The 2008 IMCA annual seminar took place at the Hotel Nikko Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 5-6 November. This, the sixteenth annual seminar, was the biggest yet, with over 430 delegates taking part. Participants came from over 170 different companies and included offshore and onshore management and operational staff, together with a range of specialist consultants, oil company representatives and regulators. Twenty-four supplier members of IMCA participated in the associated exhibition - also a record - where delegates were able to learn about their latest products and services.

This year's theme was 'Global alignment in marine operations'. The presentations and workshops, focusing on this theme, covered a wide range of issues, from new technological developments and operational challenges through to issues facing the industry today in working towards global alignment.

The keynote session on day one included three very well received presentations on the challenge of ensuring safety as new vessels and new crews enter the marketplace and highlighting the importance of IMCA in providing a common language in taking forward global alignment in marine contracting.

Another first was the introduction of a separate session on ROV and offshore survey topics, in addition to the long-standing parallel marine and diving streams. Highlights of the ROV/survey session included visualisation technology and advances in positioning solutions, while in the diving session advances in the reliability and evolution of diving technology were discussed and in the marine sessions new builds and advances in technology featured.

The afternoon workshops once again proved successful, enabling delegates to discuss issues such as vessel assurance, diver and ROV training and vessel security. Discussion in the workshops helped identify a number of issues for future work on behalf of the industry that will be progressed through IMCA committees and workgroups.

The seminar's social programme provided further opportunities for networking and meeting friends and colleagues both old and new. Delegates enjoyed a buffet reception, dinner at a cultural venue and a closing drinks reception in the revolving restaurant atop the KL tower.

The seminar was very well received - combining interesting presentations, constructive debate and wide-ranging discussions with social events where delegates and speakers could network and discuss issues further in relaxing surroundings - and was considered a great success.

Joint plenary sessions

• Introduction and welcoming address - Andy Bolton, Technip Subsea 7 Asia Pacific
• Keynote addresses: Global alignment in marine operations
  - Knut Boe, Technip - IMCA President
  - Harry van Langen, Sarawak Shell
  - Steve Bertone, J Ray McDermott
• Samarang pipeline replacement project - application of an innovative approach for shallow water pipeline installation - Khairil Raezwan B Rashdi, Petronas
• Sapura 3000 - remote intervention and pipelay operations - Calum MacKinnon, Acergy
• Innovative well operations from a DP II vessel - a case study - Bevan Morrison, TS Marine
• How simulators can enhance safety, teamwork and human performance in our industry - John Wright, WrightWay Training
• Lifting equipment regulatory compliance - implementing standards across global fleet operations - Tony Cummings, Imes Group
• Safety management in Thailand - Hudson Joyce, Clough
• Health in the workplace - Euan Thompson, Abermed, and John Greensmyth, Technip
• The search for HMAS Sydney - DOF Subsea's role in solving the mystery - Geoff Hogg, DOF Subsea

Marine sessions

• New building in challenging times - the conception of a pipelay ship - Pete Somner, Technip
• FMEAs for DP vessels - towards global standardisation - Ian Harper, Wavespec
• Specification and redundancy of satellite-based positioning systems for DP vessels - David Russell, Veripos, and Ole Ørpen, Fugro Seastar
• BP goes for consistency with a group marine standard - Jim Fortnum, BP Indonesia
• Fatigue testing of large diameter multi-strand wire ropes for offshore installation tasks - Olav Vennemann, Acergy
• NASNet field wide positioning technology for deepwater construction and drilling applications - Andrew Jaffrey, Nautronix

Diving sessions

• Extended umbilicals - Adam Young, Integrated Subsea Services
• Diving system audits - the past, the present and the future - Darren Brunton and Brendan Kearns, KB Associates
• Acergy Havila - new generation DSV - what are the benefits and to whom? - Joar Gangenes, Acergy
• Long-term health issues - Joar Gangenes, OLF/IMCA
• Hyperbaric lifeboat evacuation plans - Dave Munro, Subsea 7
• Reliability and evolution in diving technology - Sergio Cappelletti, Drass Galleazzi

Offshore survey/ROV sessions

• You said 'ROV friendly' - Didier Renard, Technip
• Acoustic and inertial navigation solutions - DP and ROV applications - Muhamed Ali, iXSea
• Wreck visualisation technology - Craig English, Salvage & Marine Operations
• 3D visualisation - more than just an animation - Andrew McMurtrie, DOF Subsea
• Reality of survey grade USBL - Nick Smedley, Sonardyne
• High speed low noise survey ROV operations on the Acergy Viking - Calum MacKinnon, Acergy

Workshops

Ten workshops were held, building on and extending the discussion on topics presented during the event:

• Security issues - supply chain management and TWIC
• Simulator training
• Vessel assurance
• Lifting
• Advances in safety-related diving equipment
• Diver training and competence
• Diving in the vicinity of pipelines, on wellheads and the need for isolations
• Suitable and sufficient risk assessment for class I vessels
• Harmony in DP system design
• ROV training