29.09.2022
The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Aberdeen Young Professionals section has announced an exclusive new event open to both members and non-members alike, in a first for the organisation.
Sponsored by Marex, ‘Last Breath – Reasoning with Life and Death at the Bottom of the North Sea’, the presentation and Q&A with famed diver Chris Lemons will take place on Wednesday the 2nd of November at Aberdeen’s Union Kirk. The evening will be a one-off event providing guests with the unique opportunity to hear first-hand Chris’ incredible story.
A commercial diver for over 14 years, specialising in deep sea saturation diving and operating almost exclusively in the oil and gas industry, Chris has gone on to become a leading public speaker, delivering an insightful and powerful testimony of the near-fatal incident that has since been developed into a feature-length documentary for the BBC and streaming on Netflix, titled ‘Last Breath’.
Chris’ miraculous story of survival has remained a mystery to experts, and his 40-minute recovery has since become an inspiration to many across the industry and beyond. Exploring and discussing themes of leadership, crisis management, risk, decision making, and survival, Chris’ acute and emotional presentation will provide a unique insight into his experiences.
Joe Sherratt, chair of the SPE Aberdeen Young Professionals stated:
“It’s an honour for the SPE Aberdeen Young Professionals to be able to host such an engaging evening, providing a new opportunity to welcome members and non-members to attend this one-off event, getting involved and finding out more about Chris’ incredible true story and the journey that has led him here.
For a nightmare scenario to be transformed into such an inspirational tale is a testament to the bravery, leadership, and teamwork capabilities of Chris and his colleagues who were with him in the diving bell. By focusing on topics of teamwork, preparation, training, procedures, and the crucial role they play in real-life scenarios within his presentation, Chris, like SPE Aberdeen’s Young Professionals, enables the oil and gas industry to recognise the technical knowledge needed to navigate evolving energy needs safely and responsibly.”
Taking place at Union Kirk, 333 Union St, the event – sponsored by Marex – will start at 5.30 pm, before Chris begins his presentation, followed up by a Q&A, dinner, and networking opportunities for all attending. Tickets for the event can be purchased here, with prices varying between SPE members and non-members, whilst student and young professional discount is also available, as is the opportunity to buy a full table of 10.
Photo caption: Chris Lemons will be speaking at SPE Aberdeen’s Young Professional event, ‘Last Breath – Reasoning with Life and Death at the Bottom of the North Sea’.
About SPE International
The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) is a not-for-profit professional association whose members are engaged in energy resources development and production. SPE serves more than 164,000 members (73,000 of whom are students) in 143 countries worldwide. SPE is a key resource for technical knowledge related to the oil and gas exploration and production industry and provides services through its publications, events, training courses, and online resources at www.spe.org.
About Chris Lemons
When, in September 2012, following a freak failure of the dynamic positioning system of the vessel he was working under, resulted in his umbilical being severed, Chris was left on the seabed in complete darkness 300 feet below the surface with only five minutes of breathing gas and no protection from the freezing temperatures.
About Marex
Based in the UK but with a global reach, Marex specialise in enterprise risk management and safety & compliance, with clients operating across many industries, from energy, marine and aerospace, to pharmaceutical and biotech.
Delivering high quality risk management and assurance services, Marex define, design, and manage projects with a risk-based approach that creates shared value and enhances business performance.