On 7 December, the Energy Institute (EI) will be hosting a special session at the World Petroleum Congress (WPC) entitled 'Managing Operational Risk - a Senior Executive's Challenge'.

This joint WPC/EI special session will be chaired by Taf Powell MEI, Expert Advisor for Offshore Drilling and Production, European Commission. The session will provide a platform, bringing together all parties concerned with managing operational risk – regulators, industry and investors – and will discuss the key issues oil and gas professionals need to address, and how they are being tackled to ensure that major incidents don’t happen.

The session will be divided into four themes: exploring investment; developing relationships and responsible contracting; why does the Middle East have the top HSE performance record in the world?; and whether regional regulation impacts performance levels by global companies. Each theme will begin with a short statement from each of the panellists, offering an interactive forum for the audience to participate and engage with speakers.

Panellists include:

• Saif Al-Naimi, Director HSE Regulations and Enforcement, Qatar Petroleum • Mark Corrigan, Vice President for Quality Systems, Schlumberger • John Martin FEI, Managing Director, Standard Chartered Bank • Mark Nolan, Vice President Middle East/Russia, ExxonMobil

Dr Pierce Riemer FEI, Director General, World Petroleum Council, says, ‘Safety is a fundamental cornerstone of successful business for any operator. The industry is painfully aware of the high human and financial costs when systems fail and major incidents occur. In considering factors that affect safety management, including regulations, investment, and contracting, this joint WPC and EI special session on managing risk aims to proactively define what organisations need to do to enable them to avoid having a major accident, and assist other stakeholders, including investors, to understand the complexities and vulnerabilities of the operating environment.’

WPC 2011 will be held 4-8 December in Doha, Qatar. This session is open to all registered WPC delegates.

Tags: Energy Institute, World Petroleum Congress