operational impact which makes an e-learning platform that is accessible outside of the workplace, and at any time of day, an essential asset for engagement with training.

It’s unacceptable for quality e-learning on essential industry topics to be inaccessible or unaffordable for either individuals or companies in emerging or developing regions. We have worked hard to ensure our model creates a level playing-field for energy professionals around the world.

Building the strong foundations needed

To create a robust and continuous learning culture a re-think of not only training content but of the methods themselves is needed. Only then can we ensure that every organisation is developing the competencies throughout their teams that will enable people to have effective, safety-critical conversations that will help minimise the risk of a major incident.

We owe it to future generations to do everything we can to develop safety cultures in our organisations that provide people with the right knowledge and skills to effectively identify risks and be able to make the right decisions quickly when things do go wrong. Combining quality training and technology to deliver ongoing, repeatable learning will play a key role in achieving that. 

5-8 SEPTEMBER 2023, P&J LIVE, ABERDEEN

ACCELERATING THE TRANSITION TO A

BETTER

ENERGY FUTURE

Connecting you with the offshore energy industry

• Explore new opportunities in the Energy Transition Zone and Theatre, the Hydrogen Hub and the Offshore Wind Theatre

• Find solutions to recruitment and talent evolution in the Future Talent Hub

• Discover the latest technologies within the Innovative Technology Zone

• Attend SPE Keynote and Technical Sessions to learn more about the hottest topics with the industry’s big names

• Meet with world-class exhibitors from across the supply chain in the main exhibition REGISTER NOW offshore-europe.co.uk/OGV

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Xodus joins STEM Returners programme to address energy transition skills gap

STEM Returners is a leading organisation providing employers with talented professionals and helping them to view CV gaps in a different way. It sources candidates and provides them with additional support including advice, career coaching, and mentoring; ensuring applicants are ready and confident to return to work.

All candidates going through the programme have the opportunity to restart their career in a permanent position at the end of the initiative and be reintegrated into an inclusive work environment.

Xodus has joined the STEM Returners programme as it identified the need for a skilled workforce to support the energy transition. The company is committed to diversity and inclusion, and it is working tirelessly to close the gender pay gap within its organisation.

Natalie Desty, Director of STEM Returners, said: “The number of roles required by the energy industry to meet the UK’s net zero goals is growing across the sector, and there is a hidden workforce that can help fill those roles, but these people are often overlooked.

“People who have a had a career break face an uphill battle to return to the industry – there is a misconception that a gap on you CV leads to a deterioration of skills, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Many returners keep themselves updated with the developments from their industry and have advanced transferable skills that can benefit their employers.

“We want to help those who are finding it challenging to return to the sector, as well as supporting companies, to improve diversity and inclusion. We are very proud to be entering a new partnership with Xodus to provide an inclusive platform to bring professionals back to the industry and bridge the skills gap. Only by partnering with industry leaders like Xodus, which is already supporting the workforce of

tomorrow through its skills initiative X-Academy, will we make vital changes in STEM recruitment practices.”

Lee Edmonds-Ward, EMEA Head of Operations and People at Xodus, added: “As the world’s energy security remains at the top of the agenda, the global spend on decarbonisation methods such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrogen is ever increasing. It’s a pivotal and exciting time for the energy industry as it is on a growth trajectory. To capitalise on this, we must ensure the right resources are in place to maintain its upwards momentum, both in terms of infrastructure and having the necessary workforce.

“Together, we aim to deliver a responsible energy future, and a big part of that is working collaboratively with the wider industry and organisations such as STEM Returners to ensure that we have a strong pool of talented people ready to deliver the energy mix of tomorrow.

“We are absolutely committed to enabling a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace at Xodus. We are building an environment where people belong and are valued.”

STEM Returners has recently launched the 2023 STEM Returners Index, an annual survey which aims to understand STEM professionals’ experiences of trying to re-enter the sector after a career break. According to the survey, 66% of STEM professionals are finding the process of attempting to return to work either difficult or very difficult and nearly half (46%) of participants said they felt bias because of a lack of recent experience.

The STEM Returners project is supported by the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology and the Women’s Engineering Society. 

Global energy consultancy Xodus has joined a leading UK programme supporting professionals returning to the STEM workforce following a career break.

No business is the same. SO WHY SHOULD YOUR SOFTWARE TRAINING?

By Megan Saxton, Support and Platform Manager

In the Energy industry and in any industry for that matter, businesses share common goals and practices, but how businesses operate and how their people work are entirely different. So, when it comes to training teams on new software, a company’s culture and operations can play a significant factor in its effectiveness.

Arnlea’s software, Nexar, connects data from the field to the office in real-time and has been designed to be user-friendly, so no matter who is using Nexar, whether an inspector in the field or Operations Director in the office, anyone can use it without a fuss.

The majority of our clients operate in highrisk environments and to ensure their safety as well as proper business etiquette, our software is not just ‘simply’ handed over. Our team has an extensive track record of delivering customised training and ongoing support to our clients by recognising that a ‘one size fits all approach’ does not work.

Firstly, before any training commences, we configure the system in advance and populate any fields that suit your business processes. We then understand how your business operates: Are people offshore? Are people working from home?

Are they in different countries? We can then tailor a training program that accommodates your operational and staffing needs. Our training can be delivered online or offline, onshore or offshore. We have even delivered training on Vessels just off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, or in remote installations in the middle of Oman. Taking our client’s teams into consideration, we understand who is going to be using what and when. If they are simply app users or complete system users, our experienced team caters to and delivers training accordingly to a time scale that suits your workforce.

Software providers often fail to consider post ‘go-live’ operations and neglect communications, leaving their clients disgruntled with instruction manuals the size of the old yellow pages in case something ever goes wrong. But not at Arnlea. We ensure users feel continuously supported and our service does not stop just because an invoice has been paid. We have a dedicated support portal that allows users to log tickets with questions they may have and their

ticket will be assigned a dedicated support team member to assist in their queries. The portal also consists of a continuously updated knowledge bank containing user guide videos and “how to” documents which the user can refer to at any time.

As Nexar evolves it is important for our customers to understand the latest new features coming to Nexar. New feature release emails are sent out to Nexar customers which contain release notes with information on the new functionality that will be available in the upcoming release.

Arnlea is fully committed to delivering quality every time, and by taking our flexible, tailored approach, our clients can have their teams trained in a cost-effective, efficient manner that sees no time being wasted on irrelevant information or surprising costs when a team needs to be re-trained. Not to mention, providing an online hub of continuously updated learning materials ensures information is readily available at the touch of a button anytime, anywhere in the world.

“The trainers were magnificent, they know Nexar like the back of their hand and could pre-empt any challenges we might face by knowing our business and the industry we serve inside out. The team understands exactly why we are using the software and what we are hoping to achieve, which made the learning process smooth and to the point.”

“We took a hybrid approach to our training, with our onshore and offshore teams being trained online at the same, and found the delivery of the training first-class. The team ensured we got the most out of our training and were more than happy to cater to each user’s requirements. Although we are all experts now, the online portal gives us peace of mind that help is there straightaway if required.”

Has the demise of the conventional power plant been greatly exaggerated?

As the world grapples with an energy crisis, several governments are returning to coal, gas, and nuclear and looking for ways to either extend the lifespan of their existing fleet or accelerate new projects.

Germany's decision to reactivate its Heyden 4 and Staudinger 5 coal plants, in particular, has made international headlines, while the UK is betting that the new Sizewell C nuclear power plant can help reduce its reliance on gas-fired electricity.

The comeback of conventional power plants may be more than just a blip. In a world where global demand for electricity is still rapidly growing - the IEA's 2022 World Energy Outlook Report assesses that it will grow by 25-30% by 2030 and by nearly 80% by 2050 - they are expected to play an essential role in offsetting the intermittency of wind and solar.

But this comeback will not put an end to the quest for cleaner, greener, and smarter power generation. And, in the past few years, a new breed of conventional power plants that leverage data and cutting-edge digital solutions are seeing the light of day.

Operators bet on IoT and EAM to make plants safer and more reliable

Using sensors and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in power plants is nothing new. A single piece of equipment, such as a gas turbine, can carry hundreds of sensors, and modern power plants can contain tens of thousands.

These sensors can accomplish a variety of tasks. By detecting any change in temperature, pressure, or seismic forces, among others, they play a key role in making plants safer. The data they produce also feeds machine-learning algorithms and predictive analytics that can help operators detect early signs of failures of critical components, optimize their maintenance and avoid costly shutdowns.

Unlocking these benefits typically requires overcoming two challenges. First, retrofitting existing plants, which sometimes have been in operation for several decades, can be difficult and necessitate a step-by-step, goal-oriented implementation and the support of an experienced partner. Secondly, these data streams must be gathered in a single interface and connected to other sources, such as operator rounds, equipment information, or operational data from the plant's Industrial Control Systems (ICS).

This is typically achieved with an Enterprise Asset Management platform (EAM) or a digital twin. These platforms can serve as "super-connectors" that integrate different data sources into a single source of truth – and the most advanced also incorporate AI models to facilitate decisions, such as asset replacement or maintenance.

Three data-driven approaches: Predictive maintenance, root-cause analysis, and carbon reduction.

Such platforms will also play a central role to address another emerging imperative: proving the plant’s bona fide sustainability and compliance credentials by the numbers.

Conventional no more: six technologies that are shaping the future of conventional power plants

By Derek Horn, Account Director (ICS/OT Cybersecurity) –Hexagon Asset Lifecycle Intelligence division, Europe & South Africa

For power plants that rely on fossil fuels, the main objective will be to demonstrate that they can reliably reduce their emissions. Observers are also keeping a close eye on groundbreaking initiatives like the Keadby 3 gas-fired power station, set to become the UK's first facility outfitted with carbon capture storage (CCS) technology. This innovative approach aims to store carbon dioxide in previously depleted gas and oil wells beneath the ocean.

For nuclear plants, the focus will not be on carbon emissions but on their ability to function safely and comply with regulatory requirements. As several countries, including France and the UK, extend the lifespan of some of their older facilities, public opinion will pay increasing attention to maintenance and downtime. Last summer, simultaneous planned maintenance operations in 24 of France’s 56 nuclear reactors became a national news topic.

And this is a domain where data-driven power plants can shine. Advanced analytics can enable predictive maintenance and ensure equipment can be fixed before it fails - an approach that can increase equipment uptime by 10 to 20% according to Deloitte, a global consultancy. In addition, cutting-edge platforms such as HxGN EAM can also perform root-cause analysis (RCA) and suggest corrective actions.

OT Cybersecurity as a license to operate

As data plays an increasing role in decision-making and automated processes, cybersecurity is bound to become a growing concern.

In the past year, energy and commodities infrastructure have become prime targets for malicious actors.

According to S&P, 13 cybersecurity incidents

shook the sector between January and October 2022. Electricity networks, constituting over a quarter of all incidents, proved to be particularly susceptible to cyber vulnerabilities.

In light of these threats, many companies are looking for solutions to bolster the cybersecurity of their Operational Technology (OT) and mitigate the risks posed by cyberattacks. And for critical infrastructure such as conventional power plants, a key area of focus is inventory management.

Power generators and transmission facilities have a mix of OT/ IT systems and incorporate a myriad of hardware, software, and communication protocols. Having a comprehensive, wellmaintained, automated and evergreen inventory of all OT and IT assets and endpoints is key to understanding the potential attack surfaces, identifying vulnerabilities, and developing effective incident response and recovery. In addition, having well-defined cyber policies and procedures in place is vital to safe operations that align with a chosen cybersecurity framework

Hexagon provides a platform known as PAS Cyber Integrity, which provides a deep and detailed inventory spanning levels L0 to L3.5 for a wide range of devices, including Windows-based PC’s, Servers, computers, network devices such as switches, firewalls, and routers, and Industrial Control Systems – DCS, SIS historians, turbine controls and vibration monitoring, SCADA, PLC’s etc.

The platform relies on the National Institute of Standards and Technology's National Vulnerability Database (NIST-NVD) to stay informed about vulnerabilities. Its integrated Vulnerability Management module helps companies gain immediate insight into their risk exposure, pinpointing any known weaknesses. It also lets them cross-reference their inventories with the vulnerability database to determine the number of vulnerabilities in their operations and the plants and equipment at risk.

Tackling cyber risks, along with operational and environmental ones, will be of paramount importance for nuclear, gas-fired, renewables and combined heat and power plants in the years ahead. Their ability to achieve tangible outcomes in safety, security, and sustainability will not only have a considerable impact on the financial results of their operators but also on public perception and energy policies in the next decade. 

Derek Horn

www.leyton.com

The UK’s largest innovation funding consultancy

Leyton is an international consulting firm that helps businesses leverage financial nondilutive incentives to accelerate their growth and achieve long lasting performance.

We simplify your access to these complex incentives. Our combined teams of highly skilled Tax and Technical specialists, enhanced with cutting-edge digital tools developed internally, maximise the financial benefits for any type of businesses.

With compliance always front of mind, we have been delivering optimal services for our clients for over 24 years. This provides peace of mind that you will always receive the maximum benefit, without taking risks.

New app from Intelligent Wellhead Systems provide instant access to key wellsite operational data

Intelligent Wellhead Systems, a supplier of digital control technologies that improve oil and gas well completion operations, announced the introduction of the inVision Mobile App, pioneering technology that provides current users of the IWS inVision Technology Platform with instant access to key wellsite operational data

It is the latest addition to the company’s portfolio of digital technologies for completion operations, further enhancing safety and reliability.

Incident-free performance in the field sets stage for new mobile app

To date, inVision completion technology has delivered more than 95,000 stages without a single wireline or pressure control incident while utilising the IWS system. This incidentfree safety and reliability track record continues to encourage oil and gas operators to adopt a digital infrastructure to improve wireline and hydraulic fracturing operations.

“Developing the inVision Mobile App represents the next step in our efforts to encourage operators to embrace a digital infrastructure,” said Bill Henn, vicepresident of business development for IWS. “By giving operators even greater, easier access to operational data at the wellsite, they can respond immediately to changing conditions, helping to reduce risk, lower costs and improve uptime while on-the-go.”

Comprehensive access to operational data from anywhere, anytime

With inVision Mobile, users can now view a wide range of key data from a cell phone or tablet. They can inspect pad progress and current well activity, a live frac tree and live valve positions. When running frac and wireline data through IWS safety and efficiency controls, users can analyse frac and wireline plots remotely, as well as a pre-set frac and wireline plots with the most pertinent data. Plus, they can select and de-select additional channels on the plot through the plot data configuration option. Data channels can also be turned on and off from the plot views. Finally, users can request invaluable assistance via the direct chat window to the IWS ROC Support Centre, which is manned around-the-clock.

Looking ahead, IWS is firmly committed to providing operators with a virtual window into all wellsite operations. The inVision Mobile is a tool that is set to play a critical role in making that a reality. 

“Developing the inVision Mobile App represents the next step in our efforts to encourage operators to embrace a digital infrastructure...”

www.sword-group.com

Rob Mossop, Sword UK CDO, has worked extensively as a technology and executive business consultant across many industries including financial services, public sector and energy for over 20 years. He helps to drive the development of Sword UK’s global business, with a focus on uncovering new markets and partners, and helping our customers to turn vision and aspiration into practical programmes and solutions.

Rob Mossop

Carbon Emissions Reporting and the power of real-time analytics

The Road to Net Zero

The energy industry faces a critical task in delivering trusted carbon emissions and sustainability reporting as part of a managed energy transition to Net Zero. Without robust data and clear reporting practices, we may misinterpret the key insights that allow us to make better decisions to maximise the industry’s potential to provide more sustainable energy production and ensure we collectively meet our regulatory requirements whilst delivering transparent stakeholder engagement.

The energy sector today is harnessing new solutions based on advanced analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities as the key to unlocking the full potential of carbon emissions and sustainability reporting.

Key Challenges in Carbon Emissions and Sustainability Reporting

Data collection and quality pose significant hurdles, with many operators using static files and disparate information sources. Collating accurate and reliable data on energy consumption, emissions, and other sustainability factors can be complicated. Data often spans multiple sources and data silos, so careful definition of the scope and boundaries of reporting is needed.

Shifting regulations and standards present continuous monitoring and compliance challenges. Staying up-to-date with changing requirements, reporting frameworks, and disclosure guidelines demands ongoing effort. Having to make changes to reporting practices on a regular basis to comply with new standards, or to adapt sets of data for different regulatory environments, can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Managing diverse stakeholder engagement and communication is vital for successful reporting. Different sets of reporting requirements mean that energy companies must address stakeholder needs, while ensuring transparent and constructive communication.

Improving Sustainability Reporting with Innovation

Set up and built correctly, technology can help address reporting challenges. The advanced analytics capabilities provided by modern analytics platforms can support organisations in putting the right data, in the right hands, at the right time. This means we can extract meaningful insights to make better decisions around sustainability and carbon emissions management. These insights unveil hidden patterns, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement. By leveraging real-time data processing, energy providers and the wider supply chain can proactively identify environmental risks and deviations from sustainability targets, enabling prompt action and mitigation.

Cloud-based reporting and visualisation tools enable transparent and accessible reporting. Interactive dashboards and reports provide stakeholders with real-time information, fostering engagement and trust. This transparency can enhance organisational reputation and demonstrate commitment to a sustainable energy transition.

We help our energy customers to accelerate their technology progress and help avoid common pitfalls. Sword has helped our customers make significant advances by coupling advanced analytics and reporting technologies with our own Modern Data Framework, Tillit. Supported by a stack of Microsoft tools, a modern data framework connects trusted data to streamline reporting and informs decision making. We bring experience and expertise to accelerate design and implementation by engaging key business stakeholders early in the project.

As a Microsoft Solutions partner, we promote sustainable technology adoption when choosing your digital partners. Suppliers of technology software and hardware are increasingly open about their own environmental commitments. Microsoft's

commitment to sustainability and to become carbon negative by 2030 is an additional factor to consider when selecting technology for building new solutions. By leveraging Microsoft's cloud capabilities, energy providers and the wider supply chain can align themselves with a partner that shares their environmental values, fostering a culture of sustainability.

Improving Future Performance

Embracing cloud capabilities to advance your carbon emissions and sustainability reporting offers numerous benefits. By enhancing your operations through digital technology we can make key decisions based on insights these analytics deliver and optimise our energy intensive operations. This will aid in the reduction of carbon emissions and minimising operational waste. These efforts not only align with environmental goals but can also lead to substantial cost savings and operational efficiencies. Better decision-making based on trusted and consistent data enables you to develop true sustainable practices and drive long-term business value.

We can partner with you to get a head-start on the knowledge and expertise necessary to implement and optimise technology capabilities and build a better data culture. We listen to your needs and guide you in selecting the right tools and data platforms, integrating data sources, and developing innovative solutions that deliver against business objectives and enable data-driven decision making.

To bring to fruition and realise the full potential of our data, many may need to go back to basics, cleaning and rationalising data to ensure you can trust it is a critical step. With this trust you can rationalise and make data driven decisions and start to unlock the potential of real-time data and analytics capabilities into emissions and sustainability reporting. 

About Sword: As the North Sea’s largest provider of data and digital services, Sword focuses on solving the industry’s most critical business technology challenges by enabling our clients to capture, manage and utilise data to make informed decisions. This is supported by technology adoption and people engagement, together with modern ways of working to give confidence that the right decision is made every time.

These insights unveil hidden patterns, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement.

www.renewableuk.com

RenewableUK members are enabling a just transtion to a net zero future. Focusing on continuous improvement around the three pillars of our Just Transition Tracker - People, Place and Planet These inspiring companies are a true showcase of the best that our industry has to offer.

He is now a consultant and senior climate adviser at the law firm Pinsent Masons where he used to be a partner and in charge of the energy transactions and advisory team.

Mr McVicar also recently worked as general counsel and an executive committee member at the UY regulator, Ofgem.

The new Crown Estate Scotland chair said: “Crown Estate Scotland’s unique remit means it can play a key role in Scotland’s effort to tackle the climate and nature crises while driving sustainable economic growth.

Crown Estate Scotland names new chair

Crown Estate Scotland, the body which manages seabed rights for offshore renewables, has announced Euan McVicar as its new chair.

Scottish ministers have appointed Mr McVicar for a three-year term starting in early July following the current chair, Amanda Bryan, finishing her term at the end of June.

Mr McVicar said: “Amanda’s exceptional leadership played a critical role in the business, generating over £800m for public spending,

Consumer-owned wind farm receives £14m boost

ensuring our work benefits communities and businesses across Scotland, and delivering ScotWind leasing.”

The new chair has served on the board of Crown Estate Scotland since 2021 and has previously served as the chair of the investment committee and general counsel at the UK Green Investment Bank.

Virgin Money has invested £14m to support Ripple Energy in developing an 18.8MW wind farm in Ayrshire, Scotland

The development of a new consumer-owned wind farm secured a £14 million investment.

This follows a deal between Virgin Money and Ripple Energy – the funding will be used to support the development of a wind farm project in Ayrshire, Scotland.

The initiative aims to enable individuals and small businesses to co-own and benefit from renewable energy generation.

The wind farm, situated at Kirk Hill near Girvan, will consist of eight turbines with a capacity of 18.8MW.

“The expertise of the team, the diversity of the portfolio we manage, and the remit to deliver social, economic and environmental value makes this an incredibly exciting organisation, one which it will be a privilege to chair.”

In addition to his efforts in the energy sector, Mr McVicar is a director of The Biggar Gin Company. 

It is projected to be fully operational in early 2024, generating sufficient electricity to power approximately 20,000 homes.

The project is predicted to result in a yearly reduction of over 31,760 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

The Ayrshire wind farm will be collectively owned by over 5,600 households, 19 SME businesses, and property investor Bruntwood, representing more than 42% of the project.

Ripple Founder and Chief Executive Officer Sarah Merrick said: “We want these pioneering projects to become a blueprint for consumerowned wind farms and solar parks around the world.” 

© Orsted

Urgent focus needed on upskilling for a managed and just transition

By Gordon McIntosh, Director,

Last year, as part of an AREG-associated project for the Maritimes Energy Association of East Coast Canada, we examined the development of renewable skills in the North Sea, America, Europe, and the world, looking at best practice on every continent.

This highlighted an urgency to invest in skills development to capitalise on our position as an energy leader, particularly pertinent to the North-east as we transition away from fossil fuels.

It’s estimated that £170 billion1 will be invested on capital and operating activities in the UK offshore energy sector between 2021 and 2030 including oil and gas, offshore wind, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) and hydrogen.

The UK Offshore Energy Workforce Transferability review by Robert Gordon University (RGU)states that 200,000 people will be required to support the UK offshore energy sector by 2030. This compares to around 160,0002 people employed in the sector in 2021, leaving a potential skills gap of approximately 40,000 people.

According to a pwc report, without an urgent focus on reskilling of the current and future workforce, low carbon energy generation will be constrained by significant shortages of skilled labour, which it says will be exacerbated by the fact that one fifth of people currently employed in the energy sector are set to retire by 2030 taking their expertise with them.

It’s not all doom and gloom as many of the skills and competencies for the offshore energy sector are highly interchangeable. This is especially relevant in the North East of Scotland where one in five people are employed by the offshore energy industry.

RGU’s Making the Switch report estimates that over 90% of the North East of Scotland’s existing oil and gas workforce have ‘medium’ to ‘high’ skills transferability to adjacent energy sectors. But that won’t meet all the requirements.

This means investing now in the development of a skilled, agile, and adaptable workforce, capable of moving from oil and gas to renewables.

The renewable energy industry is currently worth £5.6 billion to the Scottish economy and supports more than 27,000 jobs4. Research by Scottish Renewables shows that 89% of the supply chain see this as the largest economic opportunity for Scotland.

To capitalise on the opportunity, we need a joined-up approach with the Scottish and UK governments working together with industry, skills bodies, and academia to develop the training and skills needed to meet demand.

The National Energy Skills Accelerator (NESA) demonstrates collaboration across the academic community, industry, and skills bodies, enabling local universities and colleges to work effectively with the energy industry to promote, align and deliver skills development offerings and programmes. The initiative, established in 2021, includes RGU, the University of Aberdeen, North East Scotland College, Skills Development Scotland and Energy Transition Zone (ETZ). With the rapid growth of UK offshore wind, set to reach set to reach 97,0005 direct and indirect jobs by 2030, and hydrogen expected to follow, we must focus on areas with the

most pressing skills’ shortages to meet demand in the short to medium-term.

The North Sea Transition Deal (NSTD), Integrated People and Skills Strategy, outlines the need to define future workforce skills and develop more aligned offshore energy standards, helping build cross-sector careers and facilitate transfer between sectors.

OPITO, the global skills organisation responsible for developing the strategy, proposed a digital skills passport to make it simple, visible, and fair for everyone in the industry. This will replace today’s fragmented approach and help identify specific training requirements.

We are seeing new models evolve such as not-for-profit skills initiative, X-Academy, which is creating green jobs now as it prepares people for the energy jobs of tomorrow through real life placements where they work on initiatives to support climate goals.

Programmes such as Fit 4 Offshore Renewables (F4OR), helping the UK supply chain prepare to bid for work in the offshore renewables sector, are having an impact. With 81 companies selected to complete the programme so far, we would like to see a broader range of programmes for our 280 plus AREG members.

Our mission is to support members to take advantage of renewable energy opportunities and we believe it’s essential to facilitate an open discussion on how people and companies can develop the skills to maximise the opportunities presented by INTOG and Scotwind, as well as those emerging in hydrogen, CCUS and other technologies.

To find out more or join AREG visit our website https://www.aberdeenrenewables.com

Scotland is an energy rich country and has the potential to become a global leader in green energy, but to achieve this status we must focus on upskilling the offshore energy workforce to ensure a managed and just transition of skills and experience.

Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group

www.infinity-partnership.com

Expro wins well intervention and integrity contract for major project in Uganda

Energy services provider, Expro Group, has announced a five-year Well Intervention and Integrity contract with TotalEnergies EP Uganda for the multiwell Tilenga project.

A key component in Expro securing a contract worth over $30million for slickline services was its ability to provide an innovative environmental solution in support of the client’s carbon reduction objectives, as well as Expro’s commitment to national recruitment in line with a local development plan, working in collaboration with TotalEnergies and the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU).

Expro’s solution placed significant focus on the location’s sensitivity near a national park. The company is providing environmentally sympathetic lower carbon operations solutions compared to current market alternatives.

Infinity Partnership: Your Partner in Business

Infinity Partnership is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary accountancy and business advisory practice, with a proactive approach to customer service.

Infinity has been a five-time winner at the British Accountancy Awards and has been a three-time finalist at the Scottish Accountancy Awards in recent times.

Expro has also invested in a new operational facility in-country, supported by investment in people and training to help exceed local expectations.

Work begins in Q2 2023, with Expro initially supporting drilling activity followed by production optimization, integrity and well workover support. Expro has designed four well intervention units to deliver a single operational solution for slickline and braided line in a cased hole environment across the life of the well. The solution is designed to reduce equipment footprint and equivalent CO² emissions, while delivering improved efficiency.

The Tilenga project covers six fields, with over 400 wells planned across multiple pads. Drilling will start this year and continue for five years.

Iain Farley, Expro’s Regional Vice President for Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, said:

“We are delighted to further develop our relationship with TotalEnergies through work on this key project, which reinforces Expro’s ability to partner in frontier field developments in support of energy security.

Baker Hughes awarded subsea contract in Africa

The company has been awarded a major contract by Eni and its partner Petroci for the Baleine Phase 2 project in Ivory Coast, Africa’s first scope 1 and 2 net-zero emissions development. This award, which includes eight deep water trees, three Aptara manifolds, the relevant subsea production control system, and flexible risers and jumpers, strengthens Baker Hughes’ presence in West Africa and unlocks considerable growth potential in the country.

The company will deliver a configured-to-order product portfolio across subsea production and flexible pipe systems, designed for optimum cost effectiveness, installation and life-of-field value. These deepwater trees and manifolds, supplemented with subsea production controls and flexible pipe systems, provide efficiency and cost-effectiveness under demanding conditions. Their modular design aids in reducing lead times, vital for the economic feasibility of such projects.

Maria Claudia Borras, Executive Vice President, Oilfield Services & Equipment at Baker Hughes, said: “This collaboration between Baker Hughes and Eni is Africa’s first development project with clear Scope 1 and 2 carbon reduction goals and will deliver innovative technology that will enhance the energy security in Ivory Coast. Ensuring that energy is locally available is an increasingly profound challenge, and we applaud the efforts of Eni and companies like it to shape an abundant energy future for Africa. We are proud of the confidence placed in us to accelerate the execution of this important project.” 

“Expro’s solution was designed and engineered with the specific needs of this project in mind, taking into account the environmental sensitivities of the location and the need to support the project’s overall environmental and social objectives. It builds on our current operations in East Africa and on many years of successful delivery on key projects in locations such as Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Mozambique and Egypt.” 

Petrofac signs $1.5 billion EPC contract in Algeria

Petrofac has entered into a definitive agreement with STEP Polymers SPA (‘STEP’, a 100% subsidiary of Sonatrach) for the design and build of its petrochemical complex in the Arzew Industrial Zone in Algeria.

As previously announced, Petrofac will deliver the $1.5 billion project with its joint venture partner, China Huanqiu Contracting & Engineering Corporation (HQC), with Petrofac’s share valued at over $1 billion.

Tareq Kawash, Petrofac’s Group Chief Executive, said, “Broadening Petrofac’s portfolio within the petrochemical sector, this contract builds on our 25-year track record of safely delivering strategically significant energy infrastructure in Algeria, while developing local workforces.”

Bureau Veritas Secures Multi-Million East Anglia Three Contract

TechnipFMC Gets 20-Year Field Service Deal from Chevron

The Australian unit of Chevron Corp. has signed a 20-year agreement to contract TechnipFMC PLC for subsea gas production systems, the hydrocarbon engineering company said.

The configure-to-order deal with Chevron Australia Pty. Ltd. for projects off Australia’s northwest coast “covers the supply of wellheads, tree systems, manifolds, controls, flexible jumpers, and flying leads”, TechnipFMC said in a press release Thursday.

TechnipFMC will use its Subsea 2.0 trademarked package, which it says is an upgrade from engineer-to-order solutions.

Bureau Veritas has been awarded a major contract to provide integrated site services for ScottishPower Renewables’ 1.4 GW East Anglia Three offshore wind farm in the UK.

Under the multi-million-pound contract, Bureau Veritas will provide quality, fabrication management, and inspection services, representing ScottishPower Renewables within a significant portion of the project supply chain.

In addition, the company will also be responsible for overseeing the quality control of the construction works as the project moves into the offshore installation phase.

“We’re proud to be working with ScottishPower Renewables through our BV Green Line of Renewables services and solutions and building on our own strong reputation and technical capabilities in the offshore wind sector. As an impartial partner, our focus will be on reducing overall project risk, ensuring quality and promoting best practice across the development of East Anglia THREE, and utilising our global team of experts”, said Darren Taylor, Sector Lead-Renewables at Bureau Veritas.

East Anglia Three, which was awarded Contracts for Difference (CfD) in July last year from the UK Government, is located approximately 70 kilometres from shore in the Southern North Sea.

The project will feature 95 monopile foundations that are planned to be installed by Seaway 7. Construction of East Anglia Three started last year with onshore work on the converter station in Suffolk and along the land cable route, while offshore work is scheduled to begin next year.

The offshore wind farm is expected to be fully completed in 2026.

“It’s great to have Bureau Veritas on board and bringing its world-leading skills and experience to this exciting project, which will not only deliver a green energy boost, but will support significant investment and jobs both directly and throughout the supply chain”, said Ross Ovens, Managing Director of ScottishPower. 

Petrofac extends relationship with NEO Energy to optimise life of field

“Subsea 2.0™ is field-proven technology, which reduces engineering complexity and shortens lead times”, TechnipFMC subsea president Jonathan Landes commented.

The Newcastle city-headquartered company earlier announced an agreement with another Australian company, Woodside Energy Group Ltd. TechnipFMC will “engineer, procure, construct, and install flexible pipes and umbilicals for the Julimar Phase 3 development, offshore Western Australia”, it said Wednesday of the pact with Woodside.

The Julimar field is connected to the Wheatstone processing plant for liquefied natural gas, which produced 12.2 million barrels of oil equivalent last year, according to Woodside’s annual report released February 27. Woodside plans to drill up to four wells in the third phase of the field’s development, according to a consultation information sheet it published April.

“The Company will tie back four subsea gas wells in the Carnarvon Basin to the existing Julimar subsea infrastructure producing to the Wheatstone platform, using high pressure, high temperature (HPHT) flexible pipe and steel tube umbilicals”, TechnipFMC’s announcement said. 

Petrofac, a leading provider of services to the global energy industry, has been awarded an extension to its integrated services contract with NEO Energy.

The life of field extension, worth £250 million, will see Petrofac continue to deliver operations, maintenance, engineering and construction support for NEO Energy’s UKCS-based floating production storage offtake (FPSO) vessel, Global Producer III (GPIII).

Current forecasts expect the asset to remain fully operational until at least 2026 when it is due for its next reclassification by DNV. In parallel, both NEO Energy and Petrofac are working hard to further extend field life beyond this date.

Nick Shorten, Chief Operating Officer for Petrofac’s Asset Solutions business, said:

“Our partnership with NEO Energy has seen us collectively overhaul production efficiency, maintenance execution and safe operations. Our proven approach to late life asset transformation, including a robust programme of continuous improvement and deployment of digital tools, has again played out to significantly extend asset life.” This announcement builds on Petrofac's proven track record of supporting NEO Energy since 2020 with operations, maintenance, engineering and construction under our integrated delivery model. This is in addition to Well Management and Well Operator support for 25 wells across four fields in the Central North Sea UK, which was extended for five years in 2022.

www.normanbroadbent.com

We have a simple and straightforward objective: to help our clients manage and successfully drive change, mitigate risk, grow, and succeed.

To feature new senior hires and appointments within your organisation, please contact Jordan Clarke, Head of Marketing & BD at Norman Broadbent. +44 (0) 7912 564 797 / jordan.clarke@normanbroadbent.com

Paul Jones-Evans, Client Partner

Paul is a Client Partner within Norman Broadbent’s industrial practice, bringing over 20 years’ experience in search, talent solutions and recruitment. He supports our clients across all our service offerings including executive search, consulting, research & insights, and interim management. His specific focus spans power & utilities, renewables, chemicals, building products and automotive.

Prior to joining Norman Broadbent, Paul worked for a global talent solutions provider, working extensively over Europe and the US with large enterprises, SMEs and start-ups to deliver tech & digital talent across a range of sectors. Paul has held a number of senior leadership roles including managing large teams across Europe, leading company-wide strategy and building & heading client development functions globally. Paul has vast experience in all areas of talent acquisition from executive & retained search, RPO solutions to contractor recruitment. He has also worked in-house for several years for a global telecommunications company.

The news coincides with the launch of OEG Renewables at the Global Offshore Wind exhibition in London and the unveiling of ambitious plans in the clean energy sector.

Mr Currie has over 30 years’ experience in the energy services industry with past appointments at Proserv as Group Chief Executive Officer and since July 2022 as Chairman of both Proserv and Gilmore. Prior to joining Proserv, Mr Currie was Chief Executive Officer of JDR Cable Systems and previously UK President of Aker Solutions, prior to which he held senior leadership positions at FMC Technologies latterly as Managing Director of FMC Technologies UK and then as Director of Global Subsea Operations based in Houston.

John Heiton, OEG Offshore’s CEO said, “On behalf of OEG I’m delighted to welcome David to the team as we enter the next exciting phase of our growth strategy. The appointment is a further sign of OEG’s focus on the renewables sector where David’s significant prior experience will provide guidance and assistance to drive the development and expansion of our offering in the offshore wind sector.”

1 2

OEG appoints Non-Executive Chairman for next phase of global growth

David Currie adds, “It’s a privilege to join a rapidly expanding group like OEG and I’m confident that, with our collective expertise and experience, we can capitalise on the opportunities across the global energy sector and make a meaningful impact on the transition towards a cleaner future.”

Mr Currie is a member of the board of ETZ Limited in Aberdeen as well as a member of the Trade Board of the Scottish Government.

Electricity North West powers ahead with new appointment

Electricity North West, the region’s power network operator, has appointed a new asset and technology, and strategy and growth director as its role in the region continues to grow.

Ben Grunfeld will join the organisation on 1 July from consultancy Guidehouse, where he was a partner working with utilities in the UK, Europe, Middle East and Canada as the international energy sector lead.

Ben will lead the region’s £2bn electricity network investment programme over the next five years and lead the growth of the group’s commercial private network business, Electricity North West Construction and Maintenance Limited.

Electricity North West chief executive officer, Ian Smyth said:   “As people and businesses in the North West move away from fossil fuels towards green electricity for heating and transport, our network of 57,000km of overhead lines and underground cables has an

important part to play to support this transition. “As the North West progresses towards net zero, electrification of heat and transport is critical.

“Ben will be a great asset to the executive team and will help us to deliver our ambitious investments for the region."

Commenting on his appointment, Ben said: “Electricity North West is the leading digital network operator in Europe, building an intelligent network and innovating to reduce costs for customers and improve reliability and customer satisfaction.

"It is an exciting time to join, at the start of a £2bn investment in the region, and I am thrilled to be part of this leading organisation and to deliver on our commitments to the five million people, and two hundred thousand businesses, that depend on our services.”

Ben will replace Steve Cox who retires from the business after 42 years.

Paul Jones-Evans

The OEG Offshore group, announced the appointment of David Currie as Non-Executive Chairman. His appointment will commence with immediate effect.

Global energy software company FutureOn appoints new CEO

for the energy sector, Mr Wølstad-Knudsen will focus on facilitating global opportunities for FutureOn’s innovative digital design and decision-making platform, FieldTwin.

Long established within the oil and gas sector, FieldTwin enables operators to bring assets online quickly, safely and efficiently through collaborative workflows with optimized dataled decision-making. FieldTwin has already proven itself as a powerful platform for the development of oil and gas fields, and it has started to deliver value to offshore wind projects.

Mr Wølstad-Knudsen said: “FutureOn’s greatest strength is its people. This is demonstrated in the impressive technological foresight our expert team had in developing the FieldTwin platform, and their infinity game approach to continual development of our digital twin technology to be ahead of the energy transition curve.

major Petrobras to license FieldTwin for its subsea operations, is a prime example of the reputation FutureOn holds in the global energy industry, and of the international growth we strive to continue.”

FutureOn has further positioned itself for international growth with the appointment of Rodrigo Ferraz to the newly created role of Head of Market Development Latin America. A business consultant specializing in the digital transformation of companies in the energy sector, Mr Ferraz has been FutureOn’s local agent in Brazil for the past three years and will focus on growing FutureOn’s presence in the region.

FutureOn, the global energy software company, has appointed Stig WølstadKnudsen as CEO. The appointment strengthens FutureOn’s leadership team and reputation as a trusted technology partner for the energy sector while positioning for international growth.

Mr Wølstad-Knudsen joins FutureOn from industrial software company Kongsberg Digital, where he held the role of VP Products. His previous experience includes senior positions at Weatherford and Halliburton.

With an extensive background in real-time operations and development of technology

“This growth mindset enables us to explore new opportunities within the traditional oil and gas industry as well as the burgeoning renewable energy sector, putting us in a strong position to develop new and existing relationships.

“The energy sector needs to respond to global challenges – balancing the pressure to bring assets online quickly with managing energy affordability, sustainability and security. FieldTwin addresses those challenges by empowering project teams with context data that smartly sustains critical and faster decisions.

“Our recent substantial contract wins, including a multi-year contract with Brazilian oil and gas

Mr Wølstad-Knudsen added: “Rodrigo’s appointment comes at an exciting time for the Latin America energy market. Activity in the Guianas and Suriname is skyrocketing, and there are also significant opportunities within the traditional Mexican, Colombian and Argentinian markets.

“These opportunities are against a background of a relatively early-stage digital transformation journey. Like other emerging economies, Latin America is open to new and agile ways of working because it is necessary for growth. Operators in this region understand that digitalization will unlock future successand deliver it at the rapid pace required.”

Last month, Kongsberg Digital announced it had significantly increased its investment in FutureOn, building on the strong and established relationship between the two companies.

Gordon McIntosh is the new chairman of Edinburgh-headquartered QED Naval, replacing former occupant Peter Syme who has retired. A Scottish tidal energy firm has drafted in a leading figure in Aberdeen renewables as it progresses towards commercialisation.

Gordon McIntosh is the new chairman of Edinburgh-headquartered QED Naval, replacing former occupant Peter Syme who has retired. A founding member of Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG), where he is a director, Mr Mcintosh is also the chairman of Aberdeen International Associates.

From 1995 to 2016 he held senior roles in Aberdeen City Council, latterly as director of enterprise, planning and infrastructure.At that point Mr Mcintosh was approached by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada, to be the authority’s deputy minister of natural resources, a role he held until 2018.

On top of his work with AREG, Mr Mcintosh was a director on the board of the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre, otherwise known as the Aberdeen Bay Wind Farm, and was involved in the Aberdeen Hydrogen Strategy.

Mr McIntosh said: “I am delighted to join QED Naval at this crucial time for the marine energy sector. Government funding for tidal energy has been severely restricted and we are not on track to achieve our net zero goals. In the UK we have 50% of the EU’s tidal energy potential, but we are still relying on fossil fuels for the majority of our energy supply.

“We want to build a new industry for Scotland, and the UK, which can then be exported globally, in the same way that the wind industry benefits Denmark and Germany. The UK has the chance to lead the tidal energy market globally but we must ramp up investment now.”

QED is a flagship development is the SubHub tidal platform, a submersible system designed to support the commissioning, testing, transportation and installation of turbines to the seabed.

Mr Smith, QED’s chief executive, said: “Gordon has extensive experience building businesses in the energy sector, as well as significant experience in marine energy development and policy. He has been a key player in projects to develop a joint supply chain which will prove invaluable as we move ahead with commercialisation of our tidal turbine technology.”

Edinburgh-headquartered QED Naval appoint Gordon McIntosh as new chairman

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Offshore Decommissioning: Planning for the End at the Beginning

He noted that the 2021 survey found Europe with the largest market, with 33% of spending, followed by Asia Pacific and North America with 23% and 17%, respectively. Decommissioning in the GOM is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of about 6.89% from 2020 through 2030.

“There’s not been an update on the numbers since 2021,” Lamothe said. “However, based on the size and magnitude recent bankruptcies in the Gulf of Mexico and the number of assets being returned to predecessors in title, I sense that the North American market is greatly understated.”

As bankruptcy causes more asset liabilities to boomerang back to previous owners, so do the risks and costs associated with decommissioning.

These boomerang assets are the result of what Lamothe said “is the lack of a full understanding of the chain of title obligations for the federal leaseholders, the discounting effect of net present value.”

With global decommissioning activities forecast to reach $100 billion through 2030, early planning for it could go far in helping to minimize risk and associated costs.

It is the $100 billion elephant in the room. It is the last item on a never-ending list of things to do that gets delayed until it can no longer be deferred. It is the decommissioning of mature offshore oil and gas fields, and—like death and taxes—it is an unavoidable certainty.

Decommissioning, the safe and environmentally sound removal, disposal, and repurposing of obsolete infrastructure, marks the end of a field’s operational life cycle. A critical part of the process is the plugging and abandonment (P&A) of wells to ensure that hydrocarbons, other fluids, and gases do not escape the wellbore.

As the world grapples with the need to transition towards cleaner energy resources for the future, the decommissioning of mature or inactive offshore oil and gas wells has become a growing concern. These wells, which have been in some state of operation for decades, now present a range of environmental, economic, and social issues that must be addressed.

While many factors delay decommissioning activities, advance planning is one way to manage the risk and expenditures associated

with it, speakers said during the “Starting with the End in Sight: Planning for Decommissioning to Ensure Long Term Success” opening keynote at the 2023 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in May.

Accumulating Liabilities

In areas like the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), for example, oil and gas production has been the cornerstone of the region’s economy for more than half a century. According to the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement there are about 1,885 active production platforms on the GOM Outer Continental Shelf, with over 60% of these facilities more than 25 years old. Over the past decade, the offshore energy industry has averaged 200 platform removals per year.

“IHS Markit forecasted that the global offshore decommissioning spend will reach almost $100 billion in 2021 through 2030,” said Ryan Lamothe, director of decommissioning at Hess, adding that it is “an increase of over 200% from the prior 10-year period.”

He added that “the cost is always cheaper in the future and sometimes coupled with the ‘not in our careers’ mentality. Assets that are no longer the shiny penny in many companies’ portfolios and not necessarily getting the attention they deserve.”

A study conducted by researchers at the University of California–Davis and Louisiana State University, published in May 2023 in Nature Energy, found that of the more than 4.4 million oil and gas wells drilled in the US, only 113,000 are located offshore or in coastal waters and represent an outsized share of the production. The federal offshore wells have contributed 15% of all US production over the past 2 decades, with state waters adding to that number, according to the study.

The researchers’ review of the data led to the estimation that the cost to P&A all 14,000 unplugged, nonproducing wells in the US GOM offshore waters, inland waters, and wetlands is $30 billion. Of that number, the shallower wells closer to shore make up 90% of the inactive wells but only 25% of the total P&A cost.

In his OTC presentation, Steve Louis, senior vice president of decommissioning for Houston-based Promethean Energy, peeled back the layers of what he sees as a “highly complex problem” to reveal that it is more than an engineering or an HSE problem contributing to the delays. It is a cultural problem, too. 

Climate / Sullom Voe Terminal key in EnQuest’s bid to become a green energy leader

It was only a few years later that management realised the “true value” of the site in a rapidly changing world where decarbonisation is now the main driver of innovation.

Right-sizing

The first steps in this transition are to “right-size” the oil and gas infrastructure and to connect the 1,000-acre site to the national electricity grid after 2025 when the terminal’s own power station will have to be switched off. Earlier this year EnQuest started the planning process around reducing the footprint of the site to make it fit for purpose.

Salman Malik, EnQuest’s managing director for infrastructure and new energy, said work to decommission redundant oil and gas equipment is already underway and would soon create space for the ambitious future projects of carbon capture storage (CCS) and hydrogen production.

Other opportunities are the electrification of west of Shetland oil and gas fields and, potentially, the import and storage of liquefied natural gas (LNG).Malik has been in Shetland over the last few days, and he invited the local media to a briefing session at the terminal on Tuesday morning.

He said the company had embarked on an “orderly transition” for the terminal which will take several years. “The game plan for Sullom Voe is not necessarily an individual project, it is about transforming the site from what used to be one of the

largest oil terminals in Europe into one of the largest green energy hubs of the future,” Malik explained.

The transition process will require hundreds of millions of pounds of investment and is estimated to create nearly 200 new jobs over coming years. He said when EnQuest took over as operator of the terminal and the Magnus pipeline system in December 2017, the company was very much focused on bringing down the cost of oil and gas production.

“We have an industrial site here with access to very unique infrastructure,” Malik said. “The deepest water port in the UK, four jetties and a 1,000-acre site which is still sized for [a throughput of] 1.5 million barrels a day. “We are down to 100,000 barrels or less; the stabilisation unit that we have is for 400,000 barrels a day, and we only need 25,000 to 30,000 barrels a day.

“We are putting in a new stabilisation unit with gas export which is due to come online at the end of 2024 or early 2025 and will radically reduce the footprint.” He also said that of the terminal’s 16 large oil storage tanks only four are being used. “It is not just about fitting new projects to the site, it is about tidying up, decommissioning and right-sizing, and paving the way for bringing on new projects,” Malik added. 

DNO Wraps Up Offshore Decommissioning Project in UK

Norwegian oil and gas company DNO said Monday that the wellhead platform production facilities had been removed from the Schooner field offshore UK, in what the company said was the last major offshore operation under DNO’s multi-year North Sea decommissioning program.

The heavy lift was conducted using the Heerema Marine Contractors’ semisubmersible crane vessel Thialf. The 1,200-tonne platform deck was lifted aboard the vessel on May 17, while the jacket was removed on May 23, after the piles had been cut three meters below the seabed.

The deck and jacket have since been transported to the Hoondert Yard in the Netherlands for dismantlement and recycling. “We have conducted these operations in a safe, cost-efficient and environmentally responsible manner, coordinating five tier-one contractors and displaying our capabilities as a full life-cycle offshore operator,” said DNO’s Chief Operating Officer Chris Spencer.

In 2019, DNO assumed operatorship and working interest in the Schooner and Ketch fields in the UK and the Oselvar subsea field in Norway, three end-of-life fields whose decommissioning had been deferred by the previous operator.

DNO completed plugging and abandonment (P&A) of the nine Ketch wells and the three Oselvar wells in 2021, followed by the 12 Schooner wells in 2022. The Ketch and Oselvar production facilities were removed and dismantled last year. It is expected that about 95% of the removed materials will be recycled. 

STATS & ANALYTICS

Offshore Field Development Update

Offshore O&G-related engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract award over the last 30-day period is valued at US$2.3 billion, driven by contracting activity offshore Brazil bringing award value year-to-date to an estimated US$17.9 billion (excluding letters of intent). Following a final investment decision (FID) on the BM-C-33 project last month, Equinor awarded TechnipFMC the integrated engineering, procurement, construction and installation (iEPCI) contract for the subsea umbilical, riser and flowline (SURF) work scope. Equinor stated it exercised an option on the basic engineering design contract it awarded TechnipFMC in July 2022.

Other subsea tree awards during the period under review include OneSubsea's announcement that it will supply 15 subsea trees and electro-hydraulic distribution units for Petrobras' Buzios-11 project. Meanwhile, the fifth phase of Buzios started production via the MODEC-owned Almirante Barroso MV32 floating production system (FPS) unit. Buzios is currently producing approximately 560kbpd. By 2025, output from the development is estimated to reach 700kbpd.

In the US GoM, TechnipFMC announced an iEPCI contract award for Shell's Dover development. Subsea 7 announced that with a consortium of OneSubsea and Saipem, an EPCI contract for the second phase of TPAO's Sakarya development offshore Turkey. Subsea 7's work scope comprises approximately 37km of infield flowlines, 47km of control umbilicals and associated subsea equipment. Saipem's work scope involves a front-end engineering and design (FEED) and EPCI of a 16-inch 175km pipeline, whilst OneSubsea will supply the subsea trees.

During the period under review, Equinor announced it had postponed the development timeline for its Bay du Nord project offshore Canada for up to three years, citing challenging market conditions and significant cost increase. An FID is now anticipated in 2027, with the operator reiterating that it would work on improving the robustness of the project.

Looking forward, Westwood forecasts an additional US$43.9 billion of offshore O&Grelated EPC spend for the remainder of 2023, driven by c.131 subsea tree unit awards, c.3,600km of subsea umbilicals, risers and flowlines (SURF), c.5,300km of pipelines, c.170 fixed platforms and 11 FPS units. Key projects include Woodside's Trion (Mexico), QatarEnergy's Ruya (Qatar) and PetroVietnam's Block B (Vietnam) project.

Offshore Drilling Rig Update

The global committed jackup count averaged 401 units in May. The marketed available and cold stacked jackup counts now stand at 34 and 57, respectively, while marketed committed utilisation and total utilisation were 92% and 82%, respectively. During the month, a total of 12 new contracts were awarded and five contract options exercised, amounting to 5,426 days (14.9 rig years) of backlog added. The Persian Gulf accounted for 46% of total awarded days, including the Lovanda jackup fixture with QatarGas, which will run for 967 days starting in 3Q 2023.

The global committed semisubmersible (semi) count came in at 68 in May. There are 11 available and 16 cold stacked rigs remaining in the fleet. Marketed utilisation sustained at 86% during the month, while total fleet utilisation increased to 72%. Eleven new contracts and four options were exercised in May, one of which was an extension awarded to Deepsea Bollsta by Shell for further operations offshore Namibia.

Finally, the drillship count dropped by one unit to 81 over the month, leaving two marketed units available plus 13 cold stacked rigs. Marketed committed utilisation dipped to 98%, while total utilisation remained at 85%. ExxonMobil has added an additional 1.85 years with four drillships from Noble Drilling upon approval from the Guyana Government, keeping the rigs engaged until November 2025. Dayrates for the rigs will be indexed based on prevailing market rates.

Offshore Wind Update

Since the last update, Siemens Gamesa has been awarded a contract to supply 26 SG 11.0-200 DD turbines at the 286 MW Aflandshage wind farm, located offshore Denmark. Cadeler will be responsible for the transport and installation of the turbines, with installation scheduled to begin in 2026.

Dominating headlines was news that Ireland had selected the provisional winners of its first offshore wind support scheme. The winning projects for the Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (ORESS 1) are the 1.3 GW Codling Wind Park, 824 MW Dublin Array, 500 MW North Irish Sea Array (NISA) Phase 1 and 450 MW Sceirde Rocks. Support will be awarded to the projects at a weighted average strike price of EUR 86.05 (US$ 96.86) per MW/h, which is index-linked until financial close.

The first offshore wind lease auction in the US GoM has progressed with the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issuing a final environmental assessment (EIA) for the three offshore wind sites. The EIA has found that there will be no significant impacts to environmental resources.

Finally, exclusivity agreements were signed by all five projects that were selected in the 'Innovation' category of the Innovation and Targeted Oil & Gas (INTOG) leasing round. Agreements have been signed with Crown Estate Scotland. Project developers are now allowed to begin undertaking offshore wind development work. The five projects will have a combined capacity of up to 498.9 MW. If the proposed project is included in Marine Scotland’s INTOG Sectoral Marine Plan, it will be offered an option agreement.

Westwood Global Energy Group

are specialist providers of detailed market intelligence for the offshore energy sector, covering; offshore rigs, production facilities, subsea equipment, subsea services, offshore marine and offshore renewables and power.

www.westwoodenergy.com

Why work with HFI?

HFI is led by Hugh Fraser, a Scottish corporate/energy lawyer and member of the Scottish Development International GlobalScot international trade ambassador network. Their team compromises the core team, a pool of specialist consultants, and a network of in-country law firms and advisors.

HFI offers several unique selling points that differentiate them from other companies. They specialise across three sectors: energy, advanced technology, and the Middle East North Africa Region (MENA). HFI places a high premium on delivering results and solutions-based services due to the relatively high-risk scenario faced by clients trying to expand and develop in their region.

New and existing ventures for businesses can come with a number of different risks

and challenges. This is why HFI places great importance on providing a service that focuses on supporting successful ventures and minimising associated risks. HFI proudly boasts a proven track record of successfully supporting such ventures for 20 years.

In the current international geopolitical environments, clients face numerous challenges, including those stemming from corporate governments, corporate compliance, sanctions compliance, and more. Specifically in the Middle East region, there is a need to combat money laundering and corruption.

HFI believes they can play a supportive role in helping clients address these challenges. They assist clients in establishing, expanding, and divesting their international businesses through strategic, value-added consulting and legal services. This involves leveraging specialist know-how, connections, local partners, and execution expertise. 

Green is the new black – how the new 'green' freeports will support the transition to net zero

By Laura Petrie, partner at Brodies LLP, specialising in oil and gas.

The winning bids for two new 'green' freeports to be established in Scotland (one in the Firth of Forth and the other in Inverness and Cromarty Firth) will provide a boost to the generation of renewable energy in Scotland and also support the transition of offshore oil and gas development to a net zero basis. Furthermore, the prospects for job creation, commercial activity and investment will be significant and both private and public sector bodies should be on the front foot with their preparations, to make the most of the opportunity.

What do 'green' freeports mean?

The establishment of a 'free trading zone' means that port operators and companies operating there can defer tax duty and import VAT on goods, as well as other employeerelated contribution deductions. The use of the new freeports is intended to be made primarily available for advanced manufacturing of technologies for the renewable energy industry, including offshore wind, hydrogen production, or for operations in support of oil and gas decarbonisation, while also offering tax and customs incentives. These benefits will help to attract investment to the energy industry and the local area, as well as boosting the job market and opportunities for the wider supply chain.

Access to a freeport can benefit businesses and organisations in many ways. The tax benefits of operating import, manufacture and export activities within a free trade zone provide significant savings for businesses that import raw materials (e.g. steel, concrete) to manufacture items that will never be used

within the onshore market, such as offshore wind turbines. Similarly, organisations can benefit from differing tax rates if the raw materials are manufactured into different goods within the free trade zone, before being 'exported' into the UK. This element will significantly assist in the development of hydrogen and CCUS sites which require onshore facilities.

For energy companies already engaged in these types of projects or looking to invest, the new freeports will offer a welcome opportunity to reduce costs and streamline operations.

Preparing for the freeports

Finalising operational arrangements for the new freeports is expected to take about a year, and a further 12-18 months for them both to be fully developed. While this might seem a lengthy wait, those businesses and organisations that wish to use freeports should capitalise on that transitional period by starting preparations now.

Businesses planning to use the freeports for manufacturing should consider how operating within a free trade zone would impact on their tax status and whether their operations could be relocated there.

For supply chain companies servicing the offshore energy industry, establishing a place of business within the free trade zone may be possible. The ability to pass on cost-efficiencies to customers can be a competitive advantage. Furthermore, relief on national insurance contributions is expected to be available to employees who spend at

least 60% of their time working within the free trade zone.

Accordingly, locating an operational base within the free trade zone should be considered, including whether employees can move there under current contracts (i.e. can their place of work be dictated by the employer).

There are other benefits to consider too. Increased investment in the area means increased footfall and accommodation demand – either for a company's workforce or in the provision of temporary and permanent accommodation.

Wider opportunities?

Industries involved with energy services should also consider whether they want to be involved in business centred around the freeports. Plans have already been proposed for a green hydrogen plant near the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Freeport – warmly welcomed by local distilleries. Development of that site provides significant opportunities for the supply chain and scope for new property development to benefit from the energy produced.

Businesses interested in renewable and net zero projects should use the time they have now to consider how the freeports may support their business and conduct commercial health checks. Reviewing policies, procedures and standard contract terms to ensure they comply with current regulations, and preparing free trade zonespecific versions, will ensure readiness ahead of the freeports' formal opening.

Green for go

The new green freeports are a significant long-term investment in Scotland, with wider implications for the energy industry. This should be a green light for any interested businesses and organisations to start planning now, so they are ready when the freeports go live. 

HUGH FRASER INTERNATIONAL

HFI is a specialist professional services firm led by Hugh Fraser, a Scottish corporate/energy lawyer and member of the Scottish Development International GlobalScot international trade ambassador network.

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