Highlights Of The Program
2 days business program:
Learn from real-world case studies by industry leaders.
SHOWCASING INNOVATION:
Discover the latest technology and techniques from across the industry.
leaders talk:
Hear from top-level experts about how to stay ahead in a fast-changing industry.
MULTIPLE STREAMS:
A business program that is multi-disciplinary, giving you a broad view of the industry.
SMART TECHNOLOGIES:
Explore the latest smart and AI-driven solutions, and see how they can be used in your business.
roundtable discussion:
Join talks with industry peers. Share ideas, make connections, and find new partners.
Program 2026
DAY 1 :
WEDNESDAY, September 16, 2026
08:00 - 08:50
REGISTRATION AND MORNING REFRESHMENTS
08:50 - 09:00
OPENING ADDRESS
09:00 - 09:25
LEVERAGING BIG DATA AND REAL-TIME MONITORING FOR PROCESS OPTIMIZATION
Bharathan Aravamudhan
Honeywell UOP
- Differentiating data availability from managed data to improve decision quality
- Integrating first-principles models with AI and ML to enhance system accuracy
- Unlocking greater value through digitally enabled services and workflows
- Bridging people, processes, and assets within a connected digital ecosystem
09:25 - 09:30
Q&A SESSION ON THE BENEFITS OF USING DATA AND AI TO DRIVE PROCESS OPTIMIZATION
09:30 - 09:55
RE-PROCESSING PLASTICS IN OIL REFINERIES
Mitchell Moloney
Becht
- Outlining the challenges of processing solid plastics continuously in facilities designed for gas and liquid streams
- Examining how plastic recycling through heavy oil facilities, such as cokers, is currently being implemented and further developed
- Covering transportation, storage, loading, and the potential operational effects of plastics feed within refinery environments
09:55 - 10:00
Q&A SESSION ON RECYCLING PLASTICS THROUGH HEAVY OIL AND COKER REFINERY FACILITIES
10:00 - 10:30
SPEED NETWORKING SESSION
- Exchange business cards and get connected in short one-to-one meetings
- Start the conversation to arrange a more formal meeting later on in the conference
- Share your professional background and discuss your biggest business issues – don't forget your business cards!
10:30 - 11:00
MORNING COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA
11:00 - 11:30
PANEL DISCUSSION ON THE IMPACT OF AUTOMATION AND DIGITALIZATION ON COSTS AND ADAPTABILITY IN OIL AND GAS DOWNSTREAM SECTOR
11:30 - 11:55
AGENTIC VISION-LANGUAGE SYSTEMS FOR DOWNSTREAM OPERATIONS: AI-DRIVEN REFINERY SAFETY, INSPECTION, AND DECISION-MAKING
Srinivas Venkatanarayanan
NVIDIA Corporation
- Unpacking how VLMs read gauges and detect corrosion, leaks, and PPE violations from plant imagery
- Fusing plant imagery, sensor telemetry, and operations manuals to answer queries and generate reports
- Navigating edge-vs-cloud trade-offs and safety guardrails for production refinery deployment
- Applying the system to predictive maintenance, ESG monitoring and control-room copilots on NVIDIA
11:55 - 12:00
Q&A SESSION ON MULTIMODAL AI FOR SAFER AND SMARTER REFINERY DECISIONS
12:00 - 12:25
TRANSFORMING TURNAROUNDS: DIGITAL MOBILIZATION AND DEMOBILIZATION FOR THE MODERN INDUSTRIAL WORKFORCE
John Crager
AP-Vantage
- Uncovering the hidden costs and downstream impacts of inefficient mobilization practices
- Leveraging digital platforms to drive real-time visibility and contractor readiness at scale
- Highlighting MODEMO's role in reducing downtime, streamlining compliance, and enhancing safety
- Enabling strategic workforce planning through analytics, integration, and digital standardization
12:25 - 12:30
Q&A SESSION ON DIGITAL APPROACHES FOR ENHANCED TURNAROUND MOBILIZATION AND PLANNING
12:30 - 13:30
NETWORKING LUNCH AND VISITING THE DIGITAL DOWMSTREAM EXHIBITION
13:30 - 13:55
THE GEOGRAPHY OF GREEN COMPUTING: BALANCING DIGITAL SOVEREIGNTY AND NET-ZERO GOALS
Jie Zhou
Yale University
- Examining the rapid growth of digital infrastructure and its increasing contribution to global emissions and energy demand
- Analyzing the impact of data localization policies and regulatory frameworks on data flows, infrastructure decisions, and sustainability outcomes
- Evaluating the role of geography in optimizing energy efficiency while balancing compliance requirements and net-zero objectives
13:55 - 14:00
Q&A SESSION ON LIMITATIONS OF CURRENT APPROACHES TO SUSTAINABLE DATA CENTER DEPLOYMENT
14:00 - 14:25
PROCESS SIMULATION AS A COMPETITIVE EDGE: AI APPLICATIONS FOR OIL & GAS AND CHEMICAL OPERATIONS
Miras Muratov
ScaleApp
- Exploring the shift from traditional process simulation to AI-driven models across refining, petrochemical, and chemical operations
- Demonstrating how simulation tools are being used to optimize yields, reduce downtime, and lower engineering and operational costs
- Highlighting practical lessons from deploying simulation platforms at scale, including key success factors and common challenges
14:25 - 14:30
Q&A SESSION ON BENIFITS OF USING AI-ENABLED SIMULATION TO OPTIMIZE DOWNSTREAM OPERATIONS
14:30 - 14:55
DIGITAL TWINS TO AI: TRANSFORMING REFINERY DECISION-MAKING
Ramkumar Karuppiah
Black & Veatch
- Combining physics-based models with AI-driven layers to improve accuracy and enable coordinated optimization across refinery operations
- Leveraging GenAI to accelerate root-cause analysis and generate dynamic scenarios for more informed operational and business decisions
- Applying predictive AI to generate demand, cost, and asset health insights that support closed-loop optimization and proactive performance
14:55 - 15:00
Q&A SESSION ON BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN DATA INSIGHTS AND REAL-TIME REFINEMENT ACTIONS
15:00 - 15:20
AFTERNOON COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA
15:20 - 15:45
DIGITAL TWINS FOR PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE OF PIPING SYSTEMS IN DOWNSTREAM FACILITIES
Amish Patel
Hargrove & Associates Inc.
- Explaining how digital twins integrate real-time process data, inspection records, and physics-based models to track piping asset condition
- Identifying how predictive analytics forecast degradation mechanisms, including corrosion, erosion, fatigue, and thermal stress in piping systems
- Showing how digital twins support risk-based inspection programs and optimize maintenance intervals across operations and reliability teams
- Presenting implementation challenges around data integration, model calibration, and alignment with existing SCADA management platforms
15:45 - 15:50
Q&A SESSION ON KEEPING DOWNSTREAM PIPING RELIABLE THROUGH DATA-DRIVEN ASSET MANAGEMENT
15:50 - 16:15
HOW AUTOMATION REDISTRIBUTES RISK FROM PHYSICAL HAZARDS TO COGNITIVE AND SYSTEM HAZARDS
Craig Gauvreau
KEEP SAFE CONSULTING CORP.
- Examining how over-trust in new or upgraded automation systems creates unrecognized risk exposure for workers on site
- Analyzing the cultural factors that drive workers to bypass automated safety systems and undermine the protection they provide
- Presenting how worksite safety culture determines whether automation truly controls operational risk or simply displaces it
16:15 - 16:20
Q&A SESSION ON THE HIDDEN RISKS AUTOMATION CREATES FOR WORKERS AND SAFETY CULTURE
16:20 - 16:45
GEOSPATIAL ANALYTICS APPLICATIONS FOR REFINERIES AND THE PETROCHEMICAL COMPLEX
Sean Donegan
Satelytics
- Revealing the use of geospatial analytics beyond pipelines for downstream operations
- Detecting leaks, methane emissions, and contamination in refinery environments
- Detailing case studies from oil, gas, and petrochemical sites using real-time imagery
- Featuring live analysis and measurable results from actual industrial deployments
16:45 - 16:50
Q&A SESSION ON ADVANCING DOWNSTREAM OPERATIONS WITH GEOSPATIAL INSIGHTS
16:50 - 17:15
CERTIFIED CYBER-SECURE GATEWAY BETWEEN PROCESS ANALYZERS AND PLANT-WIDE DCS
Robert Sherman
Enterprise Consultants International Ltd.
- Introducing a new certified cyber-secure gateway for process analyzers and sampling systems built on zero-trust protocols
- Applying two-agent AI editing and change control to certify and validate historical process analyzer data
Gary Rathwell
Enterprise Consultants International Ltd.
- Mapping gateway coverage for existing and new online process analyzers and most laboratory analyzer systems
- Grounding the gateway in ISA 62443, ISO 27001, and PERA+ to address certified downstream cybersecurity compliance
17:15 - 17:20
Q&A SESSION ON CERTIFIED CYBERSECURITY GATEWAYS PROTECTING DOWNSTREAM PROCESS ANALYZERS
17:20 - 18:20
NETWORKING DRINKS RECEPTION
DAY 2 :
THURSDAY, September 17, 2026
08:00 - 08:30
MORNING REFRESHMENTS
08:30 - 08:40
OPENING ADDRESS
08:40 - 09:10
PANEL DISCUSSION ON DEFINING RISK-BASED RELIABILITY STRATEGIES AND PROACTIVELY MANAGING MAINTENANCE, TURNAROUNDS AND CAPITAL PROJECT RISKS
09:10 - 09:35
FROM PILOT TO PLANT IMPACT: SCALING AI AND DIGITAL INSPECTION WORKFLOWS FOR DOWNSTREAM RELIABILITY
Kash Mohammed
intelliSPEC
- Integrating fragmented digital pilots into unified maintenance and asset data systems to drive better plant decision-making
- Transforming raw operational data into actionable insights to improve turnaround planning and overall asset integrity management
- Evaluating the critical lessons learned from digitizing field inspections while ensuring full regulatory compliance protocols
- Scaling digital initiatives across multiple facilities by implementing robust governance and strategic workflow redesigns
09:35 - 09:40
Q&A SESSION ON ADVANCED AI TOOLS FOR ASSET INTEGRITY TO IMPROVE PLANT RELIABILITY
09:40 - 10:05
UNLOCKING INDUSTRIAL INTELLIGENCE: HOW AI AND DIGITAL TWINS ARE TRANSFORMING THE FUTURE OF ENERGY OPERATIONS
Andrew Jursca
Kongsberg Digital
- Illustrating how digital twins and AI are improving decision-making and operational safety
- Streamlining planning, maintenance, and risk with KDI's scalable Industrial Work Surface platform
- Reducing downtime by automating repetitive tasks and reallocating resources for innovation
- Featuring real-world impact through Shell's MEG injection optimization and other use cases
10:05 - 10:10
Q&A SESSION ON DIGITAL TWINS AND AI-ENABLED TRANSFORMATION FOR OPTIMIZING DOWNSTREAM OPERATIONS
10:10 - 10:30
MORNING COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA
10:30 - 11:00
RESERVED PRESENTATION
11:00 - 11:25
AI IN CHEMICAL PLANT OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT: 25 YEARS OF PROCESS BIG DATA
Arunkumar Murugan
FITIRI
- Describing how 25 years of PlantMS operational data is evolving from a static record into a real-time predictive engine
- Presenting AI results from CO₂ removal and reactor optimization in hydrogen and ammonia facilities
- Showing how AI cuts nuisance alarms, detects field anomalies, and adjusts PSM audit frequencies in real time
- Detailing how agentic AI monitors shift logs and alarms to autonomously initiate corrective plant actions
11:25 - 11:30
Q&A SESSION ON AI-DRIVEN PLANT MANAGEMENT TRANSFORMING DOWNSTREAM OPERATIONS
11:30 - 11:55
THE SPEED OF TECHNOLOGY OR THE SPEED OF ADOPTION… WHICH DIRECTION ARE YOU GOING?
David Crawley
University of Houston
- Examining historical automation disruptions and their impact on enterprise silos and operations
- Drawing parallels between past digital shifts and current downstream transformation dynamics
- Appraising AI, machine learning, and robotics as drivers of accelerated industry disruption
- Outlining strategies to adopt emerging technologies and secure first-mover advantages
11:55 - 12:00
Q&A SESSION ON AI ADOPTION AND STRATEGIC CHANGE IN DOWNSTREAM OPERATIONS
12:00 - 12:25
FROM FLIGHT TO INSIGHT: ACCELERATING DOWNSTREAM EFFICIENCY WITH AUTONOMOUS VISUAL INTELLIGENCE
Jim Yanosick
Eye-Bot Aerial Solutions
- Replacing manual inspections with autonomous drones and 3D asset visualization tools
- Integrating real-time monitoring to improve surveillance and detect gas or heat anomalies
- Automating damage detection using deep learning and computer vision at scale
- Empowering safer operations and faster decision-making across downstream environments
12:25 - 12:30
Q&A SESSION ON AUTONOMOUS INSPECTION SOLUTIONS FOR DOWNSTREAM OPERATIONS
12:30 - 13:30
NETWORKING LUNCH AND VISITING THE DIGITAL DOWNSTREAM EXHIBITION
13:30 - 14:00
RESERVED PRESENTATION
14:00 - 14:25
VISUALIZING THE INVISIBLE: REVOLUTIONIZING DOWNSTREAM RELIABILITY WITH C1D1 MOTION AMPLIFICATION
Paul Barna
RDI Technologies
- Presenting how the Iris IS C1D1 Pan/Tilt system turns every pixel into a vibration sensor for non-contact monitoring in hazardous zones
- Demonstrating how automated displacement readings instantly diagnose high-frequency faults, piping stress, and structural resonance in real time
- Explaining how wireless accelerometers and AI-driven diagnostics reduce inspection time and prevent unplanned downtime across the downstream facilities
- Showing how continuous AI-driven monitoring replaces manual troubleshooting and integrates automated asset identification across the Gulf region facilities
14:25 - 14:30
Q&A SESSION ON NON-CONTACT VIBRATION MONITORING IN HAZARDOUS CLASSIFIED ZONES
14:30 - 14:55
IMPLEMENTING AI-BASED SOLUTIONS TO MODERNIZE REFINERY INFRASTRUCTURE
Haider Ali
Acme Projects
- Explaining why reliability without intelligence is no longer enough, as aging assets, tightening margins, and evolving regulations demand smarter operations
- Identifying decades of data trapped in disconnected historians, maintenance logs, and control systems as the real barrier to AI-driven modernization
- Showing how AI reduces unplanned downtime by detecting equipment degradation weeks before failure and optimizing energy use in real time
- Presenting how layering AI strategically onto existing assets extends their life, sharpens performance, and builds a scalable operational foundation
14:55 - 15:00
Q&A SESSION ON LAYERING AI ONTO EXISTING REFINERY ASSETS TO MODERNIZE OPERATIONS
15:00 - 15:15
FEEDBACK AND RAFFLE DRAW
15:15 - 15:30
CLOSING REMARKS
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