Exploration & Production: Oil and Gas Review

Foreword_subbed.qxp 1/4/09 11:45 Page 7
Foreword
Hugh Williams
Chief Executive, International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA)
Hugh Williams is Chief Executive of the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), which represents offshore, marine and
underwater engineering companies worldwide. The association has over 560 member companies in 52 countries around the globe. Mr Williams
is a chartered civil engineer with nearly 35 years of broad experience, including: commercial management and business development for marine
contractors Heerema; commercial and engineering management with design work and marine warranty survey for consultants Noble Denton
and Global Maritime; and port and harbour design office and site work with engineering consultants Rendel Palmer and Tritton. His career has
gradually focused on marine operations, particularly heavy lifting and marine construction in the offshore oil and gas industry.
W
hat a difference a year makes. As we prepare for the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), the foremost oil and
gas show in the world, it is impossible not to recall the air of unprecedented optimism this time last year – and the
extraordinarily high barrel price at the time. How things have changed.
This excellent issue of Exploration & Production – Oil & Gas Review, with its far-ranging industry outlook features, its regional
focus section and articles devoted to all elements of the industry, provides a fascinating insight into how the oil and gas sector
is reacting to the current economic, financial and industry challenges.
The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) is proud to be a supporting organisation of OTC, and we look
forward to meeting many members of IMCA who will be taking part as conference speakers, exhibitors and visitors to the
exhibition, all of whom will be there with one aim in mind: to promote aspects of marine construction. As an association, we
look forward to meeting you on stand number S13/L2, where we will be delighted to share IMCA’s work programme with
you. We have a great deal to tell you about.
It is, of course, inevitable that we will hear those words ‘credit crisis’ and ‘pressure’ time and again during those packed few
days in Houston: in conference sessions, as we visit exhibitors on their booths and when we meet friends and colleagues in
the aisles. Our industry certainly faces new challenges in light of the cash crisis. Challenges will bring their own pressures,
and we are well aware that there is always the temptation to take shortcuts at times like this; however, we also know the
difficulties that can follow. It is vital that we continue to deliver safe and efficient projects and that all parties use the industry
good practice published by IMCA and others to promote safety and efficiency in every task we undertake, so we can ride the
economic storm and deliver projects on time and on budget.
We recently conducted an IMCA membership survey and discovered some interesting insights into how we were perceived:
“IMCA provides a common language”, “the industry umbrella organisation” and “a knowledge resource”. It is as that
‘knowledge resource’ that we are able to generate good practice developed from members’ years of cumulative experience,
from their personnel and thanks to their use of equipment and establishment of procedures. In an effort to ensure safe
operations, we share realtime knowledge of incidents through safety flashes so all can learn from incidents in specific areas,
such as dynamic positioning (DP), where we maintain incident databases. A recent safety flash warned of the dangers of
programmable logic controllers (PLCs) in marine operations.
Whatever the economic climate and whatever the barrel price, it is essential that safety and efficiency remain of paramount
importance, that no shortcuts are taken and that our industry encourages an integrated approach across the whole marine
construction industry and all of its operations, ensuring its reliability for all contractors and clients in all regions of the world.
The pages that follow contribute to this same end. There is something for all sectors, and an excellent collection of authors.
I hope you will appreciate its breadth, relevance and insight in what is no doubt a turning point for our industry. ■
© TOUCH BRIEFINGS 2009
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