Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon and his wife, the Crown Princess Mette-Marit tour the Norwegian pavilion at the OTC 2013 exhibition

Experts from the offshore energy industry around the world came together 6-9 May for the 2013 Offshore Technology Conference at Reliant Park in Houston. Attendance at the conference reached a 30-year high of 104,800, the second highest in show history and up 17% from last year.

Attendance surpassed the 2012 total of 89,400 and the sold-out exhibition was the largest in show history at 652,185 ft², up from 641,350 ft² in 2012. The event had 2,728 companies representing 40 countries, including 244 new exhibitors in 2013. International companies made up 39% of exhibitors.

“We had a terrific conference with deep and broad technical coverage, supported by excellent panels and executive keynote presentations,” said Steve Balint chairman of OTC. “Technology is at the heart of the offshore industry and it was all here on display at OTC 2013.”

This year’s event featured nine panel sessions, 29 executive keynote presentations at luncheons and breakfasts, and 298 technical papers. Speakers from major IOCs, NOCs, and independent operators presented their views on the current challenges and future directions of the industry.

OTC’s Spotlight on New Technology recognized 15 technologies for their innovation in allowing the industry to produce offshore resources.

Governors (Texas, Alabama, Alaska, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina) from the Outer Continental Shelf Governors Coalition participated on a panel discussion on offshore energy development and the need for improved cooperation between the states and the Federal government.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell toured the exhibition floor and held a press conference where she discussed her commitment to work with industry leaders to ensure safe and environmentally responsible offshore oil and gas operations.

Tags: OTC 2013