With about three months to go 550 companies have already confirmed their participation at Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference 2015 (OEEC) in Amsterdam , The Netherlands. Despite the low oil price and not so rosy short term outlook, Offshore Energy expects to continue on its growth path.
Philip Mulder , OEEC marketing manager said: “In our experience the bust in the oil market is not an overall bust in the offshore energy industry so we expect a full house again in October. Of course the falling oil price and its impact on the global oil, gas and energy industry is on everyone’s mind but we also see resilience, a strong industry looking for ways to stand out in challenging times instead of passively waiting for better days to come.”
The industry is entering a new era in which major investments are needed. The Offshore Energy conference will address how industry players along the value chain respond to the new industry context. The panel discussions take a long term strategic view on the industry and the technical sessions zoom in on new solutions to particular technical or operational challenges. Some featured sessions are Supply chain optimization, Well intervention vessels and HPHT drilling. A co-located symposium of the Netherlands Section of the Society of Petroleum Engineers will discuss the opportunities and state of play of Dutch hydrocarbons.
In addition to developments in oil & gas, OEEC also pays ample attention to the renewable part of the energy mix with a full day co-located Offshore WIND Conference and half a day focusing on marine energy. In particular in Europe, the relative boom in the renewables industry makes up for the temporary bust in the conventional fossil fuels industry. On the exhibition floor of OEEC 2014 this was highlighted by the fact that 35 % of the exhibiting companies told to be active in renewable energy as well.
Mulder: “Offshore Energy 2015 will be bigger than ever. Companies such as Expro North Sea, Fugro, Bluewater Energy Services, Seaway Heavy Lifting will once again join the show and the conference program will feature more sessions and speakers than ever before.”
For companies hesitating about their participation there is good news; though limited, there is still some space available for an event that has all the ingredients for another success.