Muscat – The Oman Petroleum and Energy Show (OPES) was inaugurated on Monday by H H Sayyid Taimur bin Asaad bin Tarik al Said, Chairman of the Board of Governors of Central Bank of Oman, in the presence of key officials from various ministries, top-level executives of global companies and other industry leaders.

Under the patronage of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals and hosted by Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), the event is taking place at Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre from March 21 to 23. The exhibition is organised by PDO and features a special conference organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). This one-of-a-kind show will serve the entire oil and gas industry and focus on the future of energy.

Commenting on OPES, H E Salim bin Nasser al Aufi, Undersecretary in the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, said, “The Oman Petroleum and Energy Show is a national event that has, over the years, become a respected platform for the oil and gas industry across the region. The theme of this year’s conference reflects the major developments happening not only in the sultanate, but in the wider region. Oman has achieved significant advancements in IOR/EOR methods, offshore drilling and field development, digitalisation and artificial intelligence, and these will be debated and shared by leading experts through panel sessions, technical discussions and presentations in the SPE conference at OPES.”

While OPES will serve as an effective business and networking platform for energy professionals, oil and gas companies, policy and decision-makers, and stakeholders, a key highlight of the event is the conference that is organised by SPE. Themed ‘Shaping the Future of the Energy Industry’, the conference will be chaired by Saleh al Anboori, Director-General of Exploration and Production of Oil and Gas, Ministry of Energy and Minerals.

With a fine selection of highly acclaimed experts, the participants will convene to exchange ideas, share industry insights, and drive engagement through informative discussions and technical presentations on key topics shaping the current and future needs of the energy industry.

The conference agenda will feature an Industry Dialogue Session themed ‘Shaping the Future of the Energy Industry’, while an Executive Plenary Session will focus on ‘How the Petroleum Industry is Preparing itself for the Era of Decarbonisation and Energy Transition’. Other engaging features of the conference agenda include four panel sessions, an Energy Think Tank session, 28 technical and knowledge sharing e-poster sessions, and an OPES Awards Showcase Pavilion.

OPES will also host a Digital Oil and Gas Zone featuring Digital Oil and Gas Talks that will bring together senior executives, service providers, contractors and related suppliers, technology innovators, and industry experts to develop business ideas and exchange thoughts on revolutionising the oil and gas industry with an emphasis on increasing profitability through sustainable measures.

The sultanate has made significant progress in line with its energy vision to attain a green and circular economy that places sustainability at its core.

Through national level, industry-leading events like OPES, the country will continue to stay committed to its goal of achieving energy independence while effectively developing resources such as renewable energy to lower production costs and enhance competitive elements in economic sectors.

A special pre-conference seminar on current and advanced Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) took place on March 20.