Capital, projects & the path ahead

Senior executives will share how their organisations are shaping the next chapter of petrochemicals and refining through strategic investments and innovation. From modernising existing facilities to delivering new mega-projects and embedding sustainability, this discussion will explore how operators are directing capital to enhance resilience, competitiveness, and long-term growth.

• Identifying landmark projects and facility enhancements that are setting new benchmarks for the industry

• Where are companies focusing capital today: Integration, decarbonisation, advanced recycling, new product streams?

• Embedding sustainability and innovation into capital programmes and operational upgrades

• How do senior leaders balance near-term performance with transformative long-term investments

Erik Schmidt, Vice President Senior Project MDI 3, BASF SE
Fanny Roldan, Consulting Manager, Downstream Americas – S&P Global Energy – CERA Consulting (Moderator)

Petrochemicals & Refining Outlook: Profitability in a Volatile World

The petrochemicals and refining sector is navigating a period of reduced profitability  and shifting demand patterns. While profitability is under pressure, operators are adapting with new approaches to investment, portfolio mix, and operating models. This session will examine the forces reshaping the market and the strategies companies are using to build resilience and position for sustainable returns in the years ahead.

• Global demand trends and the impact of China’s capacity growth.

• The role of tariffs and trade in shaping the outlook.

• How companies define and pursue “sustainable profitability.”

Ricardo Castillo, Director – Head of Americas Petrochemical Feedstocks, S&P Global Commodity Insights

Case Study: Mega-Project Delivery Under Constraint — Lessons from LyondellBasell

• Managing supply-chain and labour bottlenecks without slipping the critical path

• Linking real-time cost and schedule controls to decision-making and contractor performance

• Using digital tools/AWP/digital twins to improve visibility and field productivity

• Brownfield realities in operating facilities: safety, SIMops, and governance that works

Gonzalo Estrada, Director, Project Development Americas, Global Projects, LyondellBasell

Capital projects: Cost control vs. cost accounting

Many companies still blur the line between accounting and true cost control. This discussion would highlight how project teams can track costs in real time, link scheduling impacts to budgets, and build effective breakdown structures that feed into financial systems. With budgets under pressure and projects often set on partial or recurring scope, strong project controls are critical to avoiding overruns.

• Lifecycle cost control versus after-the-fact reporting

• Aligning project controls with contractor invoicing and manpower tracking

• Gate-marking mechanisms that keep spend aligned with milestones

Courtney Olson, Project Support and Transformation Manager, CP Chem
Martin Daley, Senior Advisor, Estimating, Former Chevron
Utpala Dubey, Projects Control Advisor, Exxonmobil
James McVickers, General Manager of Cost Engineering and Project Services, Chevron
Steve Cabano, President, Pathfinder (Moderator)
 

Shaping the future of operational performance

With margins under sustained pressure, operators are being asked to deliver the same or better output with fewer resources. This discussion will look at how companies are aligning project execution with long-term operational performance, embedding efficiency into daily operations, and using digital tools to support smarter, leaner decision-making. 

• Linking capital project delivery to operational performance over the asset lifecycle.

• How companies are streamlining operations to lower cost without compromising reliability

• The role of AI, predictive analytics, and real-time data in supporting efficiency and decision-making

John Irvine, Senior Project Manager and Global Expert Partner, Global Operational Excellence Center - Dow Chemical
Philip Ovanessians, Transformation Director and Mega Projects Contracts and Supply Chain, Eastman Chemicals
Kash Mohammed Vice President, Technology, IntelliSPEC
Chad Carson, VP Economic Development, Alliance Port Region (Moderator)

Integrating operations and projects for turnaround success

Turnarounds remain one of the most complex and high-stakes activities in the sector, with scope decisions, contractor availability, and budget pressures often creating friction between project and operations teams. Yet when integration happens early and effectively, turnarounds become opportunities to improve readiness, reliability, and long-term performance. This panel will highlight how operators are embedding operations input from the start, leveraging subject matter expertise, and applying digital tools to deliver smoother, safer, and more cost-effective turnarounds.

• Ensuring operations input is factored into turnaround planning and scheduling

• Exploring the role of subject matter experts in bridging turnaround and ops teams

• Using digital tools and real-time updates to improve execution readiness

• Unlocking opportunities to enhance safety, reliability, and cost performance through stronger integration

Robin Harris, Site Senior Turnaround Manager, Total Energies
Joshua Tauber, Senior Director Turnarounds, Delek US
Dan Oglesby, Independent Advisor (Moderator)

Panel: Getting digital right in petrochemicals & refining 

For operators under mounting cost pressure, the challenge is not adopting every new tool, but choosing the technologies that truly enhance operations and generate measurable returns. This panel will focus on where digital twins, AI, and advanced operational technologies are proving their worth and how leaders can ensure that investments deliver value rather than complexity.

• Predictive maintenance and reliability improvements through AI

• Real-time data tools that improve operational decision-making

• The role of digital twins in improving planning, execution, and lifecycle performance

• Proven case studies showing return on digital investments

Ido Biger EVP, Chief Technology & Data Officer, Delek US
Krishnan Sankaranarayanan, Director of Digital Transformation, SABIC
Ammar Sabbagh, Vice President of Industry and Partnership – Energy, Ericsson
Raj Rapaka, Transformation Enablement Advisor, Strategy & Innovation, ExxonMobil (Moderator)

Driving SAF projects to FID: Technology choices, policy certainty & real-world execution

• Aligning commercial strategy with evolving SAF policy: navigating U.S. 45Z, EU mandates, UK incentives, and global funding programmes

• Evaluating technology pathways with confidence: HEFA, FT, ATJ, gasification, pyrolysis, and methanol-to-jet — what operators actually need from licensors

• Understanding the new standard for airline due diligence: proving feedstock security, technology readiness, and credible pathways to FEED/FID

• FID countdown: assessing which SAF projects are actually progressing and what must change to meet 2030/2035 targets

William Moore, CEO, Summit Next Gen
Christopher Efird, Chairperson & CEO, NXTClean Fuels
Carolyn Ryeczek, Director, Global Energy Products Business Development, ExxonMobil
John Plaza, Chief Investment Officer, SkyNRG
Alison Graab, Executive Director, The SAF Coalition (Moderator)

Beyond aviation: How cross-sector offtakers will shape the next decade of alternative fuels

• Understanding the multi-sector demand picture: aviation, shipping, freight, fertilisers, agriculture, logistics and heavy-duty transport

• How large offtakers are evaluating alternative fuels: SAF, renewable diesel, e-methanol, bio-methanol, renewable ammonia, hydrogen-derived fuels

• Competing for limited supply: will aviation dominate SAF markets, or will shipping/agriculture redirect early production capacity?

• Cost realities vs decarbonisation commitments: how off-takers justify premium fuels internally and externally

• Cross-sector offtake strategies: long-term contracts, co-investment models, JV structures and co-development of plants

• Feedstock conflicts: aviation vs shipping vs agri—how buyers weigh sustainability criteria, availability and land-use pressures

Michael Fulton, Chief SAF Guy, FedEx
Paula Wagner, Head of SAF Sales, Americas, Neste
Chelsea Lamar, VP Global Sustainability, AIT Worldwide Logistics
Brian Owens, Vice President of Renewable Feedstock, St Bernard Renewables
Paul Belin, Principal, Consulting & Analytics, Argus Media (Moderator)