UI THINK TANK




The UI 2020 Think Tank provides informative and interactive sessions designed to provoke thought sharing and ideation for the industry’s most topical matters. Located in the  exhibit hall for added convenience, join these sessions to learn and share ideas on industry challenges and best practices.

Tuesday, February 4, 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM 
Decommissioning Panel Discussion 
Chuck Webb, The Webb Group 

Underwater Intervention is honored to host our Decommissioning Panel discussion on the Think Tank Track moderated by Mr. Chuck Webb!  Chuck is the president of The Webb Group, based in Houston, and is a well-known and respected member of the decommissioning community.  We hope for a lively discussion on the expanding host of issues facing our industry as the aging of our offshore oil & gas infrastructure goes into its sunset phase. Moderator Chuck Webb will host discussions on several innovations within the decommissioning market with special emphasis on current issues facing our industry including new processes and technology.  The panel will be discussing some recent decommissioning projects focusing on the challenges faced and lessons learned.  Additionally the discussion will featured the increasing pressure on operators and regulators to assure a clean environmental policy going into the next decade.  Please engage with Chuck on the exhibition floor at UI20 for a lively discussion.

Wednesday, February 5, 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Future Of Subsea Intervention – From Human-In-The-Loop To AI-Enabled Autonomy
Donna M. Kocak, MTS Immediate Past President, Harris Corporation  

 

For 27 years, the Underwater Intervention Conference has been showcasing technologies (equipment, vehicles, sensors, tools, software) for interacting in the subsea environment. Direct observation and control are performed by SCUBA divers and manned underwater vehicles (MUVs), while remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) provide these same capabilities indirectly through telepresence. Applications for such technologies span across industry, science and military – such as inspecting, repairing and maintaining offshore equipment; installing telecommunications cable infrastructure; collecting biological and geochemical samples; replanting hardened corals; and cleaning up underwater munitions to name a few. A new era is upon us now that removes the human from the loop entirely, allowing autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to interact in the environment. This independent control requires some degree of intelligence, depending on the complexity and duration of the task. This panel will explore the current state of the art in technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) needed for future autonomous subsea intervention. The AI framework comprised of behaviors – analytics, management –  controller, and tools – sensors will be explored, as well as how these building blocks are brought together under a “trust” model. Please join Donna and her panel for an interesting and interactive discussion on the future of our industry!
 


 
TECHNICAL TRACK LEADER FOR THE UI THINK TANK



Gary Kane, 
Project Consulting Services

Gary has over 40 years’ experience in the diving and subsea industries.  He has worked in the North Sea and the GOM. During his 20 years offshore, he supervised over a thousand bell dives and several thousand surface dives, in addition to supervising the deepest dive in the GoM at 1072 feet. Mr. Kane has a A/S degree in Marine Technology from Santa Barbara City College and a B/S in Marketing from University of New Orleans. He previously operated his own consulting firm for 19 years. Presently he is working for Project Consulting Services in project management and business development.  Mr. Kane has been an affiliate member in the DSWG since its inception and a member of the ADCI for 25 years