Technology takes a hit from Covid-19

摘要

THE annual Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) was to have opened on 4 May, with some 60,000 delegates and exhibitors expected to descend on Houston's Reliant Park to meet colleagues, schmooze customers and mingle among the hundreds of booths clamouring for attention. Above all, they would be getting an exhaustive view of the current state of offshore oil and gas technology and the research and development trends under way, including the low-carbon and renewable energy technologies that have taken up an increasing share of OTC's floor space and conference agenda in recent years. But this year's event is off and, instead of Houston, many would-be attendees will spend next week in makeshift home offices, trying to find some semblance of work-life balance when Covid-19 lockdowns have all but obliterated the line between the two.