OGV Energy - Issue 34 - July 2020 - The Renewables Issue

JULY 2020

UK’s No. ENERGY SECTOR

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PUBLICATION

THE RENEWABLES ISSUE

FOSSIL FUELS North Sea Oil & Gas Review Contracts and Analytics

REGIONAL REVIEWS Middle East, Europe & US

RENEWABLES FOCUS INNOVATION & TECH GREEN ENERGY PROJECTS MAP

RENEWABLES

Recovery plan for Europe to include investments in green energy

NET-ZERO

ON THE MOVE EVENTS LEGAL

Companies and Governments to increase efforts to improve efficiency and achieve net-zero targets despite COVID-19

INDUSTRY

Oil and gas industry to be shadowed by renewables in the following decades?

OIL-PRICE

OPEC nations decided to extend their record collective cut until the end of July

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CONTENTS

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FOSSIL FUELS

7 UK North Sea Oil & Gas Review 10 Contract Awards 14 Rystad Analytics 17 UKCS Status Report

REGIONAL REVIEWS

20 Middle East 22 Europe 24 US

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RENEWABLES FOCUS

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26 Renewable Energy OVERVIEW July 2020 28 XODUS Group: In at the deep end - fixed or floating foundations?

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30 Why the first offshore wind leasing round in 10 years is a big deal

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31 PosHYdon heralds green future for offshore energy

INNOVATION ZONE 32 IMRANDD help asset owners to reduce their OPEX spend 33 Business Process Monitoring: Absoft serviceis, a UK First 34 Intoware: Maintaining safe operations is of critical importance 35 Deep Trekker’s Remotely Operated Vehicles

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GREEN ENERGY

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36 RWE and Germany LNG Terminal explore hydrogen opportunities 37 DroneBase secures $7.5 million to power growth in renewable energy data analysis 38 SSE green lights UK’s biggest onshore wind farm, £580 million Viking project

EVERY MONTH 4 Cover Partner: GDI 18 World Project Maps 25 Good News Stories 38 On the Move 45 Events 46 Legal and Finance

KENNY DOOLEY MAIN EDITOR

W

elcome to our July issue. As we enter the second half of 2020 with restrictions gradually easing and economies beginning to recover, it’s clear that the energy sector is facing a testing time as it navigates through the post Covid-19 era

As with every edition, we hope that all our readers are safe and well and if myself or the OGV Energy team can help in any way, we are always available to talk. With the price of Brent crude hitting $40+ for the first time since February – and restrictions lifting – the belief that $50 oil is not far away offers a glint of light for the energy sector.

Our cover partner this month is AAF International which shares its N-hance product with our readers; an innovative gas turbine filtration system that has demonstrated financial, operational and environmental benefits on the BP Clair platform in the North Sea.

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The rest of this month’s magazine features our regular reviews of the energy sector in the North Sea, Europe, the Middle East, and the US along with industry analysis and project updates from Rystad Energy and the EIC as well as an opinion piece on who regulates the regulators.

Our feature this month is on renewable and clean energy, asking the question of the energy transition. In this issue, we spoke to Neptune Energy’s René van der Meer, Project Lead for the PosHYdon pilot, who told us he is seeing a positive shift within the industry and much more interest in hydrogen projects of all sizes.

Thanks again to our readers for all their support during these challenging times and hopefully by the time of the next issue we will begin to see more positive steps towards recovery and a return to normal life for us all.

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COVER PARTNER Advertising Feature

Seizing a unique opportunity for change Low efficiency filter bags only capture around 5% of sub-micron particles (particle size to calculate this data was 0.3 micron). By contrast, high Efficiency Particulate Air Filter (EPA) E12 technology captures 99.95% of particles at this size. This significantly protects expensive gas turbine components and removes the need for frequent water washing to clean the engine.

With AAF’s N-hance Technology EPA E12 filtration is now a simply retrofit

Find out how new unique gas turbine filtration technology is assisting producers to improve profitability As the offshore oil and gas industry deals with a sudden and deep drop in oil prices triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent Russia-Saudi Arabia price war, producers must find new ways to recoup their margins.

Graeme Turnbull, System Product Manager at AAF International, reports.

Thanks to a decade of oil price fluctuations and the ever-growing pressure to decarbonise, the offshore industry has become hard-wired to effective change management. Yet, despite this, the recent plunge in energy demand and oil prices has left even the most seasoned executives wondering how best to protect their businesses.

the ability to protect gas turbines from the harsh offshore environment, while promoting better compressor cleanliness and long-term part integrity.

Currently, around 85% of offshore gas turbines are protected by small high velocity filtration systems that utilise low efficiency filter bags, which only provide protection against coarse particles, and fail to capture sub-micron particles offshore. It is worth noting that the air quality at platform level is significantly different to sea level, at the height of an offshore platform the majority of particles in the air are sub-micron in size. The vast majority of particles of this size will pass straight through the low efficiency filter bags. This can lead to unplanned gas turbine shutdowns and costly downtime, reduced component and engine life, premature engine failure, and low turbine compression efficiency as well as high CO2 emissions.

What we do know is that producers must find new ways to recoup their margins. If operational savings are instigated, those responsible must then decide how best to allocate the scarce budget that remains in a way that protects the long-term success of their assets and business, while also guaranteeing sustainability and energy security.

In very basic terms, the production of offshore oil and gas cannot be delivered without gas turbines, which run both the mechanical drive and power generation applications on offshore platforms. Indeed, most would agree that gas turbines are a critical business function, and this is reflected in the industry’s long-term focus on turbine reliability and availability. The rationale being, that an asset performing well in these key areas brings greater prospects of overall efficiency, sustainability and profitability.

Traditional approaches Gas turbine maintenance has long focused on the importance of maintaining the engine components rather than the ancillary equipment. A critical example that often escapes attention is the fundamental importance of air filtration systems, which have

www.ogvenergy.co.uk I July 2020

All of these impacts are significantly magnified and unwanted given today’s current market dynamics and the low price of oil. What’s more, high velocity systems are designed to allow water, moisture or fog to coalesce as it passes through the filter bags. This process creates larger droplets which are designed to be captured by a downstream vane after the filter bags. However, vanes are not 100% efficient and some of the water and salt in solution will pass through the vanes. In addition, water will often collect on the floor downstream of the bags and upstream of the final vanes. The salt laden water will evaporate over time, which will allow salt crystals to enter the airstream and hence a proportion of these dry salt crystals will pass through the vanes into the gas turbine.

As offshore operators have become aware of the benefits of EPA E12 air intake filtration, there has been a push to upgrade existing high velocity units installed offshore. However, traditional EPA E12 filtration technologies - with much larger equipment envelopes - have necessitated that the air intake housing is replaced in its entirety. This increases foundation loads and incurs significant costs and downtime. However, there is another route, using a new revolutionary EPA E12 system which provides all the associated benefits of EPA E12 air filtration, but can be quickly and seamlessly installed within the existing high velocity air intake filtration system.

AAF’s N-hance filtration technology is an EPA E12 technology for offshore high velocity applications, asset owners and managers can build further resilience into their gas turbines and rigs, increasing energy security through a reduction in unplanned downtime and shortening shutdown periods, all while significantly reducing the risk of catastrophic failure. Notwithstanding short-term cashflow issues, such proven technology is part of the solution to a secure long-term future for the offshore oil and gas industry.

BP Clair BP’s Clair platform in the North Sea, demonstrates the optimum role air filtration systems can play in unlocking considerable financial, operational and environmental benefits.

In 2017, BP was aware that AAF International was in the final stages of developing a new EPA E12 high velocity filtration solution. Critically this new design could be installed within an existing high velocity housing with no penalty in differential pressure (dP), therefore negating the need for a larger replacement filter housing. BP was expediting the GT OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) for fast-track delivery of a replacement engine after poor filtration provided by the high velocity bag system resulted in a catastrophic failure of one of the platforms gas turbines after 12,000 operating hours, which equated to only a 1/3 of the engine design life.

AAF’s N-hance EPA E12 filters and conversion parts were delivered to BP within 5 weeks and commissioned along with the new engine on BP Clair in February 2017. There was a significant increase in engine availability resulting from a reduction in unplanned downtime and a significant reduction in water washing. There was also a decrease in CO2 emissions improving sustainability, as well as retained power output (compressor efficiency) and heat rate.

Commenting on the project, BP’s asset team said: “The upgrade project has enabled improved reliability, cost savings and will feed into the reformation of outdated air filtration standards as well as playing a part in helping to achieve offshore asset efficiency of 90%.”

For more information visit info.aafintl.com/n-hance-performance-filtration

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FOSSIL FUELS

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JULY

UK North Sea Oil & Gas Review

By Tsvetana Paraskova

The repercussions of the oil price collapse and the road to recovery from the crisis, including by investment in low-carbon energy solutions, continued to dominate the headlines in the UK North Sea oil and gas sector this month.

Scotland set up a £62-million Energy Transition Fund to help the energy sector overcome the double blow from the coronavirus pandemic and the crash in oil prices. The investment, which will focus on the North East, is part of Scotland’s ambition to meet its net-zero emissions target by 2045.

“Aberdeen is recognised globally as a centre of excellence in oil and gas and this funding will help ensure that the knowledge, skills and expertise it has to offer will play a vital role in the energy transition,’’ Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said.

“The support from the Scottish Government today is good news for jobs, supply chain companies and energy communities,” Oil & Gas UK chief executive Deirdre Michie said, commenting on the creation of the fund.

The Oil & Gas Authority (OGA) also welcomed the news, with OGA Chief Executive Dr Andy Samuel saying: “With the North East of Scotland’s existing expertise, infrastructure and subsea engineering excellence, it’s well-positioned to take advantage of the opportunities of the energy transition and help advance exciting innovation in game-changing solutions like carbon capture and hydrogen.”

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FOSSIL FUELS In company news, BP announced it would cut nearly 10,000 jobs globally – predominantly office-based jobs and most of them by the end of the year – in a bid to cut costs as the low oil prices reduce revenue and profits. BP aims to cut its capital expenditure by 25 per cent this year, or by around US$3 billion.

The OGA published at the end of May an analysis showing that production of natural gas from the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) creates less than half as much greenhouse gas as imported Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). According to the authority’s data and analysis, UK North Sea gas has an average emission intensity of 22 kg CO2e per boe, while imported LNG has a significantly higher average intensity of 59 kg CO2e/boe.

Jobs losses at BP underline “the need to continue working with governments to deliver an inclusive, fair, and sustainable transition to a lower-carbon future.

This is the best way to protect jobs, create new business opportunities and ensure energy regions from the north east of Scotland to the east of England are not left in the dark,” OGUK Chief Executive Deirdre Michie said.

“This data highlights the need to continue producing our own gas as long as we consume it, to minimise emissions, and support the drive to net-zero, while pushing ahead with emissions reductions from UK production,” said Hedvig Ljungerud, OGA Director of Strategy.

The UK offshore oil and gas industry committed on 16 June to halving operational emissions over the next decade and confirmed its pathway to becoming a net-zero emissions basin by 2050.

OGUK’s new report ‘The Pathway to net-zero: Production Emissions Targets’ proposes initiatives for emission reduction and says that targets can be achieved via reductions in flaring and venting, as well as major capital investment programmes aimed at using electricity, instead of gas, to power offshore facilities.

Under OGUK’s pathway, emissions should be halved by 2030 and reduced by 90 per cent by 2040, until the UK North Sea becomes a net-zero basin in 2050.

“Our industry will play its part by reducing its emissions and using its skills to develop the solutions that will be needed to make a significant contribution to the UK’s overall targets,” OGUK Chief Executive Deirdre Michie said.

“A transformational sector deal could help unlock the full potential of this industry to support a green recovery and we’re delighted to confirm that we are now in formal discussions about it,” Michie noted.

The OGA welcomed the industry’s pledge to become a net-zero basin by 2050 and said it would incorporate these targets into OGA’s data benchmarking to track and monitor performance and progress.

More than 200 leading companies from all sectors, including BP and Shell, urged on 1 June the UK government to deliver a clean, inclusive, and resilient recovery plan. In an open letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 213 businesses and associations said they believe that an ambitious low carbon growth and environmental improvement agenda can make the UK economy better prepared to deal with future shocks such as those related to climate change.

In the wake of the pandemic, operators are likely to increase spending on decommissioning, Rystad Energy estimated in May, saying that the total value of the global pool of decommissioning projects could reach US$42 billion through 2024.

If low oil prices don’t recover substantially, the Northwest European decommissioning market could see decommissioning commitments growing by 20 per cent through 2022, with the UK leading with nearly 80 per cent of total estimated expenditure on Northwest European decommissioning in the next five years.

www.ogvenergy.co.uk I July 2020

The UK offshore oil and gas industry committed on 16 June to halving operational emissions over the next decade and confirmed its pathway to becoming a net-zero emissions basin by 2050.

BP also revised down its long-term oil price assumptions, and is also reviewing its intent to develop some of its exploration intangible assets.

These actions will lead to non-cash impairment charges and write-offs in the second quarter of 2020 estimated at between US$13 billion and US$17.5 billion post-tax.

“We are also reviewing our development plans.

All that will result in a significant charge in our upcoming results, but I am confident that these difficult decisions – rooted in our net-zero ambition and reaffirmed by the pandemic – will better enable us to compete through the energy transition,” chief executive officer Bernard Looney said.

Commenting on BP’s asset write-offs, Luke Parker, vice president, corporate analysis at Wood Mackenzie, said: “In the longer term, this is about BP’s strategic shift away from oil and gas. While that will be a multidecade affair, BP is already getting to grips with the idea that its upstream assets are worth less than it believed as recently as six months ago. Indeed, some of them are worth nothing.”

BP’s asset revision is another step of the journey from Big Oil to Big Energy that oil majors have undertaken, Parker noted.

In deals, France’s Total said it had successfully renegotiated with Norway-based private equity investor HitecVision the financial terms of the deal to sell non-core assets in the UK North Sea, in response to the current environment, while Petrogas is no longer part of the transaction.

Neptune Energy has terminated the agreement to buy Edison E&P’s UK and Norwegian subsidiaries from Energean Oil and Gas. Neptune Energy will pay a US$5 million termination fee to Energean.

In its Q1 results release a week later, Neptune Energy said that first oil from the Seagull project was likely to be deferred until late 2022.

“The second quarter of the year is likely to be more challenging and we expect production to be lower, reflecting planned maintenance and developmentrelated shutdowns and weaker commodity prices,” CEO Jim House said.

“In evaluating options for the forward work programme against an uncertain macroeconomic backdrop, we will prioritise early low-cost production with the capital discipline needed to achieve financial resilience,” said Steven McTiernan, Chairman of Hurricane.

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UK North Sea Oil & Gas Review Engineering and design specialists PD&MS Group was awarded a new three-year contract with options for a further three-year extension with Spirit Energy. The deal, worth an undisclosed multimillion-pound sum, will see the Aberdeen headquartered firm deliver complex modifications for the E&P business.

Oil services company Archer has secured a multi-well plug and abandonment (P&A) contract from TAQA for modular rig Archer Topaz in the UKCS.

(CCS) project and the Acorn Hydrogen project, both part of developments planned at the St Fergus gas terminal near Peterhead in Aberdeenshire.

Premier Oil and BP revised the terms of the proposed acquisition of BP’s Andrew Area and Shearwater assets by Premier Oil. Under the revised terms, the cash payable at completion was reduced to US$210 million, Premier Oil said on 5 June.

Applied Petroleum Technology (APT) has been contracted Petrofac announced

by UK independent several contracts in the Chrysaor North Sea past weeks. Petrofac’s Limited to deliver Engineering & More than 200 leading Production Services various geochemical companies from all business (EPS) and petroleum systems started work in May analyses in connection sectors, urged the UK on its previously with the operator’s government to deliver a awarded well Armada hub facility decommissioning and exploration around clean, inclusive, contract for the the Greater Lomond and resilient area on the UKCS. Rubie and Renee fields, 200 km recovery plan.

Aberdeen-based PlanSea northeast of Aberdeen.

Solutions Limited, a spin-out Petrofac will provide Well from Robert Gordon University Operator, Well Engineering, and (RGU), is developing a new artificial Project Management services to intelligence-based software with the decommission four wells within the Rubie potential to streamline oil and gas industry and Renee fields over the next three months. logistics in the North Sea, saving millions of pounds and reducing CO2 emissions.

Petrofac also won a well management contract for Phase 1 of Independent Oil and PlanSea is working on the project after Gas plc’s (IOG) Core Project, supporting IOG’s securing funding from the Oil & Gas development of the Southwark, Blythe, and Technology Centre (OGTC), the centre Elgood fields in the UK Southern North Sea. said in June.

For this project, controls technology company Proserv has been commissioned by IOG to provide a complete subsea controls system.

Petrofac also won an Engineering and Project Management Office support contract for the Acorn Carbon Capture and Storage

BRENT OIL PRICES OVER THE YEARS July Review

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- BRENT OIL PRICE 2019 - $63.92 Total introduced the most powerful supercomputer in the industry which finds oil and gas more cheaply. Saipen, Italian company, won offshore contracts to drill in Romania’s Balck Sea and in Abu Dhabi worth more than $160m.

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W W W.O G VE N E R G Y.CO. U K

YEARS AGO

- BRENT OIL PRICE 2015 - $56.56 Fjords Processing wins three North Sea orders Norway’s Fjords Processing (formerly Aker Process Systems) has won three contracts for the delivery of process systems for the Johan Sverdrup development.

Oil has plunged nearly 20% this month alone and it briefly dipped below $47 a barrel. That leaves it flirting with the March lows, which was the weakest price since 2009.

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YEAR AGO

YEARS AGO

- BRENT OIL PRICE 2010 - $74.76 Shell, along with its Iraqi state partner, was in the process of awarding a new deal to drill oil wells at the giant Majnoon field in southern Iraq.

Increased economic stability over the last year has boosted activity in the North Sea, with previously shelved projects being reinstated.

The records were broken again with the 26th licencing round, albeit after an initial delay.

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FOSSIL FUELS

CONTRACT AWARDS

www.ogvenergy.co.uk I July 2020

Contract Awards

MHI Vestas gets firm deal for 1.1-GW Scottish wind farm MHI Vestas Offshore Wind A/S has received a firm order to deliver turbines for the roughly 1.1-GW Seagreen wind project in Scottish waters in the North Sea. The deal awarded by Seagreen Wind Energy Ltd, a subsidiary of UK utility SSE Plc, became final after a conditional deal with the manufacturer from earlier this month. MHI Vestas, a 50/50 joint venture between Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Denmark's Vestas Wind Systems A/S, said on Monday that it will make 114 units of its V164-10 MW turbines for the huge project and deliver them in different load optimised modes to adapt to the grid requirements. The company will also service and maintain the equipment under a separate contract for 15 years.

Set to become Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm, the Seagreen complex will be located about 27 km off the Angus coast, with construction slated to begin next year. Once fully operational in 2022/23, it will be able to generate around 5,000 GWh of electricity annually. The project has in place a 15-year contract for difference (CfD) for 454 MW of the capacity.

SSE recently took the final investment decision (FID) for the scheme, in which French oil and gas giant Total SA will purchase a 51% interest.

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FOSSIL FUELS Brace Of US Gulf Of Mexico Contracts For TEMS International Combined the two contracts are worth in excess of £1million.

The independent company will provide its continuous environmental compliance and drilling performance management services on both projects. These services work to ensure that drilling operations surpass the local environmental regulations of specific drill sites and improve the efficiency of drilling operations to reduce waste and costs and lessen the carbon footprint of the drilling asset.

Oil and gas service company TEMS International has secured two new contracts for work in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

The Aberdeen-headquartered company, which has offices in Houston and Kuala Lumpur, has been awarded the separate contracts by two Houston-based exploration and production companies. TEMS International won both contracts in recent months and operations are already underway, with each scheduled to last for a minimum of 12 months.

As a result of improving the performance of drilling fluids and reducing waste onboard a drilling asset TEMS International can generate six-figure savings for clients over the lifetime of a well. The scale of savings varies depending on many factors associated with the well.

TEMS International works around the world supporting exploration and production companies during drilling operations. In addition to its continuous environmental compliance and drilling performance management services, the company offers environmental rig and vessel audits, and drilling performance waste management services.

Bill Walkingshaw, TEMS International managing director, said: “Reducing the cost of drilling while maintaining high safety and environmental standards continues to be at the forefront of oil and gas exploration and production. Our track record for assisting clients in exceeding compliance targets, delivering significant savings on drilling costs, reducing drilling days and lessening an asset’s carbon footprint has contributed to securing these two new contracts.

“On numerous other projects we have achieved substantial cost savings for clients during drilling, in some cases as much as £600,000 per well. The scale of savings varies from well to well and can depend on the solids control equipment and drilling fluids in use and the geology of the well being drilled. Our guidance on environmental compliance prior to and during a drilling campaign also offers peace of mind to clients.

“The variance in the oil price is necessitating operators to review all options for improving drilling efficiency, without impacting safety or the environment.”

ENGIE Fabricom consortium wins contract for Hollandse Kust Noord offshore transformer station A consortium consisting Eiffage Métal and ENGIE Fabricom, has received a contract for the engineering, construction and installation, including connection and testing of an offshore transformer station for the Hollandse Kust Noord wind farm.

The 700MW Hollandse Kust Noord wind farm is located in the North Sea along the Dutch coast.

The contract includes a 45m high jacket of 1,930 T, 870 T piles to be placed in 24m water depth, and a topside structure of 47m long, 35m wide and 25m high, including 4 decks weighing around 4,100 T. Following a European tender procedure, the contract has been awarded by TenneT, an electricity transmission system operator in the Netherlands and in Germany.

Iemants, a subsidiary of Eiffage Métal’s Belgian entity Smulders, will serve as in charge for the engineering, procurement and construction of the steel structures for both the topside and jacket.

In addition, all the works are planned to be performed at the Smulders’ production facilities in Arendonk, Balen and Hoboken, in Belgium.

The topside will be sent for final assembly at the ENGIE Fabricom yard. ENGIE Fabricom will start engineering, procurement, integration, construction and testing works.

Under the contract, ENGIE Fabricom will carry out engineering, procurement, integration, construction and testing of all LV, MV, HV and auxiliary systems for the jacket and topside.

The company will construction works for the topside and jacket will start in October 2020. Loadout of the jacket is planned for the fall of 2021.

In May, Dutch oil and gas company, Royal Dutch Shell along with Eneco submitted a bid for Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind farm in Dutch waters through their joint venture CrossWind.

The joint venture company is planning to bring the offshore wind farm online in 2023.

Petrofac awarded project by Tatweer Petroleum Petrofac’s Engineering & Production Services division (EPS) has been awarded a multimillion dollar engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPCC) contract by Tatweer Petroleum, for an upstream gas project in Bahrain.

Under the terms of the contract, the scope of work includes well hook-ups, associated pipelines, and tie-ins for several new gas wells that Tatweer Petroleum is planning to drill as part of its gas delivery strategy in the Bahrain field.

Mani Rajapathy, Managing Director, EPS East, commented:

www.ogvenergy.co.uk I July 2020

'This award demonstrates continued confidence in our teams to deliver safe, timely, and efficient solutions for key projects in Bahrain. It leverages Petrofac’s best-in-class expertise and experience in upstream gas. Tatweer Petroleum is an important customer in the region, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with them and furthering our commitment to building capability in the Kingdom.'

Petrofac has been present in Bahrain since 2015, following the award of an EPCC contract to supply a new 500 MMSCFD gas dehydration facility by Tatweer Petroleum. wells, to be connected to the facility.

Contract Awards

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Petrofac Selected for UK North Sea CCS Project Engineering Energy services provider Petrofac’ has been awarded an Engineering and Project Management Office support contract for the Acorn carbon capture and storage project in the UK North Sea. Acorn CCS holds the first UK CO2 appraisal and storage license to be awarded by the Oil and Gas Authority and is looking to establish CO2 mitigation infrastructure essential for meeting the Scottish and UK Government net-zero targets.

Petrofac will provide Project Management systems and technical support during the Front End Engineering Design for Acorn Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), and the Concept Select for Acorn Hydrogen, both part of developments planned at the St Fergus gas terminal near Peterhead, Aberdeenshire.

Commenting on the award EPS Chief Operating Officer, and Petrofac’s global Corporate

Development Officer, John Pearson, said: “The Acorn project represents an exciting shift in the North East’s energy dynamic and an important catalyst for sustainable energy growth generally.

“Like our existing wind portfolio, CCS and hydrogen require the sophisticated engineering and project management skills that we have developed in oil and gas. We are delighted to have the opportunity to deploy this expertise, alongside our proven systems and technologies, in support of Pale Blue Dot Energy and its landmark project.”

Ian Phillips, Acorn Project Director said: “Pale Blue Dot is pleased to be in a position to appoint Petrofac – a partner with much of its history rooted in Aberdeenshire – to support the next critical phase of the Acorn project.

Petrofac’s appointment represents another key milestone for Acorn, which is on track to establish critical low carbon energy and CCS infrastructure in the mid-2020s.”

TechnipFMC awarded assignments worth up to NOK 1.8 billion On behalf of the license partners, Equinor has awarded two contracts and issued a letter of intent to TechnipFMC for pipelaying and subsea installation for three projects on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS).

The projects in scope are Breidablikk and the Gas Import System for the Snorre Expansion Project, for which contracts have been awarded, and Askeladd Vest, for which a letter of intent has been issued. The Breidablikk contract has subsea installation as an option.

The total value of the three assignments, including the option, is about NOK 1.8 billion.

“We are pleased to award TechnipFMC new large assignments within pipelaying and subsea installation on the NCS. Giving three assignments to the same supplier enables efficiency gains and cost savings. It will also allow for a coordinated follow-up of the total delivery during the implementation phase. This creates value for all parties”, says Peggy Krantz-Underland, Equinor’s chief procurement officer.

The scope of the assignments includes fabrication and laying of pipelines, installation of

subsea structures, control cables and hook-up and testing of systems. The offshore operations under the contracts are planned to be carried out during 2021-2023.

The awards contribute to sustaining important workplaces for TechnipFMC in Norway, including the Orkanger spoolbase, where the pipelines will be fabricated before they are reeled onto the installation vessel. The awards are also expected to generate additional work through further subcontracting to other companies.

“In a challenging period for the industry we aim to continue realising the full potential of our NCS project portfolio. This must be carried out in close cooperation with our suppliers to ensure that we create value and activity in Norway. It will help sustain jobs in the supply industry and further develop the important competence the industry has built up,” says Krantz-Underland.

The contract award for Breidablikk is subject to a final investment decision and a final regulatory approval. The letter of intent for Askeladd Vest is subject to a final investment decision.

Archer was awarded the Fishing, Milling & Wellbore Cleaning services for Repsol Norge on the Gyda Platform Archer is proud to announce that they have been awarded the Fishing, Milling & Wellbore Cleaning services for Repsol Norge on the Gyda Platform when the operations starts in January 2021.

This makes Archer the sole provider of all downhole services on the Gyda P&A Campaign with a scope of 14 wells left to plug & abandon. The award is a result of an innovative integrated OneArcher approach were we have turned the industry challenges into a significant opportunity and thereby maximising both

the savings for the client and activity level for OneArcher.

“This award shows that when we work together as OneArcher, we can offer optimal solutions for our clients and shape our own future” says Thore Andre Stokkeland, Archer Oiltools, and Tom Aune, Archer Platform Drilling.

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Service Market Drivers Greenfield project sanctioning

Database version: Rystad Energy Databases June 2020 Review

Sanctioning year (2016 - 2022)

Year (2016 - 2022)

Year (2016 - 2022)

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Our analysts gather data from company reports, investor presentations and press releases, governmental sources, as well as public institutions such as IEA, OPEC, USGS, and NPD.

www.ogvenergy.co.uk I July 2020

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OGV Energy is delighted to be working in partnership with global energy knowledge house, Rystad Energy, to bring industry insights and analytic detail to our readers in Oil & Gas. As the sector continues to digitise operations on a project and company basis, this high-level monthly data aims to provide key information in context from an industrywide perspective and demonstrate the technology available for those seeking deeper insights to enhance strategic planning and development.

Offshore Rig Market Analysis Contract backlog

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P

Decommissioning Projects

Current (Fields)

OPERATOR

P EXPLORATION (Don - Miller)

(Cheviot) CNOOC LIMITED (Ettrick/Blackbird)BP EXPLORATION

Decommissioning Projects (Fields)

UK HOLDINGS

CNR INTERNATIONAL (Vorlich (Ninian - Banff and Kyle fields)

- ETAP ) CHRYSAOR HOLDINGS CHRYSAOR HOLDINGS

(Caister CM - Murdoch - CMS - MacCulloch) (Everest East Expansion)

DANA PETROLEUM E&P DANA PETROLEUM (Hudson)

DNO NORTH SEA (Platypus) (Schooner) ENQUEST PLC

NI UK LIMITED (Thistle - Magnus (Big Dotty - Little Dotty - Dawn - Hewett)

NQUEST PLC EQUINOR (EnQuest Producer) (Utgard)

ASA

E&P

- Ninian to SVT Pipleine)

NEOS INDUSTRIES FAIRFIELD (Cavendish)

ENERGY LIMITED (Darwin - Skye)

HIBISCUS PETROLEUM

PERENCO OIL & GAS (Marigold & Sunflower) (Guinevere - TYNE - Pickerill - AMETHYST)

INDEPENDENT PREMIER OIL PLC

OIL AND GAS Elgood)

(Huntington - Balmoral - Rita & Hunter- - Blythe Caledonia) (Southwark -

REPSOL SINOPEC RESOURCES INEOS INDUSTRIES (Tartan - Buchan - Beatrice - Fulmar)

(Breagh) ROCKROSE ENERGY (Brae Bravo - East Brae) ITHACA ENERGY

INC.

ROYAL DUTCH SHELL (Captain) (Gaupe - Brent - Atlantic and Cromarty - Curlew - Goldeneye)

SPIRIT ENERGY NEPTUNE

(South Morecambe) (Seagull)

E&P

TAQA EUROPA B.V

PARKMEAD GROUP PLC

(Eider - Tern - North Cormorant - Cormorant Alpha) (Perth) WALDORF PRODUCTION (Renee / Rubie) PERENCO OIL & GAS

(Leman & Indefatigable - Wollaston)

CENTRICA STORAGE HOLDINGS (Rough) CNOOC LIMITED (Ettrick/Blackbird)

CNR INTERNATIONAL (Ninian - Banff and Kyle fields)

CHRYSAOR HOLDINGS (Caister CM - Murdoch - CMS - MacCulloch)

DANA PETROLEUM E&P (Hudson) DNO NORTH SEA (Schooner)

ENI UK LIMITED (Big Dotty - Little Dotty - Dawn - Hewett)

ENQUEST PLC (EnQuest Producer) INEOS INDUSTRIES (Cavendish)

NEPTUNE E&P (Minke - Juliet)

PERENCO OIL & GAS (Guinevere - TYNE - Pickerill - AMETHYST) PREMIER OIL PLC

(Huntington - Balmoral - Rita & Hunter - Caledonia)

REPSOL SINOPEC RESOURCES (Tartan - Buchan - Beatrice - Fulmar)

ROYAL DUTCH SHELL (Gaupe - Brent - Atlantic and Cromarty - Curlew - Goldeneye)

SINOPEC RESOURCES

(Tain - Montrose)

JERSEY OIL AND GAS PLC

ROYAL DUTCH SHELL

(Gannet D Pipeline TOTAL UPSTREAM UK LIMITED (Edradour Royal Sovereign) Jackdaw

TAQA EUROPA B.V. (Harding North)

BP EXPLORATION (Don - Miller)

PREMIER OIL PLC - Tolmount - Solan)

PHARIS ENERGY LTD REPSOL

(Glenn)

(Fields)

ROCKROSE ENERGY (Brae Bravo - East Brae)

HURRICANE ENERGY (Lincoln, Warwick)(Catcher (Pilot)

OPERATOR

Discovery Projects PING PETROLEUM LIMITED (Avalon)

EQUINOR ASA (Peik - Bressay - Rosebank - Frigg - Mariner East)

Replacement Project - Arran - Penguin Area - Fram)

SERICA ENERGY (Columbus)

SPIRIT ENERGY

(South Morecambe)

TAQA EUROPA B.V

(Eider - Tern - North Cormorant - Cormorant Alpha) WALDORF PRODUCTION (Renee / Rubie)

SICCAR POINT ENERGY

s and contact details, follow the link (Suilven - Tornado - Cambo) om/project-pathfinder

TAILWIND ENERGY (Evelyn)

WHALSAY ENERGY (Bentley)

WINTERSHALL B.V. (Sillimanite)

Discovery Projects EQUINOR ASA (Peik - Bressay - Rosebank - Frigg - Mariner East) HURRICANE ENERGY (Lincoln, Warwick)

PHARIS ENERGY LTD (Pilot)

JERSEY OIL AND GAS PLC (Glenn)

BP EXPLORATION (Murlach - Clair South)

TOTAL UPSTREAM UK LIMITED

ENQUEST PLC

TAQA EUROPA B.V.

(Eagle)

17

Date Generated: 13-03-2020

Projects

OPERATOR

CENTRICA STORAGE HOLDINGS ALPHA PETROLEUM (Rough)

NEPTUNE E&P (Minke - Juliet)

UKCS Status Report

ATHFINDER - UKCS Status Report Generated: 13-03-2020 DateDate generated 15 June 2020

(Edradour Royal Sovereign) (Harding North)

For additional project summaries, locations and contact details, follow the link www.oilandgasvisionjobs.com/project-pathfinder

WORLD PROJECTS

18

WORLD PROJECTS MAP

1

Aker Energy is carrying out conceptual studies to confirm the feasibility of a phased Pecan field development. According to the company, the phased development of the Pecan field and the utilisation of a redeployed FPSO vessel will substantially reduce the CAPEX and, hence, reduce the breakeven cost. Aker Energy and its partners are currently assessing several FPSO candidates for redeployment.

JULY 2020

The EIC delivers high-value market intelligence through its online energy project database, and via a global network of staff to provide qualified regional insight. Along with practical assistance and facilitation services, the EIC’s access to information keeps members one step ahead of the competition in a demanding global marketplace. The EIC is the leading Trade Association providing dedicated services to help members understand, identify and pursue business opportunities globally. The EIC is renowned for excellence in the provision of services that unlock opportunities for its members, helping the supply chain to win business across the globe.

WORLD PROJECTS SPONSORED BY

2

GHANA Aker Energy US$4.4bn

3

4

5

UAE Al-Dhafra Petroleum US$800mn

NORWAYAker BP US$500mn

NORWAY - Equinor/Aker BP US$1.5bn+

USA LLOG Exploration US$100mn

It is understood that SNC Lavalin, the FEED contractor for the project has prepared the PFDs and P&IDs for oil producer wells, water injection and crude gathering facilities for the project. The Haliba phase 2 project will include a 218,000 boe/d of central degassing station, wellpads and flowlines. FEED works are ongoing and expected to be completed by early Q4 2020.

Kvaerner has been awarded an EPC contract for the provision of a normally unmanned wellhead platform at the delayed Hod project.

The contract is worth Nkr1 billion ($106.6 million). The contractor will deliver both the topsides and steel substructure; the workscope includes design, procurement, preparation for sea transport, as well as hook-up and completion at the field.

Aker BP and Equinor have reaffirmed their joint conceptual design for the Noaka development and have agreed on commercial terms. The operators are working towards a PDO submission in 2022. The operators are also considering powering the development with a combination of offshore wind and power-from-shore, which in future could lead to power being exported back to shore from the development.

LLOG Exploration has reached an agreement with Williams to tie back its Taggart field to the Devils Tower spar. LLOG plans to complete two existing wells and tie them back to the spar for the initial development.

The development is expected to come online in early 2022.

www.ogvenergy.co.uk I July 2020

WORLD PROJECTS

03 19

3 4 6 5

7 2

1 8

9

6

NETHERLANDS Avantium US$100mn

Worley has been awarded a front-end engineering design (FEED) contract to develop a plant for Avantium (Amsterdam, Netherlands) that will produce 100% plant-based furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). The projectwill support the transition to a bio-based economy for plastics. The plant will be located at Delfzijl, Netherlands. The facility will use a novel technology that converts plant sugars into a range of chemicals and plastics, such as polyethylene furanoate (PEF).

7

8

9

JAPAN Renova US$3.68bn

BRAZIL Petrobras US$300mn

MOZAMBIQUE Eni US$3.5bn

Kajima Corporation has been chosen to lead the project's construction activities, with the campaign to get underway in FY 2021. It is understood that environmental impact assessments and other site surveys are still being carried out at the project site.

Petrobras has launched a tender for the expansion of the gas processing plant. Bids for the three-year contract will be delivered on 29 October and bidders will be revealed on 5 November. The contract scope includes engineering, earthworks, civils, electromechanical assembly, interconnections, commissioning, start-up and assisted operation, among other activities.

Eni has engaged with contractors to gauge interest in early phase works on the Mamba project.

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REGIONAL REVIEWS

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By Tsvetana Paraskova

Middle East Energy Review The Middle East and its key oil and gas producers were the spotlight of media attention once again this month, after the OPEC+ group of oil producers from OPEC and about a dozen non-OPEC nations decided to extend their record collective cut of 9.7 million barrels per day (bpd) by one month until the end of July.

At Craig International, procurement isn’t just about processes, products and numbers. We promote a culture of ownership among our people, who are trusted to get on with the job on your behalf. We’re proud of how we serve clients. We’re always looking for new ways to add value and routinely introduce new technological solutions to make service delivery even simpler, smoother, faster. When it comes to procurement, we get it. Adding value, innovation and efficiency at every turn in your supply chain.

Meanwhile, credit rating agencies continued to warn that the ongoing cuts and the stubbornly low oil prices will weigh on the economic growth and fiscal resilience of many oil and gas producing countries in the Middle East.

While OPEC and its Middle Eastern members are grappling with lower revenues due to low oil prices and reduced exports, a former OPEC member from the Persian Gulf, Qatar, is setting in motion its plan to boost its liquefied natural gas (LNG) outputs and exports.

Iraq vows compliance

OPEC+ extends record cuts

Iraq, OPEC’s second-largest producer, notoriously noncomplying with the previous OPEC+ cuts, confirmed it is committed to the deal.

The OPEC+ coalition held a virtual meeting on 6 June and decided to roll over the current level of cuts of 9.7 million bpd through the end of July, instead of to the end of June, as initially planned.

According to the original agreement from April, the OPEC+ group agreed to cut 9.7 million bpd from their combined production for two months—May and June—and then ease the cuts to 7.7 million bpd until the end of 2020. After that, the production cuts would be further eased to 5.8 million bpd from January 2021 and remain in effect until the end of April 2022.

Considering the dynamic situation on the oil market with a still highly uncertain pace of global demand recovery, the group will likely tweak the agreement a few more times.

At the meeting in early June, OPEC+ extended the record cuts by one month, but conditioned the extension on all members of the group complying 100 per cent with their quotas. Those who did not comply with their shares of the cuts, such as Iraq and Nigeria, for example, have to over-comply in July, August, and September in order to compensate for the overproduction in May and possibly June.

Unlike in previous OPEC+ agreements, OPEC’s leader and biggest producer Saudi Arabia was quite blunt regarding compliance, signalling that non-compliance would not be tolerated.

“We have no room whatsoever for lack of conformity,” Saudi Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, said on the virtual press conference following the extension of the cuts.

Unlike in previous OPEC+ deals, the leader of the non-OPEC group in the pact, Russia, was on board with the cuts from the start of negotiations, and joined the Saudi call for full compliance with the production reductions at times of unprecedented demand slump.

www.ogvenergy.co.uk I July 2020

According to the original agreement from April, the OPEC+ group agreed to cut 9.7 million bpd from their combined production for two months.

Iraq confirms “its commitment to the voluntary oil production adjustments of June and July 2020, as well as the voluntary adjustments for the period following the end of July, despite the economic and financial challenges,” Iraq’s new Oil Minister, Ihsan Abdul Jabbar Ismael, told the Saudi energy minister in a phone call after the OPEC+ meeting.

Over the past weeks, Iraq is said to have reduced its production and exports more than it did in May—a sign that it is trying to do its part of the production cuts, despite its complex political situation and despite the fact that it has to discuss those cuts with international oil majors who operate some of the country’s largest oil fields.

Iraq is expected to export 2.8 million bpd of crude oil in June as part of its commitment to the OPEC+ cuts, minister Ismaael has said. Analysts, however, see this significant reduction in exports – by around 800,000 bpd from the levels in May – as difficult to achieve.

According to Fotios Katsoulas, Liquid Bulk Principal Analyst, Maritime & Trade, at IHS Markit, Iraq will likely struggle to have its exports average 2.8 million bpd in June, considering that data from IHS Markit Commodities at Sea suggests that exports in the first half of June averaged around 3.2 million bpd.

“This means shipments for the rest of the month will need to drop to 2.35 million b/d in the second half of June for Iraq to meet its target. This looks difficult to achieve,” Katsoulas said in the middle of June.

Middle East

Middle East economies hit by oil prices & pandemic

Qatar Prepares for LNG Export Growth

The outlook on the sovereign ratings of the countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is turning negative, Fitch Ratings said in a report in early June.

While Middle Eastern oil exporters are grappling with low oil prices and production cuts, the region’s top LNG exporter Qatar is preparing for an export boom in a few years.

Fitch has placed four of the 14 rated MENA sovereigns on Negative Outlook, following revisions for Oman (which was also downgraded), Iraq, Jordan, and Morocco, “reflecting the painful hit to public and external finances and growth as a result of the coronavirus and the fall in oil prices,” the rating agency said.

Qatar Petroleum signed on 1 June what it called “the largest LNG shipbuilding agreements in history” to secure more than 100 ships for its LNG growth plans.

The World Bank, for its part, said in its Global Economic Prospects report in June 2020 that the oil price collapse during the pandemic is yet another reminder for energy-exporting emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs) to diversify their oil-dependent economies. The price crash also highlights the need for some oil-exporting countries to eliminate remaining energy subsidies.

“Current low oil prices are an opportunity to review energy-pricing policies, including remaining energy subsidies,” the World Bank said.

Ayhan Kose, Director of the World Bank’s Prospects Group, commented: “Even if oil prices rise as global oil demand recovers, the recent plunge in prices is another reminder for oil-exporting countries of the urgency to continue with reforms to diversify their economies.”

Qatar Petroleum signed on the 1st of June what it called “the largest LNG shipbuilding agreements in history”

Qatar Petroleum entered into three agreements to reserve LNG ship construction capacity in South Korea, which will be used for Qatar Petroleum’s future LNG carrier fleet requirements, including those for the ongoing expansion projects in the North Field and in the United States.

Under the agreements, Korean shipyards Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) will reserve a major portion of their LNG ship construction capacity for Qatar Petroleum through 2027.

“As I have previously stated, we are moving full steam ahead with the North Field expansion projects to raise Qatar’s LNG production capacity from 77 million today to 126 million tons per annum by 2027 to ensure the reliable supply of additional clean energy to the world at a time when investments to meet these requirements are most needed,” said Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs and President and CEO of Qatar Petroleum.

“These agreements will ensure our ability to meet our future LNG fleet requirements to support our expanding LNG production capacity and long-term fleet replacement requirements,” Al-Kaabi said.

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REGIONAL REVIEWS Major European firms invest in renewables

By Tsvetana Paraskova

European Energy Review

Major European companies continued to announce investments, acquisitions, and strategies to boost their renewables portfolios.

Italy’s Eni created a new business structure as part of its ambition to be a leader in the energy transition. The Italian group has set up two business divisions—Natural Resources, which will develop the upstream oil & gas portfolio sustainably, and the Energy Evolution division, which will support the evolution of the company’s power generation, product transformation and marketing from fossil to bio, blue, and green.

EU-wide and individual government policies supporting clean energy, as well as new alternative energy projects, including from oil and gas majors, were the highlights of this month’s energy landscape in Europe.

Claudio Descalzi

In oil resource development, Equinor and Aker BP have agreed on the development concept for the licenses Krafla, Fulla, and North of Alvheim (NOA) on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The concept consists of a processing platform operated by Aker BP and an unmanned processing platform operated by Equinor with possibilities to several satellite platforms and tiebacks to cover the various discoveries. The area consists of several oil and gas discoveries with total recoverable resources estimated at more than 500 million barrels of oil equivalents, Equinor said on 11 June.

“We want to be main actors in a Just Energy Transition, in which we believe, and is central to Eni’s transformation,” CEO Claudio Descalzi said.

Recovery plan for Europe includes investments in green energy

France’s supermajor Total will become the fourthlargest supplier of gas and power in Spain after buying Energías de Portugal’s portfolio of 2.5 million B2C customers and two gas-fired combined cycle power plants, which represent an electricity generation capacity of nearly 850 MW.

The European Commission proposed a major recovery plan for the European Union after the coronavirus crisis. The plan will support the green transition to a climateneutral economy via funds from Next Generation EU, a new recovery instrument.

In the past month, Total also signed an agreement with SSE Renewables to acquire a 51-per cent stake in the Seagreen 1 offshore wind farm project in the Scottish North Sea. The 1,140 MW project has reached simultaneously a final investment decision and financial close.

Jorgo Chatzimarkakis

“The recovery plan turns the immense challenge we face into an opportunity, not only by supporting the recovery but also by investing in our future: the European Green Deal and digitalisation will boost jobs and growth, the resilience of our societies and the health of our environment,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

European organisations promoting clean energy welcomed the EC’s green recovery plan.

“This move represents a major change of scale for Total’s offshore wind activity in line with our strategy of profitable growth in renewables and low carbon electricity,” Total’s chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanné said.

Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, Secretary General at Hydrogen Europe, welcomed the creation of the instrument, saying: “This is a historic opportunity to realise a systemic change towards clean technologies like hydrogen. A massive support to hydrogen and hydrogen technologies will put us firmly on track to achieving ambitious targets for 2030 and climate neutrality in 2050.”

Ursula von der Leyen

www.ogvenergy.co.uk I July 2020

WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson commented: “Excellent proposals from the EU Commission on the “Recovery Strategy”.

The big bazooka the EU economy requires.

And the right sort of investments. It’s clearly going to be a green recovery. And a boost for the energy transition.”

Spain’s Iberdrola said in early June it would invest up to 4 billion Euro in renewable energy in France over the next four years. Iberdrola plans to invest in wind farms and solar plants and expressed interest in future tenders to build new offshore wind farms.

Another Spanish energy company, Repsol, said it would invest in two industrial decarbonisation projects in Spain. Repsol will invest in a project to build the world’s largest plants to manufacture net-zero emissions fuels, using CO2 and green hydrogen generated with renewable energy. The other project is for a plant to generate gas from urban waste. The generated gas will be used to replace part of the traditional fuels that the Basque refinery, one of Spain’s largest, currently uses in its production process.

In France, EDF Renewables, Canada’s Enbridge, and wpd began construction of the Fécamp Offshore Wind Farm with capacity of 500 MW. Project commissioning is scheduled in 2023. Once completed, the wind farm will be able to provide enough annual electricity to meet the power needs for 770,000 people.

Europe

23

Scotland and Germany boost offshore wind plans

UK approves development of its largest solar park

Further north in Europe, Crown Estate Scotland announced on 10 June the launch of the first round of offshore wind leasing in Scottish waters for a decade. Total investment in the ScotWind Leasing round could potentially surpass £8 billion and help power the transition to a net-zero future.

In solar energy, the UK Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Alok Sharma, approved at the end of May the application for the proposed Cleve Hill Solar Park Project near Faversham in Kent, which will be Britain’s largest solar park.

“Today is a huge step forward in kick-starting Scotland’s green recovery, meeting net-zero targets and bringing multi-billion pound investments to benefit communities across the nation,” said John Robertson, Crown Estate Scotland’s Head of Energy & Infrastructure.

Scotland’s Energy Minister, Paul Wheelhouse MSP, said: “We want to harness this huge resource for our energy system, unlocking significant investment in the supply chain to create more green jobs across the sector and, importantly, to do so in a way that gives due regard to our marine environment and other marine activities.”

Germany increased its offshore wind targets to 20 GW capacity by 2030, from a previous target of 15 GW, and pledged 40 GW in offshore wind power by 2040.

According to estimates from Rystad Energy, offshore wind investment in Europe will surpass upstream oil and gas investment in 2022, as offshore oil and gas CAPEX is set to drop in the wake of the pandemic, while offshore wind is expected to grow strongly.

Annual CAPEX in Europe’s offshore wind is expected to jump from US$11.1 billion in 2019 to more than US$22 billion in 2022. At the same time, offshore oil and gas investment in Europe is seen dropping from more than US$25 billion in 2019 to less than US$17 billion in 2022, Rystad Energy reckons.

Alok Sharma

Offshore wind investment in Europe will surpass upstream oil and gas investment in 2022.

According to estimates from Rystad Energy

The Cleve Hill Solar Park – a joint venture project between Hive Energy Ltd and Wirsol Energy Ltd – will generate up to 350 MW of clean renewable electricity to power over 91,000 homes, reducing the UKs dependence on fossil fuels and lowering CO2 emissions by 68,000 tonnes a year. The project will not require any Government subsidies and aims to be one of the lowest-cost generators of electricity in the UK, Hive Energy said.

“Solar has a significant role to play in boosting the economy in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. With the right policies we can expect to see an 8GW pipeline of solar projects unlocked and rapidly deployed, swiftly creating a wealth of skilled jobs and setting us on the path towards a green recovery,” said Chris Hewett, Chief Executive of the Solar Trade Association.

Two weeks later, the association called on the UK government to commit to a target of 40 GW of solar power capacity by 2030.

“A 40 gigawatt target aligns with the recommendations of Britain’s top climate advisors, and the industry is ready to scale up operations to deliver this, with the support of a robust policy framework,” Hewett said.

The UK and Welsh Governments approved in June the business case for the Pembroke Dock Marine Swansea Bay City Deal project. The project for low-carbon marine energy is expected to create more than 1,800 jobs over the next 15 years and to generate £73.5 million a year to the Swansea Bay City Region’s economy.

“Offshore wind development in Europe is expected to flourish in the coming years as countries strive to reach their ambitious 2030-targets – and large investments will be required,” Alexander Flotre, Rystad Energy’s project manager for offshore wind, said.

Over the past month, companies have advanced sustainable energy projects in Sweden and Denmark, too.

Paul Wheelhouse MSP

Chris Hewett

In Sweden, Aker Solutions started operating its mobile test facility for carbon capture at Preem’s refinery in Lysekil. The project is a collaboration between Sweden’s largest fuel company Preem, Aker Solutions, Chalmers University of Technology, Equinor, and Norwegian research institute SINTEF. The test unit is part of the 'Preem CCS' pilot project which will analyse the value chain from CO2 capture to storage.

A consortium of Danish energy firms and pension funds said it was ready to finance an artificial energy island in the Danish North Sea that will generate power from offshore wind.

The proposed island, VindØ, could become in the future a 10-GW wind energy island, PensionDanmark, PFA, and SEAS-NVE said.

The companies are ready to make an initial investment of up to 400 million Danish kroner, or around £48 million, in the project’s development.

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U.S.

By Loren Steffy

U.S. producers look for bright spots amid rising job cuts, bankruptcies

As the price of West Texas Intermediate crude inched toward $40 a barrel in late June, a sense of optimism began to stir among U.S. producers. As more businesses began to reopen from the coronavirus, and more people began driving, energy demand ticked upward.

— likely won’t see a rebound until 2024. North Dakota’s oncebooming Bakken Shale may have to wait until 2026, according to a forecast Wood Mackenzie. The Bakken, where production has fallen to 1.1 million barrels a day in June from 1.5 million last fall, has been the hardest-hit U.S. oil-producing region.

But the struggles are far from over. The U.S. oil and gas industry has lost more than 100,000 jobs since early February.

The Norwegian research firm Rystad Energy analysed U.S. jobs data and found that almost 45,000 of those losses came from producers, another 23,000 from service companies and about 16,000 from pipeline operators.

In the meantime, another basin — the Haynesville Shale in East Texas and western Louisiana — may be getting renewed attention. Several companies filed permits for new drilling in the region in June. Some industry observers believe that the slowdown in oil production could lead to higher natural gas prices, because there’s less gas being produced as a byproduct of oil wells. As a result, gas-rich plays like the Haynesville may look more appealing to producers.

Many of the cuts have fallen hardest on Texas, which accounts for half of all U.S. drilling activity. About 45,000 jobs have been lost in the upstream energy industry in the state, Rystad found.

Prices and demand aren’t the only concern. Capital is in increasingly short supply as bankers cut back on credit lines for shale drillers. While some of the capital curtailment reflects doubts about long-term prices, it also shows that lenders have grown tired of financing wells that failed to produce as much as predicted. As a result, lenders have been reassessing assets of oil companies’ books. Moody’s Corp. and JP Morgan Chase & Co. estimate that asset-backed loans to the industry will be reduced by as much as 30 per cent — equal to tens of billions of dollars. That may be enough to tip some weaker companies into bankruptcy.

In an earlier report, Rystad predicted 73 U.S. oil and gas companies may file bankruptcy this year, and that number likely will grow to more than 240 by the end of 2021.

All those bankruptcies could lead to additional financial burdens on the industry. One Democratic congressman from California has called for a federal program to pay the cost of environmental damage from abandoned wells.

Rep. Alan Lowenthal claims that 56,000 such wells are leaking methane and other air and water pollutants. He filed a bill last year that increase the minimum bond companies must pay on the federal oil and gas leases to ensure proper well cleanup if the company abandons them. Republicans have staunchly opposed the measure.

While the fossil fuel industry continues to struggle, renewables have rebounded more quickly and continue to draw new investment.

Not everyone, however, is optimistic about a recovery.

Goldman Sachs recently said it believes global oil production outside of OPEC will stagnate during the rest of the decade from lack of investment. Investors got burned financing risky projects when prices collapsed in 2014 and 2016, and even when prices climbed in 2017, most companies posted poor returns. Industrywide, investment remains well below 2014 levels, and the pandemic has exacerbated the trend, putting a number of large projects on hold.

One buyer, however, has been taking advantage of the downturn to diversify its investments. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund has been snapping up stakes in North American energy companies with depressed market values, including Suncor and Canadian Natural Resources. The Saudis also bought shares of international majors, including Royal Dutch Shell, Total and BP. While the fossil fuel industry continues to struggle, renewables have rebounded more quickly and continue to draw new investment. In June, Houston energy storage company Broad Reach Power, which is backed by a private equity group, said it plans to install 15 utility-scale batteries at sites in Houston and Odessa, in West Texas. It plans to store electricity when it’s cheap and sell it into the wholesale power market when prices jump, such as during the blazing summer months.

The Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, found that 84 per cent of the bonds issued for oil and gas wells on federal lands are too low to cover remediation costs.

Texas ranks fourth among states for grid-scale storage capacity. The storage project builds on a burgeoning renewables industry in Texas, where 61 per cent of new power capacity growth between now and 2023 is expected to be solar-generated, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates most of the state’s power grid. Another 27 per cent will come from wind and 7 per cent from battery storage.

It may be another year before the industry sees meaningful production growth, and when it does, it will primarily be in the Permian Basin, the prolific region of West Texas and eastern New Mexico that has been the focus of the recent shale drilling boom. Other regions, such as the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas— which had only one drilling permit request in late May

Texas, which has long prided itself for being the cradle of the oil and gas industry, is now leading the way on renewables as well. It’s already the biggest producer of wind energy in North America, and with solar growing rapidly the state could retain its claim as the energy capital of the world, even as the nature of that energy changes.

www.ogvenergy.co.uk I July 2020

REGIONAIL REVIEWS sponsored by

s w e n d o o s e G i r sto We at OGV Energy, could not ignore the magnified sense of community spirit we have witnessed during our time in lockdown. Without a doubt, some of the most positive stories we have seen during these times are of communities around the country (and the world) helping others at any given opportunity, particularly within the Energy sector. We have pulled together some fantastic efforts made by businesses within the Aberdeen and surrounding areas to show how the Energy sector is giving back to its communities, and to the NHS.

NEW FEATURE Loganair Limited Loganair have received official configuration to fly their Saab 340 aircraft as an air ambulance with Covid-19 patients, alongside their twin Otter. The crew team of volunteers to fly these missions have been for their final training and are ready to go.

OGV FORUMS

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Help OGV Energy to support the energy industries in creating a knowledge pool that is invaluable, and can save hours, days or even weeks of delay when faced with a unique situation.

With the involvement of you and the industry we can provide deliver this information in an easy to source platform free for everyone.

With over 350,000 industry experts visiting on a monthly basis, let us support you in putting your questions to the industry and the experts.

Craig International Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Craig International has made many donations of PPE equipment to local health care businesses and hospitals in the local area.

What options are available for offshore ATEX environments?

Asked by John

First job offshore. Where, when, who for and what was your job?

Asked by Derek

The Oil & Gas Technology Centre The OGTC recently provided funding to Air Control Entech to help manufacture face shields.

OGV Energy At OGV Energy we have turned our city centre office into a food bank to help support the Aberdeen Cyrenians in continuing to assist the Aberdeen community through these challenging times.

Petrofac Jamie Fyvie, an employee at Petrofac has cycled 25 miles 25 days in a row to support those who cared for his daughter Eva. The Electrical Technician undertook the challenge to raise more that ÂŁ1,500 for the Archie Foundation.

As all the training centres are closed, how do you think the industry will manage the influx of employees flocking to training centres to renew expired certification?

Asked by Alan

A question regarding air lift: I have a ridgid pipe (dredge pipe) from the surface down to the bottom at approx 150 m depth. What happens if I insert the pressurised air at, let say, 25 meters depth!?

Will I get an equivalent suction down at the bottom, 150 m depth, as if the pipe would have been just 25 meter down and the air insert also at 25 meters!?

I have worked a lot with air lifts at shallow waters so I know the principle. People though, who claims they know, tells me it does not work, and I can’t understand why it should not work!?

Asked by Peter Lindberg

Join the conversation www.oilandgasvision jobs.com/forum

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RENEWABLE FOCUS

By Tsvetana Paraskova

Renewable Energy

OVERVIEW

Like all energy sectors, renewable energy has also seen setbacks in capacity installation and investment commitment in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yet,

renewable energy has so far proven to be the most resilient energy source during the global health crisis, while worldwide use of renewables is set to slightly increase, by 1 per cent, in 2020, while the global use of all other energy sources – fossil fuels and nuclear power including – is expected to shrink this year compared to 2019, according to estimates from the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Despite the short-term economic challenges,

supply chain disruptions, and construction delays due to the pandemic, the prospects for renewable energy in the long term remain bright, thanks to continuously falling costs and growing calls for supportive policies for greener economies. Governments, especially in Europe, have pledged increased support to clean energy solutions and technologies as some of them place green energy at the heart of their policies for economic recovery after the coronavirus crisis.

This year, renewable energy will be the only energy source to see an

increase in demand, the IEA said in its Global Energy Review 2020 report in April.

Electricity generation from renewable sources is expected to grow by nearly 5 per cent despite the construction and supply chain delays caused by the pandemic.

“Overall global demand for renewables is expected to increase in 2020 owing to their use in the electricity sector.

Even with end-use electricity demand falling significantly because of lockdown measures, the low operating costs of renewables-based generation and its priority access to the grid in many markets allow it to operate at near full capacity and even expand.”

The IEA said in its report ‘The Covid-19 Crisis and Clean Energy Progress’ in June.

www.ogvenergy.co.uk I July 2020

RENEWABLE FOCUS Among renewable energy sources, wind power is expected to rise the most in terms of absolute power generation in 2020, thanks to a windy start to the year in many regions, strong capacity additions last year, and policy deadlines for tax credits, in the United States for example, that are expected to incentivise installation despite COVID-19 related delays.

Globally, the renewables sector still faces uncertainties over the pace of growth, especially in terms of financing and policy while the world grapples with the recession caused by the coronavirus.

However, some governments in major economies have already promised support to clean energy solutions in their stimulus packages, such as Germany’s intention to support green hydrogen, for example.

Despite its many challenges, “the present situation offers governments the opportunity to reverse this trend by making investment in renewables a key part of stimulus packages designed to reinvigorate their economies,” the IEA said in its June report.

“They can harness the structural benefits that increasingly affordable renewables have to offer, including opportunities for job creation and economic development, while reducing emissions and fostering innovation.”

In May, Germany and France called for acceleration of the green and digital transitions. In the UK, more than 200 companies and business networks wrote a letter to the UK government, calling for a clean, inclusive, and resilient recovery plan.

At the end of April, Danish Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities, Dan Jørgensen, and Dr Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the IEA, said that clean energy transition agendas can help kick-start economies that are suffering in the pandemic.

“Renewables such as wind power and solar PV form a key pillar of clean energy transitions. They have shown how, in the right conditions, new low-carbon technologies can grow rapidly to become a dynamic and innovative part of forwardlooking economies,” Jørgensen and Birol wrote in an article ahead of a virtual round table on how renewables can become the growth drivers after the virus.

“When designing stimulus packages, governments should bear in mind the structural benefits that renewables can bring in terms of economic development and job creation while also reducing emissions and fostering technology innovation,” they said.

Supportive government policies in the wake of the coronavirus crisis have the potential to boost renewable energy generation across many regions. Declining costs of renewable power capacity installations and technology are also a key factor in the growing share of renewable energy.

“Renewable power generation technologies are not just competing head-to-head with fossil fuel options without financial support, but increasingly undercutting them, in many cases by a substantial margin,”

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) said in early June.

Solar and wind power technologies have seen impressive improvement in competitiveness over the past decade, according to IRENA. Solar photovoltaic costs fell by a massive 82 per cent between 2010 and 2019, concentrating solar power (CSP) costs dropped by 47 per cent, onshore wind costs went down by 39 per cent, and offshore wind costs dropped by 29 per cent.

As renewable power is increasingly cheaper than new and existing fossil fuel-fired plants, a total of 56 per cent of capacity additions for utility-scale renewables in 2019 achieved lower electricity costs than the cheapest new

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coal plant, according to IRENA’s estimates.

Solar PV and onshore wind have become the cheapest sources of new-build generation for at least two-thirds of the global population, research company BloombergNEF (BNEF) said in a report at the end of April.

“There have been dramatic improvements in the cost-competitiveness of solar and wind. Part of it is due to photovoltaic and wind technology getting better at extracting renewable resources,” said Tifenn Brandily, lead author of the report.

In the UK, the country set on 10 June a new record of coal-free electricity generation— Britain did not burn coal for power for two full months—the longest period of coal-free power generation since the Industrial Revolution.

In the first quarter of 2020, renewables supplied more than 40 per cent of electricity, with output overtaking fossil fuels for the first time in February, a report commissioned

by Drax showed. The exceptional output was driven for a large part by extreme weather.

“By embracing flexible, low carbon technologies we will enable the UK’s power system to evolve and provide the secure and sustainable electricity supplies a postCovid, zero carbon economy needs,” said Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO. In Scotland, the government set up in June a £62-million fund to help the energy sector recover from the economic impacts of the coronavirus and the oil and gas price crash.

The Energy Transition Fund will support businesses in the oil, gas, and energy sectors over the next five years to diversify and contribute to Scotland’s net-zero goal by 2045.

“This package of investment for the North East will support our energy sector as it recovers from the impact of COVID-19 and will help us make significant progress as we move towards net-zero by 2045,” Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said.

“Aberdeen is recognised globally as a centre of excellence in oil and gas and this funding will help ensure that the knowledge, skills and expertise it has to offer will play a vital role in the energy transition,” Hyslop noted.

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RENEWABLE FOCUS

By Anni Piirainen, Renewables Engineer at Xodus Group

2

In at the deep end

Absolutely, floating technology will be key to developing the Scotwind sites, and it should be seen as the first real development of commercial scale floating wind globally. There are multiple sites on offer that sit comfortably within the ‘floating only’ end of our sliding scale – what our research shows is that there is no clearly defined crossover between the two technologies.

- fixed or floating foundations?

As larger projects are erected, it is expected that supply chains will become streamlined and economies of scale will reduce floating costs. The Carbon Trust, for instance, states that a 48% reduction in CAPEX could be possible as technologies mature from demonstrator to commercial scale1. However, techno-economic modeling is fundamental to realize the true economic balance of deeper water.

In water depths up to around 30m, fixed monopiles are the most suitable and widely installed type of foundation. Beyond this, it is generally accepted that the limiting water depth for the commercial viability of bulkier jacket foundations is around 50-60m. Going deeper, floating foundations could become a more technically feasible option. OGV spoke with Anni Piirainen, a Renewables Engineer with global energy consultancy Xodus, to decipher the results of a techno-economic study into the tipping point from fixed to floating…

1

It is tempting to assume that floating structures will play a key role in the next ‘ScotWind’ leasing round, expected to be completed in March 2021.

Is this likely to be the case?

In our analysis, a semi-submersible platform was compared to jacket foundations in water depths ranging from 40m to 90m, both with a 12MW-sized turbine with a project capacity of 1GW. Generic sites on the east and west coast of Scotland were studied using corresponding metocean and geotechnical data, exploring current costs and predicted cost reductions for 2030.

Notably, jacket and floating platform sizing was only carried out at a high level and no detailed design was undertaken at this point. Results of the analysis are shown in Figure 2 as CAPEX/MW against water depth.

Figure 2: Current floating versus fixed project CAPEX costs for varying water depths

Offshore wind projects are now being developed further from shore in deeper waters. What financial and technical considerations need to be made?

While the high-level comparison energy yield was widely similar for the two technologies, the greatest cost differences arise from installation and procurement. Conversely, OPEX costs are Offshore wind is currently one of the cheapest forms of new highly dependent on the site conditions, distance electricity generation and its widely accepted that the turning to port, and the type of floating foundation point for the transition from fixed to floating turbine structures considered. Hence, in Figure 3 CAPEX is is at 60m water depth. However, with only a few demonstrator shown to provide a more transparent projects at this depth, floating offshore wind and general comparison of the two technology and its viability, is still in its infancy. foundation types. Overall, the results for levelised cost While there is a huge appetite for this As larger projects of energy (LCOE) novel technology, the cost remains high. were reasonably Uncertainty also exists in defining the are erected, it is consistent optimum installation and maintenance expected that supply with CAPEX strategies and related costs. Figure 1 chains will become trends. shows the main economic differences between fixed and floating foundations. streamlined and Xodus has conducted internal modeling of offshore wind projects in Scottish sites of varying bathymetry, exploring the economic feasibility of jackets and floating foundations at water depths beyond 60m.

Figure 1: The main differences in floating and fixed costs

www.ogvenergy.co.uk I July 2020

economies of scale will reduce floating costs.

RENEWABLE FOCUS

3

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Figure 2: Current floating versus fixed project CAPEX costs for varying water depths

What do the results demonstrate in the debate been the viability of floating and fixed structures in deeper water now and in the future?

The results show that fixed foundation CAPEX increases almost linearly with depth, whereas, floating costs remain quasi-static. This means that floating structures remain significantly more expensive even at water depths considerably beyond the 60m threshold.

The 2020 plot shows the uncertainty ranges first crossing at around 90m, implying that this is the minimum water depth floating could start competing on a purely cost basis with fixed. In the 2030 graph, this minimum threshold has decreased to 65m.

The average value indicators cross only at 115m, and the extreme ranges beyond the scale of the graph, indicating a large range for the actual location of the crossover point. The uncertainty range in the 2030 graph is wider because of the greater ambiguity in learning rates used in the analysis. Running the model for both floating and fixed cases for several different sites supported this trend.

Figure 3: Expected floating versus fixed project CAPEX costs for varying water depths

4

The development of floating offshore wind is still relatively immature. With a rapid acceleration in the understanding and uptake of this technology expected, how important is the impact of the learning curve and cost drivers to the results?

The steep learning curve expected for floating technology was examined, as this is likely to bring down installation, operation and procurement costs. For a fair comparison, in the 2030 case, a learning rate was applied to both floating and jacket foundations. As jackets are considerably more established than floating, the learning rate applied to jackets was only a third of that applied for floating. This accounts for research and innovations in novel maintenance strategies, improved design and development of supply chains.

In our cost driver analysis, the key parameter is foundation weight. It dominates over all other criteria, and the crossover depth is only achieved when the weight of the fixed jackets equates to that of the floating platform as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Site-related factors identified as examples of CAPEX cost drivers

Two conclusions relating to the crossover water depth can be drawn from this. Firstly, the crossover water depth is likely to be lower for a platform design lighter than the semi-submersible, such as a tension leg platform (TLP).

Secondly, the crossover water depth will vary depending on metocean conditions at the site. Even with the expected cost reductions applied, 60m appears low for the generally accepted transition point.

Other challenges, not quantified in the analysis, can have a significant impact on installation costs. For example, construction port selection and availability and, due to limited experience, costs are likely to arise as the technology moves from concept to commercialisation.

Extreme water depths also create new problems for jacket installation such as storage space constraints, limited crane life capacity and increased installation duration.

5

What does this research mean for the imminent commercialisation of floating offshore wind? The results should not be taken to mean that floating will only ever be competitive with fixed foundations at extreme depths. Indeed, it is expected that changes to the CfD (contracts for difference) scheme will likely accelerate its development at water depths greater than 60m2. Therefore, learning rates will be at the higher end of previous predictions.

We believe the creation of a market for floating structure will be a case of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’. The gradient of the learning curve will depend on the progress of research, success of demonstrator projects, and amount of investment into required infrastructure.

What the results do reveal is that the tipping point between commercial viability of fixed and floating foundations could be at a greater water depth than previously expected. Furthermore, the decision between floating and fixed is not dictated merely by water depth, but by a combination of factors.

Identifying the most suitable project concept option should be done through detailed techno-economic analysis, and fixed jackets could potentially be seen in unexpectedly deep waters.

Figure 4: Site-related factors identified as examples of CAPEX cost drivers

For more information visit xodusgroup.com

Author: Anni Piirainen is a Renewables Engineer at Xodus Group. She holds a Masters degree in mechanical engineering, and has over three years of experience in the automotive, industrial gas and renewables industries. At Xodus, Anni has worked primarily on offshore wind project development and on floating offshore wind projects. She has also studied repurposing oil and gas assets for renewable energy, hydrogen and CCS. She specialises in techno-economic analysis and structural analysis of offshore wind foundations.

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RENEWABLE FOCUS

By Ben Miller, Senior Policy Manager at Scottish Renewables

Why the first offshore wind leasing round in 10 years is a BIG DEAL

Scotland’s much-anticipated offshore wind leasing round went live on 10th June 2020. It’s a big moment for Crown Estate Scotland as it embarks on its first major leasing process since the powers came to Scotland in 2017.

It’s also a big moment for our Offshore Wind industry, as the eventual results of this round will see all the recent years of working with Government on maps and plans transform into a much clearer picture of where our offshore wind sector is going to develop over the next decade, and who is going to build it.

It’s an exciting time for Scotland and our contribution to a net-zero future. With renewables already powering 90% of our domestic electricity consumption, our massive offshore potential will serve as the driving force as we urgently decarbonise heat and transport right across the UK. Our deeper waters give us a golden opportunity to lead the world in floating wind, and our existing North Sea expertise can and must become an exemplar for the energy transition.

The UK is undoubtedly the world’s leading offshore wind market, and ScotWind has already attracted huge interest from all the major global wind developers, putting Scotland on the map as a highly-attractive place to invest billions of pounds in clean infrastructure.

Our first major completed offshore project, Beatrice, has shown us the scale of the potential benefits to Scotland, with 7200 ‘job years’ and £460m GVA to the Scottish economy in development and construction alone, not to mention the 450,000 homes now powered by clean electricity. The total impact of Beatrice is expected to be £1billion.

www.ogvenergy.co.uk I July 2020

The challenge now is to secure even more of the supply chain benefits from the next decade of development and this is something that our whole industry is engaged with. Many hundreds of Scottish companies have attended recent ‘Meet the buyer’ events with offshore projects such as Neart na Gaoithe, which are soon to enter construction.

With leases awarded next year through ScotWind, and a bigger pipeline of projects taking shape, supply chain companies should have further confidence to plan and invest for the long-term – supported by ambitious climate change and renewable energy targets, the Sector Deal and the many forms of assistance from the Scottish and UK Governments.

The UK is undoubtedly the world’s leading offshore wind market, and ScotWind has already attracted huge interest.

When the attention is on Scotland’s clean offshore future, Britain overall recently broke a new record for coal-free energy generation, going two months without the black stuff. There is no going back and this is a trend mirrored across the world. This is coupled, of course, with the impacts of our current health crisis and the loud desire that has been expressed that we use this moment to reset and build a better way forward.

On World Oceans Day, the Ocean Renewable Energy Action Coalition published the staggering figure of 1,400GW of offshore wind, which it believes could be deployed worldwide by 2050. Last month Germany increased its 2030 offshore target to 20GW, and France is upping its ambition, particularly on floating wind, where it will run three leasing tenders across 2021/22.

From South Korea to the USA, opportunities are opening up in major markets across the globe. ScotWind offers the many players in our industry the chance to gain valuable project experience in our waters and put this country at the heart of the offshore energy revolution.

We wish the best of luck to all of our members who will be working hard over the coming months to finalise bids.

RENEWABLE FOCUS René added: “The global situation has complicated matters slightly but we remain confident of securing the relevant funding and finalising the remaining details, which will allow us to accelerate the project from early 2021 with an expected delivery time of around one year.

“While the financial implications created by Covid-19 have resulted in certain industry projects being delayed or deferred, our focus – within Neptune – on this project is unchanged.

We are preparing to make significant progress between now and the end of the year as we near the production start date.

PosHYdon heralds green future for offshore energy

By Graeme Forbes

“As soon as production begins, you have probably learnt between 80% and 90% of the process, which is extremely valuable for other projects where you can share your expertise and lessons learned.” platform: offshore wind, offshore gas, and offshore hydrogen by producing hydrogen from seawater.

Throughout the project, Neptune Energy and its partners will gain valuable practical experience of producing green hydrogen in an offshore environment.

Project lead and development manager at Neptune Energy, René van der Meer, explained: “While large offshore windfarms are typically powered by hundreds of megawatts of energy, the first steps in the PosHYdon project will be to optimise production costs and prove its effectiveness before the technology can be rolled-out for large-scale developments.

The energy transition has gained renewed momentum amid the global pandemic, with oil and gas operators increasingly looking to carve a viable path to the new normal through adopting a more balanced approach to the energy mix.

“Once proven to be successful, offshore hydrogen production has enormous potential and can help to fuel the energy transition. It is still fairly early in the process, but we feel confident that PosHYdon has the potential to be a game-changer for the industry at large.”

Nowhere is this new-found drive towards greater sustainability more apparent than with the establishment of the world’s first offshore green hydrogen production plant, PosHYdon.

The pilot initiative is commissioned by Nexstep, the Dutch association for decommissioning and re-use, and TNO, the Netherlands organisation for applied scientific research, in collaboration with wider industry.

First unveiled in July 2019, PosHYdon will see a (single) megawatt electrolyser placed within a sea container and installed on Neptune’s Q13-a platform. As the first fully electrified offshore oil platform in the Dutch North Sea, it is an ideal setting for the project and currently saves around 16.5 kilotons of CO2 each year.

Green hydrogen – hydrogen gas produced from renewable energy – is expected to be vital to shaping the energy transition. In the wake of the Paris Agreement and its commitment to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally, hydrogen has the potential to offer a cost-effective solution to lower emissions in challenging sectors such as steel and heavy transport, whilst providing long-term, scalable energy storage and strengthening energy security.

Independent exploration and production company Neptune Energy is playing a key role in the PosHYdon project centred around its Q13-a platform – located near the Dutch coast, 13 kilometres from Scheveningen.

The two-year pilot aims to integrate three distinct energy systems on-board the North Sea

With an extensive gas infrastructure network, and access to large amounts of wind energy in the North Sea, the Netherlands is uniquely placed to generate hydrogen offshore, which can then be transported onshore, along with natural gas, via existing pipelines for industrial, transport and domestic use.

Due to begin production in 2021, subject to the award of European subsidies, PosHYdon will involve converting seawater to demineralised water and then using green electricity to produce hydrogen.

Believed to be the first hydrogen factory at sea, the containerised green hydrogen production facility fits on most offshore platforms due to its relatively small size. Currently powered by a subsea cable, providing green electricity from shore, the platform can be directly powered by offshore wind in future.

The way in which companies find and produce energy must change markedly to meet reduced emission targets in a sustainable way. To that end, Neptune Energy has developed its own environmental, social and governance strategy (ESG), which sets out key performance measures.

The company has established ambitious carbon and methane intensity targets to 2030 as an initial first step and committed to applying new technologies to reduce its carbon footprint.

“We are seeing a positive shift across the industry with much more interest in hydrogen energy projects of all sizes, which will hopefully gain traction in the months and years ahead,” said Mr Van der Meer.

“Working alongside conventional energy production, PosHYdon fits perfectly into the industry’s long-term strategy of reducing emissions and optimising current infrastructure as a stepping stone to the energy transition.

“As the first project of its kind, PosHYdon is rightly receiving a great deal of international attention.

It’s not a one-off, but it’s exciting to think where this might lead to next.”

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INNOVATION ZONE

INNOVATION ZONE

SPONSORED BY

AIDA

DATA DAY

SIMPLICITY

IMRANDD offers an easy late life for asset owners keen to reduce their OPEX spend It is no secret that accurately mapping and predicting engineering, inspection and maintenance activities on late life assets is a major (and costly!) headache for operators.

They face the constant struggle of whether to decipher the mountain of legacy, uncleansed and uncategorised data often inherited, or continue with a standardised, risk-based approach to integrity management that ensures safety, but is not as specific, cost effective and as quantitative as desired. And, more often than not, the effort of manually sifting, manipulating, and then translating this uncleansed information into something more meaningful, usually outweighs any perceived benefits.

But the issues continue to exist for late life asset operators. Budget allocation and prioritisation of engineering and maintenance activities are complex and time-consuming problems exasperated by a lack of confidence in an asset’s condition. Digitisation, remote monitoring and modelling can often be a struggle because data quality, legacy version control and incomplete documentation hinders such advancements.

AIDA™, an advanced analytics software by digital integrity specialist IMRANDD, was borne out of such frustrations. The team were determined to come up with a faster, simpler and more costeffective way of solving their customers’ asset management problems. The result is a bespoke solution that accurately cleanses, corrects and interprets large data sets, then maps and predicts degradation to deliver actionable insights guaranteed to significantly reduce OPEX.

www.ogvenergy.co.uk I July 2020

Innovation plays a role in every economy, and many UK firms remain unaware of the full range of Government incentives available to them in support of their product or service developments. Leyton is Europe’s largest R&D Tax Consultancy, having assisted over 8,000 UK clients and returned over £500million in reliefs and incentives. The challenges and opportunities faced within Oil & Gas mean that now, firms are thinking differently and are continually improving their products and services. Leyton is proud to have returned over £35million in R&D Tax Relief, R&D Allowances, Patent Box Relief and Grant Funding to our Oil & Gas and supply chain clients.

What makes AIDA stand out from other analytics software claiming to inform effective integrity decisions?

Christopher Blake, Head of new Business at IMRANDD sums it up:

“What sets AIDA apart from our competitors’ integrity analytics tools is simple, in that we know it works. This is not just a concept, AIDA is deployed and working on multiple assets globally; quickly processing big data to enable intuitive identification of failure patterns and hot spots. Not only is it a useful tool for correcting and identifying gaps in historic inspection data, it will highlight correlations and trends in the data it’s cleansed to predict the systems or equipment types most, and also least likely to fail. This provides more confidence in how best to enact inspection and maintenance activities.

In addition, it provides graphical representation of inspection data and degradation patterns, enabling operators to identify and act upon immediate and longer-term integrity threats. It also accurately predicts corrosion rates and remaining life spans for full systems and/or single equipment types.”

Actionable results in weeks, not months or years AIDA is also unique in terms of how quickly the solution can be deployed. While other organisations claim to offer analytics for integrity management, those that can are estimating months if not years of engineering time to thoroughly cleanse the data. That’s before they even start to manipulate and analyse the information to obtain meaningful results.

IMRANDD’s team of data scientists have developed a method of automating and expediting this process which ensures their customers see results within a matter of weeks, benefiting from the investment almost immediately.

INNOVATION ZONE

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BUSINESS PROCESS MONITORING: ABSOFT SERVICE IS A UK FIRST

Leading SAP® consultancy, Absoft, has announced a step change in the way it monitors clients’ enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, with the launch of its next generation SAP Managed Service. Robert MacDonald, Absoft Innovation & Technology Manager, explains the impact this can have on a sector which continues to address unprecedented challenges.

“Right now, it’s safe to say that the cost-effective, smooth running of any business is higher up the agenda than ever before. As global business continues to adjust to the challenges created by the current pandemic, the nuts and bolts of many companies - the ERP solutions that keep them running on a dayto-day basis - have to perform at optimum levels, with minimum of technical issues.

“Whilst in the pipeline long before Covid-19 struck, the challenges around cost and resource that the pandemic has brought to the global oil and gas industry make our nextgeneration SAP Managed Service particularly timely. Since the early 90s, we have witnessed peaks and troughs within the oil and gas sector and are experienced in helping clients weather the storm from a business IT perspective.

“The first SAP specialist in the UK to offer this level of business process monitoring, Absoft has focused upon automated monitoring, incident self-healing and self-service features.

Real-time visibility of all critical business processes, the ability to eradicate repeated incidents and the option for users to request automated process implementation - without the need for human interaction - are set to revolutionise the SAP user experience and the results it can achieve.

“This combined support model provides clients with access to both functional and technical support and its flexibility allows it to align with specific business requirements. Root-cause analysis of technical issues, fast resolution and less operational interruptions are at the heart of the new service.”

Automation: the buzzword “Absoft has consistently been ahead of the curve in comprehensive technical monitoring. The decision to launch the next-level SAP Managed Service is reflective of that approach, providing proactive and highly engaged automated monitoring of business processes.

“As anyone familiar with enterprise resource solutions like SAP will tell you, things go wrong in that complex environment. But does the support analyst know the implications of each error, and are the errors that affect the business the most brought to their attention first?

“Imagine a support service where everybody knew exactly the implications of every SAP error. For example, a printer fails and the SAP support team immediately knows which processes will be subsequently affected and takes steps to mitigate that.

That is the benefit of automated monitoring.”

Self-Healing Systems “Combining automation with monitoring also brings self-healing benefits. Put simply, this means that no SAP incident will ever reoccur. The system will detect a problem, respond and resolve it permanently, without the need for human involvement. This has significant impact upon business processes: not only does it save time in terms of manual tracing and repeated resolution but critically, it immediately resolves the problem for reduced business impact. “This brings particular value to our clients now more than ever, as global business grapples with the current circumstances. Automated repair of technical problems allows Absoft to offer fixed client costs, without the caveat of additional costs, manpower and time required for repeated issue resolution.”

Customer Experience “We’ve all experienced the sinking feeling of realising we must deal with a service desk or follow a process that sends our request into seeming oblivion. It’s far better if the person you get through to knows what is happening and can resolve your issue, due to proactive monitoring of your activity.

“Self-Service requests are the next stage. A recent poll reported that 70% of consumers now expect self-service applications available to them. It makes sense; think how much of our daily lives we organise and manage without any human interaction.

“Absoft has introduced that approach to its Managed Service.

Automated SAP processes can now be requested and approved at the touch of a button, and then completed without human interaction – whether this be a system refresh, a transport request or a custom INNOVATION ZONE automation. Less time, less hassle and far less SPONSORED BY administration required.”

The Future “Things are changing fast and Absoft is making an unprecedented level of investment in our managed service. Our aim is to make SAP simpler, faster, more reliable and more cost effective than ever before; an ethos truly aligned with the offshore energy industry of 2020 and beyond.”

www.leyton.com

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INNOVATION ZONE MAINTAINING SAFE OPERATIONS IS OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE

Intoware explains how digitisation technologies will safeguard offshore workforce and help deliver greater efficiencies.

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he confined spaces of offshore operations mean that disease can spread quickly, oil and gas companies have responded by cutting their workforces to help limit the threat of Covid-19 and to reduce costs.

Maintaining safe operations is of critical importance, this has not changed because of Covid-19 and right now the industry needs to make savings too, leading many companies to now consider how to accelerate their digital capabilities.

But historically the industry has been slow to embrace digitisation thanks mainly to a lack of knowledge and inertia, particularly when oil prices were high. With prices unlikely to return to their former peak the time for digital optimisation is now.

Offshore data analysis Prior to the pandemic, Intoware had developed the workflow platform WorkfloPlus using mobile and augmented reality technology. The aim was to help digitise audit and compliance processes required in downstream, midstream and upstream operations.

They found that by switching to digital work instructions, oil and gas companies can build a huge bank of data for audits and also use the same information to predict when failures may occur. The very nature of the high-risk oil and gas industry means that health and safety, compliance and audit checks are frequent and detailed. Unless these processes are done digitally, they create a massive volume of paper which is difficult to track and impossible to measure with any degree of accuracy.

www.ogvenergy.co.uk I July 2020

Done digitally however, anybody from the worker, to the supervisor or auditor can see the characteristics of a check in real time, the impact it has and provide digital evidence, such as pictures or data, to know it is done correctly - all in a fraction of the time.

The new ‘hands-free’ workplace Currently government rules mean it’s not safe to be within two meters of another person and we won’t be able to touch our devices without wiping them down or eliminating them completely. This means it’s more difficult than ever to make offshore inspections and take photos or video or rely on your handheld device. Covid-19 has made everything more challenging, so increasingly companies are looking to introduce more contactless solutions such as the HMT-1 headsets to help safeguard lives.

One of their clients was asked in a recent audit, ‘how many times was filter ‘X’ changed last year?’ Historically, this would have taken a day to find the information and prove the claim.

Today, it takes the team three clicks and less than 10 seconds.

The capture, analysis and utilisation of this knowledge is therefore, a real ‘game-changer’ for the oil and gas companies. By providing real-time analytics, workflow technology is delivering new insights that will help deliver greater efficiencies, reduce costs and drive innovation. But how do these technologies improve worker safety when operating, inspecting or maintaining offshore equipment?

When the WorkfloPlus platform is integrated with wearable computers (HMT-1 headsets) from Realware, it helps makes safety a reality by allowing workers to make decisions using a single ‘hands-free’ device mounted to a standard hard-hat. Technicians comply with safety protocols and that compliance is recorded so there is electronic evidence.

Technicians, especially those who are new to the job may require maintenance support.

The HMT-1 headset enables them to contact a remote expert, who can use live video to instruct the technician and send them annotations that they can see on their device as if they were projected on the equipment itself, ideal for an emergency repair.

Keith Tilley, CEO, Intoware

Digitisation integrated with wearable tech generates everything from workflow improvements, to heightened accuracy of recorded data to real-time data monitoring and predictive maintenance for a safer contactfree offshore working environment.

The impact of Covid-19 and the oil prices war will continue, with the need to cut operational costs remaining a priority. But the key question right now is how can we maintain the safety of our people and continue to operate offshore? This crisis should be the catalyst for oil and gas industry needs to re-consider what the future or work will look like and accelerate the digitisation of its processes.

INNOVATION ZONE

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DEEP TREKKER’S REMOTELY OPERATED VEHICLES (ROVS)

Deep Trekker’s Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) are produced with a goal to provide access to the underwater world, for anyone who needs it.

T

he Deep Trekker ROVs are an immediate deployment tool, always ready to go. From case to inspection, the set-up time is under 30 seconds, every time. An ROV greatly reduces cost and time when carrying out an inspection and offers a value-add for documenting an area that requires maintenance before and after any work is completed.

The latest innovative ROVs from Deep Trekker include everything you need for underwater inspections up to 200 m (656ft). The ROVs deliver instant eyes under the water and the portable designs require just one carrying case.

So, how is Deep Trekker being used in the Energy sector?

Deep Trekker provides robotic solutions for underwater structural inspections. The ROV systems offer an alternative to sending divers underwater to do emergency or routine inspection work on structures like cooling towers, intakes, penstokes and trash racks.

The ROV’s provide the ability to complete safe hydroelectric dam inspections. With the use of Deep Trekker ROV, it is possible to perform fast and efficient hydroelectric dam intake and trash rack inspections. Quickly respond in emergency scenarios or proactively perform regular surveys without having to wait for a dive team.

Deploying divers or work class ROV’s for routine inspection in an unnecessary risk that is often dangerous and problematic. Deep Trekker provides an easy, efficient, and safe inspection tool for many offshore structures.

ROVs reduce human risk. The underwater ROVs provide diver safety and prevent them from accessing hazardous and inaccessible environments that occur underwater.

The ROVs can work in higher temperature environments and hazardous waters without having to turn any systems offline, allowing for no interruptions to services.

ROV’s can be the perfect tool to be used during the installation and construction of wind farms. Being able to monitor divers as they perform underwater construction, Deep Trekker portable ROV systems have been used to inspect installations for sea-based wind and solar operations. The company has refined its tools for use in oil and energy operations including and creating a one-man carry ROV system that can be operated from a boat.

“Inspired by adventure. Built for function, Deep Trekker makes tough tasks, easy. We listen. We empower. We seek to develop the most durable, innovative, portable and affordable underwater ROVs and submersible robots to solve a suite of environmental and industrial situations.”

INNOVATION ZONE SPONSORED BY

www.leyton.com

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GREEN ENERGY

GREEN ENERGY ZONE SPONSORED BY

Here at Xodus we have charged into 2020 with a true sense of determination and pride. I’m incredibly excited that most of our work utilises skills from across the business; from offshore wind supply chain experts to commercial analysists (and many more!). We know this works and that it adds value for clients. But we also know that this approach is fit for purpose in a world where the focus is on a broad energy mix and meets increasing demand. We are leading and guiding our Clients through the energy transition, and working together to deliver a responsible energy future.

Peter Tipler Renewables Director, Xodus Group

Concept image

RWE and Germany LNG Terminal explore hydrogen opportunities German electric utilities company RWE and German LNG Terminal, the joint venture developing Germany’s first LNG terminal, have signed an agreement to jointly explore hydrogen opportunities.

The companies announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to promote the use of hydrogen produced from renewable sources.

“RWE’s interest in jointly exploring the import of hydrogen in Brumsbüttel proves the strategic importance of the site and the project,” said Rolf Brouwer, Managing Director of German LNG Terminal.

“Hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources is in line with Germany’s goal to become climate-neutral by 2050.”

“We are advocates of LNG. It can provide Germany with clean and affordable energy today and at the same time contribute to reducing emissions in the maritime and road transport sector as an alternative fuel,” said Javier Moret, Global Head of LNG at RWE Supply & Trading GmbH.

In the future, hydrogen will play a key role as a climateneutral fuel in the energy mix.

LNG import terminals like Brunsbüttel can be combined with energy points for liquid hydrogen produced in other regions of the world where wind and solar energy are available at larger scale and lower cost than in Germany.

www.ogvenergy.co.uk I July January-February 2020 2020

Existing gas pipelines connected to the terminal are a perfect fit to distribute hydrogen locally.

Said Javier Moret

“At the same time, we want to make sure we are prepared for the next technological advancement. In the future hydrogen will play a key role as a climate-neutral fuel in the energy mix.”

“In the future, hydrogen will play a key role as a climate-neutral fuel in the energy mix. We are prepared for this next step with the new agreement.”

The agreement follows on from a previously signed agreement in September 2018 for a considerable part of the planned terminal’s LNG import capacity.

GREEN ENERGY

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DroneBase secures $7.5 million to power growth in renewable energy data analysis Aerial data and analytics company DroneBase has announced it has raised $7.5 million in new capital, expanded its service to the renewable energy market, and founded DroneBase Europe, GmbH, in Germany.

New investors Valor Equity Partners and Razi Ventures joined Union Square Ventures (USV), Upfront Ventures, Hearst Ventures, Pritzker Group Venture Capital and DJI in the round.

DroneBase’s new entity and office in Germany will expand its ability to support customers with assets in Europe, while introducing new clients to its capabilities in industries spanning insurance, construction, real estate, telecommunications, and energy.

“This funding will drive our laser focus on serving the renewable energy sector” said Daryl Watkins, Vice President of Enterprise Solutions at DroneBase. “With multiple enterprise wins this year with OEMs and asset owners in both wind and solar, we have further cemented our position in the renewables market.”

Jamie Mordarski, Director of Operations and Maintenance, Americas at SMA, added that the ability of DroneBase to provide 100 per cent asset coverage using ground-based systems, drones, and manned aircraft gives them a tremendous competitive advantage and that SMA looks forward to growing its partnership with the company as its portfolio grows.

Despite the global COVID pandemic, DroneBase has continued to increase sales and set new revenue records in March, April, and May this year. With flight operations supported by its network of pilots in each of the United States and over 70 other countries, along with its team of company pilots, DroneBase can fly contactless missions, ensuring the safety of both pilots and customers.

SSE green lights UK’s biggest onshore wind farm, £580 million Viking project SSE is set to build Britain’s biggest onshore wind farm, the 443MW Viking project on Shetland.

At peak output, Viking’s 103 turbines will generate around 1.9TWh a year. A projected load factor of 48% makes it Britain’s most productive farm, as well as its biggest, say the developers.

Gas-fired generation from the islands’ sole station at Lerwick is due to be scaled back from 2025.

Decarbonising the town’s servicing of offshore oil and gas operations will be an added benefit.

Long delayed in Scotland’s courts, Viking won Ofgem’s approval earlier this year, on condition that SSE can build the islands’ first connector to the mainland.

Ofgem has indicated its ‘minded-to’ approval for the 600MW link, and is expected to confirm its view in July.

SSE Renewables managing director, Jim Smith, said: “Viking will help kickstart the green economic recovery, bringing much needed low-carbon investment to Shetland. In doing so, it will … help resolve longstanding security of supply issues on the island”.

SSE insisted today’s investment depends on code changes still being negotiated. Critical are those deciding how much of the connector’s cost will be borne by SHEPD, the DNO serving the islands.

In January SSE Renewables submitted its Needs Case for the link to the regulator under RIIO-2 protocols.

Preliminary onshore construction has begun, today’s statement confirms.

The developers are targeting April 2024 for full commissioning of the turbines and the 120-mile link.

GREEN ENERGY ZONE SPONSORED BY

Scotland’s energy minister Paul Whitehouse said it is “essential” that Shetland’s community benefits from the project: “We look forward to further news of contracts being awarded to local businesses, as well as Scotland as a whole, during the construction phase,” he stated.

SSE announced the decision as part of a raft of green investment measures. The company has committed to spend £7bn on renewables and infrastructure that enables decarbonisation over the next five years.

www.xodusgroup.com

Sponsored by

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www.ducatuspartners.com The measures companies are being forced to enact today will undeniably shape culture for the long term.

A company’s DNA arguably has the greatest impact on organisational dynamics, with success heavily influenced by engagement and commitment. This value is especially apparent during times of change, with the majority of company transformations failing due to an undefined or unhealthy culture.

ON THE MOVE Facing the highs and lows of the oil and gas sector are accepted to come with the territory and for most, these cycles are now well trodden. The disruption that the COVID-19 pandemic and supply and demand unbalance has brought however, has truly shaken the center of gravity of the value chain like never before. Whilst the current crisis is still in a highly precarious situation, with many rightfully focused on the here and now of unfolding events, looking beyond this from a human capital perspective must be on every leader’s agenda.

Almost overnight the world’s definition of working life has flipped. Many who have been victim to the cuts the industry has actioned have been profoundly impacted, as well ‘business as usual’ being reset for those that remain. As the industry edges towards a restart in activity, it is safe to say the workforce that emerges into the ‘new normal’ will doing so with a very different mindset.

1 Chris Lacy

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Whilst those who survive the measures taken will likely possess a new drive to adapt to the landscape ahead, many still may harbor feelings of fear and distrust. Ensuring employees feel they have a place in building your future organisation by establishing a clear purpose can reinforce, or rebuild, a culture of productivity. Even at the best of times, the handson nature required in developing culture is often underestimated, with this only further amplified under the tension of navigating new priorities from both a professional and personal perspective.

Leaders who have been successful in creating a healthy working dynamic previously may find that the identity of their business has been altered considerably, or requires a new toolbox to shape.

Communication should be at the heart of promoting culture. Executives should engage often and authentically, with an open approach and mindset over a formalised stage to send a generic message filled with ambiguous positives, which can be damaging by broadening disconnect despite good intentions. More than ever, work needs to be meaningful at a personal level to provide employees with security and recognition in an unsettling environment. Leaders should ensure a clear sense of individual impact by imparting the specific value people bring to the bigger picture rather than

reiterating responsibilities. Equally, collaboration in a leaner structure should be closely encouraged and enabling open networks to achieve this is critical. Companies should consider conducting an organisational review to ensure they are optimally positioned to ensure efficiency in a more streamlined and open setting.

Leaders should also aim to teach the ‘how’ instead of the ‘what’ to cultivate engagement, particularly in an environment where many will be retooling. In the thick of navigating uncertainty, companies may not have the resources to immediately consider how to identify and address gaps in capability and knowledge. When the dust settles however, it is vital that questions are asked of how individuals can be developed to best help the company achieve its mission. A more junior manager stepping up to lead a team may require mentorship to take this on, or an excellent subject matter expert could benefit from formal training in a parallel field. Creating room for the confidence to be proactive in a more agile structure can also provide purpose for some to seize opportunity to broaden career opportunities where before they may have been pigeonholed previously.

Whilst executives are right to move towards the light at the end of the tunnel, they must plan to emerge into this thoughtfully. Whilst the new normal is within distance, expecting your team to ease into this without investing time and resource into human capital is shortsighted.

By Sean Buchan

Managing Partner - EMEA at Ducatus Partners

Southwestern Energy Appoints Vice President General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Southwestern Energy announced the promotion of Chris Lacy to Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Chris has 17 years of experience as an attorney and has been with Southwestern Energy for over six years. Prior to his promotion, he was Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary. Chris will be replacing John Ale who led the company’s legal functions for nearly seven years.

Royal IHC Transitions with Recently Appointed Chief Financial Officer and Interim Chief Executive Officer

Royal IHC have announced changes to their leadership team with the appointments of Gerben Eggink to interim Chief Executive Officer and Paul van der Harten to Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining to Royal IHC, Gerban served as Chief Executive Officer for the Gardline Group and Smit Lamnalco with successful experience leading organizations through transition periods. Gerben will succeed Dave Hander Heyde. Paul van der Harten has taken over as the company’s new Chief Financial Officer. He previously served as the Chief Financial Officer for AEG Power Solutions and has over 25 years of experience. With a background focused in energy, Paul held many financial positions over the course of his career with companies such as OMV and Royal Dutch Shell.

www.ogvenergy.co.uk I July 2020

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Jordan Stringer Gerben Eggink

Paul van der Harten

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Jordan Stringer Named Varel EVP Eastern Hemisphere Operation

Varel have appointed Jordan Stringer as their Executive Vice President Eastern Hemisphere Operation. Prior to joining Varel, Jordan was the Vice President, Global Business Development and Strategy for Weatherford. Throughout his 12 year career at Weatherford, his primary focus was product line management in the Middle East and Africa.

ON THE MOVE

Content provided by Ducatus Partners

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Varel Appoints Aron Deen to Executive Vice President Engineering, Technology and R&D Aron Deen has been appointed as Varel’s Executive Vice President Engineering, Technology and R&D. For the last 10 years, Aron served as an engineering manager for multiple regions at Ulterra Drilling Technologies. Most recently, he was the Director of Marketing and Business Development for Ulterra.

Linda Duchame

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Linda DuCharme, Promoted to President of ExxonMobil Upstream BD

Linda DuCharme will take over as ExxonMobil’s Upstream Business Development President following the retirement of current President, Steven Greenlee, after 38 years with the company.

Linda joined Exxon in 1986 and will continue acting as President of ExxonMobil Upstream Integrated Solutions. Over the course of her career with the company, she has held many international leadership positions, such as Vice President of Americas, Africa and Asia Pacific New Markets.

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Viper Innovations Managing Director Appointment

Viper Innovations, a SUBSEA Technology and Engineering Company, appointed Edward Davies as their new Managing Director. Prior to joining Viper Innovations, Edward was an Advisor for the engineering company Adey where he later took on the role of Chief Operating Officer. Edward will be replacing former Managing Director and founder, Neil Douglas, who will continue to be part of the board of directors along with his cofounder Max Nodder.

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Pryme Group Chief Executive Officer Appointment

Pryme Group, a Dundee-based manufacturing firm promoted Kerrie Murray to Chief Executive Officer, a role she held as Interim since the departure of former Chief Executive Officer, Angus Gray. Murray joined Pryme Group in 2018 as Chief Financial Officer and previously served as Director of International Finance at Forum Energy Technologies.

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Acteon Appoints Carl Trowell as Chief Executive Officer

Carl Trowell has been named the group Chief Executive Officer of Acteon, the subsea and marine energy services company. Carl joins Acteon from Valaris where he served as Executive Chairman.

He also held the role of Chief Executive Officer at Ensco prior to its merge with Rowan Companies, which became Valaris. In his early career, Carl held several leadership positions with Schlumberger, including the North Sea regions Managing Director.

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Edward Davies

BP Appoints Senior Vice President, North Sea Region

BP has announced the promotion of Emeka Emembolu to Senior Vice President of North Sea Region.

Emembolu will replace Ariel Flores, who is stepping as Senior Vice President of Subsurface. Both moves come as part of a company reorganisation. Emeka joined the company in 1998 and has held various leadership positions across the company. Prior to his promotion, he was based in Houston as Vice President of Reservoir Development, Gulf of Mexico and Canada.

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Aron Deen

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Gillian King

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Michael O'Donnell

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Carl Trowell

Martin Gilbert Appointed Chair of the OGTC

The Oil and Gas Technology Center, OGTC, has named Martin Gilbert as Chair of the research and technology organisation based in Aberdeen. Martin is currently the Chairman of Standard Life Aberdeen, a leading investment company headquartered in Edinburgh.

Prior to this, he co-founded held the position of Chief Executive Officer for Aberdeen Asset Management, a full-service asset management group, joining the London Stock Exchange in 1991.

HPR ROV Appoints Business Development Director

HPR ROV, have announced Michael O’Donnell as their new Business Development Director. O’Donnell will focus on growing the company’s geographical presence in the Middle East and Gulf of Mexico.

Michael brings over 12 years of experience in the energy sector having worked at ROVOP, OES Asset Integrity Management, BBRG and Sparrows Group.

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Emeka Emembolu

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The Tecno Plug® provides fail-safe double block and bleed isolation of pressurised pipelines while the system remains live and at operating pressure.

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COMPANY NEWS

Advertisement Feature

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Enhancing & improving occupational and task-specific safety

Safelift demo equipment Safelift gas turbine lifting / transportation frame

Safelift Offshore’s complete focus during its 25 years of service to many offshore energy industries has been on engineering products for handling & lifting purposes which enhance & improve occupational and task specific safety and this continues to be the case today.

Indeed, perhaps, more so than ever industry trends such as reduced manning levels and the increased use of multi-skilled or third-party personnel means having the best item of equipment to hand for a particular operation is essential.

Equally, having a business partner with a collaborative, fresh & innovative approach to solving often long-standing sectorial safety challenges is paramount.

This is where Safelift Offshore excels because of constructive dialogue with the customer about a particular issue, their efforts to achieve consistency across different assets in terms of the equipment being utilised or, indeed, their ambitions for operational efficiency and personal safety in the case of a Greenfield & Brownfield project scope.

Various items from Safelift’s extensive manual handling product range have gained wide ranging industry acceptance over the years being regularly utilised day to day to ensure safety for multiple tasks. To meet increased project demands, Safelift have further developed these products to create an ATEX range of equipment providing an even higher specification item for use in ATEX Zone 1 and 2 hazardous areas.

And to complement this, Safelift now offer powered access, handling and lifting equipment

capable of meeting ATEX specifications or their international equivalents thus providing a complete mechanical handling package solution for Greenfield & Brownfield projects.

Moreover, due to on-going investment in developing the company’s design & engineering resources Safelift have increasingly been supporting their customers with more bespoke solutions, often for a complex application where overcoming an inherent safety challenge is of key importance.

One recent case study highlights this capability where a requirement arose to transport a replacement Gas Turbine from a logistics base to an offshore platform and install it once positioned.

It was noticed the Turbine’s protective cocoon or pod made no provision for lifting. Various methods for slinging the load were considered but set aside owing to risk. Safelift co-operated with the customer’s team to develop a combined Lifting / Transportation Frame that ensured the safety of all personnel involved in the mobilisation of the unit to the field.

Safelift’s Group Sales Manager, Hugh Ramsay, comments “The development of new products or the focus on project solutions utilising our in-house design & engineering specialism & experience has meant we’re consistently positioned at the forefront of the lifting and mechanical handling industry and engaged with multiple energy sectors”.

“This capability has also seen us be successful with numerous worldwide Greenfield & Brownfield technical procurement opportunities where the customer has trusted us to pull together large packages of equipment, which has seen us co-operate with multiple preferred business partners to source complementary items”, he remarks before adding “Very often our familiarity with the customer’s high expectation associated with obtaining all necessary approvals, certification & documentation across a comprehensive technical procurement scope helps differentiate Safelift in a competitive business environment”.

Safelift’s personnel have continued to work on similar new enquiries across various energy industry sectors both across the world and closer to home despite the recent on-going challenge of the Coronavirus pandemic and remain optimistic these will provide a sizeable pipeline of new business.

Further details can be found on the company’s website at www.safelift.co.uk

KEEPING YOU SAFE. The safety of our delegates and colleagues comes first.

Survivex and AIS Training have introduced a comprehensive range of measures to ensure the safety of delegates and staff as our Aberdeen and Newcastle training centres have reopened.

Our safety measures include but are not limited to...

SANITISING STATIONS

STAGGERED START TIMES AND BREAKS

SANITISERS PROVIDED AT EVERY ENTRANCE AND CLASSROOM.

TO AVOID CROWDING IN COMMON AREAS.

SMALLER CLASS SIZES AND RECONFIGURED CLASS LAYOUTS TO ALLOW SAFE DISTANCING.

NO CASH

CONTACTLESS CARD PAYMENTS ONLY.

PAPERLESS SIGN-IN REGISTRATION SYSTEM REDUCES CONTACT AND CROWDING.

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COMPANY NEWS

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Infinity signal intent for international expansion Stephen Hamilton

Infinity announce Stephen Hamilton as a Partner of the company and green-light the expansion of the business. In-line with their 10-year growth plan, Infinity have now entered the strategically important London energy market, which will operate as a hub for engineering support to the international arena.

This will also strengthen the Aberdeen technical offering available to the North Sea client base.

The expansion has resulted in increased headcount and capabilities for Infinity in both regions, with additional growth expected in the coming months.

Infinity have developed a series of smart engineering solutions which deliver specific end goals such as cost savings, production optimisation and lowering of carbon emissions.

To do this the Infinity approach each challenge

with a Systems Engineering mindset working alongside clients to achieve pre-defined targets.

Infinity’s Systems Engineering approach, entails the various technical teams that work on a development project or operating asset collaborating as a single unit. Infinity bring a ready-made Systems wide team to the client to achieve this. This includes subsurface, wells, subsea, flow assurance, production chemistry, materials/corrosion, operations and facility engineering expertise.

Focusing from the near wellbore to topsides processing facilities, the system is then evaluated as a single entity to realise genuine efficiencies and meet economic targets.

Design time can be substantially reduced and optimisations identified to support lower OPEX and environmental footprint.

Following his appointment as Regional Director to lead the London office for Infinity, Stephen Hamilton said: “As a truly independent consultancy, my aim is to have Infinity bring a complete Systems Engineering approach to developing new fields and maximising production in fields already online that encompasses the reservoir all the way through to the point of sale. At the core of this is Infinity’s existing expertise in field development, flow assurance and subsea engineering / operations. To this mix, I will add my 30 years of experience working for small, medium and major operators and service companies across their subsurface, facilities and operations teams to challenge, innovate and minimise the environmental impact of any operations Infinity work on. “

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OPINION decommissioning is primarily a ‘waste management process’, albeit with appreciable environmental impacts and engineering obstacles, that have to be reviewed from beginning to end, as it passes through its various stages of evolution. At each of these stages, it is important that the Regulator is able to interrogate .evaluate and inform Operators on the framework of international regulations and Government policies that ultimately determine the execution and conclusion of their project. Whether small (a single subsea wellhead structure) or to a complex multi-platform field.

At the behest of Operators, this preferable

Brent Alpha

WHO REGULATES THE REGULATORS?

By Hamish the experienced oilfield professional

Without doubt the largest item on the agenda is Brent Field. A huge producer that has boosted the earnings, value and share price of Shell and Exxon, the Partners in operating JV, Shell Expro for years. This is a $1.5+billion project, scheduled over decades, not years. As such, it is regulated by OPRED, part of BEIS. But has that profile given it undue influence and have regulators been technically competent to assess the many detailed complications of the asset’s installations?

My answer is, they should be. In the early days, the late Peter Holt (incidentally the civil servant who drafted the OSPAR 98/3 framework) and his successor, Keith Mayo, undoubtedly were capable individuals, whom were also excellent at listening and evaluating the implications of various options throughout the application dialogue. They also clearly appreciated that

www.ogvenergy.co.uk I July 2020

The net result is inadequate stewardship of applications and premature acceptance of clearly non-complaint decommissioning programmes.

What is worse, from an international reputational perspective, these are then used as the basis for deficient Derogation Cases submitted to the OSPAR signatories for adoption.

The mutually embarrassing outcome, for regulator and applicant is the sort of debacle our “flagship” Brent Decommissioning Derogation Case now finds itself embroiled in – log-jammed by international regulatory non-compliance and with enough egg to cover 10,000 faces! Don’t take my word for it. Read the independent assessment reports commissioned by the German and Netherlands Governments, tabled and referred to in the official .objections lodged (that are in the public domain).

The full horror of the compounded misinterpretations; poor scientific studies; and application of redundant, or at least, superseded technologies and the UK national humiliation and reputational damage to Shell and Exxon is complete.

The issues are not primarily “technical”, they are grounded in blatant misunderstanding or intentional disregard for regulations. Just read them.

In recent months in the “decom sector” we have seen a number of events that have led me to ask that age-old question - “What is the role of a regulator and what should we, as UK taxpayers, expect from those Government Departments and Agencies that are charged with the onerous task of regulating?”

Firstly, I would proffer the concept they are there to protect and steward our national interests, natural resources and environment. So, let’s look more closely at decommissioning.

degree of scrutiny appears to have been replaced by a simplified process which has given applicants much more flexibility to dictate methodologies and has turned the regulatory dialogue into a series of “tick-box exercises”, where spelling and vocabulary are more seriously vetted, than compliance with the complex, but not insurmountable, matrix of overlapping fiscal, environmental and social issues.

“What is the role of a regulator and what should we, as UK taxpayers, expect from those Government Departments and Agencies that are charged with the onerous task of regulating?”

But how did we get here? In my humble opinion because, like the Operators, the new breed of regulator sees the process as about “big engineering” and “huge cost factors”, rather than a large, but manageable, waste handling process. Granted, not a very sexy teaching module for the new National Centre for Decommissioning at University of Aberdeen.

How do we remedy it? I suggest by re-injecting

common sense, pragmatism and a renewed vigilance of the existing regulations of the time.

Campaign for framework change if you want, but be careful what you wish for. Every renegotiation can go either way! First and foremost, realise that engineering and science are a means to an end, not an end in themselves.

Who regulates the Regulators? We all do! Get our UK Regulators back on track, with investment in relevant expertise and following UK Policy and industry guidelines (apart from Comparative Assessments) and best practice, if you want a better marine environment and a thriving UK decommissioning Sector.

TRAVEL PARTNER Going above and beyond to support a vital service At Traveleads, we pride ourselves on building partnerships with our clients. We work tirelessly to look after your best interests in a number of ways – all with the aim of saving you time, money and adding value through expert consultancy. Ultimately, we want to make life easier for our clients, with a huge focus on the welfare of their most valuable asset - their people.

Never more so than at a time like this.

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Supporting essential workers Our customers span a variety of sectors – from energy to medical services, manufacturing to sports teams. And whilst there is currently a global ban on the movement of people, the government has recognised the need to keep certain industries operating, meaning many still need to travel domestically and internationally. Whilst this may sound simple, it’s been a real complex challenge that our team has risen to.

Let’s look at the energy sector in particular, which like others is working from home where possible.

But with critical operations taking place up and down the country, on and offshore, there is no getting away from the fact that these essential workers need to travel; more than 12,000 UK staff are still working offshore, amounting to 40% of the total workforce across 147 offshore platforms.

With closed borders, reduced services and a myriad of other complications, our expert advice and continued support to keep them moving safely continues to be pivotal.

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Traveleads Sales Director Sally Cassidy explains: “Arranging domestic travel to and from Aberdeen, as well as international travel to key energy hubs around the globe, has certainly been interesting at times. With border and quarantine restrictions, as well as complex visa requirements, our team’s skills are being put to the test but despite the odds, they always go above and beyond. Making it work for the client is non-negotiable.”

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Communication and forward-thinking The Traveleads partnership ethos is stronger than ever. Our team of experts are fully conversant with all the latest travel updates, guiding our clients on the best options available and alternative solutions in response to rapidly changing flight schedules and wider travel restrictions. Regular communication and proactive support for all our clients has been vital. Firstly, to provide reassurance that measures are in place for safe travelling. Secondly, as their travel partner, we are working closely with them to fully understand re-entry and return to work plans, offering assistance to update travel policies and procedures with passenger safety at the forefront, whilst continuing to deliver the efficiencies our clients depend on.

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What the future looks like We know many of our energy clients are looking to resume travel as soon as is safe to do so and we stand ready to support them with this and the increasingly complex requirements that will no doubt continue. We continue to consult heavily, offering advice and knowledge even on speculative plans to support decision-making in a very challenging landscape.

As we look to the future, we recognise that welfare of travellers will be more important than ever and we’re already liaising with suppliers to ensure they’re putting in robust measures to uphold the highest possible standards as travel increases.

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We believe in delivering more than just travel management. We make our customers lives easier and this is proving to be invaluable at a time like this. So, whether our clients are travelling or not right now, we’re here.

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For all enquiries visit www.traveleads.co.uk or contact Sally Cassidy on m. 07715 079 723 scassidy@traveleads.net

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LEGAL & FINANCE during tender processes to an expectation that more environmentally friendly solutions will be offered, contractors also need to be assessing the goods and services they provide against a net-zero and clean tech background.

The Oil and Gas Technology Centre is already focussed on helping businesses develop in these areas and offers new solutions to the market for development, production and decommissioning phases.

By Laura Petrie, Legal Director, Brodies LLP

Transitioning to

Cleaner Tech On Wednesday 9th June, a very significant milestone passed that many probably missed. After more than 135 years the UK's energy production hit the longest period ever recorded without using coal-fired power. The intention is for the last remaining coal powered plants (of which there are three) to be either converted to gas or closed by the end of 2025. regard to any funder or investor obligations It marks a key turning point in energy that may exist. In some cases, a significant generation in the UK and also turns the change in direction or adoption of a new focus on reducing the use of other fossil business strategy will require approval or fuels. Against this milestone, the oil and gas could cut across the terms of any loan industry also faces the after-effects of a arrangements, especially if the change is pandemic, new proposed net-zero significant. Moreover, while general obligations to be included in public perception of an oil and the OGA's strategy for the gas company will be vastly industry and growing public At the heart of a improved by the adoption of attention on climate change clean technology and reduced strong contractor and the activities of energy emissions, if focus is lost on companies. relationship will be a the core business of oil and gas generation, investors may seek flexible, well-scoped Accordingly, 'energy to liquidate their investment, contract. transition' and 'clean tech' especially if they had invested are becoming the new internal with the intention of building a slogans in boardrooms across specific type of portfolio. Equally, the industry. Some companies are where new investment is required to making these statements public, such as achieve these new aims, the terms of such BP launching its net-zero 2050 campaign investment will require to be closely considered and publishing its aims and proposed to ensure they align with existing and new delivery model to achieve this, while others strategies. are working more quietly to adopt amended strategies and develop new technologies.

This anticipated shift of focus for operators In making these changes and perhaps and licensees will also have consequences altering the primary focus of the business, for contractors and supply chain companies. oil and gas organisations need to have From a shift in priorities and points awarded

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It is likely that there will need to be a greater level of engagement and collaboration between the supply chain and operators in order to achieve the intended outcomes.

Procurement methods may need to change in order to support such alternative contracting models. This will require bespoke contract drafting or, as a minimum, amendment to existing standard terms and conditions.

These changes across the industry also have significant implications for the workforce.

More efficient technology can mean leaner workforces or the need for employees to diversify their skill sets. Improved training policies and regimes, amendments to employment contracts or, at worst, consultations and redundancies, all require careful legal consideration.

In the short-term, those engaged in the oil and gas industry should get involved in the OGA consultation relating to the introduction of netzero obligations into the strategy.

Contributions from industry will help the OGA shape the guidance relating to the proposed amendments to the strategy and give clarity as to the roles of operators, licensees and the supply chain in achieving net-zero, whether through collaboration, investment or simply further engagement.

In the longer term, we all need to consider the place of oil and gas in the UK energy mix. Energy transition is happening now and early adoption of clean technology and more efficient processes will help keep oil and gas as a key part of that mix.

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