A record number of attendees turned out to see the latest developments in oil and gas production and development at an industry conference last week.

DEVEX 2012, aimed at geologists, geophysicists and engineers from both upstream and downstream operations, took place on 9 and 10 May at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre. The conference saw 500 people attend over the two days.

Highlights included key note speakers Dave Lynch, VP Resource at BP North Sea and Dr Marcus Richards, group chief executive officer at Dana Petroleum. Presentations were also given from a cross section of operators, service providers and universities including TAQA, Schlumberger, BP, Maersk, Halliburton, DECC and Aberdeen University.

30 companies exhibited at this year’s show, including Sudelac, an upstream oil and gas service sector business which provides products for well construction through to abandonment.

Sudelac exhibited its FloatCHECKER PT, a unique tool designed to allow a full pressure and load test to be performed on well cementing float equipment, to ensure it is free of fault prior to deployment in an oil and gas well.

Decisions Unlimited, a consulting and training company in the oil and gas sector, also exhibited at this year’s DEVEX. The company demonstrated its Microsoft Excel toolkit which has been developed to facilitate decision analysis and solve complex investment problems in the oil industry.

Also at the exhibition was CGGVeritas, which delivers a range of seismic technologies, services and equipment to the global oil and gas industry, with its industry leading BroadSeis technology.

This marine broadband solution provides the best bandwidth available in the industry including detailed images of the stratigraphy, subtle facies variations and deep penetration below basalt and the Base Cretaceous Unconformity. The development of BroadSeis is revealing more subsurface detail than previously seen and is making data interpretation more intuitive and rewarding.

Three of the oil and gas industry’s professional societies, the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Aberdeen Section, the Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain (PESGB) and Aberdeen Formation Evaluation Society (AFES), a chapter of the Society of Professional Well Log Analysts, joined forces again to host this year’s DEVEX.

Masud Javaid, chairman of SPE Aberdeen, said: “SPE Aberdeen, PESGB and AFES strive to promote development within the oil and gas industry, not only in terms of the education of individuals but also for innovative, forward-thinking solutions and technologies. This conference is made possible by the volunteers from the three societies working tirelessly and in close co-operation.

“It has been hugely positive to see such a turn out at this year’s conference from those looking to learn more about successful field development. The exhibitors at this year’s DEVEX have shared their first rate knowledge with delegates and ensured that the conference was a valuable experience for those who attended.”