28 October 2015
Mishref, Kuwait: Under the patronage of the Prime Minister of Kuwait His Highness Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, the 2nd Society of Petroleum Engineers Kuwait Oil & Gas Show (KOGS 2015) took place from 11-14 October 2015 at Kuwait International Fair in Mishref, Kuwait.

His Excellency Dr. Ali Saleh Al-Omair, Kuwait's Minister of Oil and Minister of State for the National Assembly; Nizar Al-Adsani, Chief Executive Officer, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation; Hosnia Hashim, Vice President Operations, KUFPEC and Janeen Judah, 2017 Society of Petroleum Engineers President delivered welcome addresses to over 2,000 oil and gas professionals at the conference opening ceremony at the Hilton Kuwait Resort.

Nizar Al-Adsani, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (Conference Chairperson), Hashem Hashem, Kuwait Oil Company (Executive Committee Chairperson), and Hosnia Hashim, Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (Conference Programme Chairperson), along with other 34 executive committee members and 44 programme committee members had put a great effort to set up a comprehensive conference programme for KOGS 2015. 180 technical presentations were delivered by expert speakers from more than 60 companies, a 38% increase from the previous edition.

The conference programme included an Executive Plenary Session titled 'Future Hydrocarbon Resources; Innovations, Technology and Opportunities' followed by the opening ceremony. Keynote speeches were delivered by His Excellency Abdalla Salem El-Badri, Secretary General, OPEC; Mohammad Al-Mutairi, Chief Executive Officer, Kuwait National Petroleum Company; Bob Dudley, Chief Executive Officer, BP, and Samir Brikho, Chief Executive, Amec Foster Wheeler.

"We are very proud of KOGS 2015, the event has evolved to a world class event only at its second edition with a record of 5,352 attendees from 45 countries, a 20% increase from the previous edition. We are grateful for all the support we recorded from KPC and the oil and gas industry in Kuwait to make the event successful. We are pleased with the turnout of delegates especially in such challenging times to the industry. A true testimonial to the role that SPE plays as industry leader" said Waleed Refaay, Managing Director, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. 

The packed agenda at KOGS 2015 also included 4 industry panel sessions and 5 special sessions led by chief executive officers, managers, and presidents of national and international oil companies and the service industry. Discussion topics included industry strategies in the face of unstable oil prices, the role of gas in the region, innovation, overcoming scarcity of resources, refining industry drivers, women's networking, local content and the role of the banking sectors.

Additionally, the three training courses covering shutdown and turnaround Safety, advanced completion technology for intelligent wells, and simulation business model for oil and gas asset production; attracted a record of 70 attendees.

Furthermore, a two-day programme of events aimed at the next generation of oil and gas professionals was offered for high school students and teachers. The Energy4me Teachers workshop had 45 teachers from both the private and public school sectors. The Energy4me Students workshop was a success with a record number of 120 students from 19 public and private schools. Students were entertained by interactive energy trivia and were given eight hands-on activities that aimed to highlight concepts in oil exploration.

214 companies from 19 countries participated at the 14,000 sqm global showcase that featured key stakeholders, major players, suppliers and service providers and serves all areas of the oil and gas industry. 5,352 visitors and delegates from 45 countries were in attendance.

KOGS 2015 was organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) in conjunction with Allworld Exhibitions' member, Arabian Exhibition Management. The event was officially supported by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation.

For more information please visit www.kogs2015.com.

-Ends-

About the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE):
The SPE is a not-for-profit professional association whose members are engaged in energy resources development and production. SPE serves more than 143,000 members in 147 countries worldwide. SPE is a key resource for technical knowledge related to the oil and gas exploration and production industry and provides services through its publications, conferences, workshops, forums, and member-service programmes. SPE website: www.spe.org

About Arabian Exhibition Management:
Arabian Exhibition Management is a pioneer of professional exhibition organisation in the Middle East. Since its inception in 1977 this Bahrain-based company has successfully staged over 150 events. AEM is an affiliate of Allworld Exhibitions, the world's largest private association of professional organisers active in the field of international trade shows. Arabian Exhibition Management website: www.aemallworld.com

For further information please visit: www.kogs2015.com or contact:
Miyadeh Al Ramathany
Society of Petroleum Engineers
Dubai
T: +971 4 457 5800
E: mramathany@spe.org                   
Joanne Blundell
Arabian Exhibition Management
Bahrain
T: +973 17 550033
E: jo@aemallworld.com

© Press Release 2015