The FPSO Europe Congress – middle of February in London – was a fantastic opportunity to get together with many of the thought leaders of the FPSO world and discuss the current market, climate, future and ideas. For me it was great to see that the audience of the congress was well balanced – ranging from all the big players to smaller players specialized in this field of work. The main goal of my attendance was to discuss the challenges these companies and thought leaders face in their day-to-day business.
Challenges and obstacles
Sharing and gaining knowledge and experiences was one of the main themes in both the plenary and breakout sessions throughout the congress. Therefore Brunel joined forces with one of today’s most dynamic operators: Maersk Oil. Maersk Oil is Denmark’s largest operator and a company with a long standing and respected history. Together we hosted one of the round tables discussions. The topic of our round table was whether the industry is ready for the take off of its projects and how deployment of the workforce will look in the future. Making sure that the right people are at the right place at the right time is essential for any FPSO project. Our main goal was gaining insights in the challenges and obstacles these companies encounter and how they will approach these challenges in the future.
Our round tables sessions attracted participants from all areas of the industry including operators, EPC companies, service companies and equipment companies. Although the subjects that arose throughout the sessions were varied the general subjects discussed around the table all related to a changed industry that needs to focus and find new ways of solving challenges.
Key learnings
The industry needs to improve its image and attract new blood. Building the future is important so more opportunities need to become available for the younger generation entering the business.
Bundling forces with people from all areas of the industry means being able to discuss how to work and hire smarter, how to offer interesting opportunities, how to keep costs under control and how to operate smartly was exciting. In a nutshell – how do we prepare ourselves for the future? And how can we prepare together?
These questions are a symbol of the current market – if we want to improve and reinvent the industry, we need to do it together, share knowledge and experiences and learn from each other. We at Brunel are up for that challenge!
Joanne Thomas
Business Manager