Synergy between downstream oil professionals, government officials and those active in the education and training fields will lead to the advancement of the downstream industries through the maximisation of resources and implementation of best practices, says Bakheet Al-Rashidi, Middle East Petrotech 2016 chairman and CEO, Kuwait Petroleum International in an exclusive interview for Oil Review Middle East
Discussing the theme of this year’s edition of the biennial refining and petrochemicals exhibition and conference, “Teaming up for Excellence: Industry, Government and Education”, Al-Rashidi highlights the need to unlock the full potential of collaboration to maximise value, particularly given the current challenging economic times and volatile market conditions. The event will facilitate the exchange of ideas and experiences on the sharing of resources, location, talent, technology and capital in the GCC region, says Al-Rashidi. He highlights the focus on optimising the return on assets through energy conservation, new tools for the successful completion of projects, a focus on operational excellence, and encouraging a culture of reliability and efficient turnaround maintenance.
The conference will attract top scientists and business specialists, who will discuss how to promote business growth, diversification, job creation and career enhancements in the downstream industries, he adds.
“Of vital importance is to understand the latest developments and trends in the global economic and future shifts in market dynamics. Top business leaders and economists will discuss possible ways forward in an uncertain world.
“Health, Safety and Environment will also be showcased in a bid to encourage the creation of a culture of plant safety and environment practices.
“To highlight one of the major challenges, as the GCC economies look to diversify, improve public sector efficiency and grow their private sector workforce, there is a vital need for a new mix of skill levels. This requires education specialists who can offer deep strategic and operational expertise across key sectors.”
Underlining the importance of the refining and petrochemicals sector to the future prosperity of the Middle East region, Al-Rashidi says, “The region’s refining capacity currently stands in excess of eight million bpd, and is increasing faster than any other region of the world. There are several new refineries coming on-line that are modern, complex and integrated with petrochemicals, while existing refineries are being upgraded or expanded. The region is poised to be a major supplier of petroleum products as well as a key market for those supplying the downstream petroleum industry.”
See http://www.oilreviewmiddleeast.com/current-issue for the full interview. The 10th Middle East Refining & Petrochemicals Conference and Exhibition (Middle East Petrotech 2016) takes place from 26-29 September at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre. More than 3,500 refining and petrochemicals industry professionals from around the world are expected to attend, while the exhibition will showcase over 120 exhibitors from 20 countries.www.mepetrotech.com
