By Mridula Bhattacharya
Capitalising on high investments in the Middle East oil and gas sector, the 12th edition of Adipec (Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference), held from November 5-8, 2006, emerged as the most successful edition ever, according to the show organiser, dmg world media.

Held under the patronage of the UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan the show attracted 1250 exhibitors from 51 countries and more than 2000 conference delegates and national pavilions from 15 countries, besides thousands of visitors.
The show has benefited significantly from the strong support of Adnoc and its associated companies as the international industry came to Abu Dhabi, liked what it saw and is coming back for more, said Neil Wood, vice president of the energy sector for dmg world media, one of the leading events organisers.
The level of organisation and enthusiasm that marked this year’s Adipec was noticeable to the thousands of visitors moving throughout the exhibition displays.
The quality of the exhibits and display stands was top notch and contributed to a purposeful atmosphere of marketing products and services to the oil and affiliated sectors.
The show provided a great platform for discussion and demonstration of capabilities according to John Joity, senior public affairs advisor with ExxonMobil Corporation.
“We are very pleased with the size, audience, participants and overall coordination with the logistics. It has had great significance for the Middle East and has exemplified its importance in the global oil and gas and energy sectors,” he said.
According to Gareth McMurray, managing director, TMK Middle East, the event is the best oil and gas show in the region. It attracts end users from all over the region.
“We are very happy with the visitor turnout,” said Amer Hadi Khan, business development, Descon Engineering. “We have had lots of potential customers as well suppliers visit our stand.”
The exhibition won substantial praise from exhibitors experiencing it for the first time.
Mogens Tofte Koch, the managing director of Danish firm TofKo brought seven exhibitors to the show and one Danish offshore organisation. He said the participants were pleased with the excellent business contacts made and one company signed an agreement for representation in the UAE.
According to Valerio Pacifico of the Italian Trade Commission, Italy would be looking at returning with a national pavilion at the next Adipec.
Jamal K Bochor, assistant general manager of Sales for Emdad, UAE, said his stand received quality visitors who showed good understanding of the technical products being exhibited.
The show has been extremely well organised and we have heard many positive comments from our 23 companies exhibiting, Bochar commented. Adipec competes on an international stage and is attracting more interest in companies looking to be a part of the next edition, he adds.
Dr Alfredo Dos Santos, chief representative, Partex Oil and Gas said, “The show compares favourably with major international oil and gas shows and we are pleased at the quality of the visitor audience and look forward to being back in 2008.”
According to Virinder Miya, manager-business development, Middle East, Larsen & Toubro Limited said, “This was the third time that our company participated at the show. We have developed good leads which we will pursue.”
Earlier, speaking at the inauguration, Mohamed Al Hamli, UAE Minister of Energy, noted that Adipec 2006 was taking place at a time when the world’s oil and gas industry was being confronted by significant challenges.
These challenges, according to him, have resulted in the reduction in the price of oil to less than US $60 per barrel after reaching $78.47 in the middle of July 2006.
“The supply of oil in the world market has affected the prices lately and OPEC members have started production cuts building up to 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in a move aimed at absorbing the surplus,” he said.
According to estimates, the world demand for oil in 2006 was 84 million bpd, an increase of one million barrels per day as compared to 2005. This demand is anticipated to grow by a further 1.3 million bpd in 2007 marking a 1.5 per cent increase compared to 2006, he said.
Stating that fossil fuel would remain the main source of energy during the first half of this century, Hamli said the steady growth of the population and economic growth would continue to affect the demand for oil.
Elaborating on the challenges that needed to be responded to in order to address oil demand, he said there needed to be a commitment to protecting the security of oil supplies and a willingness to invest in developing capabilities in oil production and refining.
“There has been talk about huge investments being made to develop alternative energy resources, enhancement of efficiencies in consumption and that the oil era is about to end. On the other hand, there is a continued development of oil fields and new techniques to raise oil production. These have been important reasons for the growth in hydrocarbon reserves,” said Al Hamli, noting that worldwide oil reserves were currently estimated at 1154 billion barrels.
Ali Rashid Al Jarwan, Adipec Conference chairman, said that along with the challenges that the industry was facing, is a well-rooted belief for the huge potential for innovation. He also said that the aim of the Adipec conference sessions was to open new communication channels by transferring knowledge among researchers, manufacturers, operators and senior managers.
Meanwhile, a four-day conference themed – Meeting the increasing global demand through innovation, held along with the exhibition, attracted over 170 experts.
Prominent and high profile speakers at the conference included Dr Mohammed Al Rumhi, Omani Minister of Oil and Gas, Yousef bin Omair Bin Yousef, CEO of the Adnoc Group, David Lesar, president and CEO – Halliburton, Malcolm Brinded, executive director, exploration and production, Shell and Tony Hayward, chief executive, Exploration and Production, BP. They shared their vision for the oil and gas E&P (exploration & production) sector in 2020.
Another executive panel discussion focused on how to meet demand and achieve efficient production over the next five years. Speakers at this panel will included Bernard J Duroc-Danner, president & CEO – Weatherford, Farouk Hussain Al-Zanki, chairman and managing Director – Kuwait Oil Company, Philippe Boisseau, Management Committee executive officer, Upstream – Total and Stephen M. Cassiani, president – ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company and ExxonMobil Upstream Technical Computing Company.
According to Ali Al Jarwan, general manager of Adma-Opco (Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company), “With the participation of industry leaders from national and international oil companies, the event played an important role in pointing the way to how the industry will evolve over the next few years.”
According to dmg world media the support of the exhibitors and sponsors had been fantastic and the expectations are high for the next edition in November 2008. “We plan to develop Adipec into one of the world’s largest oil and gas events in the new state-of-the-art Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre venue,” Wood said.
The show has achieved a reputation as the place where business is conducted, and our steering group comprising the most senior members of the international energy community has been instrumental in helping us deliver a business-driven event. This will continue for 2008, he noted.
The next edition of Adipec will be held from November 3-6, 2008.