David Latin, Chair of Serica Energy, and Yaniv Friedman, Executive Chairman of Ithaca Energy, have been appointed co-chairs of the conference and executive committee for SPE Offshore Europe 2027 (OE27), which will take place at P&J Live in Aberdeen from September 7–9, 2027.

Founded in 1973, SPE Offshore Europe is one of Europe’s largest offshore energy events, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers and technical experts to discuss the future of the offshore sector and Europe’s evolving energy mix.

The conference aims to provide practical insights, technical expertise and market intelligence to help businesses navigate uncertainty and investment challenges.

The 2027 event comes as Europe’s energy landscape continues to face geopolitical, policy and regulatory pressures affecting offshore investment.

While renewable energy is playing an increasingly important role, organisers said oil and gas will remain a key component of an integrated energy system for decades.

Latin said: “The production of new oil and gas and the growth of renewables are entirely complementary. Homegrown oil and gas production delivers jobs, boosts economies, and comes with a lower carbon footprint than imported energy.  It has never been clearer why we should choose to increase all North Sea energy sources, and this conference is an opportunity to come together and discuss the opportunities to do that.”

Friedman said: “The UK North Sea oil and gas sector has spent long enough in a holding pattern. Fiscal and regulatory uncertainty has had a detrimental impact to long-term investment over the past few years, with the knock-on impact on jobs and skills. However the picture has moved by the time we meet in September next year, the UK North Sea needs a clear investable path forward. Investing in UK energy security should be the top of everyone’s agenda as it affects everyone, particularly in times of significant global uncertainty, and we must now bring our collective voices to share our powerful UK North Sea story. The North Sea industry is a force for good.”

The technical programme will be expanded to include more papers and sessions than previous editions.

It will be co-chaired by Irene Brekne Hamre, managing director of the North Sea GeoZone at Baker Hughes, and Edna Michelle Bisso Bi Mba, head of reservoir services at Harbour Energy.

Executive and technical committee members will be announced in the coming weeks, while the conference theme and programme topics will be confirmed ahead of the call for paper proposals, scheduled to open in August 2026.

SPE Offshore Europe is organised by The Offshore Europe Partnership, a joint venture between RX Global and the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). -OGN/TradeArabia News Service