In this issue

Welcome to the new edition of Offshore Technology Focus. 

Despite 2020’s disruption to the oil and gas industry, Norway’s statistics agency has released figures showing the country did no worse than expected.  While a dip is expected in the coming year, large projects are seeing international investment continuing to flow into Norway. So why has the Norwegian offshore sector remained so resilient and what can others learn from it?

Elsewhere, President Biden has promised big changes to the US energy sector, moving away from oil and gas and looking to invest massively in renewables. For the US offshore industry in the Gulf of Mexico, this could worsen existing problems and lead to a slow death for offshore operators. We dive into just what the new president means for the region and whether the offshore industry needs to be worried. 

And speaking of threats to the offshore industry, the issue of hydrogen embrittlement is one that has perhaps gone underreported. Offshore operations come with a number of occupational hazards, and while many of these are understood and work is being done to reduce their impact on people and productivity, hydrogen embrittlement remains a relatively unknown phenomenon. William Hackett, a chain product manufacturer, is looking to change this and raise awareness of the risks. 

For all this and more, read on. 

Callum Tyndall, editor