International Petroleum Technology Conference

The conference is tipped to be the industry event of the year, with a stellar list of dignitaries and energy leaders flying in from all over the world.

The conference programme will address technology and relevant industry issues that challenge industry specialists and management around the world, with a strong focus on the gas business, as well as topical issues such as HSE, Security, HR and training.

Think Tank

Conference organisers, the SPE, have said the industry has responded in record numbers to the call for papers for this year’s IPTC. With 1128 papers submitted, the highest amount ever to be received in the history of the IPTC, the programme committee selected 600 papers for presentation, representing 130 companies from 35 countries.

The select committee, which includes some of the world’s foremost leaders in the oil and gas sector, set high selection criteria for the papers, as part of their efforts to make the conference a must-attend event for everyone working in the upstream oil and gas business.

“The response has been unprecedented and we applaud our industry colleagues for making such a valuable contribution to the development of the oil and gas sector,” says Khalid Al-Hitmi, manager gas development at Qatar Petroleum and co-chairman for the IPTC conference programme.

“The conference is an important date in the calendar, coming to the Middle East only every two years. All 52 technical topics we initially proposed for the event will be addressed and due to the calibre of the papers, we have added a further six technical discussions so that delegates truly get the most out of the conference,” adds Al-Hitmi.

Olivier Dubrule, director of Total Research Centre – Qatar, also co-chair for the conference, says the topics up for discussion will have real value for attendees. “The programme will focus on the dissemination of new and current technology, best practices and multi-disciplinary activities, designed to emphasise the importance of the value chain and the maximisation of asset value,” says Dubrule.

Big Hitters

The conference has become a platform of choice for global energy leaders to address their international counterparts, and this year’s event will be no exception. Andrew Gould, chairman and CEO of Schlumberger, will be joined by Olivier Appert, chairman and CEO of Institute Français du Pêtrole, Rich Kruger, president of ExxonMobil Production Company and Saad Al-Kaabi, director of Oil and Gas Ventures for Qatar Petroleum.

The theme of the fourth edition of the IPTC, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, is ‘World Energy Challenges: Endurance and Commitment’. The event, which returns to the Middle East from Kuala Lumpur in 2008 has become established as a biennial event and has been endorsed by OPEC as well as the Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC). Industry heavyweights ADNOC, Saudi Aramco, and Qatar Petroleum are taking a leading role in this year’s event. Whilst the impressive portfolio of conference sessions will no doubt prove the biggest draw, this year’s IPTC is augmented by a strong exhibition element. “IPTC’s exhibition space has grown by 40% since the inaugural event in 2005. This year the conference presentations and networking events will take place on the exhibition show floor, maximising interaction among industry colleagues,” explains Waleed Refaay, the project director for IPTC 2009.

Don’t miss

This year’s opening plenary session, taking place on Monday 7th December at 11.15am, will address world energy challenges, with a focus on endurance and commitment. The energy industry is poised to enter a new phase of its growth, facing huge challenges due to the significant drop in demand for oil and gas and energy products across the world. This has led to a dramatic reduction in the hydrocarbon prices, which led to the reconsideration of the investment conditions and resulting in postponing a few of the most costly projects.

On the other hand, it is clear that long-term energy demand will continue to surge, thanks to a growing global population of over 6 billion and the rising standards of living, especially in places like China and India.

The session, to be chaired by Nasser Al-Jaidah, chief executive officer of Qatar Petroleum International and Yves-Louis Darricarrère, president, Exploration and Production at French Supermajor Total, will address how the industry will continue to meet the growing demand for energy and how supplies will be sustainable in the future. The session will also examine how companies should maintain stable investment conditions to secure funding to develop the current and future energy resources, particularly the more difficult and unconventional resources. The morning session will also shine a spotlight on the issue of recruitment and retention of people with the skill sets to overcome those challenges.

All Under One Roof

The IPTC is a collaborative effort among:
• American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
• European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE)
• Gas Processing Association (GPA)
• Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG)
• Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)