OEEC delves into optimizing value and reducing costs through building alliances


In a low oil price environment, everyone is looking at ways to reduce costs. The first day of the Offshore Energy Exhibition and Conference (OEEC) in Amsterdam hosted the technical session that looks at best practices in both reducing costs and adding value.

The technical session titled “Optimizing value by building alliances across the E&P chain” has focused on how collaboration up and down the value chain can lead to innovation in technology, processes and business models.

Peter Veenhof, owner at Nail Petroleum BV, opened the session with a short speech.

Following Veenhof, Wiebe Jan Emsbroek, manager business development EMEA, Ampelmann Operations explained how the value can be optimized through building alliances.

As an example, he presented Ampelmann’s cooperation with Damen Shipyards on development of a marine access solution for the global crew transfer market.

Specific know-how of both companies was combined leading to an integrated design and an offshore test of the Ampelmann L-Type on board a Damen Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 5009.

Furthermore, Peter Robert, manager business development & market intelligence at Damen Shipyards Group, in his presentation looked back at Damen’s partnership with Gusto MSC. He explained how the companies together have been exploring the development of a range of mid-sized jack-ups, both self-propelled and non-self-propelled, for cross industrial operation.

As a result, the companies developed the DG-jack, which stands for Damen-Gusto jack, a full range of jack-up vessels, both self-propelled and non-self-propelled. Robert emphasized that it is not a liftboat as the duo wanted to develop a vessel which is capable of staying out there.

He explained: “If you have a storm, we don’t want the liftboat to move back into the port in order to take shelter for that bad weather and then go out there. So that’s more or less the essence of a difference between the liftboat and the DG-jack.”

He also said that the primary focus for the companies during the development of the vessel was maintenance.

Wrapping up, the session provided a conclusion that the integrated approach ensures that the companies can provide a proven solution that will significantly reduce logistic costs for E&P companies.