OGV Energy - Issue 49 - October 2021 - Decommissioning

OCTAUGUST 2021 - ISSUE 2020 49

UK’s No. ENERGY SECTOR

1

PUBLICATION

DECOMMISSIONING

GLOBAL ENERGY NEWS WORLD PROJECTS MAP

FEATURING

Well-Safe Solutions - Stena Drilling John Lawrie Group - Hiretech Ltd - Alatas QHSE Aberdeen - Salus Technical J+S Subsea - Norsea Decom AIZE - Principle Power

MONTHLY THEME RENEWABLES INNOVATION & TECH CONTRACT AWARDS DECOMMISSIONING ON THE MOVE STATS AND ANALYTICS LEGAL & FINANCE EVENTS

OIL-PRICE P.16

INNOVATION & TECH P.33

Hurricane Ida disrupts US oil, gas, refinery output with over 2 million bpd after the storm hit in late August.

The next generation of Inspection, Integrity and Corrosion Management is here!

Discover AIZE's revolutionary software.

DECOMMISSIONING P.22

RENEWABLES P.34

Decommissioning grows, and so do the opportunities of the UK supply chain to export its services

Since 2011, wind turbines have grown from 2MW to 9.5MW. Floating wind is growing and there’s no time to waste.

Scan with OGV APP

Providing a ground-breaking approach to the safe and cost-efficient decommissioning of wells www.wellsafesolutions.com

2

DECOMMISSIONING Done Right Multi-disciplined engineering and construction team delivering exceptional services designed to reduce project costs, mitigate risks and maintain the highest standards of health and safety.

Engineering studies.

NUI / NPAI preparation.

Preparation for well plugging and abandonment.

Removal and abandonment.

Facilities and topside preparation.

Air gapping.

Pipelines, making safe.

www.ogv.energy I October 2021

01224 281 391 www.quanta-epc.co.uk

CONTENTS

3

COVER PARTNER

04 - Well-Safe - Ground-breaking approach to the safe and cost-efficient decommissioning of wells

COMMUNITY NEWS

08 - Latest updates from our OGV Community members

16

GLOBAL ENERGY NEWS

08

25

24

11 - UK North Sea 14 - Europe 16 - US 18 - Middle East

26

WORLD PROJECTS MAP

20 - EIC - World's latest project updates

MONTHLY THEME 22 - Decommissioning activity in the UK North Sea intensifying 24 - J+S Subsea celebrates its first anniversary with Corporate Vision award

29

27

31

25 - ALATAS Crane Services: new contract wins as part of continued business growth 26 - Norsea Decom: Unique collaboration embracing decommissioning opportunities and challenges 27 - Hiretech Ltd: Equipment Investment Reaping Rewards 29 - John Lawrie Metals - Strengthening decommissioning capabilities 30 - Salus Technical - Safety is an acquired taste, and we are still busy acquiring it

32

33

31 - Stena Drilling - Decommissioning in the North Sea The Stena Spey Way…

INNOVATION & TECH ZONE 32 - Simulator set to transform North Sea decommissioning and energy transition projects 33 - AIZE: The next generation Inspection, Integrity and Corrosion Management

EVERY MONTH 34 - Renewables 36 - Contract Awards 40 - On the Move 42 - Decommissioning 44 - Stats and Analytics 46 - Legal and Finance 48 - Community Partner 50 - Events 52- People in Energy (Jinda Nelson - Bilfinger Salamis)

KENNY DOOLEY MAIN EDITOR Welcome to the October edition of OGV Energy Magazine, where this month we will be exploring Decommissioning as our theme.

OGV Energy were delighted to attend our first face to face event since February 2020 with ‘Decom Live’ on 2-3 September, where over 600 delegates were in attendance at ‘Blaikies Quay’ in Aberdeen and we had the pleasure of meeting 30 exhibitors and conducting some great interviews with the OGV Community members, as well as representatives from SDI, Decom North Sea, Aberdeen Harbour and MP Mark Garnier, the Prime Minister’s trade envoy to Brunei, Thailand and Myanmar. It was great to hear renewed optimism from the supply chain and experience a networking event that allowed all participants to enjoy socially distanced interaction again!

SCAN THE QR CODES WITH THE OGV APP

This month we are delighted to welcome Well-Safe Solutions as our front cover partner and you can hear all about why they have been awarded two brand new decommissioning contracts for their Well-Safe Guardian asset, the first dedicated well-decommissioning semisubmersible in the world, in our double page spread inside!

DOWNLOAD THE APP ON

We also have insights from John Lawrie, Hiretech, Norsea Group, J & S Subsea, Legasea, Alatas, Stena Drilling, Salus Technical, Aize and QHSE Aberdeen inside.

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. Please come along to our online panel session on Thursday October 21st at 2pm, where Callum Falconer from Decom North Sea will be chairing our online panel discussion and exploring our Decommissioning theme with our panel of experts from the supply chain.

FOLLOW US

Thanks again to our readers for all their support as we move rapidly through 2021.

OGV-ENERGY

OGVENERGY

@OGVENERGY

@OGVENERGY

VIEW THE OGV MAGAZINE ONLINE AT www.ogv.energy/magazine

4

COVER PARTNER

WELL-SAFE SOLUTIONS

a company providing a ground-breaking approach to the safe and cost-efficient decommissioning of wells, have been awarded two contracts for the Well-Safe Guardian, the first dedicated well-decommissioning semisubmersible in the world.

The Repsol Sinopec award, a 14 well programme, employs an innovative commercial contracting model giving flexibility around the scheduling of the work which allows Well-Safe to apply campaign efficiencies across scopes for multiple clients. Improvements in the efficiency of scope can reduce the amount of time a vessel spends on site and helps to lower emissions.

Well-Safe have worked collaboratively with their client to ensure this contract delivers not only the clients’ expectations, but also aligns with the OGA and OGUK Decommissioning strategies of driving cost efficiencies and cost certainty, sharing knowledge and delivering continuous improvement throughout the campaign, whilst employing innovative new technologies, new ways of working and challenging the norm.

“Collaboration is a phrase that has been bandied about the industry for years” states Jane Eddie, Bid Manager, “but collaboration is not as easy as it sounds. It takes open, honest conversations which can sometimes be difficult. Working together to achieve a mutually beneficial conclusion takes time, but the hard work put in by both sides has definitely been worth the effort.”

Phil Milton, CEO

From humble beginnings in 2017, the initial group at Well-Safe have been joined by an ever-growing team bringing the current numbers to 130, expected to increase to 209 prior to mobilisation of the Well-Safe Guardian with further growth expected as they move towards deployment of the Well-Safe Protector. These contract awards will see Well-Safe securing employment for around 120 personnel in both onshore and offshore positions. Anita Martin, HR Manager commented “This year has seen significant growth to the business, and we know this is set to continue which is why we have worked hard to secure and retain the best people, by creating a work environment that people enjoy and where they can thrive. Planning ahead for our future growth has also seen us invest significantly in increasing our youth employment which is one of our Diversity and Inclusion deliverables. We are also excited that the contract awards have allowed us to employ our first two female crew members on the Well-Safe Guardian.”

A key component of this innovative contracting model was understanding the risk and apportioning it in the right areas. “This model required Well-Safe to complete a very detailed assessment of The Repsol Sinopec contract will see the deployment of both The Repsol Sinopec the required operations and understand the the Dive and SMART systems (“Subsea Modular Abandonment contract will see the risks involved in each well plus decide who Riser Technology”). The dive system ensures well access is is best placed to carry that risk. We were established on older hydraulic and manual tree systems, which deployment of both the very careful not to just increase the price to predate ROV technology. Having the Dive System available as Dive and SMART systems transfer risk but focus on the risks Well-Safe an integrated asset onboard the Well-Safe Guardian is a game(“Subsea Modular could control. There are some risks that changer for well decommissioning. It eliminates dependencies contractors just can’t accept as they rightly on having dual vessel mobilisations, the associated safety Abandonment Riser belong to the organisation that benefitted and environmental impact and eliminates standby time for the Technology) from the value the well brought through its rig – accelerating project delivery, increasing vessel utilisation life. It’s about agreeing fair and reasonable risk and decreasing project costs. This will be the first time a saturation allocation, I think we are unique in this area as we dive system has been available on a rig for in excess of 20 years. have a strong well engineering team and we own our The asset has recently been granted the operational Safety Case by the assets so we can control the major levers” commented HSE which was the latest major milestone in a 3+ year process to bring this Matt Jenkins, Chief Operating Officer. solution to the industry. Close relationships with all stakeholders will continue through to operational start-up with the system offshore.

The second award, a 9 well programme, will commence during a break in the initial contract to allow for the procurement and The SMART system is a cost-efficient, lightweight well access system optimised manufacturing of the subsea long lead equipment required for operations on weak or fatigue damaged trees and wellheads. The SMART to re-enter some of the wells. The combination of the two intervention riser system blends the availability and technical benefits of awards will see the Well-Safe Guardian mobilise in Q4 2021 lightweight intervention systems with the operational speed benefits of with continuous operations through Q3 2023. Well-Safe deployment from a moored vessel – critical in reducing risk of failure of weak aim to expand on this initial programme and are already in wellhead systems. The system can provide a mechanism to deploy wireline or discussions with potential clients looking to benefit from coiled tubing. These technologies are what make the Well-Safe Guardian a onejoining an ongoing campaign. of-a-kind decommissioning unit.

These awards validate Well-Safe’s strategy to deliver a multioperator, multi-well campaign and schedule the work to provide optimal efficiencies. The benefits of schedule flexibility flow down the entire supply chain and ensure continuity of personnel, equipment and the sharing of lessons learned.

www.ogv.energy I October 2021

Traditionally, the reservoir decommissioning phase is either undertaken partially by multiple vessels, followed by a rig, or by mobilising a rig and associated support services from the outset. Deploying the 12-person saturation diving system and the SMART system from the Well-Safe Guardian enables a one vessel approach. This limits the duration and number of divers in saturation,

COVER PARTNER provides a fully integrated package of well control barriers and fluid circulation/ injection facilities, eradicates risk of potential project delays, reduces project interface management and completely removes the need for multiple pre-work interventions via other vessel operations. A single integrated delivery solution gives continuity, flexibility, reduced multi-operation interfaces and technical options when entering subsea wells for the first time after many years.

This combination of technologies, using an anchored semisubmersible over dynamically positioned vessels, to deliver a one-vessel based approach to well abandonment, will offer significant fuel and emissions reductions across the whole project, benefiting the goal of reducing the carbon footprint between 30-35% of carbon emissions compared to the current approaches.

Well-Safe are not only optimising their assets but are also bringing a different approach to their supply chain philosophy. Following an extensive engagement exercise with the supply chain Well-Safe have appointed Schlumberger as their partner of choice for core well services. “We conducted a

dynamic tender exercise where we invited contractors to present to us how they could help us achieve our objectives” commented Anne-Marie Darwin, Contracts Manager.

“We understood the supply chain and who could deliver the services, but our goal was to deliver a contract that would guarantee continuity of personnel, provide cost certainty to our clients with outcome-based pricing, and develop a long-term relationship with a strategic partner who has an innovative solutions-based approach.”

Well-Safe also own the Well-Safe Protector, a bespoke decommissioning Jack-Up with an enviable operational history in the North Sea. The Well-Safe Protector is perfectly positioned to execute platform and subsea well decommissioning up to a water depth of 395ft. The aft platform servicing crane capability makes simultaneous platform decommissioning operations standard and as well as addressing the well decommissioning and preparation for platform removal. The Well-Safe Protector has a built-in set of facilities for interfacing with platforms which leaves interfacing a Well-Safe responsibility, substantially reducing the time to complete this task and get onto the wells

Commenting on the awards, Phil Milton, CEO stated “These contract awards are a fantastic achievement for Well-Safe Solutions. Our team has worked closely with our clients to develop contracting delivery and commercial models that enable projects to be achieved in a manner that aligns with our customers’ requirements. Our ability to customise our offering to suit each customer from rig only, to rig and services, right through to a completely integrated solution helps us to work with our customers to deliver multi operator, multi well campaigns that align with the OGA’s decommissioning strategy and Well-Safe’s P&A Club approach. A key enabler is a willingness by our customer to be flexible on schedule control. This enables us to optimise our rig schedules and deliver the efficiencies, retain learnings and deliver long term campaigns. I am confident that we will continue to add to these contracts as more customers progress their well decommissioning plans and see the benefit associated with joining an ongoing campaign, not to mention the significant cost and environmental benefits associated with using the Well-Safe Guardian on diver intensive wells that have suffered fatigue over their lifecycle.”

Well-Safe's combination of well abandonment technologies are also helping reduce 30-35% of carbon emissions compared to current approaches.

Well-Safe Guardian

We offer a specialist well abandonment service that allows operators to meet the challenges and regulatory imperatives around decommissioning, while significantly reducing costs.

For more information visit www.wellsafesolutions.com

5

6

Will our business benefit from ISO 9001?

WHO NEEDS ISO 9001 CERTIFICATION and what does it entail?

Although no Company NEEDS certification to ISO Standards to operate, it is something every company should endeavour to obtain. Many organisations, large or small, regardless of their sector find that they have a greater chance of securing contracts and winning tenders if they are Certified.

Why is this?

ISO 9001 Quality Management System is a standard used by organisations to demonstrate their ability to consistently provide products and services that meet regulatory and customer requirements and to show continuous improvement.

A company with a strong commitment to Quality that can demonstrate its progress has the power to attract new National and International business.

“ISO 9001 Certified” means that an organisation has met the requirements within ISO 9001

ISO 9001 Certification benefits: • • • • • • • •

Improve Efficiency, Reduce Waste, and Save Money.

Meet Customer Requirements.

Improve the Consistency of Your Operations.

Achieve International Quality Recognition.

Improved customer retention and acquisition.

Provide consistent outcomes that can be measured and monitored.

Identify any gaps in the processes.

Positively stand out from competitors.

Checking that the systems & processes work is a vital part of ISO 9001 and an organisation performs internal audits to check how its quality management system is working. Your business can do this by training staff to be Internal Auditors, or, like the majority of our customers they may decide to outsource Internal audits to a specialist consultancy such as ourselves at QHSE ABERDEEN https://www.qhseaberdeen.com/

We always advise our customers to go for a UKAS accredited Certification body, the terms ‘accreditation’ and ‘certification’ are often used in the wrong context.

Only certification bodies can refer to themselves as being ‘accredited’, whereas the organisations successfully audited by certification bodies hold ‘certification’. i.e. QHSE ABERDEEN are certified for ISO 9001 by SGS who are a UKAS accredited Certification Body “Certification is an audit of whether an organisation, product or individual, conforms to the criteria laid out in a recognised standard or scheme, such as ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems”. (credit - UKAS https:// www.ukas.com/accreditation/about/accreditation-vscertification/) We understand that ISO 9001 may appear daunting.

Our qualified consultants are here to make sure that the process is as smooth as possible and that you gain maximum benefits. This Standard provides senior management with an efficient & effective Quality Management System.

I hope this insight into ISO 9001 Quality Management system has proved to be beneficial and encouraged you to look further into gaining an ISO Certification to grow your business.

Most of our Customers start out by enquiring about the process, duration and costs of gaining ISO Certification. This comes about due to the fact they have heard how it can streamline the business and perhaps they have been asked if they have a certain ISO Certification during a tendering process.

Depending on the size of the organisation and what they already have in place, it can take on average 2 – 3 weeks to develop and implement a QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - ISO 9001 from scratch. Our consultants work closely with our customer to develop the bespoke ISO 9001 QMS. Our clients may choose to be hands on or off depending on their time restraints etc. with some of our customer base who like to completely outsource their QHSE systems to ourselves, freeing their time for what they do best, only checking in now and again and of course chairing the management meetings etc.

QHSE Aberdeen Directors

I picked the QUALITY ISO 9001 Standard as it is the most popular and generally the easiest for organisations to implement and follow. There are many ISO Standards...

Quality Management Standard ISO 9001 to help work more efficiently, promotes process performance and effectiveness, and continual improvement.

Environmental Management Standard ISO 14001 to help reduce an organisations negative impact on the environment and be more sustainable.

Health and Safety Standard ISO 45001 to make workplaces safer and healthier for all.

Energy Management Standard ISO 50001 provides a practical way to improve energy use.

Food Safety Standard ISO 22000 to help prevent food from being contaminated and ensure safe for consumption.

Information Security Standard ISO 27001 to help keep sensitive information secure. This is not an IT standard, instead ISO 27001 uses a holistic process approach to managing information security across your business.

If you would like to discuss where to start with ISO Management Systems or need advice or assistance with any QHSE topic, then please get in touch, we would be more than happy to help.

www.ogv.energy I October 2021

QHSE Aberdeen provide a Consultancy and Advisory service to organisations of all sizes and sectors that require assistance in the development & implementation of robust Management Systems.

For more information visit www.qhseaberdeen.com

OGV ENERGY

Editorial

newsdesk@ogvenergy.co.uk +44 (0) 1224 084 114

Advertising

office@ogvenergy.co.uk +44 (0) 1224 084 114

Design

Ben Mckay Fara West

Journalists

Tsvetana Paraskova Katie Milne

ADVERTISE WITH OGV VIEW our media pack at www.ogv.energy

CONTRIBUTORS

YOUR ASSET IN SAFE HANDS

OUR PARTNERS

Safe, efficient and low-cost delivery of Asset Management projects, ensuring best value every time.

TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PARTNER Award-winning travel management company with a business model designed to save its customers time and money. They provide access to travel industry rates and exclusive discounts. Take advantage of their unbeatable cost saving options.

LOGISTICS PARTNER Leading provider of logistics services to this industry, offering its customers airfreight, road freight, sea freight, project forwarding, customs compliance, training and consultancy, packing, crating, lashing & securing services warehousing, distribution, freight management, rig relocation and mobilisation services and offshore logistics.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions published within editorials and advertisements in this OGV Energy Publication are not those of our editor or company. Whilst we have made every effort to ensure the legitimacy of the content, OGV Energy cannot accept any responsibility for errors and mistakes.

Operations Repair orders

Technical support Maintenance

www.quanta-epc.co.uk

COMMUNITY

8

MEMBER'S FEED OGV COMMUNITY MEMBER OF THE MONTH (Most shares on OGV web in September)

Infinity Partnership shortlisted for three UK accountancy awards

finalist in three categories at the 2021 Accounting Excellence Awards.

her hard work and dedication has been recognised with this nomination.”

Infinity has been nominated in the Client Service Award and Tax Team of the Year categories. In addition, the firm’s senior accounts associate, Chloe Leslie, has reached the last stage of the Rising Star of the Year award category.

Infinity Partnership, which has made a six-figure investment in cloud-based accountancy solutions and software such as Xero, set up a Covid-19 online hub within 48 hours of the pandemic being recognised as a national emergency. This effort was to support clients and other businesses with the latest information to help them get though the pandemic.

Simon Cowie, managing partner at Infinity Partnership, said: “The Accounting Excellence Awards are one of the most prestigious for UK accountancy firms, so we are therefore delighted to be shortlisted in three categories.

Multi-award winning accountancy firm Infinity Partnership has been shortlisted for three accolades in a prestigious UK awards event for accountancy professionals.

“All of our teams have worked extremely hard over the past 18 months and the client service nomination is well deserved. Our tax team has consistently grown in recent years and played a significant role in our success.

The Aberdeen practice, a five-time winner at the British Accountancy Awards, has been named a

“I’m also thrilled that Chloe has been shortlisted. She is a key member of the team and we are all delighted that

Sustainable Start-Up in Running for National Award, Alongside Industry Heavyweights Environmental service company, Legasea, based in Aberdeenshire, has been named as a finalist in the Manufacturer MX Awards, in the category of Sustainable Manufacturing Company of the Year.

There are 41 companies vying to win 10 category awards, and ultimately the coveted title of Manufacturer of the Year. The shortlist represents the true diversity of UK manufacturing, ranging from fast growing SME’s, such as Legasea, household names including Amazon and Weetabix, and industrial giants like Siemens Energy and BAE Systems.

Namaka Subsea awarded Dive Systems Contract Namaka Subsea are delighted to be awarded a contract with a leading global energy provider to provide dive system auditing and assurance.

Business Development Manager, Colin Ballantyne, said “We look forward to providing some of our key services to a leading energy provider with shared values including the safety of all personnel, integrity of the assets that they work on and the protection of the environment all as top priorities.”

www.ogv.energy I October 2021

Business performance improvement firm launch new COMET edition

In July this year, the firm was recognised by global software business Sage, when it was named Accounting Practice of the Year at the 2021 Sage Impact Awards.

The winners of the Accounting Excellence awards will be announced at a ceremony at The Brewery in London on Thursday, October 21 (2021).

Infinity won Small Practice of the Year at the 2018 Accounting Excellence Awards and won five times in a row in various categories at the British Accountancy Awards from 2015 through to when the awards were last held in 2019.

Maersk Training launches key industry skills training onshore

Aberdeen-based STC INSISO have launched an updated version of their flagship COMET incident investigation, prevention and root cause analysis offering. Created by professional investigators with major incident experience, the COMET product comprises a unique methodology, training package and online solution for incident investigation, root cause analysis and prevention. As part of a process of continuous customer-led improvement and with £200K investment from STC INSISO, the team have developed an upgraded version of the package – COMET 2.0.

Maersk Training UK (MTUK) has brought its vital ‘industry skills’ programme of training onshore for the first time. The global safety specialist hopes that by launching the popular product line onshore, it will allow its clients across oil and gas, maritime and wind, with their normal operations through to decommissioning, supporting their training needs regardless of mobilisation patterns or issues.

The onshore service, which will be available at sites in Aberdeen, Newcastle, and Humber, will further strengthen the safety firm’s offerings to the offshore workforce, delivered by experienced instructors and enhanced by first-class technology solutions.

Ampelmann responds to growing demand in the Middle East with two new L-type systems

AFS Technologies are finalists ECITB training provider of the year awards

An uptick in projects and an increasing demand for its solutions has prompted Ampelmann, the Dutch offshore access provider, to mobilise two new L-type systems to the Middle East. Ampelmann has been active in the Middle East for close to a decade now, enabling W2W operations with both its A- and L-type gangway systems. The A-type is the company’s flagship system.

AFS Technologies a provider of training, products, and services to the energy industry announced today that it was named a finalist in the Energy Construction Industry Training and Development awards under the category Training Provider of The Year. “The nomination is a reflection of the hard work of our trainers through a difficult period and the business commitment to widen our training capabilities” said Managing Director, Alasdair MacNeil.

LATEST COMMUNITY SIGN-UPS

PRS Energy provides skilled and experienced permanent, interim and contract professionals to the global energy sector.

Seatronics are trusted by our clients to provide innovative technologies and to develop bespoke solutions utilising our vast experience of subsea electronics, integrating and packaging equipment to meet varying subsea challenges.

Industry-leading Project Management solutions for Risk Management, Action Tracking, Lessons Learned, Management of Change and more.

www.prsenergy.com

www.seatronics-group.com

www.prismenergy.co.uk

The team at Rubycom work with our client companies to Improve Financial Performance. Essentially, helping you make more profit using less cash.

Alatas provides unbeatable service to users and owners of cranes around the world. We work with a wide range of brands and manufacturers offering crane services across a variety of industries.

Motive Offshore specialises in the manufacture, rental and servicing of high capacity winches and umbilical testing and deployment equipment.

www.rubycomlimited.com

www.alatas.com

www.motive-offshore.com

Trusted provider of electrical and hazardous area equipment worldwide for over 30 years.

ANYbotics provides autonomous legged robots for industrial applications to provide high availability and reliability in automated routine inspections.

Leading the way in design, development, testing and manufacturing of cementing and completion products for specific client applications.

www.wellheads.co.uk

www.anybotics.com

www.vulcan-cp.com

JOIN THE OGV COMMUNITY FOR JUST £30 A MONTH - WWW.OGV.ENERGY/REGISTER

10

Rig Control Products Ltd

OILFIELD INSTRUMENTATION & CONTROL SYSTEMS R I G M O N I T OR I NG SYST EM

WI TS DATA TRANSMI SSI ON

T RAVELL I N G BL O CK MO NIT O R

REMOTE VI EWERS

P I T VO LU M E T O TAL IZ ER

REMOTE DI AGNOSTI CS

C ON T R O L S Y S T EM UPG RADES

PLC CODI NG

HAZARDOUS AREA SOLAR SOLUTIONS

D ATA LO G G I N G

“RCP have proven they can

deliver cost effective - industry driven control and monitoring

solutions time and time again”

www.rcpat.com | www.ogv.energy I October 2021

+44 (0)1224 798312

|

sales@rcpat.com

ENERGY NEWS

11

OCTOBER 2021

UK NORTH SEA

Energy Review

By Tsvetana Paraskova

The state of the UK offshore oil and gas industry and the road to decarbonisation of activities continued to be key topics in the UK North Sea industries this month.

OGUK published its annual Economic Report 2021, which showed that the UK’s offshore oil and gas industry remains a pillar of the economy. The action to tackle emissions is indisputable and OGUK is “already in action to improve the production of cleaner indigenous oil and gas while putting our skills to work to help other sectors transform.”

However, the report also showed the stark choices the UK faces in the energy transition, considering that in the first few months of 2021, the UK has imported more gas than any other year, as demand rose and domestic production fell. And while renewables have made inroads in supporting electricity generation, that electricity still only accounts for 20% of the UK’s total primary energy needs, OGUK notes.

“With a managed, fair and inclusive transition, we can be confident of our collective path to deliver net zero, but we need all parties to work with us and to actively support us in our commitments and endeavours,” said Deirdre Michie, Chief Executive OGUK. This year, the oil and gas sector is estimated to support £31.1 billion of gross value added (GVA), or 1.7% of the UK total, OGUK said in the report. This means that every £1 million spent by the oil and gas sector is estimated to support around £2.5 million of activity in other parts of the economy.

Additionally, the UK energy services sector is a major exporter of oilfield goods and services and is valued at £60 billion over the five years prior to the pandemic.

UK NORTH SEA REVIEW SPONSORED BY

Industry activity is estimated to support almost 200,000 jobs in 2021, spanning every region of the UK, while industry is set to contribute £1.7 billion in net tax payments between 2021 and 2026, OGUK’s report showed.

The Economic Report showed that £3.7 billion in capital investment was committed in 2020, despite the challenging economic environment due to the pandemic. A total of £21 billion is expected to be invested over the next five years, delivering 2.7 billion boe over time.

Continues >

"OSSO is a value focused provider of specialist fluid temperature control and separation solutions."

www.ossoltd.com

12

ENERGY NEWS

However, the report warned that “In a no-further-investment case, total capital investment could fall to less than £1 billion per year by the middle of the decade as the UK increased its reliance on imported fossil fuels.”

gas operations, which include upstream and midstream operations in the UK North Sea.

“We all know that change is needed so the question is how fast we make that change.

This report shows the reality that cutting off the domestic production of oil and gas faster than we can reduce demand risks leaving us increasingly dependent on other countries that often generate higher emissions,” OGUK’s Michie said.

Serica Energy announced on 2 September first production from the Rhum R3 Well.

“All options will be considered, including the sale of some or all the assets, or the retention and development of the assets within the TAQA Group,” the firm said.

“The successful R3 project is a demonstration of Serica’s ongoing strategy of investment in capital growth projects designed to boost our production levels whilst continuing to reduce our carbon intensity. The next project will be Columbus where we expect first production in Q4 this year,” said Mitch Flegg, Chief Executive of Serica Energy.

OGUK will hold its flagship Offshore Decommissioning Conference 2021, which is taking place between November 22 and 24 this year, in a hybrid format.

EnQuest said in its half-year results that lower production at Magnus reflected the slower execution and an increase in scope of the well intervention programme, an unplanned thirdparty outage, power related failures, and natural declines. The 2021 average net group production is expected to be at the lower end of the guidance range of 46,000 Boepd and 52,000 Boepd, reflecting expected performances at Magnus, the Greater Kittiwake Area and PM8/Seligi over the course of the second half of the year.

“We’ll provide the latest insight on decommissioning market intelligence enabling clients and suppliers to do business more effectively, examine low carbon decommissioning options and explore new technologies to grow our understanding of their impact on our industry,” said Joe Leask, OGUK’s decommissioning manager.

Scotland’s oil and gas industry, and the 100,000 Scots who work for it, will play a key role in achieving the government’s target of reaching net zero by 2045, trade minister Ivan McKee told an energy industry conference in early September.

Scotland has the potential to not only show leadership on hitting net zero emissions, but show other countries the path to achieve it, OGUK CEO Michie said in response to the First Minister’s statement that Scotland would show leadership on the climate crisis.

The UK Oil & Gas Authority (OGA) published on 22 September its annual ‘UK Oil and Gas Reserves and Resources’ report, which showed that the UK’s petroleum reserves remain at a significant level. The OGA’s estimate for proven and probable (2P) UK reserves as at end-2020 is 4.4 billion boe, 0.8 billion boe lower than as at end 2019. On the basis of current production projections, this could sustain production from the UKCS to 2030, the report found.

Exploration success in 2020 delivered an addition of 212 million boe to the total of contingent resources.

“A key part of exploration Stewardship is now to progress the many attractive opportunities within the prospective resource portfolio into drill-ready prospects, and into subsequent discoveries,” OGA said.

“The OGA believes that maximising the economic recovery of the UK’s remaining oil and gas need not be in conflict with the energy transition and that the industry has the skills, technology and capital to help unlock the solutions required to help the UK achieve net zero,” the authority said in the introduction to the report.

In company news Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA), announced on 1 September that it had initiated a strategic review of its oil and

Joe Leask, Decommissioning Manager, OGUK

“We’ll provide the latest insight on decommissioning market intelligence enabling clients and suppliers to do business more effectively, examine low carbon decommissioning options and explore new technologies to grow our understanding of their impact on our industry”

United Oil and Gas Plc has now entered into a binding sale and purchase agreement with Quattro Energy Limited to sell UK Central North Sea Licences P2480 and P2519 for a headline consideration of up to £3.2 million.

Deltic Energy Plc announced on 10 September that the acquisition of 3D seismic data over Licence P2428 and surrounding areas had commenced, following the recent Farm Out with Cairn Energy in relation to five of Deltic’s gas licences in the Southern North Sea. Aberdeen-based Well-Safe Solutions said on 16 September that it was awarded a multi-millionpound contract by Repsol Sinopec to execute the decommissioning of all wells in its Buchan and Hannay fields.

The contract is the first fully-inclusive well decommissioning contract of its kind and enables Repsol Sinopec and Well-Safe Solutions to manage efficiencies, knowledge, and cost, the Aberdeen firm said.

“Our team has worked closely with the team at Repsol Sinopec to develop a contracting delivery model that enables this project to be delivered in a manner that aligns with Repsol Sinopec’s decommissioning strategy, OGA’s decommissioning strategy and Well-Safe’s P&A Club approach. With complete schedule control this enables us to optimise our efficiencies, retain learnings and deliver a multi-operator, multi-well campaign,” Well-Safe Solutions CEO Phil Milton said.

Petrofac has signed a non-exclusive agreement with carbon capture technology company CO2 Capsol to collaborate on carbon capture projects.

Petrofac will work as a preferred engineering services partner to support CO2 Capsol’s carbon capture opportunities across the UK, Europe and over time, globally.

UK NORTH SEA REVIEW sponsored by www.ogv.energy I October 2021

UK North Sea

BRENT OIL PRICES OVER THE YEARS October Review

1

YEAR AGO

- BRENT OIL PRICE 2020 - $40.19 Linda Cook, COO of Harbour Energy

Deltic Energy said on 20 September that together with its operating partner Shell it had completed the geophysical site survey over the planned Pensacola exploration well location on Licence P2252 in the Southern North Sea. The survey was conducted by Fugro GB North Marine Limited.

Jersey Oil and Gas plc said on 22 September that regional electrification collaboration within the Central North Sea is building momentum amongst industry parties, with the Greater Buchan Area (GBA) ideally located to be an integral part of this initiative.

“Our GBA farm-out process was launched and is ongoing, with active engagement with both industry parties and infrastructure funders, the latter having expressed funding interest particularly with respect to electrification of the development and the potential regional collaboration opportunities that exist,” CEO Andrew Benitz said.

Harbour Energy reiterated its 2021 reported production guidance of 170,000-180,000 boepd, despite lower output in the first half of 2021 due to planned maintenance programmes deferred from 2020 into 2021 due to COVID-19 and unplanned outages. The higher expected production for the second half of the year will be the result of completed maintenance programmes, additional wells on-stream, and a full contribution from the Premier portfolio. Harbour Energy also expects to ramp up drilling activity, including two rigs in the J-Area and other units at Tolmount, AELE, Elgin Franklin and Beryl in the UK. “The extended maintenance programmes which impacted our production have completed, drilling activity has returned to preCOVID-19 levels and the merger integration is progressing well, all underpinning strong future cash flow generation,” said Harbour Energy’s CEO Linda Z. Cook.

SIGN UP FOR FREE NOW

The prolonged pain of the pandemic is being felt across the oil markets in October as countries resume lockdown strategies and the world prepares for the US Presidential election. In trading, Brent crude was priced just below US$38 with WTI above US$36 a barrel.

Brent crude is hitting lows seen earlier in October but falling below the psychological level of forty dollars will not help sentiment in the market. Both benchmarks fell more than 10% in a week, the worst performance in the past 6 months.

5

YEARS AGO

- BRENT OIL PRICE 2016 - $49.52 As of 1 October 2016, the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) became the independent regulator for offshore and onshore oil and gas operations in the United Kingdom.

The Energy Act 2016 (EA 2016) transfers to the OGA the regulatory functions previously exercised by the Secretary of State pursuant to the Energy Act 1976, the Petroleum Act 1998, the Energy Act 2004, the Energy Act 2008 and the Energy Act 2011 in relation to oil and gas licensing, exploration and production, fields and wells, infrastructure and carbon storage licensing.

Join the conversation and networking opportunities Chaired by

Callum Falconer

www.ogv.energy/events

Board Director, Decom North Sea

10

DISCOVER OGV'S

YEARS AGO

- BRENT OIL PRICE 2011 - $109.55

PODCASTS AT

A large natural gas field has been discovered off the coast of Mozambique.

WWW.OGV.ENERGY

The field, containing up to 425 billion cubic metres (15tn cu ft) of gas, was discovered by Italian energy giant Eni. Eni was given a licence in 2006 to explore the area, which is about 2,000km (1,250 miles) north of the capital, Maputo. The discovery raises the prospects that East Africa contains more natural gas than previously thought and could become a major gas exporter.

A rival US oil and gas explorer, Andarko, raised its estimates of the amount of natural gas in the Mozambique area earlier this month by two-thirds.

ENERGY TRANSITION

MARINE & SHIPPING

ROBOTICS & AI

14

ENERGY NEWS

Europe

Energy Review

By Tsvetana Paraskova

Oil & Gas UK and European gas and power prices hit record highs in September amid surging natural gas prices, still weather leading to less wind power generation, lower North Sea gas production, limited growth in gas supply from Russia, and surging gas demand in Asia.

Total UK gas production for January-August 2021 fell by 28% compared to the same period last year, due to maintenance and delays in new projects, contributing to the gas price rally, Wood Mackenzie said in early September. Production is expected to recover through the rest of this year, but prices of gas and power in the UK and Europe are likely to remain high this winter due to tighter markets, WoodMac said.

Amid the rallying prices, Russian giant Gazprom completed in early September construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, although gas flows on the controversial Russia-led pipeline cannot begin until Germany

www.ogv.energy I October 2021 2021

Record high gas and electricity prices in Europe and their impact on consumers and economies, as well as new oil and gas developments and a number of contracts in renewable energy marked this month’s European energy highlights.

grants an operating licence to the project. The German regulator is expected to take decision on the licence by early January 2022.

kg per barrel oil equivalent. The new wells are tied into the Troll A platform and Troll phase 3 will extend the platform’s life past 2050, Equinor said.

Gazprom dismisses speculation that it is withholding gas supply to Europe. Meanwhile, Norway, Europe’s second-largest gas supplier after Russia, said it would be boosting gas exports to Europe this winter.

Longboat Energy, the emerging full-cycle North Sea E&P company, said in mid-September that drilling had started at the Rødhette prospect in the Barents Sea offshore Norway. This is the first exploration well for drilled Longboat which has 20% in the prospect, a proven Jurassic play in the Hammerfest Basin with the potential for early monetisation through a 30-km tie-back to the Goliat Field.

Equinor and its partners have received permission to increase gas exports from the Oseberg and Troll fields to supply the tight European market, Norway’s major said on 20 September.

“We believe that this is very timely as Europe is facing an unusually tight market for natural gas. At Equinor we are working on measures to increase exports from our fields on the NCS,” said Helge Haugane, senior vice president Gas & Power.

Three weeks earlier, Equinor had started production from the Troll phase 3 project in the North Sea. The project has a break-even price below $10 and CO2 emissions of less than 0.1

Aker Solutions has been awarded a front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract from Aker BP for the NOA Fulla field development on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The scope of the subsea production systems (SPS) FEED is planned to include 14 standardised vertical subsea trees, Vectus™ 6.0 based Control system modules, four six-slot manifolds, wellheads, and a large number of tie-in and connection systems, Aker Solutions says.

Europe Low-Carbon & Renewables In renewable energy policies, the UK government said in September it would back by an additional £265 million the biggest ever renewable energy support scheme. £265 million per year will be provided to businesses in the fourth round of the scheme, which aims to double the renewable electricity capacity secured in the third round and generate more than the previous three rounds combined. The additional offshore wind capacity resulting from the funding alone could power around 8 million homes. The additional funding contains £200 million to support offshore wind projects, and £55 million available for supporting emerging renewable technologies, including £24 million for floating offshore projects for the first time.

“Today’s announcement will encourage even greater investment in renewables and is a huge boost for the UK’s green recovery. We could see investment of over £20bn on the back of the next clean power auction, which will boost jobs and the UK supply chain, and cut costs for consumers in the transition to net zero,” RenewableUK CEO Dan McGrail said, commenting on the announcement.

Crown Estate Scotland said on 1 September it would launch a new leasing process for offshore wind farms to help decarbonise Scotland’s oil and gas sector. The announcement follows the opening of the Scottish Government’s consultation on a new planning process which will inform the areas to be made available for seabed leases.

“Power generation accounts for around two thirds of oil and gas production emissions. The electrification of oil and gas installations is vital if industry is going to meet its 2027 and 2030 decarbonisation targets agreed in the North Sea Transition Deal,” Scott Robertson, Oil and Gas Authority Director of Operations, said.

The global pipeline of floating offshore wind projects currently stands at 54 gigawatts (GW), with the UK leading the world with 8.8 GW, new research by RenewableUK found. More than half of the global floating wind projects is in Europe (30.9 GW), with the UK leading the world at 8.8 GW. Ireland has 7.7 GW in the pipeline, Sweden 6.2 GW, and Italy 3.7 GW. Norway, Spain, and France are also planning to deploy floating wind at scale, the report says.

“Scotland’s huge deep -water potential means we expect floating offshore wind will be vital in our transition to a net zero economy.

Scotland is already leading the world in floating wind and we’ll do everything in our power to maintain our support and ensure we remain at the forefront of this innovative technology,” Michael Matheson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport in the Scottish Government, said.

Ocean Winds and Aker Offshore Wind unveiled on 14 September an ambitious joint bid to make Scotland a global leader in floating offshore wind. The Ocean Winds-Aker Offshore

Wind partnership has submitted a bid as part of ScotWind for several sites in the Outer Moray Firth, using floating devices to deliver 6,000 MW of energy – which would be by far the largest wind energy development in the UK and power millions of homes.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm said that its new operations and maintenance (O&M) base at the Port of Tyne would be constructed and operated in line with the UK Green Building Council’s (UKGBC) Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework to ensure transparent and robust reporting of its sustainability credentials. Construction of the base is expected to start in Q3 2021 and end in Q3 2022, ahead of wind farm operations starting in 2023.

“Power generation accounts for around two thirds of oil and gas production emissions.

The electrification of oil and gas installations is vital if industry is going to meet its 2027 and 2030 decarbonisation targets agreed in the North Sea Transition Deal,” Scott Robertson, Director of Operations, OGA

Harland & Wolff has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Navantia and Windar Renovables to target specific fixed and floating offshore wind projects primarily within the UK. “We will be able to harness Navantia’s extensive experience and adopt their advanced technologies – better positioning ourselves to be a more attractive and competitive proposition to wind farm developers as we seek to work with UK companies to develop wind farms off UK shores,” Harland & Wolff said in a statement.

Dev Sanyal, executive vice president of gas and low carbon, bp hydrogen energy firm Protium to provide clients with access to Protium’s green hydrogen expertise and Petrofac's engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and energy project delivery legacy.

GE Renewable Energy received in September the official planning approval for its Teesside offshore wind blade manufacturing plant from the Local Planning Authorities. This is the first major milestone in the lead up to the construction of the facility on the South Bank of Teesworks, with construction expected to start later in 2021.

Lightsource bp, a 50/50 joint venture of bp, has secured a new $1.8 billion revolving credit facility and trade finance facility that will help fuel its new global growth strategy of developing 25 GW of solar by 2025, the solar power developer said. Since it was set up in 2010, Lightsource has developed 3.8 GW of solar projects globally, and it is now aiming to drive this total to 25 GW of developed projects by 2025 fed by its expanding development pipeline.

“Lightsource bp has developed more than 30 projects, which today have consistently delivered 8 to 10% returns. So when people ask if we really have the capability to deliver the returns we talk about, the answer couldn’t be clearer – yes, we can because we are,” said Dev Sanyal, bp’s executive vice president of gas and low carbon.

Shell announced on 16 September a final investment decision to build an 820,000-tonnes-a-year biofuels facility at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam, the Netherlands, formerly known as the Pernis refinery.

Once built, the facility will be among the biggest in Europe to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel made from waste.

“This investment is an important step as we transform the Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam from a traditional refinery into a sustainable energy park,”

The OYSTER project - being undertaken by a consortium of ITM Power, Ørsted, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, and Element Energy – has chosen Grimsby as the location for an innovative “marinised” electrolyser project for renewable hydrogen production. The project will develop and demonstrate an electrolyser system designed to be integrated with offshore wind turbines, and will also investigate the potential of using pipelines to transport hydrogen to shore.

Petrofac announced the signing of a strategic partnership with UK green

15

.

said Marjan van Loon, President Director of Shell Netherlands BV.

16

ENERGY NEWS

US

ENERGY REVIEW

The impact of Hurricane Ida on US oil and gas production and refining, the US policies regarding oil and gas development and containing emissions, a blockbuster deal in the Permian, and the lower-carbon ambitions of supermajor Chevron have been the key themes in the US oil and gas sector this past month.

By Tsvetana Paraskova

.

Hurricane Ida Disrupts US Oil, Gas, Refinery Output US oil, gas, and refining operations in the Gulf of Mexico and on the Gulf Coast have been disrupted since Hurricane Ida made a landfall in Louisiana at the end of August. At peak shut-ins in the Gulf of Mexico, operators had halted as much as 95% of the oil production in the federal offshore region. Nine refineries on the Gulf Coast also shut down, although most of them took less than three weeks to restart, but two refineries remained shut as of 20 September.

Peak daily supply curtailment stood at 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) in the Gulf of Mexico, according to Rystad Energy’s initial assessment of Hurricane Ida’s impact on US oil production and refinery capacity. The Gulf of Mexico has a peak daily production capacity of 1.9 million bpd. Nearly 2 million bpd of US Gulf Coast refining capacity was also estimated to be offline immediately after the storm hit.

www.ogv.energy I October 2021

Oil and gas production and refining operations were gradually coming online in the following weeks, but the lower supply contributed to oil and gas price spikes in September.

Nearly 2 million bpd of US Gulf Coast refining capacity was also estimated to be offline immediately after the storm hit.

Two refineries in eastern Louisiana remained shut from Hurricane Ida as of 20 September, accounting for about 500,000 bpd of refinery capacity, or around 3% of the total U.S. operable refining capacity, the US Department of Energy said in a situation report. Five refineries have returned to operational status, while two other refineries were in the process of restarting but remain below normal operating rates.

As of 23 September, nearly a month after Ida made a landfall in Louisiana on 29 August, a total of 16% of the US Gulf of Mexico oil production remained shut in, as well as 24% of the region’s natural gas production, according to data from the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).

Some of the shut-in production will not return until early 2022, as Shell said its damage assessment of the West Delta-143 (WD-143) offshore facilities from Hurricane Ida revealed significant structural damage.

The WD-143 facilities serve as the transfer station for production from Shell’s assets in the Mars corridor in the Gulf of Mexico to onshore crude and natural gas terminals.

The company estimates that the WD-143 “A” platform facilities will be offline for repairs until the end of 2021, and that the facilities on the WD-143 “C” platform will be operational the fourth quarter of 2021.

Given the timeline for repairs to WD-143, Shell expect to resume production from the Olympus platform, which flows across the WD-143 “C” platform, in the fourth quarter of 2021, and from the Mars and Ursa facilities, which flow across the WD-143 “A” platform, in the first quarter of 2022.

US producers,” said Jeff Gustavson, president of Chevron New Energies.

Shell Sells Its Permian Business To ConocoPhillips

“These sectors of the economy are not easily electrified, and customers are seeking lower carbon fuels and other solutions to reduce carbon emissions.”

On the same day on which it announced that some of its Gulf of Mexico facilities would not be operational until early next year, Shell said it had signed an agreement to sell its Permian business to ConocoPhillips for $9.5 billion in cash. Shell’s Permian assets includes ownership in around 225,000 net acres with current production of around 175,000 barrels equivalent per day.

US Regulations on Oil & Gas The US Department of the Interior is resuming oil and gas lease sales after the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) posted on 31 August an updated Record of Decision (ROD) for Lease Sale 257 in the Gulf of Mexico to its website. As stated in the Department of the Interior’s announcement, BOEM expects a Final Notice of Sale for LS 257 to publish in September, with a lease sale to follow in the autumn of this year, BOEM said.

Shell will use the cash proceeds from the transaction to fund $7 billion in additional shareholder distributions, with the remainder used for further strengthening of the balance sheet. The effective date of the transaction is 1 July 2021 with closing expected in the fourth quarter of 2021, subject to regulatory approvals.

The Biden Administration had placed a moratorium on federal lease sales in January 2021, until the Department of the Interior carries out a review of the leasing programme.

“After reviewing multiple strategies and portfolio options for our Permian assets, this transaction with ConocoPhillips emerged as a very compelling value proposition,” said Wael Sawan, Upstream Director.

“We were presented with a unique opportunity to add premium assets at a value that meets our strict cost of supply framework and brings financial and operational metrics that are highly accretive to our multi-year plan,” ConocoPhillips chairman and chief executive officer Ryan Lance said, commenting on the deal.

The acquisition adds significant scale to ConocoPhillips’ existing low-cost position in the core of Delaware Permian at a 3.7x multiple, with no increase to the company’s federal lease holdings, Fitch Ratings said, noting that it views the impact of the transaction on ConocoPhillips’ business profile favourably. The transaction creates opportunities for efficiency gains, which are expected to lead to stronger netbacks and higher free cash flow (FCF), Fitch said.

Chevron Triples Planned Investment in Lower-Carbon Businesses Oil and gas supermajor Chevron is tripling its planned capital investment in lowercarbon energy businesses to $10 billion between now and 2028, compared to a previous capital guidance of $3 billion.

Chevron aims to grow its renewable natural gas production, renewable fuels production, hydrogen production, and increase carbon capture and offsets to 25 million tonnes per year by developing regional hubs in partnership with others.

“Our planned actions target sectors of the economy that are harder to abate and leverage our capabilities, assets, and customer relationships,” said Michael Wirth, Chevron’s chairman and CEO. “Renewable fuels, hydrogen and carbon capture target customers such as airlines, transport companies and industrial

“Although the announcement is a positive signal Interior plans to resume lease sales, the agency could use bureaucratic manoeuvres to slow the process,” said Deidre Kohlrus, Director Government Affairs, at the Energy Workforce & Technology Council.

Chevron aims to grow its renewable natural gas production, renewable fuels production, hydrogen production, and increase carbon capture and offsets to 25 million tonnes per year by developing regional hubs in partnership with others.

“The Council will continue to advocate for a complete reinstatement of the federal oil and gas leasing program until lease sales fully resume as legally required,” Kohlrus added.

US Energy Industry Opposes Proposed Methane Fee Democrats in US Congress have proposed increased fees and taxes on the oil and gas industry as part of a $3.5-trillion spending plan, including the introduction of a fee on methane.

The biggest US natural gas producers and associations oppose the proposed fee and called on the Senate committees to reconsider it, arguing that direct regulation would serve the purpose of cutting emissions best.

“To impose a misguided punitive tax on natural gas could significantly undermine any purported effort of this legislation to reduce GHG emissions,” the American Petroleum Institute (API) and 130 energy, manufacturing, business, and labour trade organisations wrote in a letter to the US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

“If the objective is to reduce methane emissions, direct regulation of methane is the best method to implement such a government policy and do so in an equitable manner that is tied to actual emissions,” the groups wrote in the letter.

18

ENERGY NEWS SPONSORED BY

Smart Procurement At Craig International, procurement isn’t just about processes, products and numbers. We promote a culture of ownership among our people, who are trusted to get on with the job on your behalf. We’re proud of how we serve clients.

www.craig-international.com

We’re always looking for new ways to add value and routinely introduce new technological solutions to make service delivery even simpler, smoother, faster.

The OPEC+ coalition ignored the call from the US Administration in August to open the taps and ensure supply is enough to continue supporting the global economic recovery.

By Tsvetana Paraskova

Over the past month, the leading Middle Eastern oil producers part of OPEC and the wider OPEC+ alliance continued with their policy to ease the collective oil production cuts, the world’s largest oil exporter slashed the prices of its crude for Asia in October, and a number of companies signed contracts and partnerships to provide more energy solutions in the region.

OPEC+ Continues Easing Oil Production Cuts During a short and rather uneventful meeting on 1 September, the OPEC+ group maintained its policy and said it would continue easing the collective cuts by another 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) in October.

“The Meeting noted that, while the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to cast some uncertainty, market fundamentals have strengthened and OECD stocks continue to fall as the recovery accelerates,” OPEC said after the meeting.

www.ogv.energy I October 2021

Middle East In its September Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR), OPEC said that the recent surge in COVID cases could partially delay oil demand recovery into 2022. But then robust economic growth and stronger recovery in fuel consumption will push global oil demand averaging 100.8 million bpd and exceeding pre-COVID levels next year, OPEC said and boosted its 2022 demand forecast by 900,000 bpd.

and the country’s National Investment Commission to implement gas and solar projects in Iraq.

With the support of Iraqi authorities, TotalEnergies will invest in installations to recover gas that is currently being flared on three oil fields and as such supply gas to 1.5 GW of power generation capacity in a first phase, growing to 3 bp, ADNOC, and Masdar GW in a second phase. The said in mid-September French supermajor will they planned to form also develop 1 GWac of a strategic partnership solar electricity generation capacity to supply the to provide clean energy Basra regional grid. solutions for the UK

and the UAE

While OPEC and OPEC+ have been doing a good job coordinating their collective oil supply in recent years, the alliance will find it harder to do so in the future in view of the energy transition, Fitch Ratings said in a report at the end of August.

“A faster-than-anticipated peak in oil consumption may weaken the OPEC+’s ability to coordinate production, resulting in greater oil price volatility and lower average prices,” the rating agency said.

Fitch’s base-case assumption is that OPEC+ members will continue to reach compromises over how much oil to pump in the short term, but this could become more challenging in the longer term, when risks of declining oil consumption increase.

“However, the alliance may gain a larger market share due to underinvestment in oil development by some non-OPEC countries,” according to Fitch.

Saudi Arabia Slashes OSPs to Asia for First Time in Four Months In early September, the world’s top oil exporter Saudi Arabia slashed the official selling prices (OSPs) for its crude for Asia in October by more than expected in a first cut to prices to the Asian market in four months. Analysts interpreted the move with weakened fuel demand in the region due to the Delta variant surge at the end of the summer. Another reason observers cited was the willingness of Saudi Arabia to keep, and potentially raise, its market share on its most important market, following higher prices in the summer that made some Asian refiners turn to cheaper barrels on the spot market from regions other than the Middle East.

Deals, IPOs, Service Contracts TotalEnergies signed in early September a major deal – estimated at $27 billion – with the Iraqi Ministries for oil and electricity,

“Our ambition is to assist Iraq in building a more sustainable future by developing access to electricity for its people through a more sustainable use of the country’s natural resources such as: reduction of gas flaring that generates air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, water resource management and development of solar energy,” said Patrick Pouyanné, TotalEnergies’ Chairman and CEO. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said in early September it planned to list at least 7.5% in its drilling unit, ADNOC Drilling, in the United Arab Emirates. The initial public offering (IPO) is directed to qualified investors, ADNOC Group Employees and UAE national retirees, and the UAE public, including any eligible citizen or resident. Later in September, ADNOC raised the share of ADNOC Drilling it would list to 11%, which is estimated by analysts to fetch $1.1 billion.

“The new offering size was determined by ADNOC, as the selling shareholder, based on significant investor demand and the considerable oversubscription across all Tranches. The enlarged offering will enable a broader investor base to obtain exposure to ADNOC Drilling’s highly attractive value proposition,” ADNOC said.

ADNOC Drilling has already attracted a major foreign investor in the IPO. Helmerich & Payne said it would make a $100 million cornerstone investment into ADNOC Drilling’s IPO as it seeks to grow in the region.

Ber na rd Lo

“As vaccination rates rise, the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to be better managed and economic activities and mobility will firmly return to pre-COVID-19 levels. The revisions are based in both the OECD and non-OECD regions, with steady economic developments expected to support the partially delayed recovery in oil demand in various sectors,” OPEC said in its 2022 forecast.

ey on

A week before announcing ADNOC Drilling’s planned listing, ADNOC announced an exploration concession agreement in which it awarded the exploration rights for Abu Dhabi’s Offshore Block 5 to a consortium of four Pakistani companies – Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL), Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), and Government Holdings (Private) Limited

19

(GHPL) – in Abu Dhabi’s second competitive block bid round.

The award marks the first time Pakistani companies invest in and explore for oil and gas in an Abu Dhabi concession, as well as the first time ADNOC has partnered with Pakistani energy companies, the Abu Dhabi company said.

Italy’s oil and gas major Eni signed in early September a memorandum of understanding with Mubadala Petroleum, a wholly owned subsidiary of the UAE’s Mubadala Investment Company, for cooperation in energy transition initiatives. Eni and Mubadala will seek opportunities in the energy transition sector, including in hydrogen and carbon capture, utilisation, and storage, that align with their respective decarbonisation targets. The scope of the cooperation covers potential joint opportunities in the Middle East, North Africa, Southeast Asia, Europe, and other regions of mutual interest.

Another Italian company, Saipem, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Saudi Aramco to explore the possibility to establish a new entity in Saudi Arabia for the execution of engineering and construction activities in the industrial sector. The agreement entails the potential creation, in partnership with local entities, of an “EPC National Champion” capable of executing, in-Kingdom, the full range of Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) project activities, while maximising the employment of local resources.

Also in Saudi Arabia, Baker Hughes and Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) formed a strategic framework alliance agreement for the supply of asset performance management services. The five-year alliance includes the delivery of Bently Nevada’s plantwide condition monitoring and machine asset protection services across more than 1,200 assets at over 16 SABIC sites in Saudi Arabia. bp, ADNOC, and Masdar said in midSeptember they planned to form a strategic partnership to provide clean energy solutions for the UK and the UAE. The three companies aim to develop low carbon hydrogen hubs and decarbonised air corridors between the UK and UAE. Under the partnership, bp and Masdar intend to explore opportunities to provide sustainable energy and mobility solutions for cities in the UK, UAE, and beyond, while bp and ADNOC plan to continue decarbonising existing oil and gas operations through the use of methane detection, CCUS, and pioneering digital technologies, bp said.

“By partnering with the visionary leaders of ADNOC and Masdar, we see massive business opportunity to generate the clean energy the world wants and needs – and at the same time revitalise local economies and create the jobs of the future,” bp CEO Bernard Looney said.

WORLD PROJECTS

20

SPONSORED BY

Energy projects and business intelligence in the energy sector

www.eicdatastream.the-eic.com

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.

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.

2 1

SAUDI ARABIA - Saudi Aramco Jafurah Gas Project US$110bn

MOROCCO - Chariot Oil & Gas Ltd Anchois Gas Discovery US$400mn

It is understood that Aramco is now preparing to restart the development of the Jafurah gas field. Aramco expects the Jafurah field to produce in early 2024 and reach 2,200 MMcf/d by 2036. The field will also produce 425 MMcf/d of ethane and 550,000 b/d of gas liquids and condensates.

Saudi Aramco is also believed to be in preliminary talks with potential international investors that could fund the Jafurah gas project either through debt or equity infusion.

3

4

Chariot has signed a contract with Stena Drilling to use its Stena Don drilling rig for the planned Anchois gas appraisal well. The company said that drilling operations are expected to start in December 2021 and take up to approximately 40 days.

Anchois-1 is estimated to contain 361 Bcf of recoverable resources.

5

6

COYE D’IVOIRE - Eni Baleine Oil l& Gas Discovery Est US$1bn

GUYANA - ExxonMobil Stabroek Exploration Drilling Programme US$2.1bn

USA - Shell Whale Field Development US$2bn

CANADA - Mitsubishi Edmonton Hydrogen Plant US$1.65bn

Significant offshore discovery announced by Eni. The discovery well encountered high quality light oil. Preliminary estimates put potential reserves at between 1.5 and 2 billion barrels of oil in place and between 1.8 and 2.4 Tcf of associated gas.

The Pinktail-1 exploration well has discovered 219 feet (67 metres) of net pay in high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs.

McDermott has been awarded a contract to provide engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning for 50 kilometres of pipeline and approximately 15 kilometres of umbilical to connect five drill centres to a new offshore platform. The project will commence immediately and is expected to be completed in 2024. McDermott’s team in Houston will lead the engineering, procurement and project management services.

Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) and Shell Canada Products, managed by Shell Canada Limited (Shell Canada), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the production of lowcarbon hydrogen utilising carbon capture and storage (CCS) near Edmonton, Canada. MC plans to construct a low-carbon hydrogen facility near Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Scotford in the second half of this decade, with Shell providing CO2 storage through the proposed Polaris CCS project.

Further appraisal drilling is being planned. The field could potentially be developed via and FPSO.

www.ogv.energy I October 2021

The well, located 6km south-east of the Yellowtail development, resulted in the 20th discovery by ExxonMobil in Stabroek since exploration began.

WORLD PROJECTS

9

6 5 2

7

1 4

3

8

TAIWAN - Iberdola Offshore Wind Farm Ju Dao, Guo Feng, Da Chung Bu US$9bn

7

Iberdrola has announced three new offshore wind development projects in Taiwan with a combined potential capacity of approximately 6,000MW. The water depths are appropriate for both fixed bottom and floating offshore wind technology. The three projects are primed for entry into the forthcoming ‘Zonal Development’ auction rounds.

Iberdrola plans to establish a project office in Taipei and develop these offshore wind farms through community engagement as well as establishing relationships with local workforces and the supply chain.

8

9

10

AUSTRALIA - Santos Dorado Oil, Gas and Condensate Field US$1.9bn

NORWAY - Wintershall Dea Bergknapp Oil and Gas Discovery US$100mn

AUSTRALIA - Energy Resources Holding (ERH) Lockyer Deep Gas Discovery Est US$100mn

Several Feed contracts have been awarded by Santos for the development. Atteris has been selected to conduct FEED work on the subsea system. Sembcorp Marine will perform the FPSO feed work on behalf of Altera Infrastructure who are is main FPSO contractor for Dorado.

Sapura Energy has the FEED contract for the design, construction, and installation of a wellhead platform.

FEED works are expected to be completed by Q2 2022.

Wintershall Dea has completed the drilling of an appraisal well on the Bergknapp oil discovery and has found additional volumes as a result.

Following the completion of the appraisal well, the size of the Garn and Tilje Formation discoveries is estimated to be between 40 and 84 million barrels of recoverable oil equivalent, whereas the Åre Formation is estimated to hold an additional 13 million to 56 million barrels of recoverable oil equivalent.

A significant conventional gas discovery has been announced at the Locker Deep-1 exploration well in Western Australia's onshore Perth basin.

A wireline logging programme is currently under way, and if the results are positive the well will be completed for production testing.

WORLD PROJECTS SPONSORED BY

10

03 21

22

DECOMMISSIONING ZONE

By Tsvetana Paraskova

Oil & Gas Decommissioning Opportunities Decommissioning activity in the UK North Sea has been intensifying in recent years as more oil and gas fields are maturing in one of the world’s most explored offshore basins.

“Decommissioning presents an opportunity for the offshore oil and gas industry to coalesce behind a common objective, with collaborative contracting approaches offering the potential to drive out inefficient practices to achieve successful decommissioning to the benefit of all parties,” OGA’s strategy says.

The priority of supporting energy transition from late life into decommissioning will aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from decommissioning and capitalise on opportunities to reuse or re-purpose infrastructure.

In the priority focus on technology, processes, and guidance, OGA will work to help develop and deploy technology, appropriate regulatory processes, and clear guidance.

The Decommissioning and Repurposing Taskforce, Supply Chain and Exports Taskforce, and Wells Task Force will provide ongoing strategic direction oversight and support, driving alignment, accountability, action, and delivery on priorities, OGA notes.

Decommissioning Costs

Along with increased activity, the expertise of the UK contractors in late life asset management and decommissioning grows, and so do the opportunities of the UK supply chain to export its services and expertise to other markets.

Decommissioning costs in the UK Continental Shelf have declined in recent years. Over the past four years, an average annual cost reduction of 6% has been delivered, OGA said in its latest UKCS Decommissioning Cost Estimate 2021 report published in July. If the average cost reduction is kept, the target for cutting costs by 35% by the end of 2022 is achievable, the authority noted.

Decommissioning costs have been falling, but industry needs to maintain the cost-cutting pace if it wants to hit the target of the UK Oil & Gas Authority, OGA said in a recent report.

The total cost of decommissioning UKCS offshore oil and gas infrastructure has reduced to £46 billion, which equates to a projected saving of nearly £14 billion, or 23%. The expected cost savings mark steady progress towards the target of £39 billion total cost of decommissioning by end-2022 set in 2017.

The substantial saving already achieved is good news for both industry and the Exchequer, OGA said.

The next two decades will see a lot of decommissioning activity not only in the North Sea but also in other offshore basins, but this decade the UK is expected to continue to be at the forefront of global decommissioning activity, analysts say.

The £2 billion, or 4%, reduction in the 2021 decommissioning cost estimate is the result of continuous improvement and reductions in well decommissioning costs, driven by reductions in subsea P&A costs across both Central North Sea and West of Shetland.

In 2020, decommissioning expenditure was impacted by Covid-19 and the low commodity price, contributing to a continuation of a plateau in the rate of cost reduction reported last year.

Decommissioning Strategy The UK Oil & Gas Authority revised earlier this year its Decommissioning Strategy from 2016, to ensure cost-effective and timely decommissioning activities and demonstrate industry’s commitment to responsible management of the UK’s petroleum legacy.

The revised Decommissioning Strategy supports the OGA Strategy to deliver the target to reduce by 2022 decommissioning cost estimates by 35% from the 2017 base estimate of £59.7 billion.

The total cost of decommissioning UKCS offshore oil and gas infrastructure has reduced to £46 billion

The revised strategy has four key priorities: planning for decommissioning, commercial transformation, supporting energy transition from late life into decommissioning, and technology, processes and guidance.

The planning for decommissioning priority aims to drive cost efficiency through effective late-life stewardship, creating a platform for timely delivery. OGA’s priority actions through 2024 will be to promote learning, sharing of knowledge and continuous improvement, capturing and promoting learnings from infrastructure owners and the supply chain, working in collaboration with industry groups including OGUK, East of England Energy Group (EEEGR), and Decom North Sea (DNS) to maximise learning.

The priority of commercial transformation will focus on steps to improve market efficiency to establish a competitive and sustainable market.

www.ogv.energy I October 2021

“While short-term forecasts show a recovery from this slowdown, commercial transformation remains key to meeting the cost reduction target,” OGA said.

“There are positive signs that operators are embracing lessons learned from across the industry plus also embedding a culture of continuous improvement and setting ambitious best in class performance targets. This is helping drive the downward cost trajectory and, more will be needed to meet the target,” the authority said.

“At the same time however there remain some real inconsistencies in cost performance, reducing the overall improvement of the basin,” OGA noted.

Cost reduction could be accelerated with decommissioning at scale, sustainable and stable supply chain, and lessons learned by transfer of knowledge plus good practices through improved communication, engagement, and stewardship, according to the authority.

Looking Ahead Over the next decade industry is expected to spend up to £15.1 billion on decommissioning activity, OGUK said in its latest Decommissioning Insight 2020 report published at the end of last year.

Almost £7.4 billion is to be spent on well decommissioning over the next decade, as well decommissioning still accounts for the vast majority of decommissioning costs, at 49% of total decommissioning expenditure, the report found.

DECOMMISSIONING ZONE

Decom Live

23

Aberdeen Harbour 2-3 September 2021 Over 600 delegates attended the inaugural Decom Live - a two-day event which heralded a welcome return to face-to-face events for the energy industry.

“Looking to the future, industry should seek to build on what it has achieved to further pursue cost-effective decommissioning, explore opportunities to better collaborate, continue to focus on technology and seek ways to conduct activity in a safe and environmentally sustainable manner,” OGUK said.

“Success in these areas will not only enable UK decommissioning projects to be conducted effectively, but will also develop expertise which make our decommissioning supply chain a compelling option to help other nations around the world,” the leading offshore industry association noted.

The UK is at the forefront of decommissioning with US$21 billion expected to be spent on decommissioning activities this decade alone, according to a June report by Wood Mackenzie.

By the end of this decade, expenditure on decommissioning activities is set to overtake capital expenditure in the North Sea as more platforms wind down operations due to technical, safety, and cost factors.

Higher decommissioning activity “could provide a lifeline for the supply chain if it is able to scale up,” WoodMac said.

“The UK can help to set the tone for this emergent industry, but there is a lot of uncertainty over the timing and value of the opportunity,” the consultancy noted.

Organised by industry membership organisation, Decom North Sea, the event was designed to allow the decommissioning sector to network, whilst learning about and getting up close to the technology that makes the UK late life and decommissioning sector a global leader in its field.

Hosted by Aberdeen Harbour Board at Blaikie’s Quay, Decom Live allowed delegates to network in a safe, outdoor environment, whilst giving them the opportunity to visit more than 30 exhibitors and really “kick the tyres” of some impressive bits of kit exhibited on the quayside.

A programme of speakers, which included a number of operators as well as MP Mark Garnier – previously Under Secretary of State at the Department for International Trade and the Prime Minister’s trade envoy to Brunei, Thailand and Myanmar - reinforced the significant export potential for UK decom expertise. Speaking on both days, Mr Garnier was accompanied by DIT colleagues, Jonathan Spencer and Shozey Jafferi, whose presence and interaction with delegates and exhibitors underlined the global opportunities available to the sector.

The Energy Transition was also high on the agenda, with speakers and exhibitors alike highlighting the critical role late life and decommissioning activity will play not only as the industry moves towards a net zero target, but also in the eventual decommissioning of renewable and hybrid power assets.

The buzz around the event and the feedback received illustrated the importance of - and appetite for – highly accessible, “in person” events, and Decom North Sea is delighted to announce that it was just the first of several Decom Lives to take place around the country over the coming year.

24

DECOMMISSIONING ZONE

J+S SUBSEA CELEBRATES

its first anniversary with Corporate Vision award

Subsea controls engineering specialists J+S Subsea is celebrating its first anniversary with an award recognition.

Following a management buy-out in September last year, the Aberdeenbased company has continued to show strong growth and has also settled into new larger premises. Its first year was topped off with the award of “Best subsea equipment engineering specialist” in Corporate Vision’s Oil & Gas Awards earlier this month.

Subsea controls J+S Subsea has established itself at the forefront of the the subsea production control market.

Formerly the subsea controls

www.ogv.energy I October 2021

engineering division of SEA, a subsidiary of the independent technology group Cohort plc, the business reverted to a new version of its original trading name following last year’s buy-out.

Phil Reid, Managing Director, J+S Subsea

It also moved to new larger premises in Kintore at the start of this year, to acquire larger workshops and stores, as well as accommodate a growing team.

Its innovative Legacy Locker initiative provides an industry portal that offers refurbished capital equipment. The service recycles or re-engineers existing, unwanted assets to give a cost-efficient solution as well as offering options for sale rather than scrappage.

Celebrating success Managing director Phil Reid said: “At J+S Subsea, meeting the needs of our clients will always be our main goal. This runs through everything we do, from the expansion of our services and development of new, exciting products, to training our staff to be the best in the industry."

"As the company grows, we will continue to cater to our clients’ needs and support them while providing a safe, cost-effective service."

“This is just the beginning and I look forward to the future with great excitement.”

Award “What made the Corporate Vision award particularly satisfying is the ethos behind the awarding body.

“They acknowledge and celebrate global businesses that innovate, grow, and thrive despite challenges and uncertainty and we believe that truly reflects J+S Subsea.

“And a great example of us leading the way is our Legacy Locker resource. This realises the economic value of re-manufacturing, reuse and repurposing subsea equipment.

“In a competitive market, we will continue to demonstrate the value we provide with our responsive, safe and high-quality solutions and build on this excellent success in our first 12 months.”

J+S Subsea provides proactive, responsive and cost-effective solutions for design, engineering, operational support and maintenance of subsea equipment, primarily related to the Subsea Production Control market. For more information visit www.jands.co.uk

DECOMMISSIONING ZONE

25

THE GROWTH OF

ALATAS Crane Services ALATAS Crane Services announce new contract wins as part of continued business growth

Crane specialists with expertise in marine, offshore, port and shipyards and construction and industrial sectors.

A

latas Crane Services Worldwide, a specialist provider of crane operations, maintenance, engineering, training and parts supply for mechanical handling equipment across the energy sector has announced several new contract wins as part of its continued business growth.

With over 30 years’ experience and 18 offices across 13 countries, Alatas provides support to all types of cranes and mechanical handling equipment across the Oil & Gas, Subsea, Merchant Shipping, Ports and Shipyards markets with particular focus on managing late life assets and upgrade projects.

In the last 18 months they have opened new offices in Asia and Europe with partnerships established in Africa and further expansion planned across key target regions.

In addition, Alatas have introduced new service lines such as offshore modular crane rentals, whilst expanding on our traditional workshop and mobile hose manufacturing capacity.

Within their Engineering and Design services office in Westhill, which is made up of Project Management, Mechanical, Electrical, Automation, Hydraulic and Structural disciplines, Alatas have taken on additional building space to facilitate the continued recruitment of personnel, which has more than trebled in the last 12 months to support growth across the group.

Allied to the engineering disciplines, the business has increased its pool of full-time data scientists and programmers to continuously improve and develop their in-house ‘Service Management System’ and ‘Maintenance management’ solutions.

For Oil and Gas clients alone, Alatas have added over 220 cranes to their list of managed contracts in the UK, West Africa and Asia regions which builds on the established contracts in the UK and Holland for major operators and EPC’s.

In the maritime sector they have continued to develop relationships with the major subsea service companies, whilst establishing global agreements with two of the world’s largest shipping companies, covering crane services, upgrades and spares supplies.

The Ports sector is fast becoming their busiest growth market, with major equipment upgrade projects secured or planned in the UK, Europe and Africa.

Alatas provides unbeatable service to users and owners of cranes around the world across a variety of industries.

For more information visit www.alatas.com

Commenting on recent successes, Brendan Forbes – Group Technical Director said: “Our growth has been underpinned by the core depth of technical talent that exists in the business and a firm commitment to drive technology led solutions. We adopt learnings from each of the markets we operate in to drive improvements and future-proof the business.”

Richard De’ath – Alatas UK Managing Director added: “I have worked within Alatas for over 14 years, starting as a service technician and progressing to my current role 4 years ago. The Alatas business has changed significantly during this time but throughout this time, the consistent factor has been experienced crane professionals at all levels of the business, with a desire to innovate and grow and we are delighted that these recent contract wins, which demonstrate that our investment in what we believe in has paid off.”

26

DECOMMISSIONING ZONE

UNIQUE COLLABORATION EMBRACING decommissioning opportunities and challenges

Peterhead recently became home to Scotland’s first dedicated subsea decommissioning hub focussing on the circular economy when NorSea Decom threw open its gates in the Aberdeenshire town – and services are already in demand from a growing customer base of operators and marine contractors.

The new name is the product of a collaborative approach

by NorSea UK and Phoenix Decom to focus on the safe and compliant management of decommissioned subsea infrastructure and waste logistics.

Thousands of tonnes of decommissioned equipment and waste have been handled by the NorSea Decom team

By balancing traditional and emerging markets to bolster sustainability and minimise carbon production, the new relationship-based venture uses decades of expertise to create an exciting vertically integrated, fundamentally local, supply chain which emphasises cost optimisation, process simplification and professional delivery of right-sized solutions.

www.ogv.energy I October 2021

The move further utilises NorSea UK's expansive Peterhead base where more than £2 million has been invested in readying the 30,000m² Smith Quay and Merchants Quay facility for its new chapter.

From this customer-facing, fully licensed and permitted base, NorSea Decom steps into the foreground as a single, integrated management contractor solution to look after the complete onshore scope of work from receipt of potentially contaminated subsea structures through cleaning and size reduction before transportation to the final repurposing/re-use location.

NorSea UK also operates from its headquarters in Aberdeen’s Altens Industrial Estate. The privately-owned company provides supply bases and integrated logistics solutions to the energy and other industries. Across its operations, the company aims to deliver high-tech, innovative and complete supply chain solutions which are tailored to customer needs.

While Phoenix Decom Ltd is a new name to the NORM and decom market, the business is engrained with specialist waste, environmental and logistics expertise from previous NORM and decommissioning projects. The experienced staff have over 200 years of combined industry knowledge: they are agile and responsive with a focus on full legal compliance and at the same time protecting our customers reputation.

NorSea Decom believes that a unique turnkey approach to executing a subsea decommissioning contract provides clients with a single contracting interface which will manage and deliver the complete onshore scope of work.

Thousands of tonnes of decommissioned equipment and waste have been handled by the NorSea Decom team, including flexible risers, umbilical reels,

Xmas trees, manifolds, wellhead protection structures and mid-water arches from tier one global operators with interests in the North Sea – and they ensure they divert as much as possible from landfill, successfully reusing and recycling when possible.

Paul Knowles, Vice President UK & Europe, AIS Survivex

A collaborative and unique, turnkey approach can respond to all waste management challenges and with regional support available from NorSea Group, offering an unrivalled network of locations both bordering the North Sea Basin and internationally through additional global locations.

NorSea is an innovative and customer focused supply chain manager. The company provides supply bases and integrated logistics solutions to the offshore industry.

For more information visit www.norseagroup.com

DECOMMISSIONING ZONE

27

Subsea pipe grabs

EQUIPMENT INVESTMENT

Reaping Rewards Recent investment is reaping rewards for equipment rental business Hiretech Limited.

The firm has increased its rental fleet over the last year, investing a seven-figure sum in new build equipment to support client decommissioning and renewables projects.

Subsea shears and hydraulic grabs were introduced as part of the new product offerings, complemented recently by the build of additional pumps, hydraulic power packs and umbilical reels to further increase availability of existing product lines.

The shears, which offer 950t and 1700t shear force respectively, were specifically chosen and developed to provide safe, reliable, high performance cutting solutions on a variety of materials. They are designed for water depths of up to 10,000ft and can be powered and controlled from the surface, or from an ROV with hot stab and intensifier.

Subsea shears

Trials carried out earlier this year with the 5t subsea shears verified the required flows and pressures and confirmed the cut times on 130mm, 203mm and 213mm diameter 3-core submarine export cables and 9 5/8” casings.

The shears performed to expectation, delivering fast and efficient cuts to all three cables, utilising only 50-60% of the available hydraulic power.

The shears have since successfully undertaken work in the North Sea, most recently completing a work scope where they performed in excess of 400 scrap cuts to a variety of tubulars with diameters ranging from 5” through to 13”, all X65 material. Along with a dedicated pipe grab, the shears were also used to grip and recover a number of cut sections to subsea baskets prior to final recovery to deck.

EQUIPMENT RENTAL & PERSONNEL

Chemical Cleaning Decommissioning Well Service Renewables Hydraulics Pipeline Subsea

www.hiretech.rentals e: info@hiretech.rentals t: +44 (0)1224 798 888 Cothill • Fintray • Dyce • Aberdeen • AB21 0JD • UK

Watch our interview with Andy Buchan at Decom Live 2021

Hiretech’s 10t hydraulic subsea pipe grabs have also completed back-to-back projects over the summer recovering a variety of materials, including pipe with diameters ranging from 5” through to 30” with and without concrete weight coating, in projects also located in the North Sea. The grabs have also been used for the recovery of mixed debris including grout bags.

Duncan Duthie, Subsea and Decommissioning Business Development Manager at Hiretech, commented, “Hiretech continues to strive to meet evolving industry and client requirements through the introduction of sought after and specially developed rental products. We have received positive feedback from our clients relating to the performance, reliability and comprehensive documentation packages provided following the recent rentals. This is testament to the company’s investment and the efforts of our skilled team in maintaining and operating the equipment, as we work to support current and future projects across various industry sectors, including decommissioning.”

Hiretech also offers a range of well service and pipeline pumps, nitrogen pumps, powered umbilical reels, HPUs, overboard chutes, air compressors and trained personnel to provide fully integrated rental solutions.

Equipment rental and personnel supply company offering rental package solutions for hydraulics, well service, pipeline, chemical cleaning, decommissioning, subsea and renewables applications.

For more information visit www.hiretech.rentals

Mechanical Pipe Connector

Piping Repair, Tie-In or End Capping seal verification port

taper lock grips

DNV GL TYPE APPROVAL

dual graphite seals

20 YEAR DESIGN LIFE

Permanent pipe to flange connection where welding may be undesirable. The slipover design and external gripping assembly enables a quick and cost-effective solution, with no specialist installation or testing equipment required.

DECOMMISSIONING ZONE

29

JOHN LAWRIE METALS

Strengthening Decommissioning Capabilities

With sustainability high on every company’s agenda, along with legislation growing progressively tighter and the increasing development of zero waste strategies, the need for a smarter approach to decommissioning is indisputable.

The addition of two recently licenced and permitted quayside decommissioning facilities in the Northeast of Scotland, complementing our well-established processing facilities located throughout Scotland, reinforces John Lawrie Metals’ growing and strengthening decommissioning capabilities and service offering to our clients, providing them with more choice as to which Port best suits their requirements.

We are committed to servicing the increasingly important and fast-developing decommissioning industry so following the issue by SEPA of full Waste Management Permits, held directly by us, we now have the additional capability to receive and process subsea infrastructure and piece small material at both Aberdeen and Montrose Ports.

With a clear focus on metal processing efficiency and service agility, these new quayside operations give us the ability to downsize and process material onsite, as well as the potential to ship the processed scrap metal direct from the Ports for smelting, thereby eliminating the need for onward road transportation and associated fuel and emissions savings.

piece small material returns, offering the decommissioning industry two new key locations for landing offshore assets.

By having both the SEPA issued Waste Management License and an Environmental Authorisation Permit to receive NORM contaminated material in place, both sites can accept all types of material produced during a decommissioning campaign.

Both Port sites are available for use now as John Lawrie Metals has a long-standing alternatives to our flexible service offering working relationship with both which we provide throughout the Ports having worked together UK and have direct deep water for over 30 years. As the quayside access meaning industry moves into ease of discharge and Our new a phase of slower handover for client production and increased materials, in particular quaysides promote decommissioning activity, subsea structure and metal processing it is becoming ever more important to have the efficiency and right facilities in the right locations available to enhance our service the market.

agility

With an aim of zero to landfill, we are the largest metal recycler in the North-East of Scotland, handling around 200,000 tonnes of metal annually. Having been successfully carrying out decommissioning projects involving the dismantling of large oilfield, subsea and industrial infrastructure for more than two decades, our primary objective is to maximise reuse and recycling and minimise disposal. To this end, our processing methods result in high recovery and recycling rates for a wide range of materials, in many cases up to 100%.

By managing decommissioning operations in a safe, efficient and environmentally responsible manner, we aim to help support the UK oil and gas industry’s drive towards delivering their net zero ambitions and the transition to a low carbon future.

John Lawrie is an industrial metals reuse and recycling specialist. We create value and support our clients as they work towards net zero through a circular economy.

For more information visit: www.johnlawriemetals.com

30

DECOMMISSIONING ZONE

SAFETY IS AN ACQUIRED TASTE, and we are still busy acquiring it Formula 1 racing and the decommissioning of offshore assets may not be obvious bedfellows, but bear with me, and I’ll demonstrate why safety lessons from the former are very pertinent for the latter.

Take last month’s Italian Grand Prix for example.

Lewis Hamilton was involved in an accident whereby the wheel of another car collided with his head.

Miraculously he was uninjured, largely thanks to the HALO device, a titanium alloy ring that sits above the driver’s head. It’s the strongest part of the car, and can take the load of a London bus.

www.ogv.energy I October 2021

- the FIA explained how in the 21 accidents they analysed, (some of them fatal), it was concluded that HALO would have played a positive role in 19 of these. The detailed findings were shared with the public as well as with other racing series.

David Jamieson is the Founder and Managing Director of Salus Technical, a process safety software and consultancy firm.

To find out more visit salus-technical.com

It is human nature to resist implementing more safety measures, something that’s particularly true of the F1 community. Prior to the HALO’s introduction, many drivers questioned its effectiveness, as the benefits were not immediately obvious. Max Verstappen said at the time that the HALO was “Abusing the DNA of the sport,” while fellow driver Kevin Magnussen was of the view that, “If you want to be safe then stay at home.” Even the Mercedes F1 team said the safety measure was “An acquired taste and we are still busy acquiring it.”

Despite the backlash, safety was openly given the highest priority. In a remarkable move of safety leadership, transparency and accountability, the Sporting and Safety Directors of the sport’s governing body, the FIA, held a press conference at the Hungary Grand Prix in 2017 where they detailed the motivation, risk assessment and plans for the implementation of the HALO. During the 30-minute presentation – which immediately changed many of the driver’s opinions

The resilience and positive safety culture demonstrated by the FIA is something that all organisations within major hazard industries can learn from. This self-same culture must be fostered by organisations engaged in safely decommissioning their offshore installations.

I would argue that as an asset moves toward decommissioning, there is never a more important time to deploy strong process leadership. As assets progress from cessation of production through to dismantlement, new major accident hazards may be introduced, whilst important safety barriers are simultaneously removed.

For instance, the breaking of containment may potentially expose hazard materials, and complex well plug & abandonment operations may carry additional risk. What’s more, the introduction of a greater number of contracting workforce who are unfamiliar with the asset contributes another layer of potential hazards and barrier removal. As helidecks and lifeboats are taken out of service, the emergency procedures in the event of an evacuation will have to change.

Thanks to the Herculean efforts of the FIA leadership, there are people alive today who may not have been without the adoption of the HALO. Is the process leadership and culture of your organisation similarly motivated and ready to address the process safety challenges presented by decommissioning?

DECOMMISSIONING ZONE from the aft end of the rig when XTs are being unloaded which provides greater flexibility when offloading equipment to send to shore. In addition, structural analysis of the aft deck and strengthening modifications means that the rig can comfortably handle multiple XTs which further minimises the impact of weather delays associated with getting this heavy equipment off the rig once through the moon pool.

DECOMMISSIONING IN THE NORTH SEA The Stena Spey Way… Plug-and-abandonment (P&A) work is forecast to contribute an increasing number of rig requirements to the UK semi-sumbersible fleet in the near future.

The downturn in 2014–16 saw a number of operators step up their P&A campaign preparation as reduced costs provided a financial incentive to complete work that is known and provides no financial upside. This has been evident with an increased number of P&A campaigns being performed during this period when compared to the years prior and evidence of increased investment in decommissioning focused enterprises in the northeast of Scotland. Additional driving forces behind the increase in P&A activity also include the Oil & Gas Authority (OGA) being tougher on operators with regard to their decommissioning obligations and the fact that more fields in the UKCS are nearing their Cessation of Production (COP) dates following impressive production histories.

The table below shows the requirements for semisubmersibles to undertake P&A work in the UK measured in days, of which IHS Markit is currently aware. Whilst not an exhaustive list of all potential P&A programmes, the chart clearly shows that there is a huge requirement of rig days to complete the planned P&A campaigns in the event they occur as currently time-lined. This amounts to over 6300 days of rig time, or 17 rig-years of work over a 5-year period.

Despite this large back stock of future P&A requirements a lack of recent activity in the UKCS has resulted in the active rig fleet shrinking year-on-year as rig contractors cold stack rigs that were once icons of the North Sea at various ports along the east coast of Scotland. Given the high costs associated with reactivation it is unlikely that any of these units will return to the active fleet in the near term leaving a potential undersupply of P&A suitable units to perform this huge scope of work when decisions are made to safely P&A the outstanding well stock.

The Stena Spey has another unique advantage over many of its peers with regards subsea P&A. Wellhead integrity is a critical factor in the planning of most P&A well activities, and increases in BOP weights over recent years mean that many rigs simply have too heavy a BOP to land on the wellhead given the anticipated condition following an extended service life. One solution for this is BOP tethering, however this adds increased cost and online installation time to the operation, all of which are disadvantageous when trying to achieve a cost-efficient abandonment of wells.

Following retirements of other mature UKCS units, the Stena Spey is understood to now have the ‘lightest BOP’ in the North Sea which is a significant benefit for operators when planning their P&A activities.

In recent years there has been one of the North Sea ‘old guard’ Over the years the rig has installed countering this trend. The many of the equipment spreads Stena Spey has been required for P&A activities, operational in the North taking and applying lessons The Stena Spey has Sea for almost 40 years learned from previous been operational in the and has developed operations to the benefit a reputation for North Sea for almost of current clients and their operational excellence 3rd Party contractors.

40 years and has with an experienced rig This continual sharing developed a reputation crew that are focused of lessons with the wider for operational on completing the task community, whether it set out before them safely be for Bleed Off rig-ups, excellence! and efficiently. The vessel Coiled Tubing installations, is well suited to perform EDP/LRP stack-ups, swarf P&A activities and has recently handling optimisation or the safe been contracted for a batch ten well handling of dual bore riser systems on abandonment campaign offshore Ireland. the rig floor, all results in a safer offshore environment across industry to complete The rig boasts technical features which are these outstanding P&A campaigns. beneficial for P&A activities, the foremost of those being an 80Mt crane installed on One of the biggest challenges associated the aft of the rig. The installation of this with P&A operations is re-entering wells that crane in 2013 has been critical to the vessel are 20-30 years old. By conquering these continuing to secure work in recent years as challenges one well at a time we continue opportunities in the UKCS market started to to develop our knowledge as an industry to decline below the level of available supply. establish safer and more efficient methods The additional capacity of the aft crane of completing these abandonment activities. ensures that handling and off-loading of Given the challenges ahead continued coClient XTs once pulled through the moonpool operation between all stakeholders is vital to can be done with relative ease. There is no ensure that we have the required technology, requirement to break down XTs on the deck personnel and rig availability in the UKCS once recovered to surface due to crane basin to safely complete the planned limitations, and PSVs are able to sit further decommissioning activities.

Stena Drilling is one of the world's foremost independent drilling contractors, consisting of 4 ultra-deepwater drillships and 2 semi-submersible rigs.

For more information visit: www.stena-drilling.com

31

32

INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY SPONSORED BY

The UK’s largest innovation funding consultancy Our expert teams work in close partnership with thousands of businesses each year to maximise the financial benefit they receive from R&D Tax Credits, Grants, and other innovation funding schemes.

www.leyton.com

In the past year alone, we have helped our clients successfully claim more than £200m in tax relief to support their future growth.

SIMULATOR SET TO TRANSFORM

North Sea decommissioning and energy transition projects The first funded project to utilise the simulator is assessing novel techniques for the installation of anchor systems for offshore floating wind turbines.

Working with local company Aubin, the project aims to deliver more cost-effective methods of anchor installation.

An immersive simulation suite that will transform approaches to offshore decommissioning and renewable energy infrastructure projects in the North Sea was officially launched in the north-east of Scotland today (Tuesday, September 21).

The simulation suite is located at the National Decommissioning Centre (NDC), a global research and development hub based in Newburgh, Aberdeenshire, which is a partnership between the University of Aberdeen and the Net Zero Technology Centre.

Today’s launch was attended by leading figures from industry and local and national government, while Michael Matheson MSP (Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport) spoke to attendees via video message.

Utilising its powerful data handling and visualisation capabilities, NDC staff are also creating a virtual model of the entire North Sea**. This involves mapping all offshore oil and gas and renewable infrastructure and compiling key information such as lifespan, greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), and power usage. The Scottish Government is supporting a programme of research projects as part of the Net Zero Technology Centre led Data for Net Zero (D4NZ) project, and NDC staff will use this model of the North Sea and its infrastructure to deliver cross-industry benefits for a wide range of stakeholders.

Professor George Boyne, Principal of the University of Aberdeen, commented: “I am delighted to have helped mark the official opening of the simulation suite, and my thanks go to all those involved for their ongoing support.

The £1.6 million suite has been funded jointly by the Scottish Government, the UK Government and the Net Zero Technology Centre through the Aberdeen City Region Deal*. It can undertake detailed marine technology and operational simulations as well as complex data modelling and visualisation.

“Along with our partners in the Net Zero Technology Centre we are committed to establishing the NDC as a as a global leader in research and development, building on this region’s strong track record in innovation in industry and the sciences.

These advanced capabilities provide a safe, virtual environment where users can simulate offshore and subsea operations in real time, such as the removal or installation of energy infrastructure, deploying a range of equipment and vessels to see which are best suited to the task and introducing challenging factors such as variable weather and tidal conditions.

“The arrival of this state-of-the art simulation suite is testament to that ambition, and to our commitment in promoting economic recovery for our region by working in partnership with industry on projects related to decommissioning and the energy transition.”

Myrtle Dawes, Solutions Centre Director at the Net Zero Technology Centre, said: “The simulator is an important addition to the

www.ogv.energy I October 2021

National Decommissioning Centre and will be a valuable resource for industry to establish the viability of future decommissioning and energy transition projects through scenario planning and data science.

“Harnessing data is a key element of our recently launched Net Zero Technology Transition Programme (NZTTP) which aims to transform the North Sea energy system, through the delivery of seven projects including Data for Net Zero (D4NZ). With data science, visualisation and computer modelling at its core, the D4NZ project will utilise the centre’s simulator to power forward a reimagined offshore energy system enabled by data sharing and evidence-based decision-making.”

Net Zero and Energy Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Decommissioning is a crucial part of our transition to becoming a net‐zero economy and the Scottish Government remains committed to supporting the sector. By capitalising on our strengths in energy, natural capital, innovation and skills, we can position Scotland at the forefront of growing global markets across the energy system, including decommissioning.

“The Scottish Government has invested over £4.5m in the National Decommissioning Centre, alongside additional funding through our £125 million commitment to the Aberdeen City Region Deal, and I am pleased to have supported the development of the new marine simulator, which is a great example of our efforts to ensure Scotland’s world class supply chain has the infrastructure required to remain competitive and become a centre of decommissioning excellence.”

Aberdeenshire Council Leader Cllr Andy Kille, Chair of the City Region Deal Joint Committee, commented: “This is a further example of City Region Deal funded projects being maximised to support the future of their sector and the region. Our part of Scotland has long been at the forefront of pioneering projects, and we are all very positive about the work being done by the Decommissioning Centre. The innovation being displayed as we work towards a net-zero future is to be celebrated.”

Aberdeen City Council Leader Cllr Jenny Laing, Vice Chair of Aberdeen City Region Deal Joint Committee, added: “this is a hugely exciting time for the transitioning oil and gas industry. The launch of the immersive simulation suite, funded by the Aberdeen City Region Deal, will allow us to seize and accelerate opportunities to secure work and therefore jobs and skills in this region."

INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY

33

3. Solutions for both experts and generalists: Aize has solutions that can be

used by experts and generalists alike, so that everyone can benefit from the application in their day-to-day responsibilities. By streamlining the collaboration and making teamwork across borders and time-zones hassle-free, every team member can use their skills, competencies, and know-how by working hands-on with the software themselves.

4. The force of cloud computing: by migrating to the cloud, it is easy to connect every user with the latest hardware – be it subsea cameras, drones, or autonomous vehicles. In addition to being easily scalable in terms of both storage space and processing power, cloud-based solutions ensure the possibility of integration with other cloudbased solutions.

5. Build it piece by piece: Aize Integrity

THE NEXT GENERATION INSPECTION, Integrity and Corrosion Management

Heavy asset projects have been managed, executed, and operated in the same manner for decades, and not surprisingly, the need for change was long overdue. Aize was established by Aker to revolutionise project execution and operation in heavy asset industries and increase efficiency, improve collaboration, and reduce costs through cutting-edge software.

Managing the integrity of an asset means identifying problems – what needs fixing and what’s going to shut down? For heavy asset projects like offshore oil rigs, wind farms, or chemical processing plants that are highly dependent on well-functioning infrastructure for the safety of its people and the environment, the revolution within integrity management is good news.

In the 1980s, COABIS was developed within the Aker group. It was a ground-breaking software that helped manage every component of an asset with a unique inspection and integrity management system for pressure systems, pipelines, and substructures both subsea, topside, and onshore. The application has been continually developed and improved since its inception in Aberdeen and has over the past 30 years been the number one choice for over 30 customers managing over 1500 assets.

Now the time has come to decommission the old system and introduce a new generation of industrial software. The process of migrating customers from COABIS to the new cloud-based integrity management system has already begun.

Leveraging decades of experience and expertise from COABIS, Aize has developed Aize Integrity Elements, a future-proof and more powerful way of managing the integrity of every component, of every asset.

The Aize Integrity Elements application consists of four foundation modules – SURF, pipelines, mechanical and structural. All of Aize’s applications are accessed through the digital twin, a sophisticated digital replica of the physical asset in question. The digital twin allows the user to get a holistic view of the asset in real-time and can act as an irreplaceable co-worker for businesses that are ready for what the future has to offer.

Elements is modular, meaning that each business can tailor it to their needs by picking out the building blocks and modules they require. By making both expansion and reduction easy, Aize Integrity Elements will let you benefit straight away and build as you go.

Bottom line – you only pay for what you want and need.

Full digital experience

Redefining the industry standard With Aize Integrity Elements, it’s not just about moving COABIS into the cloud, but also redesigning and redefining the industry standard for integrity support solutions. There are five key areas that are especially beneficial to the users:

Aize Integrity Elements is only one step on the Aize digitalisation journey. The ultimate goal is to create a full digital experience: from gathering insights, to design, fabrication, construction, and ultimately the operation of an asset. By leveraging the strength, experience, and expertise inherent in the larger Aker group, Aize can get to the pain points quickly. Therefore, the question is not if it is possible to solve daunting industrial problems – the question is how.

1. Configuration over customisation:

COABIS was a solution that needed customisation. With Aize Integrity Elements, Aize delivers an out-of-the-box solution where everything is configurable and can be fully adjusted to the way each business works. The users immediately get to apply the software and can explore the solution from anywhere.

2. The data does the heavy lifting:

accompanied by the software to make sense of it, vast amounts of data that are daunting for the human brain to handle can be tackled by any means appropriate, such as machine learning or algorithms in the digital twin. By taking note of what happened yesterday, last week and last year, the digital twin uses your data to decide the best course of action and even predict what might happen down the road. The digital twin will be each business’ very own powerhouse for learning and better precision, leaving out the guesswork.

Aize transforms data into digital twins, connecting data sources and improving collaboration. www.aize.io

INNOVATION & TECH SPONSORED BY

34

RENEWABLES SPONSORED BY

Step into a safer environment High quality, industrial anti-slip safety products.

www.scotgrip.com

For over 30 years, we’ve designed and manufactured market-leading anti-slip safety products that hugely improve safety standards on stairways, walkways, decks, ladders, ramps, gangways and pipes, in a range of industrial settings.

FLOATING WIND IS GROWING and there’s no time to waste

Aaron Smith, Chief Commercial Officer for Principle Power, considers the current landscape for floating offshore wind in the UK and around the world.

The concept for floating offshore wind was conceived back in the 1970s, with the first demonstrations in the 2000s and 2010s. At that time, innovators took ideas from the oil and gas industry, applied and refined them to suit the realities of the renewable energy market – where there are smaller margins and therefore greater needs for efficiency and largescale productivity.

Since 2011, wind turbines have grown from 2MW to 9.5MW which have been installed in our project in Aberdeen. Looking to future growth there are plans for 14-16MW turbines already in progress. Even more exciting are the early drawings for 20MW wind turbines – we do not yet know where the ceiling is.

This quadrupling of capacity from first to second generation and doubling to the third has a huge impact on the costcompetitiveness of floating wind. It is a testament to the technology we have already been able to produce.

The next phase The physics behind floating offshore wind farms and individual technologies is incredibly complex. A collaborative approach with everyone from foundation designers to project developers, turbine manufacturers, transport suppliers and supply chain, is essential to deliver a workable, reliable, and safe model.

Now the challenge is how to build at scale, making structures more modular and suited to different types of local fabrication and requirements. Many of the technical aspects have been grasped and challenges have been overcome. We can be confident that we have systems that work, along with viable business

www.ogv.energy I October 2021

models and low impact to the environment.

Identifying and removing inefficiencies during the development and operation of smaller projects is integral to successfully upscaling.

As an industry, we need to consider how to help policy makers meet supply chain targets while maintaining project affordability. Precommercial projects of below 50MW have more than adequately demonstrated the full suite of technology required, but they don't offer the most competitive economics due to their size. Farms of over 100MW, or even towards 1GW, need to be built to deliver economies of scale, requiring policies for site control. We are currently awaiting the results of the Crown Estate Scotland leasing round, which is aiming to award up to 10GW of capacity in the second half of this year – a step in the right direction.

Gaining speed Offshore wind has characteristically developed over very long timeframes. This is confounded by the lack of opportunity for bilateral negotiations with private land owners, which facilitates more rapid development when compared to onshore wind projects. In the past 5 years, we’ve seen a transformation of the sector from one that was focused on technology and demonstration, to one more broadly interested in how floating offshore wind can competitively contribute to the energy mix. As in the fixed-bottom offshore wind space, we have seen rapid cost reduction in floating offshore wind that can be leveraged at scale, highlighting the potentially significant contribution the industry could make to wider decarbonisation strategies. This International Energy Agency (IEA) has already postulated that offshore wind has the potential to meet worldwide electricity consumption 18-times over. Floating offshore wind could cover about 80% of that.

Among our innovative R&D projects at Principle Power, we are looking to make renewable fuels a reality in this area. The ERM Dolphyn project is intended for deployment in Scotland and aims to use 10MW wind turbines with a hydrogen electrolysis system on board to further boost capacity, expand potential and optimise cost-competitiveness.

RENEWABLES The home advantage The UK is the undisputed market leader in offshore wind energy, with the most installed capacity in deep water offshore wind. Aside from projects in Scotland, we are currently working on the 100MW Erebus project developed in conjunction with Blue Gem in the Celtic Sea, once again showing the diversification potential that offshore wind offers in England and Wales. The UK is benefiting from first mover advantages, having bult upon a successful oil and gas sector to deliver technology, skills and training to both the domestic and expert market.

Looking ahead, there will be more mechanisms to award projects in deep waters. Offtake is probably the biggest gap in the sector right now, so we hope the Government fast tracks policy to bring projects to market sooner. The current goal is 1GW by 2030, but a more ambitious target would inspire and incentivise development within the UK far more effectively.

The big migration Wherever in the world you are, growth of offshore wind will be accelerated by the transition of organisations from other industries – especially oil and gas. This is an exciting space given that these companies and individuals bring extensive technological expertise and experience that can be applied to floating structures.

For those making the transition, maximising output without compromising safety or quality will be key. There is also a need to optimise the delivery chain – offshore oil and gas sites tend to have 1 or 2 units to service, while floating wind farms might have 10-50 units and solutions need to be designed accordingly.

Project execution and management is very different between the industries, so careful planning is essential for efficiency. This, as well as several other factors, will benefit from testing in smaller projects before scaling up to avoid impact on schedule and value.

Also of note is the focus on ports in the UK. We are starting to see essential development of local supply chains originally built for the fixed offshore wind sector, with significant private investment. Further funding from both private and public domains will be required to prepare UK ports and their infrastructure to support the future of floating wind.

The starting piston has gone

A global perspective There is a lot of movement in other areas around the globe as various markets look to capitalise on the opportunities of floating wind. A lot of East Asian nations are driving developments in deep water locations as the conditions are ideal – steep continental shelves, good wind, great industrial bases and coastal cities with massive demand. This is beneficial both in terms of space optimisation and in minimising impact on other ocean users. As such, offshore wind offers a strong alternative to nuclear power, counteracting the disadvantages of poor air quality from thermal plants and lack of physical space. As such, there has been significant policy development in these locations, particularly in Korea where the Government is calling for 12GW by 2030, much of which will come from deep water floating wind. In Japan, we have just seen the first auctions for fixed-bottom offshore wind installations and there is already appetite to move into floating offshore to increase capacity with limited space available close to shore.

Similarly, in Taiwan, though leading fixed-bottom offshore wind after China, their shallow water capacity is almost exhausted. To achieve their 15GW target by 2035, they too will be moving into floating offshore wind.

Things are changing quickly on the West Coast of America as well, where the impact of climate change is really being felt. It is difficult to build on the land there, so offshore space offers a viable solution to build a renewable energy industry.

Bills are starting to go through to build the policy framework needed thanks to collaboration between states and the administration – the first auctions are currently due for Autumn 2022. This will be a huge milestone for the region and is enormous potential.

The race has already begun for floating offshore wind and global markets are turning to the sector as they look to expand offshore wind capacity and opportunities. The technology is ready, we just need to strengthen and grow the existing infrastructure so we can build at scale. There’s no time to waste to take the industry forwards, support widespread decarbonisation and fight the climate change crisis.

i

About Principle Power Principle Power is a leading global technology and services provider for the floating offshore wind energy market. The WindFloat®, the company’s globally and proven floating platform technology, enables offshore wind turbines to be sited in any water depth or seabed condition, unlocking offshore wind potential worldwide and allowing projects to harvest the best wind resources. Principle Power acts as a trusted partner to developers, independent power producers, utilities, and EPCs, supporting its customers throughout the entire lifecycle of their projects. With 105 MW of cumulative capacity in operation or under advanced development and a multi-GW commercial pipeline globally, Principle Power is the market leader in floating offshore wind technology.

RENEWABLES

SPONSORED BY

35

36

CONTRACT AWARDS SPONSORED BY

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.

www.infinity-partnership.com

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.

Norwell Engineering secures £20m contract for major deepwater development in India KG-DWN-98/2 deep water field development in the Bay of Bengal, off the east coast of India.

The field is one of the largest deep-water field developments in the world.

Aberdeen based global well engineering and drilling project management firm Norwell Engineering has won a lucrative contract worth more than £20m ($30m) with ONGC, India’s national oil company.

The firm, which is one of the world’s longest established and most respected well management companies in the world, will provide well engineering, completion design and project management services to ONGC on its

The contract represents a continuation of the work Norwell has previously undertaken on the 28-well development. They were initially awarded a contract in 2018 to design and drill the wells and will now continue with the second phase, overseeing the final drilling and completions installation phase on the 3-rig campaign.

Iain Adams, managing director of Norwell Engineering, said: “Norwell has a longstanding commitment to operations in India and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership with ONGC on this major project and seeing the project through to first oil.

This is a complex field development which utilises some of the most advanced oil field technologies in drilling and completions.

“Despite the far-reaching impact of the pandemic, we are proud to have been able to continue supporting ONGC without interruption, thanks to our excellent team who stepped up to ensure they could safely keep the project on track.”

The Norwell team will be working alongside long time Scottish partners Axis Well Technology who will be providing completions support, and who have partnered with Norwell on the project since 2018.

During the last three decades, Norwell Engineering has managed the delivery of more than 400 wells for over 100 clients across six continents, including the full range of FTSE100 operators, who have relied on the company's expertise to design, project manage and troubleshoot operations around the world.

Founded in 1989, the company has been active in India since 2003.

Subsea 7 awarded contract offshore Norway Subsea 7 announced the award of a sizeable(1) contract by OneSubsea®, the subsea technologies, production and processing systems division of Schlumberger, for a project at the Ormen Lange field operated by Shell in the Norwegian Sea. Subsea 7’s scope includes the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation of the subsea flowline system as well as the installation of OneSubsea’s multiphase compression system. The contract award follows completion of the front-end engineering design study(2) and will be executed as a Subsea Integration Alliance project(3).

Monica Th. Bjørkmann, Subsea 7’s Vice President Norway, said, “This award demonstrates the value Subsea Integration Alliance brings by combining the technologies and capabilities of OneSubsea and Subsea 7 into a seamless integrated offering, resulting in the delivery of optimised solutions with reduced execution and interface risk. Subsea 7 looks forward to progressing the execution phase of the project with a focus on safe, efficient and reliable operations.”

www.ogv.energy I October 2021

1 - Subsea 7 defines a sizeable contract as being between USD 50 million and USD 150 million.

2 - Announced on 31 October 2019.

3 - Subsea Integration Alliance is a strategic global alliance between Subsea 7 and OneSubsea®, the subsea technologies, production and processing systems division

of Schlumberger, bringing together field development planning, project delivery and total lifecycle solutions under an extensive technology and services portfolio. As one team, Subsea Integration Alliance amplifies subsea performance by helping customers to define, select, install and operate the smartest subsea projects, that eliminate costly revisions, delays and reduces risk across the life of field.

CONTRACT AWARDS Petrofac lands gas distribution EPCC contract in Bahrain Petrofac has been awarded a new multimillion-dollar contract by Tatweer Petroleum to support their gas distribution network project in Bahrain.

The engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPCC) scope of work includes high pressure gas pipelines and fibre optic cabling. The underground pipelines will run through sections onshore and offshore below the seabed in support of gas supply to the Kingdom and will be designed for full interchangeability.

Commenting on the award, Nick Shorten, Petrofac Chief Operating Officer, said “Through our engineering and project execution capability, Petrofac has been supporting Tatweer Petroleum to deliver a number of key upstream gas projects in the Kingdom of Bahrain. We again look forward

to applying our skills and expertise to safely deliver this critical infrastructure, which underpins the supply of energy to Bahrain.”

Petrofac has been present in Bahrain since 2015, following the award of an EPCC contract to supply a new gas dehydration facility by Tatweer Petroleum. The project was successfully completed in 2018, and additional scope of work was then secured by Petrofac for the engineering, procurement, and construction of several gas wells, to be connected to the facility.

In June 2020, Petrofac was awarded a new multi-million dollar EPCC contract

by Tatweer Petroleum for an upstream gas project that includes well hook-ups, associated pipelines, and tie-ins for several new gas wells that the company is planning to drill as part of its gas delivery strategy in the Bahrain Field.

Chariot awards Halliburton well services contract Chariot has signed a binding letter of intent with Halliburton for services on Chariot’s planned Anchois gas appraisal well within the Lixus licence, offshore Morocco.

The services Halliburton will assist Chariot with include but are not limited to: project management services; directional drilling and logging whilst drilling services; drilling fluids materials and engineering services; cementing, pumping, materials and engineering services; wireline logging

services; and drill bits and coring services.

Adonis Pouroulis, Acting CEO of Chariot, commented: "Following on from our recently announced rig award, today’s release marks further progress towards our planned appraisal well on the Lixus licence, offshore Morocco, later this year. We remain on track for drilling operations to commence in December and we look forward to updating the market further as other operational milestones are achieved ahead of drilling.”

DeepOcean inks subsea cable repair deal with Equinor DeepOcean has secured a frame agreement contract by Equinor to provide contingency equipment and services for handling highvoltage subsea cables utilised for offshore renewables and oil and gas.

The contract covers the provision of handling equipment and personnel for subsea highvoltage cable contingency operations, such as subsea cutting, retrieval, on deck cable handling for cable repair, and deployment /laying of subsea high-voltage cable.

focus area for Equinor and many other energy companies. DeepOcean has a clear ambition and strategy to support our clients in their quest for greener energy,” said DeepOcean’s commercial director for subsea services, Rolf Ivar Sørdal.

“We are pleased that Equinor trusts DeepOcean with this award, requiring an agile, flexible and quality-minded organisation. We look forward to starting a ’new chapter’ in our relationship with Equinor and we will do our utmost to

ensure this relationship is a success.”

The contract has a duration of three years with options to extend with up to four additional years.

Equinor will manage and operate the deal on behalf of the Pipeline Repair and Subsea Intervention (PRSI) pool members who also may call upon services provided by the agreement. Various studies may also be provided under the contract.

DeepOcean will also provide a core organisation to manage the contract and ensure the readiness of the handling equipment.

In addition, the company’s subsea base facilities at Killingøy will be used to store the equipment.

The initial area of operations will focus on Northern Europe, with an option to extend operations worldwide dependent on Equinor’s requirements for emergency cable repair preparedness across the globe.

“The renewables segment and associated electrification of offshore installations is a key

CONTRACT AWARDS SPONSORED BY

37

38

CONTRACT AWARDS First Deployment of Well-Safe Guardian Well-Safe Solutions are delighted to announce the award of a substantial scope of work with Repsol Sinopec Resources UK Limited to decommission the well stock at the Buchan and Hannay fields.

The contract is the first fully-inclusive well decommissioning contract of its kind and enables Repsol Sinopec and Well-Safe to manage efficiencies, knowledge and cost. The schedule control provided as part of this contract enables Well-Safe to deliver its Plug & Abandon (P&A) Club approach helping to deliver a campaign-based approach aligned with the OGA Decommissioning Strategy.

The contract will also employ Saturation Dive System capability and the SMART Well Intervention System of the Well-Safe Guardian.

www.ogv.energy I October 2021

CONTRACT AWARDS

39

CONTRACT AWARDS SPONSORED BY

SCAN THE QR CODES WITH THE OGV APP

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

www.infinity-partnership.com

40

ON THE MOVE SPONSORED BY

www.ducatuspartners.com

Ducatus Partners Ducatus Partners is an industry leading executive search and leadership advisory firm operating across the global energy and infrastructure industries.

www.ducatuspartners.com

With decades of experience in our specialist sectors, the breadth and depth of our networks, coupled with a meticious approach to research and consulting, provide us with reach and insight few other firms can offer.

By Sean Buchan

Manageing Partner - EMEA at Ducatus Partners Sarah Kent

1

Bruce McLeod

Ara Partners Appoints Industrial Advisor

Investment firm Ara Partners have appointed Sarah Kent as an Industrial Partner. Sarah was most recently the Chief Executive Officer of Kentech Group where she successfully moved the company from a family owned operation to having a private equity partner, building Kentech’s global footprint and forming a resilient platform for growth. Prior to Kentech, she held senior roles with American Express, Keycorp and RSA.

Energy Partner in Aberdeen

Pinsent Masons has announced the appointment of Bruce McLeod as a Partner within the firm’s global energy practice oil and gas team. Bruce joins from Burness Paull after spending over 17 years with the company, building an extensive track-record advising on oil and gas infrastructure and merger and acquisition negotiations, including being central to a number of innovative deals particularly in the United Kingdom and Egypt.

Karine Boissy-Rousseau

Matt Street

4

2

Pinsent Masons Hires Prominent

AGR Names Well Engineering Manager

AGR has appointed Matt Street to the position of Well Engineering Manager. Matt previously worked with AGR as an independent consultant managing a number of major well management contracts successfully delivered by the organisation. These included several deepwater drilling campaigns in West Africa and the West of Shetland, frontier exploration drilling in the Caribbean Sea, and various decommissioning projects both in the North Sea and further afield.

www.ogv.energy I October 2021

5

Total New Energies Appoint New Mobility and Marketing Executive

TotalEnergies has appointed Karine BoissyRousseau as Senior Vice President for New Mobility and Marketing. She joins from Air Liquide and most recently served as President of Air Liquide Hydrogen Energy where she led the development and expansion of the company’s position in hydrogen for transport in North America. Prior to this, Karine was Managing Director for Air Liquide Benelux Industries in Belgium.

Dr Khalid Al Jahwari

3

Petrofac Appoints Oman Country Manager

Petrofac has appointed Khalid Al Jahwari as Country Manager for Oman. He holds significant leadership experience, most recently as Shell’s General Manager of Operations in Egypt, having previously been Shell’s Global Production Excellence Leader, based in The Netherlands. Before Shell, he spent 15 years with Petroleum Development Oman, working in technical, commercial and management roles across the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

Jonathan Abott

6

Tendeka Appoint New Chief Technology Officer

Tendeka has appointed Jonathan Abbott as the company’s new Chief Technology Officer to drive its next generation of products and systems.

He was most recently with Schlumberger where he spent over 18 years and brings substantial experience in operations, sales, technical support, product development and project management.

ON THE MOVE

www.ducatuspartners.com

Dev Sanyal

Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath Marcy Reed

7

Clean Harbors Makes Board Appointment

Clean Harbors has announced the appointment of Marcy Reed to the company’s board of directors. Marcy was with National Grid and its predecessor companies for over 30 years. She served in a number of roles including as Head of Investor Relations, Senior Vice President Business Services, Senior Vice President Finance, And Senior Vice President Corporate Affairs before being named president of National Grid’s Massachusetts business and Executive Vice President Policy and Social Impact. She currently serves as an Independent Director for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and is on the board of Northeastern University, chairing the audit committees of both entities. She also is a Board Member of Qualus, a private equity backed electric power engineering company.

Andrew Hodgson

8

Global Underwater Hub Appoints Its First Chair

Global Underwater Hub, a newly formed subsea industry organisation, has appointed Andrew Hodgson as Chair. Andrew is the former Chief Executive Officer of subsea engineering firm Soil Machine Dynamics where he successfully diversified the company from an almost 80% oil and gas focus to more than 80% revenues in other sectors whilst significantly growing the business.

His experience also encompasses senior financial and strategy roles in the aerospace industry with BAE, Airbus and Spirit AeroSystems. Additionally, Andrew has served as Chair of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership and has won a number of business accolades including the Queen’s Award for Industry three times and was awarded an OBE for Services to Manufacturing and the North East of England Economy.

9

Leading Renewable Energy Leader Joins BP’s Gas and Low Carbon Business

BP have announced the appointment of Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath as the new Executive Vice President for Gas and Low Carbon Energy. Anja brings substantial experience from within energy industry and management consultancies. She joins BP from RWE Renewables where she most recently served as Chief Executive Officer. During her time here she led the development of the business into one of the world’s largest renewable power companies and the second largest offshore wind player globally, integrating the renewables businesses of E.ON and Innogy into RWE to form RWE Renewables. Prior to this, she led E.ON’s Climate and Renewables business as Chief Executive and previously Chief Operating Officer.

11

VARO Energy announces appointment of former BP Leader as Chief Executive Officer

VARO Energy, the European energy firm backed by Carlyle and Vitol, has announced that Dev Sanyal has been appointed as its new Chief Executive Officer. Dev will oversee the company's next chapter of growth as VARO evolves its business in the context of the energy transition.

Dev joins from BP where he most recently held the role of Chief Executive Alternative Energy. He also led BP's gas and low carbon business globally where he led the company’s pivot to low carbon energy with the creation of Europe's largest solar company, Lightsource as well as the world's second largest sustainable bioenergy company, Bunge.

Jarad Daniels

Pete Smith

10

41

Top Aberdeen scientist Appointed to First Minister’s New Environment Council

Pete Smith, professor of soils and global change at Aberdeen University’s institute of biological and environmental sciences, has been appointed to a new group of international experts who will advise the Scottish Government on the environment. The team will advise the Scottish Government on issues like marine resources, waste, biodiversity, climate change, and the transition away from dependency on fossil fuels. Pete’s main areas of expertise include modelling greenhouse gas mitigation, bioenergy and greenhouse gas removal technology. He also studies how different kinds of soil can be used to capture carbon and slow down climate change.

12

Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute Appoints New Chief Executive Officer

The Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute has announced the appointment of Jarad Daniels as the Institute’s new Chief Executive Officer. Jarad has had a distinguished career with the United States Department of Energy, most recently as Director Office of Strategic Planning, Analysis and Engagement.

Jarad has considerable experience within the carbon capture, climate change and clean energy technologies space. He has worked with many countries and organisations on technology development and deployment and government policy.

Content provided by Ducatus Partners

42

DECOMMISSIONING SPONSORED BY

www.wellsafesolutions.com

SAFE, SMART & EFFICIENT The complete package for well decommissioning Well-Safe Solutions provides a ground-breaking approach to the safe and cost-efficient decommissioning of on and offshore wells. We offer a specialist well abandonment service that allows operators to meet the challenges and regulatory imperatives around decommissioning, while significantly reducing costs.

Aberdeen oil and gas services firm gets £3.5 million BGF investment Aberdeen-based oil and gas services firm isol8 has received a £3.5m investment from BGF to support its long-term growth plans, including doubling staff numbers during the next 12 months.

The funding will also be used to develop its zero-emissions product portfolio and expand services into the wellbore construction sector.

The company's wellbore barrier technology supports the UK Government’s ambition to drive down global methane and carbon dioxide emissions, while reducing decommissioning costs for energy firms.

Isol8 claims to be the only company in the world known to use underwater soldering to create metallurgically-bonded alloy barriers to seal off oil and gas wells.

Chief executive Andrew Loudon said: “Decommissioning is now a huge focus in the

North Sea and we’re partnering with clients to help them significantly reduce their asset retirement costs.

“Now, with the support of BGF, we are in a strong position to broaden our zeroemission product portfolio and accelerate the production of new products, including our casing annulus packers and tubing packers for well construction.”

Founded in Aberdeen in 2017, isol8’s UK team of seven has around 170 years of oilfield experience between them. It also has another research and development team of four based out of Port Townsend in Washington State.

As part of the transaction, BGF investor Richard Pugh will join the board of isol8 as an investor director, alongside newly-appointed independent director Nigel Avern; the former chief executive of Peak Well Systems.

Pugh said: “This funding round will support an exceptional management team in completing the final push to commercial adoption, working in parallel with a number of operators who have shown real commitment to the technology.

“We are also delighted that Nigel Avern has joined the board to bring his own experience of building successful energy technology businesses.”

Aker Solutions, AF Gruppen Given Go-Ahead To Create Decom JV he business concept is based on solving a significant societal challenge by removing and recycling decommissioned oil platforms. The unit aims to recycle as much of the materials from the decommissioned offshore platforms as possible.

Decommission of the offshore market has a vast untapped potential globally, with approximately 10,000 operational platforms. The North Sea alone holds a significant potential with an expectancy of more than 900,000 metric tons of top deck to be removed during the period from 2020 to 2029. This applies to the British, Norwegian, Danish, and Dutch sectors.

The Norwegian Competition Authority (NCA) has not had any objections regarding the creation of a decommissioning joint venture between AF Gruppen and Aker Solutions.

Aker Solutions informed that the transaction was subject to due diligence and final board approvals, expected to be completed during the fourth quarter of 2021.

To remind, Aker Solutions and AF Gruppen signed the letter of intent to merge the two companies’ existing offshore decommissioning operations

www.ogv.energy I October 2021

into a 50/50 owned company on July 1, 2021.

The merger will create a global player for environmentally friendly recycling of offshore assets and provide a significant contribution towards a sustainable, green transition of the offshore sector.

It is worth noting that the recycling of steel from decommissioned oil platforms represents a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared with ordinary steel production.

As for AF Offshore Decom, it managed to achieve a source separation rate of 94% for the recycling of structures where the main component is metal. Reusing steel results in 70% less CO2 emissions than ore-based production, which corresponds to an emission reduction of 1 kg CO2 per kilo of recycled steel.

According to Aker Solutions, it will take operators approximately 100 years to deplete liabilities for current assets. Thus, a further ramp-up of pace is necessary, leading to a positive contribution to the demand for this type of service. The joint company will have an order backlog of approximately $292 Mn.

DECOMMISSIONING Cookstown’s Decom Engineering is cutting multi-million pound global deals Northern Irish engineering company Decom has announced that it has secured a pipeline of multi-million pound global contracts.

The announcement comes after the business raised follow-on investment from Co-Fund NI and HBAN, which will fund operations over the course of the next 14 months, including projects in Thailand, Malaysia and Canada.

The company, which recently opened a base in Aberdeen, has developed world first technologies in pipe cutting and coating removal which provide greener, faster and safer solutions for decommissioning in the energy sector.

Decom was founded by Sean Conway alongside his father and brother in 2012 and currently has a team of 14 highly qualified staff that provide green decommissioning solutions to the oil and gas industry, improving safety, efficiency, and environmental impacts across the globe.

it has developed innovative new technologies and products to replace the traditional pipe cutting and coating removals processes, saving time and reducing waste and CO2 emissions during the decommissioning of old oil and gas plants and pipelines.

Decom’s innovative patented subsea and offshore cold cutting saws aid in the decommissioning of old or unused oil and gas pipes into a useable product, saving hundreds of tonnes of scrap steel from being produced each year, massively reducing the industry’s carbon footprint.

Sean Conway, founder and managing director of Decom Engineering, said: “We’ve invested heavily in our R&D so it’s extremely exciting that we’ve now reached the point where we have such as strong pipeline of work.

The company’s Pipe Coating Removal (PCR) equipment can strip and clean decommissioned or surplus pipelines of multiple coatings so they can be repurposed for use on other projects, while its range of cold cutting saws are in demand on international decommissioning projects as oil and gas operators replace or remove ageing infrastructure and redundant assets.

Decom Engineering has used investment up until now to fund business growth, including the recruitment of additional staff, increased marketing activity, additional manufacturing of existing products and business development.

Decom Engineering has previously secured £2m of investment from Co Fund NI, HBAN and private investors. By investing over £700,000 in R&D, and with R&D support from Invest Northern Ireland,

“The importance of guidance and advice from businesspeople who have grown companies in global markets can’t be underestimated and we hope to continue to support the Decom leadership through this period of growth as they dive into new possibilities.”

“We’re delighted to secure the funding to get our products out in the field and demonstrate how this technology will transform decommissioning in the energy sector.”

Ian Bailey HBAN Business Angel and chairman of Decom, said: “It’s fantastic to see Decom Engineering take its product to market with follow-on investment from Co Fund NI and fellow HBAN angels, particularly with the skills and knowledge from these particular backers.

Expro completes first subsea abandonment intervention riser project with drilling contractor for Petronas operations in Mauritania intervention and barrier placement on 15 wells for PCMPL’s Chinguetti Field Phase II works. The system’s compact nature provided considerable time savings by retrieving the subsea trees without an additional run. This was further enhanced by the efficient parallel deployment of the OWIRS and rig blow out preventor from the auxiliary well and primary well centre through the rig’s dual derrick capabilities.

Expro, announced it has successfully completed an integrated Plug and Abandonment (P&A) contract valued at more than $20 million for a subsidiary of PETRONAS, PC Mauritania 1 Pty Ltd (PCMPL), which manages offshore operations in Mauritania, West Africa.

The well intervention scope of the P&A project, utilised Expro’s integrated Open Water Intervention Riser System (OWIRS) for successful

Expro’s onshore project management team, based in Kuala Lumpur and locally onshore in Mauritania, supported PCMPL throughout the project planning and execution phases. Expro provided a range of integrated services, including the subsea well access system, surface flowhead, umbilicals, topsides control equipment and installation and an intervention workover control system (IWOCS) package for controlling both the OWIRS and Xmas tree systems. Worldwide Oilfield Machine (WOM) worked closely with Expro as an alliance partner providing the subsea well access system and a technical support team.

Graham Cheyne, Expro’s Vice President of Well Access and Subsea, commented: “The OWIRS system is a highly reliable compact system with an extensive track record in riser to surface subsea well access operations. This system performed over 250 functions during the project with 100% operational uptime and no nonproductive time (NPT) incurred. To further demonstrate its reliability post operation, a gas testing program of work was successfully performed on completion of the 15 wells, prior to any post job maintenance being carried out and before readiness for the next project.

DECOMMISSIONING SPONSORED BY

43

Offshore Energy Services Dashboard August / September 2021 available from available from

A further $28.6 billion of formal offshore EPC awards are still expected this year.

Key projects to watch include Chevron’s North Platte in the US Gulf of Mexico, Woodside’s Scarborough offshore Australia, CNOOC’s Lufeng 12-3 offshore China and TPAO’s Sakarya in the Black Sea which will account for over a third of outstanding EPC award value in 2021. We have also revised down our 2021 total order intake to reflect Petrobras’ use of existing callout capacity for its Buzios 6-9 project in lieu of “new” awards. This downward revision brings 2021 YTD subsea tree orders to 122 units – versus 138 units last month Offshore Rig Update Contracted offshore rig counts increased by two in August, driven by the North Sea which added one jackup and semisub each to its contracted fleet. Global total offshore rig utilisation (exc, layups) increased to 66% with effective utilisation for jackups now at 80%, which has seen average rates now settle above the $75,000 a day mark.

Offshore Wind Update [Updated 21/9/2021 by MG] Year -to-date turbine orders remain at 378, with no additional formal awards placed since the last issue. Developers Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and Avangrid Renewables announced the long-awaited financial close of the USA’s first commercial scale offshore wind project, the 800MW Vineyard Wind 1, on the 15th of September, with a formal award for 62 GE Haliade-X 13 MW turbines imminent (GE was awarded the preferred supplier contract back in December 2020). This widely anticipated announcement also comes amidst a recent lawsuit filed by fishing group, Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA), against the US Bureau of Ocean Management (BOEM) for issuing a Record of Decision (ROD) to Vineyard Wind 1 on the grounds that the local fishing community’s concerns were not fully addressed. It remains to be seen if the lawsuit will present yet another stumbling block for both the development and the US Offshore Wind industry.

In late August 2021, Chinese Turbine OEM Mingyang Smart Energy unveiled its MySE 16.0-242, 16MW turbine, topping Vestas’ V236-15MW as the world’s largest announced offshore WTG model. The first prototype is due to be delivered in 2022 with installation targeted for 1H 2023.

The final turbines at the 950MW Moray East and 857MW Triton Knoll developments offshore the UK were recently installed by Fred Olsen’s Blue Tern and Cadeler’s Wind Osprey WTIVs respectively. Commissioning works at both windfarms are currently underway with full operation currently targeted for early 2022.

The month of September also marked the launch of Siemens Gamesa’s first nonEuropean nacelle assembly facility in Taichung, Taiwan. The 30,000m2 facility will first support the 900MW Greater Changhua 1 & 2a developments, which will feature a total of 111 SG 8.0-167 DD turbines which were formally awarded back in 2019.

www.ogv.energy I October 2021

Expected Expected

7070

Sanctioned Sanctioned

6060 5050

28.6 28.6

4040

74.3 74.3

3030 2020 10 10

0

0

42.8 42.8

31.2 31.2

29.3 29.3

14.3 14.3 2018 2018

2019 2019

2020 2020

2021 2021

2022 2022

Westwood’s 2021-22 outlook assumes a $60/bbl Brent oil price Westwood’s 2021-22 outlook assumes a $60/bbl Brent oil price

Subsea Tree Awards Subsea Tree Awards #XTs #XTs

2021 2021

122 122

61 61

2020 2020

33 14 33 14 Sanctioned Sanctioned Firm FirmProbable Possible Probable Possible

190 190

FPS Throughput Additions by Year of Sanction FPS Throughput Additions by Year of Sanction kpoepd kpoepd

3000 LNG Gas 3000 2500 LNG GasLiquids 2500 2000 Liquids 2000 1500 1500 1000

1000500 500 0 0

2018

2019

2018

2019

2020

2020

2021

2022

2021

2022

Offshore O&G EPC Awards 2021-25 by E&P Offshore EPC Awards 2021-25 by E&P $billions toO&G be awarded $billions to be awarded 106.5 29.7

29.7

18.5

18.5

16.9

16.9

10.8

10.1

9.8

10.8

10.1

9.8

9.6

9.6

9.1

9.1

8.8

8.8

7.1

7.1

106.5 Others Others

Positive offshore oil & gas investment momentum continued into the August/ September period with notable Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) in the US Gulf of Mexico at Shell’s Whale and Beacon Offshore’s Shenandoah deepwater developments. BHP, who announced a merger with Woodside in August, also declared final approval for its $544 million Shenzi North in the GoM. Both Whale and Shenandoah will be developed via Floating Production Semisubmersibles (FPSS) systems that have already been contracted out to Sembcorp Marine and HHI respectively with the former awarded back in November 2019. Elsewhere, Shell also sanctioned its Timi development offshore Malaysia, the project will utilise an unmanned fixed platform powered by a hybrid solar/wind generation system. An estimated $1.4 billion of offshore EPC awards were recorded in August, bringing the year-to-date total to $29.3 billion (excluding pre-awards).

8080

TotalEnergies TotalEnergies

Field Development Update

Offshore O&G EPCAwards Awards$billions $billions Offshore O&G EPC

CNOOC CNOOC

www.westwoodenergy.com

PlatformLogix PlatformLogix

ExxonMobil ExxonMobil

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.

Westwood Westwood Global Energy Global Energy Group Group

SubseaLogix SubseaLogix PlatformLogix PlatformLogix

Equinor Equinor Woodside Petroleum Woodside Petroleum Chevron Chevron Qatar Qatar Petroleum Petroleum Shell Shell

PROVIDED BY

Petrobras Petrobras

STATS & ANALYTICS

SubseaLogix SubseaLogix

Saudi Aramco Saudi Aramco

44

Offshore Energy Services Dashboard August / September 2021 Westwood

45

Westwood Global Energy Global Group Energy Group

available from available from

RigLogix RigLogix

Month 1 vs vs Aug Aug 1) 1) Month on on Month Month Backlog Backlog (Sep (Sep 1

May May Rig Rig Counts Counts Jackups Jackups

Semisubs Semisubs

64

24 24

64

494

87 87

Drillships Drillships

54 54

106

106 Semisubs Semisubs

Sept 1 Sept 1

29,037 29,037

197,272 197,272

22 22

26 26

344 344

Sept 1 Sept 1

Sept 1 Sept 1

21 21

19 19

494 Jackups Jackups

RigLogix RigLogix

39,743 39,743

95

95 55 Drillships Drillships 55

59 59

18 18

Aug 1 Aug 1

Contracted Contracted

Available Available

Aug 1 Aug 1

204,150 204,150

Stacked Stacked

Aug 1 Aug 1

30,644 30,644

41,303 41,303

75% 75%

65% 65%

Arab ArabGulf Gulf

0.7 0.7

Latin LatinAmerica America

Global Global

ArabGulf Gulf Arab

LatinAmerica America Latin

SE SE Asia Asia

US US GOM GOM

70% 70% 65% 65% 60% 60% 55% 55% 50% 50%

60% 60% 58% 58% 56% 56%

45% 45%

Aug-19 Aug-19 Oct-19 Oct-19 Dec-19 Dec-19 Feb-20 Feb-20 Apr-20 Apr-20 Jun-20 Jun-20 Aug-20 Aug-20 Oct-20 Oct-20 Dec-20 Dec-20 Feb-21 Feb-21 Apr-21 Apr-21 Jun-21 Jun-21 Aug-21 Aug-21

60% 60%

85% 80% 75% 70% 65% 60% 55% 50% 45% 40%

75% 75%

66% 66% 64% 64% 62% 62%

70% 70%

Chart Title

0.4 0.4

40% 40%

Jan-19

Total Total

Feb-19

Aug-19 Aug-19 Oct-19 Oct-19 Dec-19 Dec-19 Feb-20 Feb-20 Apr-20 Apr-20 Jun-20 Jun-20 Aug-20 Aug-20 Oct-20 Oct-20 Dec-20 Dec-20 Feb-21 Feb-21 Apr-21 Apr-21 Jun-21 Jun-21 Aug-21 Aug-21

80% 80%

-0.6 -0.6

-1 -1

Global Rig Utilisation

76% 76% 74% 74% 72% 72% 70% 70% 68% 68%

85% 85%

NWEurope Europe NW

Global Global

-1.2 -1.2

-0.6 -0.6

-0.8 -0.8

ArabGulf Gulf Arab

SE SE Asia Asia

US US GOM GOM

NWEurope Europe NW

Global Global

-1.9 -1.9

11

0.9 0.9

US US GOM GOM

0.8 0.8

NWEurope Europe NW

11

Aug-19 Aug-19 Oct-19 Oct-19 Dec-19 Dec-19 Feb-20 Feb-20 Apr-20 Apr-20 Jun-20 Jun-20 Aug-20 Aug-20 Oct-20 Oct-20 Dec-20 Dec-20 Feb-21 Feb-21 Apr-21 Apr-21 Jun-21 Jun-21 Aug-21 Aug-21

1.2 1.2

LatinAmerica America Latin

1.8 1.8

SE SE Asia Asia

Regional Regional Month Month on on Month Month Rig Rig Counts Counts (September (September vs vs August) August)

Effec�ve Effec�ve

available from available

WindLogix WindLogix

WindLogix WindLogix

Offshore WTG WTG Awards Awards by

by Status Status (exc. (exc. Mainland Mainland China) China) Offshore #WTGs #WTGs 1200 1200 1000 1000

Expected Expected

General General Electric (GE) Electric (GE) 13% 13%

Awarded Awarded

800 800

Others Others 3% 3%

Awarded by by Awarded OEM OEM

600 600 Vestas Vestas 26% 26%

400 400 200 200 0 0

Goldwind Goldwind 5% 5%

2018 2018

2019 2019

2020 2020

2021 2021

Siemens Siemens Gamesa Gamesa 53% 53%

Asia Asia 26% 26%

Western Western Europe Europe 55% 55%

Expected by Expected by Region Region North North America America 19% 19%

2022 2022

STATS & ANALYTICS SPONSORED BY

46

LEGAL & FINANCE

NEW ESG DISCLOSURE GUIDANCE FOR OIL AND GAS: WHAT IT IS AND HOW TO COMPLY

By James Millward and Katie Love, Brodies LLP

A company's Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) performance is the key measure of how sustainable and ethical its business approach is. ESG disclosures are increasingly scrutinised by investors and regulators alike as a means to hold businesses to account for their environmental performance.

The Oil & Gas Authority's (OGA) Governance guidance is expected imminently to address the 'S' and 'G' aspects of ESG, and the OGA's ESG Taskforce has already addressed the 'E' in in March 2021. From both a qualitative and quantitative view, the Taskforce has identified both short term and medium/long term metrics which are to be assessed and applied in tiers of growing importance.

While the individual metrics are worthy of detailed analysis, the overarching expectations highlighted by the Taskforce provide a good starting point to understanding what will be required. These include:

1. Disclosure of climate-related data in financial reports, and/or on websites; 2. Recognition of data gaps – the Taskforce will encourage and ensure better transparency; 3. The requirement for disclosures to signal planned improvements over time; and 4. A commitment by senior leadership to drive their businesses to gather accurate data to support robust ESG reporting.

OGA’s revised Strategy represents a further stimulus for robust ESG compliance and reporting. The strategy means Operators and

www.ogv.energy I October 2021

Licensees are required to support the drive to achieve net zero as part of their central obligations pursuant to the Strategy.

adherence to environmental objectives included in financial reports and on websites.

For example:

ESG programmes for Licensees

• Where the business has no controlling vote

In accordance with OGA's reporting expectations, Licensees have work to do to develop effective ESG programmes, however, this can be an issue where Licensees lack day-to-day control of operations. To counter this, Licensees can:

• Require the inclusion of specific ESG standards

and requirements within all tendering processes; • Ensure enhanced due diligence is carried out on all aspects of ESG compliance prior to appointing any Operators, whether field, installation or well operators; • Require data sharing through the terms of the Joint Operating Agreement to facilitate appropriate reporting; and • Ensure that senior leadership articulates and endorses a culture of ESG commitment.

Non-operators Non-operators have reported to us that they are struggling to balance the implementation and fulfilment of credible 'E' objectives against a lack of voting power at the Operating Committee (Opcom). However, there are steps that can be taken to demonstrate commitment and

at the Opcom, it should ensure that its view on how the environmental side of the project should be managed is recorded.

• Develop a proactive system of monitoring adherence to the standard boilerplate clauses in contracts, for instance by establishing an anonymous reporting system for operatives.

This will assist in identifying breaches of environmental regulations.

• Going a step further, the business can develop a process by which all parties to the JOA can raise concerns with the operator / at the Opcom, with written records being kept.

What next?

The Taskforce has recommended Operators and Licensees take time now to debate and discuss best practices of how to report and are ready to report from first quarter of 2022 before reporting on ESG factors becomes mandatory from 2023.

It is therefore imperative that Operators and Licensees use this time to develop an effective system of collating and presenting ESG related data with sufficient time to work through any issues before reporting becomes mandatory.

LEGAL & FINANCE

47

CONSIDERING THE INTERIM APPROACH on route to net-zero

The current spike in energy prices and potential gas shortage are starkly demonstrating some of the dilemmas of the energy transition. In recent years the UK has invested hugely in offshore wind – around 30% of the world’s capacity is in UK waters and we need to quadruple that capacity by 2030.

Yet we remain dependent on fossil fuels for our energy system, as we continue to heat our homes, drive our cars, power our industry, and run our farms on oil and gas.

The spike has also demonstrated how our industries are all interlinked. Who would have thought that high gas prices and potential supply shortages would threaten food production, ironically because of a lack of CO2.

Most forecasts predict that oil demand is likely to peak by 2030 before facing a decline, with gas having a longer lifespan.

The bp 2020 Energy Outlook considered Rapid, Net Zero and Business-as-usual outcomes and predicted a peak in the mid2030s in Rapid, compared to the mid-2020s in Net Zero. In Business-as-usual, the oil giant predicts gas demand will increase throughout the next 30 years to be around a third higher by 2050.

Mike Sibson is an investor at BGF and head of its Aberdeen office

The last few months have seen a debate over development of oilfields to the west of Shetland. On one hand, as we continue with the energy transition, ideally, we wouldn’t need new oil fields. On the other hand despite great progress, we are still dependent on oil and gas. While we would all love to change to 100% renewables overnight, realistically it isn’t going to happen.

Both demand and supply need a managed, and rapid, reduction if we are to avoid further crises and deliver on our imperative to get to net zero by 2045. But in the meantime surely as a country we are better to meet that demand with the oil and gas on our doorstep in as clean a way as possible.

Most forecasts predict that oil demand is likely to peak by 2030 before facing a decline, with gas having a longer lifespan.

Due to an oil price in the doldrums and general sentiment against oil and gas, there has been a lack of investment in new production over recent years. Oil and gas fields generally deplete by 10-15% per year if left to their own devices, so our UK supply is likely to be increasingly constrained.

In the past this would have spurred more exploration, however this isn’t very attractive to the boards of energy companies.

Some countries such as Ireland have gone as far as announcing they will not issue any more exploration licenses, but even where reserves have been already discovered, development is clearly a dilemma. Large developments can have a long lifespan often in excess of 25 years. With a limited horizon for oil demand, these investment decisions must be challenging for company boards.

The bulk of activity in the industry is likely to be in making the most of the oil and gas fields we already have in production and making that production as efficient and low in emissions as possible. Looking solely at gas as a fuel source, the Government has already revealed its strategy focusing on hydrogen as a key delivery method for energy. The Acorn project based in Aberdeenshire is a leading example of the innovative thinking we will need, re-using gas pipelines, converting natural gas into hydrogen and sequestrating the carbon dioxide underground. This new industry will not only bring in lots of capital, but also create a large number of jobs.

Within BGF, we’ve seen just how exciting activity in the energy sector can be. There are a lot of interesting companies with strong investment potential who are actively working on products and services to make production more efficient and secure. Most recently, we’ve added some to our portfolio, including Reactive Technologies, which has innovative technology essential to balancing renewable energy on the transmission grid and Aberdeen based oil and gas services firm isol8. isol8 is the only company in the world to use underwater soldering to create metallurgically bonded alloy barriers to seal off oil and gas wells, providing a longer lasting and more environmentally friendly solution to traditional cement filling methods.

To summarise, I am optimistic we can manage this transition, and that there will some great investment and business opportunities on the way. In the meantime, we need to continue to optimise our existing fossil fuel production. The scale of the investment in offshore wind, hydrogen and carbon capture and storage will be huge and require all of the skills, innovation and bravery of the energy industry.

BGF is the UK & Ireland's most active and dynamic investor of equity capital in growth economy companies, backing entrepreneurs and innovators.

For more information visit www.bgf.co.uk

48

COMMUNITY PARTNER

North-East Company ‘RAM’p Up Support Of Aberdeen FC RAM Tubulars to become Official Youth Academy Partner, underling its support of young sporting talent in the region.

supporting the journey and growth of a young, talented sports persons and the experience for everyone involved has been so rewarding.

RAM Tubulars, service leaders in tubulars for the energy and construction Industries, has signed a three-year deal to become an Official Supporter of Aberdeen FC’s Bobby Clark Youth Academy.

“We are now tremendously excited to increase our support of young talent and build a relationship with Aberdeen FC that not only benefits the players of the Youth Academy but also young fans across the North-East.”

A long-term supporter of Aberdeen FC, RAM Tubulars were keen to strengthen its relationship with the Club. A key driver in their decision was the opportunity to bolster the ‘pipeline’ of young talent coming through the ranks at Pittodrie.

AFC Academy Director, Gavin Levey, is pleased to see another local business supporting the opportunities and development pathways facilitated by the AFC Youth Academy.

A champion of young, local sports talent in the north-East, RAM Tubulars has been title sponsor of female race car driver, Hannah Chapman, for over six years and also sponsors young athletes in the Grampian Athletics League; the RAM Athletics League.

“The business community in the North-East has always been hugely supportive of the AFC Youth Academy but this new collaborative relationship with RAM Tubulars aligns with the Club’s desire to nurture opportunities for our young players and be the best developer of talent.

RAM Tubulars Managing Director Jim Stewart said: “Since 2014 we have had the pleasure of

“Managing the transition players make from Academy to first team, something that Aberdeen

www.ogv.energy I October 2021

FC have been renowned for many years, takes a lot of effort behind the scenes from various departments at the Club. Forward-thinking partnerships such as this will allow us to continue to enhance the environment, we offer our young players and help them make the step up.”

The new partnership will also see RAM Tubulars create unique match-day opportunities for young Dons supporters as the Club looks to enhance the match-day experience with complimentary ticket giveaways to local teenagers and families, that attract fans who have yet to relish in the atmosphere at Pittodrie.

The deal also sees the introduction of a brandnew mascot at Pittodrie, Robbie the RAM. In a lastminute transfer deadline day signing, Robbie the RAM will make his AFC debut at the Dons home game against St Johnstone on 18th September. Throughout the season Robbie the RAM will help work up the home support as he joins Angus the Bull and Donny the Sheep entertaining the crowds before kick-off.

DIVING AND ROV

AUDITING & ASSURANCE Continuing to assist the industry with the evolution of diving and ROV operations auditing and assurance, Namaka Subsea are in a unique position to provide technical and operational assistance to the Energy Industry.

49

50

The largest gathering of African energy Ministers under one roof

8-11 November 2021 | Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai

57% AFRICAN MINISTERS AND GOVERNMENT LEADERS REPRESENTED AND COUNTING

Hon. Fafa Sanyang

Hon. John Munyes

Hon. Dr. Koang Tutlam

H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo

Minister of Energy and Petroleum Republic of Gambia

Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum & Mining Republic of Kenya

State Minister of Mines, Petroleum & Natural Gas Republic of Ethiopia

Former President Republic of Nigeria

H.E. Abdesselam Ould Mohamed Saleh

Hon. Didier Budimbu Ntubuanga

Hon. Matthew Opoku Prempeh

Minister of Petroleum, Mines and Energy Mauritania

Minister of Hydrocarbons Democratic Republic of the Congo

Minister of Energy Republic of Ghana

H.E. Dr. Peter Arthur Mutharika Former President Republic of Malawi

Visit www.africa-oilweek.com for the full list Network in-person |

Source new licensing deals |

Final reduced rate tier available now. Plus save an extra 10% with code: OGV10 www.ogv.energy I October 2021

#AOW2021 | africa-oilweek.com

Win new business contracts

EVENTS SPONSORED BY VENTUR

EVENTS TRAVEL PARTNER

51

FREE OGV EVENTS

VENTUR – THE TRAVEL PARTNER Specialists in connecting people through travel, ventur’s expertise in partnering with businesses in the oil and gas industry is second to none.

In May this year, the travel management specialist formerly known as Traveleads, unveiled its new identity as part of a business transformation to elevate standards of service and deliver clients a premium, tailored travel management experience.

Following in-depth research which highlighted that customers truly valued the firm’s expertise, consultative approach and relationships with the team, the new identity of ventur – the travel partner was revealed, bringing together the decades worth of experience, efficiency and accessibility with a commitment to creating a culture of success and adding even more value to customers’ travel programmes.

Here, we chat to client services director – corporate, Maggie Monteith, about the company’s exciting year and plans for the months ahead.

TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT VENTUR As Ventur, it’s important to us that we’re constantly evolving to meet and exceed customer needs – that’s what makes us The Travel Partner.

Customers are always at the heart of what we do, whether it’s understanding the often-urgent nature of enquiries, ensuring travellers are safe or simply helping them navigate a complex travel landscape, they can rely on our expert team to get them to their ‘there’ seamlessly.

We help them travel safely wherever they need to be – whether they’re travelling to industryleading conferences, carrying out essential work or building relationships with business associates across the world, we’re here to help them every step of the way.

LISTEN TO VENTUR FURTHER

Featuring guests such as tennis legends Tim Henman OBE and Judy Murray OBE to CEOs including Anthony Gruppo of Marsh Commercial and Steve Birch of Sky Betting and Gaming, the podcast takes a deeper dive into how – and why – successful people reach their accomplishments.

Plus, with life-changing advice from global life coaches such as Brian Tracy and Anil Gupta to stories of mindset and determination from the likes of Jasmine Harrison, the youngest woman to row the Atlantic solo and Dr Neslyn Watson-Druée CBE who arrived in the UK at 19, working her way up to become Chairman of NHS Kingston, Ventur Further is the perfect dose of weekly motivation.

Available on major podcast streaming services, including Apple Music and Spotify, Ventur Further is sponsored by luxury boutique hotel brand, Dakota Hotels, which has locations in Leeds, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Ventur Further can be found on ventur.partners/ podcast. Follow Ventur on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for further updates.

ALL ENERGY 2021 4-8 OCT - ONLINE

TRAVELLING TO ADIPEC WITH VENTUR

ENERGY TRANSITION STRATEGIES SUMMIT

Fully vaccinated travellers can now fly to Abu Dhabi without the need for quarantine.

Contact us at hello@ventur.partners, call +44 (0)113 245 7745 for more information on the below package*:

SOLAR AND STORAGE FINANCE USA

•Return economy class flights from Aberdeen to Abu Dhabi via Amsterdam •Five nights’ accommodation at the Four Star Yas Island Rotana Hotel, including daily breakfast and complimentary Yas Beach access (classic room) •Return private car airport transfers in Abu Dhabi •Complimentary shuttle bus operation from the hotel to the ADIPEC show •Price from £1,175.00 per person (twin share) •Sole traveller supplement £400.00 Alternative hotels and flights options are available including departures from Edinburgh and Glasgow, please contact us for latest prices and also for upgrade supplements. *Please note, all details and costs will be subject to availability at the time of booking.

Discover more about Ventur at https://ventur. partners

Compelling insights, inspirational people and stories of growth are being shared on Ventur’s weekly podcast, Ventur Further.

With new episodes released every Tuesday, Ventur Further sees Ventur’s board advisor, Peter Wilcock, invite guests from musical, sporting, business and adventure-seeking backgrounds to discuss career journeys, life stories and their personal inspirations.

GLOBAL EVENTS

5-6 OCT - ONLINE

6-8 OCT - ONLINE

HYDROGEN MIDDLE EAST SUMMIT 12-14 OCT - ONLINE

ENERGY STORAGE GLOBAL CONFERENCE 19-21 OCT - BRUSSELS

ENERGY 2050 SUMMIT 20-21 OCT - ONLINE

ONSHORE WIND ENERGY 22 OCT - LONDON

Discover how we can transform your business travel at ventur.partners email workwithus@ventur.partners or call +44 (0)113 245 7745

www.ogv.energy/events

52

PEOPLE IN ENERGY SPONSORED BY

www.prodrill-ers.com

Prodrill Energy Resource Solutions: people at the heart of the energy industry With over three decades of experience in sourcing the best talent in the upstream market, Prodrill are driven by people, passion and potential. Experts in human capital; Prodrill have a wealth of experience in providing tailored contractor management and staffing solutions for the global upstream & E&P industry.

What are main challenges for the decommissioning sector at present and how can they be addressed?

Having transitioned into the energy sector relatively recently, I’ve always had a clear view of the inevitable change wrought by an energy transition and the potential that holds for late life/decommissioning. However, it can be difficult for some supply chain organisations to see decommissioning as a significant part of their revenue stream, or one worth investing in, and that’s a real challenge to the sustainability of the supply chain and indeed the sector itself.

Decommissioning is a fundamental step in the energy transition and the critical word there is “step”. Decommissioning does not have an end date. Not only is there a sustainable growth chain for the decommissioning of existing oil and gas assets, but in due course the required decommissioning of renewable energy assets, as well as hybrid fields and assets will sustain the decommissioning sector of the future for many decades to come.

JINDA NELSON Decommissioning Development Manager, Bilfinger Salamis UK

Background: Jinda Nelson is Decommissioning

Development Manager for Bilfinger Salamis UK. Her passion for the decom sector is reflected by her role as Chair of the Decom North Sea Board of Directors, in which she has been at the forefront of the membership organisation’s evolution since late 2019.

How did you get into the Energy sector and how long have you been working in it?

As an Architectural Technologist to trade, with a fascination for all things construction, my energy career started in 2013 when I joined Bilfinger Salamis UK as Technical Development Engineer. Following that, I moved into the role of Innovation and Technical Development Engineer, before taking up my current role as Decommissioning Development Manager in January 2020.

What does your job involve on an average day?

Sitting between operations and business development, I’m involved in securing and implementing decommissioning projects from pre-tender stage to post-project closeout.

I identify potential decommissioning projects, look at collaborative working methods and - where necessary – identify new ways of working. That’s the really exciting part of decommissioning; no two jobs are ever the same, are never quite what you expect and provide great scope for problem solving and innovation.

www.ogv.energy I October 2021

The potential is huge, but to help the supply chain optimise that potential, we need to clarify exactly what decommissioning means to the energy transition and this happens via industry bodies such as Decom North Sea. Learning events, networking and facilitating collaboration are all critical to the ongoing clarification and highlighting of opportunities.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

I was delighted to be appointed as Chair of Decom North Sea’s Board of Directors in late 2019. Established over a decade ago, the organisation has evolved hugely over the past 18 months and it’s been a genuine honour to be involved in this transition.

We have truly aligned with the energy landscape and needs of our members. It’s been an exponential learning curve for me and given me huge satisfaction and enjoyment.

Who has been the most influential person in your life professionally?

My Dad, whose ethos of hard work has proved invaluable to me throughout my career. When I was younger, I remember him giving me a piece of wood to saw, and when I found it “too hard”, his response was: “Just because it’s hard, doesn’t mean you give up”. I can genuinely say I’ve tried to embody that motto ever since and it’s proved so helpful in my career. Another gem from him came when I was feeling overwhelmed with school or university work, he would say: “How do you eat an elephant?” and the answer was, “One bite at a time!” In other words, take things canny and keep steadily working towards your goal, whatever that may be.

Given the experience you have now, what advice would you give a graduate just starting their career in the Energy sector?

The energy sector is evolving at a rate of knots, so today’s graduate must be ready to remain fleet of foot, open to change (change only increases the opportunities), ready to consider relocation and generally be open to the myriad opportunities that are coming their way. Trust your gut instinct and if you’re at least 60% sure an opportunity is a good one, then it’s worth pursuing.

Finding a good mentor is hard to beat; you’ll turn to them for advice again and again, and they’ll be happy to give it; don’t forget that.

And finally, do not ever impose a glass ceiling upon yourself – the world is your oyster. It doesn’t matter what your goal is, set yourself a strategy to achieve it and you’ll be well on your way to success.

53

Spectis Robotics works closely with its clients, providing innovative technology to support decommissioning projects, in both the nuclear and Oil & Gas sectors.

CRXS-50

DTG3

DT640

ZENITH

SCUVA

PIVOT

LIGHTS

VT1000

What makes Spectis a unique equipment supplier?

Our impressive range of remotely operated cameras, crawlers and submersibles can be adapted for a wide range of applications to ensure even the most demanding of inspection requirements are achieved with optimal levels of safety and efficiency.

Industrial cleaning Transform your operations both on land and subsea with our robotic systems, configurable with both jetting and vacuum recovery attachments for remote inspections and light-work cleaning.

Hazardous Environments Our range of compact, radiation tolerant and ATEX certified cameras and lights enable high quality inspections to be carried out with ease. Providing both high illumination and clear video even in the poorest of conditions above and below the waterline.

Over the edge/ working from height applications The Zenith provides a safe solution for vertical inspections. This fully automated, self-stabilising inspection system eliminates the requirement for man-entry and erection of staging, negating the risks associated with working from height, confined spaces and rope access activities.

Pipework Inspection A range of vertical climbing crawlers allowing for the internal inspection of pipework from 50mm to 750mm. The modular crawlers are customisable and capable of negotiating multiple bends.

https://spectisrobotics.com/ +44 (0)1224 701444