Wood holds downstream roundtable at ADIPEC

The invitation-only event, hosted in conjunction with Gulf Intelligence, was held to coincide with the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) 2019, and saw senior figures from a wide range of leading oil and gas organisations including ADNOC, Mubadala, Shell, Honeywell and Siemens come together.

Key topics discussed included the strategic advantage the region has in its high-quality feedstock and geographic location, the need to diversify the economies of the region, through the supply chain and generating local employment, by developing further petrochemicals products and subsequent manufacturing industries.

Underpinning the discussion was the transformational impact of rapidly evolving digital technology and the need to integrate these technologies and data analytics throughout the design, build and operation of new downstream assets.

Jim Collins, President of Strategy & Development at Wood, commented: “NOCs across the Middle East are looking to expand significantly their downstream footprint. At the same time technology is moving at a pace that has never been seen before. We wanted to convene a forum that combined the collective ingenuity of our team, NOCs and other leading industry players to explore how we achieve this ambitious growth through innovation and collaboration.”

In recent years, downstream has been a growth focus for many oil and gas organisations globally, particularly in the Middle East. Saudi Aramco has already undergone substantial expansions in refining and petrochemical sectors with a goal of 8 – 10 million bpd of downstream capacity. Similarly, ADNOC is targeting a significant expansion in its global downstream footprint. The company has announced a US$45 billion investment alongside its partners over the next 5 years.

Sean Evers, managing partner at Gulf Intelligence and the moderator of the session, said: “The downstream industry is entering a new era. A growing trend, as a result of oil companies’ efforts to meet product demand and monetise upstream resources, is ascendant in the petrochemical sector. Demand, particularly in new economic centres to the east, is forecast to continue to grow but there are market headwinds, rapidly evolving technology and fundamental socio-economic objectives that we cannot lose sight of.”

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/petrochemicals/14112019/wood-holds-downstream-roundtable-at-adipec/