Oil experts to join Region to craft energy transition policy

Sep 15, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – Billed under the theme, ‘Charting a Sustainable Energy Future,’ facilitators of the inaugural International Energy Conference and Exposition Guyana, yesterday formally launched the event aimed at bringing together not just industry experts and players with potential business partners, but also policy makers, in order to shape a cohesive policy for the future development of the oil and gas resources, particularly in the Guiana Basin.

International Energy Inc.’s interim CEO, Agenie Abel

This much was made clear by organisers yesterday, during a press engagement held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), where the Expo is scheduled to be hosted from February 15 to 18 next year.
International Energy Inc.’s interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Agenie Abel, in announcing the event, underscored that Guyana’s sustainable energy future is dependent on how the nation approaches the development of its infrastructure, human resource skills, and renewable sources of energy and Natural gas opportunities.
To this end, she outlined that the conference will not only be focused on presentations that will provide a snapshot of the current energy landscape, but will also include several developmental opportunities and pathways, “that can lead to a prosperous and sustainable future for Guyana.”
As such, the CEO (interim) said the conference will be geared towards assisting smaller companies that want to do business in the sector, not just in seeking opportunities, but also in building capacity.
Additionally, it was pointed out that a key element of the conference is the focus on bringing together the region’s policy makers along with industry participants and business players in the sector.

Public Relations Advisor, Alex Graham

The entity’s Public Relations Advisor, Alex Graham, in his presentation to media operatives at ACCC, noted, “The real crucial differentiator here, (is) while there is an industry event there is a layer that’s focusing on policy development not only in Guyana, but in the region.”
He was adamant that among the aims of the conference organisers is the need to “want the industry to have discussions in a clear understanding of what is the policy direction” (for the Region).
To this end, Graham explained, “we are putting policy makers in the Region in the same room with industry participants, so there is a cohesive (sic) conversation about how we best develop the sector in Guyana and the rest of the Region.”
According to Graham, “it’s one of the reasons this is an energy conference and not an oil and gas conference.”
He noted that “while we understand there is a big excitement around oil and gas development, we recognise for us in Guyana and Suriname, we are getting to oil and gas late, too late, but the pressure is on for renewables, that’s why we want to ensure our conversation cover the entire range of energy issues.”
According to Graham, there is the expectation among peoples, looking to the benefits of an oil and gas industry, and that this has to be balanced with the absolute demand globally for a transformation to renewable energy.
As such, Graham noted “…that’s why it’s important that we have policy makers in the room; one of the things we’re expecting to do in this conference, is to start conversation to establishing that clear pathway that strikes the right balance between taking advantage—as long as we could—of the energy resource we have, as well, as preparing ourselves for what the real energy future of the next generation is going to be.”
He was adamant the ‘Energy Conference’ will be a unique forum that will bring together industry players and national and regional policy makers, “to not only leverage investment and business opportunities, but to make this relevant to a clearly developed policy and regulatory context.”
In this regard, the organisers disclosed commitments of participation from both industry representatives and policy makers, including some CARICOM Head of States.
Present for the launching ceremony also was Tosheika Logan, the entity’s Marketing Coordinator.

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