Engineered Composite Solutions (ECS) is the company behind FutureWrap - a unique engineered composite repair system for the oil & gas sector, refineries, chemical plants, power stations (both nuclear and conventional) and the renewable energy sector.
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A big thank you to our front cover partner Drager and you can read all about they keep their assets and people safe on pages 4-5. In a packed publication, we also have contributions from Can Group, Elemental Energies, Re-Gen Robotics, Cistom, PIM Ltd, Leyton, Worley and SAM.
The rest of this month’s magazine as always provides you with a review of the Energy sector in the North Sea, Europe, the Middle East, the US and Australasia along with industry analysis and project updates from Westwood Global Energy Group, the EIC and Renewables UK.
Daniel Hyland, Sales and Operations Director, OGV Energy Media Group
Managing onshore and offshore assets and the risks that come with protecting not only the structure but the people, is one of the most important challenges in this dangerous industry.
By Megan Hine, UK Business Development Manager Clean Energy, Dräger Marine and Offshore
plant.
We have to ensure that danger is minimised as much as possible so we don’t have to rely on contingency measures such as shutting down the
But that challenge is not something we should run away from, it’s something we should embrace. After all, it’s too late to react once an incident has taken place, regardless of the outcome. The 2022 Dräger UK Safety at Work Report found 41% of respondents were concerned about a major incident occurring in their workplace. It also found 16% felt less safe, rising to one in five of people working in oil and gas.
While in the grand scheme of things it’s straightforward to identify obvious hazards that can lead to the likes of slips, trips and falls, the unseen dangers such as gas can be incredibly difficult to detect. There is a large education piece required across the industry relating to the energy transition as there are new risks that people aren't necessarily aware of.
Following major offshore incidents which unfortunately resulted in a significant loss of life, we have experienced a gas detection revolution. The industry moved away from catalytic bead to infrared sensors as it’s an optical based detection method that is fail safe, meaning the device will alert you when it can't detect gas. The alternative is fail to dangerous, so-called because it cannot tell when it can't detect gas any longer, whether that is down to a system failure, or something as straightforward as the wind taking gas in another direction. That could lead to the conclusion that everything is fine, with the dangers of that being clear for all.
However, the infrared method of detection is not possible with hydrogen because it doesn't interact with infrared, so suddenly we are back in a scenario where all we can use is catalytic bead detectors – unless new technology with a fail-safe point detection method is developed.
There is a lot of research going on within Dräger and other companies to establish how hydrogen behaves versus methane and the risks we're all used to and how they're going to change, and the outcomes of that research could lead to a change in our behaviour or detection methods.
There is an element of excitement to being at the forefront of something and trying to discover how to best keep people safe. When that solution is finalised, there are going to be two stages of adoption.
There is going to be the blending phase where people are introducing hydrogen as a percentage to existing hydrocarbon fuel sources to try to reduce the emissions from those sources. It is very much like how we've gone to E10 from E5 with fuel for cars. The second element will be when we move to 100% hydrogen, especially for industrial heat sources.
It's really exciting to be there to have these conversations with people that are engineering the future, and we are there to try to make sure they engineer it well and they engineer it safely. We are working as part of a much larger system within the industry, which reinforces that idea of collaboration.
Dräger’s focus is on the containment system and whether that has been breached, and the knock on impact that can have. Of course, a gas release could come to nothing, but there is clearly a risk of fire – or explosion – which can happen quite easily with hydrogen compared to methane or other hydrocarbons.
Regardless of the potential results of a gas leak, a breaching of containment of the process system and the after-effects of that means a process system has already failed, and therefore the danger is increased. We have to ensure that danger is minimised as much as possible so we don’t have to rely on contingency measures such as shutting down the plant, evacuating the area
and ensuring the fire suppression system and process works.
It is imperative that organisations throughout the energy sector work together to ensure efficiencies are achieved, both in terms of cost and time – if a job over-runs and people are on assets for longer than required, then there are potential safety risks. So, collaborating with trusted partners and advisors is crucial to success.
At Dräger Marine and Offshore we have been able, within the early stages of jobs, to avoid any lost time caused a gas release or alarms going off on the platform, as well as been able to detect risks platform operators weren’t aware they had, putting a solution in place before any personnel were potentially put in danger.
In one example, our systems were able to detect benzene before there was a risk to personnel, meaning that because the solution was put in place early, any disruption to the customer's operations was avoided. Prior to that system being in place, the asset would have had to shut down each time there was an alarm. That would have led to an investigation being carried out, leading to a potential shutdown, which would cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.
We are also able to conduct gas sampling exercises to log the levels that are being picked up, therefore able to protect those on board to better effect in the immediate timeframe, but also further down the line as they will identify trends of when gas could appear in the atmosphere.
As well as protecting the current generation, we – as an industry – need to ensure we are protecting the next generation. Dräger Marine and Offshore is a company geared towards ensuring the future is sustainable and we want the people that come into the energy industry in the years to come to look back and praise the work we have done.
Protecting the integrity of our assets against unseen dangers, today, tomorrow and long into the future is vital to doing that. And working with trusted advisors throughout every aspect of operations will ensure that happens.
Dräger is an international leader in the fields of medical and safety technology. Since 1889, Dräger products protect, support and save lives.
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Re-Gen Robotics appoints new Managing Director
Aidan Doherty has been appointed Managing Director of Re-Gen Robotics to lead the development of the company which uses no-man entry, explosion proof robots to clean a huge variety of storage tanks in the oil and gas industry.
Aidan is a founding member of the Re-Gen Group which employs over 300 people and has a group turnover of £58 million and previously held the post of Commercial Director of Re-Gen Waste and latterly Re-Gen Robotics. He will be the driving force in developing Re-Gen Robotics as it enters the European and US markets.
Vaarst launches next generation robotic technology to US subsea market
Vaarst, is introducing its world leading SubSLAM® X2 technology to the US market, following a strong year of activity across the UK, Europe and Africa. The move continues the company’s global growth plans which saw it establish its first US base in 2022, to bring its expertise and capabilities in industrial robotics, computer vision, autonomy, and AI technologies to the Americas.
As an alternative to conventional video imagery and other 3D modelling systems that require scalebar deployment and post processing of results, SubSLAM® is the first real-time intelligent data collection system to deliver 4K resolution video with simultaneous high-quality live 3D dense point clouds at submillimetre accuracy. SubSLAM® has proven to be an industry game changer, allowing fast visualisation with even faster analysis and measurement of critical infrastructure and components, for asset owners operating across the subsea sectors of civils, marine sciences, offshore renewables and oil & gas.
DNV to launch joint industry project to adapt certification process of installation aids for offshore wind farms
DNV initiates Joint Industry Project (JIP) to develop a standard for the certification of installation aids for fixed offshore wind farms.
DNV, the independent energy expert and assurance provider, is launching a JIP to develop a decision tool and reference that can be used by all stakeholders during the specification; design; manufacture; procurement and approval of any equipment intended for the installation and decommissioning of bottom-fixed wind turbines.
Online Electronics, part of the IK Group, the technology-enabled provider of pig tracking, pig detection and pipeline communication systems have appointed Charlotte Hope as Director of Sales.
With a career spanning over 14 years in the oil and gas service sector, Charlotte has worked with service majors providing fabric maintenance and mechanical handling to the oil and gas, marine and industrial sectors. latterly holding senior international business development and commercial roles for a global lifting and mechanical handling group.
new offshore bird portal to benefit energy industry
Global energy consultancy Xodus has developed a new not-for-profit portal which will support the industry in tracking birds utilising offshore platforms in the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS).
The Offshore Bird Portal (OBP) is a digital data repository which will encourage the long-term collation of relevant geographic and seasonal data relating to seabirds and migrants (passerines) on offshore platforms and structures.
CAN Group Announces New Senior Roles to Bolster Services for Growth
CAN Group has strengthened its management team through a number of strategic promotions and role changes across its business. These appointments come as it continues to drive forward plans for growth both in the UK and internationally. Debbie McMurray has recently been appointed in to the newly created role of Engineering Manager at ENGTEQ, CAN Group’s Engineering business stream, following her previous position of Integrity Team Lead. This promotion will help to strengthen the company’s commitment of delivering the highest quality integrity management and engineering solutions.
Well decommissioning specialists Well-Safe Solutions have partnered with PD&MS Group to implement a Carbon Management Reduction Plan (CMRP) as part of the company’s commitment to sustainable working practices.
The agreement will see international engineering solutions provider PD&MS Group assist Well-Safe Solutions in establishing an emissions baseline, before identifying and assessing opportunities to reduce its overall carbon footprint and optimise energy efficiency across the business.
Developed in the UK, SubSLAM® addresses many time-consuming disadvantages of conventional inspection procedures while delivering more detailed, quantifiable data faster than ever previously available. Applications across projects range from asset integrity, UWILD, subsea metrology for construction projects, decommissioning, pipeline inspection, cable pre-lay inspection, boulder removal, and coral reef inspections. DO YOU WANT YOUR NEWS
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The UK’s world class offshore energy supply chain will see a wave of new opportunities created by upcoming oil and gas projects, a study by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) and the Global Underwater Hub (GUH) showed.
The new research has identified seven near-term projects which will require 30 new wells and 194 kilometres of pipeline. The study also showed that vessel and rig owners will be especially in demand as their services will be needed for more than 5,000 vessel days and nearly 2,500 rig days.
“This new research provides clear evidence that companies with vessels and rigs on their books can look forward to plentiful near-term project opportunities in UK waters. To fully capitalise on them, effective collaboration across the industry is absolutely vital,” Bill Cattanach, NSTA Head of Supply Chain, said in a statement.
Neil Gordon, GUH Chief Executive, said:
“It’s more imperative than ever that we have a joined-up approach to these developments which takes account of the vast scale of all opportunities on the horizon for the subsea supply chain. Industry must have confidence in the regulatory environment, leading to visibility and, more importantly, surety of the domestic project pipeline.”
NSTA has created a dedicated carbon transportation and storage team to respond to the rapid growth of the UK's carbon capture and storage (CCS) industry. The team will oversee the delivery of offshore carbon transportation and storage developments, following successful exploration and appraisal.
“The NSTA is progressing evaluations of applications in the UK’s ground-breaking First Carbon Storage Round at pace, and we hope to be in a position to make offers of award within weeks,” said Jo Bagguley, NSTA Principal Regional Geologist.
Opportunities in the UK’s energy supply chain, upcoming projects and exploration and appraisal drilling, and a major new discovery in the North Sea were the highlights of the UK North Sea oil and gas industry in the past month.
Offshore Energies UK has warned that more action is needed from both government and industry to support supply chain companies in playing a critical role in sustaining oil and gas activity while helping to build the UK’s lowcarbon future energy systems.
Last year, the UK oil and gas industry contributed £28 billion gross value added (GVA) to the economy, providing jobs for more than 200,000 people across the country, OEUK said in its new Supply Chain report.
However, a supply chain management sentiment survey in the report reveals the sector has little confidence in its ability to invest in future growth and the energy transition. Many firms say that cost inflation is squeezing their profit margins.
The UK government needs to demonstrate their ongoing commitment to delivering net zero by 2050, while recognising the role of domestic oil and gas production during this journey. Moreover, OEUK called on the government to provide a stable regulatory and fiscal framework which provides the supply chain with a predictable and attractive business environment to continue investing in supporting the UK’s energy security.
“We ask for the government’s support to help ensure that the local UK supply chain accounts for 50% of the inputs into new energy projects. Leveraging the skills and technologies of new and existing UK companies will be crucial to realising our netzero goals,” OEUK said.
Katy Heidenreich, OEUK’s Supply Chain and People Director said, commenting on the findings in the report:
“Around a fifth of supply chain companies surveyed said poor visibility of the future UK projects is affecting their ability to plan and service activity both in the near and longer term, a problem that OEUK is working with industry to address.”
Improving visibility and more certainty of work will ensure the supply chain retains and invests in resources in the UK, according to OEUK’s report.
OEUK has also said that calls by opposition politicians and union leaders for another increase in the windfall taxes on energy producers, linked to BP’s and Shell’s latest global profits announcements, are misleading.
Mike Tholen, OEUK’s director of sustainability, said it was wrong to offer false hopes to hardpressed consumers.
“These calls for an increase in the UK windfall tax, linked to the global profits of energy producers, are deliberately misleading. The UK is subject to global tax agreements which say that it cannot tax profits made by companies outside of the UK. That means such a tax could never be implemented. It is irresponsible to pretend otherwise.”
“That rate of UK tax is already so high it risks driving companies out of UK waters. All parties have acknowledged that we will need oil and gas for decades to come. So why risk damaging our own secure supplies from the North Sea?” Tholen added.
A new poll, commissioned by OEUK, showed in late February that the overwhelming majority of the Scottish public believe that the Scottish government should not act to speed up the decline of domestic production of oil and gas, and should either allow it to happen as currently forecast or act to extend production further. The research by Opinium, based on 1,000 adults, suggests 36 per centof the public believes the Scottish Government should try to extend production beyond the next 20 years. A further 23 per centsay the government should do nothing and let production decline as forecast. The poll also suggests just 5 per centwant to see the Scottish Government act to end North Sea oil and gas production more quickly.
Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, one of the biggest critics of the Scottish Government's proposed presumption against future oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, has called on all candidates running for the SNP leadership to “reflect on the findings”.
The upstream segment is expected to dominate upcoming oil and gas projects in the UK, accounting for more than 65 per centof the total project starts between 2023 and 2027, data and analytics company GlobalData said in a report. The study showed that 94 projects are expected to start operations in the UK by 2027. Out of these, the number of upstream projects is expected to be the highest with 61 project starts, followed by midstream with 24 projects, refinery, and petrochemical at seven and two projects, respectively.
After a disappointing 2022 for exploration and appraisal activity in the UK North Sea, the outlook for 2023 has got off to a positive start with initial results reporting discoveries at Orlov and Pensacola, Westwood Global Energy Group said in a report at the end of February. Including wells that are currently active, Westwood holds 13 prospects targeting around 1.5 billion boe of pre-drill resources that could potentially operate in 2023, as well as five appraisal wells.
“Despite an increased focus on infrastructureled exploration (ILX) in recent years and a general lack of success in high impact (HI) and frontier wells, companies continue to pursue HI opportunities in the UKCS, where positive results can be both company makers and provide the catalyst for further activity and investment in a play,” Westwood said.
In company news, Neptune Energy and its partner, Spirit Energy, announced production had commenced from the 10th well at its operated Cygnus gas field in the UK Southern North Sea, unlocking additional supplies for UK homes and businesses.
Deltic Energy announced a significant gas and oil discovery at the Pensacola prospect operated by Shell. Pensacola could be one of the largest natural gas discoveries in the Southern North Sea in over a decade, Deltic Energy said.
Stena Drilling has signed a new contract with Ithaca Energy for Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) Stena Spey in UKCS expected to start between 1st June 2023 and 1st September 2023 for a firm scope of one well.
Well-Safe Solutions and Apache Corporation have signed a multi-year framework agreement to decommission wells in the North Sea, as part of the decommissioning specialist’s Plug and Abandonment (P&A) Club offering.
Capricorn Energy’s board has decided to advise shareholders to vote against the NewMed merger. As a consequence of this decision, Capricorn and NewMed have mutually agreed that the business combination agreement from September 2022 would be terminated with immediate effect.
EnQuest said that in response to the changes in the Energy Profits Levy (EPL), the company has further optimised its capital programme for 2023, whereby Kraken drilling will be deferred.
“The impact of the EPL on cash available for investment has resulted in the Group prioritising quick-payback opportunities at Magnus and deferring spend on Kraken drilling,” EnQuest said.
Serica Energy announced on 20 February that final commissioning of the Gannet GE-04 well had been completed and production via the Triton FPSO had commenced. The well results were above the pre-drill expectation and initial production rates have exceeded 10,000 barrels of oil per day.
“Including the Tailwind Acquisition assets, we have an exciting investment programme of value-adding activities throughout 2023 and 2024 which has started with the Gannet GE-04 well being brought onto production,” Serica Energy CEO Mitch Flegg said.
Fugro said that its Blue Essence, a 12-m uncrewed surface vessel (USV), had received approval from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to operate the first USV with an electrical remotely operated vehicle (eROV) in UK waters.
“Fugro’s Blue Essence® fleet has already been successfully operating in Europe and Australia and recently completed a fully remote inspection off the coast of the Netherlands, in Europe’s busiest part of the North Sea, demonstrating the benefits of this innovative way of working. We are delighted that the USV can fly the UK flag and are looking forward to undertaking our first operations in the UK soon,” said Nick Simmons, Director USV and Remote Working Europe and Africa at Fugro.
Hartshead Resources has signed a contract with GEOxyz UK Limited for a geophysical survey covering the Anning and Somerville field developments. The Geo Ocean III survey vessel is expected to be mobilised to the Anning and Somerville field locations in April 2023.
YEAR AGO 1
Brent crude reached its highest level since June 2014, as traders snapped up nonRussian oil, increasing the chance of further price rises at UK forecourts. Traders were struggling to sell Russian oil, even at a discount, because of new difficulties in shipping and payments amid its invasion of Ukraine. Almost 70% of Russian crude exports did not have a buyer according to UK based consultancy, Energy Aspects.
Every year I look forward to the ‘EdelmanLinkedIn’, Thought Leadership Impact studies. A collaboration between ‘Edelman’ – A global communications firm and ‘Linkedin’ – The Digital Professional Network.
4. Decision-makers expect high-quality thought leadership to offer a strong, databacked point of view on how to succeed during a downturn. And they report it can make a difference in winning their business.
YEARS
The price of oil seen a sharp rise amid fears of supply disruptions in the Middle East, as the US considered re-imposing sanctions on Iran, who were one of the largest oil producers in the world. Also helping prices along was news of falling output in Venezuela as the troubled country remained gripped in a political and economical crises.
YEARS AGO 10
There was a slight decline in the price of Brent as data from China pointed to an uneven economic recovery in the world’s second biggest oil consumer, with a stronger dollar putting additional pressure on prices. Data showed inflation at a 10-month high, weaker factory output and consumer spending created worries that the economy may have needed policy tightening.
The studies are essential reading for anyone in a company leadership position, but especially a business owner, business development, sales and/or marketing professional. They provide deep insight and analytical justification into what leaders and buyers are looking for from the supply chain these days and this year they have given the study a subheading - 'Breaking though to buyers in economic uncertainty'.
It presents the perspectives from 3500 B2B Decision-Maker Company executives who consume thought leadership and are involved in making final decisions on their company’s choice of professional service providers or products - C-Suite Executives Company owners, partners and founders with complete or partial ownership of a company, or C-Suite Level executives with responsibility for a business function.
THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
"As we face a potential economic downturn, this year’s research reveals that high-quality thought leadership will be more important than ever for organisations seeking to break through with decision-makers at current and prospective clients. It also identifies what B2B decision-makers and C-suite executives expect from thought leadership during this time”.
1. Most B2B companies are planning for an economic downturn in 2023. That means it’s going to be more challenging than ever for suppliers to get the attention of decision-makers and successfully pass the procurement process.
2. If a downturn does materialise, those products and services deemed non-critical will likely be first on the chopping block. Sellers navigating a stricter procurement process cannot just “meet the brief” and expect success. Instead, they must prove they can help prospective customers succeed, even during tough times.
3. Thought leadership is one of the most effective tools an organisation can use to demonstrate its value to customers during a tough economy – even more so than traditional advertising or product marketing, according to B2B buyers.
5. Producers of thought leadership have high expectations for its ability to support their business during a downturn. Yet, many have low confidence in its quality. This period of unpredictability offers an opportunity for B2B companies to improve the way they deliver thought leadership and measure its impact. For any professional in the B2B space, these learnings important...
• Times are tough and may get tougher in the B2B world,
• Selling will be challenging,
• High Quality Thought Leadership is key,
• There is significant opportunity for companies to shine through.
"Thought leadership refers to content that offers expertise, guidance, or a unique point of view on a topic or in a field.
It includes content like thought pieces, essays, videos, webinars, live presentations, PowerPoint slides, and research reports that organisations make available to the public for free (or in return for registering or giving contact information).
In your business context, your thought leadership is you and your team’s expertise, your specialism, your history, knowledge and perspectives on your markets, your sector and your industry.
Your buyers and the decision makers in your prospect base want High Quality Thought Leadership to allow them to see you, understand you and form a conclusion that you are the one true value solution to their business…
…and they report that it can make a difference in winning business.
"55% of decision-makers say that during an economic downturn, it is more important than ever for suppliers who do not offer products/ services that are essential to operations to produce high-quality thought leadership if they want to win our business".
• Make it quick and easy to consume and absorb – catch the attention and make it worthwhile.
• Reference robust research and strong supporting data – back it up with facts.
• Offer provocative ideas that challenge people’s assumptions – push boundaries to stand out
• Offer concrete guidance on how to respond to the issues or opportunities discussed – Accentuate your credibility.
offshore Norway, the UK’s renewables planning policy and increased offshore wind pipeline, and new projects in hydrogen, CCS, and tidal power featured in Europe’s energy sector in the past month.
The EU’s embargo on imports of Russian fuels by sea came into force on 5 February, two months after the bloc banned seaborne imports of Russian crude oil. The diesel markets in Europe seemed relatively calm immediately after the ban, partly due to the stockpiling of fuels before the embargo kicked in, and to the milder winter weather in many parts of Europe.
Equinor made in February an oil and gas discovery close to the Troll field in the North Sea. The discovery, the seventh in this area since the autumn of 2019, is named Røver Sør. According to preliminary
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estimates, the size of the discovery is between 17 and 47 million barrels of recoverable oil equivalent, most of it oil.
“Discoveries close to existing infrastructure are important to maintain oil and gas production from the Norwegian continental shelf. They need smaller volumes to be profitable and can be put on stream quickly with low carbon emissions,” said Geir Sørtveit, Equinor’s senior vice president for exploration and production west operations.
The Norwegian major, on behalf of the Snøhvit partnership, has also awarded Aibel a major contract for Hammerfest LNG modifications in connection with the Snøhvit Future project. The contract is subject to governmental approval of the project. Aibel has been awarded an EPCI contract that involves engineering, procurement, construction and installation of two new processing modules related to the onshore compression and electrification of the Melkøya plant. They will also build a new receiving station for power from shore and carry out integration work at the plant.
Vår Energi ASA confirmed the discovery of oil in its operated 7122/8-1S Countach well in PL229 (Goliat), north-west of Hammerfest. Extensive data is being collected for further assessment, the company said.
Subsea7 was awarded two contracts by Equinor for the Irpa and Verdande
field developments in the Norwegian Sea in a consortium with DeepOcean. Project management and engineering will begin immediately at Subsea7’s offices in Stavanger, Norway. Fabrication of the pipelines will take place at Subsea7’s spoolbase at Vigra, Norway, and offshore operations are planned to take place in 2024, 2025, and 2026 utilising both Subsea7’s and DeepOcean’s fleet of vessels.
Germany received in the middle of February its first LNG cargo from the Middle East, from Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC which delivered the shipment from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the Elbehafen floating LNG terminal in Brunsbüttel. The shipment of 137,000 cubic metres of LNG is the commissioning cargo for Brunsbüttel and the first-ever LNG cargo to be shipped to Germany from the Middle East.
The UK’s National Infrastructure Commission has been asked to review the current approach to National Policy Statements (NPSs) and identify how the planning system could create greater certainty for infrastructure investors, developers, and local communities. The review could speed up consenting for offshore wind farms and large-scale solar projects.
The system has slowed in recent years, with the timespan for granting Development Consent Order (DCOs) increasing by 65 per cent between 2012
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and 2021, the UK government said. For example, offshore wind projects have been seen to take up to four years to get through the DCO process.
The UK’s pipeline of offshore wind projects at all stages of development now stands at 99.8 gigawatts (GW) across 130 projects – an increase of 14 GW over the past 12 months, according to new research by RenewableUK’s EnergyPulse data analysts. This includes 13.7 GW of fully operational capacity and a further 13.6 GW under construction or with support secured for a route to market.
While the UK retains the second largest offshore wind pipeline, accounting for 8.5 per cent of the global total, this is the first time that it has fallen below 10 per cent, reflecting the rapid growth of new markets like Australasia and South America, RenewableUK said.
The association also issued in a separate report key recommendations for the UK Government to fend off foreign competition in the global race for renewables. The report warns that as the US and EU are creating far more positive policy and regulatory environments for investors, the UK must offer its share of fiscal incentives for developers and supply chain companies, such as new capital allowances for the clean technology sector.
“We’re urging the Chancellor to look carefully at the recommendations set out in this report ahead of his Spring Budget, as the renewable energy sector is facing a perfect storm this year, with inflation squeezing out already tight profit margins, and fierce international competition for investment, skills and supply chains,”
RenewableUK’s Executive Director of Policy Ana Musat said.
“The US and the EU are in a race to offer incentives to clean energy investors, and the UK cannot take its leadership position for granted.”
The Government is launching the UK’s first globally recognised certification scheme to verify the sustainability of low carbon hydrogen, building transparency and confidence across the sector. The Government believes the scheme will help cement the UK’s place in the global race to ramp up hydrogen technology, incentivising hydrogen production, investment and use across the country.
New polling in Ireland, carried out for Wind Energy Ireland by Interactions Research, showed that 80 per cent of Irish people support wind farms, while opposition to wind energy has fallen to just 5 per cent. The survey also found rising positive attitudes towards offshore wind with 83 per cent saying it would help with Ireland’s energy security. However, just 31 per cent felt Ireland was doing enough at present to develop its offshore wind capabilities.
Tidal power, alongside other renewable energy sources, can boost energy security, a new study led by University of Plymouth’s Research Fellow Danny Coles showed. The study, focused on the Isle of Wight and published in Applied Energy, found that installing tidal stream systems, in addition to solar and offshore wind farms, is around 25 per cent more effective at balancing supply with demand than just relying on solar and wind technologies.
Edinburgh-based tidal energy company Nova Innovation has achieved another world-first by doubling the size of their Shetland Tidal Array. After the installation of the 5th and 6th turbines, the array becomes the one with the largest number of turbines anywhere in the world.
In company and project news, Equinor and SSE Renewables are carrying out early scoping work to explore options for developing a fourth phase, Dogger Bank D, of the world’s largest offshore wind farm. The Dogger Bank D proposal would require a new development consent order to progress into construction and could add an additional 1.32 GW in fixed-bottom offshore wind capacity to the 3.6 GW already in construction with phases A, B and C of the project, Equinor said.
Edinburgh-based tidal energy company Nova Innovation has achieved another world-first by doubling the size of their Shetland Tidal Array. After the installation of the 5th and 6th turbines, the array becomes the one with the largest number of turbines anywhere in the world.
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and Amberside Energy have formed a partnership to develop 2 GW of solar and battery storage projects in the UK. Subject to investment decisions at the time, CIP intends to provide the capital required for the construction of the projects in this portfolio.
Enel Green Power’s company 3Sun has signed a project financing agreement with UniCredit to finance the expansion of 3Sun’s solar panel factory in Catania, Sicily, to the largest GWscale factory in Europe. The expansion aims to increase the factory’s capacity 15-fold to 3 GW per year from the current 200 MW. The 3 GW production plant is expected to be fully operational by July 2024, making 3Sun the largest gigawatt-scale factory in Europe producing highperformance bifacial PV modules.
TotalEnergies and Air Liquide are creating an equally owned joint venture to develop a network of hydrogen stations, geared towards heavy duty vehicles on major European road corridors. The agreement will lead to the creation of a major player in hydrogen refuelling solutions and contribute to the decarbonisation of road transportation in Europe, TotalEnergies said.
Denmark will grant exclusive licences for exploration of full-scale CO2 storage in the Danish North Sea to TotalEnergies and a consortium consisting of INEOS E&P and Wintershall DEA. The licenses are an important step towards realising Denmark’s Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) strategy and will kick-start the plan for the development of full-scale CO2 storage in Denmark, the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities said in early February.
TotalEnergies and Air Liquide are creating an equally owned joint venture to develop a network of hydrogen stations, geared towards heavy duty vehicles on major European road corridors.
Equinor and Germany’s EnBW announced they would jointly pursue German offshore wind opportunities in 2023 as they said they are interested in developing offshore wind together.
Horisont Energi and Neptune Energy have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with energy major E.ON with the aim to develop a European CCS value chain.
The MoU covers several areas such as project financing, funding, and the development of a complete value chain for CO2 handling.
If Horisont Energi’s and Neptune Energy’s application for CO2 storage for the Errai project is awarded, the intention is that this will be the first joint project, Neptune Energy said.
The US Administration has criticised the profits of the supermajors for 2022 it described as “outrageous” and slammed the decisions of the major international oil and gas companies to increase returns to shareholders. At the same time, the US oil and gas industry continues to call on the federal lawmakers to treat the sector as an asset, not a liability, and one that could help bolster the energy security of America and its allies.
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US supermajors ExxonMobil and Chevron reported record-high earnings for 2022, like all major international oil and gas firms, drawing – once again – criticism from the White House.
Exxon generated earnings of $55.7 billion and cash flow from operating activities of $76.8 billion for 2022 “by leveraging an advantaged portfolio and delivering strong operational performance.” Exxon’s earnings were the highest in its history and the highest ever for a Western oil major.
The other US supermajor, Chevron, also reported its highest earnings on record for
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2022: adjusted earnings surged to $36.5 billion, from earnings of $15.6 billion for 2021.
Referring to the record earnings at Exxon, US President Joe Biden said on Twitter, “The only thing stopping Big Oil from increasing production is their decision to pay shareholders billions instead of reinvesting profits.”
“Instead of demanding accountability, Republican officials are blaming us. I'm doing my part to lower prices, it's time Big Oil did theirs,” the President said.
In the State of the Union Address in early February, President Biden said, The President criticised the oil majors for investing too little of their profits in boosting US domestic production and keeping petrol prices down.
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“Instead, they used those record profits to buy back their own stock, rewarding their CEOs and shareholders.”
“Corporations ought to do the right thing. That’s why I propose that we quadruple the tax on corporate stock buybacks to encourage long term investments instead,” President Biden said.
In response to the remarks in the State of the Union’s address, Tim Tarpley, President of the Energy Workforce & Technology Council, said “Tonight, we heard the President talk about investments in one type of energy resource, renewables. Unfortunately, what we have not heard are his plans to support an ‘all of the above’ energy strategy that promotes increased production of our domestic energy resources, including oil and gas.”
“In his remarks, he again showed the American people that he still doesn’t truly understand energy supply and achieving energy security. Implying that oil and gas will only be necessary for 10 more years, shows a frightening lack of understanding of the fundamentals of energy demand and energy supply,” Tarpley said.
“It is time to cut the misleading rhetoric of ridding the world of fossil fuels and wake up to the reality that U.S. oil and gas is powering our lives and will continue to be the major supplier of global energy for decades to come,” he added.
Employment in the US oilfield services and equipment sector rose by an estimated 3,069 jobs to 652,090 in January 2023, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and analysis by Energy Workforce & Technology Council.
The January increases make OFS employment the highest since March 2020, and continues to reach closer to the pre-pandemic numbers in February 2020 of 706,528 jobs.
“Even with fewer employees over the past three years, our industry has been able to meet the spikes in demand and is producing close to pre-pandemic levels all while developing new technology and deploying innovative production processes that are lowering emissions,” said Energy Council CEO Leslie Beyer.
American Petroleum Institute’s Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer Amanda Eversole in early February sent a letter emphasizing API’s commitment to common-sense energy policymaking to House Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Ranking Member Frank Pallone.
“You may have noticed that Big Oil just reported record profits. Last year, they made $200 billion in the midst of a global energy crisis. It’s outrageous. Corporations ought to do the right thing. That’s why I propose that we quadruple the tax on corporate stock buybacks to encourage long term investments instead,”
President Biden said.
“The Committee’s renewed focus on restoring American energy leadership is critical to ensuring that American oil and natural gas reserves are prioritised as a long-term strategic asset that will serve as a foundation for economic growth and energy security,” Eversole said in the letter.
Pointing out the priorities of the Energy Workforce & Technology Council for 2023, its CEO Leslie Beyer commented that “Energy Workforce will continue to push our national and state officials and regulators to protect our domestic energy resources and encourage further investments in production and infrastructure.”
Energy Workforce called on policy makers to pass comprehensive permitting reform including reducing timelines for building critical energy infrastructure by streamlining application processes and expediting approvals.
In the middle of February, the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources and the U.S. House Committee on Energy & Commerce held two committee field hearings in Midland highlighting the importance of domestic energy production.
“The Representatives attending these hearings had an opportunity to see the heart of domestic energy production in the Permian Basin, how the men and women working in this region produce energy cleaner and more efficiently than anywhere else, and how recent regulatory actions have impacted the industry as a whole,” Energy Workforce said.
The US petroleum markets were “resoundingly solid” in January, API said in its Monthly Statistical Report in the middle of February.
Overall US petroleum demand was solid in January 2023, and at 19.8 million barrels per day (bpd), it edged up by 0.2 per cent year over year, to its highest level for the month since 2020, according to API’s estimates.
US crude oil production increased by 300,000 bpd month-on-month in January 2023 to 12.3 million bpd, while natural gas liquids (NGL) production set a record for the month of January at 6.1 million bpd.
Total US petroleum exports of 9.6 million bpd – including 3.5 million bpd of crude oil and 6.1 million bpd of refined products – fell by 600,000 bpd from December. Yet, the United States remained a petroleum net exporter of 800,000 bpd—the lowest net exports since February 2022.
“These readings of solid demand, production growth, an easing of petroleum exports, and less refinery throughput for the month help to explain why higher oil inventories, which some may have interpreted as a bearish economic sign, could have been misleading,” API’s chief economist Dean Foreman wrote.
Moreover, API’s Distillate Economic Indicator, which is based primarily on diesel and distillate supply, demand, and inventories, had a reading of +0.6 in January – down from +0.7 in December –and a three-month average of +0.8.
its CEO Leslie Beyer commented
“This showed slowed but continued growth yearon-year of U.S. industrial production and broader economic activity,” Foreman noted.
“Energy Workforce will continue to push our national and state officials and regulators to protect our domestic energy resources and encourage further investments in production and infrastructure.”
The OPEC+ group, led by the major oil producers in the Middle East and Russia, left in early February their output targets unchanged and signalled they would not hurry to change the policy even after Russia announced a cut in its oil production for March.
OPEC, meanwhile, raised slightly its global oil demand forecast, on the back of expectations that a Chinese rebound after the reopening will drive half of this year’s consumption growth worldwide.
The OPEC+ alliance agreed at the beginning of February that the target production – decided last year and effective by December 2023 – will be reaffirmed for the next few months.
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The Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) of the group, which recommends policy actions to the OPEC+ ministerial meetings, reaffirmed the commitment to the agreement from October 2022, which reduced the alliance’s collective production target by 2 million barrels per day (bpd).
OPEC+ does not plan to change its policy, delegates from the group told Reuters later in February, after Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said that Russia, a member of OPEC+, would cut its oil production by 500,000 bpd in March, as a result of the Western sanctions and the price cap on Russian crude oil. According to the Kremlin, Russia discussed its plan to reduce production with some members of OPEC+, but Moscow had not formally consulted with the group before announcing the decision, a Russian government source told Reuters.
OPEC raised by 100,000 bpd its world oil demand forecast for 2023 in its February Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR). Oil demand growth is now expected at 2.3 million bpd, compared to 2.2 million bpd projected in the January report. Minor upward adjustments were made to OECD Asia Pacific
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in the first and second quarter of 2023, to “reflect the expected positive spillover from the opening of the Chinese economy on the region’s petrochemical sector.”
During the first quarter this year, global oil demand is expected to rise by 1.9 million bpd year over year, and to grow even more in the following quarters. Overall oil demand in 2023 is set to average 101.9 million bpd, OPEC said in its report.
The cartel cautioned “However, this forecast is subject to many uncertainties, including global economic activity, a possible shift in China’s COVID-19 policy, and ongoing geopolitical developments.”
Most of the growth in demand this year will come from the non-OECD countries, where oil demand is forecast to grow by around 2.0 million bpd year over year, surpassing prepandemic levels for the second consecutive year. China, Other Asia, and the Middle East are expected to drive oil demand growth, OPEC said. Global consumption of transportation fuels will be the key growth driver, with petrol and diesel demand set to jump well above prepandemic levels and supported by expected continued growth in mobility amid an ongoing rebound in the services sector. Jet fuel demand will also continue to rebound, although air travel would still be around 9 per cent below pre-Covid levels.
“Key to oil demand growth in 2023 will be the return of China from its mandated mobility restrictions and the effect this will have on the country, the region and the world. Concern hovers around the depth and pace of the country’s economic recovery and the consequent impact on oil demand,” OPEC said.
“Moreover, a number of global economic concerns − including the inflation levels, monetary tightening measures, sovereign debt levels, as well as geopolitical tensions − will weigh on global oil demand prospects,” the cartel noted.
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policies implemented with a bias against the oil industry could have serious implications on energy affordability and energy security globally, the chief executive of Saudi Aramco, Amin Nasser, said in a speech at a capital markets forum in Saudi Arabia in February.
“As far as the future of capital markets is concerned, ESG is clearly a rising trend. And in my view, an increased emphasis on ESG is a move in the right direction,” Nasser said.
“However, if ESG-driven policies are implemented with an automatic bias against any and all conventional energy projects, the resulting underinvestment will have serious implications. For the global economy. For energy affordability. And for energy security,” the top executive of the world’s biggest oil firm said.
“The cost of capital for oil and gas projects has risen due to a higher perceived risk, and capital scarcity is a common phenomenon, driven by ESG.”
Aramco’s CEO also pointed out the chronic underinvestment in oil and gas. Last year, upstream investment stood at around $400 billion – less than half of the peak in 2014.
“The primary reason: pressure from multiple directions to discontinue all new investments in oil and gas. Pressure based on what I strongly believe are flawed assumptions and arguments,” Nasser said.
For some global equity investors, any expression of interest in oil and gas is challenged by their investment committees.
“As a result, even projects offering solid returns will face a shortage of available capital,” he added.
In deals, Aramco has signed more than 100 agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoU), valued at a total of $7.2 billion, to help advance a diverse, sustainable, and globally competitive industrial ecosystem in Saudi Arabia.
Aramco also launched Aramco Digital Company, a wholly owned subsidiary which aims to accelerate digital transformation within the Kingdom and the MENA region, during the In-Kingdom Total Value Add (iktva) Forum and Exhibition at the end of January and early February.
Aramco has signed more than 100 agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoU), valued at a total of $7.2 billion, to help advance a diverse, sustainable, and globally competitive industrial ecosystem in Saudi Arabia.
“The launch of Aramco Digital Company is a great example of such innovation in action, providing state-of-the-art AI and emerging technology expertise in a vital sector of the economy,” said Ahmad A. Al-Sa’adi, Aramco Executive Vice President of Technical Services.
QatarEnergy has joined TotalEnergies and Eni on two exploration blocks in Lebanon. The agreement comes just a few months after Lebanon and Israel reached in October a historic agreement to settle the dispute over their maritime border—an agreement that could pave the way to more oil and gas exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean.
At the end of January, TotalEnergies and Eni said they had completed the transfer to QatarEnergy of a 30 per cent interest in exploration Blocks 4 and 9 off the coast of Lebanon. Under the terms of the agreements, Eni and the operator TotalEnergies will each have a 35 per cent interest in the blocks while QatarEnergy will hold the remaining 30 per cent.
“The recent delineation of Lebanon’s maritime border with Israel has created a new momentum for the exploration of its hydrocarbon potential. Along with our partners, we are committed to drilling as soon as possible in 2023 an exploration well in Block 9, and our teams are mobilised to conduct these operations”, TotalEnergies Chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanné said.
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), ADNOC has signed agreements with 23 UAE and international companies for local manufacturing opportunities across a wide range of critical industrial products worth a total of AED 17 billion, or $4.63 billion. The agreements outline the intention of the companies to manufacture these products in the UAE, supporting the ‘Make it in the Emirates’ initiative and the ‘Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy’, the Abu Dhabi-based company said.
QatarEnergy said on 20 February that it would be taking over all the marketing and related activities currently managed by Qatargas Operating Company Limited. The integration of the activities into QatarEnergy is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
ADNOC was also the company to deliver the first LNG cargo from the Middle East to Germany. ADNOC and RWE Aktiengesellschaft announced in the middle of February the successful delivery of the first shipment of LNG from Abu Dhabi to the Elbehafen floating LNG terminal in Brunsbüttel, Germany. Produced by ADNOC Gas at Das Island, the shipment of 137,000 cubic metres of LNG is the commissioning cargo for the new floating LNG terminal in Brunsbüttel and the first-ever LNG cargo to be shipped to Germany from the Middle East.
QatarEnergy said on 20 February that it would be taking over all the marketing and related activities currently managed by Qatargas Operating Company Limited. The integration of the activities into QatarEnergy is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
“The integration of the LNG marketing activities into QatarEnergy is a strategic decision taken as part of its growth journey and reaffirms our commitment to delivering excellence in everything we do,” said Saad bin Sherida Al-Kaabi, the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President and CEO of QatarEnergy.
“It is also aimed at further strengthening the State of Qatar’s global LNG offering to our customers and enabling us to provide a unified customer and stakeholder interface with greater value.”
Polok and Chinwol Oil Discoveries
Repsol
$2.5 billion
DORIS has signed a contract with Repsol to carry out the concept engineering package consisting of the Subsea Production System (SPS) and Subsea Umbilical, Riser, and Flowline (SURF) scopes. The development of the two fields will include an FPSO with a production capacity of 60,000 b/d. Bids for the pre-FEED contract for the FPSO have been submitted and the award of the contract is pending.
Darwin Gas Condensate Discovery – Phase 1
Borders & Southern Petroleum plc
$1 billion
The concept for the project's phased development has been released. The preliminary development would first concentrate on Darwin East. Assuming appraisal well flow rates meet reservoir modelling expectations, then initial production of 26,000 bpd could be achieved from two production wells and one gas injector well. Optionally, an FPSO could be deployed for the development. Assuming the FPSO is leased, the capital requirement, excluding contingency, for the drilling, subsea, and project costs is estimated to be approximately $640 million.
UAE
Hail & Ghasha Sour Gas Development ADNOC
$15 billion
NPCC, as part of a joint venture with Saipem and CPECC, has been awarded a contract by ADNOC for early engineering and procurement work (Pre-Construction Services Agreement- PCSA) on the offshore facilities of the Hail & Ghasha Development Project. The contract is worth around $60 million and will also include preparing an estimate for the full project delivery scope. The offshore facilities will include subsea pipelines, umbilicals, cables and risers, offshore processing plant and central living quarters.
South Angsi Alpha Decommissioning Hibiscus Petroleum $50 million
T7 Global Berhad has been awarded a contract from Hibiscus Petroleum for the South Angsi Alpha platform. The contract is for the provision of facilities decommissioning services for the platform.
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Invenire Energy Pvt. Ltd
$140 million
Svetah Energy Infrastructure has been awarded a contract to supply an FPSO for a period of five years with a potential five-year extension. The Svetah Venetia FPSO will be utilised and is sent to commence operations in Q4 2023. Asian Energy Service will carry out offshore and marine works for the FPSO during the contract’s entire duration.
A15 & B10 Gas Discoveries
Petrogas E&P Netherlands
$200 million
JDR has been awarded a contract to engineer, design, and manufacture two subsea umbilicals ranging in length from 10 to 13 km that will be used to supply power to two new platforms. The umbilicals consist of hydraulic hoses, chemical injection hoses, electrical cables, and fibre optic cables to facilitate communication between platform facilities.
Block B-17 Joint Development Area
(Phase 6)
Carigali-PTT Operating Company (CPOC)
$250 million
MMHE has been awarded the engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) for the project. Under the contract, MMHE will be responsible for the construction of five wellhead platforms weighing an average of 2,000 metric tonnes, including the works on associated subsea pipelines and telecommunication upgrades.
Equinor
$7 billion
DOF Subsea has been awarded an EPRD contract for the subsea component. The scope of work includes recovering and disposing approximately of 2000 tonnes of subsea equipment as part of the Heimdal subsea decommissioning works. Between 2024 and 2028, the offshore work will be divided into two major campaigns involving three DOF vessels.
Duyung
Conrad Petroleum
$303 million
Conrad Asia Energy has awarded two FEED contracts for the Mako gas project. Synergy Engineering has been awarded FEED contract for a mobile offshore production unit (MOPU) and Asiatek Energy secured the FEED for subsea umbilicals, riser and flowlines for the project which is to be developed in two phases. Phase 1 will see the drilling of six wells tied back to a leased MOPU via a bridge linked conductor support frame structure at the Mako field.
bp
$1 billion
bp is set to present a development plan for the fields during the first quarter of 2023 and could reach a final investment decision on the project later on in the year with a view to starting production in 2026. The Yakaar and Teranga fields could produce up to 20Tcf of gas.
TotalEnergies
$700 million
TotalEnergies has been awarded two licenses for the exploration of CO2 storage potential in the Danish North Sea. TotalEnergies plans to carry out evaluation and appraisal work to develop the project and will repurpose existing infrastructure in the North Sea as well as build new facilities.
ONGC
$500 million
ONGC has announced plans for the eighth phase of ONGC’s pipeline replacement project which is to be developed in two phases. Phase 1 will include 90 kilometres of pipelines and Phase 2 will include 140 kilometres of pipelines. Bid documents are set to be released during Q1 2023, with awards for Phase 1 work to be made in Q3 2023.
By Tsvetana Paraskova
Asset integrity management has always been crucial in the energy sector. It is now gaining even higher prominence amid volatile oil and gas prices, heightened geopolitical tensions, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which sparked a rush in every country to bolster the security of energy supply.
Increased risks of supply disruptions have made asset integrity management all the more important for energy companies to keep their operations safe and reliable and meet demand for oil, gas, or renewable energy.
Plan for the Unplanned
Companies in the energy resources, power, and chemicals sectors need to continue, “for yet another year, to plan for the unplanned,” Deloitte said in a series of analyses of the energy, resources, and industrials industry outlooks for 2023. Supply chain delays are affecting renewable energy projects, while volatile oil and gas prices are set to affect oil and gas operations, chemical feedstock costs, construction projects, and manufacturing inputs in 2023 just as in 2022.
“The high energy prices of the past 18 months have cast a new light on the balance to be struck among energy security, energy access and energy sustainability,” Deloitte said.
Economic uncertainty in many regions, as well as challenges in attracting and retaining talent, continue to be constraints, the consultancy noted.
Yet, the major dislocation in all energy markets in 2022 has fostered innovation in 2023, according to Deloitte.
“Increased reliance on digital technologies for up to the minute market information as well as enhanced connectivity with a company’s suppliers and customers may create agility and resilience,” it said.
In the oil and gas industry specifically, companies and stakeholders need to address the trilemma of energy security, supply diversification, and low-carbon transition, Deloitte said in its 2023 oil and gas industry outlook.
The management and the keeping of the integrity of assets in the asset-intensive energy industry are key to ensuring continued safe and reliable operations to deliver energy to customers.
This year, and in the coming years, flexible models, transforming asset operations, and portfolio shifts will be key areas for energy companies alongside technical innovation and adoption, McKinsey & Company said in a report in December.
“In the traditional business, companies are under pressure to provide affordable, reliable, secure, and cleaner energy to global markets in the near term. In addition, they recognise that the operating model for assets of the future will have to fundamentally transform to produce competitive hydrocarbons with lower carbon intensity,” McKinsey’s partners Ignacio Fantaguzzi, Christopher Handscomb, and Jesper Ludolph wrote.
Leading companies have started the journey toward the asset of the future by radically simplifying to align standards, processes, maintenance builds, and other crucial elements, with operating strategy tailored to the maturity of the asset, they added.
Preparing for the future of the energy industry and responding to today’s challenges in energy markets and supply requires even greater emphasis on asset integrity management and inspection, repair, and maintenance services. These are expected to jump in the coming years, due to ageing infrastructure, increased adoption of digitalisation, and a growing market for services in the renewable energy, utility, and grid sectors as the share of clean energy sources in the global energy mix continues to rise.
Asset integrity management is the process of overseeing an asset such as an oil rig, a pipeline, a refinery, or a power plant, to make sure that it maintains the ability to fulfil its function successfully, safely, and efficiently.
The global market of asset integrity management is expected to reach $28.3 billion by 2028, rising at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.1 per cent between 2022 and 2028, a study by ReportLinker showed last year.
The oil and gas segment accounted for the largest share of revenue in the market in 2021 and rising oil and gas demand is set to additionally help the asset integrity management market grow, according to the report.
Another segment of the asset management market, the Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance market, is set to see its value rise to around $72.46 billion by 2029, up from $42.66 billion in 2022, according to Fortune Business Insights. The market growth between 2021 and 2029 is expected at 7.9 per cent annually, thanks to strong demand for effective protection systems and rising use of digital technologies. Rising energy demand globally and increased applications of Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance across several energy sectors, including installation of renewable capacity, will be additional drivers of growth.
The higher use of digital technologies –including predictive analytics and predictive maintenance, machine learning, the Internet of Things (IoT), and robotics – will be key drivers of the asset management market going forward.
Technology has played a major role in the higher sales in the global computerised maintenance management system (CMMS) market, Future Market Insights said in a recent report. IoT devices are now everywhere where assets need to be monitored, including devices monitoring temperature, humidity, and collecting other data from the environment.
Rising adoption of CMMS software in the energy and utilities sectors has contributed to the market growth, Future Market Insights said. Revenues in the global CMMS market are expected to rise at an annual rate of 9.1 per cent between 2023 and 2033. This would be higher than the annual market growth of 7 per cent between 2018 and 2022, the report showed.
Predictive maintenance in North America is set to be an $8.9 billion market by 2028, growing from $2.08 billion in 2022, due to increased focus on energy inspections across various industries, ResearchAndMarkets said in a report in early February.
“Energy and utility companies face significant challenges, including environmental concerns, rising operating costs, increasing consumer expectations, and changing regulatory guidelines. These challenges drive the adoption of different analytical tools,” the report said.
“This is due to the growing need for better insight into usage and performance patterns to make better decisions. Power line inspection in the energy sector is complex, primarily due to remote locations, hardto-reach structures, and high labor costs,” ResearchAndMarkets says.
The rising relevance of Industry 4.0 and growing industrialisation in North America are the market drivers and opportunities in predictive maintenance, while high installation costs could be market restraints, according to the report. The future trend in predictive maintenance is automation through incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), the report notes.
Finally, unnecessary high numbers of procedures and processes and a lack of equipment reliability are top concerns for maintenance managers in the oil and gas industry, a study by asset integrity management specialist Add Energy showed last year.
A total of 58 per cent of surveyed maintenance managers said that the growing volume of processes and procedures is more challenging now than it was five years ago. Another 40 per cent of maintenance managers stated that reliability of equipment is the biggest challenge they face today. Getting people to use computerised maintenance management systems was cited by managers in the survey as the second biggest challenge, with 37 per cent of respondents voicing their concerns over this.
Still, the survey found that more than 70 per cent of maintenance managers believe that the majority of their work is planned. Around 50 per cent of maintenance managers rate both their team and maintenance strategy as highly effective.
“The survey data clearly shows that there has been significant pressure on maintenance budgets,” said Peter Adam, EVP of Asset and Integrity Management at Add Energy.
“Upgrading and modifying systems and equipment are unsurprisingly high on the list as companies are being asked to sweat their assets harder and longer, requiring replacement parts that may not be in production anymore, along with increasing degradation and obsolescence.”
Re-Gen Robotics has created the demand in the industry for safe, reliable, affordable, robotic tank cleaning and monitoring solutions.
Their equipment and service have been meeting the highest safety standards and with their exclusive knowledge of robotic tank cleaning, they are developing bespoke solutions that are tailored to generate added value for their customers.
In May 2021 Re-Gen Robotics was granted a UK Patent No.2585331B, ‘Zero entry sediment removal from storage tanks’, for its fully contained robotic tank cleaning solution.
The patent covers its all-in-one mobile vacuum tanker and apparatus, integrated cranage system, custom-designed external and internal adjustable hydraulic ramps, and ancillary equipment for its robots. The cranes are designed to lift the robot over bunds and into position therefore removing the need for scaffolding construction. No-man entry robots eliminate with the need to spade the tanks, which all saves time and money.
What the company is providing with their innovative technology and awardwinning service, is a market leading and fully supported by a highly trained and experienced team.
The oil terminal industry has been benefiting from genuine tank cleaning safety with the entry into the market of Re-Gen Robotics in 2019. Since then, the company has established its reputation in Europe, as the ‘go to’ company for no-man entry tank cleaning solutions.
Previously, tank cleaning involved labourers equipped with hoses, pressure washers, shovels, and squeegees working inside filthy tanks and taking unnecessary risks to their health, safety, and their lives.
Putting people to work inside a filthy tank is not only time consuming, but it also poses avoidable peril. The task was slow, labour-intensive, dirty, and riddled with potential dangers including slips, trips, falls, oxygen deficiency and exposure to harmful materials.
Tackling head-on the increasing number of confined space deaths in the oil industry, Re-Gen Robotics has revolutionised safety and is responsible for creating a major shift in attitudes towards safety in the sector by offering clients a reliable and effective no-man entry robotic tank cleaning service.
Re-Gen Robotics patented equipment simplifies the entire tank cleaning process, and the system can be tailored to meet individual needs and timeframes.
The entire tank cleaning system can be set up in two hours and closed loop cleaning system means the tank cleaning schedule is always very precise. Cleaning time can be reduced by between 40-60 per cent, and significantly decreases downtime and loss of production while oil tanks are not in operation.
The fully submersible robots are designed to operate in the most inhospitable environments and with the specialised access cranes, remote camera systems and engineering expertise, any size or shape of oil, gas or chemical tank can be cleaned, whether they’re tackling heavy fuel oil, crude oil, or sludge.
Each robot has an auger system capable of breaking down heavy sludge without using water, meaning that it produces less waste. It is equipped with front and rear ATEX CCTV and lighting for easy internal tank navigation and inspection. The entire robot, CCTV and lighting systems are waterproof.
The sludge is extracted by an ADR-certified jet vac tanker, with an impressive 4,800 C/ m3 per hour vacuum capacity. Using high pressure, low flow jetting systems and the powerful vacuum, the heavy fuel oil tank cleaning robotic system has been designed to fit through a standard 600mm manway, using externally fitted hydraulic ramps.
The system has an offset suction head to allow meticulous cleaning underneath heating coils. The low-profile tool can access underneath pipes and remove waste from below heating coils. It can also operate offset on the left, right, and straight-ahead positions. This tool alone can decrease tank cleaning time by a remarkable 10 to 12 per cent.
Re-Gen Robotics is offering the most efficient, safe, economical, and environmentally friendly method of cleaning oil storage tanks on the market today. As the company expands into Europe and the USA its mission is to ensure that their safer and smarter method of tank cleaning is available to every terminal operator in the industry.
Putting people to work inside a filthy tank is not only time consuming, but it also poses avoidable peril
effective solutions to decommissioning projects, and helping clients to unlock the potential of crucial low carbon sectors, all with global reach.
The company’s Chairman, Martyn Fear, said “Elemental Energies believes fundamentally in the role of wells expertise in future energy development. By providing cutting edge solutions to overcome complex problems, and by driving project integration and efficiency, we will safely deliver effective programmes at all stages of the energy transition.”
“Within the upstream sector, our engineers have a long track record of engineering solutions to overcome complex problems. The former Senergy Wells team have to date managed over 150 global wells projects as well as designing and engineering more than 1000 wells. These integrated projects have encompassed the full well life cycle, enabling clients to deliver well projects safely, on schedule and within budget, and with the quality and well integrity expected.”
The role of wells expertise in reducing risk and driving efficiencies throughout the energy mix cannot be overstated. Wells are the conduit that maximise recovery from upstream assets, which must be made leak-tight during decommissioning, and which need to convey and contain CO2 for carbon capture and storage. Wells are frequently the highest cost, and most complex, element of all of these activities.
For new wells-focused engineering consultancy Elemental Energies, worldleading wells support must remain at the heart of integrated projects throughout the energy transition mix. It is their mission to engineer the energy transition by harnessing the brightest wells talent, shaping the design and delivery of wells-centric projects.
Within the existing upstream sector, wells are the most crucial element in maximising cost-effective recovery from existing projects – the lifeblood of current energy security.
Within decommissioning, well abandonment is typically the most costly part of projects, and deep well engineering and geological expertise is required to permanently isolate flowing zones below ground – crucial to permanent emissions prevention.
Low carbon energy projects such as CCUS and geothermal also require a significant wells focus, and this is amplified when looking at repurposing existing oil and gas assets. If wells expertise is embedded into the planning of these projects from the
earliest phases, opportunities for efficiency can be harnessed early and engineering challenges overcome, reducing cost and complexity.
With a commitment to shape the wellscentric projects of the present and the future, Elemental Energies is building a world-leading offering to solve complex challenges in oil and gas, decommissioning and the low carbon sectors of carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS), and geothermal.
Elemental Energies launched in December 2022 following the acquisition of Senergy Wells from Vysus Group, a deal that is set to be the first in a strategic buy-out of wells-focused firms. This is part of a strategy that sees the company back the leading wells experience found in the North East of Scotland, and its future across the energy transition.
The company’s expert teams, who continue to be headquartered in Aberdeen, will build on Senergy Wells’ proven approach to well delivery, risk management and well process safety. This focus on the highest levels of organisational wells capability will be used to support clients to deliver ongoing oil and gas exploration and developments, to continue designing and delivering cost-
“Within decommissioning, and in an industry carrying a large backlog of ageing assets, the need for the right expertise to mitigate risk and reduce cost is critical. Our agile approach drives efficiency and effective decision making, powered by engineering excellence, a command of all relevant technologies, and integrated experience. Our well design and delivery experts have worked on major wells decommissioning and integrated decommissioning campaigns around the world, and we have in depth understanding of the critical role that wells play in successful decommissioning campaigns.”
“In helping the industry and society to transition, Elemental Energies has already engineered and managed low carbon projects around the world, from concept to completion. We understand challenging environments and how to safely and effectively navigate them. With more than 15 years’ experience in geothermal and CCUS, our consultancy provides cutting edge solutions to solve complex problems and unlock the potential of low carbon projects.”
“The Elemental Energies team will continue to grow with the addition of further leading wells experts, and those from associated disciplines, as we look to build a truly world-class and fully integrated project management offering across all three sectors of upstream, decommissioning, and low carbon.”
near $14 billion increase in expenditure. Inspection, repair, and maintenance spending alone is expected to increase from $43 billion in 2022 to as much as $72 billion in 2029.
Creating a robust asset integrity program requires consideration of a number of individual elements. Monitoring, inspection, repair and maintenance, data management and interpretation are just some areas that require the industry’s attention.
Having effective asset integrity, maintenance and management systems in place is crucial to ensuring the safe, reliable and efficient performance of assets in the energy sector. Operational efficiency, risk management, condition monitoring and maintenance schedules are key parts of optimising an asset’s integrity, condition and longevity.
In the oil and gas industry alone, according to an OGV report, there will be a near 8% compound annual growth rate for spending on asset integrity management systems over the next few years. This represents a
With anticipated investment and spending on asset integrity and maintenance at these levels, businesses need to be thorough and comprehensive in their review of these areas to ensure that they are spending their money effectively.
One area that often is overlooked is chemical treatments.
It is fair to say that using more chemicals does not necessarily equate to an enhanced cleaning or maintenance performance for your assets. It is also fair to say that there is no such thing as “one size fits all” when looking to source appropriate chemical solutions.
Using Innovative Digitalisation Solutions, we capture and create a comprehensive digital twin of your asset, delivered within our secure visualisation software which integrates with your existing data and systems.
• STREAMLINE ASSET INTEGRITY WORKFLOWS
• INCREASE SAFETY AND PROFITABILITY
• IMPROVE MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE
• REDUCE UNPLANNED DOWNTIME
• ACCELERATE NET ZERO TRANSITION
Spending time sourcing and developing the correct solutions and establishing their optimum performance level can greatly assist in providing effective, long-term maintenance and preservation. In doing this businesses can often find a more affordable option that prevents the need for expensive repairs or replacements. By working with chemical solution providers to review chemical usage and effectiveness of performance it can often result in an enhancement of chemical efficiency, effectiveness, and environmental profiles, often with a cost saving.
With products and solutions ranging from basic clean-up to rust stain removal and anticorrosion, Cistom works with our customers to create bespoke chemical solutions that match their needs. Our customer-led focus and laboratory facilities allow us to use our knowledge, experience and supply chain to create and develop innovative chemicals that are non-hazardous, non-toxic and highly effective in ensuring that assets are maintained effectively and sustainably to optimise its useful life.
The importance of having a good AIMS in place within your organisation cannot be understated, and with a wealth of options in the public domain, there is no shortage of potential software offerings which can be utilised for this purpose.
However, it may be the case that finding such a suitable solution as readily available is particularly difficult if you have specific proprietary intricacies that need to be met in your management policy and strategy; such as ensuring suitable integration into other software solutions in the company’s overarching management suite, or the addition of new elements of inspection and integrity assurance that would not be generically covered by available technology. Perhaps this could be specific types of asset that need accommodation that cannot be configured in existing solutions, unique defects that require a further granularity for consideration, or even ensuring more performant and efficient data/file communications in a highly time sensitive environment where every second might count, depending on the asset in question.
To that end, you may be forced to consider either developing your own dedicated internal
AIMS, or building atop preexisting solutions to achieve previously infeasible levels of capability and functionality. This type of substantial software development can potentially be eligible within the HMRC R&D Tax Relief Scheme – dependant on the level of work involved, and if the end goals represent a tangible technological advance in comparison to the native offerings in industry and, if building atop an existing solution, what your software developers have managed to build from scratch to push that respective technology forward.
Brendan Rorrison Principal Consultant (Software)It is not the commercial or business process in building out strategies and management processes which should be considered – but the actual software development effort that may be expended, going beyond configuration or expected use of available AIMS software to create new capabilities for associated platforms, frameworks, and languages which are used as a foundation to build upon.
If you have had to undertake an unexpected amount of substantial development effort that was laden with headaches to meet your company’s requirements from their foundational technology basis, it may be worth having a discussion with your accountant, or relevant financial advisors, for exploring the potential to make a claim under the HMRC R&D Tax Relief Scheme.
There’s not much certain in the world just now. We’ve got international political unrest, natural disasters to deal with; and economically and environmentally we are starting to come to terms with climate challenges and a massive energy transition process away from a total dependence on fossil fuels towards more sustainable sources of energy.
But some things are certain: Materials continue to corrode, safety remains a number one priority and the integrity of industrial plant, equipment and systems needs to be effectively managed.
We’re actively looking for highly driven, talented and creative engineers who want to be a part of PIM’s growth strategy.
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Whether you are a talented graduate, an experienced senior engineer, semi-retired or someone trying to climb onto the engineering career ladder, get in touch with us via our website.
Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) has been widely used as a testing and analysis technique to evaluate the condition of plant and equipment across the energy industry for decades. Having evolved through advancements in technology, Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) links together Engineering, Integrity Management and NDT Enactment services in one package, which could be described as the equivalent to ‘the theory of everything’ in the NDT world, and plays a critical role in ensuring the continuity of production in normal operating conditions whilst eliminating the need for human entry in to a pressure vessel.
There is a significant inventory of plant and equipment requiring Internal Visual Inspection (IVI) within the Energy sector; a growing number as assets continue to operate beyond their initial design life. With a preventative instead of reactive approach to minimise the number of intrusive inspections without compromising safe and continued operations, NII provides a comprehensive, yet costeffective insight over the traditional approach of IVI and is becoming increasingly used as NII continues to evolve.
Alongside the periods of economic volatility that challenges the industry, there is a continued drive to limit outages associated with turnarounds and shutdowns, as well looking for smarter ways of working, meaning it’s more important than ever for operators to ensure they implement and maintain a robust Inspection strategy to fully achieve the benefits that NII can provide – both today and in the future with technological and machine learning advances.
With over a 35-year tenure, CAN Group was an early adopter of trialling and validating advanced inspection techniques associated with NII. From engineering proof of concept in the early 2000s, with over 17 years continuous
Category 2 Membership participation in the HOIS collaborative project, CAN was also a contributor to the development and implementation of the original guidelines, now known as the HOIS Recommended Practice (HOIS-RP-103). The HOIS focus on NII guidance was driven by HOIS members and the UK regulator to provide a structured approach to the NII process with the aim of facilitating consistency of application.
In light of the many challenges the industry has faced over recent years, there’s been a significant rise in the number of operators who are actively increasing their utilisation of NII strategies and the associated Advanced NDT Techniques (ANDT) to better understand current plant and equipment condition, increasing reliability and reducing the need for costly unplanned shutdowns.
This increase is evident in CAN’s own experience having successfully executed over 200 NII specific projects, covering over 450 vessels across more than 40 site locations since the guidance was first issued in 2007.
With complementary services delivered by CAN’s Inspection business stream and ENGTEQ, it’s Engineering business stream, CAN Group is well placed to provide a full NII turnkey package by providing all aspects of the NII process under one roof; from the Integrity Review / Pre-Assessment, to the site-based enactment through to analysis and evaluation of inspection data and Fitness for Service assessments, enabling update/revalidation of RBA at a significant cost saving to its clients.
David McDonald, ANDT Operations Manager at CAN, explains: “NII can help operators achieve significant efficiencies; not only does it significantly reduce the risk to personnel when carrying out inspections in hazardous environments, as there is no requirement for human entry in to the vessels, it also has no impact on production as inspections can
be carried out at any time, not just during a planned shutdown.
“The objective of the inspection is to be able to justify the continued operation of the equipment until the next inspection interval as specified in the Risk-Based Inspection. As such, the completed inspection must be compared with what was requested and the potential impact of any non-conformances considered.”
Neil Wilson, Principal Corrosion Engineer at ENGTEQ, continues: “An effective NII service requires a thorough understanding of the process conditions and materials in order to be able to predict the potential locations and types of degradation. This should result in an inspection which offers confidence in the current condition of the vessel to a degree that is at least equivalent to IVI and generates quantifiable data which may be used for comparison in future inspections – at a considerable cost and time saving to clients through one contractual interface.”
CAN remains at the forefront of new industry developments, actively participating in a number of forums and joint industry projects to further advance the field of inspection.
The use of digital twin / 3D models is just one example of how smarter solutions have delivered tangible benefits across the delivery of Inspection Services. This technology has enabled the initial onshore desktop review of NII work-scopes to facilitate enhanced planning of resources and greater accuracy of scope durations, due to the ability to navigate the asset and associated items of plant and equipment to determine location, layout and gain a better understanding of access.
Fully utilising advancements in technology provides CAN Group with the ability to efficiently collect large volumes of inspection data through increasing the utilisation of robotic collection systems.
CAN’s next major leap in optimisation is the use of data science for enhanced data analytics; machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies help to bridge this gap by enabling smart data for efficient analysis at speeds greatly improved to that what’s currently possible with NDT data analytics.
With developments in technology for both data capture and analysis, CAN Group’s personnel are key to ensuring there is a seamless transition from current to new ways of working. Its team of in-house subject matter experts in all disciplines associated with the NII process provides CAN Group and its clients the assurance that the adoption of new methods is delivered to the same high standard expected in all areas of its business. This is paramount in ensuring that CAN Group remains its customer’s first and repeated choice provider of safe, sustainable, high quality and professional services across its range of activities.
Leyton is an international consulting firm that helps businesses leverage financial non-dilutive incentives to accelerate their growth and achieve long lasting performance.
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Surface Asset Management™️ specialises in comprehensive paint inspection, NDT inspection and corrosion prevention for a number of industries including Energy & Renewables, Marine, Transport & Infrastructure, Nuclear and Structural Steel & Fire Protection.
The company’s newly launched tablet-based application, Surface Asset Management (SAM™️), has been created for the complete management of your asset; conditional surveying, specification, scope of works and inspection reporting. SAM™️ removes duplication of work. As the survey data is captured, it is available for review and action immediately, providing significant cost savings on older methods.
Website: www.consultsurface.com
Email: info@consultsurface.com
Tel: 02890287709
Address: (Head Office) 300 Cregagh Road, Belfast, BT6 9EW (Aberdeen Office) Arnhall Business Park, Prospect Road, Aberdeen, AB32 6FJ
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Leading the way in web-based technology for the management of corrosion is specialist firm Surface Corrosion Consultants Ltd.
The Belfast based company, which specialises in comprehensive paint inspection, NDT Inspection and corrosion prevention, has unveiled its innovative new app - Surface Asset Management (SAM™) that is set to transform how coating condition surveys and painting campaigns are recorded and managed.
The ground-breaking SAM™ software is an easy to use, digital inspection application that streamlines all aspects of NDT management and coating inspection. The user friendly, highly intuitive program can be applied across a range of industries including oil and gas, subsea, renewables, marine, transport and infrastructure as well as wider industrial sectors.
developed with simplicity and efficiency at the forefront of its design. The software removes duplication of tasks and creates a single point of access to monitor corrosion and manage the execution of coating systems, passive fire protection and insulation instalment.
Surface Corrosion Consultants Ltd, has unveiled its innovative new app - Surface Asset Management (SAM™)
The pioneering technology was developed in 2017 after a team of specialists at Surface Corrosion quickly realised the majority of service providers and major operators are still managing their corrosion protection using sub-contractors and colossal spreadsheets. Recording of maintenance campaigns was inefficient, often documented by creation of hard copy reports, which proved almost impossible to track and monitor.
The revolutionary software, developed by the company who has its headquarters in Belfast, can also manage new build projects providing full cradle to grave traceability.
SAM™ is a fresh and unique approach to corrosion prevention and has been
The team of entrepreneurs identified a clear gap in the market for a digital solution for recording and saving inspection report data in real-time.
Steve Brierley, Operations Director, says: “Working with steel fabricators, it was obvious that there was a gap. We use SAM™ as a matter of course for all the recording of surface preparation and coatings; it is fundamental to our business.
“SAM™ surveys are succinct and to the point and provide a snapshot of each asset at the push of a button.
“SAM™ removes the lengthy process of manual data input and our intuitive software has a fundamental role to play in the future of the energy and construction industries.”
Survey data needs to be concise, easy to understand, as well as simple to manage and monitor. With SAM™, reporting is instantaneous. Continuing with a philosophy of keeping things simple, the inspection of any fabricated steelwork with SAM™ is one continuous process.
In the constant drive for efficiency, the app now interfaces directly to Elcometer gauges that are Bluetooth enabled. Using a tablet and Bluetooth technology the coatings inspector and technician digitally records all inspection requirements from NDT onwards including MPI, UT, Visual, environmental readings, DFTs, images and much more in real-time onsite. Reports generated can be adapted and edited to suit the user’s specific requirements. With just a few taps of the screen, all saved readings from the gauge are instantly transferred to the app and synced with no need for manual data entry – just choose which zone the readings are from and the app does the rest.
There is no man in the middle to navigate. Every piece of inspection data collected via the web or tablet is instantly saved to secure servers. SAM™ creates skilfully formatted and concise documentation that is available anytime to download or send direct from the desktop or tablet.
Some of the work the app covers include:
• Conditional Surveys
• Campaign & Scope Management
• Survey & Inspection Reviews
• Analysis & Reporting
• Critical Repair Management
SAM™ offers real power in speed and efficiency
SAM™ is available on Android and iOS devices for use in fabrication halls. The user interface is simple to use with clearly defined menus. The app offers data entry efficiency and by using an interactive online system, it reduces the amount of time inspectors spend sitting behind a desk painstakingly inputting data.
Benefits of SAM™ versus traditional methods:
• Subcontractors use the system ensuring data is always updated and owned by the owner/operator
• SAM™ is designed to be managed by you or your designated company
• Easy user accessibility: immediate information from anywhere that has a suitable internet connection
• You benefit by having complete control of data for maintenance planning and scheduling
• Optimum control of budget by ensuring funds are correctly allocated where required
• Simple user-friendly interface – via PC or tablet
SAM™ automatically generates dashboards providing insights, intelligence and overviews of all data collected during surveys allowing the user to view scopes in detail and see a clear picture of the critical path ahead. The app can also be used to set priorities which gives the operator the chance to set their own critical repair threshold for the surveyed items. Furthermore, the manning levels can be scrutinised with ease to help assemble the most effective team balance on any project.
Data accuracy is assured as data is recorded directly within the device and instantly imported offering improved assurance and accuracy.
Steve explains: “SAM™ is tailored to each individual customer requirement and each user has their own clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Every change made within SAM™ is timestamped to a known user. The correctly qualified person is then able to verify compliance within their expertise.”
The software offers the added benefit of historical data storage to ensure the client’s third-party inspector can confirm each stage in the process or simply verify compliance by load at the end of production.
SAM™ logs coating product, blast media, and all other essential variables for successful and concise reports. The software can generate reports based on user defined selections by asset, zone, structure type, RE values, planned year, dates and items not yet included offering clients the chance to get a better handle on their data.
Additionally, the app can accurately estimate how much material you will need for every project, zone or even single items as well as estimating costs for projects.
“SAM™ really is the most versatile and innovative software available on the market today with regards to NDT management and coating inspection. It is a game changer for the future of the management of corrosion in the oil and gas and construction industries.”
The in-house team of specialists at Surface Corrosion offer clients a comprehensive training package as well as providing technical support and updates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• All data is updated and owned by the owner/operator
• SAM™ is designed to be managed by you or your designated company
• Easy user accessibility: immediate information from anywhere that has a suitable internet connection
• User has complete control of data for maintenance planning and scheduling
• Optimum control of budget by ensuring funds are correctly allocated where required
• Simple user-friendly interface – via PC or tablet
www.sword-group.com
Lise Parker, is Sword UK’s Data & AI Practice Lead. Lise has worked in the technology industry for more than 30 years. She is responsible for the ongoing development and delivery of data solutions that make a strategic difference to our customers in energy. Lise leads a team of certified data professionals who operate in a variety of industries across the UK.
We talked to Lise, the brain behind our intelligent modern data platform, Tillit. Lise explained to us the problems Tillit tackles for the energy industry and how it centralises data into a single source of truth, making data a trusted asset.
What issues is the energy industry facing with their data?
Data quality is one of the main issues encountered by data-driven projects. Data management across multiple data source applications involves a degree of assessment. However, it is only when data is collected and exported for reporting that the quality of data becomes clear. Data-driven projects often trigger the development of new data validation processes that reside within core business applications such as EC or SAP.
Energy organisations often make decisions based on reports, such as monitoring forecasted production versus actual production. It’s vital to understand the contributing data sources and manual interventions made at each stage. Most reporting is based on data from source applications, as well as multiple Excel spreadsheets.
Tillit is an automated framework that presents data as it is, and has capacity of showing where there are abnormalities, inaccuracies and incompleteness, bringing a new level of trust as decisions are made on data that is understood. Tillit removes the need for manual processes, which collects structured and un-structured data, such as production numbers provided in PDF files. As an intelligent modern data platform, Tillit offers validation, quality checks, and full lineage of the origin of the numbers on a report. A report based on data with many manual data entry points is less reliable than one compiled of automated, accurate, complete data from its’ master source.
The timeliness of data collection is important, as contributing numbers may be hours or days old, while others are refreshed ‘live’. The result is that a true ‘live’ picture may be difficult to get where manual entry is required, so the drive to enable automated data collection is fuelled by the need for confidence in data that transforms it into a trusted asset.
When we think about traditional data platforms, it is likely they were built with basic functions to consume and transform data to build a report. Intelligent data platforms collect data from a range of systems and entry points and build reports with multiple components that can be used for cost-effective, useful capabilities.
By implementing an intelligent modern data platform such as Sword’s Tillit, organisations gain confidence in their technology investments by making the most of modern cloud-enabled connections. Our customers use Tillit to streamline reporting in line with business requirements and connect data in ways that inform decision making beyond traditional manual methods. Ultimately, Tillit provides actionable insights to allow confidence in decision making. With this confidence, customers can make daily operational decisions that enable alignment to their strategy.
How does Tillit tackle energy industry issues?
Tillit can bring awareness to the burning issues that need attention.
We can show the time that data was collected, e.g. 9am today versus 2 days ago, so any number can be traced back to the source and a report’s accuracy is transparent. This flagging feature allows focus on where it’s needed most to make an impact on operational performance, rather than needing to spend time manually finding abnormalities.
We recently secured the Microsoft Analytics Advanced Specialisation, helping us to further demonstrate Sword’s commitment to ensure customers benefit from our robust approach that turns complex data into a powerful, trusted, and valuable asset.
Where do customers receive their return on investment when using our Tillit framework?
Business operational cost reduction is the main area our customers value when reflecting on their investment in Tillit.
Our customers should expect to see a consolidated report of all daily production for both operated and non-operated assets. Reports should be available every morning and explain how their assets are doing and if set targets are being achieved or not. All this should be automated without manual intervention. Tillit delivers this and much more including, emission, losses, HES, POB, 7DP, and Operator Routes.
Technology alone is never the answer. We employ large numbers of certified engineers, with domain expertise, who understand what is needed in relevant energy industry reports, to propel customers on their data driven journey by putting data in the right hands at the right time.
About Sword As the North Sea's largest provider of data and digital services, Sword focuses on solving the industry's most critical business technology challenges by enabling our clients to capture, manage and utilise data to make informed decisions. This is supported by people engagement and technology adption, together with modern ways of working to give confidence that the right desicion is made every time.
Lise Parker
Tillit provides actionable insights to allow confidence in decision making
www.renewableuk.com
More than 800 delegates attend ‘world class’ event
Scotland is a global leader in offshore wind which is at the forefront of our energy transition.
With a short-term pipeline of 6.9GW of projects, last year’s staggering ScotWind Leasing results will see a further 28GW of projects added to our offshore timeline which has outlined the scale of things to come.
We know that offshore wind is going to transform our coastlines and the opportunities this presents are enormous. But we must put innovation at the heart of everything to ensure we have a supportive policy and planning environment, a rapid acceleration of current timescales and the infrastructure required to maximise the economic benefits for Scotland.
That’s why Scottish Renewables’ Offshore Wind Conference, sponsored by SSE Renewables, is a big deal and it’s why last month (January 25 and 26) our industry’s movers and shakers descended on the SEC in Glasgow to review the state of this thriving sector and its ambitions for the years ahead.
The sell-out event welcomed more than 800 delegates from across the UK and beyond for a fascinating two days of discussions exploring the big challenges facing the industry and how it can deliver successful projects with positive impacts for the economy, the environment and local communities.
A key date in the event calendar, this year’s two-day conference brought together a diverse set of voices to explore the future of offshore wind. From thought leadership to practical supply chain advice, the conference welcomed industry experts, developers, suppliers and stakeholders to review the state of our offshore wind aspirations.
RenewableUK members are enabling a just transtion to a net zero future. Focusing on continuous improvement around the three pillars of our Just Transition Tracker - People, Place and Planet These inspiring companies are a true showcase of the best that our industry has to offer.
For the first time, our new supply chain focused sessions and events allowed companies to spend invaluable and exclusive time with offshore wind tier one developers which we hope has given them a platform to grow their businesses in offshore wind. The annual Offshore Wind Conference Dinner, sponsored by Crown Estate Scotland, saw more than 450 renewable energy professionals come together at Glasgow’s iconic Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum for a traditional three course Burns Supper and relaxed evening of networking.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon opened the conference and in her ministerial address told the conference that The Scottish Government will do all it can to support the success of offshore wind and its priority must be to intensify the work it is doing together with industry to achieve our shared ambitions of a "greener, fairer, more resilient energy system". First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaking at the conference said: “The Scottish Government has just published our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan which reflects our commitment to accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels, and towards renewable energy.
“Your industry, and the issues you’re focusing on, could not be more important to our country’s future. For Scotland, offshore wind and the hydrogen industry offer huge industrial and economic opportunities.
“The need to accelerate our energy transition has never been more urgent and so our priority must be to intensify the work we are doing together, to achieve our shared ambitions. The Scottish Government will continue to do all that we can to support your success. The prize – if we get this right – is a greener, fairer, more resilient energy system.”
Claire Mack, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables said: “Scottish Renewables’ Offshore Wind Conference 2023 is a world class must-attend event for anyone keen to play a role in the deployment of offshore wind.
“It’s exciting to see such a diverse set of voices coming together to look at the big challenges facing offshore wind, exploring how we can deliver our offshore wind ambitions and ensuring it is the technology at the forefront of the energy transition.
“I’m really pleased that our innovative ‘Meetthe-Buyer Business Booths’ have been a huge success and this exclusive one-to-one access will bring a new dynamic to how the supply chain is able to engage with developers and Tier 1 suppliers.
“It is clear that 2023 is going to be another huge year for offshore wind in Scotland and I’d like to thank the First Minister for taking time out of her busy schedule to give a ministerial address at today’s conference.”
We’ve achieved so much and witnessed a great deal of change since the discovery of North Sea oil in 1969. The UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) has produced around 45 billion barrels of oil since production began over half a century ago, and there’s still over 20 billion barrels of oil remaining. Today, producing and extracting oil and gas is responsible for around 3.5 per cent of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions.
While we may have figured out how to extract energy sources from the earth and use them to power our lives, it’s come at a cost. The excess carbon dioxide is trapping heat in our atmosphere.
“We need to find the solutions now to transform our energy systems, while keeping the lights on and our industries fuelled, but with a fraction of the carbon emissions. We’ve already made progress towards net zero via Road Map 2035. But there’s a lot left to do,” says Daniel McAteer, Vice President of Energy, Aberdeen.
“Oil and gas producers are struggling to retain their social license to operate and meet their carbon reduction targets, while they supply the energy needed to maintain the day-to-day life we take for granted,” he says. “As we transition to a more sustainable future, we need to acknowledge the role that traditional energy sources will play during this energy transition.”
While net zero is one of the industry’s biggest challenges, it’s also one of the biggest enablers for both innovation and cross sector collaboration. Oil and gas production assets need to become greener. So, what if we powered these facilities with renewable energy sources?
By powering assets with renewable electricity instead of traditional gas, we remove the need for gas turbines that require ongoing maintenance. And there’s a growing renewables industry ready to make this happen. Our ambition is for 75% of our projects to deliver a more sustainable world by 2026 and our expertise in sustainable technologies with a track record of delivering complex projects is what differentiates us. We have a rapidly growing portfolio of projects contributing to the delivery and acceleration of the energy transition across a range of areas such as solar, wind, hydrogen, CCUS and more.
“The UK supply chain needs to work together to make sure we can overcome the challenges we
are facing, while having a positive environmental and economic impact,” says McAteer. “We can take tried-and-tested knowledge from oil and gas and combine it with the current innovation around renewables. And in doing so, we can accelerate the adoption of renewables while decarbonising the hydrocarbons industry.”
To make all this happen, our supply chain contracting model needs to change. How we deliver projects in the future will be assessed on the proportionate value they bring to the customer and the climate – low-cost, reliable delivery solutions will be key. We’re now seeing encouragement for more green contracting models through global companies that deliver locally, supported by the North Sea Transition Deal.
With the targets of net zero by 2050 looming, we need to look at new ways of working, new technologies and new skill sets so that we can continue to produce valuable North Sea resources in more sustainable ways. To make this sustainable transformation a reality, we’re transitioning from an engineering partner in energy, chemicals and resources to a solutions provider leading partners and societies to a more sustainable world.
“We’re looking for talented individuals to drive the transition forward. We recognise that the key to retaining great people – and attracting new talent – is to offer people the opportunity to transition into the emerging sectors they’re interested in. We’re focused on making this transition as easy and accessible as possible so we’re rolling out a range of learning modules and on-the-job reskilling to support our people who’ve worked in traditional carbon-intensive areas as they make the jump into emerging fields, such as offshore wind, low-carbon hydrogen, carbon capture, use & storage and environmental consulting.” Says Mcateer.
Delivering a more sustainable world
If we bring together the technological capabilities of oil and gas, the availability of renewable energy resources, digital technology, the societal demand for decarbonisation and the determination of our workforce, the North Sea could become an example of a collaborative decarbonisation powerhouse. We can then lead the world in the transition to low-carbon solutions as we export this knowledge around the world.
“Decarbonising the UKCS isn’t going to be simple. And there’s a lot of pressure to get it right,” says McAteer “But as we remain focused on delivering a more sustainable world, I’ve never had more faith that we can do it.”
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Seaway7 announced that it has entered into a commercial collaboration agreement with Saipem to jointly identify, bid and execute fixed offshore wind projects.
Seaway7 and Saipem will pursue selected projects where the combined utilisation of the companies’ complementary world-class assets, technologies, products and competencies will generate significant synergies and improve project economics.
Seaway7 and Saipem will deploy key enabling assets and capabilities to cover activities such as front-end engineering design (FEED), procurement, construction, transportation and installation of foundations and inner-array
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.
cables, as well as the installation of substations and wind generator turbines. The target projects are large integrated turnkey developments in Europe, the UK and the US, with the possibility of expanding to other geographic areas.
The collaboration will enhance operational flexibility and enable early engagement with both clients and the supply chain to optimise design and execution strategies, and to secure critical enabling assets, including vessels and yards.
Gianalberto Secchi, Chief Operating Officer of the Offshore Wind Business Line at Saipem commented: “The agreement with Seaway7 represents an important milestone to offer a more competitive value proposition to our clients on certain integrated fixed wind projects. Together, we will be able to provide a full set of services for wind farms in line with Saipem strategy to best serve the growth in renewable power production projects”.
Stuart Fitzgerald, Chief Executive Officer at Seaway7 commented:
Three more FPSOs were later deployed - Dalia, Pazflor and Clov - in what became known as a 'golden' block due to a plethora of major finds.
New York-listed TechnipFMC said it has been awarded what it calls a "significant" contract to supply flexible pipe and associated hardware for the "first subsea life extension project" by TotalEnergies and its partners in West Africa.
The company - whose head of subsea is Jonathan Landes - defines a "significant" contract as having a value between $75 million and $250 million.
The contract covers the engineering, procurement, and supply of flowlines and connectors for the Girassol Life Extension project.
“We are very pleased to partner with Saipem for this cooperation which builds upon the successful collaboration on the Seagreen project. Working together, we will be well-positioned to efficiently utilise complementary assets and capabilities to create differentiated technical solutions and further optimise project execution. Importantly, the strengthened offering will also expand the potential market for EPCI opportunities through our combined fleet and expertise”.
TechnipFMC has landed a contract worth up to $250 million for work on TotalEnergies' Girassol field in Block 17 offshore Angola where production has just been shut-in on its Dalia field for maintenance work to be carried out.
Discovered in the mid-1990s, Girassol opened up Angola's deepwater Congo basin play, hosting the French supermajor's first floating production, storage and offloading vessel in the country.
This additional subsea hardware aims to extend the life of the Girassol field by bypassing the rigid pipe bundles installed before production began in 2001.
Meanwhile, at Dalia, which produces about 120,000 barrels per day of oil, production stopped yesterday in order to carry out one month of scheduled maintenance activities.
According to ANPG, Angola's upstream regulator, the shut-down will last until 26 March this year.
Stena Drilling is pleased to announce that a contract extension has been signed with bp for Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) Stena IceMAX.
This extension shall see the MODU mobilise to the United States Gulf of Mexico in direct continuation of the initial one (1) well programme (estimated 90 days) offshore Newfoundland, for a further scope of two (2) years.
Stena Drilling are delighted to be able to announce this contract extension with bp for the Stena IceMAX and look forward to commencing operations later this year.
Subsea7 in consortium with ocean services provider DeepOcean has won two contracts from Equinor for the Irpa and Verdande field development projects in the Norwegian Sea.
According to Subsea7, its share in the contracts is valued in the range of $50m and $150m. Its partner DeepOcean’s share is over $60m.
Located in the Aasta Hansteen area, the Irpa gas project, calls for a subsea tieback of nearly 80km to the Aasta Hansteen floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel.
Subsea7 and DeepOcean will be responsible for the engineering, transportation, and installation of a monoethylene glycol (MEG) pipeline, a production riser, subsea structures, umbilical, and tie-ins.
Equinor submitted a plan for development and operation (PDO) for the Irpa gas project to the Norwegian government in November 2022. The project is expected to involve an investment of NOK14.8bn ($1.46bn).
The Verdande project is located in the Nordland Ridge area. With an investment of NOK4.7bn ($460m), the oil and gas field will be developed via a subsea tieback to the existing Skuld field and Norne FPSO facilities.
Subsea7 and DeepOcean will handle the engineering, transportation, and installation of a 7.5km long pipe-in-pipe production pipeline, flexibles, umbilical, subsea structures, and tieins for the Norwegian oil and gas field.
Subsea7 Norway senior vice president Monica Bjørkmann said: “We are delighted to have been awarded these two contracts by Equinor. The awards continue our long-standing collaborative relationship with Equinor with a focus on safe, efficient and reliable operations.”
Mark Rushton, CEO at STC INSISO, said: “BGF’s investment proposition was particularly attractive to us for 2 reasons; firstly because of their strong track record of supporting innovative Scottish businesses, and secondly because of their people who gave us immediate confidence and were culturally aligned to our team from day 1 of the journey.”
Aberdeen-headquartered problem-solving company, STC INSISO, has announced a £2 million investment from BGF to support a growth strategy focussing on the company’s ever-evolving suite of software products.
STC INSISO’s products, which span culture, safety, and solutions to improve business processes and performance are already widely trusted and used across industries including oil and gas, construction, marine and utilities. Its COMET software platform, which will now receive an accelerated roll-out following BGF’s investment, generates high quality input data to identify systemic risk and gives users a solid foundation for making sound decisions to ensure future incident prevention.
STC INSISO’s annual revenue for 2022 was £4 million and that figure is predicted to grow significantly over the next two to four years. The investment has already resulted in the creation of three new product development positions, and further recruitment will continue this year.
Arrash Nekonam, Chief Technology Officer at STC INSISO, said: “Our overall objective is not only to grow vertically, but to maintain our track record of consistently delivering for our clients across a range of industry sectors as demand for our software solutions continues to increase. We are delighted that BGF will embark on this journey with us.”
The deal was led by Keith Barclay, an investor based between BGF’s Aberdeen and Edinburgh offices.
Keith said: “STC INSISO has an impressive software product portfolio which has proven invaluable to professionals in a wide range of industry sectors. The team’s bold ambitions have been evident in each of our interactions, and I look to working in partnership with them to see these materialise.”
BGF is the UK and Ireland’s most active and dynamic investor of equity capital in growing companies. Its Scotland and Northern Ireland team reported strong momentum in 2022, delivering a series of highly successful exits and investing £42 million in a diverse range of growth economy businesses. Notable BGF deals taking place in Aberdeen in 2022, included leading an £8 million investment alongside Scottish National Investment Bank into biopharmaceutical company Elasmogen and the highly successful exit from cloud technology business Inoapps.
Subsea7 said that the project management and engineering for the projects will immediately begin at its offices in Stavanger, Norway. Fabrication of the pipelines will be carried out at the company’s spoolbase at Vigra, Norway.
Offshore operations are expected to be executed in 2024, 2025, and 2026 by making use of the fleet of vessels of both Subsea7 and DeepOcean.
DeepOcean Europe managing director Olaf Hansen said: “We have learnt to know Equinor through many years of close collaboration with their organisation and multiple operations on the Norwegian continental shelf.
“They are a demanding but fair operator that constantly challenges us suppliers to further improve safety and reduce emissions and operating costs. We consider winning this contract as a confirmation that we are doing the right things.”
Engineering firm, Quanta has secured another three-year framework extension agreement to provide continued engineering support for an existing oil and gas client.
This framework agreement extends the existing contract for an additional three years and covers the full range of engineering, procurement and construction services (EPC).
The deal is testament to the excellent working relationships that Quanta builds with its clients.
Formerly known as Fabricom Offshore Services until a management buy-out in 2018, Quanta is a key North Sea supplier of EPC services and boasts a strong oil & gas client-base. Its innovative approach to brownfield modifications is helping oil and gas companies increase efficiencies and maximise oil and gas production on ageing assets.
Nick Oates, CEO at Quanta EPC, said: “This is fantastic news which comes quickly off the back of two other framework extension contract wins. We are delighted to win the work and are looking forward to strengthening our relationship with our valued client further on future projects.”
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We have a simple and straightforward objective: to help our clients manage and successfully drive change, mitigate risk, grow, and succeed.
To feature new senior hires and appointments within your organisation, please contact Jordan Clarke, Head of Marketing & BD at Norman Broadbent. +44 (0) 7912 564 797 / jordan.clarke@normanbroadbent.com
Chris is a Partner at Norman Broadbent Group and leads the international Power, Renewables & Utilities practice. He assists investors, developers, asset owners and service providers with executive recruitment (C-suite / SVP / Director levels), leadership assessment and planning proactively for future challenges around human capital.
Prior to Norman Broadbent, Chris worked for a smaller boutique search firm and gained broad experience supporting clients across EMEA, the Americas and Asia Pacific within the following sub-sectors: utilities (water/gas/electricity), offshore/ onshore wind, nuclear, hydrogen, CCUS, waste to energy, conventional power, energy storage, EV infrastructure and industrial engineering.
Alongside his extensive talent management advisory experience, Chris is formally accredited by the AESC (Association of Executive Search & Leadership Consultants) and a qualified psychometric and behavioural competency assessor.
Venterra makes three senior appointments. The offshore wind servicing company grows in Europe, Americas and APAC regions.
Offshore wind servicing company Venterra Group has appointed three senior executives to drive its global business development.
Paul Alcock (pictured) becomes group business development director based in London, Scott Anderson is appointed as vice president, for AsiaPacific and Drew Carey is the new vice president for the Americas. The roles will be to represent the group’s expanding activities in the fast-growing UK and European, Asia Pacific (‘APAC’) and Americas offshore wind markets working closely with our member companies.The business aims to generate accelerated growth in the fast-expanding market and urgently add the skills and capabilities needed for the energy transition.
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Venterra’s chief executive officer Rob Jewkes said: "We are delighted to have three such talented and experienced executives driving growth alongside our member companies in key regions of our global market. Paul has led Acteon’s new business and closer integration of services in the renewables segment, responding to client needs formore coherent, joined up activities. Scott will lead the development of Venterra’s growing presence in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Australia. Drew has been a true pioneer bringing marine science into US offshore wind. He will capitalise on Venterra’s newly opened office in Providence, Rhode Island and our member companies’ growing work with US developers as they build local supply chains.”
BP's head of onshore wind and solar David Anderson will step down at the end of the year, the company said on Friday, the latest veteran departure under renewables boss Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath.
Anderson, who has been with BP for over 16 years, will be replaced by Noelia Álvarez Marivela, who joined BP from EDP Renewables in August 2022, BP said in a statement to Reuters.
Dotzenrath herself joined BP in March last year after heading RWE Renewables in what BP CEO Bernard Looney hailed at the time as a sign of how the energy company was attracting executives experienced in renewables to help BP shift away from oil and gas.
She has overseen large staff growth and changes in her division, bringing in several highprofile hires such as Matthias Bausenwein who joined from Danish wind power firm Orsted to lead BP's offshore wind division.
GE Renewable Energy appoints new HR leader for Middle East, North Africa and Turkey
GE Renewable Energy recently appointed Sultan Albalawi as HR Leader – Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (Renewable Energy, Grid Automation)
Having about 18+ years of experience as a practitioner in driving HR strategy, Sultan has been driving HR strategy in HR businesses
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European Energy has announced that Jacob Gotfred Johansen will take over the reins as executive vice president, head of asset management from 1 March. Johansen is current Head of Business Performance at Maersk Drilling. In his new role, Johansen will be in charge of the company’s 1GW of renewable energy capacity in the form of operational solar and wind parks. The company is also responsible for the operation of a number of other renewable energy projects that the company does not own itself.
Johansen said: "I think that European Energy is one of the most interesting Danish companies at the moment. Today, European Energy is involved in more than 24 countries with renewable energy projects. I am looking forward to becoming part of the team and the great task of internationalising the operation and ongoing maintenance of our assets."
partnering, transforming cultures, people’s capabilities, talent acquisition, and change management. He has demonstrated success in working across multiple industries and companies in leading several HR projects and initiatives and developing trust and building effective partnerships.
Sultan will be responsible for executing key HR initiatives and driving the regional HR strategy and HR functional excellence. He will also enable process improvement for Renewable Energy – Grid Automation and HRBP for Digital Saudi & Bahrain.
Global sustainable development firm Arup has announced seven new senior leaders to strengthen its energy offering. Jemima Bruin-Bland, Neil Copeland, Mike Copson, Craig McCafferty, Graeme McCann, Sally Prickett and Robert Silver will help the firm to place sustainable development at the heart of its business.
Arup is a collective of designers, consultants and experts working globally. In the UK, its 45-strong Operations Consulting group – mostly based in London and Solihull offices – is a multi-disciplinary group bringing together specialist skills in people, processes and assets to deliver excellence to our clients’ operations.
Part of that includes a growing focus on sustainable development. The firm itself has pledged to go Net Zero by 2030, while also assisting clients with the shift, and supporting numerous clean energy projects around the world.
Mark Neller, Energy Business Leader, UKIMEA, at Arup, commented, “We are excited to welcome our new colleagues to Arup. Their recruitment is part of a wider plan to strengthen the leadership of our Energy Business and more generally, build capacity and capability to accelerate the energy transition and support our clients thrive through the journey to net zero.”
Iberdrola names Felipe Montero CEO of new German business.
Iberdrola has integrated its business activities in Germany under the name Iberdrola Deutschland and has appointed Felipe Montero as CEO of the new company.
Iberdrola Deutschland, a fully owned subsidiary of the Spanish energy giant Iberdrola, will be headquartered in Berlin and will focus on the operation of large renewable energy assets and the supply of energy transition-related services. Its offshore and onshore divisions will participate in the planning, construction and operation of wind farms and solar plants. The commercial division will offer commercial and industrial customers various supply solutions, and the integrated solutions division will support storage and hydrogen solutions for industrial use.
Newly appointed CEO of Iberdrola Deutschland, Felipe Montero, said in a statement: “The combination of all activities under one roof with an integrated 360° business model allow us to offer our customers and partners the best services to achieve their decarbonisation targets while leveraging the capabilities of the global Iberdrola group.”
Ougaard joins the company from Vestas Wind Systems, where he, since 1999, held a number of senior positions including Chief Operating Officer for Vestas Offshore and for MHI Vestas Offshore Wind and most recently Head of Construction for Vestas in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe.
Ougaard will join the company as of 1 March, 2023.
Bladt appoints new Chief Operating Officer
Flemming Ougaard will take on the role from March this year.
Bladt Industries has appointed Flemming Ougaard as its new Chief Operating Officer.
Ørsted appoints senior Biden administration official as VP of strategy
Global energy giant Ørsted has appointed senior Biden administration official and clean technology expert Dr Varun Sivaram as group senior vice president for strategy and innovation.
In this global leadership role, Sivaram will oversee Ørsted Group’s corporate strategy and lead the development and deployment of transformative technologies and digital innovations.
Before joining Ørsted, Sivaram served as managing director for Clean Energy and Innovation and Senior Advisor to
“Making big changes to a company of our size and complexity is not an easy task and takes quite a bit of time, but we are making really good progress. We have a great team, great customers and a very promising order pipeline,” said Anders Soe-Jensen, CEO of Bladt Industries. With this new Executive Committee in place, I am convinced that we also have the right profiles with the experience and knowledge in place to lead and further progress our journey and to take Bladt to the next level.”
Secretary John F. Kerry, the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.
He has also served as chief technology officer of ReNew Power, India’s largest renewable energy company; on the faculty of Columbia University and Georgetown University; as director of the energy programme at the Council on Foreign Relations; as a consultant at McKinsey & Co.; and as senior energy advisor to the Los Angeles Mayor and New York Governor.
During his tenure with the Biden-Harris administration, Sivaram built and led the First Movers Coalition, a partnership between the US government and the World Economic Forum that has convened more than 70 world-leading companies to invest in the next generation of innovative climate technologies.
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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.
cumulative experience gained by our specialist decommissioning teams on both assets across hundreds of wells to date.
“This ‘learning curve’ of knowledge, built up through our exclusive focus on well decommissioning operations, enables clients to reap the benefits of scope aggregation when adding a number of wells – or even a single well - to a campaign.
This work will begin in 2024 as part of a continuous campaign, enabling Well-Safe Solutions to maximise schedule flexibility and improve efficiencies of scale for the member companies within the campaign.
Well-Safe Solutions and Apache Corporation have signed a multi-year framework agreement to decommission wells in the North Sea, as part of the decommissioning specialist’s Plug and Abandonment (P&A) Club offering.
The deal provides the US-based energy producer with access to specialist decommissioning assets the Well-Safe Defender and Well-Safe Guardian to P&A its well stock.
Chris Hay, Director of Strategy and Business Development at Well-Safe Solutions, said: “We are ready to assist Apache with their well decommissioning requirements, affording them the flexibility to book their wells into our campaigns when required.
“Our multi-well, multi-operator P&A Clubs give our clients cost certainty and leverage the
“By building a strong track record solely in well plug and abandonment operations, instead of continually switching between drilling and decommissioning, the cumulative experience gained ensures the delivery of safe and efficient operations.”
According to the North Sea Transition Authority, it takes 31 days on average to decommission a subsea well from a North Sea rig.
As an example, Well-Safe Solutions’ practical experience on four North Sea wells during summer 2022 is comfortably within the top P25 performance quartile of this average, with the shortest well decommissioning window 7.9 days and the longest just 15.5 days.
Separate to the frame agreement signed by both companies, Apache has secured a slot for Well-Safe Solutions to plug and abandon subsea wells in the UK Continental Shelf.
A leading light in the decommissioning waste sector has marked the end of an exceptional first year in business by announcing that it has delivered contracts worth £3 million.
Phoenix Decom is based in Aberdeen and has strategically located operational outlets at Peterhead and Lerwick as well as Aberdeen. It was set up during the Covid-19 pandemic by respected industry leader Craig Smith, supported by a knowledgeable team of trusted industry professionals who have collective experience of more than 200 years.
Against the odds, the company has flourished to become the leading one-stop shop for independent, modern, integrated solutions for the management and disposal of decommissioning waste in the subsea sector.
The P&A Club’s sharp focus on operational and cost efficiency aligns with industry regulator the North Sea Transition Authority’s target to reduce the cost of decommissioning upstream oil and gas infrastructure in the UKCS by 35% by the end of 2022.
Pauline Innes, North Sea Transition Authority Director of Decommissioning, said: “There are hundreds of suspended wells across the UKCS that are ready to be decommissioned and impressive cost savings can be achieved from taking a campaign approach to the work.
“We encourage every operator to look at available opportunities to decommission and adopt the most efficient, value-for-money option.”
This latest development follows a year of sustained growth for Aberdeen-based Well-Safe Solutions.
In December 2022, the Well-Safe Protector mobilised for Ithaca Energy following an extensive well P&A refit. Once complete, it will move directly to its next scope for Neptune Energy later in 2023 after securing this contract in September 2022.
The company prides itself on offering a fresh contemporary approach, and achieves dynamic, tangible and environmentally compliant outcomes for all clients and on all projects.
To date, the team has managed more than 20,000 tonnes of subsea decommissioned material from the North Sea with firm emphasis on careful application of the waste hierarchy and, crucially, avoiding landfill as far as possible.
Year two is also off to a flying start with plans to recruit up to 12 additional people to the team and ongoing £500,000 investment will further expand services and introduce electric vehicles to the company’s growing fleet.
To find out more, visit phoenixdecom.com
Decom Engineering (Decom) have kicked off 2023 with a number of project wins and workscopes valued in excess of seven figures sterling.
Decom Engineering has secured new projects in Africa, Norway, Thailand and Singapore, while strengthening ties to an existing client in Malaysia.
Scotland and Northern Ireland-based Decom will mobilise multiple chop saws and supporting personnel in Q1 to support on decommissioning campaigns in the Gulf of Thailand.
And offshore the Democratic Republic of Congo, Decom will provide a C1-24 chop saw with hot stab functionality to assist the recovery of a production jumper in water depths of up to 1,000 metres. The workscope, on behalf of a major oil and gas operator, was a result of Decom proving its chop saw could succeed where other cutting technologies had failed and it is the first time Decom has been engaged directly by this operator.
In Norway, Decom will provide support through a tier 1 contractor to a major operator during the summer campaign.
Using its innovative SubSLAM X2 technology, Rovco also performed jacket inspection operations, providing the client with highly detailed 3D models of the platform footings to precisely identify any scouring across the structure. Powered by Rovco’s sister company Vaarst, SubSLAM X2 produces 3D reconstructions of underwater assets in real-time, from which users can take measurements with sub-millimetric accuracy. Mounted on an ROV, travelling dynamically at general visual inspection speed, SubSLAM’s ability to zoom in, rotate and fly means that it can provide full coverage of a structure from all angles, as well as the seabed and surrounding environment.
Simon Miller, Chief Revenue Officer at Rovco, said: “Being awarded a second contract with Well-Safe Solutions underlines their confidence in Rovco’s proven track-record.
Rovco has successfully completed a contract awarded by Well-Safe Solutions to support its well plug and abandonment decommissioning operations in the Southern North Sea.
This is the second contract that the leading provider of subsea and hydrographic survey projects has secured with Well-Safe Solutions, having previously performed survey work on an abandoned subsea wellhead in UK waters in 2021.
During the project, which mobilised in July, Rovco provided WellSafe Solutions with field survey operations, to ensure the safe and efficient decommissioning of a platform which ceased production in 2015. Earlier this year, Well-Safe Solutions signed an agreement with Ithaca Energy to plug and abandon six wells on the platform. Work being
carried out by Well-Safe Solutions will continue into 2023.
Operated by Rovco’s highly experienced team, the project utilised the VOS Star, on charter from Vroon, equipped as standard with Seaeye Leopard work-class ROVs, fitted with multi-beam echo sounders, the highest quality 4K stereo cameras, manipulators, recovery basket and photogrammetry technology to carry out specialist hydrographic surveys and underwater asset inspections.
As part of the project, Rovco supported the client with debris survey and clearance solutions in water depths of 20 to 30 metres, as well as habitat characterisation surveys to mitigate risk and eliminate uncertainty about seabed conditions prior to the client deploying a jack-up vessel at the site.
“Accurate data sets from subsea surveys and inspections is key to the safety and efficiency of their operations and they know they can rely on our people and our technology to provide the highest quality data in real-time.
“We’re pleased to be able to play a continuing role in decommissioning and the energy transition in the North Sea, supporting Well-Safe Solutions in its quest to safely and cost-efficiently plug and abandon wells in the Southern North Sea.”
Founded in 2016, Rovco is a global provider of subsea robotic and hydrographic survey solutions to the offshore wind and oil field decommissioning sectors. The company focuses on the use of perception, data and autonomy technology to modernise and help further the growth of marine generated renewable energy. For more information, visit: www.rovco.com.
Offshore O&G-related engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract award value in the last 30 days was estimated at US$1.8 billion, bringing the year-to-date total to US$3.1 billion (excluding letters of intent). During the period under review, 18 subsea tree units were awarded, with contracting activity concentrated offshore Norway stemming from plans for development and operations (PDOs) submitted at the end of 2022. Notable awards recorded offshore Norway is an award to TechnipFMC for the supply of subsea production systems for Equinor’s Irpa and Verdande projects. Subsea 7 and DeepOcean were also awarded the engineering, transportation and installation (ETI) contract for a MEG pipeline, production riser, umbilical, subsea structures and tie-ins for the Irpa field, and a 7.5km pipe-in-pipe production pipeline, umbilical, flexibles, subsea structures and tie-ins for the Verdande field. Aker BP awarded TechnipFMC the EPCI contract for subsea production systems, controls, pipelines, and umbilicals for its Utsira High project, which includes the Symra, Solveig Phase II and Troldhaugen fields.
Outside Norway, key awards include an EPC contract to Corinth Pipeworks for 155km of rigid lines for Chevron’s Tamar gas field expansion project offshore Israel, with the offshore installation campaign to be carried out by Allseas. Offshore India, Invenire Energy reportedly chartered the Petrojarl Varg floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit, now renamed Svetah Venetia, to be deployed on the PY-3 field. Offshore Malaysia, Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering (MMHE) was awarded an EPCI contract for up to five wellhead platforms and associated pipelines valued at US$320 million for Carigali PTTEP Operating Company (CPOC) block B-17 phase six development.
Key projects anticipated to be sanctioned in 1Q 2022, which will drive EPC contract award value, include Eni’s Baleine Phase II development (Ivory Coast), Azule Energy’s Agogo (Angola), ExxonMobil’s Uaru (Guyana), QatarEnergy’s North Field South (Qatar) and ADNOC’s Umm Shaif Gas Cap project.
The global committed jackup count totalled 394 units in January, four rigs lower than the previous month. The marketed available and cold-stacked jackup counts now stand at 44 and 54, respectively. Marketed, committed utilisation and total fleet utilisation dipped by 1%, to 90% and 80% during the month. A total of 11 new contracts were awarded, and five options were exercised during the month, amounting to 9,660 days. Four, three-year Indian contracts were awarded during the period, including for Aban IV and Trident II, that will commence in 2Q 2023.
The global committed semisubmersible (semi) count dropped by one to 66 during January. There are 14 available and 15 cold-stacked rigs remaining in the fleet. Marketed, committed utilisation and total fleet utilisation dropped to 82% and 69%, respectively. There were five new fixtures and two options exercised during the month with a total duration of 3,000 days. TotalEnergies has exercised its US$32 million option on Transocean semi Development Driller III for another well, now keeping it engaged through to mid-August offshore Suriname. A final 90-day option will also likely be exercised.
Finally, drillship demand grew by one unit to 78 this month, leaving only four marketed units available in the market, while 15 rigs are cold stacked. Marketed, committed utilisation and total fleet utilisation were flat at 95% and 80%, respectively. There were seven new contracts fixed during January, totalling 1,965 drilling days. Three Noble drillships were awarded work in the US Gulf of Mexico, including the Noble Faye Kozack on a one-well contract with Kosmos Energy at a dayrate of $450,000. Commencement will begin in direct continuation of its current campaign.
Since the last update, the 54MW Akita Noshiro - Akita Port wind farm, located offshore Japan, came online with the final turbine becoming operational. The wind farm features 13 Vestas V117-4.2MW wind turbines and is the second phase of the combined 140MW Akita Noshiro offshore wind project. The first 84MW phase came online in December 2022.
In Germany, first power was produced at the 257MW Arcadis Ost 1 wind farm. The wind farm will feature a total of 27 V174-9.5MW turbines that are being supplied by Vestas and it is scheduled to come online by the end of 2023.
Dominating headlines was news in Denmark that the processing of offshore wind projects under the 20GW open door scheme has been suspended by the Danish Energy Agency (DEA). In consultation with the government's State Aid Secretariat, the Ministry of Climate, Energ, and Supply has determined that the issuing of licences for offshore wind farm projects and other renewable energy projects under the open-door policy may be in violation of EU legislation. The relevant parties involved in the process have been informed about the suspension by the DEA.
Finally in Portugal, a total of eight draft offshore wind lease areas have been identified by the Ministry of Economy and Maritime Affairs, the Ministry of Infrastructure, and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Action. The identification of the areas is the first step in Portugal’s goal of awarding 10GW of offshore wind projects that are targeted to come online by 2030. The offshore wind areas will host both fixed bottom and floating wind projects.
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WORLD SUSTAINABLE ENERGY DAYS
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SOLARTECH INDONESIA MAR 2-4 JAKARTA, INDONESIA
THE GLOBAL WIND TURBINE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE FORUM MAR 6-7 BERLIN, GERMANY
MIDDLE EAST ENERGY MAR 6-8 DUBAI, UAE
INTERSOLAR MIDDLE EAST MAR 7-9 DUBAI, UAE
SOLARPOWER SUMMIT MAR 8-9 BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
POWER & ALTERNATIVE ENERGY ASIA 2023 MAR 10-12 KARACHI, PAKISTAN
ALL THINGS HYDROGEN CONFERENCE - NATIONAL SUBSEA CENTRE MAR 14 ABERDEEN, UK
ENERGY FROM WASTE MAR 14 LONDON, UK
WORLD SMART ENERGY WEEK TOKYO MAR 15-17 TOKYO, JAPAN
POWER GENERATION KOREA MAR 17-19 SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
ROSELAND WEST TEXAS OIL & GAS CONVENTION MAR 22-23 MIDLAND, USA
FUTURE DIGITAL TWIN MAR 28 ONLINE
Achieving the UK Government's target to be net zero by 2050 will require a collaborative approach from stakeholders right across the energy industry. With increasing political and social pressures on the oil and gas sector and in light of the revised OGA Strategy, heritage oil and gas companies are re-calibrating their business strategies to reduce their carbon footprint, attract investment and position themselves as viable energy companies of our time.
A significant aspect of this exercise is assessing whether to diversify operations and the product mix and pursue new energy projects. Put simply, do they decommission or diversify? The outcome will depend on a variety of factors including technical suitability but also the wider legal and commercial issues such as the level of current decommissioning liability.
The OGA Strategy places a "supporting" obligation on infrastructure owners considering decommissioning to ensure that "all viable options" for the re-use or repurposing of such infrastructure (including carbon capture and storage) have been "suitably explored".
From a technical perspective this may include assessing the size and location of wells and pipelines and the proximity of infrastructure to other offshore ‘hubs’. Commercially, consideration must be given to whether there will be realistic return on the investment required for diversification or if the costs of decommissioning offer a more cost-effective approach.
In making these decisions companies need to consider their entire asset portfolio in the context of energy transition. Assessment of decommissioning liability of individual assets, together with a review of section 29 notices, decommissioning security agreements (DSAs) and any financial security currently posted under those arrangements will help build the picture of the financial implications of decommissioning compared to diversification.
The legal framework associated with the decommissioning of offshore oil and gas infrastructure has two main strands: the contractual and the regulatory. Within the bounds of freedom of contract, parties can agree terms suitable to their co-venture arrangement. Most commonly, this takes the form of a DSA which should be regularly reviewed in conjunction with the anticipated life of an asset. This will allow for sound financial and possible energy transition planning.
From a regulatory perspective, section 29 notices will play a crucial element in assessing decommissioning liability. The notices should be frequently reviewed, and any updates or changes required should be notified to BEIS OPRED.
Given that section 29 notices are inherently linked to hydrocarbon operations, the regulatory position in relation to infrastructure which has changed hands and been re-used for new energy (nonhydrocarbon) operations is currently unclear. For example, in a scenario where a piece of infrastructure previously used for oil and gas is sold and re-purposed for hydrogen use, will the 'new' owners of such infrastructure be within the remit of the Petroleum Act and receive a s.29 notice? If new energy projects are going to increase at pace, stakeholders require certainty of the legal position.
Against the backdrop of continued energy demand, a changing mix of participants in the North Sea and calls for energy transition to happen at pace, oil and gas companies should get a handle on their decommissioning liability now (both from a contractual and regulatory perspective). This will allow them to assess their financial position, identify targets and opportunities and position themselves at the centre of energy transition.
In conclusion, decommissioning planning is more important than ever.
