Dr Carole Nakhle Moderates Executive Panels at IPTC in Kuala Lumpur

Key Insights Highlighted by Dr Nakhle:

1. Resilience Through Innovation:
   The history of the oil and gas industry has been one of continuous adaptation. For every challenge, the sector has found new opportunities through innovation and evolution.
2. Existential Challenges Ahead:
   The transition to a low-carbon future presents a serious existential test. While hydrocarbons are expected to remain part of the energy mix for decades, external perception increasingly questions their role.
3. Efficiency and Environmental Performance Are Now Strategic Priorities:
   In a maturing or contracting market, survival will depend on companies’ ability to deliver greater efficiencies while dramatically reducing emissions, particularly carbon and methane.
4. Innovation Beyond Technology:
   While technology remains central, true innovation also requires a rethinking of business models and organisational mindset.
5. Redefining Technical Limits:
   The industry continues to push boundaries. What was once considered “deepwater” drilling at 200 metres is now approaching 4,000 metres, illustrating the sector’s remarkable technical evolution.
6. Technology Pathways: No Silver Bullet:
   Technologies such as CCS/CCUS, digitalisation, hydrogen, and alternative fuels are widely seen as essential tools in the transition. However, each has its own economic and operational hurdles. Carbon capture, for example, has existed for decades but still faces scale and cost barriers.
7. Proactive Industry Leadership Needed:
   Policy clarity is crucial to unlock investment, but the energy industry cannot afford to wait for governments to lead. It must take initiative, particularly given the cyclical nature of political leadership and regulatory direction.
8. Attracting the Next Generation:
   A key challenge remains the industry’s appeal to young talent, many of whom question the long-term viability of a career in oil and gas.
9. Collaboration Must Be Broader and Deeper:
   The sector must move beyond internal partnerships and engage more meaningfully with a wide range of stakeholders, including policymakers, investors, and civil society.

Featured Panel Sessions Moderated by Dr Nakhle:

• Innovate Panel:
  Adif Zulkifli (PETRONAS), Khaled Al Mogharbel (SLB), Dr. Ali Al-Meshari (Aramco), Helle Kristoffersen (TotalEnergies)
• Evolve Panel:
  Yusri Mohamed Yusof (PETRONAS), Bandar Alkhamies (Aramco), Sean Chung (Samsung E&A), Ir. Ts. Nor Ziha Zainol Abidin (Tenaga Nasional Berhad)
• Decarbonisation Panel:
  Adreena Reena Alwi (Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, Malaysia), Jerome Saniez (TotalEnergies), Dr. Patricia Seevam (Shell), Nick Cooper (Storegga), Ben Daly (Standard Chartered)

We commend Dr Nakhle for her continued leadership in shaping global energy dialogue and are proud to see her represent Crystol Energy on such a prominent international stage.