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Over the course of a year ArabianOilandGas.com reports on many events and conferences covering almost every aspect of the oil and gas industry.
The events we cover can range from huge conferences with tens of thousands of delegates to smaller specialist events covering anything from workboats to jack-up rigs or industry round-tables where three or four experts talk in front of a handful of guests.
What strikes us about every event is how the hydrocarbons sector in the Middle East and beyond really does enjoy coming together and sharing ideas and ideals about how the oil and gas industry needs to keep evolving to ensure that it can maintain pace with an ever-growing global demand for energy.
So with this in mind we give you our top 10 Middle East oil and gas events of 2010. To be honest there are many more than 10 great conferences to attend in the region during the year, but we have tried to reflect as many different sub-sections of the industry as possible. For a more comprehensive list of conferences please click here.
Also if you would like us to list your event drop us an email. Or if you disagree with the list and feel that there are other worthier events then please leave a comment.
- ADIPEC
- World Future Energy Summit
- OTC 2010
- SOGAT 2010
- LNG 16
- Middle East Petrotech
- ME Downstream Week
- SAOGE 2010
- Offshore Arabia
- GPCA Forum
Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC)
When: November 1-4
Where: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
Website
ADIPEC, the bi-annual oil and gas conference, opens its doors again for business this year and promises to be bigger and better than ever.
ADIPEC could, quite rightly, claim to be the biggest event of its kind in the Middle East and one of the largest and most prestigious oil & gas conferences in the world. With 1,500 exhibiting companies coming to Abu Dhabi from every corner of the globe this is one event not to be missed and as a result makes it to number one on our list.
As well as the enormous exhibition ADIPEC also runs a conference alongside the exhibition that attracts some of the most respected figures from the hydrocarbons industry. This year’s chairman is Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operators’ (ADCO) General Manager, Abdul Munim Saif Al Kindy (check February’s Oil & Gas Middle East for an exclusive interview) and the call for papers has now gone out.
“ADIPEC has helped to position the region as one of the most important geographies in the international energy industry and I look forward to being a part of that in 2010,” Al Kindy said recently.
ArabianOilandGas.com is the official online media partner of ADIPEC.
World Future Energy Summit (WFES)
When: 18-21 January, 2010
Where: Abu Dhabi National Convention Centre (ADNEC), UAE.
Website
The WFES is one of the most important, and anticipated, events in the 2010 energy calendar and is quite a coup for the host Abu Dhabi. The summit has been billed as a Middle East alternative to the recent Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen and has attracted interest from the across the globe.
With a multitude of excellent speakers and an exhibition that promises over 600 exhibitors from 44 countries, WFES kicks off the 2010 conference season in fine style.
The WFES website states that the event offers an “ideal networking opportunity for industry leaders, investors, scientists, specialists, policymakers and researchers to discuss the challenges of rising energy demand and actions to achieve a cleaner and more sustainable future for the world”.
Speakers from both the energy industry and the world’s political arena will include the President of Greece, the Malaysian Prime Minister, the Minister of Economic Affairs for the Netherlands as well as the CEO of BP’s Alternative Energy and the deputy executive director of the International Energy Agency.
Even the crown prince of Spain will be flying in to address the delegates.
Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) 2010
When: May 3-6
Where: Reliant Park, Houston, Texas
Website
They like to do things big in Texas and the OTC 2010 is no exception. In what must arguably be the world’s largest oil & gas conference, the OTC is expecting over 70,000 visitors to this year’s event.
The OTC celebrated its 40-year anniversary last year and it is still the event where everyone from the hydrocarbons industry wants to be seen at. Last year a mind boggling 2500 companies from 38 countries exhibited.
As well as the exhibition the OTC offers a full technical programme and 2010 will focus on oil and gas developments and technology, case studies and updates on the latest deepwater projects from majors, independents, national oil companies, and service companies.
Sour Oil & Gas Advanced Technology (SOGAT) 2010
When: 28 March-April 1
Where: Hilton Hotel, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Website
Abu Dhabi in the UAE is definitely punching above its weight this year in regards to the amount of high-level conferences it is attracting, but if any event on this list had to pick Abu Dhabi as its spiritual home it would be SOGAT 2010.
The emirate is home to some of the most sour gas that is considered recoverable and the current US$10 billion Shah Gas Development Project is the largest sour gas project in the world at the moment.
The organisers of SOGAT 2010 have promised that this years event will be the biggest so far and some of the subjects up for discussion include sour oil and gas operational and development plans in the Middle East, sour gas management with particular respect to HSE, sour gas reservoir management and optimisation and sulphur transfer.
LNG 16
When: April 18-21
Where: Oran Convention Center, Oran, Algeria
Website
The tri-annual conference is the largest event in the world dedicated to the liquefied natural gas industry, attracting more than 2,500 delegates and 200 exhibitors .
This year the North African state of Algeria will host LNG 16 in Oran, which is close to the country’s LNG hub at Arzew. It is the second time Algeria has played host to the event having been the venue way back in 1974.
Some of the subjects being discussed at this year’s event include the market outlook for LNG after the global recession, new developments in LNG technology, LNG plant construction, new project and commercial terms in a time of change, LNG shipping and terminals.
Middle East Petrotech
When: May 23-26
Where: Bahrain International Exhibition Centre, Manama
Website
First held in 1996 Middle East Petrotech is a bi-annual event that pitches itself firmly at the refining gas and petrochemical industries.
This year’s ME Petrotech promises an exhibition of hardware and services coupled with a technical conference programme that will attended by giants such as ADNOC, Saudi Aramco, BAPCO, Qatar Petroleum and Kuwait Petroleum Corp as well as some of the biggest players on the international scene such as ExxonMobil, Dow Chemical, Foster Wheeler and JGC Corp. Also a dedicated UK pavilion will be at the event as well as smaller specialist suppliers and distributors.
The confrenece will be split into four main categories: refining and petrochemical technologies, efficiency in operations, plant reliability and maintenance technologies and safety improvements.
ME Downstream Week
When: March 22-25
Where: Hilton International, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Website
The World Refining Association (WRA) plays host to the great and the good of the Middle East’s ever-growing refining industry in Abu Dhabi.
Running in conjunction with ME Downstream Week will be the11th edition of The Middle East Refining Conference, the 4th annual meeting of The Middle East Fuels Symposium and a site Visit to Ruwais to witness the laying of the foundations for Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company’s (Takreer’s) latest state of the art grassroots refinery
Organised by The Energy Exchange the technical programme of the event will cover all aspects of the refining industry in the region and speakers from local giants such as Saudi Aramco, Takreer, Tasnee, ADNOC and KNPC will be joined by global companies such as Shell, Reliance and ExxonMobil.
Saudi Arabia International Oil & Gas Exhibition & Conference (SAOGE) 2010
When: October 10-12
Where: Dhahran International Exhibition Centre, Damman, Saudi Arabia
Website
The SAOGE conference is a relative newcomer to the Middle East conference programme and this year’s event will only be the third.
However, SAOGE is growing in popularity and although planning a major hydrocarbons event in the KSA makes perfect sense from an industry viewpoint, logistical problems with visa entry requirements etc can be problematic with potential delegates.
SAOGE 2010 will be offering delegates a full exhibition and supporting technical programme covering the KSA’s booming oil and gas industry.
Offshore Arabia 2010
When: March 29-31
Where: International Convention & Exhibition Centre, Dubai, UAE
Website
Offshore Arabia returns to Dubai in 2010 and this year’s event will be focusing on current challenges that the offshore oil industry is facing.
As well as an exhibition a full technical programme will run in conjunction with the event and cover a wide-ranging list of topics such as the impact of the economic crisis on the environment, the oil, gas and shipping industries and the threat of piracy on global energy supplies.
The speakers have yet to be announced, but watch this space.
Gulf Petrochemical and Chemical Association (GPCA) Forum
When: December 7-9
Where: Dubai, UAE
Website
The GPCA has played an important role in establishing the Middle East as a major hub for producing petrochemical products and refining and the growth of this annual event stands testament to that.
The 2009 event was held in December and was attended by all the major producers of the region. The almost family-like atmosphere was commented on by ArabianOilandGas.com as was the approachability of the many high ranking delegates and guest speakers who attended.
Not many details have yet emerged for the 2010 event seeing as it is the last event in the calendar, but if last year’s event is anything to go by expect to see the CEO’s of SABIC, Bourouge, Tasnee, Sipchem, EQUATE plus many more talking freely about the importance of not only the GPCA, but the importance of the GCC working together to make the Middle East not a major hub in petrochemicals production, but the major hub.
