JEDDAH – Innovation is key to achieving progress in the energy sector in today's economic environment, Abu Dhabi industry leaders said. As regional and global oil and gas companies continue to submit their nominations for the prestigious ADIPEC 2015 Awards ahead of the July 30 July deadline, members of the Regional Select Jury (RSJ), which is comprised of senior professionals from across the industry, emphasized the pivotal role that developments in technology play in creating and harnessing sustainable energy resources. “With eight categories that span the most critical issues surrounding the energy sector, the ADIPEC Awards encourage and uphold organizations that champion forward thinking attitudes and value new ideas brought by young talent,” said Ali Khalifa Al Shamsi, Director of Strategy & Coordination at ADNOC, and ADIPEC 2015 Chairman. “This is essential in order to continue meeting the ever-growing global demand for energy in the context of today's market conditions.” Set to take place on the opening night of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (ADIPEC), one of the world's top three energy events, the ADIPEC 2015 Awards are currently accepting nominations and offer both regional and global companies a platform to showcase accomplishments that shape the future of the industry. “Innovation sits at the core of sustainable energy production. It helps cut costs, allowing you to become more competitive in this economic environment,” said Rafi Baghdjian, Chief Operating Officer at Shell Abu Dhabi, and member of the RSJ. “For example, Abu Dhabi is currently pursuing ventures, such as Al Hosn and Bab sour gas projects, that may not have been possible or very expensive 10-20 years ago. But through innovative methods, we can now extract this gas both safely and efficiently.” “Looking to other countries like the US, where innovative techniques are being used to extract shale oil and gas, a decade ago it was thought that it would not be possible to tap into these very tight reservoirs in an economic way, but innovation has driven this kind of development – it is a bloodline of the oil and gas industry,” Baghdjian added. Among the eight categories of the ADIPEC 2015 Awards, ‘Best Oil & Gas Innovation or Technology' (Surface or Sub-surface) is currently showing the most interest, demonstrating the region's unwavering commitment to advancing the oil and gas industry, and to meeting the rising global demand for energy. The ‘Best Oil & Gas Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) / Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Project or Initiative' category, and the new ‘Best Dissertation of the Year' category follow, both looking at critical areas that promote progress within the energy sector. “Going forward, we are all aware that the oil & gas industry will be facing both challenges and enormous opportunities – developing our knowledge and understanding of the sector is absolutely essential if we are to grow and develop the industry,” said Dr Thomas Hochstettler, President of the Petroleum Institute and RSJ member. “The Best Dissertation Award will promote academic excellence and help to deliver real-world understanding.”
Also new to this year's Awards is the ‘Best Practice' category, which recognizes the creation and successful implementation of an initiative that offers improvement to an internal business process, structure, or culture. "Best practice and innovation are crucial to the success of our industry, especially in the new commodity price environment," said Edward LaFehr, Chief Operating Officer of Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA), and member of the ADIPEC Awards jury. "I am excited to see the entries for the Best Practice category which show that the oil and gas industry is rising to the challenge." The remaining four categories for 2015 include ‘Best Oil & Gas Mega Project', ‘Best Oilfield Services Company' (Local, Regional or International), ‘Young ADIPEC Engineer', and ‘Oil & Gas Woman of the Year'. Fatima Obaid Al Jaber, Board Member and Chief Operating Officer at Al Jaber Group, said: “The Oil & Gas Woman of the Year category aims to recognise successful women in the industry who are striving for excellence and are being supported by their company's empowerment processes.” The highly coveted accolades present oil and gas companies with a unique opportunity to not only have their achievements recognized regionally and globally, but also to disseminate knowledge and information that will set benchmarks for excellence in the industry. “ADIPEC 2015 will celebrate innovation and this year's ADIPEC Awards will showcase how the region's oil and gas industry is delivering on innovation,” said Hirotatsu Fujiwara, Managing Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Energy Business Unit II at Mitsui & Co., Ltd., a sponsor of the ADIPEC 2015 Awards. “As a world-leading event, ADIPEC is the perfect platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration and the ADIPEC Awards are a vital element in that, providing the standards for the industry to achieve. The Awards also contribute to Abu Dhabi's growing profile in the energy sector and highlight its role in promoting excellence and best practice,” Fujiwara added. Last year, the ADIPEC Awards received a record-breaking 390 submissions from more than 100 organizations across 26 countries, marking an increase of 100 submissions when compared with 2013. — SG
