2024 Speakers

Lunch Keynote Speaker: Dominique Roddier, CEO, Ocergy

Dr. Dominique Roddier is the CEO of Ocergy, a company focused on developing Sustainable Offshore Solutions, a Naval Architect with significant expertise in ocean energy systems and a fortuitous serial renewable energy entrepreneur. Prior to Founding Ocergy with Alexia Aubault and Christian Cermelli, he served as Principle Power Chief Technology Officer and Director between 2007 and 2019. He is a co-inventor of the WindFloat. He obtained his doctorate in Naval Architecture from UC Berkeley, and after working in Houston in the offshore division of ExxonMobil’s Upstream Research Company, co-founded Marine Innovation & Technology, a marine engineering consulting firm, which developed the MiniFloat hull concept, and provided consulting services to various offshore industries. In addition to Floating Offshore Wind, Dominique is an expert in the design of floating structures and has interests in synergies between various ocean related technologies. He is a Fellow member of SNAME and was the 2020 co-recipient of the Elmer A. Sperry Award for the development of the WindFloat. On his spare time, he is an avid sailor and enjoys mindful swimming and skiing actively.

Opening Address: David McKay, Director of Projects and Regional Offshore Chief Surveyor, DNV North America

David McKay holds a Bachelor’s degree in Naval Architecture from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. He started his career in the design office of Govan Shipbuilders in Glasgow in 1985, and joined DNV in 1990, spending 5 years working as a surveyor on fixed platforms in the North Sea. He relocated to Houston in 1996 and has worked on newbuilding projects and offshore units in operation since. David has been an employee-elected member of the Board of Directors of DNV in 2006, 2011, 2015, and from 2019 to 2023. David works as Director of Projects for major projects in North America, as well as acting as a key account manager supporting drilling contractors, and also holds a role as regional chief surveyor for Offshore North America. David obtained certification as a Project Management Professional from the Project Management Institute in 2018. In his spare time David enjoys promoting recreational boating safety to the local community through membership in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.


Panel Discussion: Standardization of floaters and the drive to efficiency in deepwater O&G production

Moderator:

Dr. Shiladitya Basu, Senior Technical Advisor, KBR

Shiladitya’s journey began with a doctorate in composite materials, leading to an extensive tenure as an Offshore Energy Professional. While working on various offshore major capital projects, he has contributed to thought leadership in Field Development Planning, Offshore Mooring, Semi-submersibles, and KBR’s expansion into offshore green energy. He and his co-authors won the 2020 ABS Captain Linnard Award for their retrospective paper on the development of Semi-submersible platform from 1994 – 2019.

He is active in SNAME and participates in reviewing, and chairing sessions in OTC and Texas Section Symposia. He is also involved in KBR’s internal well-being ambassador program and in Zero Harm safety initiatives.

Panel Members:

David Petruska, Senior Advisor Floating Systems, BP

David Petruska is the senior advisor for floating systems at bp on the Innovation and Engineering team.  He has over 33 years of experience in the offshore industry and for the past 5+ years has been supporting bp efforts to develop their floating offshore wind business.  He has worked on several of BP deep-water projects, provides strategic operation support to bp’s fleet of 8 floating production systems and sets the strategy for the floating systems discipline.  He is also the chair of ISO TC67/SC7 and past chair of API RP 2SK WG.  David Graduated from Washington University with a Doctorate, Masters and Bachelor of Science degree in Structural Engineering, is a Fellow member of SNAME and licensed PE in Texas.

Lars Ronning, Manager – Facilities and Operations Support, Equinor

Lars Ronning is a naval architect with more than 25 years in the industry, working primarily with offshore oil and gas projects and operations.  He has broad experience from working for a classification society, a designer, a contractor and two operators.  He currently serves as Manager for Equinor’s Facilities and Operations Support organization in Houston supporting Equinor’s two operated assets in the US, 10 non-operated assets, and their renewables and low-carbon solutions ambitions.  He has been a member of SNAME since he was a student at UBC, and has served in several capacities within SNAME, including as chair of the SNAME Texas section and Functional Vice Chair for Knowledge Management.

Nicholas Wills, Business Development Manager, Modec

Nic holds a strategic position as a manager within the global Business Development function, based in MODEC Houston. Working across Asia, Australia, North and South America he has assumed a high-level of responsibility for numerous projects and gained extensive experience in floating production storage offtake (FPSO) proposal development, operation readiness and assurance and operations management.

Nic led MODEC’s offshore transformation in Brazil through 2016-2019, encompassing application of operational excellence planning, efficiency improvements and enhanced local content objectives. In the latter part of this assignment, he moved into managing Operational Readiness (OR) for new projects, later assuming OR input into proposal and FEED projects.

After relocating to Houston, Nic was assigned as Operations Development Manager encompassing strategic operational planning for the O&M business group, while leading O&M input into proposals and FEED. He also led digitalization efforts in this location and bringing MODEC’s Operational experience into development projects.

Nic has recently pivoted from his former role into the wider role of overall strategic account management. Nic brings a unique perspective to this function and role, drawing on his 17 years of experience from across the MODEC fleet in Australia, Asia, West Africa and Latin America.

Nic holds a Master of Management (MMgt) from Monash University and has studied at locations in Italy (Prato Centre, Florence) and Chile (Universidad de Chile, Santiago).

Jordan Barnes, VP Business Development-Global Supply Chain, Rystad Energy

Jordan Barnes currently serves as Vice President, Business Development – Global Supply Chain at Rystad Energy, bringing a wealth of experience gained through roles in commercial, field, operations, and strategy. Prior to joining Rystad Energy, he began his career in the industry with SLB, where he actively participated in deepwater drilling campaigns in the Gulf of Mexico. He holds bachelor’s degrees in economics and geology from the University of Alabama.

Otto DaSilva, VP Engineering, Exmar Offshore Company

Otto has been with Exmar since 1997. He is a naval architect by education with a PE and played a central role in the development of the OPTI design and FAST systems which are proprietary to Exmar. Otto is a passionate proponent of in-house development for his team in his profession and enjoys mentoring students and junior colleagues.  He has developed the internship program at Exmar for over 17 years. Otto is also known for speed solving the Rubik’s cube (in the 80’s), baking bread, making Brazilian barbecue among other things.  Otto never finished his master’s degree in hydrodynamics and CFD, but his experience in naval architecture and structural issues explains why he enjoys challenging PhDs.

In his spare time, Otto goes to the gym before work, where he enjoys solving work related problems while exercising.