Author: louise

Friends & Colleagues,

It’s hard to believe it’s nearly the end of the year, it seems like yesterday we were enjoying the summertime. SPE Aberdeen work continues, with several recent events from our ongoing Continuing Education programme, from a fascinating D&I virtual lunchtime event, to a rather enjoyable evening in the company of Chris Lemons, a Deep Sea Diver who defied the odds when disaster struck.
Our output is always varied, and hopefully everyone finds something of interest, or something that touches on their own specific discipline, or subject of interest. If not, what are we missing, what would you like to see, hear and be part of? We’re always open to suggestions of topics, speakers and maybe even something we haven’t thought of so far.
There are several ongoing activities within the Section including a refresh and revamp of our website, hopefully due to launch around the turn of the year. It will still contain all the information and resources as before but with an improved user interface and one or two new features.
There are two items I want to highlight, further details below, both the Student Bursary Programme and the OAAs are seeking applications. We are committed to supporting both, those about to commence a career in the energy industry and seek to recognise the many individuals and companies that we admire for their high standards and achievements.
I’ll sign off for now but always welcome feedback and questions, my contact details can be found on our website.

Graham

Graham Dallas

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Friends & Colleagues,

Welcome to our October newsletter. We had a fantastic kick-off event last month, thanks to everyone that attended, where we laid out our plans for the coming session.

What always rings true for me is that we try to accommodate the wants and needs of the members affiliated with SPE Aberdeen. We ask, we listen, we act. Our recent member’s survey gave us a huge insight into what our members want, what areas of the industry, and topics you want us to focus on and hopefully we deliver accordingly.

Much of our upcoming programme is detailed in the newsletter. Of particular intertest is the launch of the Offshore Achievement Awards, now in its 36th year. Want to recognise the outstanding efforts of an individual or company? Please consider submitting an application.

Lastly to finish off this newsletter intro, it is with sadness I must report that our long-term administrator Louise Thomas is moving on to pastures new. Louise, who edits this newsletter amongst countless other things, has been responsible for the administration of the section for 8 years. Those involved with Section operations know and understand Louise’s impact and influence across so much of what we do. I hope you will all join with me in thanking Louise for her efforts and dedication over the years.

In the meantime, please feel free to get in touch with any queries, thoughts, or suggestions.

Graham

Graham Dallas

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Friends & Colleagues,

Our 2022/23 Session kick-off event took place this week at Aberdeen Science Centre (ASC); thanks to all who attended. We chose the Science centre as a venue, as a) it’s an excellent venue with lots of room, b) we’ve had a long association with the ASC, and c) there’s so many cool exhibits to interact with.

Our kick-off event has typically been a member only affair to cater to those who may consider lending some of their precious spare time in helping the section. This year we have recognised the huge number of partners and supporters who may or may not be members but contribute to SPE Aberdeen’s success in many ways.

The breadth and width of what we get involved in is unlikely to be understood by many as most have an engagement in a specific area. We thought it best to take the time to showcase our full suite of events and contributions to the energy industry, our upcoming next generation of engineers and scientists, and of course the rising stars of tomorrow who hopefully we can influence to have a career in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.

If you attended this event, thank you. You will see/have seen the passion and commitment by our volunteers and members and I hope it has encouraged you to further your involvement or support to our common cause.

It was very nice to meet you; please get in touch should you require any further information.

Graham

Graham Dallas

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Friends & Colleagues,

Another new session is upon us after our summer break. Hopefully the 2022-23 session will be largely free of the challenges that the previous three had. We will be hosting a Section kick-off meeting in September, look out for details, where we will formally launch the activities that we intend to deliver this year. We intend to have a large-scale gathering and invite volunteers, members, partner societies, sponsors, and guests to see what makes SPE Aberdeen tick. I hope you can make it; details will be finalised in the coming weeks.

Industry wise things are picking up the pace. There are frequent press releases of field plans and investment plans being approved. The attacks on Ukraine from Russia and the subsequent sanctions have brought the energy security of the UK and Europe in sharp focus, and naturally our industry is key to reducing some of the challenges. Alongside current day-to-day activities there are significant plans for fully net-zero developments, electrification of older platforms and several low and zero carbon energy projects that we can all contribute our skills and expertise to.

I hope we can continue to count on your support and participation over the next 12 months. As always if you have any thoughts, comments or questions please do get in touch. Thanks,

Graham Dallas

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Friends & Colleagues,

This is the last newsletter before the summer break. I am glad to report that SPE Aberdeen is seeing a large-scale return to normality, reflected in our recent run of Continuing Education events, and the welcome return of the evening Technical Programme.

We have already begun planning for the 2022/23 session and this is where I ask for your help, and thoughts. We aim to have a members survey issued in the coming weeks where we reach out and ask your opinions and preferences for what and how we deliver the SPE Mission. The pandemic forced us to change our ways, but we learned a lot and now we can plan our next year of a mix of in-person, hybrid, and purely digital events. We’ll ask you what you would like to see us cover and how.

We’re also grateful that we can now return to visiting schools and universities. Our Student Development and Schools Career Guidance committees have been revitalised and are raring to go after the summer on the commencement of the new term.

The next session will of course be reflective of the needs of the industry and the membership, our vital Net Zero and Diversity & Inclusion committees have an influence in all of our output and how we do business sustainably in our often rapidly changing daily lives.

I wish you all a pleasant summer break and look forward to connecting with you again in August.

As always, comments, questions and queries are welcomed, please get in touch. Thanks,

Graham

Graham Dallas

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Friends & Colleagues,

The run up to summer is always a busy time for the section, and thankfully a more familiar one with our largely full return to in-person events. Our last two board meetings have trialled a hybrid system and it has worked well, with many of the Section Board members choosing to meet up whilst still having a provision for those who can’t by location or prefer to participate remotely.

We’ve also had a good look at facilities and meeting places to accommodate the ongoing programme of events. The business landscape has changed somewhat since early 2020 and we need to find balance in the suitability of the facilities, location, and keeping costs in mind. We anticipate little or no change to the Continuing Education output as the fully re-opened P&J Live at TECA is an excellent facility which more than meets our requirements.

We have a host of events and activities, many of which are detailed below, hopefully there is something of interest to most. If there’s something we’re not covering, and you think we should then please get in touch via the usual means. If you want to get more involved with the behind the scenes of the section, again let us know. We are always welcoming of fresh eyes, fresh ideas, and a drive to share the work of the Aberdeen Section.

A big thanks to everyone who contributes so far and I welcome anyone who has an interest.

Until next time.

Thanks,

Graham

Graham Dallas

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Friends & Colleagues,

We recently hosted the 35^th Offshore Achievement Awards, the return of this prestigious event was attended by over 400 representatives from across all sectors, and we recognised all of the great and the good within our industry. Full details of the finalists and winners can be found here. I’d also like to pass on the thanks of SPE Aberdeen Board and membership to Ian Phillips as he steps down as OAA Chair. Ian has maintained this position for 10 years, helping to build it into the gold standard event that it is, and spending countless hours over the years to seek out the very best our industry has to offer.

As always there’s much happening within the section, much of which is detailed below. We also intend to issue a member survey to gain your thoughts and opinions regarding the section’s activities and output. We adapted many of our programmes over the past couple of years and where we see some return to normality, we also see opportunities in continuing a digital offering and in many cases a hybrid delivery system.

Watch this space for the latest updates. Any thoughts, questions or comments are always welcome.

Until next time.

Thanks,

Graham

Graham Dallas

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Friends & Colleagues,

It’s here. The 35^th Annual* Offshore Achievement Awards. Our night, where we recognise the huge achievements of individuals and companies who continue to innovate, inspire, and offer transformation and improvement to our industry, will be held at the P&J Live on Thursday evening. I anticipate a great evening of celebration, a chance to re-connect with those we’ve not had the fortune to meet in recent times. We will again be joined by our “resident” host Rachel Riley, who will doubtless keep us all in check and on time. If you are a finalist, congratulations, you are already a winner. If you are attending in support of a finalist or a sponsoring company, thank you, you make it possible to hold these events. If you are just visiting, your support is also appreciated so be sure to come and say hello to myself or any of the small army that makes up the judging panel and the organising team.

* The 34^th OAA was cruelly shut down at less than a week’s notice back in 2020; with the advantage of hindsight we had much more to worry about going forward than the postponement of an awards dinner. The 34^th event was rescheduled and ultimately delivered as a virtual occasion. This week’s event is the first live OAA since 2019 and a return to our regular “Annual” Offshore Achievement Awards.

In more regular news, the final lifting of most of the remaining restrictions opens the floodgates for us to return with a more regular programme, much of which is listed below. We’ll still be maintaining regular online content as it is often more suited to current working practices and allows us to reach a wider audience than we would otherwise.

If I don’t speak to you at the OAAs, I’ll hopefully speak to you at something else soon. Any thoughts, comments, or suggestions about SPE Aberdeen are always welcome, get in touch via the links below.

Thanks,

Graham

Graham Dallas

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Members, friends & colleagues,

I can barely believe it is February already. I trust everyone is well and not too badly affected by the recent storms we’ve seen over the past few weeks. Our calendar of events picks up pace as detailed below, and we are really excited to re-commence physical events in the near future. The first major in-person event is the 35th Offshore Achievement Awards on March 17th at P&J Live, we’ve been sitting on these awards for what seems like such a long time, and we are so close to announcing the winners. As I have said before, making the finalist list should be considered a win. I hope you can join us for the evening.

It’s the absolute last chance to recognise your colleagues and peers in the 2022 SPE Awards cycle, the International Award date has closed, but the Regional categories remain open until March 1st, there’s a huge variety of technical and service disciplines, so don’t delay https://www.spe.org/en/awards/

Further details and information have been released by SPEI regarding the upcoming vote on the proposed merger between SPE and AAPG. The voting opens on March 4th and will remain open for 2 months. This proposed merger will be solely on the will of the members, so if you feel particularly strongly either way it is imperative that you cast your vote. In the event the proposal is approved, it will have little impact in the short term to our work and efforts in the Aberdeen Section and we will continue to deliver our technical and out-reach programmes.

Until next month.

Graham

Graham Dallas

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Friends,

Happy New year to each and every one of you, hopefully you managed some down time over the year end break.

As we emerge in 2022, I am both optimistic and cautious. Optimistic that there seems to be an elevated feel around the industry and murmurings of project sanction and continued drilling contract awards, that’s where it all starts after all. Also cautious, as we’re not out of the woods yet. COVID-19 continues to be the major influencer in our daily lives and work. The postponed Offshore Europe has become the latest casualty to our industry events calendar, although in some ways I think most were disappointed but unsurprised. Are we past the worst?  Goodness I hope so, but I am reluctant to predict anything further than a week or so away given the ever changing landscape that we find ourselves in.

On a brighter note, we have a busy schedule up ahead irrespective of the current challenges. We’ve adapted and survived so far, and we will continue to do so. Our Technical and Continuing Education programmes continue with regular output, it’s currently virtually but as soon as it is safe to do so we’ll be back in person. See below and on our website for further details. Our Student Development group is currently engaged with judging submissions for our annual bursary awards which are expected to be announced in the coming months. I can’t mention every aspect of our committee’s activities here, but needless to say there’s a huge amount of effort going on, and it’s appreciated.

Our next milestone event is the Offshore Achievement Awards, back in its rightful place in March, I’m so looking forward to meeting up with everyone again and recognising all of the great things that companies and individuals continue to do throughout our industry.

Until next time.

Graham

Graham Dallas

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Friends,

December has come around again, all too quickly it feels. I’m proud of what the section has achieved over the year despite the challenges we all face. We started two new committees, Net Zero and Diversity & Inclusion, covering some of the most important aspects of our daily lives. Both committees have hit the ground running and are doing great work for the section and industry.

We delivered around 25 events, both solo efforts and collaborating with others, ranging from webinars to full virtual conferences, including one in person conference and exhibition. Hopefully a sign for things ahead. Thanks to everyone who presented, volunteered on one of the many committees, submitted an abstract, or just simply attended an event.

Next year’s plans are in full flow with a welcome return to more regular events in person although we still intend to keep a digital/hybrid element to benefit everyone who may not be able to make in person events.

Although it’s the end of the year there’s still much to do. The annual bursary competition is moving into the judging phase and as usual the breadth and depth of responses make some difficult decisions. There’s no OAA judging this December which usually takes place this time of year, but our delayed awards dinner will take place in March 2022.

That’s all for now and, without wanting to be too similar to 12 months ago, here’s hoping next year is where we can get back to some sort of normality. Look after yourself, look after each other, and we’ll speak again in the New Year.

Until next month,

Graham

Graham Dallas

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Friends,

November is here with its colder days and longer nights. Rather than thinking about hibernation over the winter, we’re all emerging from what has been the toughest period in all of our lives. Likewise, SPE Aberdeen is gearing up for our return to what could be considered a more usual output. We’re slowly beginning to meet up with colleagues in small groups, planning some in-person committee meetings and generally feeling our way out of the past 19 months.

I want to highlight a couple of things this month. Firstly, we are ramping up and looking forward to the 35th Offshore Achievement Awards. This will be back to its usual live format and is being held in March at P&J live at TECA. The aim is to celebrate the Offshore industry, but I also believe a celebration of the return to less restricted living and socialising. I’m so looking forward to meeting up with a large number of you and recognising the companies and individuals who are deservedly up for awards. Even to be shortlisted should be considered a win.

Secondly, still on the recognition theme, it’s SPE Awards time again. As usual there are both Regional and International awards up for grabs, in both technical and service disciplines. I’d ask you all to consider nominating a colleague, peer, or mentor who is an expert in their field or consistently goes above and beyond. All the details of SPE Awards can be found here. Please send your suggestions to Irina, who leads this year’s Awards Steering group, at vice.chair@spe-uk.org. And also if you are interested to join the Steering group, let her know.

Until next month,

Graham

Graham Dallas

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Friends,

Last month saw our well attended annual Session Kick-off event. It’s great to see new faces and old, albeit through the screen rather than in a more personal environment. In-person meetings are coming but in this instance we couldn’t make the logistics work given the time we had available. We had a quick-fire run through our committees and activities and for the first time we used the Pecha Kucha 20×20 (www.pechakucha.com) format to keep things lively and quick paced. This is a format we will revisit in future. Following the introductions we had a number of breakouts rooms for more focused chat and we welcomed several new volunteers into the fold.

Our technical and outreach programmes are gathering pace again, with a number of upcoming events scheduled. We’ve had and are looking forward to more interesting output from our Net Zero Committee, especially pertinent as we fast approach COP 26 which will have a huge influence on our energy outlook going forwards.

As always, we look to seek out the best from our industry and would welcome technical submissions for a variety of events. Full details and information can be seen below. We are also always interested in hearing suggestions for future events and topics and of course feedback on our current programme. Got something to say? Please get in touch.

Until next month,

Graham

Graham Dallas

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Friends & Colleagues,

It’s the 1st day of September as I write this, where has the year gone? September is the traditional start of our new session in SPE Aberdeen. The feedback we received from our recent member’s survey was greatly appreciated and has given us pointers and valuable ideas on how to deliver the work of the Section. A huge thanks to everyone that responded and in case you missed it, the winner of the prize draw was Matthew Law of BP.

We often talk of our Mission “To collect, disseminate, and exchange technical knowledge concerning the exploration, development and production of oil and gas resources and related technologies for the public benefit; and to provide opportunities for professionals to enhance their technical and professional competence.” Equally important nowadays is our Vision, “Advance the oil and gas community’s ability to meet the world’s energy demands in a safe, environmentally responsible, and sustainable manner.” Our industry is under closer scrutiny by the public than we have ever seen, and in many cases under threat from individuals and groups with strong held beliefs. It is incumbent on all of us to deliver our Vision and demonstrate the Oil & Gas industry’s crucial position within the journey to Net Zero.

Over the next month or two we are dipping our toes into in-person meet ups and smaller events. We’ve been looking at suitable venues to host hybrid events to ensure that we provide a safe and comfortable environment to our members who either choose to join in person and those who opt to participate virtually. We’ve learned a great deal about the digital world and the feedback received will be taken onboard to further enhance inclusion and value from our various programmes.

Until next month,

Graham

Graham Dallas

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Dear SPE Aberdeen members, colleagues and friends,

Last month my colleagues on the SPE Aberdeen board approved my selection and I ascended to the chair position, taking over the reins from Kenny McAllister. I took that first step into a larger world and am most grateful for the opportunity. Kenny has undoubtedly steered the SPE Aberdeen ship through the most difficult and strange times that I think every single one of us has ever experienced. Thankyou Kenny, it was a pleasure to serve with you and I hope I can call on your continued support in future.

Where are we now?

I hate to use the now hackneyed phrase of “unprecedented events”, but we really are looking at a totally different landscape and outlook to that of 18 months ago. We’ve all endured hardship and had to make sacrifices along the way, hopefully the latest news suggests a return of “normality” and certainly much more freedom to go about our daily lives. Our industry continues to attract negative press, exacerbated by the energy transition, whereas we “in-the-know” understand the vitally important part the Oil & Gas industry will play on the road to Net Zero.

I start my tenure as Chair with optimism given that we have just entered a new phase which sees the further reduction of restrictions from the past 18 months. Gradually things will gather pace, social and technical events will return, deferred projects will be greenlit and we can take stock and plan our course of action for the next few years.

When lockdown occurred, we transferred all our programmes to virtual and hosted several online events, we had two choices, go digital or shut down. I hope you agree we made the correct choice. Now that meeting in public and large gatherings are viable (and lawful), we have options for our output going forward. We learned a lot on how to organise and deliver webinars and digital events, and we’ve had very positive feedback. My question to the members is what do you want for this session and beyond? We could return to a familiar SPE Aberdeen diary, as we used to do, but we need to gauge the appetite for people jumping back into large scale events. We need to understand the Operator’s guidelines on attending events, whether exhibitors and delegates will show up in their numbers to make the event worthwhile for all involved. There’s a fine line in making conferences and exhibitions commercially viable. SPE Aberdeen is a not-for-profit society, but we do aim to generate surpluses to re-invest into outreach programmes for the next generation of engineers and scientists.

We will shortly announce a date for our annual Section kick-off event, you should receive a short survey asking a few questions about how we shape what we do. Please take the time to have a look and fill it in, we need member’s feedback and everyone that responds will be entered into a draw. If you would like to be involved with SPE Aberdeen either as a volunteer or simply contributing to one or more of our technical events, please get in touch.

I have always considered my volunteering with SPE as a hobby, something I enjoy and therefore have invested significant time and effort over the years. I fully appreciate not everyone has the luxury of time and therefore if you can only spare an hour a month, that hour would be greatly received and appreciated. We’re a member led society, each member has the same rights as everyone else, and each member can make a difference. I look forward to your support over the next session.

If I can be of any assistance to any member, please get in touch.

Stay happy and healthy in 2021,

Kenny

Kenny McAllister

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Dear SPE Aberdeen members, colleagues and friends,

Thank You

This is my last newsletter as SPE Aberdeen Chair. My two-year tenure is coming to an end and Graham Dallas has been confirmed as our incoming Chair with Irina Krylova as the new Vice Chair. Graham has been alongside me in all aspects of the ups and downs of the last two years and will take over with a clear view of the challenges and opportunities. I wish them both an enjoyable and successful tenure.

There are a number of people I must publicly thank before I hand over the baton. Firstly, our tremendous Contractor Team – Section Manager Diane Wood, Admin Assistant Louise Thomas and Treasurer Lorraine Mutch. Their dedication, personal sacrifice and positivity through challenging times has been an inspiration to me and so many others in the SPE Aberdeen team.

Secondly our supporters amongst the Operator and Supply Chain communities. SPE Aberdeen pivoted hard to continue our mission of technical exchange in an environment no one could have imagined.  Their support with technical contributions, employees time and consistent financial support allowed us to move forward.

Our Events Partners Mearns & Gill and the team at TECA need a special mention too. Events are part of our lives but for M&G and TECA it is their lives. They were turned upside down. We have sailed together through some choppy seas but their flexibility and solution focus has seen us through. I believe we have shared more than before about our goals, aspirations and constraints and through that have created a stronger partnership for the future.

Finally, my gratitude and admiration go to our team of volunteers. Finding time in their increasing busy lives to take decisions and actions that move the technical needle forward and allow themselves and the whole SPE community to build new connections.

Stay happy and healthy in 2021,

Kenny

Kenny McAllister

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Dear SPE Aberdeen members, colleagues and friends,

New Volunteers – Wow, What a response!

I reported last month that we have had a great response to our call for volunteers and were looking forward to matching up the volunteers with opportunities.

What a great crop of new volunteers we have. In particular we have strengthened the recently formed Net Zero Committee and the D&I team and have new energy in our Programme and School and Career Guidance groups in particular.

Net Zero

The Net Zero committee have come out of the blocks at 100 miles an hour and are lining up five introductory presentations and a high-level panel discussion before we get to COP26 in November.

Diversity and Inclusion

Our Diversity and Inclusion committee have a number of new members with a range of personal experiences which will enable us to focus activities in the areas of race, gender and sexual orientation.

This month saw catcalling in the offshore environment as front page news. Initially shocked, I was angered and disappointed that we still have work to do to bring everyone on the journey to inclusivity. I commend Hazel Forgan for bravely calling this practice out and am delighted that she has accepted an invitation to join our D&I team.

Conference Season

As I write we are in the middle of the SPE Aberdeen Well Decommissioning Symposium. This is the 10th time we have run this event although the first time it has been digital. Next week we see Seismic 2021 and shortly thereafter DEVEX 2021 – both of these events have been designed from the outset to run digitally.

If you had suggested a digital conference a year ago no one would have understood what you were talking about. Now it is the norm – the “new normal”. Sometime soon this new normal will be challenged again as event venues start to open again. Will it be all digital vs all in-person or some kind of hybrid? You will decide!

Stay happy and healthy in 2021,

Kenny

Kenny McAllister

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Dear SPE Aberdeen members, colleagues and friends,

Great Response to our Call for Volunteers

I would like to thank everyone who responded to our call for volunteers. We have a wide range of respondents from those who have had leadership roles in SPE Chapters in other location to those looking for their first volunteering roles.

We are in the process of matching up candidates to the opportunities and I’m looking forward to the new ideas they will bring.

Recognising an Outstanding Volunteer – Colin Black

If any of our new volunteers were looking for inspiration, they couldn’t look for a better role model than Colin Black. He is one of the SPE volunteers I admire the most for his dedication and leadership. There is no better example than Colin’s invention and leadership of ‘NASA in Aberdeen’. In 2015 Colin was excited by a visit to the Johnson Space Centre and began to think about how he could bring that feeling to bear in inspiring the next generation of North East 21^st century explorers in oil, gas, energy and space. Colin’s drive and leadership blossomed into the invention of ‘NASA in Aberdeen’ which brings a Space Scientist and an Astronaut to visit the schools of the North East to inspire the students to continue with their STEM studies and demonstrates the links between Space exploration and the Energy Industry.
‘NASA in Aberdeen’ will move forward in a different context now as part of a wider Space in Energy initiative. I could not let this moment pass without recognising a hero of volunteering and an inspiration to me, the volunteering community and to thank him on behalf of all the students, teachers and NASA personnel who rightly hold Colin in such high regard.

What’s Coming Up

We are moving into our traditionally busy “Conference Season” with Well Decommissioning and Seismic taking place digitally in May followed by DEVEX and SPE international’s Oilfield Corrosion Conference taking place in June.

Stay happy and healthy in 2021,

Kenny

Kenny McAllister

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Dear SPE Aberdeen members, colleagues and friends,

Net Zero News

Our new Net Zero Committee has had its first meetings. Anna Petitt has agreed to lead the charge as Chair of the committee with Alex Crossland as Vice-Chair. The team is setting out a series of informative introductory technical webinars to bring SPE Aberdeen up to speed with the main topics of the Net Zero challenge and then will drill down into the technical and policy issues associated with the main threads.
This committee has given us further opportunity to build stronger links with our friends in other SPE sections in the UK. We will be sharing speakers and presentation topics with our colleagues in London in particular where their focus on policy and regulation compliments our more technical emphasis.

In that collaborative spirit SPE London are running a survey of members regarding Net Zero initiatives which they have opened up to our members too; access survey here.

SPE International have launched the SPE Gaia Initiative. This addresses the issues of our developing relationship with the planet. I encourage you to sign up and keep in touch with SPE’s global drive; more details here.

Geothermal Energy Symposium

There is huge potential for geothermal energy to help achieve net zero targets. With the crossover of expertise within the oil and gas sector, the section is keen to deliver a conference focusing on geothermal energy. Would you be interested in getting involved and help shape this event? If so we would be delighted to hear from you.

Volunteering / Opportunities to Lead

The theme of our last SPE Aberdeen Board Meeting was “Light at the end of the tunnel”. We are all optimistic about the opportunities to meet in person in the foreseeable future in addition to our online life. We are actively encouraging the blurring of lines between our digital and physical interactions. We need new volunteers to bring new ideas into SPE Aberdeen. Please get in touch if you have an interest in either the development of our technical events or in our outreach work to schools and universities. We will find a role that will match your interests and time commitments.

Committee Chair roles have a normal two-year tenure. A number of positions will be up for renewal in the coming months. My tenure as Section Chair will come to an end in July and with the expectation that Graham Dallas will step up from Vice-Chair we are looking for a new Section Vice-Chair. We will need to replace Graham in the Membership and Marketing Role. Further Vice-Chair positions in Programme and Offshore Achievement Awards are available.

Operating Manual

Our Operating Manual has been updated and will be sent out to you shortly. It will be posted on the website too with the commercial elements redacted. The operating manual sets out how the section is run and if you have any questions or suggestion please get in touch.

Stay happy and healthy in 2021,

Kenny

Kenny McAllister

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Dear SPE Aberdeen members, colleagues and friends,

Student Bursary Programme

This month sees one of the most enjoyable parts of my year. I joined SPE Aberdeen event sponsors, Student Development Committee members and members of the SPE Aberdeen Board to listen to presentations from the top ranked Student Bursary submissions.  It is a joy to see the innovation and creative problem solving these young people apply to some of the biggest issues facing our industry.

There was a time when we thought this day would not happen. Like all charities SPE Aberdeen’s income has been hit by the change is activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We had to look at reductions in all areas of expenditure. I would like to recognise all the members of the SPE Aberdeen Board and our contractors for their pragmatic and active approach to these challenges. At its core SPE Aberdeen is committed to the next generation of energy engineers and the Student Bursary Awards is a key part of that. With the Board’s support we have moved forward this academic year with a reduced budget but the same number of awards. We recognise that the process of assessment, interaction with industry leaders and acknowledgement is as valuable to the recipients as the cash value.

In total 19 students received awards. The students with five highest scores from their written submission were invited to present to a panel and a top award winner selected. Congratulations to all the finalists – Aaron Tung, Milena Zagulak, Emmanuel Eke and Yevgeniya Morrice and especially to top award winner Georgy Borisochev.

You will be hearing their presentations at events over the coming months.

Continuing Education Events

As I write the EuALF Artificial Lift Seminar is in progress with around 100 attendees. The format is digital delivery over 5 days with 2-3 hours of sessions each day. This format appears to work best for our attendees as we continue to learn about the new normal.

Next is our joint event with IMechE: “Hot and Cold – Assuring fit for purpose joints – Welded and Non-Welded Connections”. It is a fascinating area of innovation.

Offshore Achievement Awards

Nominations are open for all the award categories. If you know of a person, company or technology that deserves recognition please encourage them to apply or nominate them yourself.

Visit of SPE President Tom Blasingame 

Tom visited us virtually from COVID-19 free New Zealand twice in January. First to give his presentation and discuss the future of the SPE and the Energy Industry. He returned to attend our Board meeting which helped us understand how SPE Aberdeen’s journey compared to other SPE sections. We thank him for that insight.

Stay happy and healthy in 2021,

Kenny

Kenny McAllister

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Dear SPE Aberdeen members, colleagues and friends,

Happy New Year

May I wish you all a very happy new year and I hope you all stay healthy in 2021.

It will be another year of rapid change for the Energy Industry and therefore an exciting time for SPE as we continue to lead the way in quality technical exchange.

SPE International President’s “Visit”

For the second year in a row January sees the visit of a SPE International President. Last year Shauna Noonan spoke to our Aberdeen Student Chapter about their careers as Energy Engineers before attending our Evening Technical Meeting and taking part in a discussion of the Energy Transition.
On January 20^th current SPE president Tom Blasingame will talk to us about the Road Ahead for the Energy Industry and the SPE. Tom is an entertaining and charismatic speaker and will stimulate lively debate – even over Zoom!

The Digital Journey

I have regular meetings with TECA. Live conference-style events cannot take place until we are in Tier 0. As I write the whole of the Scottish mainland is in Tier 4. It is unlikely that we will have any live in-person events before the end of this year’s session in July, although we are hopeful that the vaccines will make an affecting impact.

We are learning to format our conference-style events to match everyone’s new ways of working. Also we are finding elements that attendees prefer to be delivered digitally. It is a cycle of feedback and improvement which the Continuing Education teams are driving forward with enthusiasm.

Digital delivery is a permanent part of our future.

Student Bursary Awards

Even in these challenging economic times SPE Aberdeen’s commitments to Student Bursary programmes continues. We recognise the worth of winning an SPE Aberdeen award is at least as valuable to students as the financial value of the award. Therefore, we are reducing the financial value of each award while maintaining the number of awards. The Student Bursary submissions are in and judging has begun.

Stay happy and healthy in 2021,

Kenny

Kenny McAllister

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Dear SPE Aberdeen members, colleagues and friends,

A Year Like No Other

Those of us with a greyer thatch have been through rapid industry changes before but nothing quite like 2020. I am so glad that we are ending 2020 with some positive news about a COVID-19 vaccine and looking forward to a 2021 of recovery and growth. I hope you and your families have remained healthy through 2020.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our SPE volunteers for keeping the ship moving forward through some very choppy waters. We have all had to adjust to living without meeting face-to-face at technical events and conferences.  Everything from STEM visits to schools to Board Meetings have been conducted over Zoom (other platforms are available).

Our direct contractors Diane, Louise and Lorraine have been amazing this year reacting to everything the year has thrown at us and reacted with their typical fortitude.

Our event partners Mearns & Gill and TECA have had their worlds turned upside down. Their flexibility and commitment to maintaining a long-term relationship has been a case study in customer service. And you know how much SPE Aberdeen loves a case study!

This is a traditional time of year to reflect but we shouldn’t miss to opportunity to look forward. We are stepping forward boldly to embrace and drive the Target Net Zero agenda, broaden our Diversity and Inclusion and continue on our Digitalisation journey. SPE Aberdeen will continue to be front and centre on the great questions in our industry.

We can’t deny that there has been less fun this year than we normally experience in the SPE family. However we are going to finish on a high. The Quiz Master Extraordinaire and champion of the Student Bursary programme Rob Lee will be running the Christmas Quiz on December 17^th – sign up it will be great fun.

Merry Christmas, Best wishes and stay safe,

Kenny

Kenny McAllister

SPE Aberdeen Chair

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

Dear SPE Aberdeen members, colleagues and friends,

Is this the new normal?

This month saw the DEVEX and Seismic conferences conducted virtually and the continuation of our Technical Programme Webinars; all digitally delivered technical exchange. The feedback from our first digitally delivered conferences has been a mature assessment of a different reality. Attendees are missing personal contact and for the foreseeable future that is a pain that we need to accept. However, there were some distinct upsides which our attendees graciously shared. In particular, the sound clarity and the ability to see the slides was enhanced by digital delivery. This is a challenge to be addressed when our larger in person events return – perhaps we will see multiple screens around the hall.

We are receiving positive feedback about our Technical Webinars. The rescheduling to lunchtime meets the needs of many more of our members. I expect that these will continue even when in person Technical Meetings return.

We are always learning; we continue to learn about our industry from our technical exchange events. This year more than ever we are learning about learning.

NASA In Aberdeen

Colin Black and the NASA in Aberdeen Team have been busy adjusting to the new normal. There are plans to bring a NASA engineer and an astronaut to Aberdeenshire in 2021. Please subscribe to the Nasa In Aberdeen page on LinkedIn to keep up to date with everything under the banner “Inspiring the next generation of 21st Century Explorers”

Best wishes and stay safe,

Kenny

Kenny McAllister

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Dear SPE Aberdeen members, colleagues and friends,

This month we re-imagined the section’s Kick Off meeting to formally start our journey to Re-Imagining SPE Aberdeen.

These are challenging times for our industry in terms of its identity, relevance and economics. To meet these challenges SPE Aberdeen has launched an initiative to ask itself fundamental questions about its purpose and actions to ensure we have an SPE Aberdeen that is fit for purpose for the coming decades. At this months kick off meeting we asked challenging questions about our response to the Energy Transition debate, how we know if we have Diversity and Inclusion right, how do we generate funds to support our outreach responsibilities when our traditional funding model has broken down and how we should be organised to face the challenges of 2020.

An enthusiastic team of SPE Aberdeen volunteers facilitated by members of our Young Professionals community generated ideas and insight on these topics which will be the core of our Board Meeting discussions over the coming months. The world is changing rapidly and I am very grateful to those who gave their time and energy to steer the SPE Aberdeen ship into the future.

We are not the only ones asking ourselves the big questions. I would encourage you to read 2021 SPE President Thomas Blasingame’s interview in this month’s JPT. You will receive this newsletter during “BP Week” where Bernard Looney and his colleagues will set out BP’s vision of the future.

Best wishes and stay safe,

Kenny

Kenny McAllister

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Dear SPE Aberdeen members, colleagues and friends,

It’s time to get involved!

SPE Aberdeen launches the 2020-2021 session on Wednesday September 2^nd with our annual Kick Off meeting. The main aim of the evening is to give attendees the opportunity to learn more about what SPE Aberdeen does and find a volunteering opportunity that matches their interests and time commitments. We know that some members love the technical exchange work of SPE and are passionate about finding the right speakers that keep us at the forefront of the current industry debates. Others love to pass their love of an engineering career on to the next generation – we have opportunities to talk to students of all ages from primary school to PhD!

When it comes to time commitments, we know that volunteering can never be anyone’s first priority. So we have a range of volunteering opportunities to suit the time commitment individuals can afford. Some people can only participate outside of normal office hours, others work for companies that allow a volunteering day once a year while others can align their SPE meetings around other elements of their schedules. Volunteers at the kick off meeting know about these challenges and can help you find the right opportunity for you.

This year’s event will be digital. The format will be a short(!) introduction to SPE Aberdeen and then the opportunity to join virtual break-out rooms where you will have the opportunity to hear about the different committees’ work from active volunteers and be in a small enough group to ask all the questions you have.

It is going to be a great evening; you don’t have to be a current SPE member to attend the kick off meeting and you can sign up here.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Best wishes and stay safe,

Kenny

Kenny McAllister

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Dear SPE Aberdeen members, colleagues and friends,

What an amazing group of people work in this industry. The resilience and positive, can-do attitude constantly delights and inspires me.  There are two particular events that brought this to the front of my mind this month. You may have seen the Serica Energy’s video which SPE Aberdeen shared on social media showing their adaptations to keep personnel safe while continuing to deliver energy to the UK during the COVID19 crisis. It’s a great watch.

Serica Energy are one of the award sponsors of the Offshore Achievement Awards.  In the OAAs we have seen the adaptability of SPE Aberdeen, our events partner Mearns & Gill and venue TECA coupled with the resilience and support of our sponsors which has been vital to ensure that we continue to recognise and celebrate the individuals and companies that make this industry great. Through the ingenuity of the team we will be bringing an OAA event to you digitally this year. Hosted once again by Rachel Riley the event will run on Friday August 14^th.  Awards winners will join the celebration “via satellite” as they sometimes do at the Oscars. This could not happen without the continued support of the OAAs sponsors led by main sponsor TAQA.

Best wishes and stay safe.

Kenny

Kenny McAllister

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Dear SPE Aberdeen members, colleagues and friends,

I hope this newsletter finds you and yours in good health.

One of the SPE’s technical themes is the Digital Oilfield. It’s happening and there is no going back!

We have been forced to replace our face to face discussions with digital pixels and laptop speakers. Personally, I miss a handshake and the nuances in the reactions of a life-sized face. Nothing will fully replace the visceral experience of a face to face discussion. Yet there are opportunities to build deeper relationships in the unprecedented times. Zoom / GoToMeeting / Skype and Teams have allowed us to meet the partners, children and pets of our industry colleagues – not always intentionally. My black Labrador Ghillie has made a few appearances – a couple on camera but mostly sonically– who knew he snored that loudly?! In addition, we have learned about the extra-curricular passions through the backgrounds – real and imposed.

This month has seen our first Evening Technical Meeting delivered remotely. The digital delivery wasn’t as simple as running the same event over the internet earlier in the day. The team practiced the intro, handovers and had worked their plan to manage the Q&A session. I congratulate the team for delivering a very professional, fun and booked out event.

Always innovative, the Topsides conference committee replaced their hugely successful business breakfasts with a coffee and a chat format delivered digitally. The feedback was incredible and we are looking for opportunities for other conference events to keep their communities engaged throughout the year.

We continue to work on the delivery of the Continuing Education programme, working with TECA, Mearns & Gill and others to explore fully digital, in person and mixed events. One of the things we have learned is there is no going back – some of our delivery will be remote – both remote presenters and exhibitors and remote attendance. We have seen the opportunities in delivering our technical programme in the digital domain – the inclusion of those with mobility challenges and the inclusion of world class presenters without the need for travel.

Finally, I would like to thank all of my SPE friends and colleagues involved in our annual report to the SPE. I think the final submission reflected the excellent work done all through the year.

Best wishes and stay safe.

Kenny

Kenny McAllister

SPE Aberdeen Chair

Dear SPE Aberdeen members, colleagues and friends,

I hope this newsletter finds you and yours in good health.

This month we have been finding new opportunities in these changing times and I am delighted to announce that the first Technical Webinar will take place on 27^th May. It is the same Dana presentation we had scheduled for an Evening Technical Meeting in May but delivered earlier in the day and remotely; this webinar is free to attend. The quality of the meal afterwards is up to you not the Sandman Hotel!

We have been in discussion with TECA / P&J Live to learn about their plans for reopening. Their operations team is working on several threads – using instant testing to have COVID-19 free meetings, conferences with social distancing, all digital and partly remote conferences. It was great to hear their ideas. They are continuing to work flexibly on our contracts minimising our financial exposure and we are grateful that they are focussing on the long-term relationship. We will continue to have regular meetings along with our conference partners, ICoTA, PESGB, AFES and of course Mearns & Gill.

You will be able to keep up to date with all our events at www.spe-aberdeen.org

The SPE Annual Report is due to be submitted shortly and I would like to express my gratitude not only to the committee chairs and vice-chair that have worked on the submission but to all the SPE Aberdeen volunteers whose work is described in the review, for the countless hours of volunteering to deliver our technical programmes and our outreach work. I am proud of and grateful to you all.

Best wishes and stay safe.

Kenny

Kenny McAllister

SPE Aberdeen Chair