A new, interactive oil and gas conference and exhibition, taking place at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre on March 16 and 17, is putting safe working at the top of the agenda.
Topsides UK 2016 Conference and Exhibition, focusing on the late life of maturing topsides installations, is the first event of its kind in Europe and has safety and medical technology firm Dräger as its headline partner. Dräger will also be headlining the Safety Session, focusing on safe value-added approaches to operating in challenging economic times.
The ten sessions spanning the two-day conference, which is partnered by Petrofac, presents case studies from operators, tier 1 contractors and the extended supply chain, showcasing topics such as people skills and competencies, new topsides technology driving efficiencies, how to win work during tough economic conditions, the benefits of investing in late life extension projects and tackling downtime turnarounds and obsolescence.
Michail Tzouvelekis, regional segment manager, oil & gas at Dräger says, “Dräger is delighted to headline the first ever Topsides UK. It’s a great initiative for the oil and gas industry and we’re proud to be involved from the very beginning in what we hope will become a successful annual event.
“This event will give us the opportunity to talk to operators and contractors to better understand their needs and work with them on innovative complete safety solutions for the future.
“Dräger provides technology which protects, supports and saves lives. We have a dedicated oil and gas team of over 100 people around the North Sea and multiple sales and service centres across the UK, Norway, the Netherlands and Denmark. Oil and gas workers rely on our quality products to keep them safe offshore.”
Walter Thain, managing director, Petrofac Engineering & Production Services, West said: “We’re pleased to partner with Topsides UK and show our support for an event that will enable industry peers to discuss how we can safely extend the life of assets and secure the sustainable future of the UKCS.
“Across the industry we are continuing to safely deliver, which in these challenging times is paramount across the oil and gas supply chain. We are all focused on keeping safety at the forefront of everyone’s minds, particularly through periods of change and uncertainty. During the conference we’ll take the opportunity to outline how we have successfully added value and maximised efficiencies for our customers across all stages of the asset life cycle without compromising on health, safety or environmental performance.”
Gavin Esslemont, director of Xcite Media said “The operational landscape of the energy sector is evolving at a rapid pace, and with additional pressures exerted on existing personnel and infrastructure, there has never been a better time for the industry to come together to share case studies of where the industry is already working smarter without compromising safe working practices. We are extremely fortunate to be joined in the Conference by Michail Tzouvelekis from Dräger, Ann McGregor from Stork and Lawrie Campbell from International SOS, all of whom will be presenting on value driven approaches to HSEQ and improving health performance and efficiency in a cost-cutting environment.”
Further emphasising the importance of safety within an offshore environment, the Topsides UK charity partner for 2016 is the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in Scotland (RNLI), the charity that saves lives at sea. RNLI provide a 24-hour lifeboat search and rescue service around the UK and Ireland, whilst also offering safety advice and flood rescue.
For further information on Topsides UK or to register for the conference, visit www.topsidesuk.com or contact Mike Cramp of Xcite Media on Aberdeen (01224) 626000 or by e-mail at mike@xcitemedia.com.