Hydraulic fracturing was a major game-changer that allowed the oil and gas industry to go back to the reservoirs that it had pretty much written off.

 

“Nothing comes close to hydraulic fracturing. It changed the fundamentals of oil and gas, whether it’s on the oil side or the shale oil and gas revolution that happened in the US,” said Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, Undersecretary, Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Sultanate of Oman, in his keynote speech at the 2nd edition of the SPE International Hydraulic Fracturing Technology Conference and Exhibition. 

 

More than 395 oil and gas professionals from 90 companies and 28 countries are participating in the event that is running from January 11 to 13 at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, with Petroleum Development Oman as the Exclusive Host.  

 

The Opening Ceremony commenced on an inspiring note with Sultan Al-Shidhani, Conference Chair, Petroleum Engineering Function Director, Petroleum Development Oman, saying: “This conference is truly an international event with participants joining from every corner of the globe and the key players in the oil and gas industry. The conference signifies two developments—one, the resilience in the pursuit of knowledge and knowledge-sharing, technology advancements, and overcoming all the challenges that we’ve been facing as an industry. So, having this conference with this magnificent participation is very significant. Actually, it opens the season for conferences to be held in-person and through collaboration. The other significant aspect is the continuous evolution of the technology.”

 

Lauding Oman for its commitment to technological advancement, Kamel Ben-Naceur, 2022 SPE President, CEO, Nomadia Energy Consulting, said: “The fact that we have another sister conference in the US on hydraulic fracturing and the fact that the only other big international hydraulic fracturing technology conference is in Oman, is a testimony of how much Oman is playing a key role in terms of advancing technology and being at the front of innovation.”

 

Notable executives from the world’s leading oil and gas companies came together for an Executive Plenary Session: Fracturing—Accessing the Molecules and Enhancing Recovery to discuss the conference theme. The session featured Steve Adiletta, VP Exploitation, Oxy; Moutaz Al Riyami, Gas Director, Petroleum Development Oman; Chokri Ben Amor, Executive Director and VP QHSE, NESR; Ziad Jeha, Managing Director, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Schlumberger. The speakers emphasised the importance of advances in hydraulic fracturing and how they can bring new life to fields and sustain the world’s energy supply in a more competitive and acceptable manner.

 

The upcoming days of the conference will see panel sessions focused on topics like, HF Environmental, Sustainability and Governance (ESG) Considerations, Challenges, and Opportunities and Operational Efficiency and Enhanced Production, numerous technical sessions, knowledge sharing ePoster sessions and networking opportunities.

 

The exhibition was inaugurated by Al Aufi. Over 25 exhibitors are showcasing a wide range of current and upcoming technologies with product demos and interactive displays offering visitors an engaging experience of discovering technologies and growing their network.

 

The event’s esteemed sponsors include: Principal Sponsors, Aramco, Baker Hughes, Gulf Energy, Sinopec; Platinum Sponsor, Schlumberger; Gold Sponsor, Shell Development Oman; Silver Sponsors, Abraj Energy Services, NOV; Networking Reception Sponsor, bp; Associate Sponsor, Taqa.

-- TradeArabia News Service