Petroleum expert to hold lecture

THE PNG Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) will be hosting an internationally-acclaimed petroleum engineer beginning today.
Alain Labastie, who is the president of the International Society of Petroleum Engineers based in France, will hold lectures on oil and gas development.
“This is the first time ever for a person of his standing to visit PNG be­-
cause of the oil and gas industry here, which is attracting a lot of attention overseas,” Wapu Sonk,
president of SPE, said.
He said PNG had been receiving professionals
and academics in the pet­roleum engineering since 1996 when PNG started exporting oil, but not the president of the international body.
“This is his first visit to us,” Sonk said.
 Labastie will meet with the University of PNG’s geology students this afternoon for some inspirational talk.
Tomorrow, he presents a research paper at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on the topic: “Oil and gas: What’s next?”
His paper will deal on energy demand trends, role of energy conservation, climate security issues, concerns of the oil and gas industry, role of technology for future supply and how SPE was contributing to these.
Labastie is an engineering adviser for EOR Technologies for Total, based in France.
He earned an engineering degree from Ecole des Arts et Metiers and a petroleum engineering degree from Institut Francais du Petrole.