A total of 4,050 world energy leaders, stakeholders and executives from 53 countries converged in Bahrain for the 13th Middle East Geosciences Conference and Exhibition (GEO 2018) in March for 4 days of strategic dialogue and business opportunities.
Marking a 7% increase in attendance, attendees were welcomed by 76 exhibitors from 19 countries at the world-class exhibition featuring state-of-the-art equipment, technological advancements and innovative services in the oil and gas exploration sector.
The parallel conference programme convened under the theme ‘Pushing the Technical Limits: Shaping the Energy Landscape’ and featured over 420 expert speakers focusing on geological studies, reservoir challenges, the environment, safety, risk management and innovation.
GEO 2018 was held under the patronage of the Prime Minister of Bahrain His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and was officially supported by the Bahrain National Oil and Gas Authority.
The event was co-hosted by UBM AEM and the world’s 3 largest professional geoscience associations – the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE) and the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) – in cooperation with a committee of national and international oil company representatives.
Bahrain’s Deputy Prime Minister His Highness Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa performed the official exhibition opening ceremony on 6 March 2018 at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre, accompanied by the Minister of Oil His Excellency Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa.
The conference opened in a special ceremony on 5 March 2018 at the Ritz Carlton hotel. Welcome addresses were delivered by His Excellency Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Al Khalifa; global industry kingpin His Excellency Ali Al-Naimi, former Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia and Current Advisor to the Royal Court; and reknowned energy expert and documentary filmmaker Dr. Scott W. Tinker, Director, Bureau of Economic Geology University of Texas.
In testing times for the energy sector, Ahmad Al Eidan, GEO 2018 Chairman and Kuwait Oil Company’s Drilling & Technology Directorate Deputy Chief Executive Officer, declared GEO was a bright spot for the region and the industry alike, and an important opportunity to convene.
“As we are all aware, the oil industry is still going through challenging times and despite a number of attempts to call the bottom of this current cycle there are no clear signs yet when conditions will significantly improve,” said Ahmad Al Eidan.
“The GEO conference and exhibition have always been considered as an inspirational gathering that industry professionals look forward to, to enhance the Middle East’s hydrocarbon resource development. The diversity of the audience background and experiences enables a new thought horizon and knowledge sharing that continues to lead a new energy generation,” he continued.
More than 360 technical and e-poster presentations designed to share the knowledge and experience of managing, operating and supplying oil and gas companies took place over the subsequent 3 days of the conference at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre.
The pace-setting agenda at GEO 2018 also included 3 panel sessions led by chief executive officers, managers and presidents of national and international oil companies and the service industry. Panel discussion topics included new technology, unconventional resources, and AI and IoT in E&P.
GEO 2018 also played host to a five-day programme of activities aimed at nurturing the next generation of geoscience professionals. A total of 19 regional universities participated in a series of workshops, short courses, competitions and conference sessions for students and young professionals.
The next edition of GEO will take place from 16 – 19 March 2020 at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre.
