·        Opening Remarks, by KOC CEO, Mr. Jamal Jafaar

·        Welcome Address, by DCEO (NK), Ms. Badria Abdul Raheem

·        “5^th Edition of a Successful Experience: KOC Sharing Best Practices Conference”  by Conference Chair, M FD (NK), Mr. Bader Al-Munaifi

“Challenges, Successes and Beyond in the current oil scenario”

 

Proposed Panelists:

·        Panelist 1: KOC CEO

·        Panelist 4: KNPC CEO

·        Panelist 2: Shell (TBD)

·        Panelist 3: BP (TBD)

Moderator: M FD (SEK)

 

 

·        PIP Practices Implementation Projects: Early Wins

o   PIP 1: Data & Knowledge Management

o   PIP 2: Reservoir Management

o   PIP 3: Well & Reservoir Surveillance

o   Pip 4: Resource & Uncertainty Management

o   PIP 5: Well Type Selection & Delivery Optimization

o   PIP 6: Production & Development Optimization

·        PANEL 1

Collaboration of the Oil Industry with Private Sector: Wins and Challenges in the Middle East

·        PANEL 2

Empowerment and Self-Empowerment of Women in Engineering

 

·        Soft Skills Workshop 1

Digital Prestige and Networking: How to boost your Professional network and presence on line (aimed to G16/17)

·        Soft Skills Workshop 2

Business Etiquette: What works at the corporate environment (aimed to G14/15)

 

1.    Challenges and Successes in Project Planning and Execution

Most companies would tag a project as successful if the project is completed on time and on budget.  But the success of a project starts long before the contract is awarded to the contractor.  The identification of the project if conceived well ahead of time the project would develop smoother and follow the proper systematic steps; however, many projects identifications start late and thus are rushed into the execution phase which results in challenges that could have been easily overcome at earlier stage of the project than having to deal with them with live contract and construction.

The phases of the projects always have two engineering phases Basis Engineering (FEED) and Detailed Engineering. Other phases  include budgeting, contracting, procurement and construction. In a fast moving world, corners must be cut and cycles must be reduced.  The Basic Engineering phase is critical and cutting it short will have serious implications on the project later phases, as it optimizes the value of the whole value chain, identifying risks and uncertainties involved,  aiming to ensure an effective integration subsurface-surface.

The Detailed Engineering is a key phase where a complete definition will optimize the subsequent phases of budgeting, contracting, procurement, and construction.  Cost optimization strategies are hence inherent to the whole planning and monitoring activities of the oil and gas sector.

The focus of this session covers several subjects, listed below.

 

-         Outlook into the Energy and oil future: A focus in the GCC countries

-         Planning Engineering & Project Management

-         Value chain optimization in a low-price environment

-         Contracts and Procurement

-         Expediting Projects Execution

-         Cost Optimization strategies

-         Integration Subsurface-Surface: Challenges and Solutions

2.    Challenges and Successes in Exploration

The current low oil price has negatively impacted the exploration activities which are usually the first to suffer from cutbacks, the case for providing cost effective solutions therefore becomes even more important. The integration of all the disciplines involved in exploration activities, from Geology and Geophysics to Petro physics and Geochemistry, and the establishment and sharing of Best Practices focusing on exploration themes becomes of paramount importance. The risks and uncertainties that are stacked ever higher against a successful outcome in exploration must be clearly understood and minimized and the timeline from exploration to production must be reduced.

KOC has set a very challenging target for exploration as part of the 2030 strategy, which requires an integrated effort, and the highest level of technology to explore the challenging conventional as well as unconventional reservoirs. The increasing complexity of future potential hydrocarbon traps, the combination of conventional and unconventional reservoirs, low porosity reservoirs, highly fractured reservoirs, deep, thin, stratigraphic traps and drilling in a challenging environment HPHT are some of the main reservoirs related challenges. The introduction of high channel count, point source and point receiver acquisition over the last decade have contributed to better understanding of the reservoirs as well as the value of attributes and properties extracted from the seismic data. Remaining challenges such as dealing with the immense increase of data for processing and interpretation will eventually be overcome.  

This session will focus on those practices that enable a better understanding of the reservoir and its behavior during the discovery, development and production phases, offering the potential to realize direct benefits through improved recovery and better prospect and reserves evaluation.

3.    Reservoir Engineering, Field Development and EOR Case Studies

Although the application of cutting edge technologies have played an instrumental role in identifying new reserves in unconventional and highly challenging areas, their commercial viability becomes more difficult especially with lower oil prices. Optimizing and enhancing reservoir performance using primary and secondary recovery methods is important to establish a baseline that can be used to assess the technical and commercial feasibility of tertiary/EOR recovery methods to increase production from residual and bypassed oil.  Establishing appropriate field development strategies and robust reservoir management practices requires reliable data in relation to reservoir properties and field performance that can be used to carry out integrated geological and reservoir modeling studies. Utilizing best-practices with respect to reservoir engineering and field development prior to the implementation of technically and commercially viable EOR methods is essential to maximize oil production and recovery. This will ultimately assist in achieving the desired production targets as per the 2030 strategy of Kuwait Oil Company (KOC). Even a marginal increase in oil recovery from mature fields can result in significant economic gains.

This session is aimed at exploring best practices for reservoir engineering, field development and field-scale EOR implementation to achieve incremental oil recovery in accordance with KOC’s 2030 strategy.

-         Reservoir Characterization

-         Reservoir management strategies

-         Integrated reservoir modeling

-         Reliable Forecasts: progress and challenges

-         IOR/EOR

-         Field Development case studies of success

-         Well Placement optimization

-         Reservoir Surveillance

-         Challenges in the management of Giant Oil Fields

 

4.    Well Drilling, Completion, Well Integrity, and Production Enhancement

The era of easy drilling of oil wells in the regions that were very well known for such an activity has come to an end in the last decade or so. Many challenges have been faced while drilling new type of wells and utilizing new technologies exploring new options to maximize production and profits. Different success stories has been heard of among different organizations in the market in many applications such as Pad drilling, multilateral wells, successful well control events, smart completions and many other areas of the business.

Difficulties arise with the uncertainties pertinent to newly explored reserves, and the changed behavior of old and aging reservoirs. Additionally, the global demands and regulations of protection of the environment and the resources for next generations, adds even more challenges to the existing ones. This conference provides an opportunity to consider the challenges faced by the drilling industry and sharing the solutions and best practices found in overcoming those.

 

-         Drilling Successes

-         Innovative Drilling

-         Well Surveillance & Testing

-         Fines management

-         High performance completions

-         Well productivity enhancers

-         Well Control, Well integrity, Well Intervention

-         Artificial Lift

5.    Operational workflows, challenges, successes, and way ahead

Operational excellence best practices is a target for achieving success and this session will highlight the recent accomplishments and best practices achieved in operations and maintenance. Some of the topics addressed will be how to achieve operational excellence through integrated approaches, overcoming current and future challenges, and the successful strategies applied for cost and production optimization. Maintenance and upgrading of the facilities in upstream and downstream will also be showcased, as one of the key elements of the way ahead in the operational side of the industry.

-         Operational Excellence

-         Operational facilities: Overcoming current and future challenges 

-         Operational Cost and Production Optimization: Strategies and Successes

-         Maintenance and Upgrading of field facilities

-         Production Operations & Facilities

6.    Gas, Heavy Oil and Non-Conventional hydrocarbons Development, Transportation and Marketing

Exploring for gas was overlooked in the past because of the challenge it posed and the relatively lower economics.  Gas exploration usually mean deeper wells, high pressure and high temperature, aside from likelihood of it being sour.  The deeper the gas the more the challenge it is to explore for, in terms of seismic surveys.  Other unconventional resources have a potential to grow but technical expertise and knowledge needs to be developed which is not easy in the low oil prices of today but this might drive the market to  find ways to lower the production cost of the unconventional resources.

In 2008, Kuwait started producing sour gas, and a year later Kuwait started importing LNG during summers through ships that have capability to re-gasify the LNG.  Other GCC countries followed suits with the import of LNG. Gas resource is neglected in the region except for Qatar. Unlike the case in Europe or USA, the gas transport network is very much under developed thus LNG has emerged as quick solution to combat the high electricity demand during the summer.  Kuwait is planning yet further expansion in the LNG import along with more vigorous plans to develop sour gas fields.  The sour service require special attention in the design, operation and creation of public awareness about the high-risk areas. Sour gas poses a lot challenges in material selection to combat corrosion. Sulphur handling and disposal is also a major factor in dealing with the sweetening of sour gas.

 

-         Challenges in gas exploration and production

-         Shale, Tight Gas and Unconventional

-         Gas resources in Kuwait and the region: current and future challenges

-         LNG Availability, Markets, Transportation and Trade

-         Safe design, operation and maintenance for sour service's infrastructure.

7.    HSSE in the Oil and Gas Industry

 

With rapid industrial growth and ever increasing energy demands from emerging markets, the global oil and gas industry is expanding like never before. However, this growth cannot come at the cost of compromising our health, safety, security or the environment (HSSE). In light of corporate social responsibilities, economic challenges and regulatory pressures, health, safety, security and the environment is becoming the top priorities for oil and gas companies, reflecting an attitude of zero tolerance for incidents. Managing these risks associated with HSSE has become essential for the long-term sustainability of oil & gas companies. Strong HSSE performance is an indicator of a culture of trust and commitment from the workforce.   

With the recent fluctuations in the global oil prices, it has become imperative that organizations strive to become leaners and more energy efficient to not only be sustainable but to minimize costs and optimize profits as well. There is a need of cooperation amongst key stakeholders - governments, regulators as well as the industry. Long-term collaboration and dialogues to share experiences, lessons learnt and best practices are essential to develop a lasting HSSE culture.

 

-         Industrial Hygiene Management

-         Occupational Health management in Oil & Gas Industry: the way ahead

-         Upstream and Downstream Oil Industry Air Quality Monitoring and Compliance Management.

-         Air, Water, soil pollution and remediation strategies

-         Sustainable Waste Management & Loss Prevention

-         Energy Management and Energy Efficiency

-         Paris 21 implications for the Oil Industry Development

-         Safety & Security: New Challenges and Recent Successes

8.    Creativity, Innovation and Technology as Transformational Factors

Innovation through creativity is an important factor in the success and competitive advantage of organizations with high productivity leading to a strong economy. The creativity and innovation takes the form of reality through a strong transformational leadership. The creativity lies with an individual, while the same becomes innovation at a group level. Innovation under the hands of a leader identifies the needed change with the coordination of subordinates, creating a vision to guide the change through inspiration and executing the change through committed workforce. The transformational leadership has four components; charismatic role modeling, individualized consideration, inspirational motivation, and intellectual stimulation.

The papers in this topic discuss the pivotal role of creativity, innovation and technology in growing an organization with numerous of technologies implemented on large scale to exploit the technology value.

One of our main core values, “Realizing value from technology” is exactly the aim of this topic, which is to pursue a value-driven approach to research, identify, develop and deploy appropriate core and enabling technology solutions through investments, partnerships and technology transfer mechanisms.

Transformation leaders raise the performance expectations of their workforce and seek to transform their personal values & self-concepts and move them to higher level of needs and aspirations. The ideas from creative minds will convert into technology management pilots based on the challenges of the E&P core business activities. These pilots will leverage to innovation level where the technological advantages fully realize.  

 

-         Research, Technology and Development: Challenges and Successes

-         Best Practices dissemination and Communities of Practice

-         NOC’s role in Research, Technology and Development

-         Renewable Energy

-         Boosting Innovation and Creativity in the corporate environment

-         Adaptions and cross-feeding from other industries about Innovation & Creativity

9.    Challenges and Successes Optimizing our Human Capital   

We are already used to the sentence “The most important asset of an O&G company is the human capital”, but are we really building and implementing the best practices in our industry to motivate, retain and trigger the best of each individual in our workforce? This session will explore the best practices and successes achieved in the main topics of the optimization of the human capital, in particular those related to training (technical, leadership and soft skills training), on-boarding, Diversity and Inclusion, new trends in the detection of leaders, and retention of knowledge. The session is also aimed to highlight the challenges posed by the new styles of learning and how the corporate environment is adapting to the millennial.

-         Talent Development Strategies

-         Leadership Development: what works?

-         Enhancing the liaison between the Oil Industry & the Educational Sector

-         High-Potentials, Fast-Trackers, Promotion, and Succession plans

-         Diversity and Inclusion: Challenges and Successes

-         Technical Knowledge: Acquisition, Sharing, Transfer and Retention

-         Styles of learning and the uplift of corporate training strategies

10. Data, Information, Knowledge and Processes in Oil and Gas

The Exploration and Production (E&P) industry needs an ever-increasing data acquisition, computing and storage technology for accurate, comprehensive, and well-managed data analysis and interpretation. Equally importantly, the industry needs skilled & experienced professionals for the processing, interpretation  and integration of these data, to enable informed decision-making, worth millions of dollars every day to produce valuable oil and gas for the energy-hungry world while generating profit.

There is vast opportunity for the E&P service companies to develop software that leverages shared data and digital field models, which complement each other while working seamlessly on workstations, desktops and smartphones in safe and secure cyber-space.

While the industry publications and conferences provide great platforms for sharing knowledge through case studies, lessons-learnt and best-practices, their access needs to be improved and massified while honoring intellectual property. Open resources on line, such as Petro-wiki (SPE & AAPG), open e-learning, and free webinars are now available, covering all E&P sub-disciplines. There exists huge potential in nurturing mutually beneficial relationships between experienced professionals with tech-savvy younger ones for evolving more productive and innovative processes is making the  E&P healthier and more vibrant.

-         Data security issues for the oil industry

-         The future in Data and Information Management: Data intelligence and self-learning

-         What statistics are meaningful to the Oil and Gas industry

-         From mainframes to clouds, to smartphones: Data availability and portability

-         Data Integrity

-         Intellectual property in the XXI century: Challenges and Innovations

-         Collaborative and Wiki efforts for the oil sector

11.   Special Topics  

The oil and gas sector requires advanced and careful strategies related to its operations, as it handles operations and resources geopolitically strategic. The proper handling and anticipation of the risks inherent to the valuable assets of the sector in terms of workforce, field facilities and resources, in the upstream and downstream, is a key element for the success of the industry. This session will address special topics, related to how we interrelate with the communities, in particular those near by the operational areas, and the strategies and practices used to the communication with the internal and external audiences. A particular emphasis will be placed in the utilization of social media platforms as a tool to maximize the communication in real time and to wide and diverse audiences.

-         Relations with the Communities

-         Challenges in portraying a positive image of the O&G sector

-         New communication & media approaches in the oil industry

-         The social media platforms: Experience and Success tracks