Month: November 2020

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SPE Aberdeen Embraces Change

SPE Aberdeen Embraces Change

The events of 2020 require no explanation, it has changed life for the last 7 months and continues to do so. SPE Aberdeen has a mission handed down from SPE International “to collect, disseminate, and exchange technical knowledge” and “to provide opportunities for professionals to enhance their technical and professional competence”. Due to the issues with our typical delivery, many like-minded people congregating in the same room discussing and sharing knowledge, we have had to change our mode of operation somewhat.

Incoming SPE President Tom Blasingame likens the current crisis as a storm and notes “humans have evolved and survived not despite adversity but because of it”, I think we can reflect on this and hopefully see some cracks in the clouds and look for the sun breaking through.

With this in mind, we have turned our output digital and found many benefits. Our Continuing Education programme was hugely affected, so we replaced major conferences and adapted them to bite-size webinars timed to suit the working day. With three (Seismic, DEVEX and CCUS) safely under our belts we understand what works and what does not, the feedback and data from a digital event gives a huge insight into viewing time and engagement; valuable information for our upcoming and future events.

Our evening technical programme, usually held at the Sandman Signature Hotel, was likewise affected but has transformed into a series of technical webinars  Being unhindered by location and timing we have managed to provide a varied range of topics delivered by and available to anyone around the globe, providing we are cognisant of the relevant time-zones.

Outreach to students and schools is more critical than ever. Teachers and lecturers are adjusting to the new normal of remote and blended learning. SPE Aberdeen are here to support, digitally of course, and have a vast range of volunteers standing by, indeed a number are currently supporting TechFest’s STEM in the Pipeline Energising the Transition essay competition and are being interviewed by students as part of the research for their chosen topic.

Our members stand fast and I hope they continue to associate themselves with SPE Aberdeen. The entire industry, not just Aberdeen, is in a stage of constant change, an Energy Transition if you will. We aim to be at the leading edge of this transition, understanding our members needs, and being at the forefront of technology exchange and knowledge sharing, especially where it involves skills transfer and the livelihoods of thousands of professionals.

What will the future bring? In any scenario SPE Aberdeen shall reflect what is current and pertinent to the Energy Industry, be mindful of and embrace change, and champion the future to carve out a meaningful, challenging career for all.

Graham Dallas – Vice Chair SPE Aberdeen

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Vice Chair’s Address: November 2020

Dear SPE Aberdeen members, colleagues and friends,

Kenny is taking some well-earned leave and has asked me to provide this month’s missive, so having been handed the keys to the Sweetie Shop here goes.

Where do we see ourselves over the next 6, 12, or even 18 months? To answer this, I will take a quote from The Empire Strikes Back (40 years old last month), “Difficult to see, always in motion is the future”.

One thing is for sure, we are in transition. Home/work life is transitioning to the new normal, we have a digital transition as we harness and develop new technologies, and of course the Energy Transition where the world requires us to scale back fossil fuels and move further into renewables in order to meet the Net Zero targets.

I’ve recently been tasked with starting an Energy Transition committee within SPE Aberdeen to make sure we have a seat at the table in this debate, and to ensure we can steer our members and stay at the forefront of this changing landscape. I put a call out to the board with a reasonable idea in my head what we could/should do under this banner. I could not have been further from the truth. In a few hours I had many responses, lists of topics, technical focus areas, technology development ideas, and much more besides. We need to correlate these thoughts and ideas, set out some goals and objectives, and get after it. This will be one of the most critical and certainly exciting committees as we move forward in this transition. Want to be a part of it? Please get in touch, we want to hear from you, especially the YPs as its your generation that will be impacted most.

I’ll sign off with another cheeky quote from the same character as earlier as it reflects Kenny’s from last month and fits well with one of the SPE’s core values. “Pass on what you have learned”.

Stay safe and speak soon.

Graham

 

Graham Dallas

SPE Aberdeen Vice Chair

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DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 18th DECEMBER at 12 noon – SPE Aberdeen Section are delighted to announce they are now inviting applications for their student bursary awards.

SPE Aberdeen Section are delighted to announce that they are now inviting applications for their student bursary awards that will be awarded early in 2021.

If you are a member of one of our five student chapter universities: Aberdeen, RGU, Dundee, Heriot Watt and Strathclyde then you are eligible to apply.

Applications close on the 18th December 2020 at 12 noon and no applications will be accepted after this date,  the bursaries will be awarded in early 2021

Remember to carefully read the terms concerning eligibility before applying – please also remember to submit your application as a typed document and a pdf.

Download the application by clicking here

 

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SPE Aberdeen and InstMC Join Forces to Discuss the Opportunities and Challenges of Digitalisation

SPE Aberdeen and InstMC Join Forces to Discuss the Opportunities and Challenges of Digitalisation

Digitalisation offers considerable opportunities for the energy industry as it moves towards achieving 2050 net zero targets, which includes increasing efficiency and decreasing costs. These opportunities and the challenges, which need to be overcome to maximise these opportunities, will take centre stage at next month’s joint virtual conference between SPE Aberdeen and the Institute of Measurement Control (InstMC).

The keynote presentation will be delivered by Michael Joinson, Global Discipline Head – Instrumentation, Control and Electrical at Shell, who will share the operator’s approach to digitalisation across its assets, both greenfield and brownfield, as well as the benefits and challenges that have been experienced.

The recent OGUK Digital Maturity Survey revealed that a third of UKCS companies do not have a digital strategy and for those who do, it is less than three years old. The survey also identified collaboration as a key component of the industry’s digitalisation journey. Attendees at this event will hear the results of a major collaborative research project assessing the pace and extent of digitalisation across the oil and gas sector from Common Data Access Ltd (OGUK). This presentation will explore data and digital maturity in the North Sea oil and gas industry and will offer a view on the current state of affairs, against which the wider conference presentations can be considered.

Although the main focus of the conference is digitalisation, cyber security is never far away and Cisco will be providing a workshop with a live demonstration of its Cyber Vision software as part of the session ‘Current state of attacks and threats that are impacting oil and gas operations’. Event organisers recognise the importance for conferences to provide solutions in addition to discussing theory, and this workshop will be a key part of that approach.

Another highlight of this conference will be ABB’s workshop on ‘Layers of Network Protections – a Journey into Fundamentals of OT Network Reference Architecture’. This represents an area which still poses challenges for many engineers working to bring Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) closer together, a necessary part of digitalisation. This workshop will be delivered by Marina Krotofil who has extensive experience in both OT and IT, a perspective that is highly sought as the two disciplines come closer together.

Ahead of the event Megan Hine, conference chair, commented: “I’m very pleased to be chairing the SPE Aberdeen and InstMC annual conference once again, despite the challenges created by COVID-19. Our theme of ‘Digitalisation of Process Control’ seems even more relevant now. Reductions in movement of people means that access to instruments and data in the field has become very limited for the workforce. Connected devices and systems can alleviate the strain in a world where individuals are not always permitted to physically connect with both people and plant.”

This programme of virtual events will take place 25-26 November. Details and booking here.