International Research Networks Ltd. recently hosted the highly regarded 3rd Annual Oil & Gas Security Summit on the 4th-5th of March 2014 at the Sofitel Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai.
IRN gathered an outstanding panel of experts from across the Middle East to provide delegates with a holistic overview of physical security within the oil and gas industry. Some of the prestigious speakers included security experts from Chevron Shipping, Maersk Oil, GDF Suez, GE Oil and Gas, Transocean, Lukoil, Danagas, Qatar Petroleum, ConocoPhillips, Kuwait Oil Company, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, Baker Hughes and OSAC amongst others. The exceptional speaker faculty provided attendees with highly informative insights into their experience of security planning and implementation in the often challenging threat landscape of the Middle East.
A common theme to emerge over the two days were the challenges around conducting risk assessments and risk mitigation, and the difficulty Security Managers face in convincing financial decision makers of the need to spend sufficiently on security, even when no recent incidents have occurred. Ordinarily, corporate decisions are made by looking backwards, but delegates agreed that with security, this approach is unhelpful and potentially dangerous.
The weakness in current levels of business continuity planning within oil companies in the Middle East was also discussed. Delegates benefited from hands-on analysis of an evacuation from Iraq, an overview of security planning for a major IOC in Algeria before, during and after the In Amenas tragedy, and a presentation which explored implied security during the Syrian conflict to name a few of the fascinating sessions. There was also an interactive workshop on preparing a counter-terrorism threat response plan on day one of the Summit.
This meeting was sponsored by Optasense, Rusec Group, Octink, Track 24 and AAI. IRN will host two additional regional focused Oil & Gas Security forums in the coming months. Please do contact us to learn about the Central Asia & Caspian Oil & Gas Security Forum, and the West Africa Oil & Gas Security Summit.
IRN is a business information group and elite organiser of senior level summits, forums, trainings, publications and high-profile business events which are dedicated in four key portfolios: Oil & Gas, Infrastructure & Construction, Commodity Trading, and Space as the new addition to our extensive portfolio.