With a record-breaking attendance of 89,400 at the May 2012 Offshore Technology Conference, it's safe to say Houston is one hot host city. It's about to happen again, this time for the very cool Arctic Technology Conference, slated for Dec. 3-5 at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Due to the highly specialized nature of the Arctic industry, it's a smaller gathering than its big brother, the OTC.

John Hogg, vice president of exploration and operations at MGM Energy Corp. in Calgary, Alberta, and chairman of the conference, said they're expecting approximately 2,000 attendees.

"These are people who work the Arctic basins - Alaska, Russia, Norway, Canada and Denmark - and are spread all over the world," Hogg said.

"Everyone from scientists to shipbuilders and everything in between come to the conference to focus on both offshore and onshore challenges related to the arctic industry."

At the inaugural event last year, more than 1,300 visitors from 23 countries attended, taking in 78 booths featuring 52 exhibitors from nine countries.

This year's conference will feature more than 150 technical talks, educational courses, networking events, panel sessions and exhibitions to help oil and gas professionals succeed in the arctic arena.

The conference, backed by some of the biggest players in the industry and 14 professional organizations including the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Society of Petroleum Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers, Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, International Association of Drilling Contractors, and the Oceanic Engineering Society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

It is not a career fair, Hogg said, but overall, jobs in the Arctic are quite varied, including several disciplines of engineering.

"Careers in the Arctic are mostly associated with development of resources, from labor to technical to professional," Hogg said. "Exploration-phase jobs are limited to work on or associated with the drilling rig and/or seismic operations."

Not all workers work in the harsh arctic climate though, since large companies require staff wherever headquarters may be - for example, in Houston, Calgary, London, Oslo and Copenhagen, Hogg said.

Kelly op de Weegh, U.S. media relations for Shell Oil Co., said drilling in the Arctic has the potential to bring more energy and jobs to the United States.

"Our work in the Arctic has included scientific studies, response plans and equipment, community consultations, environmental assessments, and ice forecasting," op de Weegh said.

"Offshore Alaska, where we began exploring this year, has the most promising undeveloped hydrocarbon basins in the United States. Our return to drill this year marked the first time in 20 years a company has explored offshore Alaska, and we have spent years and billions of dollars to secure permits for responsible operations.

"The importance of the Arctic to our future energy supply cannot be overstated."

The conference is Dec. 3-5 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. For more, visit www.arctictechnologyconference.org.

Coursework is just the start of an engineering student's education.

engineering/oil & gaS

From X-rays to nuclear medicine, the imaging field is in growth mode.

health care

Tax preparation companies are gearing up for the coming of tax season.

hire houston

Find your next job at the Dec. 4 Houston Chronicle Job Fair.

chron.com/jobfairs

career fair

what's inside

chron.com/jobs

Houston Chronicle | Jobs | Advertising Supplement | chron.com/jobs | Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012

Arctic continues on page 2

Arctic from page 1