Theme Energy Solutions for All Promoting Cooperation, Innovation and Investment

1. Theme Energy Solutions for All Promoting Cooperation, Innovation and Investment

2. Theme Description Energy Solutions for All Promoting Cooperation, Innovation and Investment The 20th World Petroleum Congress will focus the debate on solutions aimed at providing global for all to reliable, affordable and sustainable energy in both the near and long term future. To achieve this goal producers, consumers, governments and societal representatives need to work in close cooperation to develop innovative ways to find and develop new oil, gas and alternative energy resources, as well as to set higher standards for wiser, more efficient and cleaner energy consumption. The need for a long term view on the massive investments required by the energy sector, and the returns to investors that adopt such visionary approach, will also be highlighted and debated.

3. Block 1 - Description Natural Gas: the energy that makes a difference Natural Gas has steadily gained increasing importance in the world energy matrix during the last 50 years. However, it was only with the introduction of new technologies such as LNG and GTL, relatively recent in the petroleum industry history, that this clean and abundant source of energy has become widely available to markets around the world. This block will focus on the regional and global gas supply and demand balance, the increasing importance of natural gas in the world energy matrix and the most recent technological advances in the processing, transportation and utilization of this source of energy. The monetization of both associated and non associated natural gas reserves located in remote or operationally challenging environments through new technological advances such as modularized LNG or GTL units, or offshore LNG facilities and other promising technological advances will also be thouroughly discussed.

4. Block 2 - Description The New Exploration and Production Frontiers and Technologies All projections indicate that oil and natural gas will continue as the most important contributors to the world’s energy needs for at least three to five more decades. In order to meet the increasing demand, and offset the decline of the existing fields, the industry will have to find and develop oil and gas fields in increasingly challenging conditions. In addition to revisiting mature areas with new technologies and innovative ideas, a significant part of the new oil and gas reserves will have to be explored for and developed in very remote and inhospitable regions such as the far offshore and ultradeep waters, arctic regions and remote inland basins. To continue being successful the industry will need innovative approaches to exploration and development of both conventional and non-conventional resources, utilization of cutting edge technologies to maximize efficiency and reduce costs, and a long term investment commitment in an environment of price volatitly. All these topics will be covered in the various sessions of this block.

5. Block 3 - Description From the well to the consumer: innovations in refining, transportation, fuel technology and petrochemistry Sustainability of supply requires, in addition to finding and developing oil and gas resources, that the products be delivered to consumers meeting increasingly more stringent quality standards, in an efficient and cost effective way, while building mutually beneficial relations with the society and local communities. The expansion of the refining and petrochemical processing capacity around the world, the growth of long range transportation capacity via pipelines or tankers, and the distribution networks that branch out to the final consumer will have to incorporate the most advanced technologies and operate with the best practices in order to keep up with the market and society demands. This block will be dedicated to the discussion of advanced processing technologies leading to better quality products, new refining techniques in view of the increasingly non-conventional composition of feedstocks, the future specification requirements for fuels and petrochemical products, and ways to make refining, transportation and distribution more energy efficient, cost effective and more friendly to the environment and the communities.

6. Block 4 - Description Alternative Energy Sources: balancing the equation Recognizing that alternative energy sources will have a much lower participation in meeting the world’s energy needs than fossil fuels, at least in the foreseable future, these will play a significant role in complementing supply, market stabilization and mitigation of environmental impacts, particularly in the reduction of carbon emissions. Alternative energy sources may also play a significant role in promoting economic growth of developing countries. This block will be dedicated to the discussion of challenges and opportunities in the sectors of biofuels, wind, solar and other forms of alternative energy. Of particular interest will be new technological advances leading to higher efficiency and lower cost to produce such forms of energy, market trends and policies being introduced around the world that are driving the supply and demand of alternative energy.

7. Block 5 - Description Sustainability Commitment: environment, society, economics, governance The oil and gas industry has invested significant resources in the last two decades in order to improve its sustainability practices and earn the right to continue operating and being profitable. High standards in the areas of environmental quality, economic efficiency and meeting societal expectations, the so called triple bottom line, are now firmly established as key factors for the success of the industry. In spite of these efforts public perception of the petroleum industry is largely negative. This block will be dedicated to the discussion of the best practices for sustainable investments, including even more stringent environmental protection requirements as the industry moves into more sensitive areas, building partnerships with local communites and governments and NGO’s, and ensuring proper economic return for the shareholders. Some critical issues for sustainable investments, such as developing highly skilled and multicultural human resources, financing projects highly intensive in capital and corporate governance will also be discussed in this block.