Dubai - United Arab Emirates, 5th of March 2014: Offshore Arabia conference and exhibition successfully concluded today in its 8th edition which was held in the city of Dubai under the patronage of H. H. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai.
Over the past three days, the conference discussed important topics related to oil spills and pollution, with a main focus on several key issues that were addressed by a group of elite professionals in the field of Oil, Gas, and Environment. These experts juggled issues like Oil, Chemical and other Harmful substance, Spill prevention, Response, Protection, Contamination of Marine and Coastal Environment, Crises and Disaster Management, Global and Regional Environmental Issues and Climate Change, Oil & Gas Future Outlook, The Marine Industry and Global Trade and New Technologies and Renewable Energy. The conference also discussed the possible ways for international oil companies to reduce negative impacts on the marine environment and its resources in the region.
The conference hosted a large number of international and local experts and specialists who came to share their views and expertise on how to respond to oil spills in an optimal and rapid manner. They showcased the latest developments in this field, and addressed the lessons learned from previous disasters. The exhibiting companies also showed the latest trends in modern technologies, particularly in the field of environmental protection from oil spills.
Ijaz Ashraf, Technical Committee head at RECSO, commented on the event saying: “The Offshore Arabia Conference has become a premier event which aims to raise awareness on all aspects of oil spill management from prevention through combating an oil spill effectively in order to prevent catastrophic consequences. The Gulf region is one of the most important and significant contributor in terms of oil supply to the global market, therefore the Gulf waters see daily oil tanker movement which is unprecedented, obviously this huge movement of oil not only brings economic benefits to the region but also presents a significant risk of oil pollution from off-shore platforms, leaks, pipeline failures, and tanker collisions etc.”
“In order to ensure an effective response to prevent an ecological and economic disaster one needs to have a structured approach to emergency management and this is only possible through having an effective oil spill contingency plan, appropriate resources and trained workforce and by regularly rehearsing the plans,” added Ashraf.
And about the participation of Drydocks World in the Exhibition, Eng. Ali AlSuwaidi said: “The offshore Arabia is an excellent platform that helped Drydocks World to be in touch with its regional Oil,Gas and Energy business partners. Drydocks World had an opportunity to express its readiness and willingness to cater for its partners engineering and offshore solutions. We also could showcase our initiatives related to the Green Engineering and Technology and could generate positive leads that we will follow closely in the near future."
The GCC countries follow a number of precautionary measurements in order to reduce the negative impacts resulting from oil spills through identifying the risks then develop a contingency plan especially to deal with oil spills and to find qualified personnel and equipment which are necessary for exercises patrol and enforcement of laws and regulations in the world.
From his side Ashraf adds: “Offshore Arabia conference brings together renowned experts in these areas from across the globe. This event provides an opportunity for delegates attending the conference to share and learn about the latest developments and best practices in the field of oil spill management. It also provides opportunity for organizations to show piece their achievements as well as display latest equipment and services in this area.”
On the sidelines of the conference, the Environmental Awards ceremony was held at the Armani Hotel in Burj Khalifa as part of a prestigious dinner that played host to regional and international VIP's, dignitaries and prominent leaders of the industry. The event celebrated the importance of working towards the environmental goals committed to by the industry.
Andy Pearce, from Maersk Oil, the sponsor of Gala Dinner says: “We are pleased to be participating in this important event and to be sharing our knowledge and experience and also learning from our peers.”
During the Gala Dinner, a number of side events took place aiming to raise awareness and promote a clean and sustainable environment; this included the Environmental Photography Awards, which were held under the sponsorship of Saudi Aramco, looks for the best photographs that reflect the environment of Gulf region, in a group of six categories which are: Wildlife, Coastal Arid Landscape, Aerial Landscape, Under Water, Above Water and Urban. The winners for the 1st place in those categories were announced, and they were: Mohamed AlSaleh, Aseel Adnan, Anas ElRawi, Fadhel Hassan, Murad Jizani and Anas AlRawi, respectively.
On the other hand, Environmental Excellence Awards were also given for companies contributing towards a better environment, beginning with the Award for Excellence in Environmental Technology which went for Saudi Aramco’s Manifa meag project. The award for Excellence in Environmental Projects and Products went also to Saudi Aramco for their Power Systems Renewable Energy. The Award for Excellence in Capability and Response went to Qatar Petroleum’s Oil Spill & Emergency Response Dept. Finally, the award for excellence in environmental applications went for Saudi Aramco Marine Dept.
Offshore Arabia 2014 is organised by INDEX Conferences and Exhibitions Organisation Est. – member of INDEX Holding and in cooperation with the Regional Clean Sea Organization RECSO and its members; Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco), Kuwait Oil Company (KSC), Kuwait Gulf Oil Company (KOC), The Bahrain Petroleum Company B.S.C (BAPCO), Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), Qatar Petroleum (QP), Saudi Arabian Chevron (SAC), Maersk Oil Qatar AS (MOQ), Al Khafji Joint Operations (KGOC / AGOC), and its associate members.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Offshore Arabia Conference & Exhibition
Siddarth Nanthur
Project Manager
Phone: 04 362 4717 Ext: 603
Mobile: 055 810 6434
Email: siddarth.nanthur@index.ae
Index Shared Services
Suzan Mounzer
Media & PR Executive
Phone: 04 362 4717 Ext: 505
Mobile: 056 907 0443
Email: suzan.mounzer@index.ae