OTC Celebrates 35 Years of Innovation

The annual Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) is scheduled to convene in Houston's Reliant Center on May 3-6. The event, expecting to draw more than 2,000 exhibitors and 50,000 attendees, celebrates 35 years of innovation and the importance of offshore resources.

Aptly themed "Innovation Without Limits," OTC will feature nearly 50 technical sessions and more than 340 technical presentations, introducing the latest offshore technology to participants. OTC's annual agenda overviews technology for offshore drilling, exploration, production, and environmental protection, which demonstrates the conference's comprehensive coverage.

During the four-day event, OTC is scheduled to deliver notable speakers, presentations, and general sessions within the 398,000 net square feet of exhibit space. LNG will be the topic of discussion during the first of two OTC General Sessions.

The General Session, titled "Liquefied Natural Gas-Understanding the Value Chain," is scheduled for Tuesday, May 4. Rodney Schmidt, Managing Director, PFC Energy, will serve as moderator and will outline the history and projects the future direction of LNG. Participants will discuss upstream operations; LNG processing; transportation, regasification, and distribution, as well as addressing market forces and regional supply and demand requirements that underlie growth in the use of LNG. The second General Session will focus on "Risks and Challenges to the Successful Execution of Major Offshore Projects."

Several programs and services debut at OTC 2004. This year's conference inaugurates a new OTC program called "Spotlight on New Technology," which recognizes OTC exhibitors with innovative and proven technologies that have both a broad interest and significant impact.