The Offshore Technology Conference is where energy professionals meet to exchange ideas and opinions to advance scientific and technical knowledge for offshore resources and environmental matters. Celebrating fifty years since 1969, OTC’s flagship conference is held annually at NRG Park (formerly Reliant Park) in Houston, Texas. OTC has expanded technically and globally with the Arctic Technology Conference, OTC Brasil, and OTC Asia. OTC is sponsored by thirteen industry organizations and societies, who work cooperatively to develop the technical program. OTC also has endorsing and supporting organizations.
WHEN: May 2–5, 2022
WHERE: NRG Park, Houston, Texas
WEBSITE: www.2022.otcnet.org
TECHNICAL PROGRAM
Whether their background is in the sciences, engineering, research, or even business aspects of the offshore energy industry, everyone has something to learn from OTC’s popular and heralded technical program. The 2022 edition of the event continues to focus on best practices, technical innovations, and emerging trends as presenters share their technical and scientific knowledge with attendees on a variety of important topics. Utilizing panel discussions, technical demonstrations, and guided lectures, the OTC 2022 technical program provides the know-how attendees seek in a format they can use.
RECOGNIZING LEADERS IN THE INDUSTRY
Every year, OTC hosts a reception honoring individuals and organizations who represent the best aspects of the industry. The 2022 Distinguished Achievement Award recipients present the range of innovation, dedication, and reliability that OTC recognizes as standouts among their peers.
OTC Distinguished Achievement Award for Individuals:
Drew Michel will be honored with the Distinguished Achievement Award for Individuals for his pioneering work on improving diver safety, the development and advancement of commercial remotely operated vehicles (ROV), and encouraging the next generation to study science and math and pursue careers in marine technology.
As the owner of ROV Technologies, Inc. for nearly three decades, including through a major acquisition, Michel was instrumental in the early design, development, and operations of commercial ROV systems and the technologies’ acceptance by the offshore energy industry.
OTC Distinguished Achievement Award for Companies, Organizations, and Institutions:
Shell will be presented the OTC Distinguished Achievement Award in recognition of its Appomattox Project in the Gulf of Mexico, Shell’s largest and most complex deepwater megaproject to date. Appomattox started production in May 2019—four months ahead of schedule—and its forty-year design life provides modern and efficient infrastructure for the safe and sustainable delivery of energy to the United States. Appomattox is the result of hundreds of companies that came together to align on common goals related to safety, care for people, cost, and schedule.
In addition to maximizing production, Appomattox developed new technology to minimize its environmental footprint. A combined cycle power generation system reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent and the use of cold seawater below the surface shrunk the cooling system by 40 percent compared to established designs.
These technologies made it possible for the project to avoid impact to marine life in the shallower, warmer waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
OTC Heritage Award:
The annual Heritage Award will be presented to Roland Moreau for his leadership in advocating for the gathering and analyzing of safety data and sharing learnings from operations in the Gulf of Mexico to improve industry safety.
Moreau’s nearly four decades of experience, extensive network,and effective recruiting skills have also contributed to enhancing the communications and bridging the knowledge gap between the offshore oil industry and government bodies such as the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) regarding their health, safety, and environmental (HSE) offshore programs.
ENERGY4ME TEACHER STEM WORKSHOP
One of the most popular components of OTC, this year’s Energy4me Teachers STEM Workshop will have an emphasis on activities around reducing emissions in the industry. At this free, one-day workshop, science teachers receive hands-on training by qualified facilitators, listen to a presentation from a prominent energy professional, and tour the OTC exhibit floor.
Additionally, teachers receive a variety of free instructional materials to take back to their classrooms. As the United States and global community work toward developing technologies and methods to mitigate the release of carbon dioxide, it is important to understand the processes and technologies in place to do so. Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is one advanced method for mitigating the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from fossil-fueled power stations.
These activities will help teachers and their students understand why CCUS is part of the solution and how it will impact energy supply, demand, and cost. In the workshop, attendees will hear from industry speakers about reducing emissions and the energy transition. OTC’s Energy4me Teachers STEM Workshop provides educators and industry an opportunity to connect they would not find any other place.
