OGV Energy - Issue 52 - January 2022 - Drilling & Well Services

JANAUGUST 2022 - ISSUE 2020 52

UK’s No. ENERGY SECTOR

1

PUBLICATION

DRILLING & WELL SERVICES

GLOBAL ENERGY NEWS

OIL-PRICE P.18

WORLD PROJECTS MAP

The oil price slide at the end of November and the high uncertainty about how the Omicron COVID variant could impact global oil demand in coming weeks and months

MONTHLY THEME

DRILLING & WELL SERVICES P.22

The drilling and well services segment is recovering from the 2020 slump

RENEWABLES

RENEWABLES INNOVATION & TECH

P.30

SSE Renewables has committed substantial funding to facilitate growth of offshore wind infrastructure at the Port of Nigg

CONTRACT AWARDS DECOMMISSIONING ON THE MOVE STATS AND ANALYTICS LEGAL & FINANCE EVENTS

MAXIMUM SAFETY & PERFORMANCE

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SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT

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Ac�ve opera�onal and technical support is provided to ship owners and operators, offshore Oil & Gas operators, renewable operators, charterers, crews and a host of other marine related companies. The partnership was created to give supply chains and project coordinators a single point of contact for various aspects of equipment assurance, covering the complete vessel. ROV, Dive System, DP, Marine, Li�ing & Rigging Assurance and Crane Assurance are all offered as part of a ‘Complete Vessel Assurance’.

Diving Assurance ROV Assurance Crane Assurance DP Assurance Marine Assurance Subsea Operations Support & Consultancy Marine Operations Support & Consultancy Project Specific Equipment Assurance Equipment Mobilisation & Demobilisation Marine Training Subsea Training

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CONTENTS

3

COVER PARTNER

04 - Stena Drilling - A Managed Pressure Drilling Contractor

COMMUNITY NEWS

08 - Latest updates from our OGV Community members

GLOBAL ENERGY NEWS

04

11 - UK North Sea 14 - Europe 16 - US 18 - Middle East

08

WORLD PROJECTS MAP

18

14

22

20 - EIC - World's latest project updates

MONTHLY THEME 22 - Risk Management and Well Being in the Energy Industry 25 - AGR: Could the sharing economy hold the key to the oil and gas resourcing challenges?

INNOVATION & TECH ZONE 26 - Hydrawell: Doing it “well” for the environment with superior solutions

25

26

27

27 - Resman: Digitasing the wellbore

OUR DIGITAL INDUSTRY 28 - Sword Group: A data-driven journey

TECHNOLOGY NEWS 29 - Cognite: Building a future-ready oil and gas operation from the digital ground up

RENEWABLES 29

30

30 - SSE Renewables backs green energy NOW and for the future

EVERY MONTH 32 - Contract Awards 34 - On the Move 36 - Decommissioning 38 - Stats & Analytics 40 - Legal & Finance 42 - Community Partner 43 - Events

KENNY DOOLEY MAIN EDITOR Welcome to the January edition of OGV Energy Magazine, where we welcome in the new year in by exploring ‘Drilling and Well Services’ as our theme.

At the time of writing, we are still unclear as to whether the pandemic will continue to impact face to face Energy events such as Offshore Europe and Subsea UK, but we are planning to attend both at present and look forward to continuing to support our loyal clients and event partners with strong media coverage in February at these key industry events.

This month we are delighted to welcome Stena Drilling as our front cover partner and you can read all about their impressive Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) capability in their double page article inside this months issue.

We also have insights from AGR, Cognite, Sword Group, AIS Survivex and Resman.

The rest of this month’s magazine as always provides you with a review of the Energy sector in the North Sea, Europe, the Middle East, the US and Australasia along with industry analysis and project updates from Westwood Global Energy Group, the EIC and Renewables UK.

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Thanks again to our readers for all their support as we look forward to a prosperous 2022.

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4

COVER PARTNER

STENA DRILLING: A MANAGED PRESSURE DRILLING CONTRACTOR Reacting to a competitive Deepwater rig market as well as Operator’s increasing requests for Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) capability in rig tenders, Stena Drilling identified a requirement to establish MPD Capability within its Deepwater fleet and in February 2016 sanctioned the purchase and integration of two Deepwater MPD systems on Deepwater Drillships. Since then the company has doubled its MPD fleet to four MPD Drillships and has successfully utilised all four systems to drill a total of eighteen Deepwater MPD exploration and appraisal wells across multiple regions and for multiple operators. This journey from ‘MPD Curious’ to providing a fully integrated MPD service as part of the rig contract has been the result of significant technical and operational achievements

by Stena Drilling’s teams in close collaboration with the MPD Systems OEM, the vessels’ Classification Authority, and major Operators.

Stena Drilling MPD Crew on board the Stena IceMAX

MPD fleet are functionally identical, using the same control systems, hardware and layouts with a single OEM for support provides significant efficiencies in the management and continuous improvement of MPD operations as well as helping ensure crew competency and providing operational assurances. The closed loop, below tension ring MPD system incorporates some of the industry’s most advanced MPD technologies and has now been proven to deliver successful MPD wells consistently since 2017.

The Integrated Riser Joint is a single 40-foot assembly weighing just under 35 metric tonnes with a maximum outer diameter of 56 inch and minimum inner diameter of 18.77 inch. The joint consists of a 18-3/4” Stena Drilling’s Rotating Control Device housing; a 21-1/4” slimline annular and a flow spool with dual outlets on the bottom. An adaptor spool (top) integrated MPD service The MPD Service Model and integral flanged connection (bottom) allow quick and easy model provides the Operator make-up to the rigs riser system. The joint is deployed, below the Following dialogue with the industry it tension ring but above the termination joint for the riser auxiliary with a rig equipped with all became apparent that for Deepwater lines (choke, kill, boost, conduit etc.) meaning the IRJ itself has necessary systems required MPD operations, Operators increasingly no external auxiliary lines reducing its overall weight and aiding wanted to move from a rental MPD to perform all aspects of general handling as well as maintenance on all drill through Service with its higher mobilisation components. Two six-inch flowline hoses connect the IRJ via Deepwater MPD and integration costs towards a fully the flow spool to the surface distribution manifold with a two-inch integrated, Drilling Contractor ‘Owned and operations bleed line running from a port between the RCD and slimline annular Operated’ operational service offered as part to the distribution manifold. A control umbilical connects to the joint to of the wider rig service. This was also identified the surface control system via an umbilical reel.

by Stena Drilling’s management as the preferred solution as, having had brief experience with rental MPD The surface system consists of a main distribution manifold connecting the MPD systems in 2014, it was clear that assuming ownership and system to wider rig systems including standpipe and choke manifolds, the shale responsibility for the MPD system was the only way to give shakers and Mud Gas Separator. Immediately downstream of the Distribution the Drilling Contractor the risk assurance it desired when Manifold is a Junk Catcher manifold featuring dual junk catchers intended to engaging in such a critical well activity. protect sensitive equipment downstream from plugging/damage. Downstream of the Junk Catcher, the MPD Choke Manifold consists of two parallel, six-inch Stena Drilling’s integrated MPD service model provides the Operator with a rig equipped with all necessary systems, competent personnel and detailed procedures required to perform all aspects of Deepwater MPD operations. The model provides a purpose-built system which conforms to the same design, installation and maintenance standards as the wider rig, in line with Classification, industry and regulatory rules. The system is maintained and operated by the Drilling Contractor’s crew using a combination of existing rig crew upskilled for MPD operations as well as new MPD positions, namely MPD Toolpushers and Control System Operators. These trained and competent crews deploy and operate the MPD system per Stena Drilling’s specific MPD operating procedures and in line with the Operator’s well program, ensuring a consistent approach with more assured outcomes.

System Description Consistency of design as well as a using single equipment supplier for the MPD system was identified by Stena Drilling as critical to the success of the wider service model. Ensuring all MPD systems across the company’s

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MPD Controls and Manifolds on a DrillMAX class vessel

COVER PARTNER bodied, hydraulically actuated chokes which can be dressed for four- or six-inch service. An additional three-inch hydraulic choke is located upstream of the junk-catcher providing pressure relief were the junk catcher to plug. All three chokes in the system work in concert to provide a tiered pressure control functionality. A flowmeter manifold is located downstream of the MPD choke manifold incorporating two parallel Coriolis flow meters which can be operated in tandem if required for higher flowrates with equivalent, high accuracy flow measurement into the well is provided by four individual Coriolis meters installed on the rigs Mud Pumps. Finally, a set of automated valves downstream of the flowmeter manifold allows automatic routing of the flow to either the shakers or the MGS as required by operations.

A central control unit provides power and control to a variety of subsystems including the Integrated Riser Joint and the MPD Chokes with an independent Pressure Relief System providing emergency pressure relief across the entire MPD System including overall system protection and diversion overboard and individual component protection as required.

Procedural Development & Crew Training Over forty-five procedures have been developed to cover the deployment, configuration, operation and maintenance of the MPD system. It was established very early on that all procedures related to the MPD system had to be authored and owned by the Drilling Contractor, written in a format and operational language familiar to the rig crews that would be assuming responsibility for MPD operations. Whilst this was the case, the development of these procedures was very much a collaborative process involving Stena, a major Operator, an MPD Service Company (in their capacity as both the MPD system OEM and the Operators MPD Engineering provider) and a third-party MPD consultancy.

Even at the rig site this collaborative approach to procedural development continued with lessons learned captured daily during early operations and continued re-draft, review and update. Bringing together this wide range of expertise, objectives and perspectives utilising a collaborative and iterative approach delivered a suite of procedures that has delivered safe, efficient and consistent MPD operations across multiple vessels and In just over four challenging wells.

years Stena Drilling have

These procedures subsequently became gone from zero MPD capability fundamental to the in-house MPD training Integrated Riser Joint being deployed on the Stena IceMAX in Ireland to successfully providing a program that Stena Drilling provides its crews in preparation of MPD operations. fully operational MPD service Personnel initially undergo an intensive worldwide allowing major Operational Experience two-day classroom training course giving them a detailed understanding of the Operators to meet their To date Stena Drilling has installed MPD systems on the Stena MPD fundamentals, equipment, methods Deepwater MPD Carron, Stena DrillMAX, Stena Forth and Stena IceMAX Deepwater and procedures they will be expected to drill ships, drilling eighteen MPD wells in just over four years. The objectives understand and manage at the well-site.

MPD system has been utilised in a variety of sections from eightCritically all training is built around the specific and-a-half-inch up to nineteen-inch hole, across a wide range of drilling system, equipment and associated procedures parameters and flow rates. The system has been utilised to achieve constant the crew will work with on their own rig (a key benefit of bottom hole pressure during drilling, connections, tripping, coring, wireline and maintaining a consistent approach to MPD system design BOP testing operations as well as facilitating the performance of dynamic leak and functionality) removing any uncertainty that might come off tests, pore pressure tests and drilling problem management (losses etc.). with a more generic, ‘catch-all’ training program.

Following on from this classroom training, a two-day simulator course, again fundamentally built around the actual procedures the crews will use at the rig site gives the new MPD personnel a chance to ‘feel’ the differences between MPD and conventional drilling as well as challenge themselves in contingency and emergency scenarios in a controlled and safe environment. A final level of rig-based training performed in the casing shoe prior to drill-out provides an opportunity to observe the actual system reacting in a number of scenarios and procedures before the MPD system utilised for critical well operations.

Proven MPD Service Provider In just over four years Stena Drilling have gone from zero MPD capability to successfully providing a fully operational MPD service worldwide allowing major Operators to meet their Deepwater MPD objectives safely and efficiently.

This model provides economies, efficiencies and opportunities that have the potential to unlock Deepwater reserves that have historically been considered uneconomic or technically infeasible to drill. As Operators continue to seek out the lowest dollar-per-barrel projects it’s predicted that Deepwater Managed Pressure Drilling will be a key enabler with the Owned and Operated MPD Service adopted by Stena Drilling representing many Operators preferred model.

STENA DRILLING IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S FOREMOST, INDEPENDENT DRILLING CONTRACTORS, A WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF STENA AB. For more information visit www.stena-drilling.com

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COMMUNITY

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opening up the possibility for clients to save up to one fifth on their energy costs. As an ABB low voltage value provider with access to motion control products, AEL is now able to offer a process which is unique in its scalability for industrial and hazardous settings, and can be applied to provide flexibility whilst optimising process and control measures.

Portfolio Expansion Brings Anticipated Job Creation A leading Aberdeen-based electrical and subsea supplier has continued its landmark 40th anniversary celebrations by creating a new division which is likely to lead to the creation of new jobs in the coming months.

AEL (Aberdeen) Ltd’s new arm will focus on providing energy audits in the north of Scotland,

Rotech Subsea completes cable deburial and post-lay trenching works at London Array OWF Rotech Subsea has completed key de-burial and post-lay trenching works in the outer Thames Estuary for a major marine services player. The works, on the London Array offshore wind farm, further establishes the company as the sectorleader in Controlled flow excavation (CFE) and suspended jet trenching.

In Q3, 2021, Rotech Subsea’s cutting edge TRS1LD tool successfully completed a de-burial and post-lay trenching campaign of 1,000m of subsea cable at the OWF. Deployed using the vessel crane of the Forth Jouster, the TRS1LD carried out the de-burial phase of the cable, which was 1-1.5m below seabed, in two passes. The cable was subsequently extracted.

Ashtead Technology bolsters rental fleet with investment in iXblue technologies

It is anticipated that the new division will not only augment options for existing AEL customers but also open up new relationships from Dundee to Shetland.

As demand takes hold, it is expected that there will be a need for additional staff to complete audits and carry out recommendations, and AEL has already launched a recruitment drive in preparation.

Commenting on the news, AEL operations director Mark Goonan said: “This additional service is a natural extension to our portfolio and expertise in

SCOTGRIP® INTERNATIONAL furthers global expansion with IRE Oil & Gas FZE partnership SCOTGRIP® INTERNATIONAL announced a further strategic global partnership with IRE Oil & Gas FZE (IRE Dubai). This agreement will see SCOTGRIP® INTERNATIONAL supply their industrial anti-slip safety products across the entire Middle East region to a number of target sectors including energy, marine, industrial and construction.

all things low voltage, and we are excited to explore the possibilities this will open up for us and our customers.

“With soaring energy costs uppermost in the minds of many, we anticipate strong demand for this new branch of our business and we look forward to working with customers old and new to find efficiencies in their energy bills.”

Founded in 1981, AEL is a family-owned international brand providing first-class electrical and subsea products and services to the onshore, offshore, renewable, petrochemical, marine and industrial sectors.

From its global headquarters in Aberdeen’s Bridge of Don and regional hubs in Houston, Baku and Mexico, the company offers a broad range of electrical products and services which are delivered by an experienced and committed team.

TEXO commits to becoming Carbon Zero by 2032 TEXO, the leading multi-disciplinary company, has announced a commitment to be carbon zero by 2032. The business will introduce a series of initiatives to help drive greener business ambitions over the coming years, all designed to reduce its carbon footprint and to switch to cleaner and greener options across everything from energy use to travel.

This latest venture follows a recent announcement by SCOTGRIP® INTERNATIONAL on the launch of their two new UK Sales offices at the Port of Dundee and Port of Blyth.

Currently working with Carbon Neutral Britain, an initiative that helps individuals and businesses in the UK to make a difference, TEXO has recently undertaken a review of its current carbon usage, to help it plan how and where it can make long-lasting, sustainable changes.

First Marine Solutions awarded multimillion contract by decom specialist

Re-Gen Robotics picks up hat trick of EIC Awards

International subsea equipment rental and solutions specialist Ashtead Technology has further strengthened its rental fleet with a significant investment in iXblue subsea navigation systems.

Offshore moorings expert, First Marine Solutions (FMS), has announced the award of a seven-figure contract by well decommissioning specialist, WellSafe Solutions.

Leading robotic tank cleaning company, Re-Gen Robotics has been recognised with three awards at the Energy Industries Council Awards 2021, including the prestigious Company of the Year Award.

The investment includes the addition of further Rovins and Rovins Nano inertial navigation systems as well as Octans attitude and heading reference systems which are now available to rent throughout the company’s nine international technology and service hubs.

The £multi-million agreement will see Aberdeenheadquartered FMS provide its full spectrum of marine consultancy services, including provision of equipment, marine services, and survey and marine engineering.

The awards ceremony was held virtually on Thursday 2nd December and celebrates the best and brightest supply chain companies in the energy sector. More than 60 companies competed for 15 EIC Awards, including the coveted EIC Company of the Year Award.

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ENERGY NEWS

11

JANUARY 2022

UK NORTH SEA

Energy Review

By Tsvetana Paraskova

Well drilling and maintenance activity, Shell’s move to the UK and its withdrawal

Despite the COVID-induced slowdown in 2020, significant opportunities in well intervention remain in the UK Continental Shelf, the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) said in its second Wells Insight report published in early December with data for 2020.

The number of Exploration and Appraisal wellbores spudded has declined steadily due to the COVID impact, to nine in 2020, down from 29 in 2019, the report found. However, success rates have improved, and operators have discovered over half a billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) in the past three years, OGA said.

A total of 73 new development wells were completed in 2020, down from the 2019 high of 106 wells. Yet, total development drilling spend remained high in 2020, over £2.1 billion, largely because of the more complex developments, such as high-pressure, hightemperature (HPHT) fields, the report showed.

from the Cambo

Total well stock has remained flat over the past four years as the number of new wells was offset by the plugging and abandonment of others.

oil and gas

OGA’s report also found that intervention costs are declining which makes wellbore interventions an economically attractive operation for operators to restore well production.

project, and field development plans were the key themes in the UK North Sea oil and gas sector in the final weeks of 2021.

“The pandemic clearly affected industry’s activity in 2020, but there are significant opportunities available to Operators to improve production performance through more well interventions,” Carlo Procaccini, OGA Head of Technology, said.

OGA is also awarding three studies of three selected winners to share a £1 million prize to advance electrification plans for the oil and gas industry offshore.

The winners are Orcadian Energy as a project lead for innovative concepts for the electrification of offshore installations in the Central Graben area; Orsted as a project lead in a study addressing technical and commercial requirements of windfarm connections with offshore installations; and Katoni Engineering for its idea of an optimised interface for distributed offshore renewable sources supplying existing offshore installations with secure and low-emissions power.

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“Rapid progress on platform electrification is vital to ensure that production emissions are halved by 2030, in line with agreed targets,” Dr Andy Samuel, OGA Chief Executive, said.

Carlo Procaccini, OGA Head of Technology, commented: “Decarbonisation of oil and gas operations is an industry imperative over the next decade, and platform electrification from renewable sources will be an effective way to achieve that.”

Continues >

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ENERGY NEWS

In company news, Shell’s shareholders overwhelmingly approved on 10 December the board’s proposal to move the company’s tax residence to the UK from the Netherlands and drop its dual share structure and ‘Royal Dutch’ from the name. The streamlined share structure would be simpler for investors to value and understand, Shell says.

GMB, the energy union, commented on the decision to pause the Cambo oil field project, saying that it amounts to a “surrender of the national interest.”

“The cheerleaders for Cambo’s shutdown aren’t just throwing energy workers under the bus, but also our security of supply for the gas we will still need on the road to 2050,” said Gary Smith, GMB General Secretary.

A total of 99.77% of shareholder votes cast supported the proposals in the vote in December.

In other field development news, CNOOC Limited said at the end of November that the Buzzard Phase II development 100 kilometres northeast of Aberdeen had safely commenced production.

“This resounding support from shareholders to amend Shell’s Articles of Association will enable a simplification of the company’s share structure and an increase in the speed and flexibility of capital and portfolio actions,” Shell’s Chair, Sir Andrew Mackenzie, said, commenting on the vote.

While fully utilising the existing Buzzard facility, the project has also built a set of underwater production systems and brought on stream two production wells and two water injection wells. Buzzard Phase II is expected to reach its peak production of around 12,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2022, increasing Buzzard’s total production to 80,000 boepd, CNOOC said.

“The Board believes that the simplification will strengthen Shell’s competitiveness and accelerate both shareholder distributions and delivery of its strategy to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050, in step with society,” Sir Mackenzie added.

Orcadian Energy announced on 1 December that it had received a “Letter of no objection” from the Oil and Gas Authority in respect of the development concept for the Pilot field.

In another major news involving Shell, the company pulled out of the development of the Cambo oil and gas field in the North Sea, in a setback to the project that has sparked a lot of controversy in recent months.

Shell, which has 30% in the project, said it “concluded the economic case for investment in this project is not strong enough at this time, as well as having the potential for delays.”

Gary Smith, GMB General Secretary

Commenting on Shell’s decision, Jenny Stanning, OGUK’s external relations director, said: “This is a commercial decision between partners but doesn’t change the facts that the UK will continue to need new oil and gas projects if we are to protect security of supply, avoid increasing reliance on imports and support jobs.”

“However, we know that to deliver the transition to a lower carbon future, investor confidence remains essential. Gas and oil has a critical role to play in the nation’s future energy supply and we will continue to work with governments, industry and politicians of all parties to make this case,” Stanning added.

Siccar Point Energy, the operator and majority holder in Cambo with 70%, confirmed Shell’s withdrawal and argued that Cambo remains critical to the UK’s energy security and economy.

A week later, Siccar Point paused the Cambo development as it said the project could not progress with the original plans and timescale.

“We are pausing the development while we evaluate next steps,” CEO Jonathan Roger said.

“We continue to believe Cambo is a robust project that can play an important part of the UK's energy security, providing homegrown energy supply and reducing carbon intensive imports, whilst supporting a just transition,” Roger added.

"The cheerleaders for Cambo’s shutdown aren’t just throwing energy workers under the bus, but also our security of supply for the gas we will still need on the road to 2050"

“The letter of no objection for the concept select study from the OGA is a really important step in the progress towards the development of the Pilot Field,” Orcadian’s CEO Steve Brown said.

Two weeks later, in the announcement of the audited results for the twelve months ended 30 June 2021, Brown said the company’s focus for 2022 would be to seek to secure the financing for the Pilot project and to secure a customer for the platform electrification solution it would design in the coming months.

“We are determined to show the industry and the world that it is possible to produce the oil and gas, that regular customers need, in a cost effective way and with much, much lower emissions. We will do this on Pilot and we believe our electrification system will offer an opportunity for other operators on the UKCS to reduce emissions as rapidly as possible,” Brown said.

Maersk Drilling and Petrogas North Sea Ltd have agreed to exercise the previously agreed exclusive option to employ the harshenvironment jack-up rig Maersk Resilient to drill an appraisal well at the Birgitta field in the UK North Sea. The contract is expected to commence at the end of 2021 and will last an estimated 60 days with a value of around US$5.4 million, Maersk Drilling said.

Neptune Energy announced on 1 December the award of a decommissioning contract to Maersk Supply Service (MSS) for the Juliet field in the UK Southern North Sea, which will deploy innovative technology to reduce the time and costs associated with the removal of the subsea infrastructure. Piping spools and umbilicals will be removed using the Utility ROV Services system (UTROV), a remotely-operated tool carrier equipped with

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UK North Sea

BRENT OIL PRICES OVER THE YEARS January review

1

YEAR AGO

- BRENT OIL PRICE 2021 - $50.37 As people were trying to celebrate the new year around the continuing pandemic the oil price goes just over the $50 a barrel mark.

multiple attachments for the recovery of subsea equipment, reducing the necessity for multiple vessels and equipment providers to carry out the complex work, Neptune Energy said.

IOG plc said on 14 December that after successful investigation and repair of the Noble Hans Deul rig leg, the rig was remobilised from Dundee port on 3 December and arrived at the Southwark platform 500 metre zone on 9 December. Given the twomonth drilling hiatus, First Gas is expected at Southwark by the middle of 2022 after the planned installation in Q1 of the 6-km Saturn Banks pipeline extension to the Southwark

platform. The rig is then scheduled to move on to drill the Goddard and Kelham North/ Central appraisal wells, while analysis of reservoir and production data from Southwark wells 1 and 2 will inform an optimal Southwark 3 well plan.

At the Bacton development, final pre-First Gas commissioning activities are now expected to carry over into the early weeks of 2022, IOG said. The final steps to First Gas involve commissioning of end-to-end control and communications systems and backgassing of the pipeline system before opening up the Blythe and Elgood wells in quick succession.

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January last year saw Joe Biden start his work as the President of the United States, and he immediately made an impact by cancelling the Keystone XL pipeline on his very first day in office. The pipeline was projected to carry oil 1,200 miles from Alberta to Nebraska. It had planned to carry 830,000 barrels of heavy crude a day, however environmentalists had fought the plans for over a decade. President Biden pledged to make the fight against climate change a top priority.

5

YEARS AGO

- BRENT OIL PRICE 2017 - $56.82 The price continued a steady rise from December 2016 into January 2017.

At the end of January 2017 Shell created headlines after it sold more than half its North Sea oil & gas fields for $3.8 billion. They sold it to Chysaor, a company headed by Linda Cook. She had previously been at Shell for 29 years, but she resigned after not being given the Chief Executive. Oil majors at the time had been reducing their footprint in the fairly highcost area of the North Sea.

10

YEARS AGO

- BRENT OIL PRICE 2012 - $111.12

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EU leaders had a meeting in Brussels and agreed to ban imports of Iranian oil as part of efforts to force the Iranian capital, Tehran, to abandon its nuclear programme. This move came as a result of a fierce stand-off between the US and Iran. This caused concern for many with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warning that it could cause a shock to the market, with Iran being the fifth-largest oil producer in the world.

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ENERGY NEWS

Europe Energy Review

By Tsvetana Paraskova

Oil & Gas Equinor and partners will invest US$1.1 billion (NOK 10 billion) in further developing the Oseberg field, the third-largest oil producer ever on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). The Oseberg Area Unit partners will reduce CO2 emissions from the Oseberg Field Centre and the Oseberg South platform while increasing Oseberg gas production.

An amended plan for development and operation (PDO) has been submitted to the minister of petroleum and energy Marte Mjøs Persen, Equinor said.

“This investment decision allows us to increase production of Oseberg gas considerably in the future, while reducing CO2 emissions by an estimated 320,000 tonnes per year,” said Geir Tungesvik, Equinor’s senior vice president for project development.

The Norwegian major has also agreed to buy all of Spirit Energy’s production licenses in the Statfjord area which spreads across the Norwegian and UK Continental Shelves and are developed by three integrated production platforms (Statfjord A, B, C).

All licenses are operated by Equinor. The parties agreed on a total consideration of US$50 million, plus a contingent payment linked to commodity prices between October 2021 and December 2022.

This acquisition by Equinor is part of several agreements Spirit Energy has reached

www.ogv.energy I January 2022

The Oseberg Field - Source: Equinor.com

Ownership changes and development plans for oil and gas fields offshore Norway, assessments of the UK and Scottish efforts toward net-zero, and many deals for offshore wind, hydrogen, carbon capture, and battery developments in the UK and elsewhere in Europe featured in the European energy market in the last days of 2021. to divest its Norwegian business and the Statfjord UK field. Sval Energi will acquire the interests held by Spirit Energy Norway AS, excluding the Statfjord Norway field. The headline consideration is US$1.076 billion (around £800 million), plus a contingent payment linked to commodity prices, Spirit Energy said.

“Through this transaction Sval is further strengthened with an experienced, competent and accomplished team. Spirit Energy’s Norwegian portfolio adds material production and gives us a good asset base for further growth on the NCS”, Sval Energi’s CEO Nikolai Lyngø said.

Equinor has also signed an agreement with Vermilion Energy Inc for the sale of its nonoperated equity position in the Corrib gas project in Ireland. The Corrib field, located 83 kilometres off Ireland’s northwest coast, started production in 2015.

The sale of Corrib means that Equinor will no longer have active business presence in Ireland, after also deciding to withdraw from an early phase offshore wind project in the country, the Norwegian company said.

Maersk Drilling has won a one-well contract with OMV (Norge) AS, which will employ the lowemission jack-up rig Maersk Intrepid to drill a high pressure, high temperature exploration well in the Oswig prospect in the Northern North Sea basin offshore Norway. The contract is expected to commence in mid-2022 and includes an option to drill the Eirik exploration well.

Aker BP and licence partners Equinor and Spirit Energy sanctioned the development of the Hanz oil and gas discovery in the North Sea, which will be tied into the Ivar Aasen platform about 12 kilometres further south.

Expected start-up of the Hanz development is in the first half of 2024 and total reserves are around 20 million barrels of oil equivalent.

Europe Low-Carbon Energy COP26 must launch a reinvigorated UK effort on climate change, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) said after the climate summit in Glasgow ended. The key actions for the UK after COP26 include efforts focusing on strengthening the delivery of the NetZero Strategy, rather than inflating the gap between ambition and implementation.

“Key steps to complete the Strategy need to be brought forward swiftly, including a robust plan to tackle emissions from agriculture and land,” the committee’s report following COP26 said. The CCC recommends to the government that the Treasury initiate a review of the role of the tax system in delivering Net-Zero, including the role of tax in achieving a higher and more consistent carbon price across the economy.

The same committee also said in early December that Scotland must halve again its emissions in under a decade to meet its 2030 emissions target.

“Strategies alone won’t reduce emissions. Major changes are needed across the Scottish economy, requiring lasting, systemic action in most sectors.

Clarity and transparency on policy, supported with detail on how these policies will be delivered has been lacking,” Lord Deben, Chairman of the Climate Change Committee said.

The recent announcement from Global Energy Group and its partners that they are investing £110 million in building the UK’s largest offshore wind turbine tower manufacturing plant in the Port of Nigg to the north of Inverness takes the annual total of new investment in UK offshore wind manufacturing facilities this year to over £1 billion, a new record, RenewableUK said.

“Currently we import far too much of our renewables infrastructure this is a missed opportunity to both cut emissions and support UK manufacturing,” said Andy Prendergast, GMB National Secretary.

In company plans, bp confirmed at the end of November it was planning a new large-scale green hydrogen production facility in Teeside that could deliver up to 500Mwe (megawatt electrical input) of hydrogen production by 2030. bp aims to start production at the HyGreen Teesside by 2025, while a final investment decision on the project is expected in 2023. bp and partners also awarded the first engineering contracts advancing major UK power and carbon capture projects. Two consortiums were selected to participate in a Front End Engineering Design (FEED) competition for the Net-Zero Teesside Power project and the Northern Endurance Partnership’s carbon compression infrastructure in Teesside, bp said on 15 December. The two selected contractor groups are the Technip Energies and General Electric consortium, and the Aker Solutions Doosan Babcock and Siemens Energy consortium. As part of the Final Investment Decision expected in 2023, a single consortium will be selected to take the project forward into construction.

Joint venture partners SSE Renewables and Equinor reached in early December financial close on Dogger Bank Wind Farm C, the third phase of what will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm when complete in March 2026. Total investment in Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be around £9 billion, of which around £3 billion is for phase C. Sembcorp Energy UK announced on 14 December plans to build Europe’s largest battery – a 360-MW energy storage system at Wilton International on Teesside.

Global Energy Group and its partners are investing £110 million in building the UK’s largest offshore wind turbine tower manufacturing plant

“Building major new facilities like this is proof that the UK is securing industrial benefits at scale from offshore wind, as we continue to build the biggest offshore wind projects in the world,”

RenewableUK’s Deputy Chief Executive Melanie Onn said.

On 13 December, the UK government opened the fourth round of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme which aims to secure 12 gigawatts (GW) of electricity capacity with £285 million a year funding for low-carbon technology. This is the biggest ever round of the renewable energy auction scheme and aims to secure more capacity than the three previous rounds combined with additional offshore wind capacity that could generate electricity enough to power around 8 million homes. Offshore wind will be supported by £200 million funding a year, with £24 million initially allocated for floating offshore wind and £20 million on tidal stream projects – with solar and onshore wind included for first time since 2015, the government said.

Commenting on the biggest-ever UK renewable energy scheme, energy union GMB said that renewable energy subsidies must be tied to domestic manufacturing if they are going to make a meaningful reduction in emissions.

The CFD “does not appear to tie producers to any local content rules which would ensure the plant and equipment necessary for the projects is built within the UK,” GMB said in a statement.

“The location of 360MW of batteries at Wilton International strengthens Teesside’s green regeneration and position as a hub of low-carbon innovation in the North East,” said Andy Koss, CEO of UK & Middle East, Sembcorp Industries.

Storegga, Shell, and Harbour Energy said that North Sea Midstream Partners had acquired a 10-percent interest to become a participant in the Acorn Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Hydrogen Project. Storegga, Shell, and Harbour each now hold a 30-percent interest in the Project.

ExxonMobil, SGN, and Macquarie’s Green Investment Group (GIG) signed in early December an agreement to explore the use of hydrogen and carbon capture to help reduce emissions in the Southampton industrial cluster. If technical and business feasibility is confirmed, and with the right Government support, hydrogen production could commence as early as 2030, Exxon said.

Gas distribution network operator Cadent and Equinor will work on a concept for hydrogen production, storage, demand, and distribution for heat and will assess what a hydrogen town conversion could look like in Lincolnshire.

H2 Green, a Getech business, has signed a deal with SGN Commercial Services (SGN) to develop a major green hydrogen production, storage, and distribution facility in Inverness.

Energy expert and assurance provider DNV will lead a study that will produce a roadmap for European distribution networks to show how they can unlock the growth potential of hydrogen utilisation.

RWE said on 6 December it would invest up to €15 billion gross in its green core business in Germany by 2030, as it sees “particularly strong potential for growth.”

Norwegian Energy Company ASA (Noreco) and its partners in the CCS Project Bifrost were awarded funding under the ‘Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Programme’ (EUDP), a Danish public subsidy scheme. The funding request of US$11.4 million (DKK 75 million) was met in full by the Danish authorities and is a key enabler in maturing a CO2 transportation and storage concept in the Danish North Sea, Noreco said.

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ENERGY NEWS

US

ENERGY REVIEW

The US shale industry is set to increase capital spending next year, and oil and gas production is expected to grow amid higher commodity prices and the rebound in energy demand.

The largest US oil and gas firms announced at the end of 2021 their budget plans for 2022, as well as new targets and initiatives to reduce emissions from operations.

By Tsvetana Paraskova

At the same time, the US oil and gas industry continued to voice disappointment with the Biden Administration’s policies toward the sector, while US officials have been openly calling on OPEC and OPEC+ to increase oil production to help relieve the upward pressure on US petrol prices, which hit the highest in seven years in October and were close to the highest ever for the Thanksgiving holiday at the end of November.

www.ogv.energy I January 2022

US shale to raise Capex in 2022 The US shale patch is expected to raise combined capital expenditure budgets by 19.4% in 2022, from an expected US$69.8 billion in 2021 to US$83.4 billion next year, Rystad Energy said in a report in early December. The capital spending in 2022 is set to be at the highest level since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, signalling

the industry’s emergence from a prolonged period of uncertainty and volatility, Rystad Energy reckons.

This year, spending has increased by 16% compared to the pandemic-hit 2020, mostly thanks to an uptick in activity from private exploration and production (E&P) companies, the energy research and business intelligence company said.

US Some hesitancy in more spending could still materialise because of the Omicron variant, yet, US onshore operators are set to increase overall investment, Rystad Energy said.

“Oil and gas activity and upstream spending in US Land has been exposed to significant volatility in the last two years. Aggressive strategies from private operators in the US shale patch have driven spending this year, but we anticipate significant growth in 2022 from public and private operators alike,” said Artem Abramov, head of shale research at Rystad Energy.

Large US players announce 2022 capital budgets Some of the largest US oil and gas producers announced in December their capital budgets for 2022.

Chevron said its 2022 organic capital and exploratory spending program would be US$15 billion, at the low end of its US$15US$17 billion guidance range and up more than 20% from 2021.

“The 2022 capital budget reflects Chevron’s enduring commitment to capital discipline,” chairman and CEO Mike Wirth said. “We’re sizing our capital program at a level consistent with plans to sustain and grow the company as the global economy continues to recover.”

ExxonMobil announced plans to maintain capital investments in the range of US$20-US$25 billion per year through 2027 with flexibility to adjust to adverse market conditions or changes in policy and technology for low-emissions projects.

Over 90% of Upstream planned capital investments through 2027 are expected to generate returns of above 10% at prices less than or equal to US$35 per barrel of oil equivalent, while reducing Upstream greenhouse emissions intensity by 40-50% through 2030, compared to 2016 levels, Exxon said in early December.

“The restored strength of our balance sheet and improved financial outlook support accelerating investment in our industry-advantaged, high-return projects, and a growing list of financially accretive lower-emission business opportunities,” chairman and CEO Darren Woods said.

ExxonMobil also plans to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from operated assets in the Permian by 2030, accelerating and expanding its emission-reduction plans for unconventional operations.

ConocoPhillips plans company-wide capital expenditures of around US$7.2 billion in 2022.

About 60% of total capital will be directed to the Lower 48 for short-cycle investment across the company’s unconventional asset base, ConocoPhillips said. The remaining 40% will be invested in mid- and longercycle projects in Alaska and outside the US, including ongoing project and development activity in Alaska, a second Central Processing Facility in the Montney play, bolt-on developments in Asia Pacific, and project and development activity in Norway.

Shale services market most sensitive to climate scenarios

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advantage of the high oil and natural gas prices to rake in “enormous profits” at the expense of US households.

Looking at the long term amid the drive for “Their first response was to call Opec and ask decarbonisation, Rystad Energy expects the them to pump more oil. They have not called me,” shale service market – currently dominated Pioneer Natural Resources’ CEO Scott Sheffield

by North America and also set to be so out told the Financial Times on the sidelines of to 2050 – to be the most sensitive to various the World Petroleum Congress in Houston in climate scenarios. The shale services market early December. “And we’re the largest Permian could triple in size through 2050 from the producer,” Sheffield added. current US$100 billion in a 2.0-degree scenario, or reduce to 40% by 2050 in a 1.6-degree The top U.S. natural gas producer, EQT scenario, Audun Martinsen, Partner Corporation, said that Senator and Head of Energy Service Elizabeth Warren’s suggestion Research at Rystad Energy, wrote that LNG exports or “corporate in December.

The main reason for greed” were contributing to domestic natural gas cost the major spread is how “The main reason for the increases was “misguided.”

North American shale major spread is how North American shale sits on the “Yes, the price of natural gas sits on the global supply global supply curve – and its has increased rapidly relative curve – and its high high level of cost elasticity,” to 2020 as the economic Martinsen noted. engines of the world have level of cost elasticity. reignited, but natural gas prices in 2020 were the lowest in over US oil and gas production two decades, a year during which set to continue rising in we exported LNG. In fact, because of the 2022 shale gas boom and companies like EQT, the United States consumer has benefited from, and As spending on drilling activity is rising – albeit continues to benefit from, some of the lowest still cautiously and w ithin cash flows – so natural gas prices in the world,” EQT President is production from the seven shale regions. and CEO Toby Rice said in a response letter.

Growth is set to continue into 2022, with 96,000 barrels per day (bpd) increase in oil production “LNG exports have the potential to be the from the shale basins in January 2022 biggest green initiative on the planet, and it’s not compared to December 2021, the December even close,” Rice added.

Drilling Productivity Report of the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed.

The idea of restricting LNG exports is not the Oil production from the shale plays is set to rise to 8.438 million bpd in January 2022 from an estimated 8.342 million bpd in December 2021, the report says. The Permian will lead the increase with a projected 71,000 bpd rise. The Permian will also lead the expected increase in gas production from the shale regions in January, the EIA data showed.

Total US crude oil production – including shale and conventional output – will rise to an average of 11.8 million bpd in 2022 and to an average of 12.1 million bpd in the fourth quarter of 2022, according to EIA’s estimates in its Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) for December.

Natural gas production in the forecast rises to an average of 95.3 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) during December–March and averages 96.0 Bcf/d for all of 2022, driven by natural gas and crude oil price levels expected to be sufficient to support enough drilling to sustain production growth, the EIA says.

solution, the American Exploration and Production Council (AXPC) said in early December.

“Calls to restrict USLNG exports fail to recognise the global nature of the energy landscape and the importance of our country’s role in the market. Any restriction on USLNG exports could have long-term negative impacts on domestic energy prices, the global economy and climate goals,” AXPC said.

“Energy supply is a key asset in the global balance of power. America’s energy production is a source of strategic strength that supports both our climate negotiations and worldwide diplomatic goals,” the council added.

Curtailing US LNG exports would “have a highly destabilising effect both politically and commercially,” IHS Markit said in a report in mid-December.

US oil, gas industry disappointed with Biden administration policies

“Proposals to limit or redirect supply only exacerbate tensions, add to uncertainty and market volatility, and undermine both investor and consumer confidence, as well as relationships with U.S. allies and partner countries,” IHS Markit vice chairman Daniel Yergin said.

While US producers plan budgets for 2022, they have voiced in recent weeks their dissatisfaction with the US Administration’s policies to reduce high petrol prices in the United States by first calling on OPEC to produce more oil. The US industry also responded to statements by Administration officials and Democratic Senators who have said that producers are taking

“You cannot engineer a stoppage—even a partial one—without dealing a major blow to investor confidence and undermining relations with key partners who would see such a move as an arbitrary and damaging change to the rules of the game, as well as a negative shock to their economies,” said Michael Stoppard, chief strategist, global gas, IHS Markit.

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By Tsvetana Paraskova

OPEC+ keeps oil production plans unchanged At their regular monthly meeting on 2 December, the ministers of the OPEC+ alliance decided to continue easing the collective oil production cuts by 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) in January, despite expectations from the market and some analysts that the group would opt for pausing the increase in their production at least for January, in view of the oil price slide at the end of November and the high uncertainty about how the Omicron COVID variant could impact global oil demand in coming weeks and months.

The ministers, however, opted for keeping the meeting “open,” allowing themselves flexibility to immediately change course if demand starts being severely hit by the new travel restrictions in some countries.

The ministers “Agree that the meeting shall remain in session pending further developments of the pandemic and continue to monitor the market closely and make immediate adjustments if required,” OPEC said after the meeting, noting that it “remains in session.”

In addition, the OPEC+ group decided to extend the compensation period until the end of June 2022 for the producers that had produced above their quotas over the past year and a half.

Oil prices fell immediately after the meeting on December 2, but hours later they had already erased losses and rebounded, as the market was calmed by the flexible approach that OPEC+ could change course if demand stumbles and by the group’s attempt to preserve stability in its monthly decisions.

Despite the fact that all forecasts point to a surplus on the oil market coming as soon as the first quarter of 2022, investors and

www.ogv.energy I January 2022

The surprise outcome of the OPEC+ meeting in December and many major deals involving the largest oil and gas companies in the Middle East were the highlights of the region’s energy landscape in the last month of the year.

Middle East

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speculators viewed the OPEC+ decision as the right one at this point and were reassured by the fact that the alliance did not jump the gun to respond to the still highly uncertain outlook with the Omicron variant in the picture.

a 20-year period. In return, Aramco Gas Pipelines Company will receive a tariff payable by Aramco for the gas products that will flow through the network, backed by minimum commitments on throughput.

Oil prices also recovered after some analysts and investment banks said that the initial reaction to Omicron was excessive and the market had initially priced in a massive slump in global oil demand, which has not materialised yet.

The world’s largest oil company has also recently awarded contracts worth US$10 billion for the development of the Jafurah unconventional gas field, the largest non-associated gas field in Saudi Arabia. Aramco awarded subsurface and Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracts worth US$10 billion, with capital expenditure at Jafurah expected to reach US$68 billion over the first 10 years of development.

Saudi Arabia raises January oil prices for Asia Days after the OPEC+ meeting, the de facto leader of OPEC and the largest oil exporter in the world, Saudi Arabia, raised its official selling prices (OSPs) for January loadings for Asia and the United States, suggesting that the Kingdom continues to believe demand would hold, despite the lingering fears of the Omicron variant.

Saudi Arabia’s flagship Arab Light crude grade will be sold in January to Asia at a $3.30 a barrel premium over the Oman/Dubai benchmark. This is an increase of $0.60 per barrel in the premium compared to December and the highest premium of Arab Light for Asia in almost two years.

Saudi Arabia’s move “suggests that the Saudis have confidence in the demand outlook, and the market appears to be taking comfort in that,” ING strategists Warren Patterson and Wenyu Yao said on 6 December, commenting on the announcement of the January prices.

OPEC says Omicron will have mild and short-lived impact In its closely-watched Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) for December, OPEC shrugged off fears that Omicron could significantly dent global oil demand.

“The impact of the new Omicron variant is expected to be mild and short-lived, as the world becomes better equipped to manage COVID-19 and its related challenges. This is in addition to a steady economic outlook in both the advanced and emerging economies,” OPEC said in its report.

OPEC kept its 2021 and 2022 demand growth forecasts unchanged and noted that “The underlying assumptions for the rest of the year and 2022 have not changed.”

“In 2022, world oil demand is forecast to increase by 4.2 mb/d, y-o-y, given improved COVID-19 management and rising vaccination rates, enabling economic activity and mobility to return to prepandemic levels, supporting transportation fuels in particular,” the organisation said.

Middle East’s latest major deals & contracts The biggest oil and gas companies in the Middle East signed in December several major agreements and service contracts for pipeline assets, development of oil and gas fields, strategic alliances and collaborations, and increased investment in hydrogen and chemicals.

Saudi Aramco said in early December it had signed a US$15.5 billion lease and leaseback deal involving its gas pipeline network with a consortium led by BlackRock Real Assets and Hassana Investment Company, the investment management arm of the General Organisation for Social Insurance (GOSI) in Saudi Arabia, in one of the world’s largest energy infrastructure deals.

Aramco will keep a 51-% majority stake in a newly created firm, Aramco Gas Pipeline Company, and sell a 49-% stake to investors led by BlackRock and Hassana. Under the deal, Aramco Gas Pipeline will lease usage rights in Aramco’s gas pipelines network and lease them back to Aramco for

Wood plc has secured a multi-million dollar contract with Aramco to deliver engineering and project management services for the Safaniyah and Manifa oilfields in Saudi Arabia. The two-year contract includes the delivery of conceptual studies, front-end engineering design (FEED), and project management services for Saudi Aramco’s oil and gas, pipelines and infrastructure facilities, and will maximise production capacity, Wood said on 6 December.

McDermott also won new contracts with Aramco, securing three offshore contracts for engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) projects. In total, McDermott will provide EPCI of four drilling jackets and seven oil production deck modules (PDMs) in Saudi Arabia’s Zuluf, Ribyan, Abu Sa'fah, and Safaniya fields located offshore in the Arabian Gulf.

Separately, Aramco announced on 4 December collaboration agreements with French companies to explore partnerships in hydrogen, AI-enabled geospatial imagery, and manufacturing and maintenance services of furnaces and fired heaters.

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said in its newly-approved capital programme it would invest a total of US$127 billion in its upstream, downstream, and low-carbon fuel businesses between 2022 and 2026.

ADNOC also announced a rise in its national reserves of oil and natural gas.

“These additional reserves increase the UAE’s hydrocarbon reserves base to 111 billion STB of oil and 289 TSCF of natural gas, reinforcing the country’s position in global rankings as the holder of the sixth-largest oil reserves and the seventh-largest gas reserves,” ADNOC said.

Abu Dhabi Chemicals Derivatives Company RSC Ltd (TA’ZIZ) and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) have agreed to launch TA’ZIZ EDC & PVC, a world-scale chemical production partnership at the TA’ZIZ Industrial Chemicals Zone in Ruwais, ADNOC said on 7 December.

The Abu Dhabi state oil and gas firm also entered into a joint cooperation agreement with GE Gas Power to develop a decarbonisation roadmap that includes reducing carbon emissions from gas turbines used to power ADNOC’s downstream and industry operations, including at the Ruwais Industrial Complex in Abu Dhabi.

TechnipFMC, through Gulf Automation Services and Oilfield Supplies LLC, has been awarded a 10-year framework agreement for wellheads, trees and associated services by ADNOC, the technology provider said, noting that it considers the contract as “major”, meaning it is worth over $1 billion.

Finally, energy group ENGIE and Masdar have signed a strategic alliance agreement to explore the co-development of a UAE-based green hydrogen hub. The companies will be looking to develop projects with a capacity of at least 2 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, with a total investment in the region of US$5 billion.

WORLD PROJECTS

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SAUDI ARABIA - Saudi Aramco Safaniya, Zuluf, Ribyan and Abu Safah Fields US$9 billion

McDermott has received three engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contracts. McDermott will supply four drilling jackets and seven oil production deck modules for the Zuluf, Ribyan, Abu Sa'fah and Safaniya fields.

McDermott will also build more than 45 km of pipelines and 100 km of subsea cables, and tie the infrastructure to existing facilities. Fabrication is due to start in Q4 2022, and overall completion is expected in the Q2 2023.

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TURKEY - TPAO Sakarya Gas Discovery – Phase 1 US$3.6 billion

UAE - Borouge Borouge 4 US$6.2 billion

Saipem has been awarded the transport & installation of pipelines contract by TPAO. Work will be conducted mainly by the Castorone vessel, with offshore operations set to begin in spring 2022. Wood has been selected to carry out the integrated project management and engineering verification for the first EPCI phase, which includes engineering, procurement and installation of the subsea production system, gas transport pipeline and umbilical, and onshore processing facility Filyos.

Several EPCs have been awarded on the project. Tecnimont has signed three PC contracts valued at approximately $3.5 billion. The three contracts are polyolefin units package which includes two polyethylene units with a capacity of 700,000 tonnes per year each and a 1-hexene unit; the cross-linkable polyethylene unit package; and utilities and offsites package which includes the utilities and offsites units for the whole Borouge 4 project.

www.ogv.energy I January 2022

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POLAND - RWE Renewables Offshore Wind Farm FEW Baltic II US$1 billion RWE Renewables has received the environmental permit for the project. Subject to FID being reached, construction could commence as early as 2024. RWE has selected the Port of Ustka for its operation and maintenance base. The service base will be ready by 2025.

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BRAZIL - Petrobras Buzios Oil Field (Phase 6 – Almirante Tandare FPSO) US$300 million

KENYA - Tullow South Lokichar Development Project US$3.4 billion

Saipem has been awarded a US$940 million EPCI contract by Petrobras for the project's SURF scope. The company will supply of steel lazy wave risers (SLWR) and associated flowlines interconnecting 15 wells to the Tamandaré FPSO, in addition to service lines and control umbilicals. Start-up is expected in 2024. Seadrill has been awarded two separate contracts by Petrobras to charter three drillships, West Jupiter, West Carina and West Tellus to carry out development drilling at the Buzios field.

Tullow Oil and its partners are expected to make a final investment decision on the project before the middle of 2022.

If FID is reached at this time first oil could be seen as early as Q4 2023. A new field development plan is to be submitted to the Kenyan government before the end of 2021.

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SAUDI ARABIA - ACWA Power Green Hydrogen Production Facility – NEOM and ACWA Power US$6.5 billion

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thyssenkrupp Uhde Chlorine Engineers has been awarded a contract to install the 2GW+ green hydrogen electrolysis plant. thyssenkrupp will engineer, procure and fabricate the plant based on its 20MW alkaline water electrolysis module. Engineering and procurement activities have been initiated and the start of production is scheduled in 2026.

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DENMARK - INEOS Project Greensand – Carbon Capture and Storage US$300 million

NORWAY - Aker BP King Lear Gas & Condensate Discovery US$1 billion

The Danish Energy Agency is to award the INEOS-led consortium DKK197 million (US$30 million) for the project. Proof of concept planning could now start before the end of 2021. Currently the full scale project is planned to make final investment decision in the second half of 2023, with estimated delivery duration of around 24 months.

Aker Solutions has been award FEED contract for the Valhall field and King Lear discovery. The scope of the FEEDs includes a new central platform (NCP) with bridge connection to the existing Valhall field centre, and an unmanned wellhead platform for the King Lear discovery. Work on the FEEDs starts immediately and are planned for completion at the end of 2022.

10 INDONESIA - BP Vorwata CCUS Project US$3 billion BP Indonesia and SKK Migas have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop the CCUS project which is part of the larger development plans for the Tangguh gas block. Completion is targeted for 2026 or 2027 and will aim to inject 4 million tonnes per annum of CO2 into the reservoir. Through enhanced gas recovery and by sequestering the carbon dioxide Tangguh operators could potentially see an additional 300 Bcf of gas produced by 2035.

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DRILLING & WELL SERVICES Despite this, the global onshore drilling rig fleet will remain significantly underutilised with only around 50% of rigs forecast to be contracted by 2025, he added.

By Tsvetana Paraskova Paraskova

Market Conditions Are Improving for Drilling and Well Services The rebound in global oil and gas demand this year makes the industry and its supply chain cautiously optimistic that the drilling and well services segment is recovering from the 2020 slump caused

by COVID and will see growth in coming years as drilling activity picks up.

Both offshore and onshore drilling and well services activities have rebounded from the lows seen in 2020, and industry associations, drillers, and analysts expect the recovery to continue into 2022 and beyond.

Onshore drilling services set to rebound from 2020 lows Onshore, directional drilling services expenditure is set to total US$34 billion over the period 2021 to 2025, led by drilling in China and horizontal drilling in the United States, Westwood Global Energy Group said in a report in May. China will lead expenditure, driven by a government push to increase production capacity, especially at unconventional plays, said Jack Baxter, Analyst, Onshore, at Westwood. Spending on land directional drilling services in China is set to exceed U$10 billion through 2025, followed by an estimated US$9.2 billion expenditure in the United States, and $7.5 billion spending on land drilling services in Russia, according to Westwood’s estimates.

Demand for Land Rigs is set to grow over the next few years and is expected to be around 30% higher in 2025 compared to the lows of 2020, driven primarily by China, Middle Eastern producing countries, and Russia, Westwood said in a September report.

Strong drilling activity is expected in NOC dominated countries such as Russia, China, and the countries in the Middle East, according to Westwood. Utilisation levels in those countries is set to be around 75% by 2025, which would be some 25% age points higher than the global average.

Offshore drilling is also on the rise Both onshore and offshore drilling activity is on the rise and bound to post two consecutive years of growth in 2021 and 2022, although activity will still lag prepandemic levels, Rystad Energy said early this year.

In 2021, the recovery in oil and gas demand is good news for drilling activity, with around 54,000 wells expected to be drilled worldwide this year, a 12% increase from 2020 levels. In 2022 drilling is set to increase further, by another 19% year over year to about 64,500 wells, although activity will still fall short of the 73,000 wells drilled in 2019, Rystad Energy said.

Onshore drilling activity is set to rise by 12% from the 46,000 wells drilled in 2020 to about 51,700 wells in 2021, before climbing by another 19% in 2022 to reach around 61,700 wells.

Offshore, drilling activity is expected to rise by around 10% annually in both 2021 and 2022. This will bring the number of offshore wells drilled to nearly 2,500 in 2021, from fewer than 2,300 in 2020, and Rystad Energy forecasts that the number will surpass 2,700 in 2022.

“Such a healthy recovery is in fact poised to propel offshore drilling activity beyond pre-pandemic levels during the next two years, as the number of offshore wells drilled globally in 2019 was just shy of 2,500. This means the recovery of offshore drilling will already happen in 2021, with 2022 being a year of further growth,” Rystad Energy said.

“In contrast to previous years, when the North American shale sector led production growth, we expect the onshore and offshore shelf in the Middle East and the deepwater market in South America to be the main drivers of growth going forward. To recover production levels, operators will have to launch new drilling plans in tandem with maintenance and enhancement programs for existing wells, opening significant opportunities for well service suppliers The total cost of in the years ahead,” said Daniel Holmedal, energy research analyst at Rystad Energy. decommissioning

UKCS offshore oil and gas infrastructure has reduced to £46 billion

The US and Russia are projected to account for 50% of total forecast expenditure by 2025. Every year through the middle of the century will see yearon-year growth, as the number of wells drilled recovers from the nadir of 2020, Westwood said.

“Further upside comes as operators continuing to develop more complex and challenging reserves, requiring directional drilling as conventional plays mature,” the energy market research company said.

By the third quarter of 2021, onshore drilling activity had increased somewhat, supported by strong demand for oil and gas, Todd Jensen, Research Analyst, Onshore Energy Services, wrote in Westwood’s inaugural quarterly Land Rig newsletter for Q3 in September.

Most of the deepwater growth is set to come from North and South America, where Brazil, Guyana, and Mexico will be the most prominent drivers of the upswing.

On the well intervention side, West Africa and the Middle East could provide a strong market in the coming years with a total of around 10,000 active offshore wells on oil fields, with an average well age of 16 and 21 years, respectively. In comparison, most other regions have an average well age of between 10 and 15 years, Rystad Energy noted.

In the supply chain for offshore drilling, the drillship markets, harsh markets, and jackups are set to see utilisation growing in the coming years, followed by an increase in rig rates.

“Consolidation within the floaters and jackups landscape is part of the strategy drillers are implementing to position themselves for the future and to remain competitive as new projects are sanctioned by E&Ps,” Oddmund Føre, Senior Vice President, Energy Service Research at Rystad Energy, said in November.

Operators, however, remain cautious and highly selective with the drilling campaigns that they progress.

In terms of offshore sanctioning activity, Rystad Energy expects 2021 to be on par with 2020 and just over 50 projects sanctioned. After two slow years, this number is expected to more than double the next couple of years with around 120 projects to be sanctioned in 2024.

“The onshore oil and gas industry is regrouping and getting back on track with rig rates across the globe increasing. With drilling programs back underway we expect to see rig utilisation increase, all be it moderately, over the next five years,” Jensen noted.

“With a more optimistic sentiment and a portfolio of economically robust projects the EP companies are moving forward with new projects and fresh capital as part of a new investment spree,” Føre said, noting that a lot of work is expected to be handed out to the services sector through 2030.

www.ogv.energy I January 2022

DRILLING & WELL SERVICES UK drilling and wells activity

throughput to sustain the viability of infrastructure that may be required as part of future net-zero developments,” OGUK said.

In early December, the UK’s Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) said in its Wells Insight Report that “there is a forecast rebound in drilling activity with Central North Sea and Northern North Sea leading the Pr oc way in the years following 2021.”

Car lo

c ac

In the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), a total of 71 wells began drilling on the in 2020, half the levels from 2019, as companies deferred and cancelled activities to preserve cash and reduce operational risk, the offshore oil and gas industry’s body OGUK said in its Business Outlook 2021 early this year.

ini

Earlier in 2021, OGUK expected to see a modest increase in activity in 2021, with a further potential pick up in 2022. This would include expectations of 70–80 development wells, 10–12 exploration wells, and 3-5 appraisal wells in 2021. These levels would be similar to levels seen in 2016–2018.

“Continued high-quality exploration activity is crucial, particularly in providing new resource progression opportunities to support security of supply and providing new

23

The number of Exploration and Appraisal wellbores spudded has declined steadily – to nine in 2020, down from 29 in 2019, but success rates have improved, and operators have discovered over half a billion barrels of oil equivalent in the past three years, OGA said.

“The pandemic clearly affected industry’s activity in 2020, but there are significant opportunities available to Operators to improve production performance through more well interventions,” said Carlo Procaccini, OGA Head of Technology.

DRILLING & WELL SERVICES

I

n the oil & gas industry, competent people will be paramount to extracting hydrocarbons in a safe, efficient and environmentally sound manner for many years to come – the recent challenges have proven that it’s never been more important to have a highly skilled team. And, when field production ceases, we will again need highly skilled professionals to plug and abandon all the wells.

With fewer people in the industry, it is perhaps time to adopt parts of the philosophy of the sharing economy.

Could the sharing economy hold the key to the oil and gas resourcing challenges?

A flexible approach Those of us who have been in the petroleum business for some years are used to the rollercoaster rides of the oil price. Booms and busts lead to frantic hiring and firing of people. The supplier industry has been in a slump since the oil price dropped in 2014, and consequently, we have seen very competent people leave the industry altogether. Many have taken early retirement or respecialised. Large scale projects relying on senior competency are experiencing scarcity.

The sharing economy has found a solid footing in many industries. The success of Uber and Airbnb are just two examples where technology has enabled the meteoric rise of these on-demand superstar brands.

The price of oil & gas will continue to fluctuate, so the industry needs to introduce as much flexibility as possible into the way we structure our workforce. The ability to empower people at a local level has been a key contributor to the success of the major sharing economy brands.

All companies need a core of fixed employees, but with digitalisation, enhanced knowledge sharing and remote working methods, fluctuating capacity requirements should be filled by consultant manpower or outsourcing.

are significant and lead to delays during the upturn. Similarly, the processes of adjusting the human capital to the actual workload during a downturn is a painful process requiring significant attention and cost. With a larger use of consultants, much more flexibility is gained.

• Sharing the up and downside. Permanent employees have mainly fixed salaries. With a highly volatile oil price, the lack of flexibility of the cost base leads to lost opportunities. By using consultants and outsourced services, personnel costs can quickly be adjusted.

Rather than being unemployed during troughs, consultants can adjust their salary downwards and retain their jobs, recovering through higher paid jobs during peak times.

• Safer and more efficient delivery. Intelligent data management ensures that critical knowhow is retained and shared. Teams are aligned around trusted sources of information and are better placed to work remotely.

This combined with a blended approach to resourcing that combines direct hires with outsourced specialist roles reduces inefficiencies and project risks.

• Better utilisation of resources. With fewer senior personnel available, the industry needs to share resources. By making sure that competent people can fluctuate between jobs and companies, we contribute to better HSE, higher efficiency and more environmentally friendly solutions. If seniors are locked in at the company they have always been at, the industry at large is missing out.

A digital advantage Traditionally in the energy industry, knowledge has remained locked in individuals’ minds, and as they leave the industry that knowledge is lost. With new digital solutions being implemented in the industry, E&P companies are taking ownership of their own data and experiences. This enables new and more efficient ways of onboarding, people rotation, and sharing of resources.

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• Faster up and downscaling. The cost and time needed to recruit combined with the risk of an unsuccessful outcome,

The sharing economy shows us that a flexible approach to resourcing combined with the enhanced efficiencies of digitalisation can deliver significant benefits to our industry. The transition to low carbon energy sources is necessary, but not easily accomplished on an individual level. By enabling the flexibility to operate both with direct hires and consultants, we are to a much larger extent enabling individuals to switch back and forth between traditional and greener energy. This allows a smoother transition and empowers knowledge sharing across the sectors.

About AGR

Company Details

AGR is a trusted partner to the global energy industry with the experience, scale and breadth of knowledge to help address the energy challenges of today and tomorrow. It is an end-to-end provider of decommissioning, exploration, production and transformation services, and offers software and consultant manpower for hydrocarbon and low-carbon projects.

As part of the Akastor portfolio, which forms the Aker family, AGR brings the right combination of technical expertise with a commercial focus, proven track record for excellence and robust project management to help our clients achieve their ambitions.

Website: www.agr.com Email: selectagr@agr.com Tel: +44 (0) 1224 629000 (UK)

Svein-Sollund

This would lead to a range of benefits both for the companies and their employees:

Address: Admiral Court East Poynernook Rd Aberdeen AB11 5QX UK

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INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY SPONSORED BY

The UK’s largest innovation funding consultancy Our expert teams work in close partnership with thousands of businesses each year to maximise the financial benefit they receive from R&D Tax Credits, Grants, and other innovation funding schemes.

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In the past year alone, we have helped our clients successfully claim more than £200m in tax relief to support their future growth.

DOING IT “WELL”

for the environment with superior solutions

HydraWell HydraWell is a global Well Integrity specialist, providing engineered solutions to replace traditional Plug & Abandonment techniques and downhole tooling solutions.

Established in 2008 and headquartered in Stavanger, the experienced team is committed to developing the most advanced downhole solutions to increase efficiency, reduce operational costs and minimise environmental footprint. Hydrawell push boundaries and is focused on inventing ingenious technologies to transform well operations around the world.

Company Details Website: www.hydrawell.no Email: sales@hydrawell.com Tel: +47 51 69 76 00 Address: HydraWell UK Ltd Unit 1 Bond Building Howe Moss Dr, Kirkhill Ind. Estate AB21 0GL, Dyce, Aberdeen, UK

Technology Development stage: Commercial Launch date: 2010

www.ogv.energy I January 2022

When it comes to well integrity, ingenious and environmentally aware solutions which lead the charge in pushing boundaries should be central to the planning and successful delivery of any forward-thinking project.

With an increasing need to zoom in on sustainable strategies, more and more companies are carefully examining their impact on the world in which they operate and it’s ever more important for them to look at how they can do their bit.

Driven by a relentless passion for technological advancement and a desire to re-think existing well integrity operations, HydraWell’s team of innovators has combined its long and proud Norwegian heritage with globally won experience to carve out a strong track record in Plug & Abandonment (P&A) operations, underpinned by a well sustainability strategy and a deeper sense of responsibility.

Offering smart, superior, sustainable options which exceed expectations lies at the heart of everything HydraWell does and a 98% plugging success rate means customers have confidence that environmental conscious options can successfully marry with optimum results, wherever and whenever they are needed and even at short notice.

As an inventive solutions provider with an Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) mindset fully embedded in all areas of the business, HydraWell is committed to reducing carbon footprint and waste generation both internally and for each and every one of its clients. An unstinting commitment to ESG best practices has been woven into corporate policies to ensure careful monitoring and improvement on performance across all technology development projects, operational performance, business activities and facilities management.

HydraWell has introduced annual improvement targets that are shared with stakeholders and

encompass energy saving initiatives, reduced travel requirements through IT upgrades and choice of facilities to reduce its own carbon footprint.

From Stavanger to the world, the company has its finger on the pulse on how best to transform well operations thanks to constant exploration of new avenues and bringing to market ingenious solutions.

These increase efficiency and reduce environmental impact as well as having the potential to reduce operating costs by up to millions of dollars so it’s little wonder demand is on an upward trajectory.

Key to putting words into action and shaking up the market in recent times has been the design, development and testing of HydraWell’s patented Perforation, Wash & Cement (PWC®) portfolio for wellbore specialist applications.

Whilst customers around the world have been familiar with the technology and its benefits for some time, close collaboration has facilitated significant enhancement in operational efficiency – and the identification of new applications for this flexible system which can be adapted to rise to new challenges.

From permanent P&A and slot recovery to restoring annulus integrity and casing show repair, HydraWell’s PWC® nimble method enables highly efficient installation of rock-to-rock barriers.

More than 380 PWC® bespoke plugs have been installed for 20 operators in 13 countries so far – and the journey is only just beginning as more and more companies seek safe, efficient, reliable and cost-effective P&A. And remarkably, each barrier can be installed in 36 hours.

PWC® technology offers a step-change in performance and has the potential to slash the operational sequence by up to six days when compared to the conventional section milling alternative. Based on reduced operating times of diesel-powered semi-submersible drilling units, that’s 720MT CO2 emissions – or the equivalent of 6km of car travel for every well HydraWell’s technology helps to abandons. Furthermore, PWC® can report six-and-a-half years LTI free and it produces zero swarf handling issues and zero metal shavings sparking huge and positive environmental benefits due to the elimination of transportation needs, pollution risk and landfill capacity.

PWC® is just one of the many ways HydraWell is working hard to fulfil its vision of continuing to improve its solutions, operations and approach.

At the heart of it all is the ultimate aim of achieving sector-wide accelerated positive change which will help to protect and improve the world we all live in.

When you need to improve your future outlook, HydraWell does well.

INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY

27

Wireless Reservoir Surveillance

"DIGITISING THE WELLBORE” Reshaping the oil industry

Chemical Tracer Systems in conjunction with trend profiling represent a technology to digitise the wellbore to enable zone-specific well event processing, exception-based well surveillance and continuous monitoring for optimised oil production.

Reshaping the oil industry – Digitalisation Digitalisation is gaining increasing attention and focus among oil industry companies where the aim is to digitise all elements of the full oil production and export value chain. Elements of the well, facilities, compressors, pipelines, terminals etc. should ideally become digitised and relevant data values will be fed into an integrated asset model in real-time to enable exception-based asset surveillance and to support critical operational decisions.

Digitising the Wellbore REMAN Proprietary Inflow tracers allow digitisation of the wellbore as an element in the Digital Oilfield.

Permanently installed chemical tracer systems represent a non-invasive and non-electric technology to provide zonal resolution and hence digitising of the full wellbore. The technology enables trend analysis to identify changes in oil/ water/gas inflow and skin in each zone of the well to support operational decision-making to optimise production at different time scales.

The foundation of the technology is that unique chemical tracers are embedded in a polymetric matrix in the form of plastic rods and installed in appropriate completion components such as a sand screen, ICD screen, tacer carrier pup joint etc. in specific zones of the well. There are three types of tracers being water, oil and gas tracers, these are released from the polymeric matrix when in contact with water, oil and gas respectively. The tracers remain dormant until the polymeric rods are wetted by the target substance. The tracers are transformed from the specific zone in the well-stream to topside in ultralow concentrations.

Plotting data and correlating data is a very powerful analytic and visual technique where human (and potentially artificial) cognition and algorithms can be used and potentially trained to recognise patterns and relates these to changes in zone-specific reservoir l behavior. Often this involves changes in slopes and data anomalies.

And so, by correlating changes in production data with changes in tracer concentrations (ng/ml) and tracer fluxes (mg/day) changes in zone-specific behaviors can be interpreted and identified. Such co-trend analysis, diagnostic plotting and pattern recognition represent the foundation of continuous monitoring of the well at zonal resolution.

By providing zonal resolution permanently installed chemical tracers digitise very important elements of the oil field asset – the productive and unproductive zones of the wellbore. This element is important to digitise in a digital oilfield model as the zones are typically around the perforations that represent the fundamental physical connection between the hydrocarbonbearing reservoir and the pathway by which the oil flow to surface.

Innovative data acquisition technology to provide LONG TERM, RELIABLE, RISK FREE reservoir monitoring. RESMAN has delivered wireless inflow monitoring to the petroleum industry for over a decade and has invested heavily in research since 2005 to develop the inflow tracer technology to meet the market needs demands. With the acquisition of the pumpable tracer service provider Restrack in 2018, RESMAN has enhanced its portfolio to provide continuous monitoring and digitalisation of the wellbore.

Now with a combined product and service offering , RESMAN is committed to support oil companies gain insights about their reservoirs, ultimately improving the effectiveness of their reservoir management decisions.

We are is committed to the protection of the environment with low carbon footprint and “Enhanced Oil Recovery” technology, which assist the operators improve global environmental sustainability.

Company Details Website: www.resman.no Email: aberdeen@resman.no Tel: +44 7899 763463 (UK) Address: 17 Abercrombie Ct Westhill AB32 6FE, Aberdeen Scotland, UK

Following the acquisition of Restrack, RESMAN has expanded its portfolio and harvested synergies from: • A large number of unique tracers for inflow, interwell and single well tracers • Chemistry and analytical excellence

Technology Development stage: In-well oil and water tracer technology is field proven with gas tracer technology undergoing field trials.

Launch date: In-well Gas tracers Q3 2021

• Interpretation excellence • Global footprint and field experience RESMAN offers O&G companies well and reservoir surveillance services to optimise production and increase the net present value of the asset by identifying productivity, well events and reduce subsurface uncertainty. This enables operational decision support on well and reservoir management and targeted well operations at zonal resolution.

INTERESTED IN FEATURING IN

THE OGV 2022

TECHNOLOGY ANNUAL?

CONTACT US AT

OFFICE@OGVENERGY.CO.UK

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28

OUR DIGITAL INDUSTRY SPONSORED BY

Who is Sword?

www.sword-group.com

As the North Sea’s largest provider of digital services, Sword focuses on unlocking solutions to the industry’s most critical business technology challenges by enabling our customers to capture, manage, and utilise data to make informed decisions. This is supported by the right level of technology and people adoption, together with modern ways of working to give confidence that the right decision is made each time.

placing it at the heart of your decision-making through smart tools that span modern business applications and digital processes, alongside managed digital assets and data hubs.

A global leader in technology transformation RESPECT –

Lastly, we look at your digital platforms to define and design a secure and compliant cloud environment to enable the smart tools specifically for your organisation. Microsoft has a secure, innovative and widely used cloud environment that is trusted in many regulated business environments. Sword has invested significantly in the skills and experience needed to use this technology to deliver a strong foundation on which to build your business solution requirements.

RIGOUR – INVOLVEMENT

A DATA DRIVEN JOURNEY Our UKCS energy industry has very clear strategic objectives. Health, safety and compliance, operational efficiency, and a managed energy transition all support a more sustainable future, improved competitiveness, and extension of the basin life.

speeches. The paradox is you can’t become data-driven without strong data management and governance. We may be able to run several POC’s or pilots on a small dataset, but we will never be able to scale to the benefits we are looking for without a strong data foundation.

There is now wide recognition that there is untapped potential in achieving these objectives by using data platforms, advanced analytics, machine learning and AI. However, it is also recognised that we are lagging several peer industries in our adoption of digital and our overall data maturity.

To get to this point and scale the use of data, the industry is going to have to improve on its ability to capture and manage its data whether that be unstructured, structured or real-time before we start to utilise it in the right way.

The UKCS Data and Digital Maturity survey in 2020 identified that “Data is the foundation of digital. Governed, accessible and connected datasets provide the basis for digital to add value”. In the same survey, respondents were asked to rank eight digital value drivers in order of importance: Increased availability and access to data, increase the quality of data and increase the level of insights from data coming out on top.

The industry has identified where it needs to start on its data-driven journey, at the foundation layer. However, we have been too quick to bypass this critical starting point and gravitate to the more interesting technology of AI, machine learning and advanced analytics.

Too often we make the mistake of wanting to run before we can walk and look to engage data scientists and AI developers before data engineering, before data management and before any real digital governance.

Data Management is never going to be in a keynote speech for a CEO, however, becoming data-driven has been in several CEOs’ keynote

www.ogv.energy I January 2022

Jared Owen, Chief Digital Officer at Sword ITS

For several years, Sword has been supporting organisations in the industry to take the next steps towards adopting the power of new technologies in becoming data-driven. To support our customers through the process, we break down the process into interlinked layers.

First, we start with understanding the data maturity of the organisation. We look to understand how data is used to support decision making processes in the organisation today, we then determine the maturity level according to recognised benchmarks such as Gartner.

Second, we look to determine the outcome the organisation would like to achieve, for most these are the insights that data-driven decisions can provide. The critical starting point here is that you must directly engage the business to understand their pain points, together with their wants and needs. You can’t shortcut this process; you must hold key stakeholder interviews, conduct the workshops across various business lines, and prioritise the findings.

Third, we look to uncover how the organisation wants to capture, manage, and utilise data,

Once you have engaged in this interlinked approach, you will have a clear starting point from which Sword can help you to build your digital strategy and implement the roadmap to becoming data-driven.

For the Energy Industry to continue to evolve on its data-driven journey, we need to get the right data, check the quality, make it available and govern it. Once we have this right, more businesses can take the bold steps to become data-driven by maximising a combination of technology, processes and people for fact-based and experienced-based decision making at pace.

Over the past 18 months, through the use of modern data platforms powered by Microsoft synapse analytics fully utilising data and visualisation provided through Power BI, Sword’s customers have realised the value of increased operational performance and flexibility from new data products and services, consolidating financial reporting, daily production, emissions and POB in as little as eight weeks.

In a similar project timeframe using Microsoft PowerPlatform products, we have worked with offshore teams to replace multiple systems of entry and paper-based processes for instrument reading, observations and maintenance planning. The result is greatly improved efficiency and system integration both offshore and onshore using a single point of data entry and utilisation of the right data.

Our industry, which is steeped in a history of innovation, is now realising the benefits of data at a greater pace. The next innovation boom in the UKCS and the wider energy industry is already here. How far we want to take it is up to us, and the data.

For more information, visit www.sword-group.com

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

THIS OIL & GAS CEO’S SEARCH FOR A DIGITAL SOLUTION Ended Up In A Billion-Pound Software Company

Karl Johnny Hersvik, CEO of Norway’s second largest oil and gas company, Aker BP, understands that merely investing in software is not enough to create real value in an organisation. Instead, it’s about finding the right software, removing friction, and liberating data. Hersvik was ahead of his time in his digital thinking, which is why he took matters in his own hands at the start of his tenure, helping to build a future-ready oil and gas operation from the digital ground up.

Bold moves from the beginning When Karl Johnny Hersvik became CEO of Aker BP (then Det Norske Oljeselskap) in 2014, he didn’t waste time in trying to maximise the operational capacity of his organisation.

“I spent my first month talking to everyone in the company. We formulated a plan to grow to 60,000 barrels in production. And my first task was to acquire Marathon in Norway.”

Hersvik signed with Marathon after just one month on the job, and it marked one of the largest transactions ever on the Norwegian continental shelf. It was a bold move for a new CEO, but Hersvik had something even bolder in mind as his next step.

At the start of Aker BP’s digitalisation journey, Hersvik wanted all the data produced or consumed by the company (and any vendor it collaborated with) to be available to anyone, on any device, with extremely low latency. He and some colleagues scanned the world for solutions, to see if there were technologies available that they could apply. Hersvik reports, “No one had solved this problem yet.”

This realisation was the catalyst that led to the launch of Cognite, an industrial software company specialising in freeing and contextualising industrial data for workers in the oil and gas industry, for instance, to be able to act on, build technology on top of, and optimise complex production and maintenance processes.

"My definition of digitalisation is using digital tools to improve business processes"

The beginning of a digitalisation journey In 2016, when the company officially became Aker BP, Hersvik started to think about how digitalisation could change the business. “I have a software background. And when I entered the company, a lot of software was being used, but this isn’t what I had in mind. Having software isn’t digitalisation. But having the right software certainly helps get you there,” Hersvik says.

If you look at any other business that has succeeded in digitalisation, it’s because they’ve removed friction in a process, Hersvik explains, not because they use a lot of software. He reflects on the fact that it’s far easier to make a purchase or book an appointment today because digital tools have made the process so simple for consumers. “So why can’t we do the same in a business-to-business process?”

Hersvik questions.

One of the first tech companies born in the oil and gas industry

“This data platform has reduced our threshold for accessing data in our ecosystem and its given us a platform for experimenting and testing,” says Karl Johnny Hersvik'.

More than just technology Hersvik explains that the Cognite technology has already helped them make strides in “removing friction and waste, and shortening timelines.” But to make these big changes in an old industry, it’s not only about the technology. You have to change the entire organisation, the value chain and most importantly, the people. It’s the ultimate problem to solve, with enough complexity to make anyone’s head spin.

Today, Aker BP is going all in when it comes to digitalising their business, because it’s the only way, according to Hersvik. And with the right people on the team and the right platform on which to stand, the odds are certainly in their favour.

Initially founded to solve the complex issues Aker BP faced, Cognite has blossomed into a thriving company, specialising in software that puts industrial data into context and makes it actionable. Its flagship product, Cognite Data Fusion™, is now the foundation for a host of successful digitalisation projects across the oil and gas industry, from BP, OMV and Saudi Aramco, in addition to its original partner Aker BP. Just as he first intended, Hersvik has put the platform to work to liberate all Aker BP’s data; Paul Knowles, data that Hersvik wanted anyone and everyone Vice President UK & Europe, AIS Survivex across the value chain to be able to access, understand, and act on.

Empowering Industrial Data Consumers to Operationalise and Scale Models and Applications.

For more information visit www.cognite.com

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RENEWABLES SPONSORED BY

Step into a safer environment High quality, industrial anti-slip safety products.

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For over 30 years, we’ve designed and manufactured market-leading anti-slip safety products that hugely improve safety standards on stairways, walkways, decks, ladders, ramps, gangways and pipes, in a range of industrial settings.

SSE Renewables backs green energy NOW and for the future

As the UK continues to drive innovation and development within the renewable energy field, it is exciting to watch projects progress through the design and development stages. In recent news, SSE Renewables has committed substantial funding to facilitate growth of offshore wind infrastructure at the Port of Nigg facility near Inverness in Scotland with £15m debt investment. SSE’s substantial, multi-million-pound investment in NOW-Nigg Offshore Wind, a new £110m offshore wind turbine tower factory in the Scottish Highlands that will produce the next generation of offshore wind farms to power Scotland and the world – will help create hundreds of full-time direct and thousands of indirect green jobs.

This will be the most significant localisation of offshore wind supply chain manufacturing ever built in Scotland and the UK.

www.ogv.energy I January 2022

What’s the project?

Global Energy Group (GEG) and Haizea Wind Group are building what will be the UK’s largest offshore wind tower manufacturing facility at the Port of Nigg. It will be an impressive 450-meterlong, 38,000m2 factory that can fabricate towers of over 1,000 tonnes. Nigg Offshore Wind (NOW) will provide significant support to the offshore fixed and floating wind industries across the UK, boasting the capabilities and resources to build as many as 135 towers annually and other important structures like transitions pieces, suction buckets and bespoke tubular solutions. It will prove hugely advantageous to the many projects being designed and already under development in Scotland by localising a substantial aspect of the offshore wind manufacturing supply chain.

The project is being supported by an array of organisations aside from SSE Renewables, with the funding syndicate including Sequoia Infrastructure Debt Fund and Mainstream Renewable Power. The Scottish Government also provided funding through the Highlands and Islands Enterprise, as did the UK Government through the offshore wind manufacturing investment support scheme.

Construction has been scheduled to start January 2022, with site preparation, building and commissioning anticipated for the following 18 months.

Putting money where its mouth is SSE Renewables has made this state-ofthe-art project possible by committing to a debt investment of £15 million, making it the largest single UK backer behind the plans.

In addition to driving the sector forwards as a whole, this will put SSE Renewables in an unrivalled position within the sector to optimise UK supply chain opportunities for the future. The organisation is involved

RENEWABLES

in the building of more offshore wind projects than any other company around the world and this new facility in Scotland will facilitate several local site developments.

CEO of SSE, Alistair Phillips-Davies, commented: "This announcement shows that SSE is willing to put its money where its mouth is to support development of the Scottish manufacturing capability for the offshore wind sector. We have worked with Global Energy Group and stakeholders for over two years to get to this point. Global Energy Group has exciting plans for a world-class tower factory at Port of Nigg and our investment in the planned manufacturing facility demonstrates our continuing commitment to do what we can to support the development of a competitive Scottish supply chain and create local jobs.

Corporation and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, who are bidding in the ScotWind leasing process to help secure 10GW of new offshore wind projects off the Scottish coast.

Industry and nationwide economy The announcement of SSE Renewables’ investment in the future of offshore wind brings good news for both the industry and the wider UK economy. The green energy sector has already been heralded for its potential to boost the financial landscape while also increasing the UK’s sustainability credentials.

Once functional, NOW alone will directly create an estimated 400 new fulltime manufacturing jobs, with a further 1,800 jobs made available indirectly too. This will not only provide exciting employment opportunities for the local communities, but also enable the existing workforce to make use of their extensive skills and experience across the sector. Individuals will be able to retrain and transfer proficiencies learnt in other industries such as oil and gas in order to support the development of renewable energy. At a time when it is so important to generate employment prospects and income for the nation, this project offers much-needed opportunities to allow and sustain economic growth.

“In addition to the debt funding, SSE also looks forward to fulfilling its role as a strategic backer and placing orders with the factory to meet our growing offshore wind pipeline in the near future. SSE is in a unique position with projects of scale, such as Dogger Bank and Berwick Bank, to create sustainable, long-term supply chain opportunities such as at Nigg and the new GE blade factory in Teesside."

Setting an example

SSE is already a major contributor to the Dogger Bank 3.6GW site – in association with Equinor and Eni – as well as the 1.1GW Seagreen projects with TotalEnergies, both due for delivery in the coming years. Then there is the ground-breaking Berwick Bank project in the pipeline that is expected to deliver up to 4.1GW, plus looking even further ahead any new tenders won as part of the ScotWind seabed leasing Round 4, anticipated for Spring 2022.SSE Renewables is part of a leading consortium with Marubeni

“It is hugely exciting to see projects such as Nigg Offshore Wind progress with the support of a major UK company like SSE Renewables. It is a milestone for Scotland and for the UK as a whole as we look to accelerate growth of the green energy market so that we can reach net-zero as fast as possible.

SSE’s investment in this project is just one example of the several landmark announcements made across the industry this year, in which we saw an annual record amount of over £1billion invested in new UK offshore wind manufacturing facilities throughout the country, creating thousands of highquality jobs in clean technology. It is this kind of commitment, innovation and forward-thinking that keeps the UK to the forefront of developments in the global renewable energy sector.”

The Nigg Offshore Wind project will do much to streamline the offshore wind supply chain in Scotland and for the whole of the UK. Its close physical proximity to existing and developing offshore wind farms will not only help to simplify logistics, but could also offer various cost-efficiencies for local projects.

RenewableUK’s Deputy Chief Executive Melanie Onn added:

RENEWABLES

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CONTRACT AWARDS SPONSORED BY

Infinity Partnership: Your Partner in Business Infinity Partnership is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary accountancy and business advisory practice, with a proactive approach to customer service.

www.infinity-partnership.com

Infinity has been a five-time winner at the British Accountancy Awards and has been a three-time finalist at the Scottish Accountancy Awards in recent times.

Aker Solutions, Subsea 7 and ABB awarded FEED contracts with AkerBP

Aker BP has awarded contracts worth around NOK440m ($49m) to alliance partners Aker Solutions, Subsea 7 and ABB to deliver frontend engineering and design (FEED) for a new central platform on Valhall, as well as a new platform and tie-in of the King Lear field in the Norwegian North Sea.

The joint development will contribute to an extended lifetime and increased value creation from Valhall. The concept consists of a new process and wellhead platform (NCP) which has a bridge connection to the Valhall field centre, and an unmanned platform on King Lear, around 50 km from the field centre.

New infrastructure will be laid on the seabed to connect the two fields. A total of 19 wells are planned, and the concept also includes considerable modification work on the Valhall field centre.​

Aker Solutions will also carry out modifications on the Valhall field centre.

Aker Solutions, as part of the Fixed Facilities Alliance, will deliver topsides and jackets for both NCP and King Lear, while ABB will be in charge of the electrical, instrument, control systems and telecom (EICT).

“This development will allow Aker BP to secure continued high production from the Valhall field centre and the flank platforms in the area after 2028. The development also provides access to resources from Valhall and King Lear. Aker BP is planning pre-investments for extra well space on both installations and secure flexibility to tie in of new discoveries as there is still additional upside potential in the area,” said AkerBP’s SVP operations and asset development Ine Dolve.

As part of the Subsea Alliance, Aker Solutions has been contracted for umbilicals for King Lear and related subsea infrastructure, and Subsea 7 will provide risers and pipelines.

Pandion Energy is Aker BP’s partner in the Valhall licence. PGNiG is the partner in King Lear, which was discovered in 1988. The partnerships have decided to proceed with the selected concept for NCP and King Lear.

Further maturing will now follow through the FEED phase, until a final investment decision and submission of plan for development and operation is planned in late 2022.​

Brimmond Group announces £1.75 million worth of contract wins until recently design and manufacture contract wins had waned slightly as our industry continued to weather the effects of the pandemic. This trend has changed dramatically over the last few months, in which we’ve secured four separate contracts all due for completion around the end of Q1 next year.”

Brimmond Group, the Aberdeenshire-based provider of hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical and mechanical equipment and services, has announced four contract wins totalling £1.75 million, consolidating a period of growth for the engineering company which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

The contracts span the renewables, subsea and production sectors and were all secured in Q3 and Q4.

Engineering Director for Brimmond Group, Tom Murdoch, explains: “2021 has proved an exceptional year for our rental fleet, however,

www.ogv.energy I January 2022

The most significant of the contracts is a seven-figure order to design and manufacture equipment which will support the conversion of a jack-up rig into a production platform for a UK-based client, to be shipped out to the Middle East.

Tom continues: “We’re delivering seven identical Hydraulic Power Units which will provide the passive heave compensation function within the Conductor Tensioning System. Each unit comprises six 50-litre Accumulators, a pneumatic primary pump and an electrically driven back up pump. The units will be certified for use within an ATEX Zone 2 Hazardous Area and will be certified to PED Category IV”.

Another six-figure contract will see Brimmond design and manufacture

a Mechanical Lined Pipe Hydraulic Pressurisation Unit (MLP HPU), to be permanently installed on a pipe-lay vessel.

Tom said: “Custom designing equipment for different regions and applications is a key service offering. We successfully designed this unit for a client back in 2017; the second order comes as a direct result of the success of the first project.

A contract win within the renewables sector will see Brimmond Group oversee the fabrication, manufacture and testing of a subsea anchoring ROV, used to install anchors to which a tidal platform will be attached, this time in Canadian seas. “While decommissioning projects in the North Sea remain pivotal to our operations, we’re delighted to be diversifying our offering and making strides in both new regions and sectors, such as renewables and aquaculture,” Tom concluded.

The engineering company has also been expanding its staff with the addition of two technicians and two apprentices to the workshop, along with three new positions in the office including a Hire and Certification Administrator and a Design Engineer.

CONTRACT AWARDS

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Seadrill seals new drillship contract with Petrobras Offshore driller Seadrill has secured a contract with Petrobras for work in the Búzios field offshore Brazil for the 2014-built drillship West Jupiter.

The contract is for a firm term of 1,040 days with commencement expected in December of next year. The total contract value is approximately $264m, inclusive of mobilisation revenue and additional services.

Seadrill’s chief executive officer, Stuart Jackson, commented: “Petrobras is a long-

standing and valued customer of Seadrill and signing a third contract with them this quarter is testament to our strong partnership and commitment to the Brazilian market. Seadrill is focused on growing our fleet in strategic basins where we see high growth potential, such as Brazil, where we are now the largest international drilling contractor.”

Earlier this year, Petrobras booked the 2013-built drillship West Tellus and the 2015-built West Carina for three years at $230,000 and $245,000 per day, respectively.

North Star wins £90m contract to complete vessel package for Dogger Bank Wind Farm North Star Group has clinched the service operations vessel (SOV) contract to support the third phase of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm, off the coast of Yorkshire. The UK firm has secured a long-term charter worth approximately £90 million to deliver an additional ship boasting its new hybridpowered renewables fleet design for Dogger Bank C to support offshore wind technicians working in the field.

This will be the fourth SOV and associated daughter craft the business has been contracted to build and operate by Dogger Bank’s joint partners Equinor, SSE Renewables and Eni this year, making North Star the exclusive service vessel operator for the world’s largest wind farm for at least the next decade. In March, the firm won the initial contract for Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B following a competitive tender for the

design and delivery of three SOVs in a deal worth an estimated £270 million.

Each of the four Dogger Bank SOVs have been contracted on a 10-year agreement, with three additional one-year options. The £360 million combined value is believed to be one of the world’s most successful offshore renewables related SOV charter deals of 2021, and further consolidates North Star’s position as the UK’s leading offshore infrastructure support services company.

Around 40 new full-time positions in crewing and onshore-based jobs will be created locally in support of the Dogger Bank C contract, in addition to the 130 announced previously to support the first three SOVs. Recruitment is already underway, underpinning the company’s commitment to supporting communities in the UK.

The company, which employs around 1,400 personnel out of its facilities in Aberdeen, Newcastle and Lowestoft, has unrivalled marine expertise in the North Sea. The business, which has been operating for 135 years, has the largest wholly owned UK fleet and currently supports more than 50 installations with its existing purpose-built tonnage.

Craig International secures over £5m in new contracts with Altera and Bilfinger Salamis UK Craig International secures over £5m in new contracts with Altera and Bilfinger Salamis UK. The energy procurement specialist attributes the new wins to the efficiencies delivered by their market-leading digital platform, ebuy.

Craig International is able to source products globally for local supply with attractive fixed prices for the duration of the contracts, avoiding time-consuming requisitions for recurring orders.

The first contract will see the Aberdeen headquartered, global business source and supply oilfield consumables for Altera’s UK and Brazil operations while the second includes the provision of third-party procurement for goods and services to Bilfinger Salamis UK’s onshore and offshore business.

Both deals, secured through competitive tender, will use Craig International’s ecobuy service which offers customers the option of more environmentally friendly and less wasteful products. With a more sustainable approach to procurement, the service also limits logistical requirements for the delivery of products by combining orders to further reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.

The work will be delivered from Craig International’s base in Aberdeen with a dedicated team working on the contracts for the duration of the three-year projects.

Carol Ross, general manager of Craig International in Aberdeen, explained: “The new contracts with Altera and Bilfinger for Craig International reinforce our position as a market leader in procurement with a clear differentiator through our approach to efficiency with our digital platform, ebuy, and to environmental performance with ecobuy.

More than 70% of Craig International’s clients are currently using its ebuy system, which delivers significant efficiencies across their global operations through the use of digital technologies. Craig International further streamline purchasing by reducing non value add activity across clients’ procurement processes.

Craig International currently has 84 procurement specialists operating across bases in Aberdeen, UK; Cape Town, South Africa; Calgary, Canada; Doha, Qatar; Hamburg, Germany, and Houston, USA.

“As our customers ramp up their efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of their operations, ecobuy is ideally placed to support industry targets by making a real difference, not only through the use of less plastic and less wasteful products but also in the way they are procured to reduce the number of journeys by lorries and vessels.

“We’re looking forward to working closely with both companies over the coming years to streamline their procurement processes and provide a more sustainable, technologyled offering.”

CONTRACT AWARDS SPONSORED BY

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ON THE MOVE Norman Broadbent

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Chris Smith, Partner

We have a simple and straightforward objective: to help our clients manage and successfully drive change, mitigate risk, grow, and succeed.

www.normanbroadbent.com

Chris Hay

1

Well-Safe Solutions appoint Chris Hay as Director of Strategy and BD

Chris’ has over 16 years experience within the energy sector predominantly with the integrated well abandonment and offshore drilling sectors.

Prior to this role with Well-Safe Solution, Chris managed the UK commercial activities at a leading global drilling contractor. In addition, Chris has held several senior leadership roles across the North Sea, West Africa and Europe for Tier 1 international service companies.

Matt Pete Street Jones

4

Pete Jones as Chief Executive Officer Neptune Energy

Neptune Energy has announced that Pete Jones, current Neptune’s VP Operations, Europe will succeed Jim House as Ehief Executive Officer. Mr Jones joined the company in 2018 as Managing Director, UK, before taking up the role of VP Operations, Europe in October 2019. He has over 25 years’ experience in the upstream sector including as Managing Director of TAQA Europe and UK Managing Director and Regional VIP of Marathon Oil.

www.ogv.energy I January 2022

Our portfolio of integrated Leadership Acquisition & Advisory Services, coupled with our #ClientFirst philosophy, collaborative innovative culture, and trusted brand, makes us a proven business partner.

Anton Dibowitz

2

Valaris Ltd appoint Mr Anton Dibowitz as President and Chief Executive Office

Anton Dibowitz, served as an advisor of Seadrill Ltd. from November 2020 until March 2021. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Seadrill Ltd. from July 2017 until October 2020.

Prior to this Mr. Dibowitz served as Executive Vice President of Seadrill Management since June 2016, and as Chief Commercial Officer since January 2013. He has over 20 years drilling industry experience.

Ray Riddoch

5

Ray Riddoch joins the board of the risk management consultancy Marex

Energy industry leader Ray Riddoch has joined the board of the Aberdeen-based risk management consultancy Marex. With a career spanning 40 years both in the UK and overseas, Mr Riddoch joins the business as a nonexecutive director.

Lee Thomas

3

Jersey Oil & Gas Appoints new Non-executive chairman, Chief Financial Officer and Chris Commercial Officer

Les Thomas, formerly Non-Executive Director, has assumed the role of Non-Executive Chair.

Mr Thomas has over 35 years’ experience within the oil & gas industry with Marathon Oil UK Ltd and John Wood Group and more recently was CEO of Ithaca Energy

David Skov

6

Maersk Training announces David Skov as its new CEO

Skov was previously Regional Head of Terminals, Africa & Middle East at APM Terminals, part of A.P. Moller – Maersk. He replaces Johan Uggla, who served as Maersk Training’s CEO for four years. Skov has been with A.P. Moller – Maersk since 1995, where he joined the Maersk International Shipping Education program and has since served in various senior leadership roles with mainly Maersk Line and APM Terminals.

ON THE MOVE

7

David Latin

Serica Energy Plc appoint David Latin to their Board as a Non-Executive Director

David joined OMV as Group Senior Vice President in 2011 and had accountability for the Exploration & Production business in Northwest Europe, Africa and Australasia. In 2017, David co-founded First Alpha Energy which was established to invest in companies and assets in the Upstream Exploration & Production and Energy Services, Technology and Equipment Sectors. In 2020, David founded First Alpha Services providing specialised executive advisory services to a variety of clients in the Energy, Finance, Technology and University sectors. David also co-founded Talaria Technology in 2021 which provides smart sensors focussed on assisting offshore wind energy and carbon storage companies to reduce cost, improve performance and expand faster.

Graham Forbes

Elena Belletti

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Wood Mackenzie has appointed Elena Belletti as Head of Carbon Research

Wood Mackenzie has appointed Elena Belletti as Head of Carbon Research within the company’s Energy Transition Practice.

Based in Madrid, Elena joins from the United Nations (UN) Headquarters, where she had worked since 2015, most recently as an economist in the office for financing sustainable development. At the UN, Elena was the focal point on taxation and climate, advising senior government officials from low-income countries on the development of policies that generate revenues while protecting the environment. She also focused on carbon pricing and on the role of taxation in attaining environmentally-related sustainable development goals (SDGs). Prior to the UN, she was an economist for Palantir Economic Solutions and an advisor at Eni.

11

Graham Forbes joins the board of Jersey Oil and Gas as CFO

Graham is a Chartered Accountant with over 20 years' experience in the oil and gas industry and was CFO of Ithaca Energy from 2010 to 2020. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant at PriceWaterhouseCoopers before moving to ExxonMobil, where for over five years he worked on a variety of operational and acquisition-based projects. In 2002, Graham joined First Oil Group where, as Finance Director and then Executive Director, he helped develop the business into the UK's then largest privately owned E&P company.

For the last 10 years he was CFO at Ithaca Energy, transforming the business through both organic developments and multiple acquisitions. He has extensive quoted company and corporate finance experience, having completed various debt and equity market offerings and the US$1.2 billion sale and subsequent delisting of Ithaca Energy.

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Seadrill Limited Announces Appointment of Successor Company Board of Directors Julie Johnson Robertson, Chair of the Board

Richards Smith

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Richard Smith joins the Ithaca Energy as Chief Commercial Officer

Richard has over 20 years' experience in the oil and gas industry and wider energy sector, in various senior business development, commercial, corporate finance and strategy positions. He was previously Corporate Development Director at Ithaca Energy, where he spent 10 years working alongside Les and Graham to deliver its successful growth from being a small-cap E&P business into one of the largest independent UK North Sea oil and gas producers. Prior to joining Ithaca Energy, Richard spent eight years with TotalEnergies working in its UK North Sea business and at its head office in France. He commenced his career in the energy industry as a consultant at EA Technology, working on various financial and regulatory assignments associated with the liberalisation of the European electricity and gas industries.

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Carsten Nielsen

K2 Management announces Carsten Nielsen as new CEO

The renewables and maritime industry leader joined from Semco Maritime in November, bringing 20 years of experience in offshore wind development and experience across a range of project-based industries. Across a career that spans more than 30 years, Mr Nielsen has successfully occupied a number of senior leadership roles at some of Denmark’s best performing businesses. Most recently, he has been Senior Vice President of the Renewables division at Semco Maritime in Esbjerg, an international engineering and contracting company dedicated to projects in the energy sector. Nielsen will head up K2 Management’s team of specialists as the business continues to support its clients in their efforts to develop and operate renewable energy projects that achieve the best possible return on investment, across the entire value chain.

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Mark McCollum, Chair of Audit Committee

Karen Dyrskjot Boesen

Jean Cahuzac

Jan Kjaervik

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DECOMMISSIONING SPONSORED BY

www.wellsafesolutions.com

SAFE, SMART & EFFICIENT The complete package for well decommissioning Well-Safe Solutions provides a ground-breaking approach to the safe and cost-efficient decommissioning of on and offshore wells. We offer a specialist well abandonment service that allows operators to meet the challenges and regulatory imperatives around decommissioning, while significantly reducing costs.

Neptune Energy uses innovative technology for decommissioning work Neptune Energy announced the award of a decommissioning contract to Maersk Supply Service (MSS) for the Juliet field in the UK Southern North Sea, which will deploy innovative technology to reduce the time and costs associated with the removal of the subsea infrastructure.

Neptune Energy’s UK Managing Director, Alexandra Thomas, said: “Work on decommissioning Juliet is progressing well and the activities undertaken by MSS will finalise the work on the pipelines and enable us to move forward with plugging and abandonment operations.

Piping spools and umbilicals will be removed using the Utility ROV Services system (UTROV), a remotely-operated tool carrier equipped with multiple attachments for the recovery of subsea equipment, reducing the necessity for multiple vessels and equipment providers to carry out the complex work.

”The use of such innovative technologies is enabling operators to reduce the time, costs and environmental impacts associated with such operations, and ensures the safe and efficient removal of decommissioned subsea infrastructure.”

The UTROV system was previously used for work on the Juliet field in 2019 and will be deployed from the Maersk Forza Subsea Support Vessel.

Maersk Supply Service’s Head of Integrated Solutions, Olivier Trouvé, said: “We are looking forward to mobilising our engineering capabilities and specialised assets to provide safe and efficient operations.”

The Juliet subsea assets were installed in 2013. Production ceased in 2017 and formal cessation of production was approved in December 2018 by the OGA. The Juliet Subsea completion is located in block 47/14b of the UK Southern North Sea. The Juliet facilities comprise two subsea wells tied back to the Pickerill ‘A’ Platform, which is owned and operated by Perenco (PUK).

Leading Contractors Form New Partnership To Transform Delivery Of Life Of Field In North Sea Through Landmark Contract With CNR International (UK) Limited

An exciting new partnership between contractors, Bilfinger UK and Global E&C, has secured a major contract with oil and natural gas production company CNR International.

The framework agreement will see the two companies working together, under the newly formed Torus BGP brand, to deliver operations and maintenance, engineering, construction, modifications, fabric maintenance, integrity inspection, commissioning and start-up services for three UK North Sea platforms.

The companies, both incumbent contractors to CNR International with decades of combined North Sea experience, created the partnership to meet the operator’s ambition of finding new ways

www.ogv.energy I January 2022

of collaborating and working to extend the life of its assets safely and economically, while supporting emissions reductions.

International was looking for but will also provide a highly attractive, dynamic culture and a secure future for the workforce.”

Under the contract, which covers the Ninian South, Ninian Central and the Tiffany platforms, offshore workers will be transferred, under TUPE legislation, from various contractors to Torus BGP. The joint venture will be led by a steering committee including Bilfinger UK Executive President, Sandy Bonner and Global E&C Chief Executive Officer, Terry Allan.

“With a fresh approach, Torus BGP will offer opportunities for the development and progression of fulfilling careers that will be vital to our basin in the long-term. The skills and experience of the workforce are critical as we enter a new era for the offshore energy industry”.

Terry Allan said: “Transformation is key to unlocking opportunities for the North Sea now and in the future. Torus BGP has presented a bold, but highly deliverable solution, to the challenges facing life of field services against a rapidly-changing backdrop, not least of which is the need to accelerate decarbonisation and deliver quantifiable efficiencies while not ever compromising on safety.

“Torus BGP is the perfect partner to work with CNR International to challenge the accepted norms, and to foster creativity in late life operations and beyond. This partnership, which has been 15 months in the making, will not only offer the agility, scalability and cultural fit CNR

Sandy Bonner commented: “Our joint purpose is to challenge, innovate and deliver for CNR International as the operator.

“We will support CNR International by transforming operational and delivery models, alongside introducing the new technologies and technical skills it needs to streamline operations, reduce the carbon footprint, through to late life asset management and decommissioning.

“For Bilfinger, this award consolidates our position as a leading operations and maintenance contractor. We have been working closely with our partners, Global E&C, in developing this transformative approach and look forward to, together, supporting CNR International on its continued journey in the North Sea.”

DECOMMISSIONING Defunct North Sea oil rigs and gas pipelines could be reused to make green tech Defunct oil rigs and pipelines could be recycled and reused in green technologies such as carbon capture and storage, hydrogen production, geothermal energy and offshore wind, a new report suggests.

More than one million tonnes of scrapped oil and gas installations are set to be removed from the North Sea and broken up over the next decade in a major operation that will cost nearly £17 billion.

But up to 95% of the material recovered could be reused or recycled, lowering costs and reducing climate emissions.

"It’s also a huge opportunity for UK companies to show their engineering skills, powers of innovation and ability to compete on a global scale.”

The industry is aiming to set new standards for waste recovery, with a focus on reuse – where component parts or even whole structures are redeployed for new purposes with minimal modifications.

This reduces energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions for cutting up, smelting and crushing components or creating new ones.

The findings come from a new report into decommissioning of redundant oil and gas fields by industry body Oil and Gas UK (OGUK).

Mr Leask added: “Decommissioning is also a key part of the UK’s transition to low-carbon energy and its aim of reaching net-zero by 2050.

Legislation requires the structures must be removed once taken out of service.

“This is partly because the installations being removed tend to be older and so generate more emissions relative to the oil and gas they produce.

Some decommissioning work has already been carried out but there is much more ahead – in one of the largest marine removal programmes ever attempted.

OGUK has estimated that disused infrastructure weighing around 1.2 million tonnes will need to be brought back to shore in the next 10 years for reuse, recycling and disposal.

Companies involved in extracting the fossil fuels will spend approximately £16.6 billion pounds on the programme, according to the report, supporting thousands of jobs both directly and in the wider supply chain.

“Decommissioning is more than a great challenge,” said Joe Leask, decommissioning manager for OGUK.

“But it is also because of the growing opportunities for reuse, repurposing and recycling.

"Reuse is when infrastructure or equipment is taken away and used again elsewhere.

“This is already becoming common with forgings, pipeline valves, turbines and electrical kit.

“In the future some assets could be repurposed for new uses such as offshore wind and permanent storage of carbon dioxide by pumping it deep under the seabed.

“This is going to be an exciting 10 years – there’s a huge amount of work to be done and with £16.6 billion to be spent there will be many opportunities for UK companies and workers.”

The report showed decommissioning work on the UK continental shelf has continued through the Covid-19 pandemic, but at reduced levels.

A total of 84 wells were decommissioned in 2020, compared to 150 in a typical year.

But OGUK said this would be “returning to its usual pace” this year, with nearly 600 due to be decommissioned between 2022 and 2024.

“The Decommissioning Data Visibility project, and OGUK’s new interactive tool accompanying their Decommissioning Insight report, will give the supply chain greater visibility of future work, which will enable more efficient operations in decommissioning. This, in turn, will support industry in its journey to achieving its net-zero target.”

Well Plugging Resumes at Platform Holly During the interval, as they near the end of the abandonment of the wells, the CEQA process would begin, said Peter Regan, the drilling expert with State Lands, and start asking the public to comment on what to do with the platform, somewhere around the middle of 2022.

The decommissioning of Platform Holly is back on again, after a pause — as in all aspects of life — for the pandemic.

The State Lands Commission held a town hall meeting, announcing that the DCOR crews were back on the platform, had completed plugging four of the 30 wells, and might be completely done in 12-18 months.

State Lands is engaged in two other projects in connection with Holly: the Ellwood Onshore Facility and Piers 421 at Haskell’s Beach. The wells at the onshore Piers 421 have been plugged, and the caissons and pier structures are next. Before State Lands can remove them, a CEQA document is needed, and the draft environmental report should be finalised for the piers early next year.

The Ellwood facility is tied up in litigation, however, and until that has ended, there is little State Lands can do to put Ellwood in mothballs, said Seth

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Blackmun, an attorney with the agency.

About half the facility is being used to run Platform Holly as it’s being shut down.

The litigation is part of the general bankruptcy of Venoco, which owned the Ellwood facility, Holly, the piers, and the Ellwood oil field under the Pacific. The company, once based in Carpinteria, failed as a result of the closure of oil facilities in the area when the main Plains All-American Pipeline oil pipe at Refugio rusted through and broke open in May 2015. Blackmun explained that because of the bankruptcy, State Lands is operating the Ellwood facility only for health and safety reasons.

The full cost to dismantle Holly and the other facilities is estimated to be $350 million, Blackmun said. The COVID delay increased the original estimate of the costs, which are being borne by the state, ExxonMobil, and the $22 million Venoco had in a bond.

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Offshore Energy Services Dashboard November / December 2021Westwood

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Offshore Energy Services Dashboard November/ December Offshore Energy Services Dashboard November/ December2021 2021 Offshore Field Development available from Offshore Field Development available from

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SubseaLogix SubseaLogix

SubseaLogix SubseaLogix PlatformLogix PlatformLogix

Offshore O&G EPCAwards Awards Offshore O&G EPC $billions $billions 8080

Expected Expected Sanctioned Sanctioned

7070 6060 5050

1.01.0

4040 Field Development Update

3030

Offshore O&G related engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract awards announced in the last 30 days is estimated at c.US$9.5 billion, bringing the year-to-date total to US$42.1 billion (excluding pre-awards). Recent EPC contract highlights include Woodside’s award to Subsea Integration Alliance (SIA), a consortium of OneSubsea and Subsea 7 the supply and installation for the subsea production system as well as subsea umbilical, risers and flowlines (SURF), for the Scarborough gas development offshore Australia. McDermott will perform the EPC for the floating production system, whilst the export pipeline will be supplied by Europipe and installed by Saipem.

2020

During the period under review, SBM Offshore has announced the signing of a contract for the lease and operation of the Alexandre de Gusmão floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit destined for Petrobras’ Mero phase four development in the Santos Basin offshore Brazil. The contract follows the signing of the letter of intent (LOI) announced on 3 August 2021 and covers the lease and operation of the unit for a 22.5 year fixed period.

A further US$1 billion of EPC contract award is still anticipated before the end of 2021 driven predominately by CNOOC’s Lingshui 25-1, Chevron’s Jansz-Io Field Control Station (FCS) semi-submersible platform and Invenire Energy’s PY-3 FPSO, which Singapore’s Tuff Offshore has already been issued an LOI to supply the unit.

Based on E&P’s reported development plans, Westwood forecast offshore EPC spend in 2022 to total c.US$ 75 billion, representing a 74% increase of 2021. Major projects expected to support expenditure include TotalEnergies North Platte, as well as its planned investment in its Block 58 discoveries offshore Suriname, ExxonMobil’s Yellowtail development, QatarEnergy’s North Field South project and Saudi Aramco’s Zuluf Incremental Project.

Offshore Rig Update (JLT Updated 19 Dec, Terry reviewed on 20th Dec) The global offshore jackup rig count increased by eight to 352 in November. Southeast Asia, Northwest Europe, and US GoM had increased by one unit each compared to the previous month. Three Aban Offshore jackups were retired from the market, and while that was offset by the delivery of two jackups, both purchased by ADNOC Drilling from rig builder China Merchane Heavy Industries (CMHI), the net result was a fleet reduction to 491. Coupled with the eight-rig increase in demand, total utilisation rose to 72%, - only the second month since July 2015 that utilisation exceeded 70%. Fixtures and dayrates continued to increase with 21 new contracts recorded at an average c. $74,000/day.

The semisubmersible fleet remained at 56 rigs contracted in November, with Southeast Asia increasing by one unit and Northwest Europe falling by one unit. Two units were scrapped, reducing the total fleet to 102. Seadrill retired its 12 year-old West Orion and Awilco Drilling selling its its 38 year-old WilHunter for scrap. Global fleet utilisation for November edged up to 55%.

Contracted drillships increased by one unit to 56 in November, with West Africa accounting for a three-rig increase, but two units going idle in Latin America. Aban Offshore retired its 45-year-old Aban Abraham, on top of the three jackups the company scrapped. However, global supply remained at 95, as the Saipem-managed newbuild Santorini was delivered and began its trip to the US GoM. Total utilisation increased to 59% while marketed utilisation recorded at 73%. Dayrates continued to rise, hitting an average $255,000/day with eight new fixtures reported, all in the Americas.

PlatformLogix PlatformLogix

10

74.9 74.9

10 0

0

42.8 42.8

31.2 31.2

42.1 42.1 14.4 14.4

2018 2018

2019 2019

2020 2020

2021 2021

2022 2022

Westwood’s 2021-22 outlook assumes a $60/bbl Brent oil Westwood’s 2021-22 outlook assumes a $60/bbl Brent oil price price

Subsea Tree Awards Subsea Tree Awards

Sanctioned Sanctioned Firm Firm

#XTs #XTs

2021 2021

176 176

2020 2020

12 12

191 191

FPS Throughput Additions by Year of Sanction FPS Throughput Additions by Year of Sanction kpoepd kpoepd

2500 LNG Gas 2500 2000 LNG GasLiquids 2000 1500 Liquids 1500 1000

1000500 500 0

2018

0

2019

2018

2019

2020

2020

2021

2022

2021

2022

Offshore O&G EPC Awards 2021-25 by E&P Offshore EPC Awards 2021-25 by E&P $billions toO&G be awarded $billions to be awarded

Offshore Wind Update (MG Updated 16 Dec)

www.ogv.energy I January 2022

115.2

9.4

8.8

8.7

8.1

8.1

7.5 115.2

7.5

TotalEnergies TotalEnergies

10.8

8.7

Saudi Aramco Saudi Aramco

10.9

8.8

QatarEnergy QatarEnergy

14.3

9.4

Shell

18.1

10.8

ExxonMobil ExxonMobil

10.9

Shell

14.3

Chevron Chevron

28.0

18.1

Equinor Equinor Woodside Petroleum Woodside Petroleum CNOOC CNOOC

28.0

Petrobras Petrobras

Since the last update, close to 3GW of additional offshore wind capacity has been sanctioned, representing the highest levels recorded in 2021 on a monthly basis, and in effect confirming multiple turbine preferred supplier agreements previously signed with Siemens Gamesa, General Electric and Vestas. Over the past month, 264 additional turbine orders were formally awarded and attributable to the 1.2GW Dogger Bank C, 900MW Borkum Riffgrund 3, 344 MW Vesterhav Nord & Syd, 298 MW Zhong Neng and 242MW Gode Wind 3 developments. Turbine awards for 2021 year-to-date currently stand at 871.

Others Others

38

Offshore Energy Services Dashboard November / December 2021 Westwood

Offshore Energy Services Dashboard November / December 2021 Offshore Energy Services Dashboard November / December 2021

Westwood Global Energy Global GroupEnergy Group

Offshore Rigs available from Offshore Rigs available from

RigLogix RigLogix

Semisubs Semisubs

67 67

72

24 24

490.9

72

19 19

490.9 Jackups Jackups

54 54

Drillships Drillships

19

19

19

19

December 1 December 28,591 1

December 1 December 42,608 1

November 1 November 1

November 1 November 1

November 1 November 1

28,591

42,608

95.1

95.1 Drillships Drillships

56 21

56

56 55 56 55

21

27

352

Contracted Contracted

December 1 December 195,6121

195,612

101.6

101.6 Semisubs Semisubs

27

352

RigLogix RigLogix

Month on Month Backlog (Dec 1 vs Nov 1) Month on Month Backlog (Dec 1 vs Nov 1)

May Rig Counts May Rig Counts Jackups Jackups

39

Available Available

199,189 199,189

Stacked Stacked

28,837 28,837

41,763 41,763

Regional Rig Counts Counts (December (December vs vs November) November) Regional Month Month on on Month Month Rig

85% 85% 80% 80% 75% 75% 70% 70% 65% 65% 60% 60% 55% 55% 50% 50% 45% 45% 40% 40%

70%

80% 80%

65%

75% 75%

60%

70% 70%

55% 50%

65% 65%

Nov-19 Nov-19 Jan-20 Jan-20 Mar-20 Mar-20 May-20 May-20 Jul-20 Jul-20 Sep-20 Sep-20 Nov-20 Nov-20 Jan-21 Jan-21 Mar-21 Mar-21 May-21 May-21 Jul-21 Jul-21 Sep-21 Sep-21 Nov-21 Nov-21

40% 40%

Nov-19 Nov-19 Jan-20 Jan-20 Mar-20 Mar-20 May-20 May-20 Jul-20 Jul-20 Sep-20 Sep-20 Nov-20 Nov-20 Jan-21 Jan-21 Mar-21 Mar-21 May-21 May-21 Jul-21 Jul-21 Sep-21 Sep-21 Nov-21 Nov-21

45% 45%

available from from available

SE SE Asia Asia

Latin Arab ArabGulf Gulf Latin America America

Arab Arab Gulf Gulf

SE SE Asia Asia

Latin Latin America America

US US GOM GOM

US US GOM GOM

Global Global

Effective

NW NW Europe Europe

NW NW Europe Europe

Total 75%

-0.7 -0.7

Nov-19 Nov-19 Jan-20 Jan-20 Mar-20 Mar-20 May-20 May-20 Jul-20 Jul-20 Sep-20 Sep-20 Nov-20 Nov-20 Jan-21 Jan-21 Mar-21 Mar-21 May-21 May-21 Jul-21 Jul-21 Sep-21 Sep-21 Nov-21 Nov-21

Global Global

Latin Arab Arab Gulf Gulf Latin America America Arab ArabGulf Gulf

SE SE Asia Asia

May-21 May-21 Latin LatinAmerica America

Jan-21 Jan-21

Mar-21 Mar-21

US US GOM GOM

SE SE Asia Asia

US US Nov-20 Nov-20 GOM GOM

Jul-20 Jul-20

Sep-20 Sep-20

NWEurope Europe NW

NW NW Europe Europe

Global Rig Utilisation

85% 85%

60% 60%

May-20 May-20

SE SE Asia Asia

Global Global

Global Global

US US GOM GOM

Jan-20 Jan-20

NW Europe Europe NW

Latin Latin Arab Arab Gulf Gulf America America

Mar-20 Mar-20

SE SE Asia Asia

Sep-19 Sep-19

US US GOM GOM

0.7 0.7

-4.1 -4.1

Nov-19 Nov-19

NW NW Europe Europe

1.6 1.6

-2.0 -2.0

Jul-19 Jul-19

Global Global

Global Global

-0.1 -0.2 -0.2 -0.1

85.00% 85.00% 80.00% 80.00% 75.00% 75.00% 70.00% 70.00% -0.7 -0.765.00% 65.00% -1.7 60.00% -1.7 60.00%

Arab Gulf Gulf Arab

0.1 0.1

Latin America America Latin

3.6 3.6

WindLogix WindLogix

WindLogix WindLogix

Offshore WTG WTG Awards Awards by

by Status Status (exc. (exc. Mainland Mainland China) Offshore China)

#WTGs #WTGs 1200 1200 1000 1000

Goldwind Goldwind 4% 4%

Expected Expected Awarded Awarded

Others Others 2% 2%

General General Electric (GE) Electric 14%(GE) 14%

800 800

Awarded by Awarded by OEM OEM

600 600 Vestas Vestas 24% 24%

400 400 200 200 0 0

Ming Yang Ming Yang 3% 3%

2018 2018

2019 2019

2020 2020

2021 2021

Asia Asia 17% 17%

Siemens Siemens Gamesa Gamesa 53% 53%

Western Western Europe Europe 58% 58%

2022 2022 STATS & ANALYTICS SPONSORED BY

Expected by Expected by Reigion Reigion North America North America 25% 25%

40

LEGAL & FINANCE

Decommissioning planning in the energy transition: key considerations Achieving the UK Government's target to be net-zero by 2050 will require a collaborative approach from stakeholders right across the energy industry.

With increasing political and social pressures on the oil and gas sector and in light of the revised OGA Strategy, heritage oil and gas companies are recalibrating their business strategies to reduce their carbon footprint, attract investment and position themselves as viable energy companies of our time.

A significant aspect of this exercise is assessing whether to diversify operations and the product mix and pursue new energy projects. Put simply, do they decommission or diversify? The outcome will depend on a variety of factors including technical suitability but also the wider legal and commercial issues such as the level of current decommissioning liability.

context of energy transition. Assessment of decommissioning liability of individual assets, together with a review of section 29 notices, decommissioning security agreements (DSAs) and any financial security currently posted under those arrangements will help build the picture of the financial implications of decommissioning compared to diversification.

Decommission or diversify?

Decommissioning – the key legal issues

The OGA Strategy places a "supporting" obligation on infrastructure owners considering decommissioning to ensure that "all viable options" for the re-use or re-purposing of such infrastructure (including carbon capture and storage) have been "suitably explored".

The legal framework associated with the decommissioning of offshore oil and gas infrastructure has two main strands: the contractual and the regulatory. Within the bounds of freedom of contract, parties can agree terms suitable to their co-venture arrangement. Most commonly, this takes the form of a DSA which should be regularly reviewed in conjunction with the anticipated life of an asset. This will allow for sound financial and possible energy transition planning.

From a technical perspective this may include assessing the size and location of wells and pipelines and the proximity of infrastructure to other offshore ‘hubs’. Commercially, consideration must be given to whether there will be realistic return on the investment required for diversification or if the costs of decommissioning offer a more cost-effective approach.

In making these decisions companies need to consider their entire asset portfolio in the

From a regulatory perspective, section 29 notices will play a crucial element in assessing decommissioning liability. The notices should be frequently reviewed, and any updates or changes required should be notified to BEIS OPRED.

The importance of strong boards in delivering net-zero and driving investor confidence In the last of our three articles, we focus on the G of ESG. The COVID-19 pandemic, COP 26, the UK Government’s Net-Zero Strategy, investor sentiment and societal pressure have demonstrated the need for more comprehensive ESG reporting, clear net-zero strategies, and energy transition plans. To meet 2050 targets, ESG accountability must extend to the boardroom, with factors such as growth strategy and, potentially, executive renumeration being aligned to ensure good ESG reporting and performance.

This new obligation requires the application of good and proper governance and underlines the importance to the OGA that companies have proper governance arrangements in place regardless of whether they are publicly or privately-owned. Governance is an important enabler of long-term corporate value and the OGA, working with the UK’s corporate governance regulators, seeks to ensure continued investment in the UKCS.

Boards need to re-think every part of their business; redesigning and redefining their strategy and operational processes to meet the needs and expectations of the market and society alike to support long-term value creation.

There are currently a broad set of challenges facing the oil and gas industry: rattled investors, political uncertainty, societal pressure, financial institutions pressurised by NGOs to name but a few. Public trust, investor confidence and active and open engagement around net-zero are all critical to driving and delivering the energy transition, whilst securing energy supplies for the UK.

This, and the changing corporate mix on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), seeing new players entering and bringing capital for exploration, development, redevelopment, and energy transition projects, has resulted in a new obligation being placed on licensees in the OGA’s Strategy.

www.ogv.energy I January 2022

To achieve this will require sound governance principles and practices, transparency, and accountability on ESG, and clear communication

Energy transition Given that section 29 notices are inherently linked to hydrocarbon operations, the regulatory position in relation to infrastructure which has changed hands and been re-used for new energy (nonhydrocarbon) operations is currently unclear.

For example, in a scenario where a piece of infrastructure previously used for oil and gas is sold and re-purposed for hydrogen use, will the 'new' owners of such infrastructure be within the remit of the Petroleum Act and receive a s.29 notice? If new energy projects are going to increase at pace, stakeholders require certainty of the legal position.

In conclusion, decommissioning planning is more important than ever. Against the backdrop of continued energy demand, a changing mix of participants in the North Sea and calls for energy transition to happen at pace, oil and gas companies should get a handle on their decommissioning liability now (both from a contractual and regulatory perspective). This will allow them to assess their financial position, identify targets and opportunities and position themselves at the centre of energy transition.

ESG of actions. Any perceived lack of authenticity in driving the energy transition or in maintaining good governance will only add to the industry’s pressures and the OGA, as the sector’s expert regulator, intends to ensure the application of appropriate governance in meeting UKCS license obligations.

At the heart of that, the OGA will publish its Governance Guidance early in 2022. We hope, in delivering that guidance, that good governance practices at all company levels will be upheld, trust re-established, and the ever-diminishing pool of capital available to the sector safeguarded. The OGA will use its role as regulator to support and influence industry and, where appropriate, will exercise its regulatory powers to influence action.

䘀漀爀 漀瘀攀爀 愀 搀攀挀愀搀攀 眀攀 栀愀瘀攀 瀀甀猀栀攀搀 琀栀攀 戀漀甀渀搀愀爀椀攀猀 漀昀 爀攀洀漀琀攀 椀渀猀瀀攀挀琀椀漀渀⸀

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眀眀眀⸀猀瀀攀挀琀椀猀爀漀戀漀琀椀挀猀⸀挀漀洀 匀攀挀琀漀爀猀 眀攀 眀漀爀欀 椀渀 戀甀琀 渀漀琀 氀椀洀椀琀攀搀 琀漀㨀 ∠䄀焀甀愀挀甀氀琀甀爀攀 ∠一甀挀氀攀愀爀 ∠䌀椀瘀椀氀 ☀ 䤀渀昀爀愀猀琀爀甀挀琀甀爀攀 ∠䴀愀爀椀琀椀洀攀 ∠刀攀渀攀眀愀戀氀攀 䔀渀攀爀最礀 ∠伀椀氀 ☀ 䜀愀猀 ∠䐀攀昀攀渀挀攀 ∠匀攀愀爀挀栀 ☀ 刀攀猀挀甀攀

42

COMMUNITY PARTNER

Tendeka become Official Partner of AFC Women Tendeka, a global reservoir management specialist headquartered in Aberdeen, has signed a deal to become an Official Supporter of AFC Women.

The new partnership will see Tendeka branding emblazoned on the back of the AFC Women’s home and away shirts as the team compete in the Park’s Motor Group SWPL 1, the highest division in Scottish Women’s football.

Tendeka has close and personal ties with the squad having sponsored AFC Women Captain Kelly Forrest for two years. Kelly, a chartered mechanical engineer, and operations supervisor with the company, has led the side since they officially became part of Aberdeen FC in 2018/19. As well as being one of the most experienced players in the squad, the defender has been instrumental in helping the side gain back-to-back promotions.

When she’s not on the pitch, Kelly, along with her Tendeka teammates, will also play a crucial role in delivering on Tendeka’s home grown global innovative technologies including more than $30 million of recently awarded international contracts.

www.ogv.energy I January 2022

The decision to boost their support of AFC Women is motivated by the company’s commitment to equality, inclusion and diversity whilst also enabling the organisation to expand their work and charitable endeavours within their local communities.

Club and align itself with promoting the Women’s game in Scotland.

Tendeka CEO, Brad Baker, said: “It is very much our intention to be a fully involved supporter who helps drive awareness of women’s and girls’ football, while also helping to contribute to grassroots football and making a notable impact in the local community.

“There is an increasing recognition that sponsorship within Women’s football can provide brands with greater visibility and provide opportunities to have a genuine impact on equality and accessibly within the game. There is always added satisfaction when a local company such as Tendeka, whose own history in the energy industry has many synergies with our Women’s team, commits to assisting the Club to drive Women’s football forward, something which is vitally important for us.”

“As a company with our roots firmly in the northeast of Scotland, Tendeka shares core values with AFC. Our own story within the energy industry resonates with the Women’s team and their impressive journey to the top league.

“This is an exciting time for the Club, and I’m pleased that as a local company we will get the opportunity to play a small part in its ambitious plans.”

AFC Commercial Director, Rob Wicks, is delighted to see Tendeka bolster its relationship with the

He said: “As a Club we are thrilled to have another global brand lend their support to AFC Women.

“This is an exciting period for the Club as the team competes in the top tier of the Women’s game in Scotland in the Park’s Motor Groups SWPL 1 and with a committed partnership we look forward to further raising awareness and accessibility of the Women’s game alongside Tendeka, a partner eager and committed to play their part.”

EVENTS SPONSORED BY VENTUR

EVENTS TRAVEL PARTNER

43

GLOBAL EVENTS GREEN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY (ICGEET) 2-3 JAN - SINGAPORE

POWER ELECTRONICS, SMART GRID AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

VENTUR – THE TRAVEL PARTNER Specialists in connecting people through travel, ventur’s expertise in partnering with businesses in the oil and gas industry is second to none.

In May this year, the travel management specialist formerly known as Traveleads, unveiled its new identity as part of a business transformation to elevate standards of service and deliver clients a premium, tailored travel management experience.

Following in-depth research which highlighted that customers truly valued the firm’s expertise, consultative approach and relationships with the team, the new identity of ventur – the travel partner was revealed, bringing together the decades worth of experience, efficiency and accessibility with a commitment to creating a culture of success and adding even more value to customers’ travel programmes.

Here, we chat to client services director – corporate, Maggie Monteith, about the company’s exciting year and plans for the months ahead.

TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT VENTUR As Ventur, it’s important to us that we’re constantly evolving to meet and exceed customer needs – that’s what makes us The Travel Partner.

Customers are always at the heart of what we do, whether it’s understanding the often-urgent nature of enquiries, ensuring travellers are safe or simply helping them navigate a complex travel landscape, they can rely on our expert team to get them to their ‘there’ seamlessly.

We help them travel safely wherever they need to be – whether they’re travelling to industryleading conferences, carrying out essential work or building relationships with business associates across the world, we’re here to help them every step of the way.

LISTEN TO VENTUR FURTHER

Featuring guests such as tennis legends Tim Henman OBE and Judy Murray OBE to CEOs including Anthony Gruppo of Marsh Commercial and Steve Birch of Sky Betting and Gaming, the podcast takes a deeper dive into how – and why – successful people reach their accomplishments.

Plus, with life-changing advice from global life coaches such as Brian Tracy and Anil Gupta to stories of mindset and determination from the likes of Jasmine Harrison, the youngest woman to row the Atlantic solo and Dr Neslyn Watson-Druée CBE who arrived in the UK at 19, working her way up to become Chairman of NHS Kingston, Ventur Further is the perfect dose of weekly motivation.

Available on major podcast streaming services, including Apple Music and Spotify, Ventur Further is sponsored by luxury boutique hotel brand, Dakota Hotels, which has locations in Leeds, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Ventur Further can be found on ventur.partners/ podcast. Follow Ventur on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for further updates.

TRAVELLING TO ADIPEC WITH VENTUR Fully vaccinated travellers can now fly to Abu Dhabi without the need for quarantine.

Contact us at hello@ventur.partners, call +44 (0)113 245 7745 for more information on the below package*: •Return economy class flights from Aberdeen to Abu Dhabi via Amsterdam •Five nights’ accommodation at the Four Star Yas Island Rotana Hotel, including daily breakfast and complimentary Yas Beach access (classic room) •Return private car airport transfers in Abu Dhabi •Complimentary shuttle bus operation from the hotel to the ADIPEC show •Price from £1,175.00 per person (twin share) •Sole traveller supplement £400.00 Alternative hotels and flights options are available including departures from Edinburgh and Glasgow, please contact us for latest prices and also for upgrade supplements. *Please note, all details and costs will be subject to availability at the time of booking.

Discover more about Ventur at https://ventur. partners

Compelling insights, inspirational people and stories of growth are being shared on Ventur’s weekly podcast, Ventur Further.

With new episodes released every Tuesday, Ventur Further sees Ventur’s board advisor, Peter Wilcock, invite guests from musical, sporting, business and adventure-seeking backgrounds to discuss career journeys, life stories and their personal inspirations.

2-5 JAN - INDIA

HEAT TRANSFER AND FLUID FLOW (ICHTFF) 5-6 JAN - SWEDEN

RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES (ICRET) 7-9 JAN - MALAYSIA

ROBOTICS & SMART MANUFACTURING 9-11 JAN - CANADA

OIL MOVEMENT, STORAGE & TROUBLESHOOTING 9-13 JAN - DUBAI, UAE

FROM WIND AND SOLAR ENERGY TO CHEMICAL ENERGY STORAGE 9-13 JAN - GERMANY

OFFSHORE EUROPE 2022 1-4 FEB - ABERDEEN, UK

SUBSEA EXPO 2022 22-24 FEB - SINGAPORE

ENERGY STORAGE SUMMIT 2022 23-24 FEB - ONLINE

THE FUTURE OF THE NORTH SEA: ENERGY TRANSITION TO NET-ZERO SUMMIT 2-3 MAR - ABERDEEN, UK

WORLD HYDROGEN 2022 SUMMIT & EXHIBITION 8-10 MAR - NETHERLANDS

Discover how we can transform your business travel at ventur.partners email workwithus@ventur.partners or call +44 (0)113 245 7745

VIEW ALL EVENTS AT www.ogv.energy/events

FOLLO US NO W W! #oilan dgas jobs

We are the UK’s biggest energy sector training provider.

At AIS Survivex we are passionately focused on allowing people to fulfil their potential, be better prepared and more confident in their job role to maximise their career opportunities.

Ultimately we want to make the energy industry as a whole safer, smarter and more efficient through better training.

#OILANDGASJOBS We work in partnership with energy sector companies and recruiters to host regular careers events...

Follow us on social media for details on our oil & gas jobs events coming in 2022!

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