SPEECH: Abdul Hameed Al-Dughaither, Aramco executive vice president of Exploration and Drilling, at the International Geomechanics Conference in al-Khobar

Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues, welcome to the 2025 International Geomechanics Conference in al-Khobar.

Al-Khobar is near Dhahran, which is known as a thriving hub for operational excellence and technological innovation. 

Footsteps from Dhahran lies the Dhahran Techno Valley and Saudi Aramco’s EXPEC Advanced Research Center, which I am sure many of you are very familiar with, as well as Saudi Aramco’s R&D Center, as well as world-class institutions like King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, globally ranked among the Top 10 for geoscience. 

So thanks again. I believe this is the second time we have this conference, and very well done.

With what I mentioned, this ecosystem presents a unique opportunity for industry leaders, academics, and innovators to collaborate and drive transformative development in the energy landscape.

Today, we meet at a challenging moment for our industries. 

We stand at the intersection of tradition and transformation, with geomechanics at the very core of shaping the subsurface future.

For decades, hydrocarbons and mining have played a crucial role in our country’s development. Our nation is fortunate to have significant reserves of hydrocarbons and rare minerals that are vital to our future. 

These resources have driven economic growth, improved our standard of living, and supplied the materials that have shaped our modern life.

But today, these industries are facing complexities: volatile market, cost escalation, environmental compliance , and disturbed supply chains, that are all affected by geopolitical uncertainties.

To address these challenges, the path forward is clear: we must transform.

Geomechanics play a major role in our transformation. From stabilizing high-pressure wells to managing rock stresses in deep mines, it is the foundation of operational resilience, safeguarding people, assets, and production.

Today, I'll highlight three key areas, where we have seen the significant impact of Geomechanics: drilling and production; mining; and digital technologies.

Starting with drilling and production, two domains are where geomechanics is a decisive force in formation strength and pressure. While in production, it extends the life and productivity of assets by shaping fracture design and managing challenges. 

As operations move into deeper, hotter and more complex environments, the geomechanical toolkit becomes more critical. 

Predictive models now allow engineers to simulate stress regimes before drilling begins. Real-time data from downhole sensors guide adjustments in seconds, not hours. This is not just efficiency, but the difference between a setback and success.

Additionally, as energy companies around the world pursue both production excellence and carbon management, the principles of geomechanics will also underpin CO₂ storage and hydrogen containment. 

The same science that once enabled extraction is expected to help the safe storage of emissions, closing the loop of a more circular, sustainable energy system.

The second area I will address is mining, by applying geomechanical principles we can optimize resource extraction and enhance operational safety, ensuring a more sustainable and resilient mining industry. 

The third and final area is the integration of digital technologies, AI, and machine learning, which is transforming our field, creating value, enhancing safety, and accelerating the global energy transition. 

As scientists and engineers, our role is evolving, and the future belongs to those who can interpret data, connect numbers with meaning, and drive action.

Consider for example, Neodrill Aramco’s enhanced genAI digital platform, which recommends optimum well trajectories based on automation, mechanical properties, and field stresses, capitalizing on decades of Aramco drilling data.

Another example is the overpressure prediction system, an AI-powered tool that anticipates abnormal pressure regimes, providing operational foresight that saves time, cost and lives.

We face these challenges on a daily basis at our own Saudi Aramco fields, but our high performing computers, including Damman-7, which is ranked fifth in the oil and gas industry.

Looking ahead, we plan to leverage quantum computing to tackle these complexities, harnessing its unique abilities to simulate communicated variables of real world soil and rock masses, ultimately to enhance the operational efficiency.

Geomechanics is more than a science — it's an enabler of possibility, connecting what we know with what we can achieve.

Let us recognize this truth as we begin this conference: Geomechanics unites science with purpose, tradition with innovation, and today's challenges with tomorrow's opportunities.

At the end, I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to the conference hosts, conference chairman Mr. Ashraf Al-Tahini, the host and the technical committees and all participating members of their significant contributions. I wish you a very effective and enriching experience over the next three days. 

Thank you very much.