Over 100 energy and water experts gather in Dubai for CWC's Global Water: Oil and Gas Summit

The two-day strategic event drew over 100 of the world's leading water and energy experts to Dubai's Mina A'Salam Hotel in Madinat Jumeirah to explore effective water management processes in the oil and gas industry.

Organised by The CWC Group, a leading events company focused on energy and infrastructure issues, the summit is the first event to bring together leading stakeholders from both the water and energy sectors to analyse key issues such as environmental considerations in the oil & gas industry, reducing water usage footprints, regulatory concerns and practical techniques for synergising energy production and water management.

With the theme "Water Solutions for the Oil & Gas Industry," the summit kicked-off Tuesday morning with a session focused on creating strategic partnerships within the energy and water sectors. The event continued throughout the afternoon with sessions exploring new treatment processes and strategies for easing costs and increase energy production though efficient water management practices.

During a session focused on water treatment technologies, Lisa Henthorne, Water Standard's Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President, highlighted the potential opportunities provided by the summit.

"There are not many opportunities given to the industry like this forum," said Henthorne, "that provide the water and energy sectors with a chance to collaborate and create innovative technological solutions to the issues we currently face."

Wednesday's activities wrapped-up with an awards ceremony recognising companies with the strongest water management initiatives over the past year. AES Arabia, a leading water treatment service provider based in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was selected as Company of the Year. The Project of the Year award was given jointly to Petroleum Development Oman and BAUER Nimr LLC, for their sustainable water management practices in Oman's Nimr oil field.

The summit's second day opened with a session examining solutions for increasing water availability in the Middle East and North Africa through seawater desalination technologies. Dr Corrado Sommariva, President of the International Desalination Association and chair of the session, commented on potential global water shortages and its impact on the oil & gas industry.

"Global water consumption has risen dramatically over the past few decades," said Dr Sommariva. "By 2025, the oil & gas industry will face significant constraints if we do not implement innovative solutions for increasing our water sources. Water is a precious resource and we must manage its use effectively for the overall sustainability of the industry. This summit has been a vital platform to assess the best direction forward."

Shane White, The CWC Group's Senior Producer of the summit, remarked on the event's success and its efficacy for facilitating integration between the two sectors.

"We are pleased with the event's outcome and feedback from the various stakeholders has been encouraging," said White. "The objective of this event is to create a platform for the water and energy industry's key players to form long-term strategic partnerships and create innovative solutions for the challenges currently facing the industry. Energy production is a water-intensive practice and bringing both sides together this week is a bold move toward mitigating production costs and improving efficiency. We are looking forward to the next step."

The CWC Group has partnered with UAE Ministry of Environment & Water, Dubai's Supreme Council of Energy and the Government of Dubai to organise the event and is receiving support from Global Water Intelligence, the International World Water Council, International Desalination Association and the Produced Water Society. The summit's next instalment is planned for May 2013.