Muhammad Rehan Afzal

Job title Principal Process Engineer
Wood Group

Muhammad Rehan Afzal, Principal Process Engineer at Wood Group – Abu Dhabi, has been associated with Oil & Gas / Energy Sector (Consulting, Design & Operations) from over a decade. He has been leading several Process Studies (Options Select), Conceptual Design, FEED & EPC Projects with comprehensive exposure to Oil & Gas Processing, NGL Recovery, Sulphur Recovery, Tail Gas Treatment and Decarbonization. He is having well demonstrated & proven expertise acquired while leading large scale multi-billion dollars projects executed across Middle East (UAE & Iraq, in specific), Europe and Asia.

Stefan Yu

Chairman
Unilink Commodities Trading Platform DMCC

Stefan Yu, an EMBA graduate of Fudan University, founded Unilink Group in 1998. Under his leadership, Unilink has become recognized among the top 100 Internet enterprises and the top 500 private enterprises in China, and he has emerged as a driving force in international bulk commodity trading over the past two decades. He built a leading international sulfur trading platform connecting markets across China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Today, Unilink stands as China's largest sulfur trading platform, achieving peak daily trading volumes of 60,000 tons and averaging 600,000 tons annually.  

Abdulla Ateya Al Messabi

Chief Executive Officer
ADNOC Sour Gas

Abdulla Ateya Al Messabi is Chief Executive Officer at ADNOC Sour Gas, which operates Shah Gas Field and Plant. As of 2021, ADNOC Sour Gas accounts for about 5% of the world's total sulfur production and is the world’s largest producer of granulated sulfur from a single site.

Prior to his current role, from 2020 until 2023, Al Messabi was Chief Executive Officer at ADNOC Refining, which operates the world's fourth largest single-train refinery in Al Ruwais. Before that, he was Unit Manager, Refining and Petrochemicals at ADNOC responsible for the governance and strategic direction of ADNOC’s downstream refining and petrochemicals businesses.

An industry specialist with over 20 years of experience, Al Messabi began his career at ADNOC in 2000 as Start-up Engineer at Borouge, before serving in various technical and managerial roles in Al Ruwais, Abu Dhabi and Milan having overall responsibility for the company’s vast array of world-class assets. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain.

Eduardo Almeida

Process Engineer
Clark Solutions

Chemical engineer graduated at University of São Paulo, working at Clark Solutions as a process engineer responsible for equipment design and pricing, engineering studies, troubleshoot and debottlenecking for mass transfer and mechanical separation processes. Experience with process analysis, custom made solutions development, plant commissioning & startup in sulfuric acid industries in the past 6 years. Worked with computational fluid dynamics and Multiphysics simulation.

Nasser Al Qahtani

Inspection Engineer
ADNOC Sour Gas

Holding a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Higher Colleges of Technology, Nasser joined ADNOC as Inspection Engineer 7 years ago during which he became certified by the American Petroleum Institute in piping inspection & risk based inspection codes (API 570/580 respectively).

His roles and responsibilities include:

• • Steering routine inspection activities
• • Conducting on-site inspections following raised observations
• • Overseeing the execution of both temporary and permanent repair measures
• • identify areas for technology adaptation & implementation

Edgar Fernando

Senior Chemist
ADNOC Sour Gas

Edgar Cruz Fernando holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Mapua Institute of Technology in the Philippines. He began his career in 2002 in the fields of process and laboratory work, gaining extensive experience in the analysis of oil, water, sulfur, and gas. In the Philippines, he worked for Petron, Asia Brown Boveri (ABB), and Alstom. In 2008, he moved to the Middle East, starting in Qatar before relocating to Ruwais, Abu Dhabi, UAE. He is currently based in the Shah Gas field and serves as a Senior Chemist with ADNOC Sour Gas.

Ibrahim Alali

Shift Supervisor
ADNOC Gas

Ibrahim Alali serves as a Shift Supervisor at the Sulphur Handling Terminal in Ruwais. He thrives on challenges and remains optimistic about future opportunities.

Varun Mathur

Market Manager “Middle East”
IPCO International Middle East Oil & Gas Services LLC

Varun Mathur is the Market Manager for subsidiary of IPCO International AB in Middle East Market covering GCC and Iraq. Varun looks after IPCO business in the region and manages sales & after sales services from Abu Dhabi, UAE. Varun has been employed with IPCO & its predecessor for 12 years and has been involved in several projects in the Sulphur, Petrochemical & Fertilizer industries. Varun is a B. Tech Mechanical Engineer from UPTECH University in India. Prior to joining IPCO he worked as site engineer and sales engineer in Bahrain and will complete 20 years of working in Middle East this year.

Syed Ali

Senior Chemist
ADNOC Sour Gas

Syed Masood Ali hold a Master's degree in Applied Chemistry and Chemical Technology from the University of Karachi, Pakistan. He began his career in 1998 at a refinery, gaining experience in crude oil refining, processing, and quality control with Marubeni and J.G.C. In 2001, he joined Qatar Petroleum and worked there until 2015 before relocating to Abu Dhabi. Currently, he is a Senior Chemist at ADNOC Sour Gas, Shah Site, specializing in Quality Control and Assurance.

Abdalla Al Ali

Inspection Engineer
ADNOC Gas

Abdalla Al Ali joined ADNOC Gas in 2016 and was assigned to the Ruwais NGL site as an Inspection Engineer. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Khalifa University in December 2015.

Fatemah Mohammad

Process Engineer
KNPC

Fatemah Mohammad is a process engineer in MAA Refinery.

Education:

1. Bachelor of Science: Chemical Engineering (Kuwait University)
2. MSc in Chemical Engineering: System Engineering (Kuwait University)   

Experience:

• Volunteer TA in Kuwait University for one year
• Process Engineer in MAA Refinery for two years·       
• 7 months experience in Utilities
• 8 months experience in AGRP

Jan Willem Hennipman

Process Technology Specialist
Worley Comprimo

Jan-Willem Hennipman, PDEng, is one of the technology specialists of Worley Comprimo, with a broad knowledge in all aspects of sulphur recovery, sour water stripping and amine treating. Jan-Willem has more than 20 years of engineering experience in the oil and gas industries. Before that he worked 10 years as a process engineer for a pharmaceutical company. He holds a MS degree in Chemical Engineering and a Professional Doctorate in Engineering from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

Brandon Forbes

Manager Technical Engineering
Ametek / CSI

Brandon Forbes has worked in the process heating and sulfurindustry for over 16 years with a focus on product development andengineering design. He has helped develop and support CSI’s mostsuccessful products including the bolt-on heating product suite andthe SxSeal above-ground sulfur sealing device.

Francesca De Mauro

Incremental Innovation Senior Process Engineer
KT-Tech

Francesca De Mauro, MSc in chemical engineering, is currently holding the position of Incremental Innovation Senior Process Engineer at KT-Tech. Her career began in 2008 when she joined KT Kinetics Technology as a Junior Process Engineer in the Sulphur Recovery team. Since then, she has built her experience in Sulphur Recovery and Gas Treatment technology by participating in various projects, including basic designs, EPC, feasibility studies, and performance test activities. Currently, Francesca leads project focused on the development of technology renewals within KT Tech, in particular on sulphur recovery.

Hari Vamsi Duggirala

Senior Process Simulation Engineer
Three Ten Initiative Technologies LLP

Hari Vamsi Duggirala presently serves as a Senior Process Simulation Engineer at Three Ten Initiative Technologies LLP, where he has about 3 years of professional experience. He achieved the distinction of being a gold medalist in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering (A), affiliated with JNTU Kakinada. He organized multiple technical trainings in India and overseas on gas treatment and sulphur recovery. His areas of interest encompass innovative decarbonization technologies and guiding industries in their transition towards a sustainable future.

Djakhongir Ravshanov

Process Engineer
Exxon Mobil Production Germany

Djakhongir Ravshanov has over 10 years of experience in all aspects of sour gas processing: amine treatment and dehydration, sulfur recovery, tail gas clean up and catalytic incineration, sulfur solvent regeneration, sulfur degassing and sulfur storage, various process and energy optimization for all above units.

He also has12 years of experience in Operations Technical (Optec) as Surveillance Engineer supporting business units such as process surveillance and optimization, opportunities identification and project initiation, catalyst regeneration, activation, selection etc.

In addition he has 4 year experience in in implementing, roll out of global systems in EMPG and ENL, work management system, alarm management system and management of change.

Fatma Jamal Alshamsi

Engineer, Corrosion & Metallurgy
ADNOC Sour Gas

Fatma Alshamsi is a Corrosion and Metallurgy Engineer at ADNOC Sour Gas, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. She holds a Master's and Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Khalifa University. With a year and seven months of professional experience in the ultra-sour gas processing field, she brings a wealth of knowledge and technical expertise to her role. Her dedication to engaging with innovative practices and collaborative efforts significantly contributes to the company's success and continuous improvement in handling complex gas processing challenges.

Hatem Hamed Gouhar

Process Engineer
ADNOC Offshore

Hatem Hamed Gouhar is a chemical engineer with 20 years of extensive experience in process engineering, design, process modelling and operations in oil and gas industry, with wide range of international engineering contractors and operating companies. He used to lead process engineering for various Conceptual, FEED and EPC oil and gas projects and has extensive hands-on experience with transient hydraulic analysis and integrated modelling.

Bruce Thacker

North America Key Account Manager
Ametek / CSI

Bruce Thacker has over 17 years of experience in the process heating and sulfur industry assisting clients with troubleshooting, heating technology selection, and system optimization.

Abdulrahman Muabber

Associate Process Operations Engineer
Aramco

Abdulrahman Musa Muabber is a Natural Gas Process Engineer works with Saudi Aramco in Jafurah Gas Plant (JFGP)’s Sulfur Recovery Unit (SRU) and Tail-Gas Treatment Unit (TGTU). He has also received specialized training as a Crude Distillation (CDU) & Hydroprocessing (HCK) Process Engineer, in addition to Power & RO Desalination Operations Engineer. Abdulrahman has graduated from Jazan University in 2023 with BSc in Chemical Engineering and First-Class Honor Degree.

Stefaan Gouhie

TPM Business Development Europe
Ametek / CSI

Stefaan Gouhie is a mechanical engineer who currently serves as the Regional Sales Manager for CSI Ametek, where he focuses on solving heat-related plugging and corrosion issues in the European refining and petrochemical industry.

He has developed expertise in good heating practices through numerous site visits and hands-on installations over more than a decade in the sulphur industry.

Jacobus Kotze

Engineering Specialist
Saudi Aramco

Jacobus (Cobus) has over 23 years’ experience in the Oil & Gas and Petrochemical industry, in both operations and design.  Currently he is working for Saudi Aramco as a Sulphur Recovery Subject Matter Expert focusing on Operation and Project support, as well as identifying / developing of New Technologies.  Prior to joining Saudi Aramco he was the Technical Director at WorleyParsons for the Sulfur Technology group in London and the Chief Technology Engineer for the Process Engineering group in KBR (Greenford, London). His sulfur experience include delivery of licensor design packages, operations training and pre-commissioning and commissioning of Sulphur Recovery Units with Tail gas treatment units. Jacobus is a Chartered Engineer with the IChemE in the UK and a registered Professional Engineer in British Columbia, Canada.   Headshot photo (paste below or send attachment in an email)     Please include a short one to two-sentence introduction for announcing you onto the stage at the start of the session. Introduction Cobus has over 23 years of experience in the Oil & Gas and Petrochemical industry, with expertise in operations and design. He currently works as a Sulphur Recovery Subject Matter Expert at Saudi Aramco, and previously held senior roles at WorleyParsons and KBR, with a strong background in sulfur technology and a professional engineering registration in the UK and Canada.    

Arunkumar Jayachandran

Process Manager
Wood Group

Arunkumar J, Process Manager at Wood Group – Abu Dhabi, has been associated with Oil & Gas / Energy Sector (Consulting, Design & Operations) from over a decade. He has rich experience of 22 years in Oil and Gas projects, Refinery projects, Petro-chemicals, Process packages within the domain of FEED / EPC assignments. Acknowledgment for both strategic and technical experience across diverse geographies and operating environments in executing projects of strategic importance. Adopted across all the phases of the project lifecycle for pre-engineering, scope review, contract reviews, engineering executions, commissioning support, Troubleshooting and final handover.

Mohamad Azahar Bin Ahmad

Executive Mechanical
PETRONAS

Mohamad Azahar Ahmad is a professional engineer at PETRONAS (Group Technical Solution) in Malaysia. Experienced and had proven track record in equipment fabrication, engineering consultancy, and refinery plant operations. Currently, he serves as a Mechanical Subject Matter Expert, focusing on facilities optimization and resolving plant reliability issues.

Saood Al Marzooqi

Shift Controller
ADNOC Sour Gas

Saood Almarzooqi is a Shift Controller at ADNOC Sour Gas with five years of experience in sulfur production and handling. Based at the Sulfur Station, he plays a key role in ensuring safe, efficient, and optimized operations within one of the largest sulfur production plants. Saood holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Michigan State University and a master’s in Engineering Management from Abu Dhabi University. His expertise bridges both technical operations and strategic process management, bringing valuable insights into sulfur handling best practices and innovation across the value chain.

Frank Scheel

Senior Vice President
Worley Comprimo

Frank has been in his current role with Worley Comprimo for over six years.  As leader of Worley Comprimo Frank is responsible for the Gas treating and Sulphur Recovery Technology Business in Worley. Prior to this he was with Jacobs for 24 years in roles ranging from Process Engineer, Business Development Manager, Director of Technology and Director Business Development. Most of these roles were under the Gas Treating and Sulphur Recovery Technology group within the Jacobs organisation.

Ayan Dasgupta

Senior Process Engineer
Fluor Daniel India Pvt Ltd.

Ayan Dasgupta is a highly experienced Process Engineer with over 22 years of expertise in conceptual design, detailed engineering, and lump sum contracts. He has a proven track record of successfully executing process studies, front-end design, and detailed design for various industries, including refineries, petrochemical complexes, chemical plants, onshore gas terminals, and power plants. Ayan's extensive knowledge and skills have earned him global recognition as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Acid Gas Treatment at Fluor. His current areas of work include Acid Gas Removal Units, Acid Gas Enrichment Units, and Sulphur Recovery Units.

Asadullah Malik

Team Leader – I&C -Central Engineering
ADNOC Gas O&M LLC

Asadullah Malik has a total experience of 26 years in engineering and has been working for ADNOC Gas O&M LLC for last 15 years in the field of engineering related to Instrumentation and control systems. His expertise includes and is not limited to the areas related design engineering related to I&C for Oil & Gas and Power industries. He has also developed the of COMPANY engineering specification based on the latest international standards. In addition to above he has vast experience in designing and engineering the package control system like compressor control systems and that for material handling plant like Sulphur granulation systems etc. Apart from the above he has technically supported and participated in many HAZOP/SIL/ F&G mapping workshops for various projects in compliance with 100% HSE requirements.

Ivan Novendri

Operation Coordinator
ADNOC Gas

Ivan Novendri is an experienced Operation Coordinator, Engineer and Supervisor with over 18 years in the oil and gas industry. He is skilled in gas processing, NGL plants, SRU and Sour water treatment. Ivan has a proven leadership in coordination teams, enhancing operational efficiency, and commitment to operational excellence across critical process units.

Saeed Alhasan

Professor
Khalifa University

Muhammad Omer

Senior Process Engineer
Wood Group

Muhammad Omer, Senior Process Engineer with more than 10years of working experience in all phases of engineering projects(Concept to EPC) in Oil & Gas and Energy Sector in Pakistan &Abu Dhabi. Skilled in contributing to process feasibility studies,debottlenecking studies, design package, technology selection &licensor selection for gas processing units such as AGRU, AGEU,SRU & NGL. Certified in Project Management (PMP) & NEBOSH(Process Safety Management). Possess hands on experience ofworking in for reputed clients in Middle East such as ADNOC Gas &ADNOC Onshore.

Reem Mohammed Al Mansoori

Process Automation Engineer
ADNOC Gas

Reem Al Mansoori is a Chemical Engineer with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UAE University. She began her career at ADNOC as a Process Engineer and now she specializes in Process Automation, where she focuses on advancing digital solutions to enhance operational efficiency. Her work bridges traditional engineering practices with smart technologies.

Francis Bernard

Director of Operations
Alberta Sulphur Research Ltd.

Francis Bernard is the Director of Operations of Alberta Sulphur Research Ltd (ASRL). He graduated from Université de Sherbrooke with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. He is currently responsible for business and operations matters of the company. Francis is highly skilled in the safe handling of high pressure sour fluids in a laboratory setting, including water content measurements. Since joining ASRL in 1999, he has been involved in projects related to sulfur corrosion, storage, forming, transportation, new uses and emissions. While he specializes in elemental sulfur deposition and sulfur solvents, recent projects also include H2S scavengers, sulfur products, and analysis of various deposit samples. Prior to joining ASRL, Francis specialized in analytical chemistry and developed acidizing and fracturing formulations for the oil and gas service industry.  

Ahmed M. Al-Wadeai

Director of Berri Gas Plant
Aramco

Ahmed M. Al-Wadeai holds a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and graduated in 1996. He began his career journey as a Process Engineer at Saudi Aramco at Shedgum Gas Plant.  From 2004 to 2005, Ahmed served as an Operations Foreman before transitioning into the role of a Project and Commissioning Lead for Hawiyah NGL plant between 2006 and 2009,  Ahmed followed by his tenure at the Gas Operations Technical Support Division, where he held the position of division head from 2012 to 2015.  

Ahmed's career trajectory continued to advance as he took on roles as an Operation Representative for the two mega projects at Uthmanyah and Hawyah gas plants between 2015 to 2016. From 2016 to 2022, he served as a Maintenance Manager and Operation Manager at different gas plants ensuring operational efficiency and reliability.   

In 2022, Mr.  Al-Wadeai was appointed as the Plant Director for Berri gas plant: a position he continues to hold today, driving strategic initiatives and overseeing plant operations which is considered the sulfur hub for all Saudi Aramco facilities where sulfur handling and processing is considered one of the plant major operations. 

Fahad Al Wahedi

SVP & MEScon Executive Chairman
ADNOC Upstream

Fahad Al Wahedi has over 20 years of experience in the oil and gas business. He holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from Arizona State University and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Throughout his career, he has gained extensive experience in operations, process engineering, and project management at ADNOC Gas Processing, Bab Gas Development, and ADNOC Sour Gas. His project experience spans from small to mega-scale initiatives across pre-FEED, FEED, and project execution phases. 

Currently, he is SVP Projects in ADNOC Upstream Directorate where he drives growth projects in both oil & gas and is heading efficiency and optimization studies. In addition, Al Wahedi is also leading on value creation activities across upstream assets.

Ali Al Rawahi

Senior Vice President, Technology & Innovation
ADNOC Upstream

Ali Al Rawahi holds over 16 years of experience in technology and field development in the energy sector, with a track record of leading multidisciplinary teams to exceed business targets and accelerate strategic objectives.  

Al Rawahi’s recent work has focused on strategic partnerships to devlop and deploy technologies in support of ADNOC’s decarbonization goals. Examples include a partnership with 44.01 to mineralize CO2 in the emirate of Fujairah, the Gulf region’s first geothermal energy project, and the devlopment of advanced battery energy storage systems made from repurposed EV batteries.  

He is a graduate of the first cohort of ADNOC Future Leaders, a selective program to develop high-performing individuals into leaders. Al Rawahi holds a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Tulsa in the United States and an MBA from the United Arab Emirates University.

Angie Slavens

Managing Director
UniverSUL Consulting

Angie has 28 years of experience working in the oil and gas business, primarily focused on sulphur recovery and sour gas treating. She has served as sulphur technology manager for two of the world’s leading sulphur technology licensing firms and has been involved in the delivery of several world-class projects. In 2014, Angie initiated an owner’s engineering focused consulting business, UniverSUL Consulting, based in Abu Dhabi, which has since been relocated to the USA. Angie has published numerous papers, is a member of several international conference committees, and previously served on the Board of Directors for ASRL (2013-2023).  

Angie received her BSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kansas in 1996 and MBA from Hult International Business School (Dubai, UAE) in 2018.  

In her free time, Angie enjoys distance running; she completed the Abbot Marathon World Majors (Berlin, Boston, Chicago London, New York, Tokyo) in 2021.   

Mohamad Bara Adi

Vice President, Technical Services and MEScon Technical Committee
ADNOC Sour Gas

Mr. Mohamad Bara Adi is the Vice President, Technical Services (Engineering) at ADNOC Sour Gas. He has more than 28 years of diverse and extensive experience in Projects Management and Engineering.

He has been leading many teams of professional engineers responsible for field development from conceptual through FEED and detail engineering. As a member of the Senior Management Team, he tremendously contributes towards developing the Company's strategy and business plan required for efficient development and delivery of successful projects.

Being a team player, self-motivated, educated and trained to think and lead projects safely within budget and schedule, he has successfully led and delivered many projects in ADNOC since he joined for over 21 years now. Mohamad Bara has graduated with BSc (Honors) Electrical Engineering then has completed MSc Degree in Water Resources.  

Al Sail Al Jaberi

Senior Process Engineer
ADNOC Sour Gas

Alsail Al Jaberi holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Khalifa University. She is currently working as a Process Engineer assigned to the Sulfur Recovery Units and handles all related projects in ADNOC Sour Gas (ASG) under the Projects & Technical Services division . During her four-years' experience in oil and gas industry, she has been actively involved in major projects and expansion activities within the organization. Involvement in multiple shut down activities & working as a site engineer in addition to her daily/routine process engineering tasks. Also, she is ASG focal point for Middle East Sulphur Conference.

Peter Harrisson

Principal Analyst, Sulphur and Sulphuric Acid
CRU

Dr Harrisson has worked on CRU’s Sulphur and Sulphuric Acid analysis since joining the company in early 2011 and is Head of the Sulphur team. He also works across other nutrient areas, including both market and cost analysis. Prior to joining CRU, Dr Harrisson completed a PhD in Industrial Chemistry at Durham University.

Nada Abujarad

Engineer, Environment
ADNOC Upstream

Nada Abujarad is a young Emirati environmental leader working under the environmental health and safety sector for one of the mega projects. Passionate about environment-sustainability and driving positive change, Nada always seeks to find innovative solutions to protect and preserve the environment in which we operate.  

Carrying out environmental legacy and leadership of our late father sheikh Zayed as the environmental challenges around the world increase, there is much that the younger generation can achieve and continue to build on efforts toward environmental protection.

Khalifah Al-Salem

Sr. Engineer
Aramco

Khalifah Al-Salem has worked for 10 years with Saudi Aramco. Khalifah Al-Salem completed his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering at “King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals” university. During the 10 years with Saudi Aramco, he developed rich knowledge in Sulfur Recovery Unit where he was exposed to several assignment starting as front-liner(Outside Operator), to process engineer and then to Detail Engineering and Project Management.

Parker Wells

CEO
Element 16 Technologies, Inc.

Parker Wells is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Element 16. He founded the company as a researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles. Parker is an inventor with multiple patents on sulfur thermal energy storage technology, and has led the company’s development, backed by $12 million of US government and private funding.Parker holds advanced engineering degrees from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Brown University. Parker previously lectured at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and served as an affiliate engineer with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Chandra Shekar Chukkala

Flow Assurance Specialist
ADNOC Sour Gas

Chandra Shekar Chukkala is an engineering professional having over 15 years of work experience in Oil & Gas business. Ex-Reliance Industries Limited and Ex-KBR. Served in major phases of oil and gas industry right from consulting and project (conceptual / Pre-Feed / Feed /Detail Design) to operations (commissioning, start-up, steady state / transient, debottlenecking & de-commissioning). 

Aisha Alkayyoomi

Process Engineer
ADNOC Sour Gas

John P. O’Connell

Consulting Engineer
Aramco

John P. O’Connell is an internationally recognized Subject Matter Expert (SME) in the field of sulfur recovery, and is currently the senior SME for Saudi Aramco, Central Engineering. Prior to joining Saudi Aramco, John founded Sulfur Recovery Engineering (SRE) in 1998, which specializes in on-site SRU performance evaluations and optimizations, training, design reviews, and start-up / shutdown services. He has conducted +400 SRU performance tests worldwide over his career of 36 years, supported by his experience in gas chromatography and proprietary methodologies for sour gas sampling and analysis. John currently holds 9 patents in the field of sulfur recovery, with an additional 4 applications.

Elmo Nasato

President
Nasato Consulting Ltd.

Elmo Nasato is a process engineer specializing in sulfur recovery, amine treating, and sour water processing, with 38 years of industry experience. He has worked on design, retrofits, startups and optimization of sulfur recovery, amine and tail gas clean up units. He holds a B.A.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Waterloo and is president of Nasato Consulting Ltd. Elmo is the lead moderator for the Brimstone Sulfur Symposium and serves on multiple advisory boards. He holds eight patents, has published 42 papers, and has presented at over 74 conferences worldwide on sulfur recovery technologies.

Nasser M. Abukhdeir

President
Continuum Engineering Inc.

Dr. Nasser Abukhdeir is the President of Continuum Engineering Inc. (Waterloo, Canada) and an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, cross-appointed in Physics and Astronomy, at the University of Waterloo. He completed his BS and MChE at Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, USA) and his PhD at McGill University (Montréal, Canada). His professional practice and academic work is focused on processes involving reacting multiphase flows and phase transitions through the use of simulation-based analysis.

Ashraf Abufaris

Senior Technical Marketing Manager
BASF Middle East Chemicals LLC

Ashraf Abufaris, Senior Technical Marketing Manager Middle East & Centeral Asia-BASF Ashraf Abufaris is a Senior Technical Market Manager at BASF’s OASE® Gas Treatment Team. In his role, he provides technical and commercial supports to gas treatment plants in various segments in natural gas and refinery industries. He specializes on technology selection, design and modeling, commissioning and operation troubleshooting. Ashraf has around 15 years of experience in the industry, primarily in natural gas processing, refineries, power plants and syngas processing. He graduated in Chemical Engineering from the "America University of Sharjah" and has been part of Multiple Mega Projects in the Region since then.

Feras Kordi

Process Engineer
BASF Middle East Chemicals LLC

Feras Kordi is a Process Engineer at BASF’s OASE® Gas Treatment Team. In his role, he provides technical support to gas treatment plants in various segments in natural gas and refinery industries, ranging from LNG treatment to Sulfur Selective and CO2 capture applications. He specializes on Technology selection, design and modeling, commissioning, and operation troubleshooting. Feras has worked previously in a major oil and gas EPC company, primarily in natural gas processing, refineries, and petrochemical complexes. He holds a Bachelors and Masters of Science degrees in Chemical Engineering from the American University of Sharjah, and has been part of multiple scientific conferences regarding his research in bioenergy and reactor modelling.

Anton Manakhov

Science Specialist
Aramco

Anton Manakhov is the Sustainable Innovations Thrust Champion at Aramco Innovations Moscow Research Center. His research areas involve the development of sustainable nanomaterials, efficient hydrogen storage, and H2S conversion into hydrogen. Anton also specializes in water treatment and recycling, making him a valuable asset to his team. Having received a PhD in Physics from the University of Namur (Belgium) in 2012, Anton has authored more than 80 journal publications with 1500+ citations, co-authored 5+ patents, and presented 20+ conference papers. His primary areas of expertise include surface science, plasma chemistry, catalysis, and nanomaterials.

Saeed AlBlooshi

Senior Engineer of Inspection
ADNOC Sour Gas

Saeed AlBlooshi graduated from Higher College of Technologies with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. With 8 years of experience in inspection engineering within ADNOC Sour Gas, Saeed has managed multiple process units as Senior Inspection Engineer, including the Sulfur recovery units, Acid Gas Recovery units and Sour Gas Sweetening & Condensate Stabilization units.

Saeed is an API 510 and 570 certified engineer, and has dedicated his time to ensure asset integrity and reliability of assets by implementing the codes & standards guidelines, fostering new innovative technologies and leveraging on the network and best practices in the industry.

Seth Spear

Staff Sr Process Engineer
Occidental Petroleum

Seth Spear is currently a Staff Senior Process Engineer in the PEOR Central Plants. His career has spanned over 10 years and two companies. Seth started at Kinder Morgan as a process engineer at the Yates Gas Plant and then was moved to Gas Processing 176/178 a 1.2BCF gas plant in Snyder, Texas which he spent 4 years working as the Lead Process Engineer. Seth also spent a year cross training as a Facilities Engineer developing the SACROC East Flank. He moved to Oxy in December of 2018 as a Senior Process Engineer in the PEOR Central Plants which he continues to optimize the Central Plants and monitor the process of the three Ryan-Holmes Processing Plants with operations. Seth holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Texas Tech University. He is a published children’s author of the Little Red Engineer: Oilfield Adventure.

Ben Spooner

Senior Process Engineer
Sulphur Experts

Ben Spooner has been working full time on amine systems since 1999. He has been all over the world for his job and will NEVER STOP. Ben is very excited to be at MEScon presenting live for the second time!

Jon Lewis

Director of Engineering UK
Worley Comprimo

Jon is Director of Engineering for Worley Comprimo, also leading Worley Comprimo Operations in London, United Kingdom, and was previously Global Director for Gas Processing and Sulphur Recovery. His responsibilities span consultancy, project delivery, customer support, and business development. He has extensive conceptual and detailed engineering experience and has held various roles associated with gas processing terminals, offshore platforms and refineries in his 31-year career with the company, as well as managing the London Process Department from 2004 till 2011. He graduated with a master’s degree in advanced chemical engineering from the University of Manchester (UMIST) in the UK in 1980, is a Chartered Engineer, and has published articles and presented at international conferences.

Suresh Kumar M.

Team Leader, Engineering Services, Control & Automation
ADNOC Gas

Suresh Kumar M, works for ADNOC Gas as a Team Leader, Engineering Services, Control & Automation. He is a key member of the digital transformation team and is leading the assessment and implementation of some of the digital emerging technologies in the Oil & Gas Sector. He has more than 35 years of experience in Oil & Gas industries, including petrochemicals, in the fields of Engineering, Operations and Process Automation. He has a Chemical Engineering degree and an MBA from Stratchylde University, UK and has presented various papers in technical conferences including ISA and ADIPEC on process automation and digitalization. 

Abdullah A. Alhumaid

Process Engineer
Aramco

Abdullah A. Alhumaid graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he majored in Chemical Engineering and minored in Engineering Management.

Abdullah is an aspiring engineer working with Saudi Aramco at Khursaniyah Gas Plant. He is involved with gas treating, sulfur recovery, NGL and utility units. Abdullah is interested in enhancing his process knowledge along with the incorporation of technologies such as AI and machine learning into the workspace.

Raghesh Karunakaran

Shift Supervisor
ADNOC Gas

Raghesh is a chemical Engineer with 20 years of post-qualification experience in the oil and gas industry. Mr Raghesh  started his career with BHARAT PETROLEUM CORPORATION, later worked with VITOL FUJAIRAH REFINERY UAE. He joined ADNOC in 2012 during the HABSHAN-5 project commissioning phase and has been working with the Operations Team of AGRU, SRU-TGTU since then.  

Mr Raghesh  has 20+ years of pant operations experience in refinery and gas plant operations on different operation units such as CDU, VDU, ARU, SRU, AGR, TGTU, FCCU and CRI unit  (CO2 capture).

Dedik Rahmat Ermawan

Senior Process Engineer
Aramco

Sound knowledge Process Engineer with solid skill and experience in diverse LNG and gas assets worldwide. Completing facilities project – operation engineering cycle with numerous areas of expertise and demonstrable technical capability.   Technically support in LNG and gas processing facilities both as Process Engineer and Contact Engineer. Delivering various technical assistance, e.g. technical project/evaluation, HAZOPS, Plant optimizations, Plant performance test, Plant shutdown and start up improvements, troubleshooting activities for ensuring the efficiency, reliability and safety of the plant operation.

Ganank Srivastava

ProMax Engineering Consultant – GCC & India
Bryan Research & Engineering, LLC

After studying chemical engineering at the National University of Singapore, Ganank Srivastava's professional experience has encompassed areas of technical services, engineering consultation, business development and customer relationship management in the oil & gas industry across the Middle East, African, South Asian and Asia-Pacific region. Currently Ganank works as a process engineering and simulation consultant with Bryan Research & Engineering and support some of the world's largest energy companies. He has helped design / optimize / debottleneck amine & sulfur plants in over 15 countries, across 4 continents, and trained over 3,000 engineers in industry best practices. He also holds an MBA degree from Singapore Management University.

Mostafa Shehata

ProMax Engineering Consultant – GCC & Africa
Bryan Research & Engineering, LLC

Mostafa Shehata works as an Engineering Consultant with Bryan Research and Engineering and supports ProMax process simulation software users across Africa and the Middle East. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Suez University in refining, petrochemicals, and natural gas processing. After graduation, he enriched his theoretical study with industrial experience through participating in commissioning and initial start-up of two major petrochemical plants in Egypt. Mostafa is experienced in initial plant design and operating plant troubleshooting along with seeking various ways of optimization and cost reduction. He also holds an MBA degree from Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport.

Marco van Son

Technology Director
Worley Comprimo

Marco van Son was born and raised in the Netherlands and received a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Technical University Eindhoven in the Netherlands and a second master’s degree in Refining, Gas Processing and Engineering from ENSPM in France.

Marco is a Principal Process Engineer with over 28 years of experience in both engineering design and customer interface roles. He has been involved in all lifecycle stages of projects, from process design basis development to detailed engineering as well as commissioning, start-up and troubleshooting.

As Worley Comprimo’s Global Technology Director and SME, he is responsible for managing the portfolio of Worley Comprimo technologies in sulphur, amine, sour water and carbon capture as well as developing new and existing technologies. 

He is currently serving on the Technical Advisory Committee for the Laurance Reid Gas Conditioning Conference and is past-president of the board of directors for Alberta Sulphur Research Limited, served on the committee for API-565 Standard for SRU Thermal Reactors and has authored a number of industry publications. 

Robert Marriott

Director of Research, Alberta Sulphur Research Ltd. ASRL Research Chair in Applied Sulfur Chemistry
Alberta Sulphur Research Limited (ASRL)

Rob Marriott is the Alberta Sulphur Research Ltd (ASRL) Director of Research (DOR) and the ASRL Research Chair in Applied Sulfur Chemistry. He is responsible for guiding the ASRL Core research program and teaches as a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Calgary. His current research interests range from applied chemical thermodynamics of complex systems, souring of reservoir fluids, sulfur deposition, hydrate formation, sulfur recovery, heterogeneous catalysis, adsorption, sulfur products and high-pressure fluid purification. He has authored over 100 published research papers, more than 130 conference presentations and over 230 confidential research contract reports.

Bader Alotaibi

Process Engineer
Aramco

Bader Alotaibi is a striving Process Engineer working at Khursaniyah Gas Plant, Saudi Aramco. He graduated from the Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering and a minor in chemistry. He has managed to garner experience in multiple gas processing related fields; including sulfur recovery and handling, dehydration, and gas sweetening. In addition to being FE certified, he also works as an energy coordinator handling plant wide energy management activities that include overall plant energy efficiency, while being a certified energy auditor (CEA). Bader is also a certified maintenance and reliability professional (CMRP), and holds a certificate in API 571: corrosion and materials.

Pankaj Kumar

Senior Process Engineer
ADNOC Gas

Pankaj Kumar holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering. He has around 18 years of experience in the field of process engineering primarily focused on Oil & Gas and Refinery sector. Pankaj joined ADNOC Gas in 2019 and currently working as a Senior Process Engineer in Engineering Division. Prior to joining ADNOC Gas, Pankaj worked with Larsen & Toubro Limited, Fluor Daniel, Tebodin as Senior/Lead Process Engineer for Study/FEED/EPC Projects. During his tenure in ADNOC gas, Pankaj has significant exposure to Sulphur Processes.

Jeff Cooke

Business Manager EMEA Asia
DuBois Chemicals

Dr. Jeff Cooke is currently Business Manager for DuBois Chemicals Resource Division (formerly IPAC Chemicals), responsible for Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa.  Jeff's background is organic chemistry, and he was previously Technical Director for DuBois Chemicals, and IPAC Chemicals before that.  Dr. Cooke is currently Business Manager for DuBois Chemicals Resource Division (formerly IPAC Chemicals), responsible for Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa.  Jeff’s background is organic chemistry, and he was previously Technical Director for DuBois Chemicals, and IPAC Chemicals before that. 

Mohammed Al Blooshi

Rotating Equipment Engineer
ADNOC Sour Gas

Saad AlMutairi

Process Engineer
Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC)

Jochen Geiger

Business Development Manager
AMETEK Process Instruments

Jochen Geiger is now in charge for Business Development in AMETEK Process Instruments after leading for 25 years the Sales and Service Teams offices located in Germany, France, the Middle East and India. He is highly specialized into industrial applications.

Mr. Geiger is a specialist for industrial instrumentation ( Process Analyzers ) in the chemical industry. He has provided training courses in Chemical Plants ; Refineries and Oil and Gas Production Sites around the globe. He is frequently invited as guest speaker for various International Seminars and Meetings.

Jochen has a Master in Electronics and is Process Analyzer Specialist

Brian Visioli

Global Director, SRU/TGU & Purification Adsorbents
Evonik

Brian Visioli is one of the many process engineers who got his startin sulfur recovery, and one of the lucky few who got stuck there.Since graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder with abachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Brian has gained morethan 10 years of experience in sulfur recovery including plantturnarounds, technical service, and product management. Today,Brian manages Evonik's portfolio of alumina-based catalysts andadsorbents for oil, gas, and petrochemical applications.

Leorelis Vasquez

Senior Process Engineer
Worley Comprimo

Leorelis Vasquez has worked for various sectors of the oil & gas and petrochemical industries for 17 years, joining Worley in 2011. Leorelis completed her bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering at the “Simon Bolivar” university in Venezuela (2005) and a MSc in Refinery, Design and Operation at the “University of Manchester” in the United Kingdom (2008). In her current position Leorelis develops feasibility studies and process design packages for various technologies, including Carbon Capture and Storage, within Worley Comprimo. 

Nathan Smith

Senior Director of Engineering Technology
Worley Consulting

Nathan Smith is a hydrocarbons Subject Matter Expert (SME) with deep knowledge of natural gas and natural gas liquid (NGL) conditioning including the process design and specification of gas sweetening, dehydration, mercury removal and dew point control packages (DPCUs) and optimisation of NGL fractionation plants. 

Nathan is a decarbonization Subject Matter Expert (SME) with deep knowledge of carbon capture techniques, energy efficiency methods, emissions abatement and the production of ‘new energy’ via blue and green technology routes.

Nathan is a true ‘global consultant’ having executed projects in Southeast Asia, the Pacific, the GCC (KSA, UAE, Kuwait) and North America (Houston).

Jan Kiebert

Principal Engineer
Sulphur Experts

Since 2005 Jan is with Sulphur Experts after spending 15 years with Duiker Combustion Egnineers specialising in combustion equipment for SRU’s.  Jan is involved in all aspects of the operations support and process engineering consulting work conducted by Sulphur Experts.  

He has provided expert advice and consulting services in the area of SRU and TGTU conceptual designs, reliability studies, troubleshooting, incident investigations, plant testing and plant optimization for the sour gas and oil refining industries.   Jan is one of the primary speakers at the internationally-recognised Sulphur Recovery Technical Training Course and has conducted over one hundred fifty on-site training courses.   Since joining Sulphur Experts Jan has worked in more than 40 countries and provided technical support, conducted performance testing and assisted with RCA’s for all ADNOC facilities.

Arthur van Asbeck

Business Development Manager
Paqell

Arthur van Asbeck is Business Development Manager at Paqell, a Shell and Paques joint venture that specializes in biological desulfurization technology for the oil and gas industry. With a professional tenure spanning 11 years, Arthur has dedicated six years specifically to the sulfur domain. His expertise in sulfur evolved working for a prominent Claus burner supplier. Currently, Arthur is channelling his knowledge into promoting Thiopaq O&G, the desulfurization process which uses microorganisms as a catalyst. Arthur holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.

Johann Le Touze

Lead Sulphur Recovery Technology Engineer
Axens

Johann Le Touze works for Axens as Lead Sulphur Recovery Technology Engineer, within the Acid Gas Group – Low Carbon Solutions & Gas Product Line. He started his professional career in 2013 as R&D engineer and then as a Marketing & Business Line manager for a world leading TiO2 manufacturing company. He holds an Advanced Master degree in Chemical Engineering from ESPCI - Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la ville de Paris (Paris Industrial Physics and Chemistry Graduate Engineering School) and a Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering & Materials Science from Doshisha University (Kyoto, Japan).

Majed Qaysi

Senior Maintenance Engineer
Aramco

Majed Al Qaysi has been working at Saudi Aramco/ Jazan Refinery Complex since 2013 as Maintenance Engineer. Currently, he is elected to be Sulphur Forming Unit Head.  He has also led Sulphur Forming Maintenance Team during Commissioning and start up of JZR Sulphur Forming Unit.

Muhammad Nisar

Senior Process Engineer
ADNOC Sour Gas

Abdulrahman Almashhaf

Process Engineer
Aramco

Abdulrahman Almashhaf, a Process Engineer working at Saudi Aramco Wasit gas plant. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals and is a certified Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) professional by NCEES. He specializes in process engineering within the gas sector, focusing on optimizing plant operations and integrating innovative technologies. His dedication to improving process efficiencies and reducing environmental impact reflects his commitment to both industry advancement and sustainability.

Rakan Aldawood

Process Engineer
Aramco

Graduated from King Fahd University of Petroleum and minerals as a chemical Engineer. My COOP training was on Saudi Aramco Total refining and petrochemical (SATORP) as operation engineer in Hydrocracker unit for 6 months. After Graduation I joined National Company for Mechanical Systems (NCMS) as QA/QC engineer for 1 year and 7 months. Then, I joined Saudi Aramco and assigned at Wasit gas plant as process engineer.

Mohammed Aldossary

Process and Energy Engineer
Aramco

Mohammed Aldossary is a Process Engineer with a background in Chemical Engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. With five years of experience in the field, he currently working as an Energy Coordinator at Saudi Aramco. His work focuses on optimizing process efficiencies and improving energy management practices. Aldossary's professional journey reflects a commitment to leveraging technical expertise for sustainable energy solutions within the process engineering sector.

Yahya Almousa

Process Engineer
Aramco

Yahya Almousa is a Process Engineer at Saudi Aramco, leveraging his Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Xiamen University. He currently focuses on the Sulfur Recovery Unit but maintains a strong interest in related gas processing equipment, including the Gas Treating Unit, Sour Water Stripping Units, TGT Units, and Sulfur Handling systems. Yahya's passion lies in optimizing industrial processes and contributing to sustainable solutions. 

Dr. Husain Al Hashimi

Senior Reliability Engineer
ADNOC Sour Gas

Husain Al Hashimi is a PhD graduate from the University of Maryland, College Park and he has a long experience in research, which spans various applications, including HVAC, chemical looping combustion, photolithography, and phase change heat transfer. Mr Al Hashimi is currently working for ADNOC Sour Gas as a senior reliability engineering, where he is involved in tackling the plant reliability issues and production deferment events. In addition, he is actively involved in maintenance optimization workshops, as well as in introducing new technologies, which enhances both the equipment and the operation uptime.

David Inward

Area Manager
Endress+Hauser Sick

David is a UK national who studied Chemistry with German. He has worked for close to 30 years in gas analysis, with a strongfocus on continuous emission monitoring. He joined Sick in 2009 and has fulfilled several international rolesfor them, helping to establish subsidiary offices in Turkey and India. David has a regional Area Management role as part of the recentjoint venture between Endress & Hauser and Sick, includingglobal support on emission monitoring projects from sulphurrecovery units.

Saqib Sajjad

Manager Sustainability
ADNOC Gas

Mr. Saqib is spearheading energy and carbon management at ADNOC Gas, driving transformation aimed at reducing carbon footprint and optimizing energy use. He has led numerous impactful initiatives, playing a pivotal role in advancing decarbonization across operational facilities and new ventures. He is actively engaged in waste heat recovery and the seamless integration of renewable energy into the oil and gas industry. Saqib’s exceptional achievements have earned him prestigious accolades, including the Energy Engineer of the Year Award for the Middle East, the National Excellence Award, the Best Paper Award at the SOGAT Conference, and the AEE Energy Innovator of the Year International Award (USA). Holding a Master's in Chemical Engineering and an MBA, he is also a Chartered Engineer and Certified Energy Manager.