Leading oil and gas industry professionals are meeting in Doha for three days to discuss new production optimization technologies to meet the rapid growth in the global demand for energy. The International Production and Operations Conference and Exhibition (POCE), organized for first time in Qatar by the Society of Petroleum Engineers, was held under the patronage of HE the Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh Al Sada. Qatar Shell is the Platinum sponsor of the event and is contributing 10 technical presentations and an exhibition stand featuring Shell’s latest global technologies aimed at enhancing hydrocarbon recovery and unlocking tight reserves around the world. Qatar Shell Executive Vice President Wael Sawan said, “We are proud to be platinum sponsor of the first SPE conference in Qatar which underlines Qatar’s importance in securing energy supply to the world for generations to come. This is a great forum for the industry to discuss ways of leveraging new technologies to maximize production.” In his keynote speech to the Executive Plenary Session of the conference Sawan underlined Shell’s views on the global energy challenge and the forecast growth of global demand. He said, “Global demand for energy is expected to double in the first half of the century, driven by a rising global population and growth in the developing economies. At the same time, we must urgently tackle greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst consequences to the environment. Although cleaner energy sources will meet a growing share of demand (30%), fossil fuels will continue to meet up to 65% of the global demand for decades.” The top executive of Shell in Qatar cited a number of examples detailing Shell’s response to this challenge, including Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) technologies, unlocking tight gas using Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) and also chemically converting gas into high quality liquid hydrocarbon (GTL) to meet growing global demand for these products. Interactive animations and touch screens demonstrate these technologies at Shell’s exhibition stand where technical teams will receive delegates to explore these further and to discuss future solutions. Shell is also using the occasion to reach out to talented young Qataris interested in careers in the energy industry. Shell is committed to attracting, developing and retaining Qatari talents using an aggressive Qatarisation programme. Qatar Shell is the only international oil company in Qatar to be awarded the Qatarisation award for three years in a row in recognition of its Qatarisation achievements. Today Shell has been able to hire 250 Qataris, representing some of the most talented professionals in the company’s human resource skill pool.