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IOGP bids Michel Contie ‘au revoir’

Michel Contie, who served as Total’s representative on IOGP’s Management Committee (MC) since 2010, has stepped down.

His joining the MC almost precisely coincided with the Macondo incident and the subsequent formation of the Global Industry Response Group (GIRG). Speaking of GIRG, Michel recalls that it marked a significant point in the Association’s development. ‘It demonstrated that we could effectively devise and manage a strategy and action plan to deliver useful products for the industry as long as we are focusing on core areas and keep continuous pressure on delivery and quality. And that by doing so we can crystallize the conditions for an improvement of the safety and environmental performance of our industry.’

Michel led the ‘prevention’ aspect of GIRG, which devised a report on lessons and recommendations. These included advances in training and improved competency for well personnel, the gathering of well incident data, accelerated sharing of information, enhanced BOP reliability and greater harmonization of international standards and the setting up of the WEC

During his time on the MC, Michel also served as sponsor of IOGP’s Wells Expert Committee (established as one of the GIRG recommendations) and the Environment Committee.

From May, 2013, he was one of the MC’s Vice Chairs. In that role, he was active in ‘positioning IOGP to be the voice of the upstream industry internationally;  re-thinking the strategy and  processes so that the Association brings more value to its members through the effective use of its products; establishing new bridges with NOIAs in Europe and elsewhere   to gather efforts on advocacy and representation; and coordinating the Association’s activities and scope with those of IPIECA – particularly in environmental work and communications on climate-related issues,’ Michel says.

Looking back, he notes that ‘Over the last five years, IOGP has made a difference , creating the conditions that made possible improvements in safety and the environment – prerequisites in engaging effectively with regulators and the wider public. All of this has relied on our members’ sweat equity, as well as leadership and support from the Management Committee and the Association’s secretariat.’

Though no longer on the MC, IOGP links with Michel will continue in his new role as an independent director on the board of Oil Spill Response Limited, which holds and deploys globally, as needed, intervention equipment designed and built in line with GIRG recommendations.

Since the beginning of 2017, Michel’s successor on the Management Committee has been Michael Borrell, Total’s Senior VP Europe & Central Asia.

Photo:  Gordon presents Michel with a globe trophy to mark his MC service, thanking him for his role in ‘helping to make the Association the voice of the global upstream oil & gas industry.’

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