UK Energy Minister To Attend Decommissioning Event

UK Energy Minister John Hayes is due to speak at a new one-day event for the oil & gas decommissioning sector established to help overcome the challenges facing companies dealing with infrastructure that has come to the end of the lifecycle.

He joins a line-up including some of the oil & gas decommissioning sector’s most experienced figures who will present at Decom Offshore 2013, being held by Decom North Sea (DNS), the offshore oil & gas decommissioning forum. It is taking place in Aberdeen on March 27.

The aim of the day, entitled ‘‘Decom Offshore – Confronting Challenges, Creating Opportunities’, is to introduce operators and major contractors to innovative technologies, techniques and solutions which can help overcome key issues faced in decommissioning projects.

Richard Brooks, head of offshore decommissioning at DECC, will give an overview of the impact of recent and future regulatory changes, while AMEC’s technical director Evan Williams will focus on the jobs and economic growth arguments. Other presentations will cover health & safety, innovation, jacket & subsea infrastructure removal and entry barriers.    

DNS Chief Executive Brian Nixon said: “We welcome the fact the UK energy minister is attending and recognizes the growing importance of the decommissioning sector.’’ He added: “Each session will cover the major health, safety, environmental, technical and execution challenges being faced by operators and contractors when undertaking decommissioning projects.

“The day will be highly-interactive with opportunities for supply chain representatives to have one-to-ones with the speakers from operators and leading contractors. And as well as exhibition space showcasing innovation, we are organizing introductions between delegates to encourage idea sharing and future collaborations.’’

Decom Offshore 2013 will also feature high-level results of two studies. One maps the industry and supply chain across each of the nine stages of a typical decommissioning project and assesses strengths and weaknesses in each area. The other features an analysis of market forecasts to estimate actual activity versus industry capacity to highlight possible pinch points and when they might arise in the years ahead.        
 
The event will, in addition, highlight some of the issues faced by individual companies when trying to enter or expand into the decommissioning market. SMEs will gain an understanding of forthcoming decommissioning projects and timelines, as well as access to key contacts behind these projects and understanding of the challenges that contractors are trying to overcome.

Ernie Booth, Business Development Manager of the event’s principal sponsor, Kaefer, said: “Kaefer recognizes it takes excellent communication between operators and the supply chain as well as innovate solutions to deliver effective decommissioning projects and we are very pleased to be supporting Decom Offshore 2013.”   

Following on from Decom Offshore 2013, DNS has organised a member consultation event for March 28 to set out the strategy and main activities it will pursue in coming months. It is also being held at the AECC and will take into account the outcomes of the previous day’s event.
 
DNS has grown since its inception in 2010, to have more than 200 members drawn from operators, major contractors, service specialists and technology developers. With annual decommissioning expenditure in the North Sea forecast to top £1billion within a few years, DNS was set up to tackle the main areas of weakness, which are inhibiting decommissioning supply-chain capability.

Decom Offshore 2013 will take place at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Center on March 27.