for more information about the SPE’s programme of events, go to www.spe-uk.org and http://london.spe.org

SPE review magazine of the Aberdeen and London sections of the Society of Petroleum Engineers

issue 272 | July/August 2013

Contacts 02

London Section Sponsors 02

60 Seconds with a Young Professional 02

Offshore Europe 2013 03

Energy4me Teacher Workshop 03

Imperial College London Trinidad trip 04

SPE London 2013/14 Programme topics 04

SPE London Annual Conference report 06

YP Aberdeen DEVEX 2013 event 08

Continuing Education - Aberdeen 08

Forthcoming UK events 10

Consultants listing 10

Recruitment 10 & 11

Society of Petroleum EngineersAberdeen and London Sections

ISSUE CONTENTS:

Young Professionals from SPE Aberdeen joined forces with two other oil and gas professional associations at this year’s DEVEX conference and exhibition, delivering an insightful panel discussion that encouraged instant audience interaction using voting pad technology.

See page 8

Winner of the YP DEVEX ‘Find the Oil’ competition – Syed Ali, of Vallourec & Mannesmann Tubes – receives his gift voucher prize from event Committee Chair, Ross Taylor.

INTERACTIVE!

Real-life industry lessons in Trinidad and TobagoImperial College London SPE Student Chapter field tripBy Hamza Shaikh, Student Chapter President and Sean Peyton, Student Chapter Treasurer

At the end of 2011, as Europe was still struggling through the current economic crisis, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago was removed from the list of Developing Countries by the OECD. We were two of 40 SPE Student Chapter members from Imperial College London who were fortunate enough to visit the Republic, in May, to discover first-hand the magnitude of this development. Having just completed the highly-intense MSc taught course and finished our final exams (with only the thesis to follow), we arrived in the beautiful city of Port of Spain. Next day, at the Petrotrin Learning Centre, Deonarine Jaggernauth (Reservoir Engineering Manager, Petrotrin), provided an overview of the company’s complex organisational past and the history of petroleum in Trinidad and Tobago, which links back to the Pitch Lake discovery. This was followed by a drive-through tour of the Point-à-Pierre Refinery and a visit to the Pointe-à-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust - a non-government organisation dedicated to environmental education and the conservation of wetlands and waterfowl. We were fortunate to be welcomed there by Khalid Hossanali (President, Petrotrin), who described his journey from university to his current post. We then had a fascinating guided tour of the grounds, which included a number of nature-inspired life lessons.

Continued on page 4

Where were you educated? Your qualifications?

I have a BSc (Hons) in Physics from Heriot-Watt and am currently studying for an MSc in Petroleum Engineering by distance learning, from Heriot-Watt.

Why did you join the industry?

The oil and gas industry is one of a few industries strong enough to support young professionals in the UK. It has a wide range of opportunities and challenges that need to be faced, as we move into the next stage of oil and gas production.

What do you like most about your job and what would you change?

I really enjoy working with so many different people. In my current role I work with people from subsurface, drilling and completions, to name a few. I would really like some of the company’s new projects to come online so that the team can start working on them.

What has been the best moment of your career so far?

Being the Chairman for the DEVEX YP committee this year was really interesting. I had the chance to meet a wide range of people and to make new friends from different disciplines in the industry.

What kind of future do you think the industry faces?

From what we learned at the DEVEX YP event I am sure the oil and gas industry in the UK has a long and vibrant future, even when the North Sea stops producing (but that is a long way off, I hope).

How do you like to spend your leisure time?

With studying the MSc by distance learning, I don’t have a lot of free time on my hands, but I always make time for the odd G&T or two…

What makes you angry?

Ironing, as I’m useless at it.

What makes you happy?

When you work as a team to solve a problem.

Who inspires you? Why?

I’m inspired by the department I work in. It has a vast wealth of knowledge and everyone is willing to take time to help you through any problems you are having. I hope in the future I will be able to help people the way I have been helped.

What value does the SPE offer you and how/why do you contribute?

When I first moved to Aberdeen I didn’t know anybody and I joined SPE to make friends and learn more about the industry. As DEVEX YP Chairman for 2013 I was involved in organising an event to discuss the future of energy in and around Aberdeen.

What is your dream job?

Right now, I am really happy with my current role. In 10 years’ time I would like to manage a team in the Petroleum Engineering department. In 20 years’ time I would like to be sitting on the Board of Directors of an oil company.

SPE PEOPLE

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CHANGE OF ADDRESS?If you need to change any of your membership details, please visit the Update your profile link at the foot of the homepage at www.spe.org.

CORRECTIONIn the June issue, it was stated that Carlos Chalbaud had been appointed North Sea Regional Director for 2015. In fact, his appointment is for 2014. Our apologies to Carlos for any inconvenience caused.

60 Seconds with a Young Professional…

Ross TaylorProduction Technologist, Maersk Oil, Aberdeen

03

SPE Offshore Europe 2013: ‘The next 50 years’

Our UK oil and gas industry represents a continuing success story, both in terms of future production and a strong supply chain. And although the future of the North Sea seems assured, there are plenty of challenges ahead.Yet challenges drive innovation, and the industry has a deserved international reputation for excellence in engineering, manufacturing and technology, allowing it to operate successfully in the mature basin of the UKCS and to export its expertise. ‘The next 50 years’ is therefore an appropriate theme for the forthcoming SPE Offshore Europe biennial conference and exhibition, to be held at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, 3-6 September 2013.

More than 31,000 visitors are expected to participate in the world’s largest Upstream oil and gas exhibition and conference outside North America, which also celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Senior representatives from the global industry, UK and international governments and academia will come together to lead the sessions during the four-day event, which is free to attend for all registrants.

During the four days of the conference there will be a series of panel sessions, peer-reviewed technical sessions, topical lunches and breakfast briefings. Topics cover all areas of interest to anyone directly involved in the oil and gas industry or, indeed, anyone interested in the future outlook for this business.

The sold-out exhibition halls will showcase the technologies, services and expertise of the global industry, covering the complete supply chain of companies, including operators, drilling contractors and oilfield service companies. More than 1500 organisations are expected this year in the largest exhibition of the show’s history. Reflective of the global nature of the industry as a whole, there will be a large international exhibitor presence at the event, with participating companies from more than 40 countries.

www.offshore-europe.co.uk

Aberdeen YPs to launch Europe’s first Petro-League SPE Offshore Europe 2013 will be the launchpad for an exciting new oil and gas competition, organised by SPE Aberdeen’s Young Professionals.The SPE YP Europe Petro-League Competition - the first event of its kind in the region - will bring together students of oil and gas-related courses (particularly the sciences) from across Europe to compete in a fast-paced industry knowledge challenge. The game will encourage students to stretch themselves beyond their core areas of study and become familiar with every aspect of the oil and gas industry.

Look out for further information at www.spe-uk.org and on the SPE Aberdeen YP Facebook page, or contact: SPEEuropePetroleague@gmail.com

Energy4me Teacher Workshop at EAGEStaff from SPE Houston hosted a teacher workshop on 13 June, at the EAGE Conference and Exhibition in London. Local teachers were invited to attend the free workshop, aimed at promoting the global SPE Energy4me programme in the UK.The morning started with presentations from Susan Henderson (GDF Suez), and YP Chair Nick Curum (BG Group), who described the role of a geologist and an engineer in the oil and gas industry, and explained how they became interested in science at school.

Volunteers from SPE YP London then took the teachers on a tour of the EAGE conference, introducing them to some of the exhibitors, as well as explaining elements of the oil and gas industry. The aim was to inform teachers about the energy industry, so that they could encourage their students to take up a STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) related subject at school.

After lunch, the teachers and volunteers were taken through some of the resources available on the energy4me.org website. The classroom-based exercises are designed to teach young students more about the oil and gas industry.

Nancy Asare, from La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls’ School, said: “It was very eye-opening and I gained a lot more knowledge about the energy industry and the activities. I was inspired and I now feel confident about talking to students about the oil and gas industry.”

Susan Henderson added: “I really enjoyed interacting with the teachers. The industry needs to do more to promote the technology we use in the classroom, to show students how advanced the industry is. I thought the classroom experiments were a great way to convey to a younger audience some of the complex subjects we encounter.”

SPE London hopes to establish this unique initiative as a permanent fixture in its UK educational programme.

Pictures and words: Nick Curum

John Donachie honoured for remarkable initiative and service to SPE

Long-standing SPE Aberdeen Board member and former SPE North Sea Regional Director, John Donachie, has been honoured with a 2013 SPE Regional Service Award for the North Sea Region.

The award recognises members who have shown remarkable initiative and service in developing a Section, or promoting SPE programmes and activities at section or regional level.

John, a Mechanical Engineering graduate of the University of Aberdeen, is Corporate Development Manager for Omega Completion Technology. He was previously Vice President with Simmons & Company International from 2006 through mid-2012, where he focused on mergers and acquisitions in the energy sector. From 2007-2010, he served with the SPE International Board of Directors as North Sea Regional Director. More awards news - page 7

04

Real-life industry lessons in Trinidad and TobagoContinued from front page

Next morning, following a safety briefing, we visited two offshore production platforms at the Trinmar base. This was a great experience, as we could see live production of hydrocarbons and witness the separation processing facilities at first hand - something we had been studying only a few short days before! One of the key learnings from this experience was the importance of safety in the oil industry, which is maintained not only in the field but in the office as well. Back on dry land, we visited the University of Trinidad and Tobago campus, in San Fernando, where we met with the University SPE representatives. The evening allowed all of us from Imperial College to meet our future industry colleagues from Trinidad in an informal setting, and to learn of UTT’s Petroleum/Reservoir Engineering programmes and the current SPE activities in Trinidad.Our next stop was the Petrotrin Beach Camp, where we were treated to a drive-by tour of some Petrotrin onshore facilities - including steam flooding and water injection. That was our third and last day with Petrotrin, who really were fantastic and generous hosts throughout.Then it was on to visit our next host, Schlumberger, where Regional General Manager Marr Bryan gave us an overview of the company, which was followed by presentations

on some of the service lines, including Drilling and Measurements, Schlumberger Information Solutions, Data and Consulting Services, WesternGeco and Wire Line. During our tour of the base we learned about the equipment run downhole, thousands of feet subsurface, and seeing it up close excellently complemented our classroom theory. Next stop: Pitch Lake, the world’s largest natural bitumen/asphalt seep deposit, located in southwest Trinidad, in the village of La Brea. It consists of black and viscous liquid asphalt with a semisolid surface, which we could walk on - but we learned from our guide that it’s possible to slowly sink if you stand on the surface too long!

Our final day in Trinidad was spent with Tucker Energy Services. Half of us went to the Wireline facility, in Otaheite, and the other half to the

Cementing facility, in Chaguaramas. This was a real-life experience with no veneer, which included a tour of the cementing laboratory, the chance to climb inside a cased-hole wireline truck and to handle the equipment used during the perforation process.Having thoroughly enjoyed our week in (highly-industrial) Trinidad, we then hopped on the ferry and sailed to beautiful Tobago. Here we spent a couple of days relaxing, exploring the picturesque island and meeting some lovely local people. Some of us went scuba diving and snorkelling, enjoyed water sports, deep-sea fishing and kayaking, and even jumped (safely) from a waterfall!The trip was an overwhelming success and on behalf of the entire SPE Imperial College student body we can say that the visit really did succeed in strengthening our classroom knowledge through first-hand experience of how the petroleum industry works.We are most grateful both to our hosts - Petrotrin, Schlumberger, Tucker Energy Services and the University of Trinidad and Tobago - and to our sponsors, Royal Dutch Shell, Hess Corporation, BP, Total S.A., OPC, Challenge Energy, iPoint LLC and SPE London, for their generosity in making the trip so successful.Special thanks also to Meredith Chu Cheong for accommodating us in the splendid hotel, and to our coach drivers, Bas and Frankie, who were full of joy and made our journeys entertaining!

Colin Wall Prize WinnersWinners of this year’s Imperial College Colin Wall Prize received the traditional bag of £300 in pound coins at the final SPE London evening meeting of the session. Pictured (l-r) are: Sifei Zou, Bob Mattsson, Sean Peyton and Ben Hanson.

Each year, the top two project teams from Imperial College MSc Petroleum Engineering are selected by the Department to present to the SPE London Chapter. The Prize is awarded to the team voted by the audience to have created the best overall field development plan for Wytch Farm, Dorset, based on original exploration and appraisal data from the 1970s-80s, but applying modern petroleum technology.

Team member Sean Peyton says: “We attribute our success to close team collaboration, our willingness to embrace uncertainty, valuable advice from our classmates and professors, and lots of hard work. We are grateful to have won and excited to apply what we have learned within the industry in the years to come!”

The competition, now in its 14th year, honours the late Imperial College Professor Colin Wall.

SPE London’s Programme Committee recently asked members to indicate their preferred topics for the Section’s 2013-14 evening technical meetings series. Here are the top 20 topics selected:

1. UK Shale Gas - Bowland shale case study; industry perspective; government announcements

2. From models to reality: What is the ability of the industry to forecast volumes and production?

3. Deepwater field development

4. Latest advances in drilling technology, well and completion design, and production management

5. The Competent Person’s Report – art or farce/what/why/how/when/who writes it? Who reads it?

6. EOR processes in North Sea - tied in with DECC’s recent UKCS screening exercise

7. East Africa gas discoveries and their development

8. Unconventional reservoirs

9. Future HPHT developments in the UK North Sea - main technical and commercial challenges

10. EOR – challenges in North Sea

11. Reservoir description and dynamics

12. Reserves estimation

13. PILOT workshops on CO2 -EOR, Lo-Sal and chemical flooding

14. Presentation on a major international development

15. Big data - managing ever-increasing amounts of data, from 3D seismic to production data

16. Reservoir management for gas condensate

17. Chemical EOR

18. Clair field development

19. UK energy forthcoming crisis

20. Managing well performance in mature assets: symptoms and remedies

The final programme will be announced in September. Meantime, the Programme Committee would welcome potential speakers or suggestions for speakers on any of the above topics. Please contact: tim.lines@oilfieldinternational.com or tel: 07960 793308 or 02392 460136

Testing the asphalt at Pitch Lake

05

At the forefront of petroleum geoscience

www.geolsoc.org.uk/petroleum

Convenors:

Andy Sims Merlin Energy Resources Ltd

Matt Brettle Premier Oil plc

Gwilym Lynn Shell U.K. Limited

John Brint Shell Global Solutions International

Capturing uncertainty in geomodels: Best practices and pitfalls11-12 December, 2013Elphinstone Hall, University of Aberdeen

Call for Abstracts – 16 September 2013Corporate Supporter:

Over recent years, the static description of hydrocarbon fields has increasingly been undertaken via construction of 3D cellular geomodels. The model builder’s toolkit is now extensive, incorporating sophisticated structural framework building capabilities, numerous gridding technologies and an ever-expanding, complex geostatistical data modelling resource. However, as we develop hydrocarbon fields and not the geomodels that are built to describe them, we must ask whether the modelling paradigm is robust and whether the models illuminate or hide uncertainty.

This two-day conference will explore how geomodelling tools should be used to best effect, and when such tools mislead or do not add value. The focus will be on methods and workflows for capturing uncertainty throughout the geomodelling process, and on how to carry this uncertainty into the dynamic modelling realm. Keynote presentations and discussion sessions are planned. We invite contributions covering all aspects of uncertainty management in geomodelling, from the philosophical “why” to the detailed “how”. Examples of best practice and, particularly, on how to avoid pitfalls are particularly welcome.

Call for Papers:

Please email paper and poster contributions to steve.whalley@geolsoc.org.uk and Andy_Sims@merlinenergy.co.uk by 16 September 2013

For further information please visit www.geolsoc.org.uk/geomodelling13 or contact: Steve Whalley, The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG. T:020 7434 9944 F:020 7494 0579

Future Petroleum Science & Technology Drivers100 Years and Beyond:

C E L E B R A T I N G 1 0 0 Y E A R S O F O I L T E C H N O L O G Y A T I M P E R I A L C O L L E G E

Date: 23-24 September 2013

Venue: Imperial College London

This 2-day meeting will celebrate 100 years of petroleum-related scienceand engineering education at Imperial College. With a list of distinguishedspeakers, we aim to mark this landmark achievement by looking forwardto the next 100 years, with emphasis on discussing key future drivers andrelated energy supply issues. The meeting will be wide-ranging, withpresentations covering global energy trends, future geoscience andengineering technologies, unconventional hydrocarbon resources, carbonsequestration and climate change.

We have an outstanding group of confirmed speakers, including:• Lord Oxburgh of Liverpool • Lord Browne of Madingley • Professor Scott Tinker (Director, Bureau of Economic Geology, Texas) • Dr Bruce Levell (VP Emerging Technologies, Shell) • Malcolm Brown (Senior VP Exploration, BG Group) • Dr Bryan Lovell OBE (past President, Geological Society)• Professor Joe Cartwright (University of Oxford) • Emeritus Professor John Woods (Imperial College & the 2007 Joint

Nobel Peace Prize Winner)• Dr Mike Daly (VP Exploration, BP)

The meeting is jointly convened by Imperial College London and by TheGeological Society of London, supported by the American Association ofPetroleum Geologists, The Society of Petroleum Engineers and by hePetroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain and the EuropeanAssociation of Geoscientists and Engineers.

I N A S S O C I A T I O N W I T H

Further information and registration details:Further information and registration details can be found at: www.geolsoc.org.uk/oilcentenary13or contact Steve Whalley at the Geological Society, using thefollowing email address: steve.whalley@geolsoc.org.uk

Registration Open

Oil Centenary poster v11 4-2013_Layout 1 15/04/2013 15:04 Page 1

Bridge House, 1-2 Riverside Drive Aberdeen AB11 7LH T: +44(0)1224 594343 E: info@westerton.netwww.westerton.net

Cut tubing / pipe from 3 ½” od to 7”OD

TUBULAR CUTTINGSOLUTIONS THATDELIVER RESULTS

CONSULTANCY RISK ANALYSIS TECHNICAL PROPOSALS TOOL SPECIFICATION

06

As with the inaugural conference last year, more than 200 delegates from across the UK, Europe and beyond, assembled for two days of discussion and networking at the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET London), on the banks of the Thames at Savoy Place. The venue’s history made it a fitting setting for SPE London and put the illustrious line-up, assembled by SPE Chair Dr Renu Gupta, among celebrated company, with recent speakers at the venue including Bill Gates and Will.i.am, not to mention the Qatari Olympic team using it as their base last summer. The one brief pause in the impeccable two days’ hospitality from IET London was, for the second year running, a rogue fire alarm - but this was taken in good humour by the delegates, with one quipping that it must have been the heat generated by all the ideas discussed in the sessions taking place at the time!

‘Managing Oil and Gas Portfolios in Uncertain Markets’ began with an opening address from Renu, who explained that the event would explore not only uncertainties in capital markets, but also other risks, including commercial, legal, political, fiscal and subsurface ones.

The first session focused on UK and global portfolio management, with Cairn Energy’s Mike Watts, Afren’s Simon Hawkins and Gareth Burns of Statoil providing case studies from their companies. Portfolio management is “not a spreadsheet exercise” with one right answer, but a continuous, iterative process, said Gareth, confirming Statoil’s commitment to exploration as a key driver of market growth.

Having addressed everywhere from Greenland to Senegal in the opening session, the focus then turned to the UK. Simon Toole, Head of Exploration, Licensing and Development at the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC), outlined the Government’s approach to incentivising marginal projects, citing the immediate impact of the Brown Field Allowance (BFA) on over a dozen projects since its launch last September. He added that DECC can now step in without being asked, on issues such as infrastructure access, as well as terms and conditions.

Mark Tandy of TAQA followed with a look at opportunities and challenges in the UK. He said there was a real role for the Government to play and admitted that sometimes all sides “need their heads banging together”.

The 2013 Lloyds oil and gas survey was expanded on by Associate Director Christopher Coombs, with over three-quarters of UK executives planning for growth this year and next, 86% of which is expected to be organic and just 14% through mergers and acquisitions. This is forecast to create more than 5,000 jobs, primarily in the oil fields service sector, and ensures that the industry remains an attractive priority to support in the coming years.

After a well-received lunch with fantastic views of the Thames and cityscape, the afternoon saw delegates take their pick from presentations on Africa in the Lecture Theatre and a more interactive session upstairs in the Council Chamber, examining the challenges involved in delivering high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) wells, with input from Baker Hughes, Total E&P UK and Maersk Oil North Sea.

In the Lecture Theatre, opportunities in Nigeria, Mozambique and Kenya, among others, were discussed, as speakers from Ernst & Young, Memery Crystal, Inergia Petroleum and Seplat looked at East and West Africa.

Stephanie Prior, of Ophir Energy, talked about the Mtwara Port project in Tanzania, where they have gone from building a port and creating infrastructure to the potential to transform the country’s economy, in just three years.

Boston Consulting Group’s Eric Oudenot described Angola as “an exciting place to be for operators and investors alike,” given its status as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies over the last decade and a government with considerable oil and gas experience. This offsets challenges such as increasing difficulties in finding and retaining talent in the face of competition from other sectors including banking and telecommunications.

A particularly impressive set of speakers got day two off to a strong start, looking at gas and global portfolios. Shell’s Neil Gilmour said gas was poised as never before to play a pivotal role in energy, as the only resource that could meet the three key objectives of rising energy demand, supply pressure and climate change. Didier Holleaux, CEO of GDF Suez E&P, detailed the challenges facing the industry: “If we are serious about climate change, our industry should be targeting coal as the enemy,” he told delegates. The decorrelation between oil and gas prices that now exists in Europe – as it long has in North America – was also raised as a challenge, as was the uncertainty of both demand and prices.

BG Group, represented by Saad Rahim, forecast annual growth in demand of 2.6% between now and 2025, with GDF Suez slightly more cautious at 1.6%pa up to 2035. China, India and the Middle East were seen leading the increase in demand, with Europe stable in the wake of the financial crisis and the US shale gas boom.

The second session addressed growth strategies, with speakers from Evercore Partners, AMEC and KPMG. Evercore’s Martin Copeland said that, as with the oil and gas industry, mergers and acquisitions were cyclical. Rob Leonard, of Amec, said there was huge growth potential

Managing oil and gas portfolios in uncertain marketsA review of SPE London’s 2013 Annual Conference & Exhibition By Tom Ryan

Unique in bringing together the international upstream oil and gas industry, the financial sector and key policy-makers near the heart of global finance, SPE London’s annual conference and exhibition returned for its second year on 22-23 May.

Pictures by Glyn Genin Photography

07

and suggested several key themes to keep in mind going forward, including the growth of national oil companies (NOCs) and the role M&A can play in enhancing the proposition. KPMG’s Marc van Grondelle said oil and gas was leading the way when it came to joint ventures and alliances, part of a global growth trend that has seen more than 5,000 JVs launched in the last five years alone. Joint ventures now directly account for over a third of global corporate revenues, compared to just 2% in 1980. And looking ahead, Marc said that by 2018, many international oil companies will conduct up to 80% of their business in joint ventures, mainly non-operated, representing a more than doubling of the current levels.

Opening the post-lunch session in the Lecture Theatre, Giant Capital’s Thomas Wagenhofer said that capital raising was currently more difficult than at any time in the past 15 years. Max Bascombe of Sanlam Securities went further, saying that while on the face of it the market for financing oil and gas projects should be rather buoyant, this level of difficulty hadn’t been experienced since the 1980s.

First Energy Capital MD Majid Shafiq compared the different approaches in Toronto and London since 2008, with the former more focused on domestic investment while London was internationally focused, with more equity going into Africa and emerging markets. Sarah Wharry, of RFC Ambrian, looked at the key drivers for the oil and gas equity market performance, including prices, geopolitical factors and technological changes.

In the Council Chamber, an interactive session looked at the challenges involved in estimating reserves and resources, with Gaffney, Cline & Associates (GCA) and San Leon.

Over in the Lecture Theatre, Bruno Gama of Palantir and Xiaojing Weng of OTM Consulting discussed portfolio optimisation in the final session.

Finally, next year’s SPE London Section Chair, Arnaud Mille, of Centrica, addressed the audience, bringing the successful two-day event - which had also included exhibitions from OPC and Expro Group - to a close.

The conference was followed by a much-anticipated, sellout gala dinner at the iconic Claridge’s Hotel, whose highlights included a welcoming address by Renu Gupta, an entertaining after-dinner speech by respected BBC presenter Jeremy Vine, and the announcement by Renu of some very special SPE Awards. Rajkamal Srivastava, Internet Chair, and Dr David Eccles, YP London Committee webmaster received Section Awards for their joint efforts in creating the new SPE London website. Stuart Girling, longstanding Board member and SPE London Past Chair (2012-13), was honoured with an SPE Regional Service Award for his outstanding contribution to the Section, and Nick Curum, YP Committee Chair, received an SPE Regional Outstanding Young Member Award.

LONDON

“A lot of excellent feedback from attendees and sponsors justifies the voluntary efforts put in by the conference programme committee and other organising committee members in designing, organising and delivering this unique event. Having led the programme committee and the overall conference, I feel a great sense of relief and satisfaction that we delivered an extraordinary programme to our members and to the wider oil and gas community of the London area and beyond.” Renu Gupta, Oil & Gas Advisor, Gupta Energy, SPE London Chair 2012-13, SPE Conference Chair 2013

“This conference was very fitting to London as a financial hub. The financial talks in the session immediately after lunch, on raising capital under constraint market conditions, were so interesting that I didn’t snooze.” Duncan Godsmark, General Manager North African Shale Gas Operations, Anadarko

“The insightful presentations on the various regions demonstrate the large scale infrastructure challenges for the upstream/midstream industry in the decades to come. I would be pleased to continue to further discuss the integrated oil & gas business models, consolidation trends and the development of market opportunities within an ever-changing regulatory environment, in the near future.” FG Yeterian, Commercial Project Finance Manager, Philax Resources (EMEA) Ltd

“Sadly, I could only make the first day of the conference…For me, the stand-out session was Simon Toole’s; this was a good opportunity to hear views on policy.” Peter Nicol, Consultant, Locin Energy

“What a great event and thank you for the opportunity to attend. The talks were very informative and the whole event proved to be an ideal platform for meeting others in the industry.” Kim Emerson, Client Liaison, EZDataRoom

BBC presenter Jeremy Vine entertains guests at the gala dinner

Renu Gupta, with David Eccles and Rajkamal Srivastav Stuart Girling Nick Curum

Pictures by Glyn Genin Photography

08

Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre

ABERDEEN

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: abstracts of up to 200 words plus the speaker’s biography should be submitted online at www.rodgerandco.com

Exhibition stands – book yours now! Contact jane.mcclure@rodgerandco.com

SPE Summit Series Seminar: New frontiers in flow monitoring and control in wells22 October 2013, The Marcliffe Hotel, Aberdeen There is international interest in this new one-day Summit Series seminar, which will include presentations and time for open forum discussion on topics such as advances in sensing, distributed sensing and multiphase flow metering, virtual metering and advances in flow control.

6th SPE SMN Sand Management Forum 26-27 March 2014 A committee of SPE and Sand Management Network members is planning this joint biennial event, chaired by Robbie Allam, BP, and co-chaired by Colin Jones, Chevron.If you would like to submit an abstract for presentation or register your interest in exhibiting, please contact: spe@rodgerandco.com

EuALF 2014 11-12 June 2014The biennial SPE Aberdeen European Artificial Lift Forum has evolved in line with the increasingly important role artificial lift is playing in the mature North Sea. If you’d like to be involved on the steering committee, please contact: jane.rodger@rodgerandco.com

Drilling rig automation and new builds and upgrades Spring 2014This new Continuing Education seminar will encompass reducing cost exposure, drilling automation and new builds and upgrades, and will be led by Steve Sawaryn, BP, and Graeme Rae, Chevron. To find out more or become involved, contact: jane.rodger@rodgerandco.com

Your future is in energyBy Hannah Collins

DEVEX – the annual two-day conference and exhibition (15-16 May, Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre) – explored the future of energy in and around the oil and gas capital of Europe.

Committee and panel members

Back row (l-r): Andrew Donaldson, Ken Innes, Brian Nixon, John Harris and Gordon McIntosh. Front row (l-r): Patricia Fleitas, Ross Taylor and Niamh Monaghan

Committee members missing from the picture are Denis Pinto and Niamh Collins.

To complement the event, a lunchtime workshop - ‘Is your future in energy?’ - was held on the second day, organised by a committee of YPs representing SPE, PESGB, AFES and the Energy Institute Young Professionals Network (EIYPN). The committee was chaired by Ross Taylor from SPE YP Aberdeen.

The workshop featured an interactive panel discussion with four professional industry experts: Ken Innes, Production Academy Manager, Shell and Andrew Donaldson, Renewables Director, Petrofac, who represented the oil and gas and renewable energy industry, respectively; Brian Nixon, Chief Executive of Decom North Sea, and Gordon McIntosh, Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure at Aberdeen City Council.

John Harris, President of Gaffney, Cline & Associates, who moderated the discussion, began by posing four questions to an audience of around 45 people from various ages, backgrounds and industries. Each audience member was required to vote using a key pad.

Surprisingly, the results showed that 54% of the audience believed that Aberdeen would no longer be the oil and gas capital of Europe in 10 years’ time! This sparked an interesting debate within the expert panel, with Ken Innes providing a great insight into why young people need more encouragement to join the industry at an earlier age.

The discussion moved to the issue of renewable energy. Remarkably, it emerged that the majority of daily electricity in Aberdeen was produced from renewable sources. Brian Nixon rounded off the discussion by asking the audience if they would consider setting up their own company in the future and identified some areas of interest that any entrepreneur should think about.

In closing the debate, he repeated a key question to the audience, and this time results showed a major U-turn, with 65% now believing that Aberdeen would still be the oil and gas capital of Europe in 2023. The panel had described a number of future opportunities open to young professionals and had shown that there is still a future for the energy industries in Aberdeen.

During the two-day main conference, the YPs also organised a stand in the conference hall to provide information about the range of YP events available at each society. This encouraged many new members to sign up.

“‘Is your future in energy?’ was both very informative and enjoyable. A great, broad-based panel allowed for and drove interesting discussions. Industry leaders offered a high level of insight into the future of the energy industry both nationally and internationally.” John Sayer, Sales Manager, Earthworks-Reservoir

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At the forefront of petroleum geoscience

www.geolsoc.org.uk/petroleum

Convenors:

Helen Smyth CASP

Mike Bowman University of Manchester

Tim Good ExxonMobil

Simon Passey CASP

Philip HirstBP

Colm JordanBGS

Reducing Subsurface Uncertainty & Risk Through

Field-Based Studies The Value of Outcrops and Analogues in Hydrocarbon

Exploration, Development and Production Implications for Global Exploration and Production

4-8 March 2014 (Field Trip 7-8 March)The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London

This meeting will provide a timely revisit and reappraisal of the value and impact of outcrop based fieldwork in hydrocarbon exploration, appraisal, development and production. In recent years we have seen a refreshed focus on frontier exploration, in increasingly difficult settings, and the challenges of new developments such as deepwater clastics and carbonates. This has led to the resurgence in the appreciation, use and need for outcrop based studies as analogues and benchmarks for the subsurface. This applies both to the overburden and the reservoirs. Digital technologies such as remote sensing and digital data capture have revolutionised field-studies, however traditional methods (e.g. mapping, logging and sampling) remain at the very core of any field study.

This meeting offers an exciting opportunity for key researchers and users of these datasets to come together, learn from recent advances and look forward to future directions and needs. A key objective is to engage industry groups and academia in a dialogue and knowledge sharing that reflects the current status and future potential of this important area.

Themes: • Exploration: Reconnaissance-scale fieldwork• Structural Analogues – regional to reservoir scale• Applications to Reservoir and Field Appraisal,

Development and Production: Outcrop-scale fieldwork o Clastics o Carbonates• Unconventional Hydrocarbon Resources• Health, Safety & the Environment and field studies• Looking to the future

There will also be an optional field trip to BGS Core Store and relevant N England and Pennine outcrops taking place on the 7-8 March. Further details will be made available during registration for the conference.

For more information or to submit an abstract please contact : Steve Whalley, The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG. T:020 7434 9944 F:020 7494 0579

Call for Abstracts – Deadline 30 September 2013Corporate Supporter:

At the forefront of petroleum geoscience

www.geolsoc.org.uk/petroleum

Convenors:

Conrad Childs University College Dublin

Caroline Gill Shell

Bob Holdsworth Durham University

Chris Jackson Imperial College London

Tom Manzocchi University College Dublin

John Walsh University College Dublin

Graham Yielding Badley Geoscience

Geometry and Growth of Normal Faults 23 -25 June 2014The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London

Corporate Supporter:

The past few decades have seen major advances in our understanding of many aspects of the kinematics of normal fault systems. The analysis of high quality 3D seismic datasets of faulted volumes and detailed outcrop studies, combined with complementary geomechanical modelling, have provided much improved constraints on both the nature and growth of faults and associated fault zones. Recent research progress has benefited from the importance of faulting in a variety of application areas, such as the groundwater, minerals and petroleum industries. In a conference convened on the 25th anniversary of the Geological Society’s 1989 ‘Geometry of Normal Faults’ conference, it is intended that the full range of technical issues associated with the growth of normal faults, together with their practical applications, will be covered. The conference is in memory of Juan Watterson, one of the pre-eminent scientists in the field of 3-D fault analysis and modelling.

Contributions are invited on all aspects of normal faults including: • 3D geometry and kinematics of normal faults • Internal structure and growth of fault zones • Deformation within the volume surrounding normal faults • Fault growth on earthquake through to geological time scales • Links between the ductile and brittle expression of faults • Stress- and strain-based methods for analyzing normal fault systems • Numerical modelling of the geometry and growth of normal fault systems • Practical application of fault analysis techniques

Confirmed Invited Speakers:Joe Cartwright - University of OxfordDavid Ferrill - Southwest Research Institute, TexasHaakon Fossen - University of BergenJames Jackson - University of Cambridge

A fieldtrip to the Bristol Channel will follow the meeting (26th-27th June).

Abstract submission and registration will open in late summer 2013.For further information please contact: Steve Whalley The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BG. T: 020 7432 0980 or email: steve.whalley@geolsoc.org.uk

Andy Nicol - GNS Science, WellingtonDavid Sanderson - University of SouthamptonJanos Urai - RWTH Aachen UniversityScott Wilkins - Anadarko

Conference Sponsors:

In conjunction with:

Summit Series

SPE Aberdeen Summit Series SeminarInwell flow surveillance and control: new frontiers

more info at www.spe-uk.org

Platinum sponsor

22nd October 2013The Marcliffe Hotel, Aberdeen

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Dr. Mohamed N. Noui-Mehidi, EXPEC Advanced Research Centre, Saudi Aramco

NEW SEMINAR! About advances in reservoir monitoring and control, including:

• Multiphase flow sensors• Distributed sensing (fibre-optic) • Virtual metering• ICDs and ICVs • Adaptive inflow control devices that can autonomously react to changes in

reservoir flow conditions.

The programme includes insightful contributions from industry experts at Saudi Aramco and Chevron and some lesser-known, innovative technologies from independent companies in the UK and Norway.

FOR: Petroleum Engineers, Reservoir Engineers, Asset Managers and Completions Specialists

Delegate feesEarly Bird discount till 24 Sep

SPE member £235 plus VAT

Non-member £275 plus VAT

Student £55 plus VAT

Book your delegate place online now

www.rodgerandco.com

Event organisers for SPE Aberdeen: Rodger and Co Email spe@rodgerandco.comTelephone +44 (0)1224 495051

SPE CONSULTANTS LISTINGPeter Aird – MSc, CEng – deepwater/HPHT drilling supervision, well engineering, training/ coaching consultant • email: kingdom_drilling@msn.com • www.kingdomdrilling.co.uk

Alasdair Campbell – Completion design and technology specialist, well design studies, project management services • tel: 01358 720703 • mob: 07981 381294 • email: ali@wellwizards.com • www.wellwizards.com • Unit 10, Balmacassie Commercial Centre, Ellon, Aberdeenshire, AB41 8QR

Maurice Cotterill – CEng, FIMMM – exHPHT expertise, well design, advanced casing/tubing analysis, studies/reviews • email: maurice.cotterill@sede.co.uk

Jeremy Eng – Consultant Petroleum Engineer – operations and asset management, full integration of geoscience to drilling, completion, stimulation and development • email: jeng@nehydrocarbons.com • tel: +44 7544 468 187

Rick Hoskins – Cementing expert & expert witness (Macondo), solutions that prevent gas flow after cementing • tel: 01330 860772 • mob: 07885 436671 • email: cementing@aol.com • Cementing Specialists Ltd, Craigshannoch Lodge, Midmar, Aberdeenshire AB51 7LX

Steinar S Johansen – Expert reservoir engineer and petroleum economist • reservoir studies and simulation, datarooms, reserves assessment, field development, petroleum economics • tel: +47 97464427 • email: schjohan@online.no

Kwabena Kwakwa – BSc, MPhil – 30yrs+ experienced applied geomechanics specialist • wellbore stability, sand production, depletion effects, fracturing design, etc • tel: +44 (0)1932 560484 • mob: +44 (0)7989 383084 • email: kkwakwa@energy-tech.co.uk

Andrew J McHardy – CEng, FEI, Chartered Petroleum Engineer, SPE, PESGB, AIPN, Honorarian University of Dundee Centre for Energy and Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy • statutory well examination, well engineering control, well engineering & project management • Blue Sky Energy Resources Ltd • email: jobdone@bser.co.uk • www.bser.co.uk

Merlin Extended Reach Drilling – Feasibility/design/training, equipment specification, risk & cost reduction; wellbore stability solutions; Spitfire flypasts! • tel: 01738 627922 • email: iain.hutchison@MerlinERD.com • www.MerlinERD.com

Oleum Khaos Ltd – First quartile petrophysics, 30+ years’ experience • field studies, well planning, peer assist/review, project management • tel: +44 (0)7852 554496 • email: info@oleumkhaos.com • www.oleumkhaos.com

Petrophase Ltd – Reservoir fluid studies, sampling/PVT programmes, PVT modelling, data QC, compositional gradients, contaminants, allocation, training • tel: +44 (0)7771 881182 • email: info@petrophase.com • www.petrophase.com • Brian Moffatt, 34 Oaklands Drive, Reading, Berks, RG41 2SB

Hussain Rabia – Bsc, PhD – HPHT well design and verification, well engineering/advanced casing design, wellbore stability, studies/training • email: info@entrac-petroleum.com • www.entrac-petroleum.com

Henry Smith – CEng – 25yrs experience. Cased hole log analysis and training, well test analysis, well design and production optimisation • tel: +44 (0)7946 547059 • email: hsmith@hks-tech.com • www.hks-tech.com

Sudelac – Equipment assurance consultants – 25+ years’ industry experience: pre-mobilisation inspection/witnessing services for all drilling, completions and cementing equipment • email: info@sudelac.com

Fabrice Toussaint – Petroleum & reservoir engineering solutions, well test analysis DFIT PITA DST CCT, WBS & rate deconvolution • tel: +44 (0)7861 770897 • email: contact@dinovapetroleum.com • www.dinovapetroleum.com • Dinova Petroleum Ltd, 74 Lambton Road, London, SW20 0LP

Weisenborn-Linskaill & Associates – UK/Netherlands/global upstream, integrating legal with business, commercial and technical expertise • tel: +44(0)131 466 8653 (UK), +31(0)703 873862 (Netherlands) • www.wl-associates.com

Peter Wright – all aspects of petroleum economics, including financial/fiscal modelling, business planning, acquisitions/valuations and training/mentoring • 25 years’ industry experience • tel: +44 (0)7963 441076 • email: peter.wright@equad.com

Haoran Zhang – BSc, MPhil, PhD – Over 28 years’ experience: prospect evaluation, M&A, field development planning, reservoir engineering, simulation, reserves, peer reviews • tel: +44(0)7827 089527 • email: haoran@petengplus.com or info@petengplus.com • www.petengplus.com • PetEng Plus Limited, 28 Evergreen Way, Wokingham, Berkshire RG41 4BX

To appear in this listing, please write to Allan Montgomery at M&M Media, 24 Cairnaquheen Gardens, Aberdeen, AB15 5HJ, with: your contact details • up to TEN words describing your services • advance payment by cheque for £10 inc VAT x the number of months you are booking a listing (cheque payable to M&M Media).

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS

LONDON• 23-24 September: ‘100 years and beyond’ - future petroleum science and technology drivers’ Celebrating 100 years of oil technology at Imperial College - supported by SPE London VENUE: Imperial College London www.geolsoc.org.uk/oilcentenary13

For details of all SPE London events, visit: www.katemcmillan.co.uk and http://london.spe.org. If you would like to sponsor an SPE London event, please email Mo_Mansoori@nexeninc.com

ABERDEEN• 22 October: SPE Summit Series Seminar: ‘New frontiers in flow monitoring and control in wells’ VENUE: The Marcliffe Hotel, Aberdeen

• 13-14 November: SPE ICoTA 19th European Well Intervention Conference VENUE: Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre.

For details of SPE Aberdeen events, please visit: www.spe-uk.org ‘Aberdeen Events’, or contact Rodger and Co: spe@rodgerandco.com; www.rodgerandco.com

SPE EUROPE• 3-6 September: SPE Offshore Europe 2013: ‘The next 50 years’

VENUE: Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre www.offshore-europe.co.uk

OffshOre Chemist/teChniCal advisOr, EdinburghLUX Assure provides novel chemical detection technologies to the oil and gas industry. In February 2013, LUX Assure closed a £3.25m funding round to transform the company from a technology development business to a service provider for the oil and gas industry.

LUX Assure is in a period of expansion and anticipating growth in many areas of the business. We are currently looking to recruit an individual with experience of the offshore oil and gas environment to deploy our exciting new corrosion management technology. LUX Assure will provide all technical training for the position, which provides an unrivalled opportunity to get involved in a new cutting edge technology. Suitable candidates must be able to demonstrate the following:

• Experience in an offshore position within the oil and gas industry.• Technical experience in one of the following, or related, areas; oilfield chemistry, oilfield corrosion, offshore laboratories or drilling.• Flexibility and willingness to travel (North Sea and internationally).• Excellent communication skills and an ability to build relationships with clients.

interested candidates should contact our retained search partner michael diamond on: michael.diamond@diamondcooper.co.uk or 01467 641 205.

RECRUITMENT

June Crossword WinnerSPE YP London’s Technical Crossword is taking a break for the summer. Meantime, congratulations to last month’s Technical Crossword winner, Georgina Paice, LWD Field Engineer, Baker Hughes, who won a personalised SPE mug. Last month’s answers: Across: 1. displacement; 2. recoverable; 3. tvd; 4. contact; 5. rih; 6. core; 7. liquefied; 8. multiphase. Down: 1. directional; 4. coherent; 9. secondary; 10. live; 11. carbonate; 12. balance; 13. iterative

11

RECRUITMENT

Advertise your job vacancies on this page. Phone +44 (0)1224 318088 or email spe.advertising@mmm-media.co.uk

Geologist, Centrica Energy

Our pioneering spirit is paying off. Is yours?

Centrica Energy’s upstream business is growing fast, at home in the UK and internationally. Our exploration and development successes and active acquisitions programme mean we’re well on our way to achieving our ambition to increase production by 50% within 5 years.

Be part of our exciting story...

Operations have expanded in all geographies such that we have substantial ongoing exploration and development projects in the UKCS (CNS, SNS and EIS), West of Shetlands, Netherlands, Norway, Trinidad and Canada. We are looking for the following individuals in all our geographies who can really make a difference and help us achieve our growth targets:

Geologist CE3640 - AberdeenYou will provide a wide range of geological support and technical advice to the Southern North Sea asset team.

Reservoir Engineer CE3536 - AberdeenYou will identify, justify and implement reserves bearing opportunities.

Senior Geophysicist CE3404 - AberdeenGeophysical support and technical advice including seismic interpretation.

We list global subsurface opportunities on our website:

www.centrica.com/careers

REACH FURTHER.

www.jee.co.uk/careers

Subsea engineering career opportunities

Karina Mortensen, Senior Engineer

SPE Review | issue 272 July/August 2013 www.spe-uk.orgSPE Review

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