Saudi Aramco's Exploration and Producing chief detailed the company's Intelligent-Fields (I-Fields) successes and future challenges at the Intelligent Energy 2008 Conference recently in Amsterdam. In the conference, under the theme “The Future is here — the Value of Innovation and Integration,” presenters addressed the ways I-Fields can improve the management of hydrocarbon resources. Amin H. Nasser, Saudi Aramco's business line head of Exploration and Producing, was joined at the event by CEOs Helge Lund of StatoilHydro and Andrew Gould of Schlumberger, along with Royal Dutch Shell E&P director Malcolm Brinded. Citing a growing global increase in population and energy demand, Nasser said hydrocarbons would continue to be the world's primary energy source for some time to come, prompting producers to look for new reserves and maximum returns on existing reservoirs through advancements in technology. He noted that Saudi Aramco's current plans are to increase production capacity by 20 percent through the largest capital expansion program in the company's 75-year history. --MORE
