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The ultimate success of a deepwater project depends on phases from early concept selection, design, construction, commissioning, and startup to operation. However, the boundaries and transfer of responsibilities may not be sharply demarcated between phases.

For several months, a number of us involved with water treating have been thinking about how we would like to contribute to Oil and Gas Facilities. We had in mind a regular feature with an emphasis on water treating technology.

The recycling of produced water and fracture flowback water for reuse in hydraulic fracturing is on the rise in the development of unconventional resource plays.

The oil and gas industry is technical and challenging. Because the technical issues are dealt with by humans, we also face social, psychological, and cognitive issues which are frequently as challenging. In this regular column, we address the softer side of engineering.

Recent accidents in the oil and gas industry have renewed interest in whether behavioral sciences can provide insights that can be translated into safety interventions.

Regulations are driving increased decommissioning activities in the Gulf of Mexico. Incomplete data is one of the obstacles in planning decommissioning. As fields have changed ownership over time, key information has been lost, creating challenges for the current operator.

Complexity is now a day-to-day parameter in the world of the subsea engineer. We are not developing these systems for fun; huge value is associated with maximizing recovery from these deep, remote oil and gas reservoirs.

Operators’ demands for structural designs are changing along with the need to produce from harsher environments, deeper waters, remote areas, and marginal fields. New-builds and modifications require different approaches in assessment of cost, design, and construction.

There is little doubt that the industry is committed to improving its safety performance—and most agree that improving the collective culture around safety is an effective approach to achieving this goal. But the specifics of how to achieve lasting change are more difficult.

Douglas-Westwood expects 8% growth in offshore operations and maintenance (O&M) expenditure annually from 2012 to 2016. O&M are markets considerably less vulnerable to downturn than their capital‑led counterparts.