Event puts petroleum industry in the limelight

20th March 2015

By: Donna Slater

Features Deputy Editor and Chief Photographer

  

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The fifth Petro.t.ex exhibition and conference, which is supported by the 20 petroleum corporations that are members of the South African Petroleum Industry Association (Sapia), will take place at Gallagher Convention Centre, in Midrand, from May 20 to 22, as part of the South Africa Industry & Technology Fair (Indutec).

This year’s event promises to provide an update on the liquid fuel and downstream industry.

The Petro.t.ex conference is a major midstream and downstream conference aimed at the African petroleum and petrochemicals industry, while the Petro.t.ex exhibition focuses on promoting products, services and business opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa.

“There are few forums that focus on our industry to the extent that Petro.t.ex does,” says Sapia executive director Avhapfani Tshifularo, adding that this made Sapia’s decision to support the event an easy one.

He tells Engineering News that Sapia’s participation in previous Petro.t.ex events offered significant benefits to its members, as they provided networking opportunities, exposure to the latest technologies and a favourable deal-making environment.

Tshifularo describes the current state of the oil industry as resilient, but with a constant need to adapt. “Oil is a strategic asset, and key to South Africa’s growth. The rapid fall of the oil price – from more than $100/bl to under $50/bl – does affect the industry, but we need to be flexible to continue to function.”

The Petro.t.ex Conference will play a significant role in informing the petrochemicals and petroleum industries about these changes and in providing a vital platform for discussion, he adds.

Event organiser Exhibition Management Services MD John Thomson says the most recent Indutec, held in 2013, was attended by more than 4 100 visitors from 33 countries, including Algeria, Belgium, Botswana, England, France, Germany, Ghana, China, India, Italy, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Spain, Turkey and the US.

“We expect to draw more visitors this year than in 2013,” he says, adding that Indutec will this year be a 12-in-1 showcase instead of the 10-in-1 showcase, as it was two years ago.

Indutec will feature 11 colocated industry events other than Petro.t.ex. These include Watertec Africa, Empowertec, Pumps Valves and Pipes Africa, Afriplast Expo, Industrial Green Tec Africa, Intermac Africa, Manutec Africa, Smart Automation Africa, Waste and Recycling Africa and AfriMold.

Addressing Challenges
Petro.t.ex conference organiser Bette McNaughton says the challenges currently facing the petroleum and petrochemicals industries are changing the way the industry does business. “It needs fresh ideas and new technologies, and the conference facilitates this,” she adds.

Petro.t.ex also caters for refinery plant managers and petrol station owners, as the event will also feature industry experts across a variety of fields.

Key topics of discussion at this year’s conference will include broad-based black economic empowerment; health, safety, security and the environment; the overall status of the liquid fuels industry in South Africa; crime and the hijacking of tankers; industry adjustments to the economy, owing to the falling oil price; and security of supply and infrastructure.

“Significant growth in Africa’s petroleum sector, coupled with volatile crude oil pricing, is providing new opportunities and strategies for stakeholders in the market,” says Thomson.

He adds that this year’s Petro.t.ex exhibition and conference will provide a unique platform for stakeholders to discuss factors affecting the sub-Saharan Africa markets. “It will also enable stakeholders to connect with potential partners from the rest of the continent and explore the many opportunities arising from current events, all in one place, at the same time,” he concludes.

Edited by Samantha Herbst
Creamer Media Deputy Editor

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