At a time when the world’s offshore industry is seeing huge changes in the way it does business, against a background of recession and tight-fisted banks, the need for strategic insight in upstream petroleum has perhaps never been greater, especially offshore where the highest stakes are being played.
The opportunity to listen and participate in strategic discussions with some of the global upstream industry’s leading movers and shakers is, as a result, perhaps too good a chance to pass up – especially when it’s free to attend.
That chance will present itself at the 2009 Offshore Europe in Aberdeen in September. And the number of top-drawer people who have agreed to participate is apparently unprecedented.
Show organiser The Offshore Europe Partnership is bringing in a veritable coterie of global offshore leaders to take part in panel and discussion sessions focused on the topics of greatest relevance today and in the foreseeable future.
Indeed, this is a “Who’s Who” of leaders. The list includes Italian energy giant Eni’s outspoken president, Paolo Scaroni; French oil major Total’s CEO, Christophe de Margerie, and Guilherme Estrella, E&P director for the world’s most active deep and ultra-deepwater player and spender, state-owned Petrobras of Brazil.
These individuals, plus other equally respected leaders, including Andrew Gould, president of oil services giant Schlumberger (and a former Offshore Europe chairman); Connie Hedegaard, Denmark’s minister of climate and energy; Ayman Asfari, CEO of oil contractor Petrofac, and Lord Browne, former boss of oil giant BP, will take part in sessions during the first two days alone.
All are renowned for their forward-thinking and strategic insight into the energy market. Some have the guts to even be controversial, in particular Scaroni, who is especially strong on the tensions between national oil companies and international operating corporations (NOCs versus IOCs).
Chairing this year’s Offshore Europe (September 8-11) is Thomas Thune Andersen, CEO of the increasingly international player, Maersk Oil. Andersen says he recognises that the show will take place at a time when the future of petroleum has rarely been so high on the global political agenda.
And he says the fact that Offshore Europe has evolved from an originally North Sea-orientated event to an increasingly international forum is very important for the stature and future of the Aberdeen show.
“We see that the technologies and the discussions that take place here have relevance for other parts of the world,” said Andersen.
“We are seeing huge changes in the operating model used by offshore oil, gas and energy companies to address their business, and more important choices need to be made if it is to be prepared structurally and technically for the future.”
The OE conference theme this year is Energy At A Crossroads: Making Choices, and strategically, Andersen admits that the offshore industry finds itself in a situation where very important choices need to be made right now.
“We will be looking at four main themes throughout. There will be climate and energy, there will be the operating model, there will be ‘breakthrough’ technologies and the people side of things. We want to try to achieve a discussion, an opportunity for the participants to both be involved at a strategic high level as well as looking at the technology and the very much hands-on and practical side of things.”
SPE Offshore Europe is held every two years in Europe’s Energy Capital, Aberdeen. The 2007 show attracted more than 40,000 visitors from 96 countries.
This year’s show is set to be the largest in the event’s 30-year history. Current estimates indicate that it could grow by some 10% compared with 2007 by the time it gets under way.
A total of 1,455 exhibitors attended in 2007. They also took more space than ever before, covering 20,757sq m at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.
Interestingly, there are 230 companies representing about 5,000sq m – one-quarter of the show – that are totally new participants.
A key factor is the fact that at least one-third of the show’s confirmed exhibitors come from overseas, reflecting the international standing that the event now commands.
Elaine Hulse, SPE Offshore Europe’s exhibition manager, notes that huge international players such as China have taken three pavilions at this year’s show – much more than they have ever done before.
There are also new pavilions from Spain and Western Australia, as well as others from countries which have previously participated, such as the US, Norway, Germany, France, Canada, Italy, Denmark, Belgium and Northern Australia.
The Offshore Europe Partnership comprises the SPE and Reed Exhibitions. Visit www.offshore-europe.co.uk for further information