Catherine MacGregor, President Europe & Africa, Schlumberger has been appointed chair of SPE Offshore Europe 2017 (photo: OE 2017)

The newly appointed conference chair of SPE Offshore Europe 2017 says that now is the time for the industry to reinvent itself and that SPE Offshore Europe 2017 will be the place where the industry will come together and shape its future for the next 10 years.

Catherine MacGregor, President Europe & Africa, Schlumberger has been appointed chair of the event which will take place in Aberdeen from 5-8 September 2017 when the industry will have faced one of the longest and most severe downturns in decades.

“We are in a position where operators, service companies and other stakeholders need to find new ways of working together to build sustainable business models,” says MacGregor, SPE Offshore Europe 2017 conference chair. “Visibility is limited on the timing of market recovery but it is inevitable as the balance of supply and demand eventually becomes tighter. The longer that E&P investment stays below production replacement needs, the sharper the recovery will have to be to meet future demands. Now is the time for the industry to reinvent itself to be ready for growth, having answered the cost and efficiency questions exposed during this downturn.

“SPE Offshore Europe will provide a great opportunity for visitors to understand how new ways to collaborate are being implemented, to learn from on-going examples and to meet potential partners. We will share inspirational examples of innovations and technology developments, more cost effective processes and new business models. The knowledge and technology being shared will shape the future of the industry for the next 10 years.”

Janeen Judah, 2017 SPE President, says “We are very pleased that Catherine, with her wealth of European and global experience and knowledge, has agreed to chair SPE Offshore Europe 2017. Catherine and the SPE committee are currently putting the programme together which will be announced later this year.”

Vasyl Zhygalo, portfolio director, Offshore Europe Partnership comments: “The programme at SPE Offshore Europe 2017 will provide visitors with the technology and knowledge they need as the industry reinvents itself for the future. SPE Offshore Europe supports the vision for the North East of Scotland to be one of the top three centres globally for oil and gas technology development and it promises a platform in Aberdeen to showcase and share this expertise with more than 55,000 estimated attendees from around the world.”

Details on the free-to-attend conference and its plenary, keynote and technical programme sessions will be revealed later this year. Supporting the 2017 conference will be an agenda of topical lunches, breakfast briefings, country briefings and an investment workshop. A new Decommissioning Zone featuring an exhibition and a conference area has been launched for 2017.

Visit www.offshore-europe.co.uk for further information.

Tags: Offshore Europe 2017