Petrotech 2003 to focus on new hydrocarbon challenges

Wednesday, 08 January 2003, 20:30 IST
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NEW DELHI: Advancements and global cooperation in hydrocarbon technology will be the focus of India's premier oil and gas conference, Petrotech 2003, to begin here Thursday. The forum for technical experts this year is being expanded to open retailing opportunities for oil and gas-related industries. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will deliver the keynote address Friday at the conference-cum-exhibition, which will draw experts from some 20 countries -- including the U.S., Britain, Russia and Qatar -- as well as 3,000 delegates. From focusing on the global hydrocarbon scene in 2050 to emerging challenges in deepwater exploration, the three-day Petrotech 2003 will have special sessions on non-conventional sources like gas hydrates, which are chemical compounds composed of natural gases (methane) and water that occur in sediments overlain by cold, deep water. Dependent on imports for 70 percent of its requirements, India has been exploring ways to boost domestic production by tapping various sources. Gas hydrates are seen as a major energy source for the future. India hopes to tap the frozen reserves of gas under the sea along the coastline just as it is working on promoting the use of alternative fuels like ethanol, which can be blended with petrol for a more environment-friendly automobile fuel. While industry experts will discuss around 610 technical papers selected for presentation during the meet, Indian ministers will address four theme sessions and hold consultations with their foreign counterparts on energy cooperation. Indian policymakers will also use the opportunity to formulate plans in consultation with global experts. "The conference will focus on all significant areas of interest to the oil and gas industry and its stakeholders," Subir Raha, chairman and managing director of India's exploration major Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), said in the run-up to the meet. ONGC is organising the event this year with other oil companies and industry bodies such as the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Among the key speakers would be Qatari Energy and Industry Minister Abdulla Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, World Petroleum Congress president Eivald M.Q. Roren, Jerry Wolahan, managing director of Qatar's Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company, and N.P. Zapivalov, chief scientist at Russia's Institute of Petroleum Geology. "The conference will be of importance to India as a number of companies will seek the opportunity to study potential investment avenues," said Raha. A large Russian delegation comprising officials who have helped India keep abreast of technological advancements during the last five decades will be revisiting several sites where they had worked during their tenure here. "In the 1950s, when there was hardly any indigenous capability available, the Russians helped to develop the Indian oil and gas sector. Over the years the Russian experts have worked closely with India," said Raha. Right from exploration to development, Petrotech 2003 will provide an opportunity to the oil industry to share knowledge on new developments in the field of petroleum products, refining and transportation, brand building, environment concerns and safety. A photo exhibition on oil and gas in India, being organised for the first time during Petrotech, will bring out the visual history of a century of the country's hydrocarbon industry.
Source: IANS