OGV Energy - Issue 56 - May 2022 - Asset Integrity

MAY 2022 - ISSUE AUGUST 2020 56

UK’s No. ENERGY SECTOR

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PUBLICATION

ASSET INTEGRITY

GLOBAL ENERGY NEWS

FEATURING

WORLD PROJECTS MAP

GDI - CAN Group Vetasi - TEXO - Re-Gen Robotics IMRANDD - MODS - AISUS QHSE Aberdeen - PIM

MONTHLY THEME INNOVATION & TECH RENEWABLES CONTRACT AWARDS ON THE MOVE

REGIONAL NEWS P.14

EU adopted in early April the fifth round of sanctions against Russia over its military aggression against Ukraine

OIL NEWS P.16

The US Administration is releasing a record amount of crude oil from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to combat the highest petrol prices in America in eight years

DECOMMISSIONING STATS & ANALYTICS LEGAL & FINANCE EVENTS

RENEWABLES P.36

The Government’s Energy Security Strategy has caused quite a stir in the UK, with increased ambitions for renewable energy production

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AUTOMATED ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS Read on page 4

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CONTENTS

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COVER PARTNER

04 - GDI - Automated engineering solutions through cutting-edge visualisation technology and data

COMMUNITY NEWS 08 - Latest updates from our OGV Community members

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

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25

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WORLD PROJECTS MAP

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20 - EIC - World's latest project updates

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MONTHLY THEME 22 - Asset Integrity in the Energy Sector 24 - IMRANDD: Net-Zero 2050: A chain reaction in every link 25 - Re-Gen Robotics: secures the safety and integrity of your tanks 26 - TEXO Asset Integrity: a one-stop solution for asset inspection, repair and maintenance 27 - QHSE Aberdeen: A people-first approach to asset management 28 - MODS: How data Is driving energy projects of the future

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30 - CAN Group: Meaningful data is at the core of asset reliability 31 - Vetasi: Transforming refineries into mammoth smart devices

INNOVATION & TECH ANNUAL 32 - AISUS: Dangers of the splash-zone for offshore structures

OUR DIGITAL INDUSTRY 34 - Sword Group: Data quality and governance: The key to digital transformation

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RENEWABLES

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36 - SSE Renewables: Industry response to the Government’s Energy Security Strategy

EVERY MONTH 38 - Contract Awards 40 - On the Move 42 - Decommissioning 44 - Stats & Analytics 46 - People in Energy 48 - Legal & Finance 50 - Community Partner 51 - Events

KENNY DOOLEY MAIN EDITOR Welcome to the May edition of OGV Energy Magazine, where this month our theme is on ‘Asset Integrity’.

We are excited to be showcasing some of the energy sector’s top products and services that are helping to reduce cost and optimise efficiency in the Asset Integrity industry.

This month we are delighted to welcome GDI as our front cover partner, one of Aberdeen’s true technology success stories in the Asset Integrity market and they continue this success this month as they launch their new automated flange fitting service, which you can read all about inside.

We also have asset integrity insights from Plant Integrity Management, CAN Group, Vetasi, IMRANDD and Texo group as well as content from QHSE Aberdeen, Sword Group and MODS.

WISH TO CONTRIBUTE TO NEXT MONTH'S PUBLICATION? Contact us to submit your interest: daniel.hyland@ogvenergy.co.uk

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. Have a great month!

VIEW THE OGV MAGAZINE ONLINE AT www.ogv.energy/magazine

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COVER SECTION FEATURE HEADER

Author credit here

AUTOMATED AUTOMATED ENGINEERING ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS SOLUTIONS

So, the question was raised:

“Can survey data be utilised to automate the equipment modelling aspect of the design engineering process?“ Research and Development Two years of research and development has produced a solution which allows GDi to quickly and automatically model piping equipment for digital twin modelling and fabrication. In addition, it can automatically calculate deflections and rotation offsets, providing engineers with the data needed to proactively mitigate any risks that might arise.

- Computer vision experts developed an algorithm that generates and aligns 3D models of piping equipment, in line with engineering standards, against point cloud data gathered from laser scanning equipment.

Say ‘Fit Like?’ to GDi’s automated flange fitting solution Since its formation in 2016, Aberdeen-based Global Design Innovation (GDi) has been a pioneer in developing cutting edge computer vision technology, supporting innovation within the energy sector.

Offering in-house Survey, Inspection, Design Engineering & Fabrication services, and being developers of industry-leading digital twin platform GDi Vision, GDi are a leader in digital asset management across the UKCS, and beyond.

- Billions of points of data obtained from GDi offshore surveys were used to test and refine the accuracy of the algorithm over time.

- The use of real test data meant it was possible to compare the algorithmic results against ‘traditional’ i.e. human designed solutions, that have already been implemented; and to have the engineers involved in the solution verify the automated results.

- After comparing with real-world examples, it was shown that GDi's software tool could consistently fit piping equipment to laser scan data.

Flange Fitting Accuracy It is possible to fit 9/10 flanges to within fabrication tolerance of the best human fit.

89%

Through deployment of GDi Vision - GDi have digitised the majority of the North Sea and continue to expand globally.

Leveraging the value of this data is a primary focus and GDi continue to invest in the development of innovative technologies to increase productivity, reduce cost and risk.

Februa ry 2 02 2 Januar y2 02 2

Octob er

21 20

78%

45%

Accuracy Improvement through Machine Learning and Continuous Development

Time To Fit GDi Vision’s Split Screen viewer shows photographic imagery & 3D models in parallel

Significant time savings have been realised; reducing the average time taken to fit a flange from ~20 minutes manually, to <10 seconds via automation.

This latest initiative, in collaboration with experts from leading institutions, was launched specifically to improve efficiency and accuracy, through automation, within key parts of GDi’s design engineering workflow.

The energy industry’s ever-increasing dependency on high-quality survey data; be it point cloud data or high-definition photography, has created many opportunities for innovation, but also poses unique new challenges.

Having access to the data is one thing, but making it work for you is quite another.

One such challenge regularly faced by GDi engineers is how to measure and design replacement pipework efficiently and accurately. Off-the-shelf software products allow the team to do this, of course, but it can be time consuming and prone to human error due to the complex geometry involved.

www.ogv.energy I May 2022

February 2022

8.6s January 2022 October 2021

12s

>60s

Fitting Time Improvement through Machine Learning and Continuous Development

DOUBLE PAGE COVER 841 FEATURE words

A section of pipe work aligned with laser scan data

"This is the only technology that uses Artificial Intelligence through bespoke optimised algorithms and machine learning to rapidly and accurately fit complex piping equipment to laser scan data."

Key Deliverables

Through this initiative, GDi have proven that it is possible to use software to align representative models of engineering equipment generated directly from engineering standards to laser scans of complex equipment.

Furthermore, it is possible to consistently and accurately align process equipment with point cloud laser scans. And to use the representative equipment modelling data to calculate the weight of items.

The developed approach is already being successfully used to align complex piping equipment within ongoing pipework replacement workscopes. As a result, GDi’s customers are already benefiting from the improved turnaround time, cost savings and reduced risk that the solution offers.

Automate elements of the design process Ultimately, the ability to automate the design process within piping and structural engineering removes a large cost burden and improves the speed in which projects are delivered.

When the impossible becomes possible

What next?

A virtual flange point cloud used to align to laser scan data

The ability to perform automated checks also removes the risk of human error, meaning there is reduced risk of rework and safety implications.

GDi will continue to push the limits of what this technology can do; utilising their unique, rich laser scan data sets of complex offshore assets, with a constant drive to create innovative software tools to expand their capabilities and further automate ancillary processes to realise additional benefits.

Generate 3D models Generating 3D models from point cloud data allows operators to visualise their equipment in a cost-efficient manner. GDi Vision is a key facilitator in supporting this, and further integration with this platform is a key focus going forward.

Perform Piping & Instrumentation Drawings (P&ID) gap analysis

Over time, fitting models and algorithms have been optimised

Giving operators a complete equipment registration and gap analysis of their current knowledge allows them to quickly understand their inventory and its current condition.

Ascertain equipment weight The ability to ascertain the weight of an entire asset and/or parts of a structure provides key information to help facilitate structural analysis and support decommissioning projects.

The optimised models and algorithms generate accurate fits in the fastest time

A flange aligned to point cloud data using algorithms developed by GDi

ENGINEERING. INNOVATION. AUTOMATION.

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We turn data into diamonds

We exist in an age where data is currency. Its worth, like a diamond, is wholly dependent on the cut, the clarity and the quality, it needs to be mined, polished, and shaped. Raw data is vital, but the real value is formed in the processing.

With expert consultancy and advanced technologies, Imrandd produces diamonds from rough data, driving better, more effective outcomes for asset owners, particularly in later life.

Got a diamond in the rough?

Email info@imrandd.com to book a discovery call and let’s explore the challenges together.

www.imrandd.com

ASSET INTEGRITY & ASSET MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCY • LATE LIFE STRATEGY • DATA EXTRACTION • DATA ANALYTICS

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions published within editorials and advertisements in this OGV Energy Publication are not those of our editor or company. Whilst we have made every effort to ensure the legitimacy of the content, OGV Energy cannot accept any responsibility for errors and mistakes.

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OGV COMMUNITY NEWS OMNI provides a complete 360 data-capture solution and can integrate with Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and mobile tablet technology to cover all inspection and condition monitoring methods.

OMNI Integrity secures Digital Integrity Management contract for THREE60 Energy

FIND ALL THE FULL COMMUNITY NEWS ARTICLES ON OGV ENERGY'S WEBSITE

Cammach Bryant clinches key UK space sector recruitment contract with SaxaVord Spaceport Leading recruitment agency, Cammach Bryant, has won an initial 12 month contract with SaxaVord - the UK’s first vertical launch space port - to lead a recruitment drive at the company’s launch site and ground station in Unst, Shetland, and head office in Grantownon-Spey. SaxaVord Spaceport, which recently received planning approval for its pioneering development at Lamba Ness on the UK’s most northerly island, has been designed for the launch of small rockets delivering payloads into low earth orbit.

Eserv secures 3-year digital twin deal with Neptune Energy Eserv have secured a 3-year contract with Neptune Energy that will enable their digital twin software, AS-TEG™ to scale across the Operator’s global operations. AS-TEG™ provides a contextualised digital twin proven to enable specialist engineering, integrity and maintenance experts the ability to carry out a significant amount of their traditional work from the desktop onshore, reducing the cost and environmental impacts associated with travelling to site.

www.ogv.energy I May 2022

OMNI Integrity, (an ICR company), is delighted to announce a 12-month contract award, with extension options, to provide full asset integrity lifecycle management software to support THREE60 Energy’s UKCS and International Duty Holder assets.

Ashtead Technology develops new optical chain measurement system International subsea rental equipment and solutions specialist Ashtead Technology has developed a new optical chain measurement system (CMS) to provide highly accurate and repeatable mooring chain measurements to track chain corrosion, wear and elongation between surveys, combined with inclination measurement to verify chain tension.

Using high resolution video combined with machine vision algorithms, Ashtead Technology’s new optical CMS reduces chain measurement time by more than 50% and provides real-time results.

STC INSISO expand into larger headquarters and open new training facility STC INSISO have moved into new headquarters, doubling their space after significant business growth over the last 12 months. The expansion also brings the launch of their new onsite training facility which includes a large delivery room, three breakout rooms and a high-quality audio-visual suite as well as a delegate registration facility, parking and an onsite catering option from The Key.

William McLean, Director of OMNI, said: “We are delighted to support THREE60 Energy as a technology partner and enhance their robust digitalisation strategy. OMNI covers the entire integrity process, bringing a 40% time saving on manual integrity management methods. This will provide THREE60 Energy greater control over integrity data whilst providing a platform for integrating advanced inspection methods.

We are really looking forward to working together on this collaborative journey.”

Stephen Diplock, Operations Director at THREE60 Energy said: “OMNI is a great digital fit for our business. We have a broad technology offering across our services and solutions and this enables and supports our shared vision of adding real value for our customers through the full asset lifecycle.”

HR consultancy reports significant increase in requests to support businesses transitioning to permanent hybrid working Aberdeen-based Align People HR has reported a 75% increase in Q1 for requests from businesses looking for support to implement permanent hybrid working practices and flexible working trials.

The independent HR consultancy has been assisting businesses across multiple sectors in the Northeast to introduce a range of flexible working trials.

These include moving to an output or productivitybased work system, whereby employees receive an additional 1 day off per month with no reduction in pay - providing productivity targets are met.

Northern Star Business Awards Win For Leading North East QHSE Consultancy QHSE Aberdeen was named as the winner of the Customer First category at the 2022 Northern Star Business Awards, held at P&J Live on April 22nd Director, Angela Scott said “ We were over the moon to win this award and we must dedicate this to our staff who have been at the forefront of the business, all working in Client facing roles."

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ENERGY NEWS

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MAY 2022

UK NORTH SEA

Energy Review

By Tsvetana Paraskova

The UK’s Energy Security Strategy and plans to reduce reliance on energy imports, as well as operational and development outlooks for oil and

The UK government unveiled in early April its Energy Security Strategy, following rising global energy prices and volatility in international markets after Russia invaded Ukraine.

The strategy includes fully utilising the oil and gas resources in the UK North Sea and accelerating the deployment of new nuclear power generation, wind, solar, and hydrogen.

“The government’s British Energy Security Strategy sets out how Great Britain will accelerate the deployment of wind, new nuclear, solar and hydrogen, whilst supporting the production of domestic oil and gas in the nearer term – which could see 95% of electricity by 2030 being low carbon,” the government said.

Plans in the new strategy include a new ambition of up to 50 GW of offshore wind by 2030 – more than enough to power every home in the UK – of which the government would like to see up to 5 GW from floating offshore wind in deeper seas. In oil and gas, the UK plans to launch in the autumn a licensing round for new North Sea oil and gas projects.

“Currently around half of our demand for gas is met through domestic supplies. In meeting net-zero by 2050 we may still use a quarter of the gas that we use now. So to reduce our reliance on imported fossil fuels, we must fully utilise our great North Sea reserve, use the empty caverns for CO2 storage, bring through hydrogen to use as an alternative to natural gas and use our offshore expertise to support our offshore wind sector,” the energy strategy says.

gas fields featured in

“As a result of our plans, the North Sea will still be a foundation of our energy security but we will have reduced our gas consumption by over 40% by 2030,” the government noted.

the UK North Sea oil

While maintaining production in the North Sea, the UK will aim to reduce emissions from offshore oil and gas further, by driving rapid industry investment in electrifying offshore production, to ensure UK gas remains the low-carbon choice.

and gas sector in the past month.

The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) welcomed the Energy Strategy.

“The energy trilemma of security of supply, affordability and sustainability must finally be solved and this strategy is a welcome step forward,” said NSTA chief executive Andy Samuel.

“Oil and gas currently supply around 3/4 of our energy needs and will continue to be essential for decades to come. That is why we plan to hold a licensing round later this year – taking into account the government’s Climate Compatibility Checkpoint – and steward new oil and gas developments into production – bolstering energy security and resilience. Equally we expect capital to be reinvested in energy transition projects from electrification through to carbon capture and clean hydrogen,” Samuel added.

Continues >

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ENERGY NEWS

The UK’s big ambitions can be realised but need long-term planning and political consensus, Offshore Energies UK said, welcoming the announcement of a licensing round for new oil and gas projects.

“OEUK has been consistently pushing for a policy of supporting UK oil and gas while simultaneously expanding offshore wind, and other low-carbon energies, to provide an everincreasing proportion of future energy needs,” the offshore industry’s association said.

OEUK also called on the government to back UK companies and workers to construct the nation’s low-carbon future.

“Many companies involved in UK oil and gas are already expanding into offshore wind, creating the infrastructure for mass hydrogen production, and building carbon capture and storage systems,” Deirdre Michie, chief executive of OEUK, said a day before the government unveiled the strategy.

“They have the expertise not just in engineering but also in financing and managing these huge projects. Those companies and their workforces are the bedrock on which the UK should build its new low carbon energy infrastructure,” Michie added.

Following an NSTA investigation into Esso’s sale to NEO of interests in 13 producing fields – including the Elgin Franklin fields, operated by TotalEnergies – the Regulator has reminded licensees of the obligation to collaborate effectively and ensure transactions are completed promptly, to support investment in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), NSTA said in mid-April. The NSTA launched the investigation amid concerns that negotiations were progressing too slowly and the possible chilling effect this could have on investment.

The regulator observed that the parties did collaborate, however, at times communication was lacking, and these shortcomings may have delayed the transaction.

In company and field-specific news, the NSTA extended the licences containing the Cambo oil and gas field which were due to expire at the end of March. OEUK welcomed the decision to extend the licence, with sustainability director Mike Tholen saying that “Last year the UK had to import 62% of its gas and this could reach 80% by 2030 – so investment in exploration, new fields and wells is important to protecting the UK’s future energy security whilst meeting our climate targets.”

Ithaca Energy announced in early April that it had reached an agreement to buy Siccar Point Energy, the developer of Cambo, for nearly US$1.5 billion.

“The Cambo field on its own is anticipated to deliver up to 170 million barrels of oil equivalent during its 25-year operational life, materially helping to reduce the need for the import of more carbon intensive alternatives and increasing the

UK North Sea UK’s energy independence through the energy transition,” Ithaca Energy said.

Commenting on the deal, Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Climate and Energy Campaigner Caroline Rance said: “The new owners of Cambo will be desperate to profit from their billion pound gamble meaning that they will be hellbent on selling any oil they might extract to the highest international bidder.”

As part of the efforts to reduce reliance on foreign gas imports, the UK government commissioned in early April the British Geological Survey to advise on the latest scientific evidence around shale gas extraction.

Kwasi Kwarteng

“In light of Putin’s criminal invasion of Ukraine, it is absolutely right that we explore all possible domestic energy sources,” Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said.

However, Kwarteng noted that “It remains the case that fracking in England would take years of exploration and development before commercial quantities of gas could be produced for the market, and would certainly have no effect on prices in the near term.”

Commenting on the government’s request for a report on shale gas, Cuadrilla’s CEO Francis Egan said, “The Government clearly recognises the huge potential that shale gas offers this country, and this review may be a tentative first step towards overturning the moratorium and exploiting that potential.”

INEOS has written to the UK government offering to safely develop a fully functioning Shale test site to demonstrate that the technology can be safe and secure in the UK. “The UK is right to be re-examining its energy policy and to look again at the North Sea as part of the answer to our energy needs. But, as the US has shown, shale gas from home could make us self-sufficient in ten years and we need to re-examine this too,” said Sir Jim Ratcliffe, INEOS founder and chairman.

Ping Petroleum Limited, a subsidiary of Dagang NeXchange Berhad (DNeX), has received a letter of “no objection” from the NSTA in relation to its proposed development concept for the Avalon discovery in the Central North Sea offshore the UK. The company will now finalise conceptual development planning and begin Front End Engineering works in preparation to submit the Avalon Field Development Plan, with Final Investment Decision expected later this year.

Subject to availability of key materials and equipment, production from the oilfield is scheduled to begin between mid-2024 and mid-2025.

Repsol Sinopec Resources UK announced that the Golden Eagle, Piper and Claymore field owners had executed new agreements reaffirming their commitment to export produced oil to the Flotta Terminal until end of field life in the 2030s.

Neptune Energy has received an improved environmental, social and governance rating from Sustainalytics of 23.2, putting it in the top 3% of all oil and gas companies rated by the organisation, the energy firm said on 20 April. i3 Energy plc has executed a Farmin Agreement with Europa Oil & Gas Limited, following Europa's completion of its equity fundraising to fund its share of the upcoming Serenity appraisal well. The companies will now launch the detailed planning and permitting process for the Serenity appraisal well, which they currently expect to spud in late Q3 this year, i3 Energy CEO Majid Shafiq said.

Serica Energy slightly revised down its production guidance range for 2022 to 26,000 boe/d-30,000 boe/d from 27,100- 33,600 boe/d, to reflect lower Columbus production rates and current supply chain limitations causing 2022 programme delays.

Deltic Energy said on 22 April it is preparing for the drilling of the Pensacola site, which its joint venture partner Shell has indicated could start towards the end of the third quarter of 2022.

Australia-based Finder Energy Holdings is expanding its UK North Sea portfolio after entering into an agreement with Talon Energy to buy a 100% interest in the Seaward Production Licence P2527 adjacent to the giant Buzzard Oil Field in the central North Sea. “Finder’s prospects are attractive to operators of nearby infrastructure because they open up the potential for low cost and rapid tiebacks to achieve early production by utilising capacity in their existing infrastructure.

These factors greatly improve the farmout potential of Finder’s prospects, which is the central pillar of Finder’s Infrastructure-Led Exploration Strategy,” Finder CEO Damon Neaves said.

Egdon Resources plc announced on 26 April that Shell U.K. Limited had informed Egdon and the North Sea Transition Authority of its intention to withdraw from licences P1929 and P2304 containing the Resolution and Endeavour gas discoveries. Egdon will now consider its options, including its ongoing commitment to the licences and will discuss this with the NSTA, the company said.

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BRENT OIL PRICES OVER THE YEARS May Review

1

Social Selling & Influence Digital transformation

By Eric Doyle

We hear a lot about digital transformation but what is it and what does it mean?

Positioning them selves as the leading Technical and Commercial digital influencers in their sector.

“Enabling for now with Social Media and preparing the digital ground for the future”.

Marc Benioff, Chairman and co-CEO of Salesforce came up with a great definition: "Digital transformation is the process of using digital technologies to create new — or modify existing — business processes, culture, and customer experiences to meet changing business and market requirements. This re-imagining of business in the digital age is digital transformation."

Digital transformation is involved in every angle of our businesses…

Social Media is a significant part of the transformational technology and mindset, this doesn’t mean having the marketing department post adverts and corporate posts, this is about getting your wider team digitally optimised, buyer centric profiles, training them in how to grow their networks within target verticals, showing them how to build influence in those networks and how to move all of that to commercial interaction.

Businesses who are transforming to Social Selling & Influence can expect to experience a series of benefits and improvements: • • • • • • • •

Becoming the recognised Technical and Commercial digital influencers in their sectors Qualified relevance in the eyes of their clients and prospects Ownership of the digital share of voice – Digital Dominance Trusted advisors within their sector and beyond Employer of choice A shared sense of purpose amongst the team Revenue increase Ebitda improvement

- BRENT OIL PRICE 2021 - $68.71 The UK refused to rule out new oil exploration in the North Sea, despite a warning from the world’s top energy watchdog to stop the amount of fossil fuel spending to achieve climate change goals.

Over in the US, the country’s largest fuel pipeline network, the Colonial Pipeline, ramped up deliveries following a cyberattack and US officials assured motorists that supplies would return to normal after many stations across the country were left short on gas.

For many, the idea of moving to Social is confusing, so where do we start...?

We start at the top…. In his article "Rise of the Digital Director" published last month, Oliver Hawkley Director – Digital and Technology at Norman Broadbent, digs deep into the issue of digital skills and the modern boardroom.

“The digital age has been upon us now for over a decade, and the boardroom is playing catch up. Our client base is responding at an unprecedented rate, looking to complement their current Boards of Directors and Non-Executive Directors with Directors skilled in the dark arts of digital transformation and engagement. This is not a simple task because good Governance requires perspective, and in the case of a Digital Director, it often requires the individual to be respectful of the heritage of a Eric Doyle business, whilst challenging the team to move into a new digital paradigm.

As I recently advised a board of directors "you may not like or understand the idea of Social Media for your business, but I'm sure you like revenue, growth and ebitda...".

YEAR AGO

The more progressive of our clients are trading off the traditional requirement for prior Non-Executive Director experience to secure real-time digital expertise, and not just from a boardroom lens. There is a strong trend towards the Digital Director being a current executive, enabling Boards to acquire the most current expertise. This indicates a significant shift in boardroom dynamics and one which has been a long time coming.”

So, if the evidence is there for all to see and we have institutions like Gartner telling us that 80% of all business transaction will be conduction through digital channels by 2025 (etc), why is the uptake on this limited to ‘the more progressive of clients…’?

In 2022, it important that we give our teams all the skills and the environment they need to grow digital networks, build influence in those networks and move all of that activity to commercial interaction.

Eric is a Co-Founder of Crux Consultancy Limited who train and coach cross sector B2B teams in the art and science of Social Selling & Influence.

5

YEARS AGO

- BRENT OIL PRICE 2017 - $53.79 Chemicals giant INEOS acquired the oil and gas business of Danish Group Dong Energy A/S in a deal worth in the region of $1.25 billion. The deal would see 440 of Dong Energy’s staff transferred to INEOS. Dong Energy said its oil and gas business has 50 licenses in total in the UK, Denmark, and Norway and daily oil and gas production in 2016 averaged around 100,000 barrels of oil equivalents.

10

YEARS AGO

- BRENT OIL PRICE 2012 - $107.14 There was a takeover battle for Cove Energy between PTT Exploration and Production and Shell, with PTT outdoing Shell’s offer with a fresh $1.9 billion offer. Shares in Mozambique-focused Cove Energy jumped as much as 12% to 250.5 pence, this was above PTT’s offer of 240 pence a share, which meant Shell were expected to bid again. It was believed that East Africa could become one of the world’s largest gas exporters.

14

ENERGY NEWS

The European Union’s efforts to reduce its energy dependence on Russia, oil and gas developments and discoveries offshore Norway, and a number of low-carbon deals and announcements were the highlights of Europe’s energy sector in April.

Europe

Energy Review

By Tsvetana Paraskova

Oil & Gas In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and in an attempt to reduce Vladimir Putin’s revenues from energy exports, the EU adopted in early April the fifth round of sanctions against Russia over its military aggression against Ukraine. The sanctions package includes a prohibition to purchase, import, or transfer coal and other solid fossil fuels into the EU if they originate in Russia or are exported from Russia, as from August 2022. The sanctions also ban access to EU ports to vessels registered under the flag of Russia, with derogations granted for agricultural and food products, humanitarian aid, and energy.

While it banned coal imports from Russia, the EU continued to be split at the end of April over a potential oil embargo, and it had not even started a serious discussion about banning gas imports from Russia.

increased supplies to the UK and Europe.

Around 70% of Neptune Energy’s Norwegian production is gas, and the company is currently investigating opportunities to ramp up gas production from other fields within its portfolio.

In the meantime, countries continued to seek to diversify their sources of natural gas. Italy, for example, signed deals with gas producers in Africa, including Algeria, Egypt, and the Republic of Congo, for increased gas production and supply to Italy and Europe. Denmark, for its part, plans to temporarily raise natural gas production from its sector of the North Sea, to help Denmark and Europe replace Russian supply in the short term, until green solutions can replace most of the gas use.

“Extended licenses in the Greater Ekofisk Area will contribute to sustainable and long-term investments, which again provides continued value creation, jobs and ripple effects. In addition, it ensures future energy supply security from the oil and gas province in the southwestern part of the North Sea", said Steinar Våge, President of ConocoPhillips Europe, Middle East and North Africa.

Norway’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has extended the production licences in the Greater Ekofisk Area from 2028 to 2048 with ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS as operator.

Neptune Energy and its partners announced in early April that gas production would be doubled from the Duva field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, supporting

www.ogv.energy I May 2022

Aker BP and its partner Pandion Energy announced on 11 April that production had started from Hod B in the southern North Sea offshore Norway. The companies expect to produce 40 million barrels of oil from the field, which was advanced after Norway introduced in 2020 temporary changes in the petroleum tax regime to create activity for its domestic supplier industry.

Equinor announced an oil and gas discovery by the North Sea Troll and Fram area. Based on preliminary estimates, the size of the discovery, named Kveikje, is 25-50 million barrels of recoverable oil equivalent.

Shearwater GeoServices Holding said it was awarded a large 4D ocean bottom node baseline project by Equinor for a two-month survey on the Krafla, Askja, and Sentral fields in the Norwegian North Sea.

Europe Low-Carbon Energy RenewableUK proposed in early April a plan that could allow the UK to effectively end dependence on gas for electricity within five years. By investing an extra £68 million in the budget for offshore wind, the UK can cut consumers’ exposure to gas by £1.5 billion, RenewableUK said.

“If we remove the cap on cheap onshore wind and solar capacity in this auction, then shovel-ready projects could be generating power by next year,” RenewableUK’s CEO Dan McGrail said.

“National Grid needs the freedom to invest more in accelerating the transformation of our energy system, to make the most of the huge amounts of renewable electricity we’re generating,” McGrail added.

RenewableUK also released a report showing a surge in energy storage projects which are operational, under construction, consented, or being planned.

RenewableUK’s EnergyPulse Energy Storage report found that the UK’s pipeline of battery projects has doubled from 16.1 gigawatt (GW) a year ago to 32.1 GW. Operational battery storage project capacity has grown by 45%, from 1.1 GW to 1.6 GW, and the capacity of projects under construction has more than doubled to 1.4 GW.

Cathal Hennessy, RWE Ireland Country Chair

New research published in early April by Copper Consultancy found that the UK public overwhelmingly supports the Government’s move to shore up the country’s security of energy supply, and back the development of onshore wind to support this. Over 78% of people surveyed believe the UK needs to become more self-sufficient in generating its energy. Most people also want to see a range of renewable technologies prioritised for development.

“Such public backing should give confidence to developers and the wider industry to continue their sustained drive to meet the Government’s 2050 net-zero target,” said Sam Cranston, Energy Director at Copper.

Breakthrough Energy, set up by Bill Gates and a coalition of private investors, as well as the European Association for Storage of Energy (EASE), SolarPower Europe, and WindEurope signed an open letter in April calling on the European Commission to recognise the crucial role of energy storage for the security of energy supply in Europe.

“Even if the renewable energy industry is ready to support EU’s ambitions, without rapidly scaling up market-ready energy storage technologies, the EU will be unable to achieve a net-zero power system, risking continued exposure to volatile fossil energy markets,” the associations said.

New offshore wind capacity additions in Europe are set to hit a record high this year, topping 4 GW for the first time and more than doubling the additions of 2021, Rystad Energy research showed on 20 April. The continent’s capacity additions in 2022 are forecast to reach 4.2 GW, beating the 2021 total of 1.8 GW and topping the previous annual record of 3.8 GW from 2019, the independent energy research firm said.

Europe’s new offshore wind capacity additions are expected to grow further, nearly doubling again in 2023 to 7.3 GW, and rising to 8.6 GW in 2025.

The UK will also see a record year, thanks to three large projects set to be fully commissioned in 2022, Rystad Energy said.

Crown Estate Scotland confirmed in mid-April that all 17 successful ScotWind applicants now have option agreements in place, meaning that their projects can move into the development stage. Full seabed leases will be granted at a later stage once applicants have the necessary consents from regulators, such as Marine Scotland, and have secured grid connections and financing.

Centrica Business Solutions has signed a framework agreement with renewable energy developer Push Energy to build a pipeline of solar farm projects in the UK. The agreement is part of Centrica Energy Assets’ ambitions to deliver 900 MW of solar and battery storage by 2026.

Centrica Energy Assets – established by Centrica Business Solutions to develop large scale, grid-connected solar and battery storage assets in the UK and Europe – will work with Push to take projects from site identification to commercial operation.

Germany’s RWE has earmarked up to €1.5 billion gross investments by 2030 for Ireland through current projects being developed. RWE’s largest development project in Ireland is currently the Dublin Array offshore wind project, which it is developing in partnership with Saorgus Energy.

“RWE sees very significant potential for our operations in Ireland and we are keen to grow our business in this market, we have the international experience and expertise to deliver large scale renewable projects and would like to support the Irish Government to deliver its net-zero ambitions,” said Cathal Hennessy, RWE Ireland Country Chair.

Shearwater GeoServices has been awarded by Eni a 3D multiple technology integrated geophysical survey, with an option for a second survey, for carbon storage in Liverpool Bay, England.

SSE Renewables and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy unveiled plans to produce and deliver green hydrogen through electrolysis, using renewable energy from SSE’s 100 MW-plus Gordonbush onshore wind farm in Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands.

SSE Renewables has also entered into an agreement with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy to acquire its existing European renewable energy development platform for a consideration of €580 million, subject to customary adjustments for level of working capital and net debt. The acquisition marks SSE Renewables’ entry into Southern Europe.

Moray East announced that following completion of works, it has achieved its full contracted output of 900 MW to the UK National Transmission Grid.

The wind farm has been able to produce electricity while construction was underway – the power supplied from June 2021 to March 2022 was enough to meet the total annual electricity needs of all households in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, Moray East developer Ocean Winds said.

Shell and Uniper signed a co-operation agreement to progress plans for low-carbon hydrogen production at Uniper’s Killingholme site in North Lincolnshire.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced on 14 April Ireland’s first ‘Hydrogen Valley’ in Galway, where the new Galway Hydrogen Hub, or ‘GH2 consortium’, is proposing to develop the research, production, distribution, and utilisation of indigenous renewable hydrogen gas.

Ireland is now beginning to draw up a detailed strategy focusing on the development of green hydrogen to be included in the Climate Action Plan 2023, Martin said.

Elsewhere in Europe, Siemens Energy said it would begin the industrial production of electrolysis modules in Berlin in 2023.

Norway’s major Equinor has been awarded the operatorships for the development of the CO2 storage sites Smeaheia in the North Sea and Polaris in the Barents Sea. The two licenses are important building blocks for developing the Norwegian continental shelf into a leading province for CO2 storage in Europe, Equinor says.

“We see that demand for CO2 storage is increasing in several countries, and we want to get started with developing new CO2 storages quickly, so that we can offer industrial solutions that can contribute to decarbonisation in Europe,” said Irene Rummelhoff, executive vice president for Marketing, Midstream and Processing (MMP) at Equinor.

The Norwegian firm has also teamed up with Naturgy to explore offshore wind development in Spain. The Spanish government aims to transform its energy mix and plans to develop up to 3 GW offshore wind by 2030.

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ENERGY NEWS

US

ENERGY REVIEW

By Tsvetana Paraskova

While the US Administration is releasing a record amount of crude oil from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to combat the highest petrol prices in America in eight years, the US oil and gas industry is calling for long-term solutions to the economic pain at the pump and long-term energy security in which oil, gas, and petrol prices will be less dependent on the likes of Vladimir Putin and his war in Ukraine.

The US oil industry also rebuffed accusations from Democrats that oil companies are engaged in price gouging and are ripping off Americans at the pump while lining their pockets amid the high energy prices.

Drilling permits in the biggest US shale play, the Permian, soared to a record, pointing to a surge in production ahead. Yet, the industry still faces significant cost inflation and supply chain bottlenecks in labor, frac sand, equipment, steel, and other materials, which could slow shale production growth, together with continued capital discipline at many public shale operators.

www.ogv.energy I May 2022

US Historic SPR Release

the supply-demand balance for later this year and in 2023, according to analysts.

In a bid to tame high petrol prices in response to what it described as “Putin’s Price Hike at the Pump,” the US Administration announced on 31 March it would authorise the release of 180 million barrels from the SPR over six months “as a bridge through the crisis.”

The release will provide a temporary relief to crude and pump prices, Rystad Energy said in research in early April.

“After consultation with allies and partners, the President will announce the largest release of oil reserves in history, putting one million additional barrels on the market per day on average – every day – for the next six months,” the White House said.

The Biden Administration, however, angered US oil and gas firms by calling on Congress to make companies pay fees on wells from their leases that they haven’t used in years and on acres of public lands that they are hoarding without producing.

“Companies that continue to sit on nonproducing acres will have to choose whether to start producing or pay a fee for each idled well and unused acre,” the White House said.

Commenting on the Administration’s announcement, API President and CEO Mike Sommers said: “The SPR was put in place to reduce the impact of significant supply chain disruptions, and while today’s release may provide some shortterm relief, it is far from a long-term solution to the economic pain Americans are feeling at the pump.”

“This has delivered an expected change in the Brent futures curve, by shifting prices down in the short term while pushing them upwards again by comparable amounts for contracts expiring later in the year. A pivot around September 2022 can be expected, when the SPR release is likely to end,” Rystad Energy noted.

“This historically large SPR release is the right decision in the current crisis and consumers should feel the benefit soon, but it only solves half the problem,” said Claudio Galimberti, Senior Vice President, Analysis at Rystad Energy.

“In fact, companies already begin paying rent on leases to the federal government as soon as leases are granted,” the biggest US oil lobby said, with Sommers noting “The administration once again has a fundamental misunderstanding of how leases work.”

The massive SPR release is a short-term solution and fundamentally, it doesn’t change

The US oil and gas industry continues to call for long-term policy that would encourage more domestic supply, instead of short-term solutions and pleas for more production only when the current Administration is desperately looking to lower petrol prices for Americans.

“We can’t treat oil and natural gas as a kind of switch that is turned on or off to suit the moment,” API’s Sommers said in an address to The Economic Club of Florida on 14 April.

“Energy policy does not have to be an endless series of crisis-management decisions. Our aim should be to avoid crises – by shaping events instead of reacting to them,” Sommers added.

Record Permian Drilling Permits, But Output Surge May Have To Wait

Considering that the SPR has to be replenished most likely in 2023, “the “big bang” SPR release makes very little change to the 2022-2023 global liquids balance,” according to the independent energy research firm.

Meanwhile, horizontal drilling permits for new wells in the Permian reached a record high in March, with 904 total permit awards, driven by high oil prices and production demand, Rystad Energy research showed in April.

US Oil Firms Reject Accusations of Price Gouging

“This is a clear signal that operators in the basin are kicking into high gear on their development plans, positioning for a significant ramp-up of activity level and an acceleration in the speed of output expansion over the next few months once supply chain bottlenecks ease,” says Artem Abramov, Rystad Energy’s head of shale research.

During a hearing at the US House Committee on Energy and Commerce, executives at the biggest US oil firms dismissed claims that the industry was to blame for the high petrol prices for American households. The top executives of Exxon, Chevron, BP America, Shell USA, Pioneer Natural Resources, and Devon Energy said they are not setting the price of crude or fuels and explained the economics and how crude oil production and fuel distribution work in a free market.

The US oil and gas industry continues to call for long-term policy that would encourage more domestic supply

“The best thing the White House can do right now is to remove barriers to investment in American energy production and infrastructure,” Sommers said. “Unfortunately, today we heard more mixed signals about developing affordable, reliable and secure American natural gas and oil.”

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“I have seen statements in the press suggesting that Chevron and other oil and gas companies are responsible for the increase in fuel prices. I want to be absolutely clear: we do not control the market price of crude oil or natural gas, nor of refined products like gasoline and diesel fuel, and we have no tolerance for price gouging,” Chevron’s CEO Michael Wirth told the hearing on 6 April.

Gretchen Watkins, president of Shell USA, noted that “Because oil is a global commodity, Shell does not set or control the price of crude oil. Similarly, Shell does not set or control the price that consumers pay. Indeed, it would be illegal for Shell to do so because nearly all Shell-branded retail stations in the United States are owned by independent operators who set their own prices in the marketplace.”

According to NACS, the Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing, only about 0.1% of the fuelling outlets in the US are owned by a major oil company.

That said, the record-high number of permits shouldn’t be taken at face value and as a concrete indicator of future drilling plans, as many permits never get drilled, and operators follow diverse permitting strategies.

“In other words, the time from permit approval to the start of drilling varies substantially across producers in the same basin,” Rystad Energy noted.

Moreover, investors continue to press listed shale producers to keep capital discipline, which suggests that oil firms are not rushing to raise oil and gas production, a report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) showed in mid-April.

“This trend shows that the top issue for oil and gas operators in the U.S. is not increasing production but rather paying down debt and rewarding shareholders,” said Trey Cowan, an IEEFA energy finance analyst and author of the report.

“High oil and gas prices no longer seem to spur increases in production.”

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By Tsvetana Paraskova

The OPEC+ group left its crude oil production plan for May unchanged at its latest meeting, while OPEC, dominated by Middle Eastern producers, revised down its global demand growth estimates for 2022, in view of renewed COVID lockdowns in China and the Russian war in Ukraine.

Over the past month, the major stateowned oil and gas firms in the Middle East have signed deals to work on advanced fuels and to expand vessel fleets.

OPEC+ Stays The Course Despite soaring international oil prices, the OPEC+ group consisting of the OPEC members and non-OPEC producers led

by Russia decided on 31 March to leave its oil production plan unchanged in May. OPEC+ plans to raise overall production by 432,000 barrels per day (bpd) for the month of May 2022, slightly higher than the usual 400,000-bpd monthly increase because of readjustment of baseline production at some producers.

www.ogv.energy I May 2022

The alliance continued to reiterate that the market is well-balanced and the high volatility and $100-plus oil prices are the result of “ongoing geopolitical developments.”

“It was noted that continuing oil market fundamentals and the consensus on the outlook pointed to a well-balanced market, and that current volatility is not caused by fundamentals, but by ongoing geopolitical developments,” OPEC said in a statement at the end of the meeting.

This was the second meeting since a key member of the OPEC+ group, Russia, invaded Ukraine. In none of the statements since the beginning of the invasion, OPEC or the OPEC+ group have mentioned the war or Ukraine, limiting themselves to referring to it as “the conflict in Eastern Europe.”

The next OPEC+ ministerial meeting is scheduled to be held on 5 May, while the required production for the group in May is at 42.126 million bpd, of which the biggest producers in the alliance – Saudi Arabia and Russia – have a quota of 10.549 million bpd each.

Middle East OPEC+ Production Gap Widens

Deals & Contracts

OPEC+ has been easing the record cuts by a nominal amount of 400,000 bpd each month, but many members of the group struggle to pump to their quotas because of a lack of spare capacity and/or investment. Only Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are thought to have sufficient spare capacity.

They, however, are unwilling to pump more to compensate for those OPEC+ producers that fail to meet their required output levels.

In corporate contracts involving companies in the Middle East, Italy’s engineering group Saipem announced in early April it had won new offshore drilling contracts in the Middle East and West Africa worth more than US$400 million. Two contracts have been awarded to Saipem in the Middle East for two high specification jack-up drilling units, consisting of drilling and workover operations for a duration of five years.

The start of operations is scheduled for the fourth quarter 2022. Each contract includes options for two additional years.

These projects will involve one Saipem jack-up unit and a new high specification jack-up chartered from CIMC Group for the project.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), output from the alliance’s 19 members with quotas rose by a mere 40,000 bpd in March, far below the planned 400,000-bpd increase. The OPEC+ pact’s production in March was 1.5 million bpd below their target, the IEA said in its Oil Market Report for April 2022.

OPEC, for its part, decided at its 31 March meeting to replace the IEA with Wood Mackenzie and Rystad Energy as secondary sources used to assess OPEC Member Countries crude oil production, with immediate effect.

Still, the fuel market globally could tighten in the summer of 2022...

OPEC Slashes Global Oil Demand Growth Estimates In its closely-watched Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) for April, OPEC materially revised down its estimates of global oil demand growth in 2022. The organisation now expects global oil demand growth at 3.67 million bpd this year, down by 480,000 bpd from the previous month’s growth estimate of 4.15 million bpd, mostly to reflect a downward revision to economic growth expectations. The war in Ukraine and the return of Chinese lockdowns to contain COVID were the main drivers of the reduced demand growth forecast.

OPEC had already warned in March that its global oil demand growth forecast “remains under assessment” “until more clarity prevails.”

In the April report, OPEC said: “World economic growth in 2022 is revised down to 3.9% from 4.2% in the previous month’s assessment. This takes into account the impact of the conflict in Eastern Europe, as well as the ongoing effects from the pandemic, with the risks skewed to the downside.”

In the first quarter of 2022, global oil demand saw strong growth and jumped by nearly 5 million bpd compared to the same quarter of 2021 as most countries eased COVID-related restrictions, OPEC said.

“However, due to recent geopolitical developments in Eastern Europe, 2Q22 and 3Q22 are both forecast at growth of 3.5 mb/d y-o-y,” the cartel noted.

Still, the fuel market globally could tighten in the summer of 2022, due to lower commercial inventories and rising demand during the summer driving season, OPEC notes.

Total commercial product inventories in OECD countries in February were around 150 million barrels below the latest five-year average, with petrol and distillate inventories at 27 million barrels and 84 million barrels below the latest fiveyear average, the organisation has estimated.

“The combination of restricted fuel supplies and low product inventory levels, amid projections of rising product consumption during the summer season, could lead to a tighter product supply-demand balance, with a significant shortage in gasoline and distillates,” OPEC said.

Saudi Arabia, Russia Reiterate Commitment to OPEC+ Pact In the middle of April, the leaders of the two key members of the OPEC+ pact discussed cooperation in the OPEC+ alliance. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “gave a positive assessment” of Saudi Arabia and Russia’s cooperation in the OPEC+ group during a phone call, according to a statement from the Kremlin.

The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that the Saudi Crown Prince had received a call from Putin in which “bilateral relations between the two countries and ways of enhancing them in all fields in a way that achieves the interests of the two countries and their friendly peoples were discussed.”

ADNOC Logistics & Services (ADNOC L&S), the shipping and maritime logistics arm of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and the region’s largest shipping and integrated logistics company, has signed a contract with China’s Jiangnan Shipyard for the construction of two 175,000 cubic metre LNG vessels that will join its fleet in 2025. The new LNG vessels will be crucial enablers of ADNOC’s 2030 growth strategy, supporting its existing LNG business as well as its ambitions to grow LNG production capacity, ADNOC said.

The biggest LNG exporter in the Middle East, Qatar, signed in April – via QatarEnergy – a series of time-charter parties (TCP’s) with a subsidiary of Mitsui O.S.K Lines for the long-term charter and operation of four LNG ships, constituting the first batch of TCPs awarded under QatarEnergy’s massive LNG shipping programme.

“These contracts mark the start of the construction phase of QatarEnergy’s historic fleet expansion program in support of our LNG expansion projects,” said Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs and President and CEO of QatarEnergy.

Saudi Aramco, Hyundai Motor Group, and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), have agreed to jointly research and develop an advanced fuel for an ultra lean-burn, spark-ignition engine that aims to lower the overall CO2 emissions of a vehicle.

The two-year partnership will aim to develop an optimal fuel formulation for use in combination with a novel combustion system coupled with an electrified hybrid vehicle, Aramco said.

“For his part, HRH the Crown Prince asserted the support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for efforts that would lead to a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine and achieve security and stability,” the Saudi agency reported.

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WORLD PROJECTS

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Energy projects and business intelligence in the energy sector

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The EIC delivers high-value market intelligence through its online energy project database, and via a global network of staff to provide qualified regional insight. Along with practical assistance and facilitation services, the EIC’s access to information keeps members one step ahead of the competition in a demanding global marketplace.

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CANADA - Core Bay du Nord Development Equinor $9.56 billion

The Canadian Government has granted approval to the Bay du Nord oil project. The field will be developed with an FPSO with a capacity of around 1 MMbbl of oil and equipped with a quick connect-disconnect mooring and riser system due to the iceberg-prone location.

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CONGO BRAZZAVILLE Marine XII FLNG Eni $500 million A second FLNG is to be sanctioned off the coast of Congo Brazzaville. To be located on the Marine XII block which contains 10 tcf of gas. New Fortess Energy (NFE) has been contracted to supply its 1.4mtpa rig based modular ‘Fast LNG’ vessel, which uses a jackup to house the liquefaction technology. The aim is for the vessel to be on location in the third quarter of 2023.

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ANGOLA - Ndungu Oil Field – FPSO Eni $1 billion

NORWAY - Kveikje Oil & Gas Discovery Equinor $250 million

GUYANA - Yellowtail Oil Field ExxonMobil $10 billion

MOROCCO - Anchois Gas Field Chariot Oil & Gas $400 million

Following the drilling of the Ndungu 2 appraisal well, intensive data acquisition was performed to assess the full potential of the discovery.

Preliminary data suggests reserves of up to 1 Bboe in place.

Eni is now considering utilising an FPSO to develop the field.

Equinor has discovered oil and gas at Kveijke in the Norwegian North Sea, within licence PL-293B. Preliminary estimates suggest recoverable resources are between 28-48 MMboe. The discovery is close vicinity other recent discoveries: Swisher (8km) and Toppand (10km), meaning Kveijke could be developed as part of an area cluster development. Another option is to tie back the discovery to the existing infrastructure located nearby.

ExxonMobil, following approval of the field development plan

by Guyana’s government, has made a final investment decision to develop the field.

SBM Offshore and McDermott have been awarded the EPC contract for the FPSO. SBM Offshore will be responsible for constructing, installing, leasing and finally operating the One Guyana FPSO, a Fast4Ward programme unit, for up to two years.

Chariot has announced the results of the Anchois-2 well which was completed in January 2022. The well encountered a net pay of approximately 150 metres of excellent quality dry gas. Further studies will be undertaken on the economics of the development of the discovery. The initial concept put forward involved two to three wells tied back with a 14-inch pipeline to an onshore central processing facility.

www.ogv.energy I May 2022

WORLD PROJECTS

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CYPRUS - Glaucus Gas Field ExxonMobil $250 million

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ExxonMobil has completed the drilling of Glaucus-2 appraisal well and confirmed the presence of a gas reservoir with high-quality characteristics. ExxonMobil and partners will proceed with detailed analysis and evaluation to assess the commerciality of the discovery. Preliminary estimates have put the find at between 5 Tcf and 8 Tcf of potential gas resources.

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NEW ZEALAND - South Taranaki Offshore Wind Farm Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners $7 billion

SAUDI ARABIA Rabigh Carbon Capture Plant Gulf Cryo $500 million

OMAN - Green Energy Oman Intercontinental Energy $10 billion

Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) has set-up a new joint venture company with NZ Super Fund to explore the potential for an offshore wind farm development in the South Taranaki Bight. The companies are proposing to develop a 1,000MW project which could later expand to 2,000MW. The project is currently in the early stages of project feasibility evaluation.

Development of carbon capture plant which is located at Rabigh Petrochemical cluster in Saudi Arabia. The Rabigh Petrochemical has a capacity of 600,000 metric tonnes per year.

Gulf Cryo will build and operate the facility which is expected to become operational by Q2 2023.

Worley has been awarded the contract for the feasibility study of the Green Energy Oman (GEO) project. Worley will conduct the studies from its Muscat office with support from its Europe’s Centre of Excellence. At full capacity, the project will be powered by 25 GW of renewable energy to produce 1.8 million tonnes per annum of green hydrogen and 10 million tonnes of green ammonia.

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22

INNOVATION

ASSET INTEGRITY

in the energy industry

By Tsvetana Paraskova

Ensuring the safe, reliable, and efficient performance of the assets in the energy industry is crucial for providing the world with the oil and gas and renewable power sources. Operational efficiency, risk management, condition monitoring, and maintenance schedules are key parts of the asset integrity management systems (AIMS), which make sure that oil rigs, oil fields, pipelines, refineries, and power plants perform up to standards and designs. Asset integrity management helps assets perform to the best of their capabilities while at the same time keeping people and the environment safe.

The market for asset integrity management systems is expected to grow in the coming years as more stringent safety and emissions regulations come into force in the oil and gas industry and as demand for energy of all kinds is set to increase. Rising investments in energy, including in gas infrastructure and in renewable energy, will also drive growth in the deployment of systems and programmes to ensure asset integrity. The inspection, repair, and maintenance market is forecast to grow as energy demand globally rises and more renewable energy is being incorporated into the power grids.

continue to be North America because of ageing infrastructure, mainly in the upstream and midstream sectors.

Growth in Asset Integrity Management Systems

“This presents a lucrative opportunity for the adoption of advanced oilfield integrity management solutions and services.

Additionally, the rising prices of oil and gas are propelling the manufacturers to increase their investments in oil and gas exploration activities that will favor the growth of the global oilfield integrity management market during the forecast period,” Fortune Business Insights notes in the report.

In oil and gas, the market for asset integrity management services is set for a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.74% between 2022 and 2027. The value of AIMS in oil and gas globally is forecast to reach a value of US$30 billion by 2027, up from US$17.81 billion in 2020, according to a recent report from Mordor Intelligence. Maturing assets in the industry and rising investments in gas infrastructure are expected to drive the market through 2027, the report found.

The downstream sector is expected to dominate the oil and gas asset integrity management services, while ageing oil and gas infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region is forecast to create business opportunities soon for the companies active in the asset integrity management services market, Mordor Intelligence notes. The dominant market will

www.ogv.energy I May 2022

In the oilfield segment only, the global oilfield integrity management market, valued at over US$13.87 billion in 2019, is expected to grow to US$22.87 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 7.8%, corporate analysis group Fortune Business Insights said in a report in April 2022.

Exploration activities around the world have started to increase thanks to growing demand for oil after the COVID-related slump in 2020.

Another report from the same company focuses on the growing market for inspection, repair, and maintenance services. An April 2022 report showed that the inspection, repair, and maintenance (IRM) market was valued at US$40.25 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow in the coming years thanks to growing global energy demand, as well as increased demand and installation of renewable energy sources and a focus within many companies to reduce carbon emissions. The IRM market is thus expected to grow from US$42.66 billion in 2022 to as much as US$72.46 billion by 2029. This would be a CAGR of 7.9% during the forecast period, Fortune Business Insights says.

The expected growth of clean energy deployment will complement the growth in the IRM services market, while rising global electricity consumption with urbanisation and industry has governments working to ensure a stable supply of power to households and businesses. This will create opportunities for IRM market growth, according to Fortune Business Insights.

Eddy current measurements and ultrasonic measurements are the most deployed nondestructive testing techniques at power plants, the research company notes.

By service type, the repair segment holds the dominant share of the IRM market, due to increasing installation of equipment and systems equipped with advanced technologies for improved operational efficiency and cost savings, Fortune Business Insights said.

A rebound in offshore oil and gas activities will also drive a rise in the market for offshore support vessels, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). AUVs and ROVs are generally used in subsea maintenance, repair, and cleaning services and are equipped with custom tooling.

Increased use and integration of digital solutions in operations in the energy sector will likely lead to lucrative opportunities for players offering AI, machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), digital twins, and predictive analytics services.

NEW ENERGY Digitalisation and Smart Solutions in Asset Integrity Management Digitalisation in the energy sector is an important development in asset management, Deloitte says.

Some of the current challenges that Energy, Resources & Industrials (ER&I) companies face include the fact that businesses “now have to manage their physical and digital asset ecosystems in a sustainable manner; operating in ways that are greener and cleaner, using less conflict minerals, and engaging more diverse suppliers,” says Sandy Jones, ER&I Asset Ecosystem Growth Platform Leader at Deloitte Consulting LLP.

“They have to be better corporate citizens as well as deliver reductions in operating expense and higher levels of capital efficiency,” Jones added.

Asset management should be a strategic imperative for asset-intensive companies which are dependent on a myriad of suppliers to manufacture, install, and maintain their assets, according to Jones.

Spending on Digital Information Grows In the oil and gas industry, companies are facing operational, commercial, and existential threats and they are set to spend growing amounts of money on safety and security this decade. Oil and gas firms are turning to digitalisation to combat these threats and are expected to spend US$15.6 billion on digital technologies in 2030, global technology intelligence firm ABI Research said at the end of 2021.

Spending on security services is set to grow by a CAGR of 8.1% from 2021 to 2030 and reach an annual spend of US$640 million at the end of the decade. Apart from security, spend by Oil & Gas firms in 2030 on IoT devices and application platforms are forecast to top US$5 billion with data analytics expenditure approaching US$2 billion, ABI Research says.

“Safety and Security are top priorities for Oil & Gas operators. Data analytics allied with IoT platforms have become essential to identifying issues ahead of time such as pipeline degradation, In the oil and wellhead performance, and gas industry, pollution from gas flares.

Increasingly, however, network companies are

facing operational, commercial, and existential threats

Investments in digitalisation can help analyse a pipeline’s condition, prepare for fluctuations in the changing prices for oil and gas, as well as aid action plans to create more sustainable operations and transfer to producing renewable energy sources, according to the research firm.

security is rapidly becoming a concern for both the C-suite and Governments,” noted Michael Larner, Industrial & Manufacturing Principal Analyst at ABI Research.

“The role of technology is evolving from helping Oil and Gas firms monitor their large, complex, and dangerous operations to helping them optimise their facilities to handle the volatility in their operating environments,” Larner concluded.

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ASSET INTEGRITY

Net-Zero 2050: A Chain Reaction in Every Link Why support from SMEs is vital in our industry’s journey to energy transition.

As fuel prices increase globally, and with renewed urgency to divest from foreign imports, our domestic oil and gas industry faces steep challenges to support the UK to fulfill its net-zero commitment by 2050.

Business leaders across every sector must ask themselves, what changes can, should, will we make to positively impact the energy transition.

For the oil and gas industry, with its long history of environmental and ethical challenges, what are the expectations and obligations we need to meet to support the transition to cleaner, more sustainable energy sources?

The route to net-zero is not straightforward for industry. The expectations from the global community are high and this is especially true of oil and gas. It still generates huge revenue that drives economic growth and sustains hundreds of thousands of jobs both in the UK and globally. For many asset owners, there’s a complex balance to strike between responsibility and profitability.

Questions such as “How are we working towards more sustainable power generation?” or “What can we do to reduce our emissions?” countered with “Can we optimise our operations without overspending?” And “Will automating process help us ensure safe operations or will it remove vital human input? Can it reduce our carbon footprint?” are asked every day.

Innovation, both in product development and in business practise holds the key.

Social Licence to Operate (SLO) principles provide the backdrop for changes that are as diverse as they are fundamental. We have also seen an acceleration in the rise of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles, and these are acting as key drivers, guiding us towards better and more responsible business practices. ESG is forging commitment that demonstrates practical everyday support for the sustainability agenda – both in terms of current operations, and how business models are reshaping to align with the transition.

A fast and effective transition relies not only on operators and asset owners, it is also in the hands of businesses like IMRANDD to drive the changes that will underpin the journey. Our expert supply chain has the opportunity to lead

www.ogv.energy I May 2022

Steven Saunders, Head of New Business, Imrandd

the way and draw the whole industry forward, supporting operators to optimise future decision making and operations planning to enable a more effective route to the target.

Because operators don’t always possess the in-house capabilities to make things happen in niche areas of their operations – often where tangible change can be realised – they are reliant on their supply chain partnerships for innovative solutions. When it comes down to the detail of delivery, asset owners and the supply chain cannot work successfully without the other.

While inevitably, it’s the operators and Tier 1 contractors who are subject to the greatest scrutiny because of their profile, their ability to evolve and adapt – to preserve and protect their SLO – depends to a significant extent on their suppliers.

Exploring new solutions, enabling change At IMRANDD, we’ve been closely involved in the digital element of the transition process for some time. We’ve worked hard to position our business as ESG-focused, with research and development activities advancing the effectiveness of asset and integrity management on late life assets.

As just one example, our REFLEX solution realises new and much improved logistics

efficiencies, which in turn reduces the carbon footprint of operations.

As specialists in asset and integrity management, with niche analytics capabilities, we’re exploring further ways that we can help our customers meet their net-zero targets by applying digitalisation and analytics software to optimise environmental performance offshore. Many other SMEs are doing precisely the same, and it’s important for the supply chain to have a voice in this fundamentally important debate.

To meet net-zero targets businesses must go further than they have ever done before, the commitment is not reversible - we aren’t just turning down a dial, we’re changing the way the machine works, while continuing to meet the world’s energy demands. A cultural shift is well underway and although companies such as Imrandd may be small cogs in a big machine, our contributions matter. I believe there’s a common commitment across the whole industry; operators and suppliers alike, to continue investing in R&D in support of the transition – a shared appetite to make a difference.

Ultimately, it’s this shared commitment that gives depth and substance to the SLOs of many smaller businesses, and those of the operators and contractors they support.

Imrandd is committed to minimising the impact it has on the planet. We have created a sustainable operating model where responsible decision-making is integral to the relationships we forge with our clients, our customers and our peers.

For more information, visit imrandd.com

ASSET INTEGRITY

RE-GEN ROBOTICS

secures the safety and integrity of your tanks

Managing Director Fintan Duffy discusses how his company supports some of the world’s most respected oil majors through his company’s tank maintenance solutions.

Last December Re-Gen Robotics picked up three Energy Industries Council Awards for our services to the oil terminal industry including: The Innovation Award for delivering enhanced products, services and strategies to meet specific client needs and for building differentiation in the sector; the Sustainability Award for taking responsibility as part of our business strategy, to conserve natural resources and protect global ecosystems and the Company of the Year Award, based upon best practice scores from the EIC’s 57 industry judges.

Productivity is enhanced and tanks are brought into operation again more quickly. Our closed loop cleaning system can reduce cleaning time by up to 80%, significantly decreasing downtime and loss of production whilst oil tanks are not operational.

On average cleans are 40 to 80% faster than a manned crew. A white oil tank which would ordinarily take an eight-person team, eight days to clean can now be cleaned in 2.5 days, reducing 280 man hours of CSE to zero hours.

Presenting the Company of the Year Award, EIC President Campbell Keir praised Re-Gen Robotics for applying 100% no man entry robotics technology to “reduce Safety & innovation the personal risk of a routine are embedded in the activity that many people are not aware of but is an essential culture of Re-Gen industry task.”

Robotics and underpin everything we do.

While not always the most topical subject, asset integrity is indeed the most important part of an oil terminal’s operations.

Ensuring tanks and related equipment are operated, maintained, and inspected according to the highest industry safety standards should sit at the heart of every company’s priority list.

Ignoring safety critical maintenance and asset performance optimisation can lead to enormous loss – damage to infrastructure, loss of production time, public investigations, environmental damage, and fines can have a very negative impact on a company’s brand value and reputation.

Safety and innovation are embedded in the culture of Re-Gen Robotics and underpin everything we do. The tank cleaning solutions we provide ensure the integrity of oil tanks, enhance performance, and support all regulatory compliance.

Our patented, self-contained system includes vacuum, jetting, cranage, and robotics, with nothing extra to hire or buy, simplifying the entire tank cleaning process.

To date Re-Gen Robotics has made over £7 million investment across several key areas including our people, service offering, state-of-the-art headquarters, and robotic equipment and trucks. Our highly skilled team is proactively exploring emerging technologies and through our Research & Development Department and our sales team who stay in close communication with our clients, we are developing the tank cleaning solutions of the future.

what we have created is a market leading offering. Supported by a fully equipped team with the expertise and confidence to clean any shape or size of oil tank including Fixed Roof, Floating Roof, Heavy Oil and Coned Floor Tanks.

Compared to anything else on the market, our tank cleaning solutions are risk free and far more efficient and economical. Our equipment is dexterous and versatile and can navigate and work in its environment using multiple sensors, while our operator remains in a stateof-the-art control room, protected from hazardous conditions.

Tank Terminal operators are focused on attaining productivity while also maintaining operational efficiency. By taking advantage of our latest and most advanced technology, they are reducing the duration of the tank clean and its intensity, and realising the significant benefits of efficiency, safety, quality, and cost saving.

In the last three years, Re-Gen Robotics has eliminated 11,000 plus hours of confined space entry cleaning. Over 40 tanks consisting of white oil, black oil and distillate tanks in gas plants have been cleaned and the first worldwide, 100% no man entry tank cleans for oil majors such as Shell, Phillips 66, Valero, and Vermilion, have been completed.

As the sole authorised provider of this innovative technology and service in the UK,

Re-Gen Robotics is the first and only Zone 0 EX certified, remote controlled, 'No Man Entry' robotic tank cleaning company, in the UK and Ireland.

For more information visit www.regenrobotics.com

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TEXO Asset Integrity a one-stop solution for asset inspection, repair and maintenance TEXO Asset Integrity offers a one-stop solution for asset inspection, repair and maintenance, deploying multidisciplinary teams to minimise time spent in high-risk environments. Utilising dedicated resources and state of the art technologies, we provide a seamless project management and integrity solution.

TEXO Asset Integrity has some of the most exciting opportunities across the business. With our specialist teams we can work across a range of sectors, helping our clients to keep their assets in good working order, minimise disruption and downtime, and ensure high-risk work is carried out safely and to the relevant regulations. We fully understand the challenges our clients face, and our multi-disciplined teams can mobilise at short notice and minimise any operational downtime on their assets.

TEXO Asset Integrity Divisional Director, Findlay Moir comments, “We’re continually looking to grow our team in line with the new business coming in from the renewables and new energy markets, as well as the marine and subsea sectors. That means we will have more permanent members of staff, which helps us to retain a great working culture, and also add specialists to our workforce so that we can fulfil some of the more complex projects.

We have listened to our clients requirements and are receiving positive feedback on the flexibility and diversity of our teams.”

TEXO Asset Integrity already has some very convincing demonstrations of its expertise, including a complex, 11,000 person hour fabric maintenance project on the Valaris Gorilla V during the height of the pandemic, where we project managed various scopes across the asset in a cost efficient and timely manner. At present we have multi-disciplined teams mobilised on multiple assets across the globe.

“The technology and systems we use, alongside our close link with TEXO Survey & Inspection, helps to differentiate us from other suppliers in the market. Together we were the first company to achieve DNV accreditation for using remote inspection techniques (RIT) as an alternative means for close-up survey of the structure of ships and mobile offshore units. This helps us to repair, maintain and inspect in a cost efficient and timely manner.

We can also bring in specialists from other areas of the business, meaning we can quote for a complete project as a single entity, rather than customers having to contract three or four businesses.”

The future looks bright for TEXO Asset Integrity – there’s potential for growing in all its services both offshore and onshore and in the renewables market. We have successfully bid and been awarded our first contract in the Utilities sector along with a global contract for inspection services, so it has been a very positive start to 2022. We are now active in the construction and infrastructure sectors, supporting our clients to be more efficient. The business is continually in talks with potential customers, helping to diversify and offer its key expertise to all customers who have assets that need specialist inspection, repair and maintenance.

MAKING A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE TO EVERYONE WE WORK WITH

www.ogv.energy I May 2022

pim-ltd.com

ASSET INTEGRITY

27

A people-first approach to asset management QHSE Aberdeen is a leading provider of professional consultancy and advisory services to organisations that require assistance with developing and implementing robust ISO management systems.

The company specialises in the creation and implementation of bespoke quality, health and safety, and environmental solutions that not only comply with the latest industry standards but allow clients to document their operations in a logical, no-nonsense way.

With a wealth of oil and gas knowledge, it understands the importance of certifications to businesses of all sizes; helping clients achieve their goals on time and on budget.

ultimately QHSE Aberdeen’s focus on people – its own team as well as those working within clients’ organisations – that has allowed it to stand out from the competition.

This ethos was recognised by judges at the Northern Star Business Awards, where the business received the Customer First honour.

A move to larger office space in Westhill reflects growing customer demand over the past two years, including several recent contract awards.

QHSE Aberdeen can assist companies to develop, implement and maintain ISO 55001, thereby giving them greater control of their assets and allowing them to demonstrate to third parties or clients that they have an appropriate management system in place.

Despite not being a standard that is regularly asked for, compared to certain others, it shows the company’s willingness to always be responsive to customers’ requirements.

The business reacted to greater global connectivity, accelerated by the pandemic, in creating a dedicated e-commerce service, aimed at supporting UK and international businesses to become ISO certified. Similarly, a client portal, introduced last year, has also been successfully rolled-out to new and existing clients.

While a large part of its work naturally involves ensuring conformance to ISO standards, it’s

QHSE Aberdeen builds and maintains positive customer relationships through the continuous development of value-added solutions that help organisations achieve significant process improvements and cost-savings.

“We empower people within clients’ organisations to take responsibility for their own systems and, once implemented, provide ongoing support to maximise their benefits,” added Dave.

The company is led by managing director Dave Rusling, who possesses more than 20 years’ technical experience as a qualified engineer and lead auditor. Meanwhile, among the wider team, there is a range of multi-discipline knowledge and expertise, covering all aspects of the energy sector and beyond.

This includes several niche areas of consultancy, including ISO 55001 – an asset management system standard where the principal objective is to assist associations manage the lifecycle of assets more effectively. By implementing ISO 55001, organisations will have better command over daily activities, achieve higher returns with their assets, and reduce the total cost of risk.

“Operating internationally across multiple sectors requires a flexible approach and having a diverse team in place certainly aids this. Our staff help clients streamline their processes, improve efficiencies, and scale for growth – but there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, it’s very much a bespoke service that we offer.”

He continued: “Ultimately, our priority is to provide clients with value-for-money services.

Today, we support more than 80 clients and our client retention rate of 95% – excluding one-off projects and training courses – speaks for itself.

This has resulted in headcount more than doubling from four to 10 in the past 12 months – with further recruitment underway to build upon in-house capabilities and help develop new areas of competency.

Increased customer requirements have allowed the business to extend its reach beyond the north-east, throughout the UK and into several European countries. QHSE Aberdeen works with firms of all sizes in sectors including oil and gas, renewables, nuclear, and construction – while also actively diversifying into new areas, such as IT and private medical.

“We’re extremely proud of client feedback and certification pass results, with perfect scores of 100% recorded for satisfaction and first-time pass rates alike.”

Located in Westhill, QHSE Aberdeen delivers ISO auditor courses and is due to resume classroom-based learning from May. To book your space or request consultancy support, please visit www.qhseaberdeen.com, email info@qhseaberdeen.com, or call 01224 735369.

Dave explained: “QHSE Aberdeen is trusted by clients locally and around the world because of our professional approach; encompassing the expertise of a large organisation with the personal touch of a small company.

“We have invested heavily in talent to develop shared values and the right skills to drive business growth. A key focus has been to ensure that these values, including integrity, respect and accountability, continue to be adopted by all the team.

QHSE Aberdeen was named as the winner of the Customer First category at the 2022 Northern Star Business Awards, held at P&J Live on April 22nd. Congratulations to all the finalists and other winners who made it a memorable night.

QHSE Aberdeen provides a consultancy and advisory service to organisations of all sizes and sectors that require assistance in the development and implementation of robust management systems. It operates internationally with clients from all corners of the world.

For more information, visit www.qhseaberdeen.com

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F

ollowing socio-political pressures towards net-zero, the war in Ukraine has compounded the dire need to advance energy development.

EPC contractors and owner-operators need facility systems that optimise output while minimising impact. The future of energy rests at the interface of productivity, sustainability and innovation.

That interface is where data-driven technology, including software solutions and enabling digital partnerships, reside.

Jon Bell, MODS CEO says, “An effective digital transformation strategy uses data to optimise project and operational efficiency as well as to facilitate partnerships working towards a more sustainable energy future.”

Data-Driven Reality Energy facilities of the future will capitalise on a wide range of existing and emerging digital technologies rooted in data. These include digital twins, drones, combined IT/OT (information technology/operational technology) platforms and mobile hardware.

Take construction digital twins, for example.

Digital twins deliver virtual realities for running a construction site. With fidelity to the physical on-the-ground asset, users of construction digital twins can easily strategise approaches, prepare for worst-case scenarios, as well as optimise people, workflows and processes. Reality is our Construction cutting-edge digital twin offering suitable for use with both brownfield MODS Connect™ and greenfield MODS Origin™ software.

Reality seamlessly integrates clients’ existing systems and provides a real-time 360-degree facility and/or asset view populated with equipment, process and workflow data thereby enhancing engineering, inspection, scheduling and work execution. Matthew Bell, MODS’s Chief Product Officer says, “Reality isn’t just a tool for management, it’s a practical assistant to front-line, hands-on workers tasked with monitoring, surveying, repairing and building projects.”

Digital twins are poised to dominate the future landscape across every aspect of the asset lifecycle. Innovations of this ilk rely on accurate and comprehensive data capture to simplify construction, processes and workflows. This unparalleled ability to remotely visualise, monitor and in some cases operate physical assets is why 89% of companies believe that digital twin strategies will transform their approach to operational excellence1.

www.ogv.energy I May 2022

Data-Driven Construction

HOW DATA IS DRIVING ENERGY

Projects of the Future With the ability to optimise design, manage supply chains, conduct predictive maintenance and more, digital twin technology is powered by data. And so, the data must be trustworthy and system-ready.

This data is pre-existing in the form of design schematics, component specifications, as well as regulatory protocols and the like. To harness the potential of emerging trends such as construction digital twins, this information must be reliably and consistently captured in digital format.

Digitising information so that it is complete, accurate, formatted and accessible is achievable with an experienced digital partner. Matthew says, “Our [twenty] years of hands-on industrial experience have helped position MODS as a trusted technology supplier that simplifies complexity in environments where schedule and safety are paramount.” Partnering with the likes of JGC, MODS is driving DX in the energy sector and beyond, ensuring data is system-ready, enabling operational efficiencies.

Participating in the data-driven energy transition requires practical tools that allows businesses to remain competitive by increasing operational efficiencies and reducing environmental impact.

The energy sector, through facility construction execution, as well as asset operation and maintenance can turn to JGC, long-term partners and investors in MODS, for inspiration through their use of data-driven technologies such as Advanced Work Packaging (AWP).

Modernising the energy sector through datadriven technological solutions such as AWP advances workflow efficiencies with direct decarbonisation impact. MODS Origin™ Construct module, a tried and tested greenfield AWP software solution, reduces downtime and minimises instability. Optimising operations in this manner holds the key to 99% of “known technological solutions to decarbonisation”. Asset integrity management, through MODS Connect™ and other sophisticated software solutions powered by data, minimises rogue emissions.

Matthew, says of the importance of data in asset integrity management: “Data-driven systems and processes ensure that you have reliable, accurate and consistent information throughout the lifecycle of your asset. With the right digital systems in place, this information is easily accessible, providing access to quickly analyse, predict, and schedule maintenance at the right time.

Conventional systems lack the control, history and visibility that data-driven systems provide. All of this leads to a more efficiently run asset, driven by data, so that you can avoid unplanned downtime and, in turn, escalating costs.”

Software solutions such as MODS Origin™ Construct module ensure environmental compliance through operational oversight and user-friendly, accurate reporting features that enable businesses to understand and communicate operational impact. When data is managed as a single source of truth, communications with all stakeholders from regulators to clients and subcontractors is made simple.

The key enabler of digital construction tools in the development and maintenance of energy and other industrial facilities revolves around partnerships. DX partnerships with software service providers such as MODS enable global collaborations and keep energy businesses operating at the height of efficiency.

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Data-Driven Partnerships Essential to the success of any DX strategy, the right digital partnership protects data integrity and is predicated on trust. Further, the right digital partner has industry experience in the field in which they serve. MODS brings twenty years of project experience in the energy-sector experience, which ensures the software solutions MODS Connect™ for brownfield and MODS Origin™ for greenfield are firmly rooted in on-theground realities.

Technologies used in Construct and Reality modules rely on trustworthy data, which is why experience matters when going digital. With an experienced digital partner like MODS at the helm, these tools transform piecemeal and error-prone information into reliable decisionmaking tools, delivering onsite realities to anyone anywhere and facilitating global collaborations.

MODS works together with clients to digitise asset, system and process information, readying it for more advanced tools to ensure smooth project communication among stakeholders.

MODS CEO, Jon Bell, speaks to the benefits of data-driven communication: “Thousands of documents, drawings, and plans in paper format make information management and communication vulnerable to error and confusion.

The simplicity and efficiency of paperless systems remove these barriers to effective remote communication. This creates positive project outcomes that will keep the energy industry relevant in the context of Industry 4.0.”

Data holds power. With the potential to connect systems and domains, data-driven software solutions MODS Connect™ and MODS Origin™ break down all manner of information silos.

Interoperability of Industry 4.0 requires a strategy achievable only through effective partnerships.

MODS software is modular, customisable and works with existing systems so that it’s suitable for use throughout the entire lifecycle of any digital transformation journey that involves construction execution or asset maintenance.

With broader scope and availability of innovative software solutions, and more accessible and affordable supporting hardware, the DX Return on Investment (ROI) is increasingly attractive.

But for EPC contractors and owner-operators to pull the trigger on digital solutions, a credible roadmap is required. MODS can help evaluate the value proposition and look at the DX journey holistically, partnering from digital infancy to digital maturity and beyond.

Hardware and software technology is only part of the picture, it all starts with data. Digitising information is the first step and requires the right partner capable of making data system-ready. Internal expertise, particularly with regards to integrating legacy IT and OT systems, is sorely lacking. Mismanaged digitisation processes risk losing historical data, inadvertently create new silos, or default to a series of unsustainable quick fixes. Partnering with MODS will break down data silos and ensure data integrity so that it is reliable, accessible and primed for interoperability. This will take energy-sector businesses into the future.

Data-Driven Success Digitising information with the right digital partner, and adoption of advanced software solutions such as MODS Connect™ and MODS Origin™ that integrate with existing systems, free up engineers and executives to focus on high-impact issues that advance energy development into the future. MODS, with independent engineering experience in the field and through established industry partnerships, bring a unique range of agile and modular software solutions to help clients do just that.

KEEPING INTEGRITY 30 IN SIGHT

Extending the operational life of a portfolio of aged North Sea assets continues to be an ongoing challenge; doing so without compromising quality, safety or integrity is critical to ensuring that these assets can continue to operate reliably for years to come.

R

Meaningful data is at the core of asset reliability

ecent world developments have brought sharp focus onto the North Sea, and the wider UKCS, to drive self-sufficiency in terms of energy needs, both in the short and long term. The compounding effects of the global pandemic and crisis in Ukraine, coupled with ageing North Sea assets and infrastructure, means that long-term asset health and integrity is a key target for the oil and gas industry to maintain production levels safely and efficiently, and to reduce the requirement for energy importation as far as is possible.

Importance of Data

As a market-leading provider in life of asset integrity services, CAN Group ensures that asset safety, integrity, and certainty remains at the heart of reliable and efficient operations.

Meaningful data is at the core of asset reliability; Inspection data (including fabric condition), collected and reported in realtime through CAN Group’s proprietary tablet inspection system CANtab™ (and often uploaded to ENGAGE™ - CAN Group’s cloudbased solution for Integrity Management) provides a platform for maximising data value. The efficient and effective management of data helps to refine the inspection planning process and ensures the most appropriate techniques and resources are selected based on various factors including risk, probability of detection, material type, configuration and access.

There has been a rapid increase in the development and uptake of digital solutions for managing asset integrity over the last few years from tablet-based reporting and cloudbased Integrity Management Systems through to artificial intelligence and digital twin technology, to help reduce risk and maximise value.

Across its 35-year tenure, CAN Group has evolved into one of the UK’s leading life-of-asset integrity service providers and as such, is a key contributor to the plant, personal and collective safety for its clients and the wider energy industry both in the UK and globally.

CAN Group’s continued commitment to the provision of an unrivalled range of integrity related services has led the company to hold one of the most comprehensive UKAS accreditation scopes as a Type C Inspection Body in the Oil and Gas industry, as well as being the first company in the UK to be accredited for Integrity Management to ISO 17020.

This accreditation status assures clients of independence and impartiality across its extensive service range; uniquely placing the business in a position to deliver the full range of risk-based asset integrity and inspection management services across the entire asset life cycle. Integrity truly is at the core of CAN’s business – keeping sight of both plant integrity and the integrity of the services it offers.

www.ogv.energy I May 2022

In a world of ageing assets, many with limited productive lives remaining, data driven decisions become ever more critical in order to maximise the economic recovery. CAN Group has been at the forefront of this with its “Find and Fix”, “Find and Arrest” and Dropped Object Prevention concepts which, coupled with CANtab and ENGAGE, are yielding significant integrity gains for their clients. Utilising pre-agreed criteria with the client, normally where the required mitigation is quick to apply, CAN’s Inspection teams own the problem and ensures suitable mitigation is applied at the point of inspection – whether that is a permanent or “stop-gap”

fix. Their bespoke digital solutions allow all the relevant details regarding the applied mitigation to be captured immediately and then made available to onshore Integrity Engineers.

However, for this approach to be effective integrity is key. With limited resources any corrective work must clearly demonstrate risk reduction and often this is addressing issues such as “scab” corrosion which requires very localised Fabric Maintenance. The business models of traditional painting contractors are largely based around painting significant areas and this approach doesn’t always sit neatly with a Risk Based approach.

With ongoing capital investment in new equipment and emerging technologies to bring greater efficiency and cost optimisation to its operations, CAN Group fully embraces innovation and firmly believes that by working smarter, there’s so much more potential for improvements and increased efficiencies across the industry.

However, it’s important to remember that although innovation has its place, having a robust understanding of the fundamentals of asset integrity is key.

CAN Group’s team of personnel are integral to this; an empowered, integrated and highly experienced workforce who continuously provide high quality services focussed on safety, integrity and certainty.

For more information visit www.cangroup.net

CAN Group is an established global provider of life of asset integrity services with our business steams CAN, ENGTEQ and VENTEQ providing innovative Engineering, Integrity Management, Inspection, QA/QC and Maintenance Solutions to the energy industry worldwide

ASSET INTEGRITY Asset Performance & The Industrial Internet of Things:

TRANSFORMING REFINERIES INTO MAMMOTH SMART DEVICES The immense strides in nanotechnology, producing infinitely smaller chips, sensors and machine parts, were originally driven by the quest for compact portable smart phones, tablets, laptops and space applications. This technological progress has triggered the transformation of massive industrial systems like oil refineries into immense smart devices.

As smart phones have leveraged individual wellbeing and productivity by, inter alia: • improving communication; • enhancing access to information; • boosting productivity; • improved time management with e.g. reminders for meetings, milestones, deadlines, times to take medicines, and • monitoring heartbeat The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is enhancing enterprise wellbeing through optimising operational and asset performance.

Large plants with gas burning flames leaping meters high from several chimneys are changing and factories and refineries are indeed through “Industrial Internet of Things” (IIoT) technology becoming enormously large smart industrial devices.

From an idea in 1999 to a $124 billion market…

The phrase “Internet of Things” appeared first on the internet in 1999, coined by Kevin Ashton of Proctor and Gamble. Barely 23 years after Ashton’s speech, the market for the IIoT is estimated at $124 billion.

The IIoT remains for many a vague and nondefinable concept. For some its merely an array of sensors and instruments that send readings to a central operations room rather than having these physically read by personnel. For others, only automated responses based on such readings would be real IIoT. Another perspective insists on a cyber-system that generates predictions on the productive asset chain by evaluating the digital data by algorithms.

To date, IIoT adoptions have been devoted to managing critical processes for businesses.

Companies have implemented solutions from multiple technologies to:

• structure a cyber-physical system (e.g. Edge, Fog, and Cloud computing); James Fair

• access reliable and accurate data (e.g. sensors, cloud, big data management);

• learn from past experiences (e.g. artificial intelligence, machine learning, deeper learning); • provide digital security (e.g. blockchain), and • interplay real and cyber worlds (e.g. augmented reality, digital twins).

Vetasi, a global asset management consultancy and supplier of Asset Performance Management (APM) and Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) solutions, reckons the investment in IIoT is only now approaching a rapid acceleration curve.

Based on the maintenance and reliability model from Crespo Marquez , Vetasi projects that the market for intelligent assets alone will increase from an US$7,000 mil in 2020 to US$325,000 mil in 2030.

The relevant IIoT software market, known as Asset Performance Management (APM) software, is also growing apace.

But what is the IIoT? James Fair, Vetasi CFO, defines the IIoT as a system comprising IT and industrial hardware that automatically: • generates digital data flows from a network of interconnected sensors, devices and industrial instruments supporting evidence based decision making,

How to escape being a hostage of your physical assets The importance of assets for company performance vary across enterprise and industrial sectors. Whilst assets are of importance to all firms, some sectors are far more at risk to asset failure than other, almost to the point that the company becomes a hostage of the assets. Failing to keep the assets in good shape will lead to demise. Failure of critical assets is the most significant risk to operations and therefore company performance (Bousdekis et al., 2020).

This is especially the case in the Oil & Gas (O&G) sector. When an oil refinery burns down or explodes the operations cannot be relocated to other premises to resume production. With the O&G sector being intensely capital dependent, the risk of asset failure is therefore much higher When infrastructure in such “asset-hostage sectors” like O&G would fail or misfire, the business model itself is at risk due to a seriously affected bottom-line.

Fair says asset management and maintenance has evolved from a support function ensuring the machinery works to one of the most critical functions for enterprise wellbeing. “It is no longer a case of asset maintenance. It is now asset performance management (APM). Neglect that and not only production suffers: the bottom line suffers even more.”

• and analyses the generated data against algorithms based on historical operational intelligence from within the firm as well as from relevant external sources

“Maintenance management was initially almost entirely reactive: it kicked into action when something broke, similar to security forces adapting to alert mode and mobilising only after being ambushed or driving over a landmine.

Maintenance management matured into phases of regular patrols (time based preventive maintenance) and permanent sentinels and guard duty (condition-based preventative maintenance).

to ensure optimum asset and enterprise performance and wellbeing. The system can trigger automated responses for events within prescribed parameters or provide instant scenario analytics based on data-insights for interactive decision-making in cases outside these parameters.

“IIoT, however, presents a paradigm shift in APM. Companies can now implement preemptive strikes and even ambush the problems by resorting to predictive and prescriptive maintenance modes through an integrated data generating sensor system with instantaneous analytics,” Fair says.

• integrates data pertaining to both assets and operations,

This is an abridged version of a Vetasi thought leadership article on IIoT.

Our vision at Vetasi is to be a leading global partner for our customers in optimising value from physical assets.

For more information visit www.vetasi.com

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INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY ANNUAL 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.

www.leyton.com

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

DANGERS OF THE SPLASH-ZONE For Offshore Structures

Providing the energy sector industries with the most advanced high-pressure cleaning, ultrasonic testing, and remote visual inspection technology, AISUS offers a suite of internal and external remote inspection solutions, for the increasingly complex challenges faced by customers operating in the harshest of environments.

Multi-skilled teams ensure the integrity of structures, inspected in the splash-zone or onshore, and are continually supporting ongoing global operations, field development or life extension projects.

In-house experience and the ability to provide quality data repeatedly helps clients to meet the required guidelines and mitigate expensive replacement programmes through early intervention strategies.

Company Details

T

he Splash-zone area is defined as a section of the structure that is periodically in and out of water due to the action of waves or tides. This area is difficult to inspect by the topside team and ROV surveys that typically struggle to clean and inspect in the -15m to LAT region.

These however are areas of high degradation due to the changing conditions, wave impact and the first subsea guide location.

Over the past decade, AISUS has found multiple defects and seen multiple cases where severed caissons have acted as dropped objects, closely missing critical

subsea infrastructure that could lead to major incidents.

Not only do the structures face issues in the Splash-zone, but over time internal equipment such as pumps can lead to further internal damage.

Ultimately, these challenges can lead to unplanned shutdowns if there are no redundancy or mitigations put in place.

This is where the specialist technology and expertise of AISUS come into the equation like no other, accessing difficult areas to provide valuable data and solutions, that in many cases can be overseen or left as the unknown.

Internal Inspection Remotely deployed and controlled internal solutions are ideal for use where access restrictions mean manual techniques offer limited or no inspection coverage or results. The full suite of technology including corrosion mapping, cleaning, visual, sampling and retrieval tools, provides solutions for pipework and structures above and below the waterline. AISUS has developed unique inspection systems for inspection in Caissons, J-tubes, Risers and Conductors.

Quality Data Behind Guide Supports

Website: www.aisus.co.uk Email: info@aisus.co.uk Tel: + 44 (0)1224 222070

Address:

Unit 21 Denmore Rd Bridge of Don Aberdeen AB23 8JW

INNOVATION &

TECHNOLOGY

External Inspection Bespoke magnetic crawler using high-tech robotics that can be deployed on the topside down to the first subsea guide or through the support from a ROV for below the guide and provide quality Ultrasonic Inspection results. Other inspection capabilities like Pulsed Eddy Current (PEC) or visual can be deployed where required.

Custom Built Crawler Solutions

IN ENERGY ANNUAL

202 2 www.ogv.energy I May 2022

INNOVATION & TECH SPONSORED BY

INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY ANNUAL

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Visual Utilising state-of-the-art visual inspection systems, solutions are provided for a variety of applications, from remote visual inspection of pipelines, caissons, tanks, and small-bore vessels to large platform leg inspections.

Using 4K subsea camera systems, capturing images in 360 degrees, the Engineers can generate 3D models for assisting clients with further analysis of defects.

3D Visualisation & 4K Quality

Cleaning Offering a range of specialist high pressure (HP) cleaning solutions, AISUS has an extensive understanding of cleaning caissons, J-tubes, Risers, Conductors and Drilling riser joints internally and externally. The HP cleaning technology provides a clean surface free from loose debris, marine growth, corrosion, and coatings as required. The service can either be utilised for general pipe cleaning or when required to allow close visual inspection or successful collection of ultrasonic data.

Controlling Marine Growth for Pump Efficiency

Inspection Utilising the latest in NDE software, live C-Scan maps provide a visual representation of wall thickness to allow the rapid screening. The full ultrasonic waveform is captured, allowing further analysis to be carried out using additional processing techniques, including surface profiling and cluster analysis. The inspections also provide the ability to confirm if degradation is internal or external and verify the current structural integrity of the component and identify any requirement for maintenance, repair, or replacement.

High Quality, 360° Coverage

Data Management AISUS’ data management system streamlines the maintenance and inspection activities of clients’ splashzone related components. Using a decade’s worth of inspection data and applying machine learning computer algorithms, AISUS can offer predictive modelling of splash-zone corrosion rates. The system also includes inspection images and ultrasonic thickness measurements that have been gathered from many component types.

Predictive Corrosion Analysis & Data Storage

Drilling Riser The marine drilling riser inspection technology allows for the accurate measurement of wall thickness, weld integrity, riser bolts, riser inserts and main flanges without the need to remove buoyancy or the stripping down of equipment. Deploying the class inspections can either be onboard or on-site utilising advanced inspection techniques to provide an unparalleled riser inspection service.

Inspection Without Disassembly - Onboard or At-Site

Innovation and technology are critical to future-proofing our assets. Stena Drilling continues to invest in R&D to improve services offered to our clients. In collaboration with governmental agencies and trusted partners inside and beyond the energy industry, we seek to better understand and develop distinct technologies.

For more information visit www.stena-drilling.com

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OUR DIGITAL INDUSTRY SPONSORED BY

Who is Sword?

Dan Clarke is a Data Specialist and Business Development Manager for Sword, based in Aberdeen. With over 15 years of technical experience in oil & gas, Daniel works with Sword’s customers to build practical solutions to common industry data challenges.

www.sword-group.com

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

By Dan Clarke, Data Specialist & Business Development Manager, Sword

DATA QUALITY AND GOVERNANCE:

The Key to Digital Transformation Machine learning and other data science techniques all require the same thing – access to good quality data in a leverageable format, and the energy industry needs to accelerate digital transformation to reduce costs, increase efficiencies and remain competitive.

Having produced hydrocarbons since the 1970s, the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) has accumulated a wealth of information that the industry now needs to make use of if it is to achieve maximum economic recovery.

Governance should be the foundational component of a company’s data management strategy and analytics should be used to improve the performance and efficiency of an organisation’s governance efforts. Companies aim to gain insight from raw data so they can improve their decision-making and have confidence in the outcomes.

Analytics is increasingly It is widely becoming a key enabler in accepted that this process with governance governance harmonises playing an important role people, processes, and in helping organisations maximise the value of their technology. This enables key asset - data. operators to use their

data as a trusted asset.

The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) is responsible for the body of knowledge held within the UK’s National Data Repository (NDR) and, with data at the heart of their strategy across the entire energy lifecycle, they understand how critical it is to maximise the value of the data and information which is available to us all.

As our industry moves towards a more balanced and sustainable portfolio, the demand for quality data and competent resources with digital skills is increasing.

Sword is investing heavily in its people and digital solutions to ensure we can advise, support and collaborate with the industry on its data-driven journey.

www.ogv.energy I May 2022

It is widely accepted that governance harmonises people, processes, and technology.

This enables operators to use their data as a trusted asset.

There is an industry-wide requirement for a datacentric effort to condition and standardise subsurface data. This enables data science techniques to derive value which was demonstrated in the missed pay project, where previously unidentified hydrocarbon accumulations were identified using modern technology.

It can be easy to underestimate the time it takes to prepare raw data ready for interpretation. Data quality has been at the heart of Sword’s services delivered to the energy industry for the last 30 years. Through the QIP (Quality Improvement Process) methodology, developed to cleanse data so it is interpretation ready, we have cleansed over 20,000 wells worth of data for use by the scientific community and we use governance to ensure the data we deliver is consistent and can be trusted by the end-user.

Dan Clarke

Since 2020, Sword has worked with the Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC) to deliver cutting edge projects proving the use of ‘big data’ technology to condition raw data so that data analytics and machine learning techniques can be applied.

One such project, which responded directly to the NSTA’s strategy of Maximising the Economic Recovery of hydrocarbons in the UKCS, involved a 7TB data set from the UK NDR which contained over 100,000 individual data files for 9,000 wellbores. The data set contained a mixture of vintages of data with little or no standardisation in the naming or the file format, requiring a significant amount of conditioning before it could be read by a machine. To manually condition the data would have taken a team of data managers months to complete and the result would not have been as accurate or as comprehensive.

Without the cleanse and consolidation exercise, our analytics partners would have been unable to run their simulations and test their model. Since the development of new technologies, we have been able to apply workflows, techniques and learnings to other use cases opening up many previously unexplored capabilities.

The application of domain knowledge with technological capabilities to areas outside exploration and development such as; decommissioning, CCUS, geothermal and nuclear waste disposal, highlights that the requirement for access to the right data at the right time is as important as ever.

It is widely reported and accepted that an interpreter will spend up to 70% of their time looking for and conditioning data before undertaking value-add activities such as interpretation and modelling. It is 11 years since CDA (a subsidiary of OGUK that previously operated the UK’s NDR on behalf of the NSTA) released “The business value case for data management” study where the findings highlighted that data management and integration were critical to data analysis.

The energy industry still faces the same challenges today as it did when this study was first published, despite the development of technology and the drive by the regulatory body and industry to increase efficiency through the improved availability and accessibility of the data.

The Sword QIP service, underpinned by our data analytics capabilities, is key to providing high quality, interpretation ready data for the Geoscience community. Technology is only part of the answer to digital transformation and data quality, and a solid governance framework is the first step that should be taken in this journey.

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

COMPANY NEWS REPURPOSING OIL FIELD RENTAL ASSETS For Renewables Applications

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This has included remanufacturing nitrogen and well service pumping units to supplement the firm’s new build programme as it steadily increases its rental fleet.

A focus in more recent times has seen an increase in the repurpose, recycling and reuse of oil and gas rental equipment to service the offshore renewables sector.

Keith Mackie, Managing Director at Hiretech, said, “Our subsea activities are similar across the range of end users, and we are finding that with minor modifications our traditional oil field equipment is very well suited to servicing the offshore wind sector, whether that is internal and external cleaning of foundations, assisting the burial and deburial of electrical cables, the clearance of subsea debris or the cutting of subsea cables.”

Further supporting the energy transition, Hiretech has also significantly increased its focus for rental equipment provision in the decommissioning sector, providing hydraulic power packs, high pressure jetting units, umbilical reels, umbilicals, hydraulic shears and personnel to assist in asset flushing, cleaning, cutting, drill and pin, P&A and removal operations.

A

cknowledging the growing importance of sustainability and environmental responsibility, Hiretech Limited is placing increased emphasis on its efforts to integrate the circular economy in to its day-to-day operations.

The company is a long-time specialist in repurposing, recycling and reusing equipment across the energy industry, establishing credibility for breathing new life into oil and gas rental assets.

Mr Mackie added, “Our traditional energy business has seen a significant uptick this year, but we expect renewables and decommissioning growth to continue to gather pace as we emerge from the pandemic.”

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RENEWABLES SPONSORED BY

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

www.scotgrip.com

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.

Industry response to the Government’s Energy Security Strategy

The Government’s Energy Security Strategy has caused quite a stir in the UK, with increased ambitions for renewable energy production.

This major acceleration towards “homegrown power” is a direct response to both recent events in Ukraine and a growing appetite for clean energy over the past decade. For many in the clean energy sector, the new targets set out provide a welcome boost to the industry growth and go some way to encourage real progress in our journey to net-zero.

www.ogv.energy I May 2022

Reacting to the Energy Security Strategy, Nathan Bennett – Head of Public Affairs for RenewableUK – comments: “There was a lot of market-changing content in this latest Government strategy, not least of which was the increased target of offshore wind to 50GW and the doubling of ambitions for low carbon hydrogen. The new 5GW target for floating wind by 2030 is also really exciting. It comes after the latest Scotwind leasing round showed a pipeline of over 15GW of floating wind in Scotland and we’re already seeing significant growth in the Celtic Sea, which is a space with massive potential. We’re now clearly the largest market for this technology in the world.

“This is especially important for companies who have begun, or are looking to transition from traditional energy sectors like oil and gas. The existing and extensive expertise in everything from mooring to dynamic cabling in the oil and gas sector will be crucial for the development, installation and realisation of renewables. The UK has long been acknowledged as the leader in the offshore wind space, but we will need the experience of traditional energy companies as the global race in floating wind against countries like Norway and France hots up.”

The Energy Security Strategy sets out some of the enabling factors that will see the UK fulfil the new and more ambitious targets for renewable energy production. These include planning reforms to reduce approval times by several years and get new offshore wind farms into construction faster. A taskforce is also being established, including RenewableUK, for floating wind to ensure that organisations have the support they need to successfully transfer into the green energy market. This will need to be accompanied by further collaboration between the devolved Governments of the UK. Nathan says: “These new targets are very ambitious, but targets are only as good as the enabling measures available. The Government strategy highlights some of the steps it will take to support anticipated growth across the industry, such as investment in the grid ahead of time and being more proactive in this area as the market expands. It also talks about streamlining consenting and planning procedures, and providing clearer mitigation standards and pathways to get sites approved for installation. This will certainly be a busy time for the sector, but early signs from the Government are encouraging to help make ambitions achievable.

“There is a secondary conversation around how the UK can secure industry benefits of getting more gigawatts of energy production in the water. The government has started with £160 million port infrastructure and factory investment for floating wind and money for R&D, which has been complemented by private investment through organisations such as the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership.

Nathan Bennett, Head of Public Affairs, RenewableUK

RENEWABLES

“We have a strong pipeline for development of offshore wind, in particular, in the UK. Few countries around the globe are lucky enough to have coastline and shallow waters like us, so we certainly have the edge there."

Nathan Bennett, Head of Public Affairs, RenewableUK

“Projects like the Aberdeen Energy Transition Zone have already shown some of the practical solutions that can make the realisation of net-zero a reality. If ever there were a time for those in oil and gas to bring renewable energy opportunities to the board room, it is now.”

Of course, there are still plenty of challenges yet to be overcome in our journey to net-zero. Nathan continues: “We need to talk about what comes next to make sure we see the jobs, investment, skills migration and growth needed to deliver these targets. We must consider how to create and develop further enabling actions.

“Currently, the conversation about onshore wind seems to be missing from a clean energy perspective. It’s not true there has been no movement in Government policy on onshore wind – as the general media may have the public believe – and we wait to see the results of the consultations that have been opened regarding reform of existing processes to maximise local benefit. Regardless of the Government’s position on onshore wind in England, there is still a huge amount of onshore wind in development that will continue to construction in the coming years. Much of these projects are in Wales and Scotland, supported by their own Governments to ensure continued growth.

“It is also worth noting that the current strategy focused on medium-term measures to increase green energy over the next decade – no parameters were set for the CfD auctions this summer. There is

still time for the Secretary of State to make revisions to the CfD policy that would allow greater procurement than is currently forecast [at time of writing].”

The speed with which onshore wind, offshore wind, solar and tidal projects can start producing energy for the grid make these a very attractive option in light of the current energy situation. This would make the UK’s energy production more self-sufficient in the short-term – and at a lower cost – than using other methods such as nuclear, though most agree that nuclear power will play an important role in the future energy mix. Prioritising low cost and fast-to-function clean energy sources would benefit both the industry and the end bill payer. This is likely the reason why the public response to the Energy Security Strategy hasn’t always been so positive – some were hoping for more immediate improvements in efficiencies in order to reduce demand and therefore drive down pricing.

However, on the whole this strategy is a very ambitious and progressive step towards a greener future for the UK. The new 5GW target for floating wind is the largest in the world and would keep the UK at the fore of the industry.

British organisations are well-placed to stay ahead of the game thanks to our commitment to innovation and the natural geography. This also all sets the scene for a very dynamic and exciting Global Offshore Wind Conference and Exhibition this June, which will provide the perfect opportunity to connect with industry experts and join the conversations going on across the sector right now.

Nathan concludes: “We have a strong pipeline for development of offshore wind, in particular, in the UK. Few countries around the globe are lucky enough to have coastline and shallow waters like us, so we certainly have the edge there. Many markets with a keen appetite for renewable energy – like Brazil, Japan, USA and South Africa – have strong offshore wind resources but deep waters, so may well look towards floating wind instead. This is just a taste of the future of clean energy, but the Energy Security Strategy certainly sets out very positive steps in the right direction.”

For further comment or information about RenewableUK, please visit www.renewableuk.com Don’t miss your last chance to register for GOW 22 https://events.renewableuk.com/gow22-registration

RENEWABLES

SPONSORED BY

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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

Neptune Energy cuts CO2 emissions at Adorf with contract award to KCA Deutag

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.

Neptune Energy’s Managing Director in Germany, Andreas Scheck, said: “The Adorf carboniferous field development is an important project for Neptune. We have already increased production significantly and see a great deal of further potential from the field.

“The use of electrical motors underlines Neptune’s commitment to continue to reduce emissions from our operations.”

The deployment of emission-reduction technology is aligned with Neptune Energy’s strategy to store more carbon than is emitted from its operations and from the use of its sold products by 2030.

Neptune Energy announced the award of a contract to drill the Z17 well in the Adorf carboniferous gas field, north-west Germany, to KCA Deutag. Operated with power from the grid, KCA Deutag’s rig will use electrical motors in place of diesel-driven generators, removing an estimated 1,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions from the drilling operation.

Neptune has been developing the Adorf field since 2019. The Adorf Z15 and Adorf Z16 wells were also drilled by KCA Deutag and arenow in production.

Ron Klunder, KCA Deutag Country Manager said: “The award of this contract further strengthens our long-term relationship with Neptune Energy and allows us, through Kenera, our new business unit, to utilise technology to cut emissions and assist Neptune in meeting their carbon reduction goals.”

Work on the Z17 well is due to commence in June this year.

As operator, Neptune Energy holds a 100% stake in the Adorf Carboniferous gas field. The current daily production is around 4,500 boe.

Seadrill-Sonangol JV scores new drillship contract in Angola Offshore driller Seadrill has secured a new contract through Sonadrill, a 50:50 joint venture with an affiliate of Sonangol, for a ten-well campaign in Angola utilising the 2010-built drillship West Gemini.

The contract is worth around $161m, excluding options for up to eight additional wells, and also comes with further revenue potential from a performance bonus, Seadrill said.

Commencement is expected in the fourth quarter of 2022 with a firm term of approximately 18 months, in direct continuation of the drillship’s existing contract.

The West Gemini is the third drillship to be bareboat chartered into Sonadrill, along with two Sonangol-owned units, the Sonangol Quenguela and Sonangol Libongos. Seadrill, which owns and operates 30 rigs, will manage and operate the units on behalf of Sonadrill.

QatarEnergy selects Fugro to de-risk its major redevelopment project of Bul Hanine and Maydan Mahzam fields Enterprise), a Fugro team of survey specialists will perform a range of in-depth geotechnical and geophysical assessments, as well as establishing environmental baseline data.

They will be joined by geo-consultancy experts who will carry out comprehensive foundation assessments and provide expert advice on pipe-soil interaction.

Fugro has won a contract to deliver a highvalue multi-year seabed Geo-data acquisition and geo-consultancy services to QatarEnergy as part of the redevelopment of the Bul Hanine and Maydan Mahzam fields in offshore Qatar.

Operating from three state-of-the-art vessels (Fugro Proteus, Pacific Grouse and Bourbon

www.ogv.energy I May 2022

Fugro is a long-term strategic partner of QatarEnergy and a key provider of highquality Geo-data to the state-owned energy company. It has committed a wide range of digital technologies to the Bul Hanine and Maydan Mahzam redevelopment project, including digital data flow and processing, GIS dashboards and the full support of Fugro’s newest remote operations centre (ROC) in Doha, Qatar. The ROC team will give QatarEnergy uninterrupted access to high-quality, real-time Geo-data from all ongoing surveys to support swift, informed decision-making.

Subsea 7 awarded substantial contract Subsea 7 announced the award of a substantial contract that will be recorded in the backlog of our Subsea and Conventional business unit in the first quarter of 2022.

The award, made to a consortium including Subsea 7, comprises engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) of offshore facilities, subsea pipelines, and associated infrastructure.

Project management and engineering will commence immediately, and offshore activities are scheduled to commence in Q3 2024.

No further details are disclosed at this time due to contractual obligations.

CONTRACT AWARDS

Saipem Pens $150M Coral FLNG Maintenance Deal Italian oilfield contractor Saipem has won a contract for maintenance services on the Coral Sul FLNG floating facility offshore Mozambique.

The contract was awarded by Coral FLNG S.A., a special purpose entity incorporated in Mozambique by Area 4 Partners – Eni as the delegated operator and ExxonMobil, CNPC, GALP, KOGAS, and ENH as the remaining partners.

Saipem said that the contract was worth $150 million with a duration of around 9 years, plus one optional year. The activities cover maintenance of the entire FLNG facility and onboard supervision as well as the creation of an onshore logistical base.

“The award of this new service contract confirms Saipem’s presence in the liquefied natural gas segment, within the scope of the diversification of the project portfolio and strengthens its positioning in a strategic country such as Mozambique,” Saipem stated.

As for the Coral Sul, it is the first floating LNG facility ever deployed in the deep waters of the African continent.

Coral South Project achieved a final investment decision in 2017. The construction of the FLNG hull and topside modules started in September 2019. Worth noting, BP signed a long-term deal to buy all the LNG produced by the unit.

Baker Hughes awarded contract for Plaquemines LNG project Baker Hughes has been awarded a contract and granted notice to proceed by Venture Global LNG to provide an LNG system for the first phase of the Plaquemines LNG project in Louisiana, US. The highly-efficient liquefaction train system (LTS) supplied by Baker Hughes is modularised, helping to lower construction and operational costs with a ‘plug and play’ approach that enables faster installation. Baker Hughes manufactures, tests, and transports the pre-assembled and fully integrated modular turbomachinery units for Venture Global LNG at its manufacturing and assembly facilities in Italy.

As part of the scope, Baker Hughes will also provide field services to assist in commissioning of the supplied equipment. The order builds on an award from 4Q21 for Baker Hughes to provide power generation and electrical distribution equipment for the comprehensive power island system of Venture Global LNG’s Plaquemines LNG project.

The Coral Sul FLNG vessel was named on November 15, 2021, and left the Geoje Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in South Korea the following day. The FLNG vessel arrived in Mozambique in the Rovuma Basin on January 3, 2022. The process of anchoring, surveys, inspections and certifications is underway to meet the schedule for the planned start of production in the second half of 2022.

The Coral Sul FLNG plant is 1,400 feet long, 215 feet wide, weighs about 220,000 tons, and can liquefy 3.4 million tons of natural gas per year.

It will produce gas from the Coral offshore gas field in the Rovuma basin off the coast of the northern province of Cabo Delgado. The field has approximately 16 trillion cubic feet of gas in place. Italian oil and gas firm Eni, the operator of the project, made the discovery back in 2012.

The installation campaign is supposed to be done in a water depth of 6,500 feet. Coral Sul FLNG will be moored with 20 mooring lines with a total weight of 9,000 tons.

In recent news involving Saipem, it was awarded new offshore drilling contracts in the Middle East and West Africa for a total amount of over $400 million.

Saipem said that the two contracts were awarded in the Middle East for two high specification jack-up drilling units, consisting of drilling and workover operations for five years.

The start of operations is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2022. These projects will involve one Saipem jack-up unit and a new high specification jack-up chartered from CIMC.

“We are delighted to continue our strong collaboration with Venture Global LNG. The Plaquemines LNG project is another great example of our extensive experience with modular LNG to provide fully integrated compression and power solutions,” said Rod Christie, Executive Vice President of Turbomachinery & Process Solutions at Baker Hughes. “As an energy technology company, Baker Hughes’ role is to provide the most efficient and lower carbon technology solutions to meet our customers specific needs, and LNG is a critical part of the energy future. We see a new LNG cycle emerging and expect demand will remain robust in the coming years.”

“Baker Hughes has been an outstanding partner to Venture Global and we look forward to building on that partnership as we ramp up construction at Plaquemines LNG,” said Mike Sabel, Venture Global LNG CEO. “I want to thank Lorenzo Simonelli and his team for their execution and delivery at Calcasieu Pass, notwithstanding the challenges of a global pandemic. Together we will continue to innovate and transform the LNG industry, bringing this essential fuel to the global market to meet the world’s growing energy needs.”

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Petrofac secures second O&M contract with Cairn Oil & Gas, Vedanta Petrofac, a leading provider of services to the global energy industry, has been awarded a new Operations and Maintenance (O&M) contract with Cairn Oil & Gas, Vedanta Limited, India’s largest private oil and gas exploration company.

Valued at approximately US$60 million, the 60 month contract encompasses services and expertise to support Cairn’s Mangala Processing Terminal (MPT) located in Rajasthan. The scope of work includes integrated O&M and auxiliary services.

This award follows in quick succession the February announcement that Cairn had selected Petrofac to provide integrated O&M services in support of its upstream oil and gas facilities at the Ravva Oil and Gas field in Andhra Pradesh. Petrofac also previously completed a lump-sum EPC contract, which Cairn awarded in April 2018 for its RDG Field Development Project.

Nick Shorten, Chief Operating Officer for Petrofac’s Asset Solutions business said: “The award of another prominent O&M contract in India supports our growth ambitions in-country. The Mangala Processing Terminal helps generate significant revenue for the Indian economy, so we value the confidence that Cairn has in our organisation to deliver this latest scope of work. We look forward to supporting them locally, to help drive operational excellence at this important facility.”

Prachur Sah, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Cairn Oil & Gas, Vedanta Ltd. said: “Cairn’s association with Petrofac has advanced our performance in oil and gas operational excellence and execution. Petrofac’s global expertise and performance track record in the upstream oil and gas sector can be seen in our on-ground operations at the Ravva field in Andhra Pradesh. We are confident that their services and expertise to support Cairn’s Mangala Processing Terminal, India’s largest oil field, will help us enable our vision of doubling domestic production and achieving energy ‘aatma-nirbharta’ (self-reliance) for the country.”

The Plaquemines LNG project order follows a similar contract for a comprehensive LNG technology solution supplied by Baker Hughes for Venture Global’s Calcasieu Pass LNG terminal in 2019, also in Louisiana. In 2021, Baker Hughes successfully completed delivery of the ninth and final block for Calcasieu Pass; all shipments were finalised ahead of schedule. Calcasieu Pass holds the global record for the fastest construction of a large scale greenfield LNG project, moving from FID to first LNG in 29 months.

The contracts were awarded under a master equipment supply agreement between Venture Global LNG and Baker Hughes for 70 million tpy of production capacity. Baker Hughes’ first equipment deliveries for the Plaquemines LNG project are expected to begin 1H23.

CONTRACT AWARDS SPONSORED BY

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ON THE MOVE Chris Smith

SPONSORED BY

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

Chris leads the Energy & Utilities practice at Norman Broadbent Group. He has significant talent management advisory experience across the international industrial sectors, with a specialist focus on power generation, decentralised energy solutions, utilities (water/ gas/electricity) and industrial engineering (EPC/O&M). His experience spans traditional executive search (C-suite / Director / "Head of" levels), bespoke talent management solutions (mapping/pipelines/project-RPO) and leadership assessment/development. During Chris’ career he has supported large international corporations, SMEs and PE/fund-backed businesses to help restructure, assess their internal capabilities, recruit senior talent and plan proactively for future leadership requirements.

Laure Mandrou

2 Scott Stephen

1

Ashtead Technology appoints new Regional General Manager for Middle East business

International subsea rental equipment and solutions specialist Ashtead Technology has appointed Scott Stephen as the new Regional General Manager for its Middle East business to support its continued growth in the region.

Based in Abu Dhabi, Mr Stephen will help to solidify the company’s existing market position in the region and spearhead further business expansion as part of its international growth strategy.

Technip Energies announces SVP of Carbon Free-Solution Business

Technip Energies, a leading Engineering and Technology company for the Energy Transition, announces the appointment, as of March 7, of Laure Mandrou as SVP of the Carbon Free-Solution Business Line. In this role, she will sit on the Group's Extended Executive Committee. Based in Paris, Laure reports to Marco Villa, Chief Operating Officer.

Laure brings experience in innovation and leadership on a global scale having worked in the energy sector for over 20 years. After starting as a product development engineer at Schlumberger, she held various management positions in technology, marketing, strategy and operations in Paris, Houston, Novossibirsk, Aberdeen and Dubaï. Prior to joining Technip Energies, Laure was Head of New Ventures and Technology in the Middle East & North Africa region also tending after energy transition initiatives.

Mr Stephen, who has been with the company for five years and has held various senior business development roles across different disciplines during his tenure with Ashtead Technology, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his new position.

www.ogv.energy I May 2022

Trine Svalestad

3

Jonathan Swinney

Aker Solutions announces appointment of Senior Vice President of Sustainability

Aker Solutions announce the appointment of Trine Svalestad into the new position of Senior Vice President Sustainability as of 1st May 2022.

Aker Solutions is a leading supplier to international oil and gas projects with multiple solutions to reduce carbon emissions. The company is also rapidly increasing its deliveries to renewable energy production.

Svalestad has experience from a range of management positions in Equinor, including leading compliance and governance processes, and heading the digitalisation of the large Johan Sverdrup offshore field development. She is a Norwegian national with a Master of Law from the University of Bergen, Norway.

4

Ashtead Technology has an established presence in the Middle East and strengthened its position with the acquisition of Abu Dhabi based TES Survey Equipment Services in 2016. In 2019, the company invested in a new facility in Musaffah, Abu Dhabi, to expand their footprint and increase the range of equipment and services offered to customers in the region.

Chris Smith, Partner

Tullow Oil plc has announced the appointment of Jonathan Swinney as Chief Financial Officer and as an Executive Director of Tullow

Jonathan brings extensive oil & gas and capital markets experience to Tullow having served as EnQuest’s founding CFO since 2010. In this period, EnQuest has developed its business in the UK and in Malaysia and undertaken a number of asset acquisitions and major capital markets transactionsJonathan is a chartered accountant and a qualified solicitor.

He joined Petrofac as the head of Mergers and Acquisitions in 2008 before joining EnQuest and previous to that worked in investment banking.

ON THE MOVE

41

Norwegian offshore drilling company Odfjell Drilling has appointed Kjetil Gjersdal as its new CEO, following the company's split with its Odfjell Technology spin-off which started trading on the Oslo Stock Exchange on Tuesday.

"With his 22 years’ experience and expertise in the company he is a born and bred Odfjell Drilling person. Since joining, he has held various positions within operations, such as Rig Manager, VP MODU Operations, SVP MODU International, EVP MODU and now CEO," Odfjell Drilling said.

Kjetil Gjersdal

6

Odfjell Drilling appoints new CEO

"I am both proud and humbled to start my new role, and I am excited to start this journey together with all the fantastic colleagues I have around me. I firmly believe we have the best assets, the best people and the culture to match it”, Gjersdal said.

Jennifer Richmond

5

Wood appoints Executive President of Strategy and Development

Wood announces the appointment of Jennifer Richmond as Executive President of Strategy and Development and the latest member of the executive leadership team.

In her new role, Ms Richmond will assume executive responsibility for Wood’s growth through strategic planning, business development, mergers and acquisitions, and marketing and communications.

Robin Watson, Chief Executive at Wood, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Jennifer to Wood at a pivotal time as we evolve our strategy to focus more on energy transition and industrial decarbonisation. She has an outstanding track record in delivering best-in-class solutions for clients, leading transformational programmes and identifying strategic growth areas. I’m confident she will be an excellent fit and will play a key role in positioning Wood for the future, building a stronger order book and in driving our growth agenda over the coming years.”

Ms Richmond joins Wood from Jacobs where she held a variety of leadership roles throughout her 19 years at the firm. A member of the senior leadership team since 2018, her most recent role was as Senior Vice President of Sales for the Federal and Environmental Solutions business.

Before that, she served as Senior Vice President for the Advancing National Security and Defence business where she led a worldwide team of 5000 people delivering mission-critical solutions to the U.S. Department of Defence and other government clients.

Ms Richmond has a passion for inclusion and diversity and was co-chair of Jacob’s Women’s Network. In 2020, she was recognised as one of the ‘Top 25 Execs to Watch’ by Washington Exec, a member’s organisation for executives in the U.S. She is also a member of the Association of the United States Army and is a certified project management professional.

Findlay Anderson

Alan Bruce

7

New Chief Executive at North Sea-focused E&P

Alan Bruce has taken on the role of chief executive at the North Sea-focused E&P, following the death of former head Bill Dunnett last year.

Ithaca made the announcement alongside its annual results on Thursday 31 March, in which it showed a return to profits of $400 million (£304m), following losses of $286m (£217m) in 2020.

Formerly of ConocoPhillips, Mr Bruce joined the company as chief operating officer in August 2021 and assumed the chief executive position in January 2022.

Passionate about ensuring the safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible operation of the business, Ithaca said Mr Bruce has already launched several initiatives across the company to position it for the future.

Prior to joining Ithaca, he held leadership roles spanning subsurface, operations, asset management and business planning in the UK, Canada, and Houston with ConocoPhillips.

8

Offshore Energies UK announces new Chair of the OEUK Diversity & Inclusion Task Group

Offshore Energies UK, the leading trade body for the UK’s integrating offshore energy industry, has announced that Findlay Anderson, Vice President & General Counsel, Oilfield Equipment at Baker Hughes, will become the new chair of the OEUK Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Task Group.

The D&I Task Group was created in the summer of 2019 to drive forward diversity and inclusion in the sector, catalyse action and share good practice.

Findlay has been on the Task Group since its inception in 2019, in addition to leading the UK D&I programme for Baker Hughes for the past four years. During that time, Baker Hughes has received multiple industry accolades for its D&I initiatives, including the Diversity & Inclusion award at the OEUK Awards in 2021. Findlay has worked in the energy and infrastructure industries for more than 20 years.

He takes over as Chair from Craig Shanaghey, President Operations Services Europe, Middle East & Africa at Wood, who has led the Task Group since its creation in 2019.

Content provided by Norman Broadbent

42

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.

Well-Safe Solutions generates £3.3m decommissioning savings at the planning phase. It was calculated that the abandonment barrier on one well could be successfully created via two smaller milled windows, resulting in both a reduction of operational risk and milling time.

Well decommissioning specialists Well-Safe Solutions have realised cost savings of £3.3m for a North Sea client, driven by an operational commitment to safe, smart and efficient methods of working.

The announcement follows a comprehensive review of rig and well operations, planning, logistics, and financials to deliver a holistic understanding of operational benefits.

The largest individual saving of £942,000 was suggested by Well-Safe’s well engineering team

Patrick Nesbitt, Project Manager at WellSafe Solutions, added: “The vast majority of savings were realised through considerable time savings, unlocked via innovative ways of working and the experience and communication of our dedicated plug and abandonment (P&A) teams with the client.

“For example, though effective planning, we determined that it would be more cost and time-efficient to conduct make up and break out works in Great Yarmouth as opposed to Aberdeen. This straightforward assessment and material change resulted in a saving of over £150,000 for our client.

“We are delighted with the results of this analysis, which provides measurable validation of our ways of working and the tangible benefits it realises.”

In normal circumstances, wells to be decommissioned are abandoned sequentially, with wireline-based intervention carried out to install barriers and remove any hydrocarbons present in the wellbore (stage AB0). The tubing is then removed with the BOP installed, with abandonment barriers set in place (stages AB1 and AB2). Conductor cutting and recovery is then generally performed as a batch operation, as part of stage AB3.

Well-Safe managed to save the client 15 hours of operational activity every time the blow-out preventer (BOP) was off the well, by ‘hopping’ it between wells.

This avoided the removal of choke and kill hoses along with the bell nipple, which is normally a time-consuming process. This procedure enabled the high-pressure riser to be removed, the rig to be skidded to its new location, the tree to be removed, and the high-pressure riser to be reinstalled - all while the BOP remained suspended, increasing the value of savings for the client.

Fixing Abandoned Offshore Oil Wells Can Create Jobs and Protect the Ocean decommission it. Off the coast of California, Platform Holly decommissioning has cost the state $64 million thus far after its owner, Venoco, filed for bankruptcy. The state is simultaneously bearing the full cost to decommission wells on the Rincon Pier— again due to operator bankruptcy—and has appropriated $50.6 million to the effort.

Abandoned and orphaned offshore oil and gas wells are costing taxpayers billions and the Biden administration can take immediate actions to address this ecological and financial crisis.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) manages more than 2,000 active oil and gas leases with over 55,000 wells across 10.9 million acres of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Approximately 58% of these wells—more than 32,000—are permanently or temporarily abandoned. Poorly decommissioned, abandoned, and orphaned wells are a direct threat to our environment, society, and economy. For example, the longest oil spill in U.S. history—at Taylor Energy’s platform at the mouth of the Mississippi River—was caused by an abandoned well that leaked into the Gulf of Mexico and was not resolved until the Department of Interior took steps to

www.ogv.energy I May 2022

Abandoned and orphaned offshore wells are at high risk of leaking and spilling oil or gas into the environment. Limited monitoring and record keeping have allowed these occurrences to largely fly below the radar, making them difficult to track. While there have been limited studies on this in the United States, there has been extensive research in the North Sea. These studies reveal that abandoned offshore wells can contribute between 3 thousand to 17 thousand metric tons of methane emissions annually—the carbon dioxide equivalent of approximately 16,000 to 91,500 gas-powered cars driven annually.

Delaying cleanup can also lead to costlier decommissioning efforts later on, as platforms can be exposed to corrosion, damage from storms, and can create

navigational problems for ships. Coastal communities are presented with additional risks, since they may rely on affected areas for recreational, subsistence, and commercial fishing. These communities can also experience lost wages and economic hardship due to the disruptions to their livelihoods.

To address these issues in onshore wells, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes an investment of $4.7 billion for the plugging, remediation, and restoration of orphaned wells. However, there has been no similar investment for offshore wells.

Congress and the Biden administration have an opportunity to create good jobs and protect ocean health by investing in offshore well cleanup.

Fossil fuel corporations leave America with the cleanup costs. Oil and gas corporations— or operators—are required by the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to “decommission” wells when they either become an environmental hazard or are no longer economically viable. However, operators may request to “temporarily abandon” a well should they see a need to come back to it in the future.

DECOMMISSIONING Offshore oil & gas industry to foot bill for Northern Endeavour's decommissioning The federal government has signed a $325 million contract to start removing an ageing oil vessel floating in the Timor Sea but, with offshore industry to bear the cost, a senator fears the job will not be as thorough as it should be.

The Northern Endeavour is a 274-metre former oil production vessel connected to the Laminaria and Corallina oilfields about 550 kilometres north-west of Darwin.

It became the responsibility of the federal government in February 2020 when its former owners, Northern Oil and Gas Australia (NOGA), went into liquidation.

It meant taxpayers were initially going to foot the bill for the decommissioning of the ageing, rust-riddled vessel, which, along with its undersea oil wells and infrastructure, was estimated to cost up to $1 billion.

But legislation passed last week will force the cost onto the offshore oil and gas industry, with a 48-cent per barrel levy imposed on all offshore operators, backdated to July 1, 2021.

"Decommissioning the Northern Endeavour is a unique and unprecedented responsibility for the Commonwealth," Federal Minister for Resources Keith Pitt said.

"We are working closely with industry and regulators to progress decommissioning as safely, efficiently, quickly and cost-effectively as possible."

UK-based company Petrofac has been contracted to disconnect the Northern Endeavour from its subsea equipment, temporarily suspend the wells, and ready the vessel to be towed to shore.

Another separate contract is expected to deal with the permanent plugging of the wells and removal of the remaining subsea infrastructure.

The federal government previously contracted Upstream Production Solutions to maintain the vessel in "lighthouse mode", which has cost $251 million.

The levy is expected to cover the maintenance costs.

Questions over scope Independent South Australian senator Rex Patrick has been following the issue of the Northern Endeavour closely and said the signing of a contract for the decommissioning was a positive step.

"Unfortunately, we don't know the full scope of the contract work, or how the sea floor will be left in the end," he said.

"There are many different ways which you could disconnect the vessel.

"There are simple ways where you leave a bunch of infrastructure on the sea floor, then there can be the more expensive task of restoring the sea floor to its original pristine state, and we don't know what this contract covers off on."

He feared the new levy meant the offshore oil and gas industry would put "a bunch of pressure on government to do the minimal work that is required, rather than the proper job of bringing it back to its pristine state".

Petrofac said the disconnection of the Northern Endeavour was "expected to occur over approximately 18 months".

"All activities will be done in close consultation with the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) to make sure strict safety and environmental protections are in place," a statement on Petrofac's website said.

Creditor continues legal action Meanwhile, Castleton Commodities, a creditor to NOGA, is suing the federal government in the New South Wales Supreme Court.

It wants to take control of the vessel, so it can sell it and recoup the money they are owed by NOGA, believing it should have taken control when the Northern Endeavour's previous owners went into liquidation.

According to federal budget papers detailing risks to the government's fiscal position, Castleton is "seeking orders for the delivery of the [Northern Endeavour], the appointment of a receiver to realise the value of the property and a declaration that it is entitled to a first charge over the proceeds".

Senator Patrick said he understood the government was "moving towards a settlement" of the case.

"But I don't know whether or not it will come through to the end without the taxpayer having to bear some cost," he said.

DOF Subsea achieves 99% recycle/repurpose rate on latest decommissioning project Acergy and Skandi Skansen vessels, saw the recovery of 135 concrete mattresses weighing approximately 800 tonnes, more than 12km of rigid pipelines, SSIV/PLEM Structures, 15.5km of flexibles and umbilicals, spoolpieces, and around 1,500 grout bags and general debris.

The material was shipped to Aberdeen Harbour’s Clipper Quay for dispersal, with 95% of the material being recycled and 4% being repurposed. Only 1% was sent to landfill as a last resort.

A decommissioning project carried out by DOF Subsea, on behalf of Repsol Sinopec Resources UK, to project manage and provide Engineering, Preparation, Removal and Disposal (EPRD) services at the Buchan and Hannay fields in the Central North Sea, has achieved a 99% rate for the combined recycling and repurposing of recovered materials.

The recovered material was dispatched for a wide variety of uses. A total of 15 concrete mattresses were repurposed into aggregate, and used in the roads at the £350m Aberdeen Harbour extension project.. The plastic sheaths from the flexible risers and umbilicals were recycled by an approved supplier and all metal was smelted.

The offshore works, which were carried out over 74 days, using DOF Subsea’s Skandi

DOF Subsea worked closely with Scotoil Service in Aberdeen throughout

DECOMMISSIONING SPONSORED BY

the process with any NORM contaminated waste in metals or plastics removed by high pressure cleaning at Scotoil before undergoing high temperature incineration.

The decontaminated metals and plastics were then recycled.

This was the second decommissioning project carried out by DOF Subsea on behalf of Repsol Sinopec in the Buchan and Hannay fields. In 2019, the company carried out EPRD services which included the 124 tonne Mid-Water Arch (MWA), still one of the largest structures ever decommissioned through Aberdeen Harbour.

That project also included the recovery of risers and all associated equipment, achieving a combined recycling and repurposing rate of 97.7%.

DOF Subsea has been building its decommissioning portfolio over the past decade, and with a global support team of more than 120 engineers has delivered more than 30 projects around the world for major operators, resulting in an average reuse and recycling rate of 97%.

43

STATS & ANALYTICS PROVIDED BY

Field Development Update

Westwood Global Energy Group are specialist providers of detailed market intelligence for the offshore energy sector, covering; offshore rigs, production facilities, subsea equipment, subsea services, offshore marine and offshore renewables and power.

Offshore O&G related engineering, procurement and contraction (EPC) contract award value in 1Q 2022 closed at US$13.2bn, a 41% decline YoY. During the quarter under review, recorded subsea tree awards totalled 19 units, whilst the length of SURF and pipeline awards closed at approximately 450km and 1,370km respectively. Four EPC contracts were awarded in 1Q for floating production systems, valued at c.US$3.1bn (excluding Chevron’s Jansz-Io Field Control Station, with a reported award value of approximately US$544mn). A total of 45 fixed platform units were also awarded an EPC contract, representing a three-fold increase QoQ.

Offshore O&G EPC Awards $billions O&G Offshore Offshore O&G EPC EPC Awards Awards $billions 80 $billions

Expected

80 80 70

Sanctioned Expected Expected Sanctioned Sanctioned

70 70 60 60 60 50

59.0

50 50 40

59.0 59.0

40 40 30

Other major projects expected to be sanctioned in 2Q 2022 include Shell’s Crux field and Santos’ Dorado development offshore Australia, QatarEnergy’s North Field South (Qatar), ADNOC’s Lower Zakum Long Term Development - Phase I (UAE), as well as Shell’s Gato do Mato project offshore Brazil.

60.9

30 30 20

42.5

www.ogv.energy I May 2022

#XTs #XTs

2022

70

2022 2022 2021

70 70

2021 2021

2

98

2 2

176

81

98 98

81 Sanctioned 81 Firm Sanctioned Possible Sanctioned Firm Firm Possible Possible

176 176

11 11Pre-Order 11 Probable Pre-Order Pre-Order Probable Probable

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

by Year Year of of Sanction Sanction kpoepd kpoepd 3000 2500 3000 3000 2000 2500 2500 1500 2000 2000 1000 1500 1500 500 1000 1000 5000 500 0 0

LNG Gas LNG LNG Gas Gas

2019 2019 2019

2020 2020 2020

2021 2021 2021

2022

2023

2022 2022

2023 2023

Offshore O&G EPC Awards 2022-26 by E&P $billions to be awarded Offshore O&G EPC Offshore O&G EPC Awards Awards 2022-26 2022-26 by

by E&P E&P $billions $billions to to be be awarded awarded

124.5 124.5 124.5 30.5 30.5

19.7 19.7 19.7

14.2 14.2 14.2

12.3 12.3 12.3

11.3 11.3 11.3

11.1 11.1 11.1

11.1 11.1 11.1

9.9 10.0 10.0 10.0

9.9 9.9

8.7 8.7 8.7

Other Other Other

30.5

TotalEnergies TotalEnergies TotalEnergies

In Poland, activity surrounding the current offshore wind lease auction is starting to increase.

RWE Renewables has submitted applications for six offshore location licenses. TotalEnergies and KGHM have announced they are planning to jointly bid for the rights to develop offshore wind sites. SSE Renewables and Acciona Energia have applied for the right to jointly develop a lease area. Simply Blue Group has also announced that it has applied for the rights to develop a lease area. Simply Blue is planning to develop a floating wind project at the site if they are granted the development rights.

2023 2023 2023

CNOOC CNOOC CNOOC

Dominating headlines was the announcement by the UK Government that it has increased its 2030 offshore wind target from 40 GW to 50 GW. The floating wind target has also been increased. The previous target aimed to have 1 GW of the 40 GW come from floating wind projects and the new target is now aiming to have 5 GW of the 50 GW come from floating wind sources.

2022 2022

Chevron Chevron Chevron

Since the last update, orders have been placed for a total of 34 turbines. Vestas has been awarded a contract to supply three V164-10.0MW for the 30 MW Leucate floating wind farm offshore France. Vestas has also been awarded a contract to supply a total of 31 V1749.5MW turbines for the 294.5 MW Zhong Neng wind farm offshore Taiwan.

2021 2021

Subsea Tree Awards #XTs Subsea Subsea Tree Tree Awards Awards

Shell Shell Shell

Offshore Wind Update

2021

2020 2020

16.1 16.1 16.1 2022

Westwood’s 2022-23 outlook assumes a $65/bbl Brent oil price Westwood’s Westwood’s 2022-23 2022-23 outlook outlook assumes assumes aa $65/bbl $65/bbl Brent Brent oil oil price price

Woodside Woodside Woodside

The drillship market tightened with 63 drillships on hire, edging marketed utilisation upward to 79.5%, but that number skyrockets to just over 90% for committed utilisation, as there were 10 non-working units that have future contracts in place. However, nine of the 10 were in shipyards undergoing reactivation for upcoming work. Contracting slowed in March, with a single deal signed (a 75-day gig for Diamond Offshore-managed Vela with BHP in US GoM), which lowered the average fixture rate from $333,750/day in February to $302,000 in March.

2019 2019

Equinor Equinor Equinor

Global semisubmersible (semi) marketed contracted utilisation was 60% in March with 47 rigs on hire. However, committed utilisation stands at 80% as several units are not currently working but have future jobs. Supply fell to 98 rigs, including 16 cold stacked units as three semis, all less than 15 years old, exited the fleet with Seadrill’s Sevan Brasil and Sevan Driller sold to New Fortress Energy (for conversion to production units) while Diamond Offshore Ocean Valor was sold to Czar Shipping. A total of 4.2 rig years of contracts were awarded, with the average for known dayrates at $254,865, a decrease of 8% from February. However, total backlog increased by about 2.7 years from 93.2 years in February to 95.9 years in March.

13.8 13.8 2020

2019

0 0

Petrobras Petrobras Petrobras

The global jackup rig count declined by two rigs to 346 in March and no new deliveries or retirements were registered. Contracted utilisation for the marketed fleet, which excludes cold stacked rigs, was 81.6% for March, but if marketed, non-working rigs with future contracts in place (committed rigs) are included in the count, utilisation is higher at 88%. There were 13 new contracts made during March, with an average fixture dayrate of just under $90,000 - an increase of 12.2% month-on-month, with higher utilisation starting to drive rates upward.

These new contracts accounted for a total of 22.5 rig years of backlog.

41.6 41.6

13.8

10 100

Offshore Rig Update

60.9 60.9

41.6

42.5 42.5

20 20 10

ExxonMobil ExxonMobil ExxonMobil

EPC contracting activity has gotten off to a fast start in 2Q 2022, following the announcement of a final investment decision (FID) to proceed with the development of ExxonMobil’s Yellowtail project after receiving government and regulatory approvals. The FID automatically confirms the contract awarded to TechnipFMC in November 2021 to supply 51 enhanced vertical deepwater trees (EVDT) and associated tooling, 12 subsea manifolds, associated controls and tie-in equipment. Furthermore, SBM Offshore also confirmed the award to construct, install, lease and operate the floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) named One Guyana, to be deployed on the Yellowtail development. Another notable contract award since the start of 2Q is the award to an international consortium comprising Malaysia’s MTC Engineering, Indonesia's Hanochem Tiaka Samudra and Cakra Bahana for the supply of an FPSO unit to be deployed on Medco Energi’s Forel-Bronang development offshore Indonesia.

This brings the year-to-date total offshore EPC award value to US$16.1bn, excluding LOI (letters of intent).

www.westwoodenergy.com

QatarEnergy QatarEnergy QatarEnergy

STATS & ANALYTICS

Aramco Aramco Aramco

44

Offshore Energy Services Dashboard March / April 2022 Offshore Rigs available from

RigLogix

Global Rig Count Jackups

RigLogix

Backlog Month-on-Month (Rig Years)

Semisubs

66

45

Drillships

16

17

April 1

April 1

April 1

601.9

95.9

115.5

March 1

March 1

March 1

593.5

93.2

117.1

24

490

78

54

19

Jackups

98

Semisubs

96

47

Drillships

16

63

35

346

Contracted

Available

Stacked

Regional Rig Count Month-on-Month (March vs April)

2.2

-0.9

Total

Arabian Gulf

SE Asia

70%

60%

65%

70%

55%

60% 55%

50%

50%

45%

45% 40%

Mar-20 May-20 Jul-20 Sep-20 Nov-20 Jan-21 Mar-21 May-21 Jul-21 Sep-21 Nov-21 Jan-22 Mar-22

Jan-22

Mar-22

Nov-21

Jul-21

Sep-21

May-21

Jan-21

Mar-21

Nov-20

Jul-20

Sep-20

Mar-20

May-20

40%

Mar-20 May-20 Jul-20 Sep-20 Nov-20 Jan-21 Mar-21 May-21 Jul-21 Sep-21 Nov-21 Jan-22 Mar-22

US GoM

75%

75%

60%

Latin Arab Gulf America

80%

65%

65%

SE Asia

85%

70%

80%

US GOM

Effective

75%

85%

NW Europe

South America

Global Rig Utilisation

Global

NW Europe

Latin Arab Gulf America

Global

SE Asia

Arabian Gulf

US GOM

0.7

-0.7

May-21 South America

NW Europe

Jan-21 SE Asia Mar-21

Global

Sep-20 US GoM Nov-20

May-20 NW Europe Jul-20

Latin Arab Gulf America

Jan-20 Global Mar-20

South America

SE Asia SE Asia

-0.7

Nov-19

US GOM

0.7

0.5

0.5

-1.3

Jul-19

NW Europe

0.6

85.00% 80.00% 75.00% 70.00% 65.00% 60.00%

Sep-19

Global

US GoM

Global

NW Europe

0.1

Arabian Gulf

2.1

available from

WindLogix

WindLogix

Offshore WTG Awards (excl. Mainland China) #WTGs 2000

Expected

1800

Awarded

4%

4%

2% 12%

18%

1600

17%

Awarded by OEM

1400 1200

53%

Expected by Region

1000

19%

800

25%

600 400 200 0 2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Siemens Gamesa

Vestas

General Electric

Goldwind

Ming Yang

Other

STATS & ANALYTICS SPONSORED BY

West Europe North America Asia East Europe & FSU

46%

46

PEOPLE IN ENERGY SPONSORED BY

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How did you get into the energy sector and how long have you been working in it?

I was born in Aberdeen, so there’s a lot of exposure to the oil and gas industry from the offset, just due to the sheer significance it has on the city. I would say it was my time at university that helped me get a foot in the door.

I was studying for a business degree at Robert Gordon University and during the 3rd year, I went on placement with Shell and worked with them on my first North Sea oil and gas development, from then on, I was hooked.

But as I say, I had a lot of exposure to the industry, so I’d spend summer months helping on asset shutdowns on a sort of labour hire basis and it just went from there. I started working full time in 2004/5 and my career has seen a lot of variation since then, from upstream developments to operations and consultancy and now I’m the Global Business Development Director with Oil Plus.

What does your job involve on an average day?

CLARKE SHEPHERD Global Business Development Director Oil Plus

A highly experienced and creative Global Business Development Director who has demonstrated the ability to lead diverse teams to create, close and successfully execute major project level business in the Oil & Gas Industry.

Broad technical and business experience in the industry. Track record of positioning and developing business in new markets in the N. Sea, CIS, N. Africa, Middle East, and Asia. Recognised expert in developing and introducing new business models for integrated projects. Technical strengths in Oil & Gas Filed Developments and Multi-billion dollar Capital Projects with over 20 years in the Oil & Gas Industry.

www.ogv.energy I May 2022

My role involves a lot of networking trying to bring in business from external clients. We do a lot of work in the Middle East, Far East, Africa and Europe, so there’s a lot of travel involved which can be great! Prior to the pandemic, I would spend the best part of the year travelling around our various locations, meeting with clients, and driving business, but I guess a lot of it recently has been virtual.

I’m involved in a lot of the day-to-day general running’s of the business, so I have a lot of involvement in the operational and financial side of things. Dealing with any issues that arise on our live projects, trying to build new business strategies etc. Lots of emails and 6am starts!

What are main challenges for the maintenance sector at present and how can they be addressed?

I would say a main area of focus just now is operational efficiency, we need to make sure assets are up to date with mechanical integrity and maintenance. The industry is currently a huge backlog of asset integrity and maintenance due to the delays and nature of the pandemic. So, with that comes

poor uptime, which ultimately leads to production losses across all assets.

We’re trying to take preventative measures to improve operational efficiency and reduce the backlog. We put together a pilot programme that involved onshore and offshore skilled maintenance and vulnerability teams to target more focused areas and be proactive with vulnerability management of assets. But to be able to identify what those priorities are, we have an onshore team looking at all the data within the CMMS then teasing out those core focus areas. So, a lot of it comes down to data management and technology driven solutions.

What are main barriers to international growth for ambitious companies and what advice do you have for them?

One of the areas we suffer from is localisation, not having local boots on the ground and infrastructure in the areas we operate in. Which can be anything from offices, to licensing and regulations. Which is something I think we need to put revenue into to cut out the long processes of getting information back to our UK offices.

My advice for others would be, if you don’t have the right processes in place, you will face challenges financially. It can take a long time to get set up with the financial processes and other aspects set up, so you could be bank rolling a project for 12 months before you see anything come through. So, it’s hard for smaller companies to make that temporary financial sacrifice, to succeed.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

It’s hard to pick a particular highlight because a lot of the companies and roles I worked in previously, have been a great stepping-stone to get me where I am today.

Moving from Aberdeen to London was a pivotal point for my career, which opened the door to a lot more opportunities in the financial and business development side of the energy transition. After that, I’d say coming into my role at Oil Plus at a time when the business was not performing very well, we then embarked on rebuilding the business, the team, and streamlining our services. Now, five years later, where we're very profitable and growing significantly.

PEOPLE IN ENERGY SPONSORED BY

What ambitions have you still got to fulfil professionally in your career?

I don’t think you ever feel fulfilled, I think naturally everyone’s always looking for their next step or their next opportunity. Every milestone is a stepping-stone to the next.

However, I’d maybe say the next thing I’d like to do is set up a new business in a new country for Oil Plus, that’s an interesting challenge I’d like to be part of. Or run my own company one day, but for now I enjoy waking up and coming to work every day and I think there’s a lot to be said for that.

Who has been the most influential person in your life professionally?

This would have to be my most recent colleague/boss/mentor and Managing Director of Oil Plus Mark Cavanagh. Mark has had many businesses and built them up from the ground or transformed them into very successful businesses. It’s hard to list all the lessons I have learned from Mark; many are subconscious, and many are from hard lessons of getting it wrong and being told directly and honestly. But most of all being trusted to deliver and implement my own way of doing things is the sign of great leader. I will continue to benefit from these lessons and mentoring and hope that I can carry on the torch of mentoring others in the future.

Given the experience you have now, what advice would you give a graduate just starting his career in the Energy sector?

Best thing I did was say yes to everything.

Actively network, meet as many people as you can. Put yourself out there because you never know who you’re going to meet and how they're going to impact your career.

Get as much exposure to all aspects of a business as you can, ask questions and don’t be afraid to learn. You never know where your career will take you.

If you were inviting guests to a dinner party, which 3 people would you invite and why?

• Elon Musk – Maybe the worlds greatest Entrepreneur in my lifetime, who better to learn from!

• Robert De Nero – Godfather II is one of my favourite films so it would be impossible not to have him, I also like Japanese food….

• Jimmy Iovine – No dinner party can be without music, and he is a great businessman

ENERGY PATHFINDER: THE ROUTE TO NORTH SEA CONTRACTS Energy Pathfinder is a unique and free service that helps supply chain companies identify and target upcoming project opportunities and contracts in the oil and gas and renewables industries, as well as providing those companies with upcoming activity the chance to promote and seek collaboration with others.

First launched in 2010, it was clearly in need of an overhaul by 2019 as the needs of industry had developed. The interface was not engaging, it was hard to access, difficult to update, and in need of expansion for energy transition and decommissioning projects.

In 2021, the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) launched the new Energy Pathfinder with two interfaces: the operator portal, where operators can input their opportunities, and the supply chain portal, a publicly available application where opportunities can be filtered and searched. It now includes more detailed information on projects including wells to be decommissioned, forward work plans and possible well plug and abandonment campaign opportunities.

The operator portal follows Government Digital Standards, meaning that not only is it fully accessible, but it also looks and feels similar to other government services such as applying for a passport.

The application has been well received. It has provided operators with opportunities to engage with supply chain organisations that are new to them. Supply chain companies

have been able to access opportunities that would have been difficult to identify otherwise.

On the supply chain portal, users can navigate between different types of projects with intuitive filters and menus to drill down to details of contracts, window of opportunity and point of contact details for the relevant operators and Tier 1 suppliers.

Smaller companies can bid for sub-contracts, opportunities for collaboration, propose innovative solutions and see forward work plans for upcoming tenders. At the time of writing, over 150 opportunities are listed on the portal. It has nearly 1,400 subscribers, a third of which being new since the new version of the app was launched.

From the public application, users can access interactive decommissioning dashboards which supplement information in Energy Pathfinder.

Participating operators have allowed the NSTA to make decommissioning schedules available for hubs and fields with detailed information about assets to be removed. Users can search by hub or field, operator and region and see information relating to weight and quantities of assets.

The dashboard helps the supply chain keep abreast of medium-term work, including heavylift vessel owners, drilling contractors, subsea specialists, onshore dismantling firms and waste managers.

Overall Energy Pathfinder has provided the NSTA and industry with an engaging platform ensuring visibility of offshore energy projects.

www.nstauthority.co.uk

48

LEGAL & FINANCE

Lisa Kinroy & Katie Love

Navigating Current Sanctions EU sanctions have been in place against Russia since 2014 in respect of Russia's annexation of the Crimea, and sanctions and export controls were imposed by the UK, on exit from the EU, as set out in the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 ("the 2019 Regulations").

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a broader range of sanctions and export controls has been imposed by the US, EU, UK, Japan, Singapore, Australia and Ukraine.

The UK Government has named additional natural persons and legal entities as subject to asset freezes and travel bans ("designated persons") on a rolling basis since 24 February, with the current list available online.

The UK Government has strengthened its powers to make additions to the UK Sanctions List via the enactment of the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022 ("the 2022 Act") on 15 March 2022. Amongst other things, the 2022 Act creates a new expedited procedure that enables the UK Government to move more quickly in naming additional persons as subject to UK financial sanctions measures But what does this expanded scope mean for those in the UKCS oil and gas industry?

Lisa Kinroy

UK sanctions: basic scope Following the 2019 Regulations, UK sanctions apply to conduct undertaken within the UK and to all UK persons whether acting in the UK or acting globally.

UK sanctions are also applicable where a designated person, directly or indirectly, holds more than 50% of the shares or voting rights in an entity, or can remove a majority of the board of directors, or had the means or ability to achieve the result that the affairs of the entity are conducted in accordance with that designated person's wishes.

Ensuring compliance with UK sanctions therefore requires thorough due diligence of supply or sale chains (including ongoing monitoring) where there are concerns that a designated person may have an ownership or controlling interest.

Impact of the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022 – expanded scope On 6th April, the further additional measures were announced, including: • asset freezes against Russian Banks (Sberbank and Credit Bank of Moscow), • an outright ban on all new outward investment to Russia,

Katie Love

• the end of UK dependency (by the end of 2022) on Russian coal and oil and a ban on imports of gas as soon as possible thereafter, • a ban on imports of products of key strategic importance to Russian industries and state-owned enterprises, including iron and steel products, and • ongoing additional designations of Russian oligarchs.

www.ogv.energy I May 2022

These restrictions are already impacting on the UKCS oil and gas industry, from expedited green-lighting of new developments to project timelines being affected through the availability of raw supplies such as steel.

One approach to addressing these issues is to utilise letters of intent or exclusivity, or obtain rights of first refusal, in order to secure the supplies or materials as much as possible while other approvals or financial arrangements are still being settled. These early contracting measures can also ensure that supplies are ring-fenced while fuller diligence can be carried out to ensure no sanction breaches will occur.

Repercussions of dealing with sanctioned entities A breach of a sanctions prohibition is a criminal offence that carries with it the threat of a financial penalty and / or custodial sentences for individuals. In certain cases, sanctions contraventions may be capable of resolution by way of a civil (financial) penalty as an alternative to prosecution, provided certain criteria are met.

Analysis of all relationships, whether indirect or direct should be undertaken by companies where there is a concern that there could be engagement with designated persons, or entities controlled by designated persons.

In particular this can be of relevance to transporters of natural gas liquids who may require to engage with third party buyers on behalf of their pipeline users and such buyers have connections with designated persons. Once enacted, the additional trade measures summarised above are also likely to increasing challenges to the availability of raw materials.

The rapidly evolving nature of the UK's sanctions regime against Russia warrants a careful and considered review of any operations and supply chains which include, or may include, a Russian nexus.

50

COMMUNITY PARTNER

TEXO announced as the new official sponsor of Aberdeen Football Club from season 2022/23 Aberdeen FC has announced that TEXO will be the Club’s new shirt sponsor for the next three seasons, starting from season 2022/23.

The Aberdeen-based industrial services provider has signed this unique deal to become the Club and Youth Academy sponsor from 1 July 2022.

Already a long-term advertiser at the Club, TEXO will benefit from having its logo adorned on the Club’s shirts as well as on prominent areas of Pittodrie, including the dugout and advertising behind the goals.

Under the new deal, TEXO will enjoy high profile branding on the shirts and training kits worn by all

the Club’s professional teams and youth academy teams – excluding Aberdeen Women who have a separate sponsor – as well as all replica shirts for sale to the public from July 2022 onwards. The prominent X of the TEXO logo will also feature on the rear of all matchday playing shorts used by the first team.

Rob Wicks, AFC’s commercial director, said: “TEXO is a strong and dynamic brand, committed to the local market, and we are thrilled they have chosen to increase their support for the Club, starting this summer.

“It’s already evident that we have common goals and shared values and we are looking forward to working together to ensure both parties derive maximum value from this partnership when it gets underway later this year.

Commenting on the deal, Chris Smith managing director of TEXO, added: “We are proud to be the official sponsor of Aberdeen FC from next season.

The Club is steeped in history and sits at the heart of the community to which TEXO is committed.

“There are many parallels between TEXO and AFC particularly in terms of how we build dynamic, multi-disciplinary teams, with creative thinkers, service‐givers and problem solvers.

“We are excited about this new future partnership with the Club and look forward to kicking-off next season.”

“Like the Club, TEXO has ambitious plans for the future and believes in working flexibly, imaginatively and responsibly to deliver results.

AFC chairman, Dave Cormack, added: “The official shirt sponsor is an important contributor to the Club and a significant investment for an organisation. At Aberdeen, we’ve been fortunate to secure some great brands over the years and to work with them in genuine partnership. We are looking forward to enjoying a strong and meaningful relationship with TEXO from next season.

“The rights package from the Club, that underpins this deal, will undoubtedly help TEXO achieve its goals as the business expands both in Aberdeen and beyond.”

“Rob and the commercial team must be congratulated for building a relationship with TEXO which has culminated in this, our most ambitious sponsorship deal."

EEC2022

The Energy Exports Conference provides a unique opportunity for companies like yours to:

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EVENTS SECTION SPONSORED BY

EVENTS

51

GLOBAL EVENTS OFFSHORE TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE 2-5 MAY - HOUSTON, USA

EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENTAL PORTS CONFERENCE

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.

GREEN HYDROGEN 5 MAY - SHEFFIELD, UK

ECRES 2022 7-9 MAY - ISTANBUL, TURKEY

EUROPEAN BIOMASS CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION (EUBUCE) 9-12 MAY - ONLINE

WORLD UTILITIES CONGRESS 9-11 MAY - ABU DHABI, UAE

PORTUGAL SHIPPING WEEK 9-13 MAY - LISBON, PORTUGAL

OFFSHORE WIND CONFERENCE 10 MAY - BRISTOL, UK

ALL-ENERGY 2022 11-12 MAY - GLASGOW, UK

INTERSOLAR EUROPE 11-13 MAY - MUNICH, GERMANY

GREEN HYDROGEN SUMMIT 2022 17-18 MAY - LISBON, PORTUGAL

Discover more about Ventur at 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.

3-4 MAY - ROTTERDAM, NL

EUROPEAN HYDROGEN ENERGY CONFERENCE 18-20 MAY - MADRID, SPAIN

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

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