Day two of Energy Exchange Australia left off where the first day ended – with passion and energy – and food and drink.
After a welcome drinks party hosted by Delmar wrapped up day one, the second day of the annual event in Perth kicked off early with a breakfast event, obligatory pastries and coffees on hand, to discuss diversity and inclusion in the sector.
Chaired by respected workplace culture expert Tanya Finnie, the session started with an insightful introduction to the notion of CQ – cultural intelligence – and its essential role in the modern workplace.
Next up in the Future Energy Forum were two leaders from a pair of Australia’s energy behemoths – Marty Clough from Chevron and Peter Metcalfe from Woodside.
Clough talked to a fully invested audience about the role of digital technologies and AI in securing an energy future – including a fascinating mention of his company’s digital igloo, which allows colleagues to be virtually transported to facilities across their portfolio.
Following him, Metcalfe talked of the ongoing role of LNG to help decarbonise customers and economies near and far.
“The contribution from natural gas will continue to be vital for years to come, and that becomes particularly clear when we look at the current scale of energy use in the Asia Pacific region where so many of Australia’s products go. The reality is that energy demand is continuing to grow because populations are growing,” said Metcalfe.
Referencing the IEA’s data which shows the place of coal in much of the world’s energy mix, he added: “Renewables alone will not be able to keep pace with the growth in electricity demand, let alone begin the task of starting to substitute the existing supply from coal.”
Another Chevron leader took to the stage later in the morning presenting their forward works.
Paul Scudds, the man in charge of decommissioning the 888 WA oil wells on Barrow Island, described the challenge of the work program.
“Having remoteness, a large footprint and an A-class nature reserve makes it quite complex to decommission this asset,” he said, before adding that Barrow Island also has the highest wind speed ever recorded on Earth.
Aaron Moorey from the WA Chamber of Minerals and Energy spoke positively about the opportunities for the state but also the concerns that undoubtedly lie ahead with WA’s future domestic energy demand outstripping domestic supply.
“Winter is coming,” he quipped.
Decommissioning was again under the spotlight later in the afternoon as Francis Norman, the CEO of the Centre of Decommissioning Australia (CODA), gave a presentation on the opportunities of dealing with the country’s ageing O&G infrastructure, before joining a panel discussion on the same topic in which the crucial role of ports was examined.
He also teased the release of a new document – Australia’s Oil and Gas Decommissioning Regulatory Landscape – which outlines all the overlapping jurisdictional rules and regulations under which the sector labours.