University and ConocoPhillips Qatar co-host Qatar's annual safety-focused event
11 March 2013 - DOHA, QATAR _Texas A&M University at Qatar and ConocoPhillips Qatar co-hosted the annual Qatar Process Safety Symposium at Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) 11- 12 March. The two-day event, titled "Investing in Process Safety for a Sustainable Future," featured 18 speakers presenting on topics including incident case studies, best practices in process safety, research on process safety, incident investigations and safety success stories. Over 100 attendees from Qatar and abroad are participating.
Dr. Kenneth Hall, associate dean for research and graduate studies at Texas A&M at Qatar, addressed the symposium's opening ceremony, stating: "Texas A&M at Qatar is proud to organize and host the Qatar Process Safety Symposium again. This event represents the University's commitment to research that yields new knowledge while supporting industry, and has become a focal point for discussions on process safety in Qatar, the region and beyond. The visionary leadership of ConocoPhillips supports this important research and discourse and Texas A&M at Qatar thanks them for their generous support. Pursuits such as this symposium directly contribute to Qatar's development goals and to the Qatar National Vision 2030. This national vision is the touchstone for the University's work as we strive to provide the country expertise and knowledge for sustainable and safe growth and prosperity."
Gary Sykes, president of ConocoPhillips Qatar stated, " As the news president of ConocoPhillips Qatar, this was the first time that I had the pleasure to attend the Process Safety Symposium. I am very grateful for the opportunity we had to continue on our journey with Texas A&M at Qatar to enhance Qatar and the industry's drive towards zero safety incidents. I have been very impressed with the level of knowledge sharing by which we continue the much-needed dialogue on best practices, individual and corporate achievements, incident case studies and the latest innovative technology and research on process safety. At ConocoPhillips, safety is our number one priority and at the essence of our SPIRIT values. I encourage everyone to refocus our collective attention on renewing our vigilance, and tracing the path forward towards furthering the cause of safety."
Dr. Luc N. Véchot, assistant professor of chemical engineering at Texas A&M at Qatar and the chair of the Process Safety Symposium organizing committee, said: "We are very proud that this annual Qatar Process Safety Symposium has become a key event for the Process Safety community in Qatar. The number of attendees significantly increased compared to the last years. Texas A&M at Qatar and ConocoPhillips have put a significant effort to provide an opportunity for the Industry, Regulatory Institutions and Academia to share knowledge, expertise and experience in the field of Process Safety and Loss Prevention. This year's program was developed around the theme of Investing in Process Safety for a Sustainable Future, with the participation of 24 speakers and panelists. We are very happy of the success of this initiative and will continue to actively contribute to the development of Process Safety in Qatar."
Dr. Ali Hamad Al-Mulla, manager of Corporate Health, Safety & Environment, Qatar Petroleum, delivered the plenary keynote address on the first day.
Mike Ferrow, vice president, Health, Safety and Environment, ConocoPhillips, USA, delivered the plenary keynote lecture titled "Process Safety for a Sustainable Future" followed by a panel discussion, "Challenges and Benefits Associated with Building a Business Case for Process Safety."
An award ceremony, presided by Dr. Sam Mannan, regents professor and director of the Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center in College Station, Texas, recognized Qatar Petroleum, represented by Khaled Al-Ansari, director of the Ras Laffan Emergency and Safety College, for the exceptional and long standing support to the LNG Safety research project funded by BP Global Gas SPU and carried out at Texas A&M at Qatar during the last four years.
Saif Al-Naimi, director of HSE Regulations & Enforcement Directorate of Qatar gave a presentation on "Safety Case Framework in Qatar's Energy Industry" in the first day's afternoon session.
Qatargas Chief Safety, Environment and Quality Officer, Randy Stadler, launched the symposium's second day with a presentation entitled, "Operational Safety Challenges in the Oil and Gas Industry."
Both days included parallel sessions on Safety Management Systems and Research and Technology in Process Safety.
12 posters covering a wide range of process safety topics (research, experimentation and incident investigation) were prepared and presented by undergraduate and graduate students from the Texas A&M at Qatar Chemical Engineering Program.
© Press Release 2013
