In a clear demonstration that the UK oil and gas industry is taking technological innovation seriously a record crowd of more than 400 delegates attended the 2016 Technology Showcase at the AECC yesterday (March 9).
Organised by the Industry Technology Facilitator (ITF) and Oil & Gas UK, the annual event aims to raise industry awareness of new technologies being developed and provides technology innovators with greater insight into the industry’s most pressing technology requirements as it faces the challenge of maximising economic recovery from the maturing UK Continental Shelf.
Dr Patrick O'Brien, CEO of ITF, said: "Today’s programme really got to the heart of the relationship between technology developer and end-user and we have had great industry engagement from companies eager to articulate their technology challenges and to find solutions.
“We’ve had international presence at this event, as well as companies from across the UK, and they have been rewarded by hearing some forthright views from industry players as well as alternative sectors, about what needs to be done to transform costs and increase efficiency now. The Showcase has become a critical catalyst for change and support for the business of technology development. We must ensure that we continue to promote innovation to maximise the potential of our assets."
The increasing commitment to adopting a co-operative approach towards challenges, especially in the current economic climate, was clearly evident in the opening session focusing on North Sea Technology Infrastructure with contributions from speakers drawn from the Oil and Gas Authority, Centrica Energy, BP, GE Oil and Gas and the government’s innovation agency, Innovate UK.
Mike Tholen, Oil & Gas UK’s economics director who chaired the session, said: “There is clear recognition that we need to embrace new technology and more effectively deploy proven technologies from other sectors as we strive to transform our own industry. The potential of 3D printing to deliver greater efficiency to industry operations and the exciting opportunities offered by ‘big data’ were among the technologies discussed at the event which was characterised by high levels of interaction between speakers and delegates.”
Maggie McGinlay, Director, Energy & Clean Technologies, Scottish Enterprise, outlined how the new Oil and Gas Technology Centre, which will be established with funding from the Aberdeen City Region Deal, will help industry, academia and the government implement new technology more effectively.
“There is a clear appetite for doing things differently and a willingness from all parties - operators, the supply chain, academia and the regulator - to push forward on progress. The new Oil and Gas Technology Centre will provide the delivery platform for making things happen and getting the right people in place to achieve this”.
For the community of technology innovators participating in the Technology Showcase, the experience proved very fruitful. Martin Wainwright, business development manager at Hardide Coatings said: "We found the Technology Showcase to be an excellent platform for meeting new and existing customers to discuss the cost efficiencies that our patented coating technology is delivering in the North Sea and globally. There has been a good level of engagement with decision makers and it is clear that there is a push for the industry to deploy more new innovations."
The presentations from the 2016 Technology Showcase are available at this link and details about the webcast of the event are available direct from ITF at www.itfenergy.com