IADC Drilling Africa 2024 Conference & Exhibition

07.00 Conference Registration, Coffee Service, Poster Session & Open Exhibition

08.30 Welcome, Introduction & Safety Briefing

08.40 Opening Speaker: Maggy Shino, Petroleum Commissioner, Ministry of Mines and Energy, Namibia

09.00 Keynote Speaker: Laurent Roché, Managing Director, TotalEnergies E&P Namibia B.V.

09.20 Global Market Outlook: Teresa Wilkie, Research Director, Westwood Energy

09.40 Market Outlook Africa: Eivind Drabløs, Senior Offshore Rig Analyst & Product Manager, RystadEnergy

10.00 Networking Break & Open Exhibition

10.30 Panel Session: Sustainable Horizons: Navigating the Path to Carbon Emissions Reduction
Moderators: Kevin Burke,  Completion and Testing Manager, Tullow Oil & Hisham Zebian, Vice President Eastern Hemisphere, IADC

Our mission is to convene experts, leaders, and advocates in a thought-provoking panel discussion that delves into the pressing issues of sustainability and carbon emissions reduction. We aim to foster a deeper understanding of the challenges we face, explore innovative solutions, and inspire collective action towards a more sustainable and environmentally responsible future. Through open dialogue and shared knowledge, we hope to empower individuals, organizations, and communities to take meaningful steps towards reducing carbon emissions and preserving our planet for generations to come.

Panelists:

• Qasim Al-Rawahi, Senior Contract Holder, Petroleum Development Oman

11.40 Featured Speaker: t.b.n Sonangol

12.00 Luncheon, Poster Session & Open Exhibition –  Sponsored by NOV

13.30 Safety Culture Outlook
Session Chair: Hisham Zebian, Vice President Eastern Hemisphere, IADC

Safety from a Bottom-up Perspective: Learning from Normal Work: Thomas Koester, Human Factors Specialist, Noble Drilling
Tools and methods for a bottom-up approach to safety and to learning about safety which is based on the discussion of positive examples rather than discussion of failure and incidents will be shared. An explanation is given of how we made observations of positive behaviors, actions, and interactions on board drilling rigs, including a drillship in Ghana. We explain how we transformed these observations into learning material and how we designed a process for the implementation based on interactive learning formats which will encourage frontline personnel to reflect over their own work and actions.

Bridging Cultures for Safety: Navigating the Complexity of Multicultural Teams in High-Hazard Industries: Karin Ovari, Chief Executive Officer, Nuala Gage, Safety Collaborations Limited
Navigate the maze of multicultural teams in high-risk operations with our game-changing talk: “Bridging Cultures for Safety.” We dig deep into why traditional safety norms often misfire and offer a fresh toolkit combining Conversational and Inter-cultural Intelligence. Learn how to amp up communication, inclusion, and psychological safety in diverse work environments.

Developing the Next Generation of Rig Site Leaders: Chris French, Business Development Executive, The REACH Group
While the industry has come a long way to advance competency in technical roles, how do we ensure that rig site leaders will be able to effectively manage their multi-generational, diverse teams? These leaders are the ones that must develop the workers so they can quickly assimilate and demonstrate company values and behaviors through their daily work activities. This is essential to efficient, safe performance on any drilling operation. Rig site leaders are trained and coached in organizational culture, leadership skills and human performance concepts to bring teams together by establishing a common purpose and a shared vision of success. Coaching can be applied in their specific work environment to nurture the newly learned skills.

14.30 Networking Break, Poster Session & Open Exhibition

15.00 Managed Pressure Drilling
Session Chair: Chris French, Business Development Executive, The REACH Group

Dual MPD for Deep-water Drilling in Africa: Snorre Lutnes, Technical Sales Manager, Enhanced Drilling
To overcome a common challenge in Deepwater drilling – narrow operating windows – a Dual MPD system has been developed. The Controlled Mud Level (CML) MPD can generate pressure profiles which follows the same trend as the operating window in Deepwater drilling by utilizing the Dual Gradient effect when lowering the riser level. This enables longer sections to be drilled – even in operating windows with negative margin. Combining CML with Surface Back Pressure (SBP) MPD offers improved methods for Influx Management. Earlier detection, Riser Gas Handling, rapid influx suppression, and the ability to handle larger influxes with lower pressures at surface and in the well are the results when combining the MPD techniques. This presentation will detail how the MPD methods work together and explain the drilling and completion approach, and the different influx management options. Case studies will be used to demonstrate how it has performed in the field to overcome Deepwater challenges.

MPD Approach to Completion String Design and Run Enabled Operator to Successfully Complete Wells in Highly Unstable Formations Offshore West Africa: Wamidh Al Hashmy, International MPD Project Manager, Beyond Energy Services & Technologies Group
Narrow annular clearances, numerous GeoForm components and sensitive SAF isolation valves made completion runs vulnerable to surge pressures offshore Ivory Coast. The utilization of MPD concepts, techniques and equipment allowed to predict the maximum tripping speeds and expected bottomhole pressures by conducting detailed surge analyses before designing and running the lower-completions string. This novel approach of MPD incorporation into completions design was implemented in four wells successfully. It has saved cost and time, with zero non-productive time, and proven key to successfully drill and complete wells in the region.

15.40 Panel Session: Navigating the Future: Empowering Young Professionals and Tackling Workforce Challenges in the Oil and Gas Industry
Moderators: Chuks Enwereji, Security Manager West Africa, Shelf Drilling, & Abioye Shokoya-Eleshin, Head Business Development, Bicens Resources Limited

This dynamic panel session brings together a diverse group of young professionals and industry leaders to address the pressing challenges faced by millennials and the broader workforce in the rapidly evolving oil and gas industry. Through insightful discussions and interactive dialogues, we aim to explore innovative strategies for empowering and engaging the next generation of talent, while addressing crucial workforce challenges such as talent retention, skills development, and diversity. Join us as we navigate the future and shape a resilient and inclusive industry together.

Panelists:

• Hubertus Nashilundo, Senior Petroleum Engineer, NAMCOR
• Tahir Akoji Ageni-Yusuf, Rig Manager, Shelf Drilling
• Tevin S.A Nyambali, Petroleum Engineer specialized in Subsea Engineering, Petroleum Affairs, Ministry of Mines and Energy

16.45 Welcoming Reception, Poster Session & Open Exhibition

07.00 Conference Registration, Coffee Service, Poster Session & Open Exhibition

08.30 Welcome, Introduction & Safety Briefing

08.35 Opening Speaker: Victoria Sibeya, Executive, Upstream Exploration, NAMCOR

09.00 Keynote Speaker: Renato Moure, Chief Executive Officer, Sonadrill

09.20 Technology and Equipment Relevant to African Drilling and Completions
Session Chair: Lukas Kandowa, Engineering Manager, NAMCOR

Drilling Cycle Time Optimization through Under-floor Offline Rig Operations: Iwan Ardian, Senior Engineer, Marcos Cardoso, Carlos de Sa, Ludger Amaro, Cabinda Gulf Oil Company (Chevron)
Offshore efficiency depends on improvements across all operations. An illustration on how a shift away from ROP improvements and towards facilitating offline activities can lead to a substantial improvement in operations efficiency. A partnership between Cabinda Gulf Oil Company (Chevron) and Shelf Drilling has demonstrated >15% improvement in overall drilling cycle time by moving operations off critical path using under rig floor equipment and simplified processes.

A Case Study of an Annular Pressure Build-up Model and Validation through Well Testing to Ensure Well Design Reliability: Davide Cesale, Completion Engineer, Giuseppe Placida, Antonio Sacchini, Ruggero Veraldo Ruben Brambilla, Luca Paolo Bianchini, Noemi Poletti, ENI, Mihai Feica, Mohammad, Yasir, Halliburton
While exploring offshore deep-waters of Africa’s coastline, in our quest to find new hydrocarbon resources, well designs get challenged, introducing more comprehensive engineering solutions to cater for the increased design complexities. The purpose of this study is to compare the results of thermal simulations with real-time field data acquired during well testing for a subsea well. The aim is to validate the A-annulus Annular Pressure Build-up and confirm that the methodologies and commercial software models employed while checking Well Integrity during the Well Design phase can accurately be modelled and match the expected service life loads.

10.00 Networking Break, Poster Session & Open Exhibition

10.30 Local Content
Session Chair: Frederic Jacquemin, Director Marketing & Contracts, Noble Drilling

Shared Prosperity: Anthony Clark, Group Well Engineer Manager, Tullow Oil
The process of developing a high performing Ghanaian centered team that can run world-class deep-water drilling and completion operations and leave a genuine enduring legacy. Moving quickly from a small exploration and appraisal team to a multi rig development in a country with little oilfield history and very little infrastructure. Establishment of genuine competency in recruits. Leveraging the Ghanaian diaspora. Developing competency and capability in 3rd party service partners. Contracting strategies, the tensions between going for long term bundled contracts to facilitate investment vs. single service contracts to allow access to smaller indigenous start-ups. How to encourage contractors to localize and responding to evolving local content legislation.

Challenges in Developing a Competent Local Workforce in Southern Africa – Focus on Namibia and Mozambique: Jarcu Groenewald, Managing Director, Dejan Zigic, 3C Metal Belmet
With the upcoming future Oil and Gas developments in Namibia and Mozambique, companies like 3C Metal Belmet are tackling the challenge of sourcing, developing, and training a local workforce with the correct skills and competencies to meet the challenging demands of the Offshore/Onshore energy industry.

Challenges in Sourcing Competent Local Talents for Offshore Activities in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector: Akoji Ageni-Yusuf, Rig Manager, Chukwudi Enwereji, Shelf Drilling
Through an examination of industry experiences and case studies, this presentation will shed light on the issues surrounding the availability of competent local talents, including the lack of specialized skills, limited access to training programs, and the need for effective talent retention strategies. Also, the importance of collaboration between industry stakeholders in addressing these challenges will be discussed. The findings and recommendations presented in this paper aim to provide insights and practical solutions for drilling contractors and industry stakeholders, with a focus on improving the sourcing and development of competent local talents. By addressing the challenges in talent sourcing, this paper seeks to contribute to the growth, efficiency, and sustainability of offshore operations in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. Keywords: offshore activities, local talent sourcing, competency, Nigerian oil and gas sector, regulatory compliance, workforce development, talent retention, collaboration, recommendations, solutions.

11.30 Featured Presentation: Strategic Redeployment of the High Specification Harsh Environments Drilling Rigs: Scott McReaken, Chief Executive Officer, Northern Ocean
Northern Ocean who owns two of the world’s most sophisticated harsh environment semisubmersible drilling rigs has recently redeployed the rigs from the North Sea to West Africa to work for two supermajors. The company will walk through the rationale behind the significant change in strategy and why this market is ideal for continued growth and development for drilling contractors. If it is to remain attractive and relevant both as an employer and as a corporate citizen, the oil and gas industry in today’s Africa needs to raise its game across the board. While local content in general has been a feature for decades, and environmental performance is increasingly scrutinised, the industry now finds itself competing for local African talent in places where it was until recently the only major game in town. Renewable energy projects as well as other industries from tech to tourism are increasingly seen as inherently ‘better’ places for ambitious professionals. How can we therefore raise our game to ensure that Africa’s oil and gas industry remains attractive and relevant at this stage in its history?

11.50 Nigeria Chapter Update:

• Abioye Shokoya-Eleshin, Head Business Development, Bicens Resources Limited, & Valentine Iheasirim, Business Unit Manager, OES Energy Services

12.00 Luncheon, Poster Session & Open Exhibition

13.30 Interactive Session, Questions from the Audience Answered by Our Program Committee Members

13.45 Deep-water Well Construction
Session Chair: Celine Martin, Rigs Strategy Coordinator, TotalEnergies

Namibian Exploration & Appraisal Project: Deployment of BOP in Two Runs: Matthieu Pecoits, GPI Venus Drilling & Wells, Shashank Garg, Denis Bogoslovskiy, TotalEnergies
The technical challenges and the approach developed by both TotalEnergies and its subcontractors to safely execute its strategy of selecting a semi-submersible rig for operating in ultra deepwater conditions (>10000ft). How did we overcome this challenge? By designing bespoke running tools allowing to deploy the 380tons of the BOP (Blow-Out Preventer) in two runs. Two specific tools, the LSRT (Lower Stack Running Tool) and the LSHOT (Landing String Hang-Off Tool) allowing to run the lower stack on drill pipes have been engineered, manufactured, and qualified in less than 6 months. This approach allowed us to mobilize and execute its milestone production test on its Venus-1X discovery well early July 2023: the BOP was successfully deployed by 10000ft of water depth in 2 runs.

Going Beyond 10k Water Depth with the Deepsea Mira: Johnathan Shows, Regional Operations Manager, Northern Ocean Ltd.
Going Beyond 10,000 feet water depth with the Deepsea Mira. A look at the major challenges a Semi-Submersible rig faces when going beyond 10,000 feet. How the Deepsea Mira managed to overcome and prove the rig is capable to work up to 10,662 feet.

Industry First Edge Based Kiosk Sets New Standards for BOP Testing and Performance: Amine Meziou, Digital Technology & Performance Leader, Jose Meraz, Mark Siegmund, Aquila Engineering
A 3-month offshore pilot using an edge-based BOP kiosk on a drillship provided the rig’s subsea engineers immediate access to advanced diagnostics and testing analytics, eliminating remote communication dependencies of shore-based Real Time Monitoring and inherent weaknesses of on-site “visual” failure detection alone. The Kiosk’s “real time” onboard intuitive touch screen proved the offline BOP can be maintained and tested more efficiently with instant component level health information, resulting in safer and trouble-free operations for deepwater drilling in remote African locations without the dependency on ship to shore satellite communications and the potential cyber risks often associated with cloud-based systems.

14.45 Networking Break, Poster Session & Open Exhibition

15.15 Benefit to Society: Jacob Korsgaard, Chief Operating Officer, Odfjell Drilling

15.35 Panel Session: Africa and the Energy Transition: Balancing Energy Security, Development, and Decarbonization
Moderators: Marta Lafuente, Regional Sales Manager, NOV Grant Prideco, & Josselin Cassanet, Business Development Manager Africa, Mediterranean and Asia, Seadrill

Today’s global energy crisis has stressed the urgency of transforming Africa’s energy sector, as well as the benefits of an accelerated shift to more affordable and cleaner sources of energy for the continent. Oil and gas have a critical role to play in the decade to come to help fuel the continent’s economic growth and industrialization, but in the pathway for building Africa’s new energy economy, energy efficiency and renewables – especially solar – are also key pillars. This panel will discuss the role of national and international Oil and Gas companies to prepare for this energy transition, to anticipate new risks and to seize emerging opportunities.

Panelists:

• Kevin Burke,  Completion and Testing Manager, Tullow Oil
• Representative, TotalEnergies
• Representative, Sonangol

16.35 Adjournment

Alternates

Poster Session & Unassigned Papers of Note:
The following paper proposals are presented as posters and will be included in the conference if a scheduled paper becomes unavailable. In addition, these presentations will be made available in the IADC conference proceedings, should the author so desire.

Market Outlook on Africa: Teriselma Sousa, Reservoir Engineer, Etu Energias
It is an overview of the oil and gas market on the African continent, mirroring its current state of play, strategic plans across nations and their ambitions including the very actual theme of energy transition. This theme has been a key driver for African players towards greener operations through additional investment as well as having promoted opportunities for economic diversification between African countries. The point of equilibrium in the vision of the future of the oil and gas market on the continent, resides in the synergies between petroleum industry and energy transition as the defining factor.

Tender Assisted: Economical and Versatile Solution to Drill in Deep and Shallow Water Offshore Angola: Jean Christophe Le Guen, Head of Project, Benoit Carayol, Louay Laham, Eoin Christie, Sapura Energy
An introduction to an innovative strategy developed by Sapura Energy and implemented for an operator in West Africa faced with substantial reactivation expenses for a Deepwater platform rig. There will be outlined how this concept evolved and extended to facilitate the drilling of additional platforms.

10-Years of Challenging Traditional Drilling Practices by Implementing Wired Drill Pipe (WDP), Along-string Measurements (ASMs) and Improved Wellbore Intelligence, Delivers Best in Class Operational Procedures without Compromising Rig Efficiency: Stephen Pink, Global Technical Advisor, Mats Andersen, NOV
The presentation utilizes case studies from several different WDP/ASM projects where continued use of the technology for specific activities, delivers significant improvements in risk reduction and overall cost savings while not compromising but improving overall operational efficiency.

Fostering Sustainable Community Development in African Drilling Regions: Austin Idemudia, Contracts and Marketing Manager, Uniterm Nigeria Limited

Innovative Asset Integrity for Africa’s Benefit: Danny Constantinis, Executive Chairman, EM&I, Andy Westlake, Seadrill
Seadrill and EM&I have collaborated to deliver enhanced safety, stronger asset and data integrity, and minimized downtime for offshore, deepwater drilling assets, meeting the unique challenges of operating offshore Africa. Focus on technical integrity solutions, incorporating Artificial Intelligence, and logistics alignment has brought cost, availability benefit, and has reduced carbon emissions, all important in the offshore Africa energy production and drilling markets.

The Role of Dope Free Technology in Sustainable and Efficient Offshore Developments Operations: Erica Gibellini, Technical Sales Manager, Tenaris
CSR principles leading the OCTG product and services providers to be a partner of choice for energy operators through environmental-sustainable solution. Support to energy players in developing countries to bring latest technologies such as dope-free solutions for ready deployment through local investment. Safety improvements for rig workers and their sensitization to good practices in complex Deepwater operations environment.