Abstracts are now being sought for the ninth annual International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC), to be held Dec. 6-9 in Doha, Qatar.
And if you want to participate, the time to act is now: The deadline for submitting abstracts is Feb. 28.
IPTC, co-hosted and sponsored by AAPG, EAGE, SEG and SPE, is a unique collaboration that provides an exceptional balance of technical talks, poster sessions, exhibitors and, significantly, panel sessions that provide real-time dialogue with delegate participation.
We all know that disseminating and sharing geoscience and technology information is critical to advancing our knowledge - and conferences and exhibitions play a major role in that process.
Conferences, by providing a forum for geoscientists to share their work and interact directly with colleagues, peers and mentors, are critical for advancing and encouraging the spread of innovative research and ideas.
That's the intent of the still-relatively new IPTC.
In existence since 2005, IPTC's intent always has been to provide a forum for the international oil and gas community to share a broad range of technical advances and topics that are not always discussed and debated at regional meetings or even annual conventions.
IPTC is registered and incorporated as a company in Hong Kong to facilitate operating and governance of the four societies and provides a focused business approach to managing the events.
It has evolved from a bi-annual event to an annual one, with the venues that have included the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur; Beijing, China; Dubai, UAE; Bangkok, Thailand; and the first venue, Doha, Qatar.
As an international event, the four societies wanted to keep the focus and momentum in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Eurasia tectonic plates and provide diverse locations for delegates to share information and ideas and to network with the global energy community.
The Gathering in Qatar
Qatar once again will provide the setting this December for this year's ninth annual conference, selected largely for its prominent role in gas production and advanced technology, for its location in the heart of the world's most prolific hydrocarbon region and, in no small measure, for the hospitality of the Qatari people.
Doha, the nation's capital, boasts 165 hotels - many located on the warm blue waters of the Gulf, where white sandy beaches provide a haven for weary travelers and jet-lagged conference participants.
Qatar enjoys an enviable, if not unique, position in the energy world: Imagine a single gas field some 900-plus TCF in size - and then picture a country the size of Connecticut, or three times smaller than Belgium, perched in the middle of a vast blue lagoon fast becoming a 21st century global player not only in energy but in commerce, banking, tourism, art and the fast paced world of sports.
That's Qatar, where 15 percent of the world's gas reserves meet a people with a heritage stretching back more than 5,000 years.
Qatar's gas reserves are the second largest in the world, and the Al Shamal (North Dome) field is the world's largest natural gas accumulation. Massive undertakings such as Shell's LNG and 150,000 barrel per day GTL projects are thrusting this kingdom into the forefront of energy technology.
In addition, Qatar is totally committed to the education of its people and has built an "Education City" in Doha, anchored by the Science and Technology Park including companies like Microsoft and others.
U.S. universities such as Texas A&M, Cornell and Virginia Commonwealth already have a presence - and more schools are slated to follow.
Qatar is in the process of building several new museums to house a world-class collection of Islamic art - probably the most distinguished and comprehensive such collection ever assembled. Also due for completion this year is a huge library in Education City that will include a conference center to host a flood of researchers and scientists for seminars and meetings.
This year's conference program is expected to include more than 65 technical sessions, covering themes from exploration to drilling to production and reservoir as well as mid-stream gas, integrated development and case studies.
Other highlights will include:
- An opening ceremony featuring top government officials.
- A keynote distinguished panel discussion on global energy issues, featuring CEOs and senior executives from both international and national oil companies, and technical service providers.
- Industry-focused sessions, including an insightful look into the future of global energy.
- Special sessions on HSE and human resources.
More information is available at the website, www.iptcnet.org/2015/doha.
The IPTC is a crossroads for the major societies to gather and share the past, present and future of our international energy world.
As the world's energy-consuming nations realize that hydrocarbons are indeed a precious resource, it will be up to us, the members of the four sponsoring societies, to find, develop and prudently manage new resources in an increasingly fragile global environment.
ITPC is a great place to start.