May’s oil and gas events calendar is dominated by OTC Houston — the world’s largest offshore energy technology conference, drawing 30,000+ professionals and 1,200+ exhibitors to NRG Park each year. The 2026 edition opened with an address from His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana, signalling the country’s emergence as one of the world’s fastest-growing deepwater producers. Alongside OTC, may oil gas energy events include OPES in Muscat — Oman’s biennial petroleum and energy show — and the API Spring Refining and Equipment Standards Meeting in Salt Lake City, where the tank inspection and repair codes that govern North American terminal operations are debated and revised.
Why May Is the Offshore Energy Sector’s Annual Showcase
OTC Houston is the single largest gathering in offshore energy anywhere in the world. No other event concentrates equipment suppliers, operating companies, engineering contractors, and government representatives at this scale. Combined with OPES (which covers the full upstream-to-downstream value chain across Oman and the wider Middle East) and the API Refining and Equipment Standards Meeting (where API 650 and API 653 storage tank codes are actively shaped), May provides a complete picture of offshore infrastructure direction, regional energy investment priorities, and the regulatory framework governing storage asset management.
For terminal operators, storage engineers, and project developers, the month sits at the intersection of technology, investment, and compliance — three forces that determine capital allocation decisions for the remainder of the year. May’s event slate builds on the ministerial-level policy dialogue established during April’s oil and gas energy events and translates it into procurement and engineering terms.
OTC Houston — The World’s Largest Offshore Energy Technology Conference
OTC Houston runs 4–7 May at NRG Park (NRG Center) in Houston, Texas. Established in 1969 and organised by a collaboration of 15 non-profit organisations, OTC is the flagship event of the offshore energy sector — a gathering that has welcomed more than 3 million professionals across its Houston, OTC Brasil, and OTC Asia editions. The 2026 theme is “Steering Offshore Energy Innovation into the Future.”
The 2026 edition expects 30,000+ attendees, 1,200+ exhibitors across 220,000+ sq ft of exhibit space, and 360+ technical presentations across 50+ sessions, drawing professionals from more than 100 countries. His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, delivered the Opening Address on 4 May — joined by the Honorable Vickram Bharrat, Guyana’s Minister of Natural Resources. The choice of opening speaker reflects Guyana’s decade of major deepwater discoveries in the ExxonMobil-led Stabroek Block, which has transformed the country into one of the world’s fastest-growing offshore oil producers and a focal point for deepwater infrastructure investment.
Confirmed 2026 speakers include John Ardill (Vice President Exploration & New Ventures, ExxonMobil), Jocelyn Waggoner (VP Core Technologies, TechnipFMC), Roddie Mackenzie (EVP & Chief Commercial Officer, Transocean), and senior representatives from the US Department of Energy. The 2026 Distinguished Achievement Award goes to Wafik Beydoun (individual) and Brava Energia for the BS-4 Block/Atlanta Field (institutional). Aramco’s Marjan Increment Program receives a Special Citation — a project directly relevant to the Saudi Aramco terminal export network at Ras Tanura and Yanbu.
For storage and terminal professionals, OTC’s core relevance lies in FPSO technology, subsea pipeline systems, offshore terminal infrastructure decisions, and equipment procurement signals for deepwater projects. New floating production and storage capacity announced or discussed at OTC typically translates into terminal throughput and storage demand changes within 24–36 months. Full programme and registration details at otcnet.org.
OPES Muscat — Oman’s Biennial Petroleum and Energy Show
OPES (Oman Petroleum & Energy Show) runs 18–20 May at the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre in Muscat, held under the patronage of Oman’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals. Organised by CONNECT with a co-located SPE technical conference, OPES is a biennial event covering the full oil and gas value chain — upstream, midstream, and downstream — alongside a Digital Oil & Gas Zone, C-Level Roundtable, and co-location with Oman Sustainability Week. Key exhibitors include PDO, OQ, Schlumberger, and Halliburton alongside major IOCs and service companies.
For storage and terminal operators tracking Middle East infrastructure, the event carries direct intelligence value: Oman LNG is targeting a fourth train by 2029, the Marsa LNG bunkering project represents the first LNG bunkering hub in the Middle East, and OQ has flagged capex of $800–900m for 2026. Full coverage of OPES 2026 — including the SPE conference programme and exhibition guide — is in the dedicated OPES 2026 Oman Petroleum & Energy Show article.
API Spring Refining and Equipment Standards Meeting — Salt Lake City
The API Spring Refining and Equipment Standards Meeting runs 4–8 May at the Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City, Utah, organised by the American Petroleum Institute. The meeting is open to all participants and covers refining equipment, materials, mechanical engineering, piping systems, rotating equipment, pressure vessels, fired heaters, and inspection standards.
For terminal operators and storage engineers, the most directly relevant agenda items concern API 650 (design and construction of new aboveground storage tanks) and API 653 (inspection, repair, alteration, and reconstruction of existing tanks). Standards changes agreed at this meeting set inspection intervals, repair requirements, and design codes that affect compliance budgets and maintenance schedules across North American terminals for years ahead. Attendance — or close monitoring of meeting outputs — gives terminal engineers advance visibility on regulatory direction before changes become enforceable. The API Refining and Equipment Standards Meeting is a standing fixture of the spring calendar, typically coinciding with OTC week in early May.
Additional May Events for Oil and Gas Professionals
The SPE Artificial Lift Conference and Exhibition in The Woodlands, Texas, covers artificial lift technology for production optimisation — an upstream event, but one whose outputs signal production volume trajectories that flow through to gathering system and storage demand. The American LNG Forum (7th edition, Houston, 20–21 April) falls just outside May but covers LNG supply chain, export capacity, and storage infrastructure topics that set the agenda for early May discussions.
For aboveground storage tank professionals, NISTM 2026 Long Beach, California falls in the late April/early May window — the third location in NISTM’s three-city 2026 programme. Full details on NISTM’s role as the primary AST compliance and inspection conference are covered in the NISTM 2026 conference and trade show guide.
May oil gas energy events deliver the year’s largest offshore technology showcase, Middle East investment intelligence from Muscat, and the standards decisions that set terminal compliance requirements for the year ahead. June follows immediately with ILTA Houston — the liquid terminal industry’s dedicated annual gathering, covering tank terminal operations, bulk liquid logistics, and HSE compliance across North America’s busiest terminal hub. Full details are in the ILTA 2026 Houston conference guide.
What are the major oil and gas energy events in May each year?
May’s oil and gas events calendar is anchored by OTC Houston — the world’s largest offshore energy technology conference, held annually at NRG Park in Houston, Texas. OPES (Oman Petroleum & Energy Show) takes place biennially in Muscat in May. The API Spring Refining and Equipment Standards Meeting, covering tank and refinery asset codes including API 650 and API 653, also runs in early May each year.
What is OTC Houston and when does it take place?
OTC Houston (Offshore Technology Conference) is the world’s largest offshore energy technology event, held annually in early May at NRG Park in Houston, Texas. Established in 1969 and organised by a collaboration of 15 non-profit organisations, it draws 30,000+ professionals and 1,200+ exhibitors from more than 100 countries. The 2026 edition runs 4–7 May with the theme “Steering Offshore Energy Innovation into the Future.”
Who opened OTC 2026 in Houston?
OTC 2026 was opened by His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, who delivered the Opening Address on 4 May. He was joined by Guyana’s Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat. The choice reflects Guyana’s position as one of the world’s fastest-growing offshore oil producers following a decade of major deepwater discoveries in the ExxonMobil-led Stabroek Block.
What is OPES and when does it take place in 2026?
OPES (Oman Petroleum & Energy Show) is Oman’s biennial international petroleum and energy exhibition and conference, held at the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre in Muscat under the patronage of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals. The 2026 edition runs 18–20 May and covers the full oil and gas value chain alongside a co-located SPE technical conference and Oman Sustainability Week.
Why do terminal operators attend the API Refining and Equipment Standards Meeting?
The API Spring Refining and Equipment Standards Meeting is where API 650 and API 653 — the primary design, inspection, and repair codes for aboveground storage tanks in North America — are actively reviewed and revised. Outcomes from these meetings set inspection intervals, repair requirements, and compliance obligations that affect maintenance budgets and operational planning for terminal operators. Attendance or close monitoring of meeting outputs gives tank engineers advance visibility on regulatory changes before they become enforceable requirements.