Annual Report 2010 - IRO

Network events
Several times a year IRO organizes meetings with and for
members. The main goal of these meetings is that members
meet other members and have the opportunity of using the vast
network of the association. In general the host company gives
a presentation about itself followed by an excursion. For the
host company this is a great opportunity to give greater insight
into the business it is in. To create a larger network, IRO also
organizes meetings where non-members are invited.
IRO New Year’s Reception
One of the returning and most successful events every year is the New Year’s reception
in January. In 2010 the reception at the ‘Hulstkamgebouw’ in Rotterdam was very well
attended by over 250 guests. IRO chairman Gert-Jan Kramer and Managing Director
Hans de Boer welcomed the guests and toasted on a happy and successful business
year. Besides IRO members there were also a number of special guests, including
representatives of oil companies and ambassadors of prominent oil countries.
Oil & Gas Industry Forecast 2010
This year’s Gulf Oil & Gas Industry Forecast Meeting was held in the STC building in
Rotterdam with a beautiful view on the city and the Maas river. After a short introduction
by Hans de Boer, Managing Director IRO, and John Royall, President Gulf Publishing
Company, publisher Bill Wageneck talked about the findings of his magazine Hydrocarbon
Processing. The development of the oil price in the past and his expectations for 2010 and
further were brought to the attention of those present. After that Ron Higgins, publisher
of World Oil, spoke about the situation of production of oil and gas in the United States
and the rest of the world. Quantities and size of oil wells and platforms, growth in the
future and further expectations by World Oil extended an interesting perspective on the
industry. Peter Spaans from sponsor Ernst & Young presented the results of the Oil & Gas
Survey which was executed by E&Y. Main goal of this survey was to gain insight into the
developments and expectations of Dutch suppliers in the oil and gas industry. The survey
shows for example that there has been learned much from the credit crisis and that there
is room for research and innovation. After Peter, Managing director Crispian McCredie
from Petroleum Economist started a story about the joys and sorrows of the electric car.
A number of exceptional comparisons, wonderful jokes and an interesting prediction
assured the 230 attendees that aside from the other presentations there was enough to
talk about during the network drinks afterwards.
Members meeting at NAM
On 16 February IRO organized a members meeting at the NAM headquarters in Assen.
Ante Frens, Asset manager Offshore, talked about the emergence of, search for and
production of natural gas. The latest NAM developments were also discussed. One of the
main topics was the Small Fields Policy where all small gasfields are used for production
first and the large Groningen field is used only to satisfy on peak demand. Michael
Lander, project leader Schoonebeek Redevelopment, spoke about the reopening of the
Schoonebeek oilfield. New technology (steam injection) makes it possible to produce oil
again. By re-opening the oilfield, the Dutch total oil reserves will increase by 50%. The
participants had a guided tour past the NAMfitheatre, the Core centre and the Calamity
room. At the NAMfitheatre a 3D-graphic of the seismic subsurface of the Schoonebeek
area was shown. A geologist explained where in the graphic the oil is exactly. The NAM
Core centre is the largest storage facility of core slabs in Europe. Stored here are core
samples from the entire Dutch Continental Shelf and abroad. At the facility, research on
the exploration sites of oil or gas is conducted and there are advanced study possibilities
for universities. In the Calamity room it was explained how NAM copes with possible
calamities. NAM uses an advanced and well trained Crisis Management Team. Using an
imaginary case NAM explained what would happen and what actions are undertaken at
the moment an accident happens at a gas production plant.
8 IRO Annual Report 2010