Deepwater Development Conference adds experts to advisory board

(WO) — The Deepwater Development Conference (MCEDD) has welcomed new experts from SOCAR, Woodside Energy, and Staatsolie to its Advisory Board for the 2025 event. These industry leaders bring decades of experience in deepwater exploration and development, helping shape the conference’s agenda to drive innovation, sustainability, and operational excellence.

Scheduled for March 25-27, 2025, in Madrid, Spain, the conference, hosted by Repsol, will gather the global deepwater community for three days of strategic insights, technical sessions, and networking opportunities.

The new board members will join representatives from global operators such as bp, Eni, Petrobras, Repsol, Shell, and TotalEnergies, contributing expertise in capital projects, resource commercialization, and offshore facilities management.

Tolga Demir, an upstream executive with over 25 years in the industry, joins the board from SOCAR. He has played a key role in significant deepwater projects, including leading the subsurface team that discovered a major gas field in the Black Sea and delivering first gas in under 30 months under challenging conditions.

Grant McKenzie, Vice President of Developments within Woodside Energy’s Technical & Energy Development group, brings extensive expertise in deepwater planning and project execution. His focus on resource commercialization has shaped Woodside’s global portfolio, and he has previously worked with BHP, Hess Corporation, and BG Group.

Randy Seehausen, Offshore Facilities Engineering Manager at Staatsolie, adds significant experience in offshore facility design and management. He has been instrumental in numerous offshore developments, ensuring that robust design and implementation practices support long-term operational integrity.

With these additions, MCEDD enhances its role as the premier platform for advancing deepwater exploration and production.

“We are excited to welcome Tolga, Grant, and Randy to the Advisory Board,” said John Royall, President and CEO of Gulf Energy Information, the parent company of World Oil and Petroleum Economist. “Their deepwater experience and leadership in innovative solutions will be vital in shaping the content and direction of the Deepwater Development Conference.”

The Call for Abstracts is open now through October 16. Visit MCEDD.com for more information on topics of interest and to submit your abstract for consideration at the 2025 event.