NELL LUKOSAVICH, Senior Editor

With activity in the Gulf of Mexico back to pre-Macondo levels, and a plethora of new deepwater discoveries off Brazil, West Africa, Southeast Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean, a special emphasis is being placed during OTC 2013 on industry self-regulation, government policy and the increasing role of NOCs around the world.

OTC 2013 will be held May 6–9, at the Reliant Park complex in Houston, Texas. Attendance totaled 89,400 people from 110 different countries at last year’s show—the third highest level of attendance since 1982, when 108,161 visitors attended OTC. More than 2,500 exhibiting companies from 46 countries filled the exhibition area’s 641,350 sq ft, which exceeded the 1982 record of 631,000 sq ft of exhibit space. In 2013, OTC will break the record again, with an expected 650,000 sq ft of exhibition space to be used.

Annual OTC dinner. The 2013 conference will host the third Annual OTC Dinner, which, for the first time ever, will be held on the floor of Reliant Stadium instead of at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The Annual OTC Dinner, on Sunday, May 5, from 5:30–10 p.m., recognizes the OTC Distinguished Achievement Award recipients, raises funds for the Offshore Energy Center, and provides an opportunity for industry leaders to network with colleagues from around the world.

The Offshore Energy Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing awareness of the vast energy resources beneath the world’s oceans, and to chronicle the unique heritage and technological accomplishments of the industry that discovers, produces and delivers these resources in a safe, environmentally responsible way. These programs are carried out through the Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig Museum and Education Center, the Offshore Pioneers Hall of Fame, and its educational program for students, teachers and the general public.

Ken Arnold, OTC Distinguished Achievement Award for Individuals recipient.

Arnold will receive the award in recognition of his outstanding leadership and extensive contributions to the E&P industry. His many achievements include playing an integral role in the offshore industry’s focus on safety through the development of recommended practices for offshore design and safety management, and developing approaches to both equipment sizing and facility project management that are still in use today. Arnold has also been instrumental in the effort to establish oilfield facilities engineering as a recognized technical engineering specialty.

Also at the dinner, Total will receive the Distinguished Achievement Award for Companies, Organizations and Institutions. The company is being recognized for its Pazflor deep offshore development in Angola. Now 18 months into production, Pazflor is one of the world’s largest, most sophisticated deep offshore developments to date. In addition to the first use of subsea separation and pumping on a wide scale, the project included the construction of the world’s largest FPSO, and one of the most complex subsea networks. Pazflor made a significant contribution to industrial development in Angola, with 3.5 million man-hours of work undertaken locally. The field started up one month ahead of schedule in August 2011.

Ethics breakfast. Held on the morning of Monday, May 6, the ethics breakfast will be led by Barbara Thompson, senior V.P., Front End House of Aker Solutions, and Dan Tearpock, chairman, CEO and founder of Subsurface Consultants and Associates. Entitled “Ethics in the dynamic offshore industry,” the session will explore how offshore companies—and their employees—must deal day-to-day ongoing operations and how organizations can approach ethics in challenging environments.

Next Wave program. The Next Wave program, designed for upstream professionals under age 35 and companies interested in recruiting them, will take place on Monday, May 6, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The 2013 event, entitled “Global energy outlook: Adapting to evolving energy portfolios and shifting demands,” will offer insight on how unconventional and renewable resources will contribute to the energy mix, and how it might impact the conventionals market. Discussion will include how developing countries are expected to fuel their growing economies, from a resource perspective and an infrastructure standpoint. The keynote speaker, Helge Haldorsen, V.P. of strategy for Statoil, and panelists will discuss the global energy outlook for oil and gas companies, as needs shift globally and new markets open up, and what it means to young professionals coming into the energy industry.

Featured panel discussions. This year’s show will feature a series of presentations, including a panel discussion on the expanding role of national oil companies (NOCs), where a panel of executives from Petronas, Petrobras, Pemex and others will talk about their increasing responsibilities and role within the global industry.

On Monday, May 6, a panel discussion will focus on DeepStar, an operator-funded, global R&D collaboration between oil companies, vendors, regulators and academic/research institutes, which started in 1991. DeepStar’s current Phase XI program is focused on global deepwater development in water depths to 10,000-plus ft. The organization leverages financial and technical resources to define and rank important deepwater technology needs, deliver technologies via a well-honed stage-gate process, build deepwater technical competency, and execute development and adoption of deepwater technology projects. Greg Kusinski, DeepStar director and Chevron senior advisor to DeepStar, will lead the discussion. Panelists will include representatives from BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Petrobras, Total E&P, FMC Technologies and McKinsey & Company.

Other 2013 panels will explore the topics of “Agile project management,” “Offshore energy development—Improving federal and state cooperation,” “Global energy outlook—Shaping the future,” “China: Energy, technology and industry,” “Megaprojects—Exploring the opportunities and challenges,” “Integrating stakeholder interests in the global offshore industry,” “Value creation through global technology,” and “Offshore heavy lifting operations—Above and below the waterline.”

A series of presentations will be made on the management of major projects. Topics to be discussed include the Cascade and Chinook project; Liuhua 11-1 semisubmersible FPS life extension project; BPZ CX15 offshore Peru; the South China Sea deepwater Liwan project; and the Pluto greenfield LNG development.

Technical program. More than 300 papers will be presented during the show’s technical sessions. Program highlights include:

• Floating LNG technology
• Offshore geotechnical engineering
• Chemical solutions for flow assurance
• Emerging deepwater, dry tree platform technology and application
• Advances in deepwater metallic riser technology
• Emerging trends and technologies in the marine geohazards arena
• Next generation advancements in exploration and production vessels
• Unconventional subsea resources exploration and mining techniques
• Best practices for ultra-deepwater riser systems
• Advances in composite piping systems for offshore applications
• Advances in sub-salt geoscience
• Near-surface expression of petroleum seepage
• New frontiers in pore pressure prediction.

Several topics this year, which have been regularly presented at OTC in the past, will again highlight continuing advancements in technologies that continue to improve and broaden their scope of applicability. These topics include flow assurance, floating LNG, submarine slope stability, next-generation vessels, deepwater metallic risers, ocean mining, composite piping systems, ROV/AUV technology, and subsea processing technology.

OTC 2013 will present new applications and solutions for a number of new topics, including subsalt geosciences, Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS), unconventional subsea exploration and mining, deepwater HP/HT well construction, fiber optics, marine geohazards and pore pressure prediction. A topical breakfast and luncheon will also provide an overview on the new discoveries of subsalt resources in Angola and natural gas in Mozambique. For a more detailed listing of individual papers in the technical program, please check the listings at http://www.otcnet.org/2013/pages/schedule/tech_program/index.php 

Special focus: Innovation Norway

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Norway’s participation at the Offshore Technology Conference. The Norwegian Pavilion at OTC is one of the largest throughout the tradeshow floor and will have more than 65 companies from Norway participate this year. The pavilion is organized by Innovation Norway, which is a Norwegian governmental organization focused on promoting Norway’s industrial development.

To assist in enabling consistent innovation throughout the international oil and gas industry, Innovation Norway will once again host its premier Houston Technology Night Live during OTC. Last year’s networking event featured various companies that were met by nearly 200 locally and internationaly based oil and gas company representatives. This year’s event will again feature key Norwegian oil and gas technology companies providing innovative products and services throughout the international oil and gas industry:

Next generation downhole plugging device. A multiple set and release plugging device that transfers down-hole forces without the use of explosives or pressurized chambers. E Plug AS www.eplug.no

Increasing oil recovery. World class, reliable pumping systems custom designed for offshore and onshore applications and for production of offshore oil recovery systems. Frank Mohn AS www.framo.com

The B-Annulus Monitoring System (BAMSE). Monitors the temperature and pressure in the B-annulus area of a well without necessitating wall penetration or moving parts. All information is provided to the operator in real-time. Techni AS www.techni.no

Innovative electronic control systems. Surface and subsea control systems for a variety of lifting, handling and towing operations to increase operational time and safely monitor all operations. Scantrol AS www.scantrol.no

Advanced pneumatics, hydraulics and instrumentation. Ellingsen NOR Instruments have their own proprietary products and systems such as the HYDROVAC™ Oil Purifier and Ellingsen Water Sampler (EWS). Ellingsen AS www.ellingsen.biz

Corrosion protection for structures facing severe environmental conditions. Internationally renowned, tailored coating systems for offshore & subsea structures, support vessels, drilling rigs and FPSO’s. Jotun AS www.jotun.com

Motion compensated equipment. Innovative solutions for gangways, helidecks, adjustable pedestals and work platforms that increase uptime and safe access for crew and users. Uptime International AS www.uptime.no

Marine/offshore handling equipment with a key focus towards reservoir exploration, subsea construction, offshore supply and offshore trawl throughout an international service network. Seaonics AS www.seaonics.com

Wireless infrared gas detector and SafeWirelessTM communication solution. Increased battery life, and wireless infrared application allow for these gas detectors to communicate more effectively than traditional systems. GasSecure AS www.gassecure.com

A unique security risk analysis and incident handling software–SNOK. Detection and removal of known and unknown security attacks and events in oil and gas installations both onshore and offshore. SecureNOK www.securenok.com

Proprietary multi physics simulation systems—Vessfire & Brilliant. Increased plant safety and fire integrity onshore and offshore through simulations and strategy planning. Petrell AS www.petrell.no

Independent Norwegian technology venture capital firm with 200 million USD Focused on companies in the commercialization phase. Active with 16 portfolio companies currently. Viking Ventures AS www.vikingventure.no

Treatment of drilling fluid with the MudCube. Closed system, reduced noise & vibration, remote monitoring, lightweight, less waste are features that add to the Mudcube an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional shakers. Cubility www.cubility.com

Web-based asset tracking system. Rental management software allowing to control day rates, share certificates/documentation, alert when inspection are due, logistics assistance and monitoring utilization. Keystone AS www.keystone.no

Norwegian companies to convene in Houston. These Norwegian companies have vast experience from the Norwegian Continental Shelf and are now looking to apply their knowledge, products and services throughout the Gulf of Mexico region.

Key industry personnel from the Houston area will be invited to attend and meet with the Norwegian companies in attendance. The event will take place Tuesday, May 7. It will run from 5–9 p.m. at Ouisie’s Table, near the Galleria area in Houston.

If you would like to attend the  2013 Houston Technology Night Live, or to request more information on the above companies, please contact Brady Lucas at brady.lucas@innovationnorway.no 

Attendees at the 2012 Technology Night Live event.

SPOTLIGHT ON TECHNOLOGY AWARD WINNERS
		Ram positioning system and ROV subsea display panel GEO Oil & Gas has won an award for its RamTel Plus, which provides operators with a direct method of determining ram position. When closing in a well using a BOP, knowing exactly where the shear and/or sealing elements are positioned is important. GE’s ROV Display allows the ROV to read stack sensor data, including wellbore temperature and ram position subsea indicators.
		Deepwater BOP blind shear ram GE Oil & Gas also won an award for its next-generation technology for shearing and sealing wellbore tubulars. The patent-pending Blind Shear Ram is designed for use in GE’s ram blowout preventers used in offshore drilling. It provides an industry-first capability to shear some 6 5/8-in. drillpipe tool joints while achieving a wellbore seal holding up to 15,000 psi pressure differential.
		Explosive-free pipe and casing recovery Welltec won an award for its Well Cutter, which enables efficient drill pipe and casing recovery without explosives. No shavings are generated, a smooth, polished surface remains after the cut and e-line conveyance ensures accurate depth control. The Well Cutter offers a safer, faster, more reliable and cost-effective approach to cutting drill pipe and casing.
		Continuous motion rig reduces drilling time WeST Drilling Products won an award for its Rig of the Future—Continuous Motion Rig (CMR)—which offers the world´s first continuous drilling operation and is also the world’s first fully-robotized rig. CMR reduces the overall drilling time up to 50% and facilitates MPD. CMR substantially reduces down-hole problems associated with differential sticking and pressure fluctuations and eliminates personnel safety risk.
		Riserless drilling system for 3,000 m water depths Reelwell won an award for its RDM-Riserless system, which enables drilling in water depths of 3,000 m from 3rd generation drilling units, due to the reduced weight related to omitting the riser. This is possible because the cuttings are transported to surface inside the dual drill string, i.e. the dual drill string acts as the riser.
		Direct-current power grid reduces fuel consumption ABB received an award for its Onboard DC-Grid, a marine technology that uses direct current to transport energy to different consumers onboard the vessel. It enables variable speed operation of generator sets, significantly reduced fuel oil consumption, improved emission reduction, reduced maintenance and new operational modes with a more responsive vessel system.
		Renewable offshore power generation Wärtsilä won an award for its GasReformer, which turns VOCs or associated gases that were previously considered as waste into a valuable source of energy. Herewith it enables self-sustaining power generation for the offshore operation. The Wärtsilä GasReformer not only provides cost savings but has the even larger benefit of environmental sustainability.

Subsea flow assurance insulation system Bayou Wasco Insulation, Trelleborg Offshore, Dow Oil & Gas and PIH received an award for their DOW NEPTUNE Advanced Subsea Flow Assurance Insulation System. The technology is a simple, robust, end-to-end flow assurance solution, protecting equipment, line pipe and field joints across the widest application and in-service temperature range of any wet insulation system (-40°C to 160°C, or -40°F to 320°F), withstanding hydrostatic compression of ≥400 bar (4,000 m), and offering enhanced performance safety with its simple, two-layer application.

Rail-mounted riser transport system SBM Offshore won an award for its Drilling Riser Trip Saver, a rail-mounted transport system which relocates a suspended drilling riser with a drilling riser tensioner system and surface blowout preventer in-place. This apparatus and method for drilling multiple subsea wells consecutively, saves time, money and reduces risk by avoiding removal of the suspended drilling riser from the well bay.

Surveillance system for 24/7 subsea production monitoring system FMC Technologies received an award for its Condition and Performance Monitoring (CPM), a surveillance system which enables proactive maintenance of subsea production and processing systems associated with a 24/7 collaborative expert environment for diagnosis and problem solving. CPM combines continuous monitoring of sensors and subsea instrumentation with a historic database to identify fault condition and deviations from normal operating conditions.

LWD fluid analysis sampling and testing service Baker Hughes received an award for its FASTrak logging-while-drilling (LWD) fluid analysis sampling and testing service, which provides knowledge of reservoir fluid properties that enhance critical decision-making about the reservoir. FASTrak addresses the growing need to acquire fluid samples in LWD environments, such as horizontal or extended-reach wells, resulting in significant time and cost savings. FASTrak services include accurate formation pressure tests, in-situ measurements of reservoir fluid properties and downhole fluid capture and retrieval.

High-speed, helico-axial multiphase subsea boosting FMC Technologies, Inc. and Sulzer Pumps Ltd. received an award for their development of a powerful new high-speed, helico-axial multiphase subsea boosting system optimized for subsea applications. This system combines field-proven pump hydraulics from Sulzer Pumps with FMC Technologies’ permanent magnet technology from Direct Drive Systems for less maintenance with greater speed, efficiency and power.

Mobile robotic cutback system Bredero Shaw won an award for its end-machining technology for insulated pipe, the Mobile Robotic Cutback System. It replaces manual processes that form the cutback including wire brushing, grinding and scraping. The new technology is safer, quieter, requires less labor and produces consistent high quality cutback profiles while generating recyclable waste, all significant benefits to the industry.

Completion services rig with pre-programmed robotics Superior Energy Services received an award for its Complete Automated Technology Systems (CATS). The technology is an onshore and offshore completion services rig that uses remote-operated or pre-programmed robotics to control various completion components, including a snubbing unit, BOP/well control stack, pumps, circulation tanks, top drive, closing systems and pipe handling systems as part of one unit.

Remotely welded retrofit subsea hot tap tee Statoil received an award for its remote-controlled hot tap operation, which of a robot welding a T-piece on to the pipe, while gas is flowing through it. Afterwards a remote-controlled drilling machine will drill holes in the producing pipeline, with no effect on pressure and production. The hot tap technology has been employed successfully multiple times.