Oman’s Ministry of Oil and Gas is set to provide engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) industry updates to global and local oil, gas, petrochemical, power and water industry experts and professionals  at a forum next month.

The Oman EPC Projects Summit 2015, which will be attended by more than 100 experts, will take place on February 22 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Muscat, Oman.

Dr Saleh Al Anboori, director general of Petroleum Investments at the Ministry of Oil and Gas, will present the business opportunities in the oil, gas and petrochemical sector in Oman including outlining planned and upcoming offshore developments in Oman and identifying the latest EPC project complexities, needs and requirements.

The fourth annual summit is the sultanate’s only event addressing the risks and complexities of oil, gas, petrochemical, energy and water EPC projects.

The key themes for the event include current and upcoming project updates, how to align pre-award and post-award expectations, new contracting strategies, ensuring quality across specialist processes and materials, improving the transition from Feed (front end engineering design) to EPC phase, and promoting in-country value to facilitate on-time delivery of quality EPC projects in the sultanate.

Jacobus Nieuwenhuijze, the project director for the Duqm Refinery, will provide a mega-project showcase on the first day of the summit. The project is a major new greenfield refinery strategically located near Duqm Port and represents one of Oman’s most significant undertakings to date in the energy field.

Among its many features, it boasts the largest single train unit hydrocracker in the world. The Invitation to Bid (ITB) for the key EPC package is expected to be floated in the second quarter of this year, with a contract award envisioned in the second quarter of next year, according to reports.

Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) will lead the second day of the summit with a 360-degree client perspective to ensure delegates can benchmark, align and learn from their experience, project updates and best practices including Julian Masters, engineering project delivery manager.

The summit will also feature nine round table sessions led by EPC clients and contractors including: Saudi Aramco, Octal Petrochemicals, Hajr Electricity Production Company designed to provide interactive problem-solving sessions.

Annie Jeffcoat, division director, Power and Water, IQPC Middle East, said: “We are particularly looking forward to the fourth edition of this summit as it has been designed specifically to address the challenges and opportunities of the EPC industry within an interactive format.

“This year we’re also delighted to partner with Duqm Refinery and look forward to sharing the latest mega-project update with our attendees.”

The post-summit focus day will be facilitated by Zakum Development Company (Zadco), Adma-Opco and Qatar Petroleum, which will present a 360-degree perspective from feasibility to construction for the development of offshore projects to help reduce risks and evaluate future opportunities.

The delegates will also be able to identify actions to implement or improve cost control in your organisation to reduce risk and earn five Professional Development Units (PDUs) in the post-summit cost control masterclass. - TradeArabia News Service