The first Annual Workshop between Sinopec Tech Middle East LLC (STME) and Saudi Aramco's Exploration and Petroleum Engineering Center (EXPEC) Advanced Research Center (ARC) was successfully held on November 26^th. Over 100 technical experts from Sinopec Group's research institutes and Saudi Aramco’s EXPEC ARC participated in this milestone event.

Dr. Ghaithan Al-Muntasheri, Director of EXPEC ARC,  entrusted Dr. Mahmoud Abughaban, Manager of DTD-EXPEC ARC, to deliver the inaugural speech. Mrs. Najla Sahel Abduljauwad, Business & Development Director of STME, gave opening remarks. Dr. Ding Shidong, President of STME, delivered the welcoming speech, followed by a keynote presentation titled “Sinopec’s Status and Development Trends for Intelligent Drilling Technology” delivered by Dr. Ke Ke, Vice President of STME.

The workshop featured two parallel sessions by specialty, with more than 20 technical presentations delivered. Session one focused on carbonate reservoir modeling using multi-point statistics, stratigraphic forward/inverse modeling and deep learning, development and testing of novel lost circulation solutions, self-healing cement slurry systems, research on plugging mechanisms and synthesis of modified PGA degradable plugging agents resistant to high temperatures, high-strength degradable temporary plugging materials, drilling fluid dense film-forming sealing technology, and high-performance water-based drilling fluids and their applications in shale gas.

Session two concentrated on efficient full waveform inversion for land data using joint kernel of reflected and transmitted waves, identification and target suppression of internal multiples for land data, automatic first arrival picking applications, dynamic wettability models based on multi-scale accurate experimental measurements, drilling fluid automatic mixing equipment (DFAME), and online drilling fluid monitoring systems (ODFMS).

In recent years, STME has continued to expand its collaboration with Saudi Aramco’s EXPEC ARC across rock mechanics, high-performance drilling tools, drill bits, logging-while-drilling, mud logging and other technical fields. STME has mobilized the full strength and expertise of the Sinopec Group to actively address a wide range of technical challenges spanning geology, reservoir, drilling, completion, and production.

The workshop marks a new chapter in cooperation between STME and Aramco EXPEC ARC. It not only provided a platform for face-to-face technical exchanges and showcased the latest achievements in upstream oil and gas technologies, but also laid a solid foundation for establishing long-term collaboration mechanisms, promoting joint innovation, and achieving mutual benefit—further contributing to technological advancement in the Middle East oil and gas industry.

Moving forward, STME will further strengthen communication and cooperation with Saudi Aramco, advancing localized research and development, manufacturing, and technical services s—not only to better support Sinopec’s international business in Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East, but also to provide advanced technological support and capacity building for the local oil and gas industry, contributing to the sustainable development of the regional energy sector.