Industry

Dr Sultan Al Jaber awarded Honorary Fellowship from Energy Institute

Dr. Sultan Al Jaber receiving the award from Energy Institute CEO Dr. Nick Wayth. (Image source: Energy Institute)

The UK's Energy Institute (EI) has awarded an Honorary Fellowship to His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, in recognition of his leadership in the energy-AI nexus, while driving international collaboration to strengthen global energy systems

Dr. Al Jaber currently serves as UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNOC, chairman of Masdar and executive chairman of XRG. He was presented with his Honorary Fellowship, by Dr. Nick Wayth FEI, Chief Executive of the Energy Institute, during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026.

Honorary Fellowship is awarded by the Energy Institute to individuals who have made a significant and lasting contribution to advancing the Institute’s mission – creating a better energy future through a just, secure, and low-carbon energy transition. The award acknowledges Dr. Al Jaber’s role in building dialogue between producers, consumers, and across the public and private sectors as global energy demand rises, while delivering relatively low cost and low carbon-intensive hydrocarbons, and scaling renewables.

Energy Institute chief executive, Dr Nick Wayth FEI, said,“Dr. Sultan Al Jaber has been at the forefront of some of the most important developments in the energy sector over the past two decades across both ADNOC, Masdar and now XRG.

“Reflecting the UAE’s inclusive approach, he is advancing a pragmatic strategy that recognises rising global energy demand, the continued role of hydrocarbons, and the need to make every molecule cleaner, more efficient and lower carbon.

“In recognising Dr. Al Jaber with an Honorary Fellowship, we acknowledge not only his contribution to reshaping the global energy agenda, but also his continued commitment to dialogue and practical action that can deliver a more secure, sustainable and prosperous energy future for all.”

HE Dr. Sultan Al Jaber Hon FEI said, “It’s an honour and a privilege to be made an Honorary Fellow of the Energy Institute. At a time of rising global energy demand – driven by the growth of emerging markets, AI and advanced technologies – it’s essential to deliver a diverse mix of reliable, affordable and lower-carbon energy options.

“This balanced, pragmatic approach championed by the UAE remains key to building a secure, sustainable and prosperous future for all."

TotalEnergies and Bapco Energies launch trading venture

The new initiative will enable Bapco Energies to enhance its global trading capabilities and strengthen its downstream value chain. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

TotalEnergies and Bapco Energies are launching BxT Trading, an equally owned trading joint venture backed by products from Bapco Energies' refinery

BxT Trading will support Bahrain's oil industry by leveraging its downstream portfolio to maximise value and broaden its access to global markets. Through the joint venture, Bapco Energies will benefit from TotalEnergies' global expertise in trading and will develop advanced trading, pricing, analysis, and risk management capabilities.

With BxT Trading, TotalEnergies is strengthening its trading position in the Middle East, where the company already has trading activities, in addition to its international hubs in Houston, Geneva and Singapore. This new initiative enhances the trading teams' responsiveness and agility, reinforcing their local footprint that enables them to better respond to regional requirements.

His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, representative of His Majesty for Humanitarian Works and Youth Affairs and chairman of Bapco Energies said the launch of BxT Trading reflects the Kingdom's commitment to forging long-term strategic partnerships with leading global energy companies.

“BxT Trading represents a strategic step forward for Bapco Energies and the Kingdom of Bahrain. Through this partnership with TotalEnergies, we are enhancing our global trading capabilities, strengthening our downstream value chain, and reinforcing Bahrain's position as a competitive and trusted player in the international energy markets.”

Patrick Pouyanné, chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, said the new partnership will strengthen its presence in the Middle East, adding “BxT Trading reflects our long-standing commitment to act as a trusted partner in the region, dedicated to innovation, operational excellence and value creation.”

Following its modernisation under the Bapco Modernisation Program, production levels at Bapco Energies’ Sitra refinery have risen from 265,000 bpd to 380,000 bpd, with the addition of new refining units.

ARO and ALTAVE sign technology agreement

Bruno Avena, ALTAVE CEO, (left), and Azzeddine Smida, ARO director of Operational Excellence & Efficiency, sign the contract during IPTC 2026. (Image source: ALTAVE)

ARO, a leading drilling rig operator in Saudi Arabia, and ALTAVE, a global company specialising in artificial intelligence solutions for monitoring and securing critical operations, have signed a contract to implement the Harpia intelligent monitoring platform on nine offshore rigs of ARO’s fleet

The agreement was formalised during the International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC 2026) in Dubai, following a pilot project conducted throughout 2025. The pilot delivered measurable improvement in safety compliance, operational governance, and risk visibility, supporting ARO’s decision to scale the solution to a significant portion of its fleet.

This partnership further reinforces ARO’s commitment to the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, integrating cutting-edge digital technology into its offshore drilling operations.
Under the contract, ARO will deploy the ALTAVE Harpia platform, which combines advanced AI and computer vision to enable continuous monitoring of critical operations. Beyond core compliance metrics such as Red Zone access control and PPE verification, the platform supports a broader range of safety, efficiency, and governance protocols.

All operational data is consolidated into dashboards and periodic reports for HSE and operations teams. ALTAVE's service model also includes 24/7 technical support and continuous monitoring system, ensuring sustained performance throughout the duration of the contract.

Bruno Avena, CEO of ALTAVE, said, “It is an honour to be a technology partner of a company that is at the forefront of digital transformation in the energy industry. ARO demonstrated leadership by embracing artificial intelligence as a strategic tool to elevate its safety and excellence standards. During the pilot phase, we validated the robustness of our software in one of the world's most demanding operational environments, and we are proud to now scale this intelligence across the fleet.”

Azzeddine Smida, director of Operational Excellence at ARO said, "Today’s signing marks another important milestone in ARO’s AI and digitalisation journey, building on the progress already made to bring smarter technologies deeper into day-to-day operations. Scaling AI-enabled camera monitoring across our offshore jack-up rigs reflects our commitment to disciplined execution and continuous improvement in safety and operational performance."

NMDC Infra and CCC establish new venture

The new venture will provide EPC services for the onshore oil and gas sector. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

NMDC Group, a global leader in engineering, procurement, construction and marine dredging, and engineering and construction firm Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) have established a new centure, NMDCCC, to provide EPC services for the onshore oil and gas sector in the United Arab Emirates

NMDCCC will operate as a subsidiary of NMDC Infra, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of NMDC Group. The new entity combines CCC’s extensive track record in executing complex energy and chemicals projects with NMDC Group’s capabilities and resources. NMDCCC aims to support the UAE’s vision for energy security and sustainable development by leveraging the combined technical expertise of both entities, and offering innovative, efficient, and high-quality onshore energy EPC solutions.

His Excellency Mohamed Thani Murshed Ghannam Al Rumaithi, chairman of the Board of Directors of NMDC Group, said, “The formation of NMDCCC is another important step in NMDC Group’s growth journey as it adds significant depth to our existing EPC business. It enables us to serve critical energy projects with greater scale, precision, and efficiency to meet the sector’s aspirations. Collectively, NMDC Group’s market-leading diversified businesses have also come to reflect the ambitions of the UAE Vision 2031, and as we look optimistically ahead, we’ll continue to apply our vast capabilities in ways that will drive sustainable growth and economic progress for the UAE and beyond.”

The new venture will help to grow NMDC Infra’s capabilities and services, in line with NMDC Group’s strategy of continuously complementing and enhancing the service offering under its verticals. It will complement NMDC Infra’s offering by increasing its market share, tapping into new markets, and allow successful execution of a growing backlog under NMDC Group, while mitigating supply chain risk by securing execution capabilities and reducing turnaround time to better serve clients.

GEOLOG Acquires Quad to enhance wellsite geology and pore pressure services

The acquisition will strengthen GEOLOG’s portfolio of advanced subsurface and drilling support services. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

GEOLOG International B.V, a leading independent provider of wellsite geosciences, drilling solutions and surface logging services, has acquired Quad Ltd and QO Inc. (Quad), provider of wellsite and operations geologists, along with advanced pore pressure and fracture gradient analysis services

GEOLOG and Quad have collaborated on numerous international projects, serving a broad spectrum of energy clients. The acquisition significantly enhances GEOLOG’s portfolio of advanced subsurface and drilling support services and solidifies its operational presence globally. Integrating Quad’s highly experienced personnel and specialised technical capabilities will strengthen GEOLOG’s capacity to support clients in complex drilling environments, from exploration through development and production phases.

“Quad has been a trusted partner for a long time, and we are delighted to formally welcome their team into the GEOLOG family,” commented Richard Calleri, chief executive officer of GEOLOG. “Their industry reputation for excellence in wellsite and operations geology, as well as pore pressure and fracture gradient analysis, is exceptional. By combining Quad’s specialist knowledge with GEOLOG’s extensive global footprint and technology platform, we can now offer a truly integrated suite of solutions, which is critical for technically challenging and high-risk wells.”

Shaun Coogan, director of Quad, added, “This is a logical next step in our long-standing relationship with GEOLOG. We share a commitment to technical excellence and a client-focused culture. Together, we are better equipped to help our clients reduce risk, improve well performance, and deliver their projects safely and efficiently worldwide.”

Over the coming months, GEOLOG and Quad will coordinate service delivery, align technical workflows, and further integrate their offerings.

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