Saudi Aramco took three awards and Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) two at the prestigious Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (Adipec) Awards yesterday.

Celebrating innovation and commitment to excellence in the energy sector, the prestigious awards were presented to eight winners in seven categoriess during the Adipec Awards Gala Dinner, held at the Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi.

Hosted by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), the event concluded the opening day of Adipec 2016, one of the world’s most influential oil and gas events and a global meeting place for professionals in the energy sector.

Winning entries represented individuals, companies, and projects that demonstrated qualities of merit, including ethical oversight, sustainability, and benefit to the community – setting benchmarks for best practice in the region and worldwide.

Thirty-one nominees were shortlisted after the opening round of assessment by the Regional Select Jury (RSJ), a panel of experts from the region’s leading energy companies, academic institutions, and professional associations. Each shortlisted entry was thoroughly screened by members of the RSJ, with the winners selected after a meticulous evaluation process. As leading experts in their fields, the RSJ members provide a dedicated level of evaluation which narrows all the entries to a final selection.

Abdul Munim Saif Al Kindy, director of exploration, development and production at Adnoc, and Adipec 2016 Awards chairman, said: “Today’s achievements represent the industry’s unwavering commitment to continuously improve the way it operates. More than ever before, oil and gas companies across the industry landscape – from producers to service providers – are under tremendous pressure to optimise their business functions in order to prosper and thrive in today’s competitive marketplace and challenging global economy.

“The Adipec Awards bring those who have succeeded in doing so into the spotlight, setting industry benchmarks and inspiring others to follow suit. Such achievements enable energy sector progress and support the petroleum industry’s valuable role in meeting the world’s growing energy demand.”

Saudi Aramco took the awards for the Best Oil & Gas Innovation or Technology (Upstream); Best Oil & Gas HSE Project or Initiative; and the Young Adipec Engineer.

Celebrating three consecutive years of success at the Adipec Awards, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) took home two accolades for ‘Best Oil & Gas CSR Project’ and ‘Best Practice’.

Badria Ali Abdul Raheem, deputy CEO (North Kuwait) at Kuwait Oil Company, received the award for ‘Oil & Gas Woman of the Year’.

The following is the list of winners of the Adipec 2016 Awards
* Category 1 – Best Oil & Gas Innovation or Technology - Upstream: Saudi Aramco; Downstream: Gasco
* Category 2 – Best Oil & Gas HSE Project or Initiative: Saudi Aramco (Uthmaniyah CCS and CO2-EOR Project)
* Category 3 – Best Oil & Gas CSR Project: Petroleum Development Oman
* Category 4 – Oil & Gas Woman of the Year - Badria Abdul Rahman, Kuwait Oil Company (KOC)
* Category 5 – Young Adipec Engineer - Mohannad Abdelaziz, Saudi Aramco
* Category 6 – Best Dissertation of the Year - Dr Ali S Al-Menhali, Imperial College London
* Category 7 – Best Practice Award - Petroleum Development Oman - TradeArabia News Service