The International Pipe Line and Offshore Contractors Association (IPLOCA) is well-known for its Annual Convention, a unique forum that attracts 500 to 600 company leaders from the pipeline construction industry worldwide. However, during the rest of the year, IPLOCA’s Board of Directors, and its membership of over 250 key industry players, are involved in many other activities which are reported or culminate at the convention.
Annual convention
In 2017, IPLOCA’s Annual Convention will be held in the world’s largest Spanish-speaking city, Mexico City, from 25 to 29 September. Owners and suppliers of pipeline construction companies and their clients – the Regular, Associate and Corresponding Members of the association – will gather with specially invited guests for five days of technical presentations, business meetings, and a social and cultural program.
Senior executives from Pemex, DuPont de Nemours, TransCanada Pipelines, Allseas Group, PetroBal, Bonmont Energy, the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, and Pipelife Norge are confirmed to present at the Open General Meetings (OGMs).
Along with updates on IPLOCA initiatives, speakers will cover a variety of topics, including:
- Perspectives for Pemex in the new Mexican investment markets
- Safety culture and risk management
- An overview of TransCanada’s projects
- The removal of large offshore platforms in a single lift
- Building and operating offshore infrastructure in Mexico
- Global upstream trends and the impact of sustainable energy
- The scenario for a strategic partnership between the gas industry and the United Nations
- The benefits of polyethylene (PE) pipes
During the OGMs, the IPLOCA Awards for Health and Safety (sponsored by Chevron), Corporate Social Responsibility (sponsored by Total) and New Technologies (sponsored by BP) will be presented. These awards are intended to be an incentive to share new ideas while recognising those leading companies that are always in search of excellence. The recipients of the 2017 IPLOCA Scholarships will also be announced.
The association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place on Friday morning and the agenda includes the President’s Year in Review, the Treasurer’s report and the incoming President’s objectives. The results of the 2017-2018 Board of Directors elections will also be ratified during the AGM.
Top priorities: HSE and new technologies
Improving safety in the pipeline industry and, above all, eliminating fatalities is a priority. Based on the fatality reports received in 2016 for its aggregate statistics, the Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) Committee decided to focus this year’s health and safety workshop on ‘Humans and Machines: the Hidden Hazards’.
The workshop is open to all pipeline managers and takes place on 24 October in Geneva, Switzerland. It will include presentations from contractors, consultants and operators, and will also be available as a webcast.
The Novel Construction Initiative Fall Plenary Session is being held immediately after this workshop, in Geneva from 25 to 26 October. These sessions offer a platform to present new technologies recently developed and stimulate innovation in the technology and processes required for the execution of pipeline projects, by engaging all contributors to the pipeline construction supply chain.
This article was featured in the September edition of Pipelines International. To view the magazine on your PC, Mac, tablet, or mobile device, click here.
For more information visit the IPLOCA website.
If you have project news you would like featured in Pipelines International contact Managing Editor Nick Lovering at nlovering@gs-press.com.au