IGRC 2020 kicks off

Muscat: The International Gas Research Conference (IGRC 2020) kicked off at Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre today. Organised by Oman LNG, the three-day conference is being held for the first time in the Middle East.
The opening of the conference was held under the patronage of Dr Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Rumhy, Minister of Oil and Gas. Al-Rumhy said in a speech that this conference is an opportunity to meet experts from different parts of the world to address the challenges facing the gas industry and exchange the latest modern technologies in this field.
Khalid bin Abdullah Al-Massan, CEO of the Oman LNG Development Foundation, Chairman of the National Organising Committee for the conference explained that the conference will discuss modern gas research and technology and ways to overcome the challenges facing gas extraction and processing operations. He added that as many as 350 participants from 30 countries are taking part in the conference.
He pointed out that through hosting this conference, the Sultanate aims to attract many gas companies, strategies and investments in the coming stage. He explained that the conference includes more than 150 working sessions discussing the technology of extracting, transporting and manufacturing gas.
Harib bin Abdullah al-Kaitani, CEO of the Oman LNG Company, said that the conference is a guide that explains modern technological developments in the gas industry, considering that the importance of the conference is clear through the participation of many experts in the field of gas industry from all over the world "although many experts cancelled their attendance due to the outbreak of the coronavirus".
He added that the coronavirus did not affect the shipments of the Oman LNG. The company adopts modern environmentally friendly methods and technologies that reduce air pollution. The company also has expanded and used many modern technologies for over 20 years.
The first day of the conference included several working papers on energy technologies in the gas industry.
During the session, Salim bin Nasser Al-Aufi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil and Gas, spoke about the role of modern technologies in facing the challenges of the global energy sector, which showed that the decline in gas prices is "temporary" due to the abundance of supply and will witness an increase in the coming years.
The conference sessions discuss many themes, the most important of which are related to the manufacture and distribution of gas pipelines, gas supply, various gas uses, environment and sustainability.
The conference includes panel discussions and workshops exploring innovation and technologies and ways to develop the gas industry, along with digital transformation and digital technology, planning and management.