CASPIAN International Oil and Gas Exhibition is the largest and best-attended oil and gas event in the Azerbaijan and the Caspian region. The event is held annually under the patronage of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic, Ilham Aliyev and is officially supported by the Ministry of Industry and Energy of Azerbaijan and Socar.
The 21st Caspian International Oil and Gas Exhibition takes place from June 3 to 9 alongside the adjoining Conference which will be held from June 4 to 5 at the JW Marriott Hotel in Absheron Baku in Azerbiajan.
Attracting over 660 delegates and with official support from the Ministry of Industry and Energy and Socar, Caspian Oil & Gas is one of the most important regional oil and gas conferences.
Jon Shearer, director, Department of Energy Regional Office, Embassy of the US, Bulgaria states: “The Caspian Oil & Gas Conference is a top-shelf event. ITE Group’s efforts to assemble high-level government, industry, and NGO speakers and conference participants at a historic time in the ‘Southern Corridor’ selection process, once again, enhanced its reputation as a premier oil and gas event coordinator”.
The conference topics will include: Expanding the resource base with exploration of new fields; Increasing the production potential of existing fields; Developing Eurasian transportation corridors with Azerbaijan; Challenges and opportunities for Azerbaijan’s expansion into the international refining and petrochemical markets.
The conference will be attended by local and international oil and gas companies; pipeline equipment manufacturers and suppliers; offshore technology companies; servicing fleets technical directors; engineering and contracting companies; banking groups; fund managers, brokers, financial and industry analysts; multilateral agencies and regulatory authorities; lawyers, specialist advisors and management consultants and oil and gas traders.
Some of the main speakers who will be speaking at the event include: Natig Aliyev, Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan; Rovnag Abdullayev, president Socar; Ambassador Urban Rusnák, secretary general Energy Charter Secretariat; Dr Lachezar Matev, Ambassador-at Large for Energy Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bulgaria; Daniel Stein, senior advisor on Energy Resources, US Department of State; Dr Hossein Esmaeili Shahmirzadi, general director of Europe, America and Caspian Sea Neighbouring Countries; Ministry of Petroleum of Islamic Republic of Iran; Rauf Hajiyev, Deputy Minister Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan; Katie Jackson, senior vice president, International Development Production, Europe and Asia; Statoil; Kenan Yavuz, president, Socar Turkey Energy; Kjetil Tungland, managing director, Trans Adriatic Pipeline; Savas Yanik, deputy general manager, Botas; Gordon Birrell, regional president, BP Azerbaija, Georgia and Turkey; Gregory Riley, exploration director, Eurasia, BP; Lynn Strickland, vice president for Asia Pacific and Russia Caspian Exploration, Conoco Phillips; Jose Perdomo, Schlumberger Petrotechnical Engineering Centre manager, Moscow Schlumberger; Roy Woudwijk, country director Azerbaijan and Georgia Operations, Baker Hughes; Faig Askerov, regional director, Regulatory Compliance and Environment BP Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey; Ian Pannett, Region Engineering Authority, BP Azerbaijan, Georgia, Hatem Oueslati, research and development senior engineer, Global Dynamic Group, Baker Hughes.
Highly-regarded past participants have included: Amos Hochstein, deputy assistant secretary for Energy Diplomacy, US Department of State; Rovnag Abdullayev, president, Socar; Gordon Birrell, president, BP Azerbaijan; Reinhard Mitschek, managing director, Nabucco Gas Pipeline International; Khoshbakht Yusifzade, first vice president, Socar; Urban Rusnak, secretary general, Energy Charter and many others.
According to the organisers, now is the right time to invest in the Azerbaijan oil and gas industry as Azerbaijan’s oil and gas industry demonstrates strong growth. Consider:
• Azerbaijan’s gas export potential will reach 40-50 billion cubic meters by 2025;
• Documents for the final investment decision on the Shah Deniz Phase II development was recently signed December 2013;
• Forthcoming developments of the TAP and TANAP projects;
• 16 bcm per year of gas produced from the Shah Deniz is expected to be exported to millions of consumers in Georgia, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria and Italy;
• Proven gas and oil reserves in Azerbaijan are estimated at 2.55 trillion cubic meters and 2.0 billion tonnes, respectively; and
• Azerbaijan’s GDP is expected to grow by 5 per cent and 4.6 per cent in 2014 and 2015, respectively, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Past participant, Will Leonard, oil, gas and petrochemical UK marketing manager, ABB states: “Excellent Caspian Oil and Gas event this year. It was really good for contacts and well worth participating in.”
The exhibition sectors include: Reservoir engineering; geophysics and geology; construction and exploitation oil and gas wells, platforms and floating rigs; designing, manufacturing and servicing equipment for the oil and gas industry; pipe-laying and providing protection systems for pipelines; refining and petrochemicals; hydrocarbons transportation; building and construction work for the energy sector; providing oil and gas storage systems; producing specialist techniques, general operational and maintenance back-up, and spare parts and financial and legal services.
