Since the days before tablets, Facebook and social media this website has served as an information source for the oil and gas industry on how FPSOs and Shuttle Tankers got to where they are today in the US Gulf of Mexico, with commentary along the way via interviews, papers and presentations from Peter Lovie. Typical is a TV interview back in 2002, included in the Library page. Significant events include themes such as:
There are many other papers and presentation from Peter Lovie over the years that are included in the Library page, drawing on his broad management and engineering experience from working for FPSO and shuttle tanker contractors and then for an operating oil company (Devon Energy). From 2H2009 he served as an independent “Senior Advisor, Floating Systems”.
As the oil bust that started in mid 2014 deepened in subsequent years he turned to writing two books on events he had had a hand in. His career in the oilfield started in the cyclical offshore drilling including starting and building ETA, a pioneering MODU design firm and then shifted to more stable floating production business. 2018 was a turning point. The Oilfield Energy Center inducted Peter Lovie into its Hall of Fame as an Industry Pioneer, joining other industry leaders in this honor.
The two books were published - the first book in late 2018 and the other in early 2019. You can learn more about the books at their websites: FPSOsinGoM.com and ETAanditsJackups.com
Today Peter Lovie is mostly retired and can be reached at:
Peter M Lovie PE, LLC
peter@lovie.org
The bad hurricane that destroyed Galveston was back in 1900 and the last bad freeze like February 2021 was way back in 1897 according to media. Now a Peter Temple (scientist?) talks of cycles of 172 years, drawing on data from cores in Greenland ice going back 8,000 years: Short term (decades) trends wobble up and down but the longer cycle look different and predictable. It’s rather difficult to prove from personal experience!!!
Membership of the Institution of Civil Engineers led to registration to be able to practice engineering in UK (CEng) and in the European Union (Eur Ing).
Oilfield people working in Southeast Asia in the 1970s and 1980s often brought home souvenir hard hats, hammered and polished from a standard aluminum hard hat with the garuda bird symbol added: this one is by Tom Silver of Yogjakarta, Indonesia, circa 1976.
Peter Lovie’s second book finally became available:
“ETA and its Jackups:
Pioneering, Engineering and Making it in America”
238 pages, 8x10 in., hardback, 27 pictures, 45 diagrams, 20 tables
University of Glasgow mentions the success of one of its graduates in the Winter issue of its quarterly The Avenue:
Peter Lovie’s first book was released on 20 September:
“WHY ONLY TWO FPSOs IN U.S. GULF OF MEXICO?
The Late Start and Twenty Year Saga”
More at FPSOsinGoM.com
104 pages 6x9 paperback and as ebook
At a ceremony in Houston on Saturday September 15, Peter Lovie was inducted as an Industry Pioneer into the Hall of Fame established by the Oilfield Energy Center (OEC). Although OEC is located in Houston, the world’s oil capital, Industry Pioneers are selected from all over the world.
It was quite an evening, impeccably organized: first the video interview, then the Induction Ceremony, then the Annual Gala Dinner with about 800 top oil industry people.
The five images in the attachment give an idea of the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) had its first conference in 1969 in downtown Houston at the Albert Thomas Convention Center. The event has continued, celebrating its fiftieth confence in Houston in 2018. SPE tracked down people who had attended every year since OTCs started and found a surprisingly small number still around – they had contact with only eight – one of which was Peter Lovie. They were deemed “OTC Legacy Members” and recognized with an OTC medal encased in Lucite.
March 14 is a historic date. It is the birthday of Albert Einstein. March 14 (3.14) is also Pi Day when the greek letter Pi is celebrated (no joke – more at www.piday.org ) And in 2018 March 14 is when history was made with SPE’s online version of The Journal of Petroleum Technology publishing Peter Lovie’s latest article “First Person: Oilfield Success of “Millennials” in the 1970s Might Offer Encouragement Today”.
Oil & Gas Journal quotes Peter Lovie 5 times in an article on Shell’s Stones field development that employs an FPSO in US GoM
Pennwell’s Topsides Platforms & Hulls conference added an FPSO Track this year. Peter Lovie was lead developer on the FPSO Track, gave the opening presentation on “FPSOs in the US GoM - a 21 Year Saga” and moderated the Closing Panel.
Journal of Petroleum Technology (2-1/2 page report on the presentation at Rice on 10 June)
appeared on their “Head to Head” page dedicated to an individual Upstream feels has done significant things in the industry. Upstream did similar interviews a few weeks earlier with Saudi Arabia’s Oil Minister Khalid al-Falih (24 June) and with US Senator Lisa Murkowski (20 April).
Article in Maritime Reporter issue of June 2016, pp. 40-42.
talk based in large part on “2016 and Two FPSOs in US GoM: the Twenty Year Saga”, the presentation covers:
published by Peter Lovie at www.fpsosingom.com 10,525 words, 16 figures, 1 graph, 4 tables, freely downloadable
Learn more at fpsosingom.com
The views of Peter Lovie on the outlook for the FPSO business are quoted in this 5 page article as part of a discussion on how the next few years may go for marine professionals.
This presentation examines the emergence of the round hull in the contexts of FPSOs in today’s offshore world and for other uses of the round hull concept in modern times and in antiquity. Talks about technology and development of business, history and a little entertainment! Given at ACI’s 7th FPSO Conference in Houston on 4-5 November 2015, 33 slides.
Brief opening remarks at ACI’s 7th FPSO Conference in Houston on 4-5 November 2015: see slides 2, 3 and 4.
The Royal Institution of Naval Architects in London has published in the 3Q 2015 issue of their Offshore & Marine Technology journal, pp. 10-13 - some thought provoking entertainment.
The Offshore magazine article, pp 108-111 tackles a common phenomenon in FPSO projects which has in a few instances had a serious effect on the survival and financial health of the FPSO lease contractors. In many cases it has given that industry a bum rap where projects did indeed need to overrun for sound field development reasons. It is a sensitive theme with industry leaders now addressing it via better project definition, via FEED, plus growing management attention on both sides of the table, implying the timing for change is good. Ideas for improving matters are mooted in “Closing Thoughts” in this four page download.
He had served as Program Chair for the 2012, 2013 and 2014 FPSO Forums.
“US GoM FPSOs + Shuttle Tankers: Evolution, Drivers and Outlook”: how we got to where we are in US GoM, outlook and new information on shuttle tankers. Peter Lovie’s presentation was at 5th FPSO Vessel Conference, Active Communications International (ACI), Houston, 31 slides.
“TRLs as a Metric in Gauging Progress on Technology and Commerciality”: a two part series by Peter Lovie, James Pappas and Tom Williams in Hart’s E&P, 7 pages.
“Point by Point: The Business of FPSOs”, an interview of Peter Lovie and two others by Audrey Leon, Managing Editor of Offshore Engineer, pp. 26-29, 30, 32-33.
As in 2012 and 2013, Peter Lovie serves as Program Chair and as one of the Session Moderators.
SNAME’s Marine Technology published their version of the article.
The Final Report on RPSEA project 10121-4407-01 “Deepwater Direct Offloading Systems” was signed on 8Oct13 and published by RPSEA on 28Mar14, is now in the public domain for anyone to download the 330 page (5.2 MB) Final Report, and 292 pages (3.5MB) of Appendices, all at www.rpsea.org/projects/10121-4407-01/ .Peter Lovie served as Principal Investigator for RPSEA on this project during 2012-2013.
Peter Lovie was invited to comment on the Final Report Presentation delivered by RPSEA on their Project 10121-4407-01 Deepwater Direct Offloading Systems. This eight page paper on “Conclusions and Discussion” includes his technical and commercial observations from his responsibilities as Principal Investigator on the project.
- View the presentation "Conclusions and Discussion for Final Report Presentation"
Presentation on “Economics, Performance - Four Options for US GoM Offloading” given at the Third Annual Emerging FPSO Forum in Galveston on 26 September 2013. It relates 2007-2008 work at Devon Energy that was reported in DOT 09 with work in a recently completed RPSEA project, funded via US Department of Energy, on offloading in GoM.
- View the presentation “Economics, Performance - Four Options for US GoM Offloading”
Peter played a lead role in establishing the program for the Third Annual Emerging FPSO Forum in Galveston. He moderates the opening session on “State of the Business” and in the session on “FPSO Offloading in GoM” he presents on “Economics, Performance - Four Options”.
Two FPSO conferences were in the Houston area three weeks apart - an unusual phenomenon ! Peter Lovie was at both and spoke at the event by ACI. R
View the presentation "Developments in the Ultra-Deep waters of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico"
Read his “Anecdotes at an FPSO Conference” on FPSO business trends underway. website
Peter moderated two sessions at this event in Galveston. The first was on offloading for US GoM. His second session was on round FPSOs, a shoot out on the different round FPSO designs on the market: read the lop sided vote by the FPSO community that was there, on ship shape FPSOs versus the round FPSO designs from Sevan, SSP and Deepwater Structures.
Lovie quoted in Oil & Gas Journal article. Selected comments from the Contractors' Panel at IBC's 25th annual FPSO conference on 14 Dec10 in London.
The premier event for the FPS sector, Global FPS 2010 will focus on market trends, commercial drivers and the technical challenges of developing offshore oil production and associated gas.
Titanic, Challenger and now Macondo: mankind learns from disasters but the outlook for FPSOs in US GoM?
Three Case Histories on the Risks, Timing, Business & Regulatory Impacts on Acceptance of New Technologies in the US Gulf of Mexico.
The bad hurricane that destroyed Galveston was back in 1900 and the last bad freeze like February 2021 was way back in 1897 according to media. Now a Peter Temple (scientist?) talks of cycles of 172 years, drawing on data from cores in Greenland ice going back 8,000 years: Short term (decades) trends wobble up and down but the longer cycle look different and predictable. It’s rather difficult to prove from personal experience!!!
Membership of the Institution of Civil Engineers led to registration to be able to practice engineering in UK (CEng) and in the European Union (Eur Ing).
Oilfield people working in Southeast Asia in the 1970s and 1980s often brought home souvenir hard hats, hammered and polished from a standard aluminum hard hat with the garuda bird symbol added: this one is by Tom Silver of Yogjakarta, Indonesia, circa 1976.
Peter Lovie’s second book finally became available:
“ETA and its Jackups:
Pioneering, Engineering and Making it in America”
238 pages, 8x10 in., hardback, 27 pictures, 45 diagrams, 20 tables
In 2019 the Board of Registration for Professional Engineers in Texas awarded Peter Lovie with a certificate for fifty years of Outstanding Service in Texas.
University of Glasgow mentions the success of one of its graduates in the Winter issue of its quarterly The Avenue:
Peter Lovie’s first book was released on 20 September:
“WHY ONLY TWO FPSOs IN U.S. GULF OF MEXICO?
The Late Start and Twenty Year Saga”
More at FPSOsinGoM.com
104 pages 6x9 paperback and as ebook
At a ceremony in Houston on Saturday September 15, Peter Lovie was inducted as an Industry Pioneer into the Hall of Fame established by the Oilfield Energy Center (OEC). Although OEC is located in Houston, the world’s oil capital, Industry Pioneers are selected from all over the world.
It was quite an evening, impeccably organized: first the video interview, then the Induction Ceremony, then the Annual Gala Dinner with about 800 top oil industry people.
The five images in the attachment give an idea of the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) had its first conference in 1969 in downtown Houston at the Albert Thomas Convention Center. The event has continued, celebrating its fiftieth confence in Houston in 2018. SPE tracked down people who had attended every year since OTCs started and found a surprisingly small number still around – they had contact with only eight – one of which was Peter Lovie. They were deemed “OTC Legacy Members” and recognized with an OTC medal encased in Lucite.
March 14 is a historic date. It is the birthday of Albert Einstein. March 14 (3.14) is also Pi Day when the greek letter Pi is celebrated (no joke – more at www.piday.org ) And in 2018 March 14 is when history was made with SPE’s online version of The Journal of Petroleum Technology publishing Peter Lovie’s latest article “First Person: Oilfield Success of “Millennials” in the 1970s Might Offer Encouragement Today”.
Oil & Gas Journal quotes Peter Lovie 5 times in an article on Shell’s Stones field development that employs an FPSO in US GoM
Pennwell’s Topsides Platforms & Hulls conference added an FPSO Track this year. Peter Lovie was lead developer on the FPSO Track, gave the opening presentation on “FPSOs in the US GoM - a 21 Year Saga” and moderated the Closing Panel.
Journal of Petroleum Technology (2-1/2 page report on the presentation at Rice on 10 June)
appeared on their “Head to Head” page dedicated to an individual Upstream feels has done significant things in the industry. Upstream did similar interviews a few weeks earlier with Saudi Arabia’s Oil Minister Khalid al-Falih (24 June) and with US Senator Lisa Murkowski (20 April).
Article in Maritime Reporter issue of June 2016, pp. 40-42.
talk based in large part on “2016 and Two FPSOs in US GoM: the Twenty Year Saga”, the presentation covers:
published by Peter Lovie at www.fpsosingom.com 10,525 words, 16 figures, 1 graph, 4 tables, freely downloadable
Learn more at fpsosingom.com
The views of Peter Lovie on the outlook for the FPSO business are quoted in this 5 page article as part of a discussion on how the next few years may go for marine professionals.
This presentation examines the emergence of the round hull in the contexts of FPSOs in today’s offshore world and for other uses of the round hull concept in modern times and in antiquity. Talks about technology and development of business, history and a little entertainment! Given at ACI’s 7th FPSO Conference in Houston on 4-5 November 2015, 33 slides.
Brief opening remarks at ACI’s 7th FPSO Conference in Houston on 4-5 November 2015: see slides 2, 3 and 4.
The Royal Institution of Naval Architects in London has published in the 3Q 2015 issue of their Offshore & Marine Technology journal, pp. 10-13 - some thought provoking entertainment.
The Offshore magazine article, pp 108-111 tackles a common phenomenon in FPSO projects which has in a few instances had a serious effect on the survival and financial health of the FPSO lease contractors. In many cases it has given that industry a bum rap where projects did indeed need to overrun for sound field development reasons. It is a sensitive theme with industry leaders now addressing it via better project definition, via FEED, plus growing management attention on both sides of the table, implying the timing for change is good. Ideas for improving matters are mooted in “Closing Thoughts” in this four page download.
He had served as Program Chair for the 2012, 2013 and 2014 FPSO Forums.
“US GoM FPSOs + Shuttle Tankers: Evolution, Drivers and Outlook”: how we got to where we are in US GoM, outlook and new information on shuttle tankers. Peter Lovie’s presentation was at 5th FPSO Vessel Conference, Active Communications International (ACI), Houston, 31 slides.
“TRLs as a Metric in Gauging Progress on Technology and Commerciality”: a two part series by Peter Lovie, James Pappas and Tom Williams in Hart’s E&P, 7 pages.
“Point by Point: The Business of FPSOs”, an interview of Peter Lovie and two others by Audrey Leon, Managing Editor of Offshore Engineer, pp. 26-29, 30, 32-33.
As in 2012 and 2013, Peter Lovie serves as Program Chair and as one of the Session Moderators.
SNAME’s Marine Technology published their version of the article.
The Final Report on RPSEA project 10121-4407-01 “Deepwater Direct Offloading Systems” was signed on 8Oct13 and published by RPSEA on 28Mar14, is now in the public domain for anyone to download the 330 page (5.2 MB) Final Report, and 292 pages (3.5MB) of Appendices, all at www.rpsea.org/projects/10121-4407-01/ .Peter Lovie served as Principal Investigator for RPSEA on this project during 2012-2013.
Peter Lovie was invited to comment on the Final Report Presentation delivered by RPSEA on their Project 10121-4407-01 Deepwater Direct Offloading Systems. This eight page paper on “Conclusions and Discussion” includes his technical and commercial observations from his responsibilities as Principal Investigator on the project.
- View the presentation "Conclusions and Discussion for Final Report Presentation"
Presentation on “Economics, Performance - Four Options for US GoM Offloading” given at the Third Annual Emerging FPSO Forum in Galveston on 26 September 2013. It relates 2007-2008 work at Devon Energy that was reported in DOT 09 with work in a recently completed RPSEA project, funded via US Department of Energy, on offloading in GoM.
- View the presentation “Economics, Performance - Four Options for US GoM Offloading”
Peter played a lead role in establishing the program for the Third Annual Emerging FPSO Forum in Galveston. He moderates the opening session on “State of the Business” and in the session on “FPSO Offloading in GoM” he presents on “Economics, Performance - Four Options”.
Two FPSO conferences were in the Houston area three weeks apart - an unusual phenomenon ! Peter Lovie was at both and spoke at the event by ACI. R
View the presentation "Developments in the Ultra-Deep waters of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico"
Read his “Anecdotes at an FPSO Conference” on FPSO business trends underway. website
Peter moderated two sessions at this event in Galveston. The first was on offloading for US GoM. His second session was on round FPSOs, a shoot out on the different round FPSO designs on the market: read the lop sided vote by the FPSO community that was there, on ship shape FPSOs versus the round FPSO designs from Sevan, SSP and Deepwater Structures.
Lovie quoted in Oil & Gas Journal article. Selected comments from the Contractors' Panel at IBC's 25th annual FPSO conference on 14 Dec10 in London.
The premier event for the FPS sector, Global FPS 2010 will focus on market trends, commercial drivers and the technical challenges of developing offshore oil production and associated gas.
Titanic, Challenger and now Macondo: mankind learns from disasters but the outlook for FPSOs in US GoM?
Three Case Histories on the Risks, Timing, Business & Regulatory Impacts on Acceptance of New Technologies in the US Gulf of Mexico.