India’s flagship oil and gas event, PETROTECH-2009 held in New Delhi served the stakeholders in the oil industry well. Organised by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the three-day event held from 11-15 January 2009 concluded on a positive note. The meet helped in exploring business, partnerships and networking to create an energy-secure tomorrow. Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi was the venue for the conference while exhibition took place at the sprawling Pragati Maidan. The theme of the biennial conference was Energy Independence with Global Cooperation: Challenges and Solutions.

India’s External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated Petrotech-2009 on January 12 while Murli Deora; Minister for Petroleum opened the exhibition. The high growth in the Indian economy has necessitated energy independence as growth is inextricably linked to high consumption of energy. In his inaugural address Pranab Mukherjee noted that energy deficit posed one of the important challenges to India’s economic development. Stating that the main challenge is to ensure continuous availability of safe, clean and accessible energy at competitive prices, the Minister underlined that energy security concerns would remain central to India’s national interests and therefore an important aspect of our economy diplomacy.

The foreign minister also drew attention to the safety and security of oil and gas installations and their transport infrastructure. Describing the recent terrorist attack in Mumbai as a direct strike on India’s economic development, Pranab Mukherjee underlined that the global hydrocarbons sector would increasingly be more vulnerable to such threats. “Protecting these assets would not simply be a law and order problem for an individual country, whether an energy exporter or consumer. Stability of energy supplies, security of energy transportation and creation of new energy infrastructure and its protection has to be a common goal requiring coordination and cooperation of all countries”, he added.

Murli Deora, India’s Minister for Petroleum delivered the theme address on “Energy Independence with Global Cooperation: Challenges and Solutions”. Deora opined that Energy Independence means accessibility, affordability and acceptability of energy sources which meet the needs of the present. This is to be done without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. “However, energy independence is not possible without focusing on the three pillars of sustainability, that is, economic, environmental and social”, the Minister said.

Deora called for global efforts to address the ongoing price volatility that continues to impact oil markets and often delays investment decisions. He said, “It can be achieved only through cooperation between oil producing nations.”

Big Response

The event had five country pavilions; 273 exhibiting companies and close to 14,000 business visitors. Besides ministerial delegations and premier oil & gas companies from abroad, delegates from all parts of the world who included eminent scientists, academics, entrepreneurs, environmentalists, industry professionals, technocrats and senior Government officials attended the conference.

Ministers from countries like Iran, Libya, Sudan and Afghanistan were among those who participated in the conference. The petroleum minister chaired the special ministerial meet. Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani chaired the chief executives’ conclave.

There were special address sessions by Dr. R.K. Pachauri, Director General, The Energy & Resources Institute, India; Ambassador Richard Jones, Deputy Executive Director, International Energy Agency, Paris; and Noe van Hulst, Secretary General, International Energy Forum, Riyadh.

Among the speakers in the seven plenary sessions included top executives from Asian Development Bank, Axens, British Gas, BP, Cairn Energy, CB&I, Concorde Investments, Deloitte & Touche, Haldore Topsoe, Reliance, Shell, UOP and Vitol.