Successful Opening Day OE 2009
Major issues including climate and energy, breakthrough technologies and the operating model being used by the upstream industry were in the spotlight during the opening day of SPE Offshore Europe 2009, with thousands of delegates coming through the doors to participate in the international oil and gas sector’s leading event. The first day of the conference and exhibition saw leading figures from the global E&P business debate and discuss key topics in front of a packed out auditorium in an opening plenary session led by the OE 2009 Chairman Thomas Thune Andersen. He was joined by Connie Hedegaard, Denmark’s Minister of Climate and Energy; the UK’s Energy Minister Lord Hunt; Schlumberger’s Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Gould, and John Manzoni, President & Chief Executive Officer of Talisman Energy Inc. Minister Hedegaard stressed the “massive opportunities the oil and gas industry has to capitalize on the world’s transition to a low carbon economy, and that the industry’s technical know-how and engineering skills should be harnessed to win a share of new offshore renewables markets.” She added that the twin challenges of climate change and energy security will dominate the global political agenda for years to come.
Mr. Andersen said: “Looking back in three to five years time, this will be seen as the time when the necessary structural changes took place. There is a whole new dynamic around issues of state control of resources, access to resources in faraway places, innovation and new partnerships and what is happening to the climate. I am very excited to hear what will be discussed and debated throughout the remainder of the show.”
More than 10,000 oil industry professionals from around the world visited the show on its first day, on a par with the 2007 event. This year’s exhibition is the largest in the event’s history, with the exhibition space sold totalling 22,620 m2. This is a rise of 11% compared to the last show in 2007, itself a record breaker, and saw the installation of a new 2,171m2 area (Hall 4) to accommodate the increased demand. There are more than 1,500 companies exhibiting at the event, which runs until Friday, with more than 339 companies exhibiting in Aberdeen for the very first time. The show has country pavillions from Scotland, China, the United States, Norway, Germany, France, Spain, Canada, Italy, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Nigeria, Austria and Northern and Western Australia. SPE Offshore Europe delivers debate, learning, innovation and solutions, providing its industry with an ideal platform for professionals to meet, discuss and view at first hand the latest technology and solutions available.