The International Society of Petroleum Engineers will host the 2006 Asia Pacific Oil & Gas Conference & Exhibition at the Adelaide Hilton Hotel from September 11-13.
The conference has attracted more than 500 delegates including industry leaders, technical experts and leading academics representing 28 countries, primarily from the Asia-Pacific region.
The three-day conference agenda focuses on the need for the petroleum sector – a $24 billion a year industry in Australia alone – to tackle the challenges created by highly volatile energy prices seen over the past decade.
The theme of the conference is “Thriving on Volatility” and the main purpose is to share and exchange ideas, concepts and technical information.
There will be 84 technical papers presented in 28 technical sessions over the three days, addressing advances in petroleum exploration, development and production technology.
The Opening Session will feature addresses by: John Ellice-Flint, CEO, Santos Ltd.; Ian Macfarlane, Federal Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources; and Eve Sprunt, 2006 SPE President and Senior Technical Advisor, Chevron Technology Ventures.
Rebuilding Iraq’s oil industry
The oil industry in Iraq – one of the Middle East’s largest proven oil provinces – has substantially been destroyed by the recent upheavals in that country. Rebuilding the oil industry in Iraq will be the focus of a special conference session.
A contingent of senior political and industry representatives from Iraq will discuss the status and potential opportunities for the international oil industry to participate in this rebuilding program.
The conference also aims to expose and educate senior secondary students to the oil and gas industry in order to develop the industry leaders of tomorrow. About 50 students and several teachers will be spending a day at the conference.
A Young Professionals Workshop will also be held to provide the opportunity for young engineers to discuss professional and career development, knowledge sharing and technology issues.
“The oil and gas industry is currently experiencing a period of high product prices along with increased competition for quality opportunities, resources and people,” conference chairman Wilf Lammerink said today.
“The world’s dependence on oil and gas, changing political and economic dynamics, coupled with increased awareness of the physical vulnerability of our planet, requires constant innovation in finding, developing and producing hydrocarbons,” he said.
“The future sustainability of the energy sector is paramount, and success in this objective lies largely with geoscience and engineering professionals charged with finding and developing our hydrocarbon resources.
“How efficiently and effectively we manage petroleum resources into the future and achieve breakthroughs in environmental performance within a safe and healthy workplace, will be very much the focus of next week’s gathering of minds from around the world.
“The extent to which renewable sources of energy can contribute to the overall energy portfolio will be closely examined.”
“Big crew change” threatens
Lammerink said one emerging issue to be discussed at the conference was the imminent “big crew change” within the sector in the next decade.
“Many of our most experienced geologists, engineers, drillers and riggers, whether onshore or offshore, have been the stalwarts who got the region’s oil and gas industry onto its feet,” he said.
“It is expected that many of these professionals will be retiring during the next five years.”
For the petroleum industry, this would pose an issue of how to effectively attract and train talented professionals, he said. Mentoring and guiding the younger generation to become tomorrow’s professionals and helping them thrive in the volatile environment were major issues “requiring innovation and evolution”, he added.
For more information email spedal@spe.org or see www.spe.org/spe/jsp/meeting/0,2460,1104_1535_4403929,00.html
