OTC

The Offshore Technology Conference announces the 2020 recipients of the Spotlight on New Technology Award. Eighteen technologies from 14 companies from around the world will be awarded this year, including six companies that will be recognized for the Spotlight on Small Business Award.

Amid continued health and travel concerns, the OTC Board of Directors felt this decision was the most feasible and responsible.

OTC announces Distinguished Achievement Awards for 2020.

The Offshore Technology Conference announced the inaugural OTC Emerging Leaders program, which will recognize young professionals from each of the OTC sponsoring, endorsing, and supporting organizations.

The group’s mission is to end human trafficking by preventing exploitation, educating the community, and empowering survivors.

New technologies present both challenges and opportunities for keeping oil and gas workers safe. In two panel discussions at the latest Offshore Technology Conference, safety experts throughout the industry debated how to move forward.

The criticality of above-water riser hull piping requires frequent inspections. Traditional manual inspection methods present safety and efficiency concerns, but work is being done to see if robotic technologies—such as drones and crawlers—can do the job as good as, or even better than, humans.

Operators are looking for ways to better handle water coming from subsea wells, which is typically treated at topside facilities. Subsea separation systems are not equipped to discharge water back into the reservoir, so how do companies close the gaps?

Petrobras says it can produce oil for a lower break-even price than onshore shale plays, including the Permian Basin. Brazil’s offshore sector has cut the cost of deepwater production but comparisons based on break-even prices are slippery.

Unmanned minimum facility platforms are a reliable alternative to traditional wellhead platforms or subsea installations, and the technologies enabling simpler designs have evolved.