Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, will inaugurate Asia’s premier natural gas event, the 8th Asia Gas Partnership Summit (AGPS), on 3rd December, 2013. Hon’ble Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas, Dr. M. Veerappa Moily and Hon’ble Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas & Textiles Smt. Panabaaka Lakshmi will also grace the occasion.
Among the foreign dignitaries for the 8th AGPS are Hon’ble Minister of Oil and Gas Industry and Mineral Resources of Turkmenistan, Mr. Muhammetnur Halylov, and Hon’ble Members of Parliament from Tanzania Mr. Victor K. Mwambalaswa and Mr. Sumar Ahmedali Shaffin.
The 8th AGPS is being organized by GAIL (India) Limited and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). It will bring together a host of industry leaders from across the globe over two days and is expected to witness the participation of over 46 speakers from 16 countries and more than 800 delegates.
The two-day conference with the theme ‘Asian Gas Market: Challenges and Opportunities in the Changing Paradigm’ will have six business sessions and a special session and feature some of the best speakers and experts in their areas.
The inaugural session will be followed by the theme session which will be chaired by Hon’ble Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas, Dr. M. Veerappa Moily and the speakers will include Hon’ble Minister of Oil and Gas Industry and Mineral Resources of Turkmenistan, Mr. Muhammetnur Halylov, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Mr. Vivek Rae, Executive Director, International Energy Agency, Ms. Maria Van Der Hoeven and President, International Gas Union, Mr. Jerome Ferrier.
During the other sessions, deliberations will take place on some of the significant issues of the industry including ‘Understanding the Asian Gas Market: Global Consumers’ & Producers’ Perspective’, ‘Commercial & Operational Implications of Evolving Gas Trade’, ‘LNG Shipping – Current State & Future Developments’, ‘Emerging Gas Sources: Implications for Asian Gas Markets’ and ‘Asian Gas Market in the Global Context’.
The other major features of the event are Master Classes on LNG Shipping and LNG Trading, Pricing & Hedging Strategies.
The participants from international organizations and companies will include top officials from International Energy Agency, International Gas Union, BG Group, Carrizo Oil & Gas of the US, PetroChina Company Limited, GDF Suez of France, Shell, Total Gas & Power and Natural Gas Fenosa of Spain, besides others.
The theme of the 8th AGPS, ‘Asian Gas Market: Challenges and Opportunities in the Changing Paradigm’, reflects the increasing demand for cleaner and more cost-efficient sources of energy due to high economic growth in the Asian economies. Already a major market for the international natural gas business, these high growth nations will continue to be aggressive contenders for global energy resources. Asian countries, including India, are set to play a key role in the global energy market and offer significant potential for growth of the natural gas industry.
The demand in the region is expected to increase at a CAGR of 4.2 percent and reach nearly 1,111 bcm by 2035 from the current level of around 450 bcm. The 8th AGPS is expected to play a significant role in exploring ways to bridge this growing demand.
As in the previous year, a special report on the knowledge paper prepared by knowledge partner McKinsey & Company, India will be released during the event.
The AGPS, being organized since 2003 with the support of the International Gas Union, is today emerged one of the must-attend business conferences in the region.