In the second week of October 2018, over 200 Dynamic Positioning professionals from sixteen countries converged on Houston for the 23rd Annual DP Conference. As in the past, over one third of the attendees were from outside the United States, some from as far away as Japan.
The conference once again kicked off with a one-day Workshop at which over 70 attendees spent the morning discussing the TECHOP on DP SME & FMEA PRACTITIONER COMPETENCY The afternoon session focused on ASSET REACTIVATION: PENULTIMATE REVIEW OF ASSET REACTIVATION GUIDANCE DOCUMENT AGAINST BACKDROP OF EXPERIENCES IN REACTIVATION. The Workshop has become a popular and well-attended addition to the DP Conference. Its importance is reflected by the many sponsors who support the Workshop, and this year included ABS, Aspin Kemp & Associates, Beier Radio, DNV GL, Edison Offshore, GATE, GMS, Harvey Gulf International Marine, Hornbeck Offshore, Kongsberg, Lloyds Register, M3 Marine, MAC, Noble Drilling, Oceaneering, POSH and Technip.
The technical Conference, held October 9 and 10, included twenty-five presentations and a cadre of highly distinguished speakers, many recognized pioneers in their fields. Eight Session Chairs from leading operators and government agencies introduced and moderated each session and included representatives from ConocoPhillips, MAC, Marathon Oil, Shell, London Offshore Consultants, TAMU, and Bureau Veritas.
A tribute to Howard Shatto was given in place of the annual Distinguished Achievement Award.
Representatives from Dynamic Positioning software, hardware and service providers took exhibit space at the conference. Many of these exhibitors return year after year, finding the Conference an excellent forum for meeting with highly targeted and focused current and potential clients.
While attendance at this year’s conference was slightly lower than recent years, a reflection on the depressed state of the offshore industry, many attendees see value in the ongoing educational and technical aspects of the event and welcome the opportunities it offers to keep abreast of the latest technology and innovations. The conference is sponsorship and endorsement by major operators including Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Shell, ExxonMobil, ABB, and Inkster Marine bearing testament to the importance of this annual MTS sponsored event.
Proceedings from the Conference were provided on memory sticks to all attendees courtesy of Guidance Marine. Proceedings are also available online through this website for conference attendees.