Ahmed Bin Saeed opens SPE’s Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition on Tuesday in Dubai. WAM

Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, has attended the inaugural session of the 2021 Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE), which opened in Dubai on Tuesday.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of Dragon Oil Company, said that Dubai aspires to be a global platform for introducing innovative, knowledge-based solutions to address the challenges of climate change.

“There is a pressing need for the UAE oil & gas sector to take the lead and address one of the biggest challenges it’s currently facing, namely reach net-zero carbon emissions. A daunting target that requires proactive participation, concerted efforts and resilience from all parties concerned, bearing in mind the fact that 80 per cent of the world’s energy mix at the moment comes from fossil fuels,” Al Tayer added.

Al Tayer made the remarks while delivering the inaugural remarks of the 2021 edition of the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE), which commenced on Tuesday at Dubai World Trade Centre.

The 97th edition of the ATCE is held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council.

Now available to attend in-person and online, the SPE’s annual meeting of members features groundbreaking papers and special technical events designed to accelerate the application of innovations in every technical discipline.

Al Tayer expressed his confidence that the ATCE’s technical programme provides significant research papers coupled with a series of proposals on the energy transition.

“The event provides an opportunity for thrashing out burning topics, including net-zero transition, post-pandemic business models and strategies, accelerating the uptake of new technology applications, funding future projects, energy mix collaboration, and more,” he said.

Al Tayer added that the oil and gas sector is facing another challenge represented in the efficient application of disruptive technologies to enhance efficiency and productivity. “This is in addition to ensuring compliance with environmental regulations and standards.”

Many countries, he continued, double down on the importance of developing the competences of local cadres in a way that accelerates licensing the business activities of energy companies.

He highlighted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on accelerating digital transformation in many leading oil and gas companies.

“This took place through innovation and smart investment in information and communication technologies. It is now becoming increasingly essential to overcome the repercussions of the pandemic and ensure better use of sustainable technologies.” Ali Rashid Al Jarwan, CEO of Dragon Oil and ATCE Conference General Chair, spoke at the event’s opening session.

“The 2021 ATCE Conference is themed: “New Oil and Gas Journey: Agility, Innovation, and Value Creation,” he said, noting that the event features significant discussions on the future of energy.

“We are proud to have the 2021 edition of the SPE’s Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition return to Dubai for the second time. The three-day event embraces the conference’s heritage of excellence, drawing on the expertise of leading international oil and gas professionals,” he added.

The three-day event’s technical programme includes a plenary session, five syndicate sessions, five regional sessions and more than 60 technical sessions that will occasion a rich exchange of views and knowledge through 400 technical papers, carefully selected out of 2,000 submitted papers addressing topics of relevance to the E&P. In the meantime, over 60 companies from 12 countries will be participating in the concurrent exhibition to showcase a wide range of current and future technologies with demonstrations and interactive screens, offering visitors an engaging experience to discover the latest technologies in the E&P industry.

Moderated by Al Rashid Al Jarwan, the ATCE’s CEO Plenary Session focused on the New Oil and Gas Journey.

ATCE Day 1 saw panel sessions on a number of hot topics, including “Transitioning to Net Zero: Governments and Corporations” and “Post Pandemic Business Models and Strategies” and “Energy Mix Collaboration” where keynote speakers and specialists participated.

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