In this edition of DNV Forum you can read about Norwegian minister of foreign affairs Jonas Gahr Støre on The Arctic Challenge. Also inside: Pioneering Enterprise Risk Management, Building trust in a low-carbon economy, CDM: A new life for Lakshmi, DNV and Berkeley's Top Tech programme
日付: 26 October 2009
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the Ekofisk field in the North Sea. It also marks that 40 years have gone since DNV took a leap into the offshore industry, drawing heavily on long experience and unique technological know-how from the maritime sector. Today we are an acknowledged partner within the oil and gas industry, and our knowledge and competence are sought after worldwide.
It is often said that the Inuits have 200 words to describe the Arctic snow and ice. But for just about anyone else, one word is sufficient. The Arctic is simply freezing.
Located in the Arctic, north of Russia and Norway, the Barents Sea has been subject to industrial activities for years; mostly related to fishing, shipping and more recently to petroleum exploration. But while the opportunities are vast, so are the challenges. The extreme climate poses constant hazards to people and operations. And with industrial activities expected to increase in the years to come, the Barents Sea’s fragile ecosystems may come under greater strain.
The Barents 2020 project to safeguard petroleum activities in the Barents Sea has now entered its third and final phase. The expectations are high before the Moscow conference in December where the final results and recommendations will be presented. With leading experts from Russia and Norway assigned to the project, authorities and the industry itself agree that the premises for success could not be better.
Stena Drilling’s new drillship – DrillMAX ICE IV is currently under construction at Samsung Heavy Industries Shipyard in South Korea. The vessel will be “ice classed” with additional hull strengthening; DNV is Stena Drilling’s chosen class society for the vessel.
The Arctic, with its harsh and cold climate, poses new and crucial challenges. Ice, cold temperatures and darkness make operations more hazardous and the risk to personnel, vessels and the fragile environment more severe.
“Everyone wants to be first to be second.” This has been said countless times in the oil and gas industry in reference to new technology. No one wants to be the risk taker; not with a billion dollar project on the line. The challenge is taking the uncertainty out of the risk when using new technology.
Birthplace of the steelpan, Trinidad and Tobago drums up visions of beautiful beaches, breathtaking marine life, and a spectacular annual Carnival celebration. However, the twin-island republic has a lot more to offer. The small island nation of 1.3 million people has a thriving petrochemical industry and is one of the world’s largest exporters of liquefied natural gas, and the largest exporter of ammonia and methanol.
Oil major Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) is unrelenting in its drive to manage risks associated with its business. Aiming for an “international best practice framework”, KOC hired DNV to help develop its Enterprise Risk Management system.
The latest market situation is leading to difficulties for some energy companies while creating great opportunities for others. To understand how the major UK operators are dealing with these risks at an enterprise level, DNV has conducted a survey among these companies’ executives.
“People usually regard risk as being negative,” says Boyd Wright, HSEQ manager of Aberdeen-based Venture Production plc. “But there is an opportunity side to risk. I spend a lot of time saying, ‘Good risk management is not a barrier’.”
DNV builds trust in the low-carbon economy through a variety of services within various fields; from carbon capture and storage and wind energy, to the clean development mechanism (CDM) and energy efficiency services within the maritime sector.
With a former member of the UN Climate Panel now serving as Director of climate strategies and markets in the US, DNV is prepared to strengthen its efforts to combat climate change and to contribute to building trust in a low-carbon economy.
Here is Lakshmi Devamma (28), walking along with today’s catch. The cow dung is used to produce methane gas outside her kitchen. A garden hose brings the gas into the kitchen, where a gas burner has replaced the old open fire. This has given her and her children a new life.
Importing fresh food on a large scale can be risky. A thorough product assessment paired with the risk analysis software EasyRisk Manager provides Oluf Lorentzen with full control of every product and ingredient – from producer to consumer.
Mr Feng Lun, the President of the China Enterprise News publication and Executive Vice President of the China Enterprise Confederation, has appraised the multinational corporations in China which take corporate social responsibility seriously in their day-to-day operations.
In June, DNV opened a new strategic unit in Beijing to meet the needs of Chinese government organisations and state-owned enterprises to the growing need of tackling sustainable development projects.
Along with the University of California Berkeley, DNV has launched its new technology development programme for technical experts. Last autumn 36 DNV engineers and technologists were handpicked to take part in a pioneering venture exposing them to state-of-the-art technologies and unique entrepreneurial insight.
Wild vision or realistic scenario? This year’s summer students in DNV have presented their solution to the assignment ”Sustainable adaption to climate change – Arctic opportunities and threats”.
It has been a turbulent year for most of the world. Was your company prepared for this? And do you have the full overview of the risks that is involved to meet the next wave? asks Remi Eriksen, DNV Energy’s COO.
