ODE joins Southern North Sea working group on life extension

Director – New Ventures, Jeff Barnes will be representing ODE on the newly formed SNS Rejuvenation Special Interest Group (SIG). The initiative launched by the OGA, Oil & Gas UK and the East of England Energy Group (EEEGR) has a wide remit – seeking to maximise economic recovery (MER) of gas reserves for at least another 20 years by identifying new opportunities, including examining the potential for carboniferous gas reserves.

Jeff, who until 2015 was ConocoPhillips’s Capital Project Manager for the company’s SNS developments said. “When ODE was approached to be part of this working group, it was clear that this was something that I personally had to be a part of. I enjoyed my time building much of the SNS infrastructure, but the challenge we now face, to extend the life of this infrastructure, is equally exciting.”

Jeff continued, “During my time at ConocoPhillips I’d worked closely with the team at ODE on a variety of projects, but it wasn’t until I joined them in 2015, that it became clear to me just how important companies such as ODE will come to the survival of the SNS. ODE is possibly unique in what it does. It’s well known for designing very effective, low maintenance not normally manned facilities, but also cost-effectively maintaining these types of assets. Over the last fifteen years ODE has built up an impressive track record of operating southern sector gas installations. Add to this ODE’s experience in offshore renewables, the potential to merge working practises between these energy sectors and you really start to understand how all these things can be interconnected.”

The Special Interest Group will seek to nurture collaboration and co-operation between existing operators, and with offshore wind developers, as well as examining how equipment and processes might be standardised to drive costs down.

Companies selected for the steering group represent regional, national and international interests and were chosen to reflect the spread of the industry knowledge and expertise in the region.

Members are: Shell, Oranje-Nassau Energie (ONE), Premier Oil, ENGIE E&P UK, Centrica, ODE, Aker Solutions, James Fisher & Sons, DNVGL, Sembmarine SLP, Baker Hughes, Lloyds Register, Fraser Well Management, Acteon, SSE, and Statoil.

The SIG was launched by Eric Marston, OGA Southern North Sea and Morecambe Bay manager, at EEEGR’s House of Commons reception in October. Its first meeting will take place in December 2016.

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/drilling-and-production/14122016/ode-joins-southern-north-sea-working-group-on-life-extension/