ooking back at 2010, undoubtedly the defining incident for the offshore oil and gas industry was the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon. The repercussions of that tragic event, which resulted in the loss of 11 lives, began a chain of events that remains inconclusive as the year draws to a close.

The industry reacted to this disaster by throwing all of its efforts into regaining control of the well and mitigating the damage of the spill. Some of the greatest minds in the nation went to work with the single objective of stopping the flow of oil. Under extreme pressure, dealing with a huge number of unknowns, attempting to solve a problem that had never before been encountered, the men and women who worked night and day to stop the well from flowing committed themselves to an extraordinary effort.

Those outside the industry will no doubt remember the potential solutions that did not work; those who understand the enormity of this challenge recognize the significance of the efforts that went into developing those solutions.

We at E&P would like to thank the men and women who worked to develop the technologies to bring the spill under control. Although I cannot name them, I believe the industry owes them the thanks they are unlikely to get from the mainstream press or the general public. They certainly have earned it.

As we head into the unknown of the coming year and strive to find the way forward as an industry, we also should remember those who are working to chart the proper route into the future. The work they do today will define how the industry operates offshore tomorrow.

We have come through a harrowing time. Though many challenges lie ahead, the oil and gas industry remains an exciting market to be in, and the future holds enormous promise. The potential changes ahead could be huge. Perhaps it is because of the difficulties the industry weathered in 2010 that there is considerable optimism about the year to come.

Looking ahead to a new year full of promise is a heady feeling. The future offers all sorts of opportunities and challenges. It is a clean slate.

For E&P, 2011 will herald a new era. The new year will be observed with the introduction of a new look for the magazine and an expansion of coverage that includes, among other improvements, a sharper focus on unconventional plays and a more concentrated look at some of the world’s most interesting and dynamic offshore regions. The new E&P will provide much more online content, including expanded articles and additional stories that will only appear on the website. In short, there will be everything our readers have come to expect in the magazine and much more.

Where the future is concerned, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, tenured professor at the Harvard Business School, gives some sound advice: “To stay ahead, you must have your next idea waiting in the wings.”

The elements E&P is introducing in January 2011 have been waiting in the wings for long enough. The time has come to share them. I am sure you will not be disappointed.

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