Presentation
New SPE Conference Series Will Tackle Issues in the Caspian Oil and Gas Industry
Uzakbai Karabalin, Cochair, First ViceMinister, Ministry of Energy of the Republic of KazakhstanThis November will see the first in a new series of conferences organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) – the Annual Caspian Technical Conference and Exhibition (CTCE) – running from November 12 – 14 in Astana.
But why Kazakhstan? And when all the delegates have returned home, will the event leave an enduring legacy for the Kazakh E&P industry?
Why Kazakhstan?
With significant oil and gas reserves, the Caspian region is an increasingly important source and focus for global oil and gas production. Yet there are numerous technical challenges (and opportunities) for E&P companies operating in the region, many of which are specific to this part of the world.
While SPE, a world leader in the dissemination of E&P technical knowledge and know-how has been working to increase the technical resources, programmes and events available across the region, to date there has not been a technical conference on this scale in the region.
Last May saw the publication of the Kazakhstan Upstream Oil and Gas Technology and R&D Roadmap report, the fruits of work by over 100 industry representatives led by Shell. It is the outcomes of this major project that prompted the creation of the CTCE, in partnership with the Ministry of Energy, Shell and KAZENERGY, and that will form the basis of the conference programme.
The Roadmap report identified fifteen prime challenges for the oil and gas industry in Kazakhstan. These are set to be discussed by engineers, managers, HSE professionals, Government regulators and consultants across the busy programme of CTCE, which will be made up of topical panel sessions as well as formal technical presentations.
Unlocking the potential of Caspian oil and gas
Campbell Keir, Cochair, Country Chair and Vice President (Technical & Production), ShelIn the four panel sessions, a range of high-level speakers, including Uzbakai Karabalin, first vice-minister, Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Campbell Keir, country chair and vice president, Shell Kazakhstan, will explore the issues faced by the E&P industry in Kazakhstan and the broader Caspian region. Issues to be tackled include Kazakhstan’s long-term technology development strategy, regional technological challenges in oil and gas transportation, local capacity-building and technological innovation and collaboration.
Eighteen technical sessions will consider a variety of themes, including the subsurface and surface challenges specific to the region, available technology, future developments and lessons learned in handling the complex geology and hydrocarbon fluid composition found in many of the area’s reservoirs (e.g. subsalt carbonates, high temperatures and pressures and some of the highest H2S levels in the world).
Field management for improved and enhanced oil recovery (IOR/EOR), equipment and materials for sour service, and drilling and well costs were deemed to be some of the most pressing challenges in the report, and are expected to be among the hot topics at the conference.
Projects, facilities and construction are also included in the programme with consideration for operation in the Arctic winter conditions found in some areas of the region.
Such discussions will facilitate better technology investment decisions, enabling resources to go into the development of solutions specifically designed to address the economical and geological needs of the region. This development will play a vital role in determining the rate of growth of the Caspian oil and gas industry, with huge growth potential there to be realised. Indeed, the Roadmap report assessed the value of successfully addressing all fifteen challenges as in the “tens of billions” of dollars.