A group of key energy-sector interests have confirmed their intentions to reach out to providers of offshore communications in an effort to improve collaboration among all parties involved in the delivery of broadband solutions in the Gulf of Mexico.

The initiative, which comes as the offshore industry continues to re-establish operations in the wake of the recent hurricane disaster, aims to broaden energy-sector dialogue through a high-level roundtable session. This session will be held during Offshore Communications 2008, on November 6 in Houston, Texas. The impetus for the meeting started last year during Offshore Communications 2007, where a group of energy service providers met to discuss the future of broadband communications in the oil & gas “patch”. These top executives agreed a stronger dialogue was needed among all interests with a stake in the delivery of offshore communications. Their solution was to form “The Gulf of Mexico Broadband Special Interest Group”, which has begun work with major communication service providers to articulate their short, medium and long-term requirements. The roundtable discussion during Offshore Communications 2008 will reveal what some in the energy sector believe is needed going forward and the extent to which the communications industry can deliver. The session will be held from 8.30 to 10 a.m. on Nov. 6 at the Houston Crowne Plaza Hotel, where the roundtable speakers will include:

• Jerry Greig, CIO, Fugro Chance Inc.Arnaud Feletin, Senior Manager, Global Remote Communications, Baker Hughes
• Larry Prewitt, Manager, Marine Development, Fugro Chance Inc.
• Andy Flowers, Manager, Real Time Operations, Commercial IT, Halliburton
• David Kendrick, Principal, Talladega Systems, Inc. (contracting to BJ Services)

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