(EnergyAsia, January 11 2012, Wednesday) — Norway’s DNV has launched its regional Deepwater Technology Centre (DTC) in Singapore to serve the oil and gas industry in the Asia Pacific region as well as provide deepwater competency and solutions.

Targeting a market expected to grow by US$21 billion over the next five years, the centre will be operated by 55 experienced professionals who will focus on developing three core sectors, said managing director Alex Imperial.

“The first includes subsea, umbilicals, risers, flow lines and pipelines. Secondly, we will focus on floating systems, including production and drilling. Finally, DTC will work within the fields of drilling and wells,” he said at the centre’s opening ceremony in Singapore on Monday, January 9.

DNV said its long track record in R&D, experience in the deepwater oil and gas industry, and strong position in developing industry-recognised technical standards are “a perfect fit” with Singapore’s strategy to become a hub for deepwater competence in Asia.

To help achieve develop sustainable solutions for the fast-growing deepwater sector, DTC will collaborate with the industry, universities, research and development (R&D) institutions and government agencies.

DNV said the global deepwater capital expenditure (capex) is expected to increase by more than 200% to US$21billion, with a large share flowing into the Golden Triangle comprising Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico and West Africa.

The company said: “Given its size and diversity, the Asia-Pacific faces vast challenges as the countries in this region present different maturity levels in exploration and production activities. Innovative technologies and methodologies related to drilling and well integrity, subsea processing and hardware, and floating systems will play a major role as enablers and enhancers.

“However, new technologies – or the lack of experience with proven ones – also bring uncertainties that need to be properly addressed in the conceptual phase. Availability of qualified human resources, increased local content vs. installed capacity, new entrants, stricter operational safety requirements and new regulatory frameworks, and societal pressure add complexity to the traditional technical challenges.

“Singapore plays a major role in this context, paving the way to become a major offshore and deepwater cluster and complementing its current leading position as a hub for the conversion and newbuilding of offshore units.

“Singapore’s outstanding global competitiveness supports its ambition of becoming a regional deepwater cluster. Its strategic geographic position, which allows serving the Asia-Pacific from within the same time zones and is supported by the quality of its institutions and higher education, world-class infrastructure as well as the country’s sound and rapidly expanding R&D strategy, makes Singapore the obvious location for DNV’s new Deepwater Technology Centre.”

DNV’s chief operating officer (COO) for Asia and the Middle East, Remi Eriksen, said:

“We will capitalise on DNV’s 40 years of experience in offshore and deepwater, and on the leading position of our well established deepwater centres in Houston, Oslo and Rio de Janeiro.

“The establishment of the new Deepwater Technology Centre in Singapore has become a reality due to a very constructive cooperation with Singapore’s Economic Development Board (EDB).”

The ceremony’s guest of honour, Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Teo Ser Luck, said:

“DNV and Singapore have enjoyed a strong partnership over the years. With the DTC, Singapore would become DNV’s first and only deepwater hub in the Asia-Pacific. This will take our partnership to a higher level. Thank you for this strong vote of confidence in Singapore.”