LONDON, February 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

A shutdown and turnaround is the most important period in the lifespan of an oil refinery. If the TAR plan is well-executed, then thousands of man hours and potentially millions of dollars can be saved. If it goes badly, then there is a real potential for both monetary and physical disaster.

The 9^th annual Shutdowns and Turnarounds Europe conference will take place from 27^th-29^th of February 2012 at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre. The event brings together TAR experts from around the world, for 3 days of discussions and information sharing with the common goal to develop more effective strategies and methodologies.

"This year's event has seen an unprecedented interest from attendees" says Mark Oster, event director for the 2012 Shutdowns & Turnarounds event. "I think this is due in part to the fact that many organisations see these kinds of activities as more and more important", Oster continues. "Shutdowns are some of the most critical periods for energy companies - the costs of the turnaround overrunning are huge, and every bit of improvement in their planning and execution can minimise the chance of it. Maintaining safety throughout the turnaround is also a big challenge, and most companies nowadays consider the turnaround a failure if anyone gets hurt."

"Exchanging best-practice for creating these strategies are one of the main reasons our delegates keep coming back to our event", Oster concludes.

The expert speaker panel at the 2012 Shutdowns & Turnarounds Summit includes representatives from organisations such as CNR International, Centrica, Maersk Oil, NAM, Shell, Talisman Energy, SABIC,  Ceska Rafinerska, Unipetrol and Kuwait Oil Company to name a few.

For more information about speakers and the agenda, please visit: http://www.shutdownsandturnarounds.com/news  

About IQPC

IQPC provides business executives around the world with tailored practical conferences, large scale events, topical seminars and in-house training programs, keeping them up-to-date with industry trends, technological developments and the regulatory landscape. IQPC produces more than 1,500 events annually around the world, and continues to grow. IQPC leverages a global research base of best practices to produce an unrivalled portfolio of conferences. http://www.iqpc.com.

Media contact: Viktoria Strandlund, +44(0)20-7368-9300, viktoria.strandlund@iqpc.co.uk or visit http://www.shutdownsandturnarounds.com/news

SOURCE IQPC