SA gears up for oil olympics
22 August 2005
The leading global oil and gas organisation, the World Petroleum Council, is to hold its premier congress in Africa for the first time in the body's 72-year history.
With South Africa as the host country and PetroSA the host company, the 18th World Petroleum Congress (WPC) is to be held in Johannesburg in late September.
Seen as the Olympics of the oil industry, the congress is to be held under the theme Shaping the Energy Future: Partners in Sustainable Solutions. The theme "reflects the continuing efforts of the petroleum industry to meet consumers' growing demand for cleaner, reliable and affordable energy supply in socially acceptable ways," says WPC president Eivald Røren.
High-level government delegations from the 57 member countries of the WPC and more than 3 500 executives, 250
students and 350 journalists are expected to take part.
Africa is an appropriate setting for the gathering, the WPC says on its website.
"The continent's influence on the world's energy industry has never been greater. With giant proven oil and natural gas resources, many African countries are already major energy suppliers in world terms, while new energy powers such as Egypt and Equatorial Guinea are experiencing rapid growth."
The 18th WPC will provide a platform to attract direct foreign investment to the upstream and downstream sectors of the continent's petroleum industry, and increase opportunities for capital injections into technology and techniques for effective prospecting, especially deepwater drilling.
Special features will include an Opec luncheon, specialist workshops and round tables, a corporate social responsibility arena, and an Africa Session on key topics such as exploration, production, infrastructure and refining, as well as corporate
governance in the African oil and gas industry.
A congress for Africa
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, South Africa's deputy president and the former minister of Minerals and Energy, says South Africa will host the congress on behalf of Africa as a whole.
"South Africa has a vibrant and unique liquid fuels industry, with oil and gas exploration activities covering more than 2 000 kilometres of coastline," she says.
"We have a strong crude oil industry, and South Africa is a world leader in the production of synthetic fuels from coal and gas. We also supply fuel products to most of sub-Saharan Africa."
Africa is one of the most promising regions in the global oil and gas industry, holding large untapped hydrocarbon reserves.
"As the most prestigious event on the global petroleum calendar, hosting the 18th World Petroleum Congress will boost Africa’s political reputation and enhance its economic profile among the nations of the
world," the WPC says.
"Given Africa's recent advances in the economic and political spheres, and its growing role as a producer and exporter of petroleum products, there has never been a better opportunity for Africa's oil and gas industry to present itself as the undisputed future leader on the world energy stage."
Lifeblood of development
"Energy is the lifeblood of economic and social development," the WPC says. "While oil and gas won't last forever, they will be essential for global development in the following decades. However, transitions must take place towards cleaner forms of energy production and use; the petroleum industry will discuss this development in its technical programme."
Congress delegates will also explore international business opportunities and threats, exchange ideas on global issues, network, and share the latest information on technological, economic, environmental and social developments.
The South
African International Oil and Gas Exhibition will run parallel with the congress, and promises to be the largest such exhibition the continent has ever seen, with about 400 exhibitors and 25 000 visitors expected.
The 18th WPC has heavyweight industry support. Gold sponsors include BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Sasol, Saudi Aramco and Total. Silver sponsors are the National Ports Authority of SA, Petrobras, Pioneer, Schlumberger, Shell and Statoil, and bronze sponsors Accenture, Deloitte, Fluor, FMC Technologies, KPMG, Petroleum Agency SA, Woodside, Ziff Energy Group.
Founded in London in 1933, the WPC has 57 member countries representing 90% of the major oil- and gas-producing nations of the world.
It is an international non-political organisation providing a forum for the discussion of world issues in the oil and gas industry, and dedicated to scientific advances, technology transfer and promoting the management of the world's petroleum resources for the benefit of
humanity. The WPC meeting is held every three years by one of the organisation's member countries.
- The 18th World Petroleum Congress takes place at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, Gauteng from 25 to 29 September.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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