Wave machine creating new swell
  from: Offshore Engineer
  Friday, May 02, 2008

With an event as vast as the Offshore Technology Conference, where both exhibition space and technical presentations outpace last year’s count, change and sharing are both on the agenda.

The four-day event carries a theme of ‘Waves of Change’, which is meant to reflect the industry’s transition as it stretches to fulfill ever-increasing demand while accommodating changes in technology and the workforce. The industry’s message to itself has been to share lessons learned, and that is one of the show’s strong points, with over 300 abstracts chosen for presentation in four days worth of technical sessions.

‘The thing that keeps me coming back to OTC is the openness in sharing lessons learned from projects around the world and for the industry contacts I've made,’ says Don Vardeman, OTC 2008 chairman.

Vardeman, Anadarko’s vice president for worldwide facilities, recalls his first OTC, back in 1993, saying it was apparent suppliers put their best technology on display during the conference. At the time, he was working on his first offshore project, a three-well subsea tieback in 1100ft-2300ft of water.

‘Things that had been “easy” onshore, like installation of flowlines, were very challenging and expensive in the deepwater environment of the day,’ he says. ‘Seeing the equipment first hand and networking with others that were dealing with similar issues was a huge learning opportunity for me, and one I wanted to be a part of.’

A lot of the sharing Vardeman prizes came through the technical program, an aspect of the show he feels has gone from strength to strength.

‘I think the technical program has come a long way. Ten years ago, the exhibits were the main draw for me. Now the technical program is equal in quality to the phenomenal exhibits,’ he says.

With over 550,000ft² of exhibit space, more than 300 presentations, and a number of breakfasts, lunches, and parties, there is plenty of time for learning about the latest technologies and networking.

‘OTC is where the industry comes to launch new technology and to share the latest innovations,’ Vardeman says. He sees the agenda of sharing to be a vital one, given the shortage of energy professionals despite accelerating demand for energy around the world. ‘OTC is helping to transfer knowledge to the next generation through the “The Next Wave” program,’ which is a full-day session on Wednesday geared at young professionals, Vardeman notes.

‘I truly believe in our responsibility to grow and encourage the next generations to assure viability of this industry,’ he adds, mentioning OTC programs like ‘The Next Wave,’ involvement of high school students and their teachers, and a program for K-12 teachers.

‘The need for additional engineers and geoscientists is critical for our industry, and I am glad to see OTC making positive steps in addressing this need.’ This year, OTC itself has a major change in that, for the first time, the conference will run four full days rather than three and a half days.

‘We encourage attendees to stay through Thursday afternoon for the technical sessions that have been added,’ he says.

In 2007, registration numbers hit 67,000. Attendance numbers for OTC 08 will be released after the conference ends.

To view and read the entire Monday OTC08 Show Daily, please click here.