The big news recently has been in deepwater discoveries. If those discoveries are going to contribute to the world’s oil supply, some big news in production technology will have to follow. The 7th Annual Subsea Tieback Forum & Exhibition (SSTB) directs industry attention toward that side of the equation.

From Feb. 27 through March 1 at Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas, the SSTB will feature practical and up-to-date presentations on the status and issues involved with subsea tiebacks. The event will address the current status of related technology and look ahead toward future solutions to deepwater production. The event is designed to give operators and contractors an opportunity to discuss common problems and individual solutions in a private setting.

From the opening keynote speech scheduled to come from Ryan M. Lance of ConocoPhillips through to the closing panel discussion about the challenges of completing projects on time and on budget, the Forum will address practical, field-oriented systems, procedures, and hardware. Individual sessions are scheduled around the “big hub” development concept and execution, long-distance tiebacks, maintaining reliability in deepwater and with difficult wells, real problems and how they were attacked, operation case studies, and subsea boosting.

Scheduled participation is coming from such operators as Anadarko, Shell, Total, BHP, ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP, and Petrobras, plus subsea equipment and engineering suppliers such as Aker Kvaerner, Technip, Vetco, Intec, TDW Offshore, Oceaneering, and FMC. In addition, there is the individual contact between sessions and on the exhibit floor with other people involved in the same business.

In addition, there is the information to be gleaned from the 100 or so exhibits which will parallel the Forum. Representatives will range from small valve manufacturers to turnkey system suppliers.

ConocoPhillips is the show host and the Society for Underwater Technology is the supporting organization. Forum sponsors are Aker Kvaerner, Cameron, Cross Group, CorrOcean, FMC Technologies, Helix Energy Solutions, Oil States Industries, Technip, Vetco, and UK Subsea. PennWell is the conference organizer, and the flagship media sponsors are Offshore, Oil & Gas Journal, and Oil, Gas & Petrochem Equipment.

For more information, up-to-the-minute schedules, speaker topic details, or for registration, look online at www.subseatiebackforum.com.

This year’s theme is “Real Issues, Real Solutions”. We are here to share CURRENT, REAL experiences without pulling punches. The press is not here, so we are free to tell REAL stories, CHALLENGE conventional thinking and to walk away prepared to improve our next project.

Our Advisory Board has assembled a program that focuses on the challenges faced by the subsea community, and highlights the successes in meeting those challenges. Throughout the world, our industry is experiencing tremendous growth in the application of subsea technology, which has strained engineering and manufacturing, and pushed costs to record levels, all while moving into new regions, deeper water, and harsher environments.

This is an interactive event that relies heavily on your questions and comments. A great deal of technical information will be presented, but we have allowed time for discussion. We encourage all delegates to ask challenging questions, state your concerns and share your observations. We expect to learn by sharing our challenges and achievements, and the success of the forum depends on the audience to actively contribute to the knowledge sharing.

We will wrap up with a Panel Discussion titled “It’s Your Fault”, where we hope to encourage another level of open and honest discussion.

Just the title should encourage you to stay and participate.

My sincere appreciation goes out to the Advisory Board, the Presenters, the Sponsors, PennWell, and all of the participants for making this event a great success. Its envied reputation is a direct result of all of their efforts. Outside the presentation hall will be many opportunities to visit with the speakers and delegates, explore our exhibition area, and see the latest available technology. We encourage everyone to make the most of this time. With good interaction, these three days will have a lasting, positive impact on our rapidly growing sector of the offshore market.

Thank you for your participation. And most important, have a great time.

Don Wells

SSTB Forum Chairman

Principal Subsea Engineer ConocoPhillips

8:35 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Session 1: Setting the Scene

Bill Donlon - BHP Billiton

•Deepwater Forecast

•Tieback Facts and Figures

•Tieback Drivers and Issues

•Key Components

•Example Layouts

10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Coffee Break

10:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Session 2: Overview of Subsea Systems Engineering

Tom Kelly - FMC Technologies

•Subsea Elements

•Systems Considerations

•Subsea Completions (Trees & Wellheads)

•Controls Systems

•Manifolds & Tie-in Systems

•Installation & Workover Systems

12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Lunch

1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Session 3: Umbilicals, Risers and Flowlines

Chuck Horn - Technip

•Floating Productions Systems Used for Subsea Tiebacks

•Subsea Production Control

•Flowline Tie-in Presentation

•Offshore Flowlines/Pipelines

3 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Coffee Break

3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Session 4: Production Handling Agreements

Cory Loegering - Mariner Energy

4:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.

Update on Intelligent Well Interface Standard (IWIS)

Don Schlater - SUT Training Committee Chairman - BP Castrol

4:45 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Questions and Answers

Don Schlater - BP Castrol