World Oil’s Deepwater Development Conference approaches with great momentum

KURT ABRAHAM, Editor-in-Chief 

If you haven’t consulted your calendar in a while, be sure to make note that the industry’s premier deepwater event, the Deepwater Development Conference( Marine Construction Engineering Deepwater Development—MCEDD) is rapidly approaching. The conference and its exhibition will be held in Madrid, Spain, and will run for two-and-a-half days during March 25-27. The venue for the conference is the Hotel Meliá Castilla, Fig. 1.  

Fig. 1. The venue for this year’s Deepwater Development Conference is Hotel Meliá Castilla in Madrid, Spain. Image: Hotel Meliá Castilla.

For a number of years, the Deepwater Development Conference has been the industry’s leading event addressing technical issues related to engineering, development and production of oil and gas in deepwater and ultra-deepwater arenas around the world. As our industry confronts new challenges, the sharing of deepwater experience plays a critical role in improving the quality, safety and economics vital to the industry’s future. 

The Deepwater Development Conference engages key members of the deepwater oil and gas community by providing a stage for world-class technical discussions focusing on the technology, innovation and experience needed to ensure further development. The technical program works with the exhibition and networking opportunities to create an environment that facilitates better understanding of the long-term vision of the global deepwater industry. 

New Deepwater Plays, New Deepwater Ways is the theme of the 2025 conference, as it sets its vision on the many new plays in the global deepwater sector, such as Namibia and Suriname, as well as those already under development like Guyana. In addition, attendees will still take lessons learned from established markets in Brazil and the Gulf of Mexico.  

It is a fair comment to say that deepwater professionals, like the wider energy industry, are striving to maximize revenues while minimizing the environmental impact of their activities. So, the obvious question is what technologies and innovations are driving the new deepwater ways and what developments will the future hold? 

Conference program. With reference to the above question, the conference program has been organized into a careful blend of individual presentations in grouped sessions, as well as panels on particular topics/themes. The individual presentations will include The Shah Deniz Stage 2 Development, From Design to Operation ; Deepwater Liberia: Persistence, patience, and breaking paradigms in West Africa’s final frontier; Pipelines, Flowlines and Risers;  Digitalization; Floating Facilities, FPSOs and Mooring Systems; Subsea-part one; Decarbonization and Electrification; Subsea-part two; and Case Studies and Lessons Learned. From a technical standpoint, these presentations certainly cover some of the more urgent issues in deepwater operations. 

There will be three panels devoted to the following subjects: Operators’ panel: Strategies for Efficiency in Deepwater Projects; Operators’ panel: New Frontiers – Opportunities and Challenges; Contractors’ Panel: and Driving innovation in deepwater technology and services. Hot on the heels of their latest discovery offshore Nambia, one could easily see Galp and TotalEnergies having an enthusiastic conversation in the second panel. 

Last, but not least, six keynotes will be sprinkled in during the two-and-a-half days. 

Conference speakers. We are blessed to feature an outstanding group of authoritative executives and high-level managers to speak on these wide-ranging topics. Among the operators represented by speakers are Repsol (the host operator), BluEnergies, bp, Galp, Petrobras, TotalEnergies, and Woodside Energy. 

The equipment/service and contractors segment includes speakers from a wide range of firms, with some of the larger companies being ABS, Baker Hughes, DNV, Emerson, IMCA, McDermott, Modec, NeoDrill, Saipem, SLB, Wood and Worley, plus more. 

Host city highlights. Madrid is a very welcoming city, with many things to do and see. The city features elegant boulevards and expansive, manicured parks. The weather in March is mild spring weather, with daytime temperatures averaging in the 60s°F (15–17°C) and nighttime lows ranging from 41–48°F (5–9°C). It's considered one of the best times to visit the city, with only moderate, occasional showers throughout the month.  

Fig. 2. The Prado Museum is among Madrid and Spain’s greatest treasures, featuring the most extensive collection of Spanish paintings. Image: Turespaña.

Among the points of interest recommended by the Spanish government to visit are 

• Prado Museum, Fig. 2. This gallery in Madrid has the most complete collection of Spanish painting from 11th-18th centuries, and numerous masterpieces by great universal artists such as El Greco, Velázquez, Goya, Bosch, Titian, Van Dyck and Rembrandt. 
• Reina Sofía National Art Centre. The Reina Sofía National Art Centre opened its doors to the public in 1990 with a major collection of Spanish and international art covering the period between the late 19th century to the present day. 
• Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. In the nearly one thousand works on display, visitors can contemplate the major periods and schools of western art, from the Renaissance through Mannerism, Baroque, Rococo, Romanticism and the art of the 19th and 20th centuries to Pop Art. 
• Royal Palace (Madrid). Madrid's Royal Palace was built in the 18th century by order of Philip V on the site of the old Alcázar fortress, a former Moorish castle. 
• Plaza Mayor square in Madrid. Madrid’s Plaza Mayor is a symbol of the city and a must-see. This enormous esplanade in the city centre was begun in the 17th century by King Philip III, whose bronze equestrian statue stands in the square. Officially opened in 1620, it is rectangular in shape and lined with pillars and arches. 
• Gallery of the Royal Collections. Located next to the Royal Palace of Madrid, the museum houses an excellent selection of art works showcasing the richness and diversity of the Patrimonio Nacional collections.  
• Puerta de Alcalá Gate. This is one of the most well-known monuments in Madrid. Built between 1774 and 1778 under the orders of King Carlos III, it was designed by Francisco Sabatini and erected as a triumphal arch to celebrate the arrival of the monarch at the capital.  
• Casa de la Villa City Hall and Casa de Cisneros House. In the heart of “Madrid de los Austrias” (Madrid of the Hapsburgs) there is a square called Plaza de la Villa which is home to a statue honoring Álvaro de Bazán (19th Century). Alongside the square is Casa de la Villa House, designed by Juan Gómez de Mora in the 17th Century and formerly used as a prison. 
• Buen Retiro Park. Located in the heart of Madrid, its origins date from the reign of Philip IV, when the Buen Retiro Palace was built by the Count-Duke of Olivares. The Astronomical Observatory and the Buen Retiro Royal Porcelain Factory were added during the reign of Charles III. 
• Teatro Real. Located very close to the Puerta del Sol, the Teatro Real in Madrid is one of the leading theatres in the world. In recent years, it has received numerous awards, including the International Opera Award for Best Opera House. 

Registration. For more information, and to register, please visit MCEDD.com. You also may contact Rachel McGhie for general information (Rachel.McGhie@gulfenergyinfo.com) and Melissa Smith for sponsor information (melissa.smith@gulfenergyinfo.com). See you in Madrid!