Offshore Energy Asia 2026 opened today at Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu, bringing together industry leaders, government representatives and energy specialists from across Asia for the conference’s third consecutive year. Organised by ApexOne with Ezra & Macquarie, this year’s programme runs under the theme Integrating Floating Energy Solutions for the New Energy Transition Era — a deliberately practical brief for a sector weighing energy security against the move to lower-carbon operations.
After the safety briefing, Dr. Ricky Gouthaman, Group Managing Director of Ezra & Macquarie, opened proceedings with the ApexOne Asia introduction, setting the tone for two days of dialogue and partnership. Dato’ Mohamed Sabri Zain, Chief Executive Officer of Yinson Energy and Conference Chairman, followed with a welcome address on how far the platform has come and where the industry is heading.
The Conference Guest of Honour, YB Datuk Dr. Hj. Hazland Bin Hj. Abang Hipni, Deputy Minister for Energy and Environmental Sustainability, Sarawak, delivered the opening address, speaking to the region’s ambitions in a shifting energy landscape. A keynote from Ir. Ts. Haji Mazri bin Mohd Ali, Senior General Manager, Production & Operations Management at Malaysia Petroleum Management (MPM), PETRONAS, and a special presentation by Mr. Faisal Abdul Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of Sabah International Petroleum, rounded out the morning.
Three panels, one conversation
The heart of the day was a trio of panel discussions that carried delegates from late morning through to the afternoon.
Panel Session 1 — Industry Updates & Leadership, moderated by Ms. Ally Chen, Principal Consultant at Rystad Energy, opened the floor to senior figures including Mr. Eruwan Gerry Norsen, Head of PETRONAS Sabah, for a candid read on where the sector is heading.
After a lunch sponsored by Franklin Offshore, Panel Session 2 — Future of Project Insurance, Bankability & Contract turned to the commercial machinery behind floating energy. Moderated by Adjunct Professor Ts. Anwarudin Saidu Mohamed of Reservoir Link Group, it drew panellists from MODEC, Yinson Holdings, AFFIN Bank Group, CIMB and the Shapoorji Pallonji Group.
Floating energy is moving from concept to commitment — and the conversation in Kota Kinabalu reflected that shift.
The day’s technical high point came with Panel Session 3 — Technology & Innovation, moderated by Ir. Saifulbahari Abdul Hamid of OceanSTAR Elite, featuring Datuk Capt. Rozali Hamzah (OceanSTAR), Ir. Arul Jothy Suppiah (NGL Tech), Mr. Park Youngkyu (KBR APAC) and Dr. Rongrong Jiang (Bureau Veritas), who walked the room through floating production and low-carbon concepts.
A platform built on partnership
Day 1 reflected the scale the conference has reached: a technical committee of 11, six moderators, roughly 26 panellists, 11 sponsors and 24 participating companies. Between sessions, the conversation spilled into the coffee breaks and exhibition space, where delegates traded cards and reconnected.
As the sessions closed, the day gave way to a Networking & Cocktail reception hosted by Ezra & Macquarie on the hotel’s rooftop terrace, as the sun set over the Kota Kinabalu waterfront — the formal exchange of the ballroom easing into the relationships that so often define this industry.
Offshore Energy Asia 2026 continues tomorrow with sessions on FLNG and Carbon Capture & Utilisation, and on Operations & Maintenance, as the conversation turns from vision to delivery.