First petroleum, energy summit to attract 500 delegates

ABOUT 250 participants have confirmed to attend Papua New Guinea’s inaugural petroleum and energy summit this year.
Chairman of the organisng committee Peter Koim said the event themed ‘Unlocking PNG’s Energy Potential’ will be held at the end of this month.
“The summit will run from the 28th of this month (Feb) to 2nd of March this year,” Koim said.
“I would like to point out that this conference is necessary as PNG has had the oil and gas sector exporting since 1992 – since the Kutubu Oil project. And over the years we have been sending delegates to attend LNG conference, petroleum and mining conferences the world over.
“We now feel that the timing is right to have such a conference in the country so that we bring our LNG buyers, our investors and people into this country to see where PNG is, rather than them hearing from our respective officials in the petroleum sector at different conferences.
“The conference will see some very high caliber people coming in, both producers and buyers, and significantly we will have buyers coming in from Japan. Japan is the biggest LNG buyer in the world and if that sort of buyer go into any country – that is big news. There is about 500 delegates. 250 have already confirmed from overseas.
“We would like  a lot of people to come for this conference, our business houses, landowner groups, our politicians, our departments, so that we all work together to make this first ever inaugural summit a success so that it becomes an annual thing.”
Major sponsors include KPHL, ExxonMobil, LNG Japan Corporation, Sojitz, Oil Search, Total, Chiyoda Corporation, Horizon Oil, Westpac, Twinza Oil Limited, Puma Energy, High Arctic Energy Services, PNG Power Limited and Honeywell.