Bahrain will host a key forum aimed at reinvigorating the operating structures of national oil companies in the Middle East to face new challenges, next month.

Held under the patronage of the National Oil and Gas Authority of Bahrain, the Operational Excellence Middle East forum will also discuss steps to develop their own intuitive operational excellence programmes.

The forum, organised by The Energy Exchange and World Refining Association, will be held at InterContinental Regency hotel from September 28 to 30.

"The oil and gas industry today faces the major challenge of remaining profitable in the face of volatility. Recent events in Iraq have highlighted the need for flexible and fluid operational structures that take into account shifting circumstances, which in turn can affect production and profitability. Developing and implementing an operational excellence programme that promotes communication and integration can help effectively manage unpredictability and embrace change," said a statement.

Maxwell Thompson, head of content, The Energy Exchange, said: “In order to stay at the forefront of both technical and strategic innovation the energy industry must continually explore new and better ways of structuring and managing their operations. Today, most international oil companies, national oil companies and many other energy companies have management systems in place that reflect their own objectives for excellence. However, this is merely the first step in the journey. Breakthrough performance depends on how well you embed the system, how you instil a culture of operational excellence throughout your work force, and most importantly the continuous improvement of that system.”

Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Minister of Finance and Minister in Charge of Oil & Gas Affairs, will officially address the conference on the first day followed by an industry panel who will address the drivers for operational excellence throughout the region exploring the validity and applicability of international models.

The second day will focus on the key components of operational excellence: leadership, people and change before addressing the fundamental applications for maintenance, reliability and risk.

A one-day pre–conference master class will provide a practical and interactive demonstration of various approaches within operational excellence that have been successfully employed and delivered sustainable benefits, the statement said.

The conference will have representative speakers from all the GCC nations including the Bahrain Petroleum Company, Oman Oil Company, Qatar Gas, Petrochemical Industries Company, Enoc, Petro Rabigh, GPIC and more.

International oil companies who will be sharing their practical experiences include Maersk Oil and Imperial Oil, as well as leading technology providers and management consultants such as Dupont, Honeywell, Petro IT and EC Harris, it said. – TradeArabia News Service