Hundreds briefed on tech trends at MCE Deepwater Development conference in London

MCE Deepwater Development returned to its in-person conference in London this month. By all accounts, it exceeded its goal of bringing together technical experts from across the global industry. The three-day event was packed with technical presentations, panel discussions, forums and networking opportunities.

“MCEDD 2022 was a tremendous success, as we welcomed over 200 deepwater industry professionals back in person, in London,” said Andy McDowell, vice president of Upstream & Midstream for Gulf Energy Information. “Over 85 speakers presented on various technologies associated with deepwater development, subsea technology/electrification, FPSO design and decarbonization.”

First day focus on future trends. The event, organized by Gulf Quest, a joint operation of Quest Offshore and Gulf Energy Information (World Oil’s parent), had a focus on Decarbonizing Deepwater Production, but presentations covered a breadth of relevant, timely information. MCEDD kicked off with an in-depth discussion from operating companies bp and TotalEnergies, and tier one contractors, OneSubsea, Subsea Integration Alliance, and Baker Hughes. Each company official presented his thoughts on the future of deepwater development, and it culminated with an in-depth panel discussion fueled by audience questions. Specifically, David Saul, senior advisor, Subsea, for bp, discussed resourcing the energy transition during the macro-industry topics and trends sessions.

Second-day FPSO focus. During the second day, Chris Barton of WOOD; Duncan Peace of Crondall Energy Company; Arun Duggal of SOFEC, Inc.; Luiz Feijo of ABS; Roderick Ruinen of Mooreast Europe BV; and Ezekial Davis of ABS participated in a panel discussion as part of the floating facilities, FPSOS and mooring systems session. Earlier, the same speakers had given presentations over topics, including recommendations for continued operation of aging FPSOs and class criteria for sustainable FPSOs.

Project outlook. Some speakers expressed optimism about a rebound in growth of deepwater activity. Long- term, strategic deepwater projects should continue to be a part of most large operators’ portfolios, they noted. Even those with a new focus on renewables will continue to have hydrocarbons as part of their company strategies. Projects like these with huge returns will continue to be a valuable source of global supply for the foreseeable future.

Additional topics. Other sessions covered handling strategies for gas, CO₂ and hydrogen; macro, renewable energy and innovation to decarbonize; electrification of subsea developments and brownfield infrastructure; renewable energy and innovation to decarbonize; technologies: digitalization, unmanned and autonomous; and subsea infrastructure assets – changes and challenges.

Considering the conference’s success and attendee feedback, organizers have already set their sights on next year’s MCEDD event. “As conference organizers, we look forward to bringing MCEDD back in 2023, and we will announce our venue and dates in the coming weeks,” McDowell said. “The strong showing at this year’s event shows us that a niche, technical deepwater event like MCEDD is highly valued in the marketplace and a necessity for industry experts moving forward.”