Islamabad: The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Pakistan Section on Wednesday opened its 31st Annual Technical Conference (ATC) and Exhibition in Islamabad, bringing together more than 1,500 participants from Pakistan and abroad to discuss energy security, technology adoption, and the future of the country’s upstream oil and gas sector.

The two-day conference, being held at a local hotel in the federal capital, is Pakistan’s largest technical gathering for the exploration and production industry. It brings together industry leaders, engineers, geoscientists, policymakers, and academics at a time when Pakistan is seeking to boost indigenous energy production and reduce reliance on imports.

The event was inaugurated by Advisor to the Prime Minister on Privatization and Chairman of the Privatization Commission Muhammad Ali, who attended the opening ceremony as chief guest. Senior executives from national and international exploration and production companies, service providers, and academic institutions were also present.

This year’s conference is being held under the theme “Energizing the Future from Within: Sustainably, Securely, Strategically,” reflecting a focus on domestic resource development, operational efficiency, and long-term energy planning.

In his opening remarks, MariEnergies Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Faheem Haider said the industry faced a shared responsibility to strengthen Pakistan’s energy security through technical innovation and the effective use of local resources. He pointed to renewed industry momentum following the Offshore Bid Round 2025 and stressed the importance of integrated geoscience and engineering solutions.

He also highlighted the growing role of digital tools and artificial intelligence in improving safety, efficiency, and cost management in upstream operations, while emphasizing closer collaboration between industry and academic institutions to support skills development and technology transfer.

Following the inaugural session, the chief guest formally opened the exhibition segment of the conference, where local and international companies are showcasing technologies related to drilling, subsurface imaging, production optimization, and data-driven energy solutions.

Addressing participants, Muhammad Ali said the conference provided an important platform for knowledge-sharing and practical discussion on long-term sector challenges. He noted that recent offshore and onshore bidding rounds, including participation by foreign and local companies, reflected increasing investor confidence in government policies for the energy sector.

During the opening ceremony, Lifetime Achievement Awards in geoscience and petroleum engineering were presented to senior professionals from industry and academia in recognition of their contributions to Pakistan’s exploration and production sector.