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Day One

8.30 – 9.00 Registration & Morning Coffee
9.00 – 9.10 Opening Remarks From the Conference Chairman
State Of The Industry
9.10 – 9.40 Global Economic Impacts And Political Outlook For West Asia
  • What impact will the European sovereign debt crisis and the slowdown in global growth have the region?
  • What is the outlook for oil prices and how will this affect GCC economies?
  • What are the challenges and opportunities arising from GCC diversification efforts?
  • What threats do regional geopolitics pose to the economic outlook and business as usual?


Tim Fox, Head of Research & Chief Economist, Emirates NBD, UAE

9.40 – 10.30 World Hydrocarbon Markets Outlook Supply Demand Balances: Demand Growth, Next Supply Frontiers And The Reliability Of Oil & Gas As A Source Of Energy
With new discoveries and international developments in the oil and gas industry and increased production prospects in many countries including oil (Brazil, Canada) and shale gas (US, China, Australia) oil and gas is here to stay for the foreseeable future. Produced at current economically attractive levels will there be ample supply to satisfy demand?

  • What is the most accurate estimate of available oil and gas from both conventional and non-conventional sources and how is this compared to volume consumed during the past 100 years?
  • What is the time span for depending on oil & gas, given the new discoveries and continuously improving technology at both producing and consuming ends?
  • In light of the new discoveries, how will the flow of investments and the map of supply and demand as the US, the largest consumer of hydrocarbons may become a major exporter?
  • What will be the degree of substitution among hydrocarbons in the foreseeable future as CCS and environment friendly energy applications expand?
  • The supply-demand risks, are the risks more on the demand or the supply side?


Discussion Leaders:
Gong Changli, CEO, Daleel Petroleum, Oman
Salim Al Sibani, CEO, Oman Oil Company Exploration and Production L.L.C, Oman

Opportunities And Investment
10.30 – 10.50

Domestic Gas Pricing Perspectives: High Enough To Attract Investors, Low Enough For Consumers

  • Challenges and outlook for domestic gas prices over the coming years, will prices increase?
  • What is the right gas price to justify upstream projects while sustaining downstream viability
  • Prospects for regional pricing policies, energy market and tariff co-operation


Robin Mills, Head of Consulting, Manaar Energy, UAE

10.50 – 11.20 Morning Networking Break & Opportunity
11.20 – 12.00

Conditions for Sustainable Upstream Investment: Domestic Pricing Policies A Key Variable?
Low fuel prices are a challenge for West Asia’s sustainable energy production and do not encourage optimal development of reserves. The Middle East holds 40% of the world’s gas reserves but is currently only producing 14%. Demand for petroleum products are also increasing in all sectors and demand from exports and domestic consumption will continue to increase requiring the region to ramp up its production capacity of oil & gas.

  • Moving to market prices: How can the region focus efforts to address low pricing and encourage the development of new resources?
  • What are the main impediments and how can they be overcome?
  • What is the level of investment required to close the demand gap?


Moderator:
Robin Mills, Head of Consulting, Manaar Energy, UAE

Discussion Leaders:
Zaid Khamis Al-Siyabi, Director General of Oil & Gas Exploration & Production, Ministry of Oil & Gas, Oman
Badr Jafar, President, Crescent Petroleum, UAE
Ivano Ivanelli, CEO, Dubai Carbon Centre Of Excellence, UAE
David Grassick, Country Manager, DNO International, Oman

12.00 – 12.40 Non- Conventional Realities: Regional Potential Of Non-Conventionals And Development Pace
In a high price environment, more attention is being focused on the development of more costly sources of natural gas and heavier crude oil previously considered too difficult to bring to market. Vast amounts of unconventional reserves remain untapped today and only a small percentage is currently under development. With real gas supply shortages facing most of West Asia states which countries are seriously pursuing the development of non-conventional resources?

  • Exploring the regional potential and current development pace of shale gas, deep unconventional, tight gas, sour gas, heavy crude and even methane hydrates, what are the prospects?
  • Do non-conventional gas reserves have the potential to under-pin domestic supply?
  • What are the recent projects in the region to commercialise such resources in an efficient and environmentally-friendly way?
  • Understanding the technological knowhow challenges facing the development of unconventional resources in West Asia region, what is needed?
  • Understanding Non-Conventional Economics: At what price can it be produced on a commercial scale?


Discussion Leaders:
Yousuf Al-Ojaili, Chief Executive Officer, Oman Gas Company, Oman
Jonathan Evans, General Manager, BP, Oman

Regional Cooperation And Integration
12.40 – 13.20 Oil And Gas Logistics Extended Session Prospects For A Fully Integrated Intra-region Oil And Gas Trade
A regional oil and gas network would provide flexibility for trade governed by market fundamentals, economies of scale, act as a driver for expensive unconventional and stranded gas projects, and increase upstream and downstream integration potential.

  • Can a fully integrated, intra-region oil and gas trade be established and what are the challenges?
  • What does the region need to be ready for an integrated gas, LNG and oil network?
  • Prospects for regional cooperation and integration of up and downstream industries
  • Will geopolitics prevent logistical comparative advantage within a region and across regions and what will be the required solutions?


Discussion Leaders:
Yousuf Al-Ojaili, Chief Executive Officer, Oman Gas Company, Oman
Mohammad Husain, CEO, Equate, Kuwait

13.20 – 14.20 Lunch And Networking Opportunity
14.20 – 14.50 Challenges Facing Cross-border Pipelines: Balancing Stake-Holder Needs
Reliability and energy security continues to move up the political agenda for importing nations, whilst supply countries look for access to long term deals and transit countries look for an acceptable return on the use of their territory. In light of no mandatory requirements infringing on the sovereignty and with full respect for the contractual agreements on pipelines, are the limitations political, economic, or security-related?

  • What are the main constraints in cross-border pipelines and why more regional pipelines are not coming to fruition?
  • How to overcome such limitations?
  • Is there an argument for regional LNG over piped gas? What is the development potential of pipelines vs. LNG?
  • What can be learnt from transnational pipeline successes?
  • Do non-governmental organization (NGO) have to be involved?
14.50 – 15.20 Regional Oil Transportation And Geopolitics: What Are e Options And How Can Such Solutions Be Achieved?
Transportation of oil is mostly dependant on the maritime international passage of Strait of Hormuz, an area of complex geopolitical risks.

  • What are the economic ramifications and costs at the regional and global levels should the Strait of Hormuz be closed?
  • Would it matter given the fact that the world can sustain its functionality for approximately 100 days?
  • Pirate activities have increased in recent years, will there be an international efforts to eliminate such activities and ensure flow safety?


David Grassick, Country Manager, DNO International, Oman

15.20 - 15.40 Afternoon Refreshments And Networking
New Approaches And Collaboration For Industry And People
15.40 – 16.00

Unlocking Talent Potential In The Region: Ramping Up The Industry To Create Long term Opportunities Across The Entire Oil And Gas Value Chain
Business needs are increasingly dynamic, requiring engineering, IT, economics, and even HR and the international industry is facing exciting challenges that present great opportunities for its most important asset – its people. Despite regional ambitions, west Asia relies too much on imported labour and it has been publicised that the MENA region alone needs to create 100 million job opportunities over the coming years otherwise there will be severe consequences. A better cooperation is required between the industry and academia to assume responsibility and develop the new generation for the oil & gas industry.

  • Gearing up the industry together with local services and suppliers through training, development and best practice sharing. How will the private sector support technical expansion and vision?
  • Sharing PDO’s internal developments in recruitment, training and mapping out the full delivery of services
  • An academic perspective: How can combined R&D efforts be better built in the region?
  • What is the short and medium term impact of workforce nationalisation on the industry?


Moderator:
Raed B Kayrat, Head of Industry Collaboration Program, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, KSA

Discussion Leaders:
Mohamed Al-Harthy, CEO, OPAL, Oman
Raoul Restucci, CEO, PDO, Oman

16.00 – 16.40 Defining New Engagement With Stakeholders For Increasingly Complex Projects
As the maturity and complexity of new projects increase, contracting requires a thorough approach to collaboration with stakeholders. As new portfolios are entered which are less commercially attractive, pricing and complexity requires mutual defining and understanding to maintain alignment for all parties.

  • Aligning mind-set and scope of definition from the outset with all stakeholders
  • Governments setting helpful policies that consider risk mitigation, operators considering long term capacity engagement with service providers, service providers forming part of scope of definition
  • Is the market positioned for the next wave of technological, environmental and economic challenges required for capacity and process building? What are the gaps?
  • Reviewing the impact of distribution in service contracts in the region in staying competitive and moving the industry forward


Discussion Leaders:
Mohamed Al-Harthy, CEO, OPAL, Oman
Salim Al Sibani, CEO, Oman Oil Company Exploration and Production L.L.C., Oman
Zaid Khamis Al-Siyabi, Director General of Oil & Gas Exploration & Production, Ministry of Oil & Gas, Oman

17.10 Closing Remarks From e Chairman
17.20 Close of Conference Day