Chair's Address: January 2021

Dear SPE Aberdeen members, colleagues and friends, Happy New Year May I wish you all a very happy new year and I hope you all stay healthy in 2021. It will be another year of rapid change for the Energy Industry and therefore an exciting time for SPE as we continue to lead the way in quality technical exchange. SPE International President’s “Visit” For the second year in a row January sees the visit of a SPE International President. Last year Shauna Noonan spoke to our Aberdeen Student Chapter about their careers as Energy Engineers before attending our Evening Technical Meeting and taking part in a discussion of the Energy Transition. On January 20^th current SPE president Tom Blasingame will talk to us about the Road Ahead for the Energy Industry and the SPE. Tom is an entertaining and charismatic speaker and will stimulate lively debate – even over Zoom! The Digital Journey I have regular meetings with TECA. Live conference-style events cannot take place until we are in Tier 0. As I write the whole of the Scottish mainland is in Tier 4. It is unlikely that we will have any live in-person events before the end of this year’s session in July, although we are hopeful that the vaccines will make an affecting impact. We are learning to format our conference-style events to match everyone’s new ways of working. Also we are finding elements that attendees prefer to be delivered digitally. It is a cycle of feedback and improvement which the Continuing Education teams are driving forward with enthusiasm. Digital delivery is a permanent part of our future. Student Bursary Awards Even in these challenging economic times SPE Aberdeen’s commitments to Student Bursary programmes continues. We recognise the worth of winning an SPE Aberdeen award is at least as valuable to students as the financial value of the award. Therefore, we are reducing the financial value of each award while maintaining the number of awards. The Student Bursary submissions are in and judging has begun. Stay happy and healthy in 2021, Kenny Kenny McAllister SPE Aberdeen Chair