AOG 2018 Collaboration Forum presenters announced

Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan MLA will headline an impressive list of industry and government speakers when the much anticipated AOG 2018 Collaboration Forum kicks off on Wednesday, 14 March at the Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre.

The inaugural AOG Collaboration Forum was a critical success in 2017, and this year’s version is set to maintain that reputation for high-quality content with some of the biggest names in the local oil and gas industry to provide keynote presentations.

The content for the 2018 AOG Collaboration Forum has been developed with the support of the event’s partners Woodside, Chevron, Shell, Deloitte, NERA and the Western Australia Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation, ensuring that the program highlights current industry issues and leading experts in the field.

Those experts include:

• Mary Hackett, Baker Hughes’ Vice President Australia, New Zealand & Papua New Guinea.
• David Bird, Shell Australia’s Vice President responsible for the groundbreaking Prelude FLNG project.
• Collette Cohen, CEO of the Oil & Gas Technology Centre in the UK.
• Miranda Taylor, CEO of National Energy Resource Australia (NERA).
• Derrick O’Keeffe, Head of Division, Safety & Integrity, with Australian oil and gas industry regulator NOPSEMA.

There will be particular interest in the final session on day three on the topic of ‘the workforce of the future’. This session will feature input from Sue Beattie, Prelude Maintenance Manager with Shell Australia Ltd, Phil Reid, Vice President of Production from Woodside Energy and UWA Professor, Melinda Hodkiewicz.

The three-day Collaboration Forum will also feature presentations from sector specialists such as:

• Simon Hoffman, Project Manager with leading Australian engineering and construction firm Monadelphous.
• Adriana Botto, Principal Engineer with global engineering company Wood Group.
• Saul Kavonic, Head of Oil, Gas, Renewables and Energy, Australasia, with global research consultancy, Wood Mackenzie.
• David Bartlett, a leading digital and technology disruptor and former Tasmanian Premier.

The AOG 2018 Collaboration forum will cover a range of topics that are currently at the forefront of industry discussions as the oil and gas sector continues to go through a period of major adjustments. These include:

• The journey to reliable and competitive operations.
• Extending the life of brownfield operations through continuous improvement.
• Perspectives on decommissioning — the next wave.
• New markets and new energies.
• The workforce of the future.

A notable addition to this year’s Collaboration Forum format is the highly anticipated ‘Collaboration in action day’, which will be staged on Thursday, 15 March. The NERA organised event will feature a number of contemporary discussions on items such as industry growth centre horizons and a collaborative projects showcase.

The showcases will be must-attend sessions with a focus on areas such as a faster adaption and application of technological capabilities, including digital technologies, being keys to stimulating new investment and business and creating a vibrant, resilient and sustainable industry. Case studies presented in the two sessions will provide a unique insight into innovation from an operator’s perspective.

Bill Hare, event director for AOG 2018, said content for the 2018 Collaboration Forum has been formulated with significant industry input.

“Our conference partners have worked long and hard to create a world-class three days of content that provides a laser-sharp focus on the issues that are currently critical to the industry,” he said.

“The AOG 2017 Collaboration Forum received rave reviews from all who participated and attended, and I know that there is great anticipation for this year’s event.”

To be staged in a specially designed forum area on the exhibition floor, the AOG 2018 Collaboration Forum is a free-to-attend event.

For more information, go to https://aogexpo.com.au/conference/collaboration-forum/.

Image: ©stock.adobe.com/pichitstocker