International Oil & Gas Conference 2016

International Oil & Gas Conference in Bilbao

To set up a single forum for discussion in the sector, Bilbao Exhibition Centre and international event organiser Easyfairs are to organise an international Oil & Gas Conference in 2016. The event will provide an annual meeting point for the relevant sectors in the wake of this year’s first Pumps & Valves trade-show.

The Oil & Gas sector is one of the main customers of pump and valve producers, and is expected to continue to grow at 1.5% per annum in the coming years thanks to investment estimated at around €4.771 billion. The sector is also a new area of preferential interest in the strategy plan drawn up by the Energy Cluster for 2015-2018, and is part of the energy sector, which is also classed as a priority area for industrial development under RIS3 (Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation).

The international Oil & Gas Conference is scheduled to take place on 31 May and 1 June, concurrently with the BIEMH, International Machine-Tool Exhibition, so that full advantage can be taken of the potential for synergies with such a large-scale industrial trade-show. A total of 35,000 visitors from 57 countries and more than 1000 exhibitors took part in the last edition.

The Oil & Gas Conference will last one and a half days, and will blend strategic and technology-based approaches. It will feature specialist speakers from Spain and further afield. To design the programme and determine the profile of participants, the organisers have set up a Committee of Experts whose members include renowned specialists with decision-making power in the field of technological innovation, all of them from front-line firms.

This committee held its first meeting on 29 October last. Those attending included the Head of Drilling and Production at HIDROCARBUROS DE EUSKADI (EVE Group), the Head of the Processes Department at PETRONOR, the Technical Manager of AMPO, the Head of the Refining & Petrochemicals Division of IDOM, the Industrial Manager of LOINTEK, the Head of Oil/Chemical/Energy Quotes at de KSB ITUR and the Corporate Manager for Innovation and Technology at TUBACEX GROUP.

The meeting determined the main outlines of the initial thematic areas for the Oil & Gas Conference. Day one is to provide an overview, with topics such as “global trends and strategies in the oil & gas sector”, “the outlook as regards the needs of the sector”, “detecting projects for the adaptation of refineries in the short and medium term” and “technology-based solutions: success stories”. Day two will focus on the domestic picture, with sessions on “business opportunities” and “analysis of the current situation”. The speakers will represent all parts of the value chain in the oil & gas sector, from suppliers through consultants, international technology specialists, engineering firms and EPC firms to end users.

The conference will be supplemented by an exhibition area, which will serve as an information point where visitors can learn first-hand about the latest products and services, and as a brand promotion point. Networking meetings between participants in the course of the lunches and gala dinner will also be encouraged. The Oil & Gas Conference has the support of Fluidex, the Spanish Association of Equipment for the Handling of Fluids and Oil & Gas, among others.