Member Article

Leading subsea stars to descend on North East next month

The North East will host a group of the world’s leading offshore industry companies next month to explore growing opportunities in the subsea sector.

The event, Subsea North East Exhibition and Conference, will provide an insight into the latest developments in an industry worth £6bn a year to the UK.

Held on 14 June at St James’ Park, leading sector firms including Subsea 7, GE Oil & Gas and Total Exploration and Production UK will be in attendance to discuss their project pipelines and supply chain opportunities.

Expected to attract more than 150 delegates, the conference and exhibition, which is organised by NOF Energy on behalf of regional advocacy group Subsea North East, will also provide an update on the work of the Efficiency Task Force (ETF).

Launched in 2015 and led by Oil & Gas UK, the ETF is focused on making the UK Continental Shelf a more resilient and competitive location for hydrocarbon exploration and production.

Delegates at the conference and exhibition, which is sponsored by Energy Central, the Blyth-based hub for energy-based sectors, will also be able to find out about Tyne Subsea, the region’s industry-leading hyperbaric testing facility.

Alongside the conference will be an extensive exhibition of companies operating in the subsea sector or providing support services to the industry. The North East has a core supply chain of around 50 companies serving the UK and international subsea market from engineering analysis experts to umbilical manufacturers, Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) specialists and experienced fabricators.

Alan Black, Business Unit Director at Subsea 7, said: “A large proportion of North Sea production is now subsea based, which offers great potential for innovative companies.

“Subsea 7 has a long-standing reputation for developing and establishing strong supply chain relationships with inventive and collaborative companies and we are looking forward to engaging with suppliers from the North East.”

George Rafferty, Chief Executive of NOF Energy, said: “The North East of England has a strong subsea heritage, but is also demonstrating its capabilities to deliver new, technology-led solutions that are not only advancing exploration, recovery and underwater maintenance operations, but helping to control costs.

“Supply chain companies have a vital role to play in helping organisations like Oil & Gas UK’s Efficiency Task Force deliver on its ambitions to make the North Sea a more sustainable and efficient basin for offshore operations. This conference will showcase the capabilities of the region’s companies while giving them access to some of the sector’s leading players.”