Awards for excellence in innovation, energy transition and ICV development, among other categories, were handed out at the prestigious OPAL Awards for Best Practice held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Muscat on Tuesday, 13th December 2022.

The high-profile ceremony – one of the highlights of the annual calendar of the Oman Society for Petroleum Services (OPAL) – was held under the patronage of His Excellency Eng. Salim bin Nasser al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals. The event was attended by representatives of energy companies, oilfield service providers and other stakeholders that together make up OPAL’s growing and diverse membership base.

In welcome remarks, Mr. Abdulrahman Al Yahyaei, OPAL CEO, underlined the Society’s pivotal role in positioning the domestic energy and minerals industry for continued business growth and professional development.

“OPAL will continue its mission to uniquely serve its member companies by promoting synergies, In-Country Value creation, innovation and capability building,” said Mr. Al Yahyaei.

“The objective is to enhance sustainability and growth of the Energy & Minerals sector in particular, and the national economy at large, by focusing on four themes: To be the valuable voice of the industry; To sustain In-Country Value and prosperity for the business communities in Oman; To create common standards and lean business practices for the energy sector; and To enable efficient synergy across the Industry,” he stated.

In his address, the CEO also affirmed OPAL’s commitment to promoting Oman’s energy sector to be internationally competitive and recognized for its excellence.  To this end, the Society has been striving to enhance the operating standards of member companies by creating a consensus of minimum agreed standards, he said.

Earlier, Mr. Al Yahyaei commended OPAL’s HSE executive committee members for their “outstanding contribution” in streamlining HSE standards, as well as addressing common HSE issues within the energy industry. 

This year’s Best Practice Awards competition attracted a record 130 entries, of which 32 went on to receive honours at the gala dinner event.  Entries were invited across seven categories: Research & Development, Energy Transition, Omani Products & Services, Health & Safety, Environment, Omanisation, and Operational Excellence. They were sorted into four classes based on their status as Operating Companies, Large Contractors, Local Community Contractors (LCC) and Small and Medium Enterprises (SME).  A panel of independent judges was constituted to evaluate the entries for their originality, business impact, innovative appeal, and relevance to the industry.

The list of winners across the seven categories is as follows:

• • Research & Development: Petroleum Development Oman LLC; BP Oman; Gulf Energy; and Galfar Engineering & Contracting SAOG.
  • Energy Transition: Petroleum Development Oman LLC; BP Oman; Al Shawamikh Oil Services SAOC.
  • Omani Products & Services: Petroleum Development Oman LLC, Schlumberger Oman & Co. LLC, and Al Hassan Switchgear Manufacturing Company LLC
  • Health & Safety Category: Oxy Oman, Schlumberger Oman & Co. LLC, Najed Al Ahliya, Al Haditha Petroleum Services S.A.O.C, and Technical Petroleum Solutions LLC.
  • Environment Category: Petroleum Development Oman LLC, OQ SAOC, Sarooj Construction Company LLC, Al Ghalbi International Engineering & Contracting LLC, Ryboa Haima Trading Co. LLC, and Amlak Energy Resources Company
  • Omanisation Category: Oxy Oman, ChampionX Middle East Services LLC, Al Shawamikh Oil Services S.A.O.C, Seeh Al-Sarya Engineering LLC and Nafun International LLC

Operational Excellence: Petroleum Development Oman LLC, Daleel Petroleum LLC, Enerflex Middle East LLC, Al Baraka Oilfield Services S.A.O.C, and Nafun International LLC.