Texas A&M at Qatar, ConocoPhillips and Qatargas host successful return of QPSS

(MENAFN - The Peninsula) Texas A & M University at Qatar, ConocoPhillips Qatar Ltd. (ConocoPhillips), and Qatargas Operating Company Limited (Qatargas) welcomed researchers and experts back to the Qatar Process Safety Symposium (QPSS) after a two-year hiatus, hosting its 11th edition virtually  recently. QPSS is a homegrown event held since 2010, gathering local and international members of industry and academia together to participate in a thriving knowledge exchange revolving around important subjects in process safety.  COVID-19 health and safety regulations prevented the symposium from taking place in 2020 as originally scheduled, with the event’s sponsors deciding to host the event entirely on online platforms. This year’s theme — ''Embracing the Red” — highlighted that maintaining objectivity and a sense of alertness is crucial to ensuring process safety at oil and gas facilities.  Distinguished figures including H E Dr. Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada, and Professor Andrew Hopkins, an award-winning author and global leader in the field, were in attendance and reaffirmed the importance of a constructive attitude toward process safety issues. ''QPSS represents an invaluable opportunity for Qatar’s oil and gas industry to advance collectively in the field of process safety,” said Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chief Executive Officer, Qatargas.  ''We thank our valued partners at Texas A & M University at Qatar and ConocoPhillips for their collaborative efforts, which ensured we could deliver this pivotal event online and respect COVID-19 health and safety restrictions while retaining the interactive and dynamic nature of the symposium’s previous editions.” ''We are especially invested in this year’s theme,” said Todd Creeger, president of ConocoPhillips Qatar.  ''Safety is the first of our SPIRIT Values, and our commitment to preserving the health of our workforce compels us to embrace the red and nurture an environment where our employees can candidly express safety-related concerns, no matter how small they might appear.” The two-day event featured 19 local and 12 international speakers, including industry professionals from companies including Qatargas, Qatar Petrochemical Company (QAPCO), Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), Shell Qatar, and Siemens Energy. Academics from Qatar University, Texas A & M at Qatar’s Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center, University College London, University of Strathclyde, and the Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics who also gave talks at the event. The speakers presented technical papers, ranging from updates on promising solutions and studies, to observations on emerging challenges in the industry, to more than 370 local and international participants Attendees also had the opportunity to view research posters and attend a panel discussion, ''Embracing the Red,” an enlightening conversation that featured speakers participating from across the globe, including Professor Hopkins, in a session taking full advantage of this year’s digital platform. Dr. César Octavio Malavé, Dean of Texas A & M at Qatar, said: ''It was heartening to witness professionals from the oil and gas industry engage with one another and share insights with our student researchers. This is a unique opportunity for our students to gain a sense of the collaborative nature of this sector, helping them to better chart their professional growth on their own terms.”  MENAFN26062021000063011010ID1102346866