The bi-annual event, established 20 years ago, incorporated a four-day high level conference organised by a committee of NOCs, IOCs and major service providers spearheaded by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and Saudi Aramco

More than 3,500 refining and petrochemicals industry professionals from 30-plus countries converged in Bahrain from September 26 to 29 for the 10th Middle East Refining & Petrochemicals Conference and Exhibition (Middle East Petrotech 2016).

Held under the patronage of Bahrain’s Prime Minister His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Middle East Petrotech 2016 is the largest gathering of the downstream oil and gas industry in the Middle East.

The bi-annual event, established 20 years ago, incorporated a four-day high level conference organised by a committee of NOCs, IOCs and major service providers spearheaded by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and Saudi Aramco, and a parallel three-day exhibition organised by Allworld Exhibition’s member, Arabian Exhibition Management.

The Middle East Petrotech 2016 conference took place under the theme ‘Teaming Up for Excellence: Industry, Government and Education.’ In challenging times for the energy sector in light of low oil prices, the Middle East Petrotech 2016 chairman and president and CEO of Kuwait Petroleum International Bakheet Al-Rashidi says the event is a bright spot for the region and the industry alike, and an important opportunity to convene as it looks to the future.

"The conference theme ‘Teaming Up for Excellence: Industry, Government and Education’ is focused on the symbiosis between downstream oil professionals, government officials and those active in the education and training fields. Synergy between these sectors will lead to the advancement of the downstream industries through the maximisation and exploitation of resources, implementation of best practices and benchmarking utilisation," Al Rashidi says.

"Understanding the latest developments and trends in the global economy and future shifts in market dynamics is of vital importance. Top management and economists discussed possible ways forward in an uncertain world at Middle East Petrotech 2016," he continues. Optimising the best return on assets was also a focus of the conference, through energy conservation, new tools for the successful completion of projects, operational excellence and encouraging a culture of reliability and efficient turnaround maintenance.

Health, safety and environment was showcased in a bid to encourage the creation of a culture of plant safety and environmental practices to help ensure a safer and healthier future for future generations.

The conference had secured an impressive line-up of speakers, beginning with a pre-conference forum and the conference opening ceremony on September 26 at the Ritz Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa.

The pre-conference forum discussed the vital roles of industry, education and government across three sessions. Invited speakers included: Dr Jean-Lou Chameau, president, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology; Dr Jawaher Al-Mudhahki, CEO, the Bahrain National Authority for Qualifications & Quality Assurance of Education and Training; Dr Roy Blatchford, Adviser on Education Reform, Government of Bahrain; Majid Jafar, CEO, Crescent Petroleum; Abdulaziz Al Abdulkarim, VP Procurement & Supply Chain Management, Saudi Aramco; Rebecca Liebert, president & CEO, Honeywell UOP; Jean Sentenac, chairman and CEO, Axens; Atul Chandra, board memberand former president, Reliance Industries; Nizar Al-Adsani, CEO, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation; Emilio Lozoya Austin, Former CEO, Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) and former advisor to the president of Mexico; Tarek El-Molla, Egyptian Minister of Petroleum & Mineral Resources; and Lord David Howell of Guildford, Former UK Minister of Energy and writer on energy issues.

The conference opening ceremony began with welcome address from Bahrain’s Minister of Oil, Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and the Middle East Petrotech 2016 Chairman Bakheet Al Rashidi. An executive plenary session followed under the theme ‘The Economic Downturn and Its Effect on the Oil Downstream Industry’ with addresses from Amin H Nasser, president and CEO, Saudi Aramco; and Prince Faisal Bin Turki, Advisor, Saudi Arabia Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources.Over the following three days at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre, the conference featured 63 technical sessions with insights on case studies, best practices and industry advancements across nine distinct tracks: operational excellence, plant reliability and integrity, project challenges, energy management, HSE and risk management, smart plant and technology, market intelligence, catalyst management and people development.