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Editorial comment

These are certainly strange and unprecedented times that we, as a world, are now facing. In an effort to flatten the curve, and reduce the spread of COVID-19, governments across the globe are enforcing measures of social distancing, changing the way we live our lives, from the way we work, the way we shop, and even the way we interact with others.


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On our daily sanctioned walks, I have often found myself stepping into the now almost desolate roads to maintain a 2 m distance from passers-by. There is a palpable tension in the air as we find ourselves erring on the side of caution as we distance ourselves from our friends and families. It is easy to struggle with feelings of isolation in these strange times, making it essential to stay connected to those around us, even if conversation is now conducted through our computer screens rather than physical interaction.

While it remains unclear for how long we will be required to remain at home, the team at Oilfield Technology wish to assure our readers that we will continue to work hard to keep the industry connected and up-to-date. If you haven’t already, why not download the Oilfield Technology app to your smartphone or tablet to ensure that you continue to receive a free regular copy of the magazine, wherever you are. More details about the app can be found on p. 59 of this issue.

Although times are tough at this moment in time, particularly for the upstream industry, by working together we can look forward to a brighter future. And good news may be appearing on the horizon sooner than we could have hoped a month ago. Although we have been battling historic low oil prices in recent months as a result of COVID-19 and tensions between Russia and OPEC countries, recently promised production cuts from OPEC+ countries are expected to help prices recover over the course of the summer, autumn and into the winter of 2020.

In order to make sure you are among the first to hear any update on the current situation, particularly if you are working at home, be sure to add our website (www.oilfieldtechnology.com) to your bookmarks and follow us on social media to guarantee that you will receive the latest upstream news.

At Oilfield Technology, we will continue to work closely with the industry to ensure that we bring you innovative new digital products to keep the industry well informed, especially in these unfortunate times when many of our long-standing partners have had to postpone or cancel key industry events.

I ended my last comment by sharing some ‘good news’ stories from around the globe, because in difficult times it often feels as though good news is hard to come by. So in keeping with this tradition I offer two pieces of local news which I hope will brighten your day. On 29 March 2020, just a 20 minute drive from our offices, in the neighbouring town of Alton, the world’s oldest man Bob Weighton celebrated his 112th birthday. And even closer to home, on 3 April 2020, our Sales Manager Ben Macleod and his wife Aimee welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world. Let’s hope that the newest member of the Macleod family will live a long and fulfilled life, just like Mr Weighton!

And last, but certainly not least, from all of us at Palladian Publications, we sincerely wish all our readers, contributors and advertisers the best of health and fortune. Stay safe and I hope to see you soon at an industry event when this is all over. In the meantime, please enjoy the latest edition of Oilfield Technology.