BAHRAIN Petroleum Company (Bapco) is backing a conference which will map how the region’s operators are implementing operational excellence and what they have learned from the experiences of their international counterparts.

The Operational Excellence Middle East Forum will be held from September 28 to 30 at the Intercontinental Regency Hotel in Bahrain.

Organised by the Energy Exchange and World Refining Association, the event will be held under the patronage of the National Oil and Gas Authority of Bahrain.

Maxwell Thompson, conference director for The Energy Exchange, said: “The commitment of Bahrain to Operational Excellence is in line with its standing in the 2014 Index of Economic Freedom Report which highlighted the country’s competitive and efficient regulatory environment, and which is also reflected through the country’s petroleum sector which accounts for 60 per cent of export receipts and 70 per cent of government revenue.

“A number of projects within this sector such as the new crude oil pipeline between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, the modernisation of the Sitra Refinery and the offshore LNG import terminal are part of the revitalisation of Bahrain’s hydro-carbon industry and make Bahrain a dynamic and logical choice for the second edition of Operational Excellence Middle East.”

With industry representatives from Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE as well as India, Canada and the US, the programme will also address the future of operational excellence and how it is evolving to ensure continuous improvement, said a statement.

The conference will also examine the three key principles of operational excellence: leadership, management of people and change before moving on to address a major concern for operators within the region – asset integrity, reliability and maintenance.

Gary Downs, former lean master technical authority with Shell and now oil and gas lead for Secora, will deliver a master class addressing the practical approaches to increasing productivity while reducing waste.

Using interactive exercises alongside multiple case studies Downs will demonstrate successful approaches that have been employed and that deliver sustainable benefits.

International technology providers including Honeywell, Dupont and Petro IT will also be providing insight on leveraging technology to maximise operational excellence initiatives.