Kuwait City, Kuwait, 7 December 2016 – The third edition of the SPE Heavy Oil Conference and Exhibition taking place at the Hilton Kuwait Resort welcomed 781 delegates from 128 companies and 28 countries on its opening day.

On the opening day of the conference, Badria Abdul Raheem, SPE Conference Chairperson and Deputy CEO-North Kuwait, Kuwait Oil Company, said, “Heavy Oil is a strategic resource for the sustainability of the oil industry in the long term, given the immense volumes of reserves at a global scale. For Kuwait, heavy oil is a key element in the development plans to support our production levels way beyond 2035. Currently, heavy oil topics in the industry are of foremost importance, hence this third edition of the SPE International Heavy Oil Conference and Exhibition, is a prime opportunity to learn more about this dynamic and growing sector. This conference promises a fruitful exchange of experiences and knowledge recently gained in the development of this important resource”.

Other notable speakers during the Opening Ceremony included, Jamal Jaafar, Chief Executive Officer, Kuwait Oil Company and Khalid A. Zainalabedin, SPE Regional Director, Middle East and North Africa while a number of well-known VIPs  were in attendance.

The event is distinguished as a platform to highlight the regional and international importance of heavy oil, providing effective information exchange, significant progress tracking, and innovation in heavy oil exploration, development, production and processing.

Key topics were discussed during the executive plenary session where speakers uncovered different aspects of the conference theme. The conference also includes two panel sessions titled Heavy Oil Economics: Challenges and Opportunities and Heavy Oil: Projects in the Region plus 14 technical sessions covering a variety of technical papers pertaining to the exploration, maintenance and retention of heavy oil.

The SPE Regional Awards for the Middle East was also held on the same day, recognising significant technical and professional contributions to the oil and gas industry, the petroleum engineering profession, exceptional service to the society, and to the greater community.

A free-to-attend exhibition features 20 regional and international companies showcasing advanced products and solutions on developing heavy oil assets, production optimisation and enhancing the value and return on investment.