Oil & Gas: NAPE Conference to address environmentally-friendly exploration and production issues
The Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (Nape) has concluded arrangements to hold her 41st annual International Conference and exhibition in Lagos.
According to the Association’s President, Elliot Ibie, the conference is scheduled to hold at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos from November 12 to 16.
Ibie noted while addressing a select group of journalists that the conference would feature presentation of technical papers by notable professionals bordering among other issues, on modern technologies, and advancement for sustainable and environmentally-friendly exploration and production.
Ibie emphasized that Nigeria’s energy landscape remains characterized by other contending and increasingly relevant issues such as energy insecurity, the dynamics of gas development, commercialization and monetization.
He added that the conference will seek ways of developing Nigeria’s under-explored gas rich Cretaceous basins and how Nigeria will adapt her policies and diversify her energy portfolio in the present energy transition era so as to achieve sustainable growth for her economy.
The release added: “the rising need for transition towards more sustainable energy sources, energy poverty and global geopolitics require strategic re-appraisal of the energy Industry in Nigeria.
“The nation has an Energy Transition Plan to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emission by 2060.”
Speaking against the backdrop of need for a renewal energy vis-a-vis the imperative of fossil energy, the in-coming president of NAPE, Mr Abiodun Ogunjobi noted that what we need is an African energy plan to address the huge demand gap.
He lamented that a myriad of factors, particularly COVID-19, political unrest, insecurity have slowed down the growth of the industry resulting in low oil production capacity, and therefore called for “an African energy plan to address the continent’s peculiar challenges of insufficient energy supply; ensure support for funding for further exploration and production to address her energy need.”
The association’s publicity secretary, Mr Austin Mgbemere allayed the fears of the threat of renewable energy to the oil and gas industry, noting that what we are witnessing is a transition from fossil to renewable energy.
“There are threats of renewable energy at all. For instance, electric cars still need charging points which are powered by fossil fuel. A lot of companies are merely repositioning for the evolving energy dynamics. While exploring the abundant fossil energy in Africa, some companies are already transiting to adequately to leverage on the huge opportunities in renewable energy.”
The conference, which is expected to host high-level industry practitioners, key government personnel and distinguished members of the academia, will have the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, as the Special Guest of honour.
The theme of the year’s conference, according to Ibie, is ‘Repositioning the Oil and Gas Industry for Future Energy Dynamics.’
NAPE, the umbrella association for professionals involved in the application of geosciences and related disciplines to the exploratpion and production of oil and gas in the country, was founded in 1975. It presently has over 12,000 strong membership which cuts across the oil & gas industry as well as the academia.
