The second edition of the SPE International Hydraulic Fracturing Technology Conference and Exhibition opened in Muscat, Oman, yesterday with more than 395 oil and gas professionals from 90 companies and 28 countries.
Taking place 11–13 January at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Center, the conference and exhibition is held 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 and petroleum engineering function director at 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.”
His Excellency Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, undersecretary at the Ministry of Energy and Minerals of the Sultanate of Oman, addressed the audience with a keynote speech.
Commenting on some key points on hydraulic fracturing technology and the relevance of the conference, he said, “Nothing comes close to hydraulic fracturing, at least in my mind—it’s because of the way it changed the fundamentals of oil and gas, whether it’s the oil side, the shale oil revolution that happened in the US, and of gas, again the shale gas. It was a major game-changer that allowed us and enabled us to go back to reservoirs we have pretty much written off the books. I am happy to see that the second edition of the event is attracting audiences despite the fact we are still not out of COVID but we are still able to get together.”
Lauding Oman for its commitment to technological advancement, Kamel Ben-Naceur, 2022 SPE President and CEO of 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 at Oxy; Moutaz Al Riyami, gas director at Petroleum Development Oman; Chokri Ben Amor, executive director and VP QHSE at NESR; Ziad Jeha, managing director for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain with Schlumberger.
The speakers emphasized 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 such as 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 His Excellency Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, the undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals of the Sultanate of Oman.
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, and SINOPEC; platinum sponsor Schlumberger; gold sponsor, Shell Development Oman; silver sponsors Abraj Energy Services and NOV; networking reception sponsor BP; and associate sponsor TAQA.