The 5Th Pakistan Oil and Gas Forum 2013, organised by SHAMROCK Conferences International, concluded on May 30 at the Marriott Islamabad demanding and foreseeing political will as the conduit to create an integrated Energy Ministry to build, improve and implement a comprehensive energy policy.
A large number of delegates and industry stalwarts from government, regulatory bodies, oil & gas companies, the power generation sector and allied organisations, including multiple panels of experts attended the forum. The Federal Petroleum Secretary Abid Saeed, while dilating upon some critical issues facing the oil and gas sector, said the conference had come at an appropriate time and hoped that the incoming government would take favorable and pragmatic decisions.
Shahid Sattar, member energy, Planning Commission of Pakistan highlighted the need for implementation of the petroleum policy but added that good governance was one of the factors to be dealt with. He was also of the opinion that the way forward would be to consider the privatisation of state companies.
Diplomatic presence from the embassies of Italy, Hungary, Argentina, Poland, Malaysia and Ukraine and Turkmenistan; and delegate representations from Kuwait, UAE and Singapore, gave an international flavour to the annual forum. Their presence indicated a significant importance to the forum due to the alarming energy crisis in Pakistan and the start of a newly elected regime. Earlier, O&G Forum Chairman Menin Rodrigues welcomed delegates and highlighted the company’s commitment towards organising knowledge-based forums to enhance capacity, influence decisions, seek alternatives and make a difference to nurture good governance to meet the challenges of the time.
The exclusive ‘Thought-Leadership CEOs Forum’, a novel pre-session interlude to discuss the ‘state of the industry’ was led by Moazaam M Malik, chairman and CEO of BMA Capital Management Limited. It included Ocean Petroleum Limited CEO Anwer Moin, Pakistan Refinery Limited Chairman Farooq Rahmatullah, Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) Chairman Mohsin Khalid and Saif Energy Limited CEO Jehangir Saifullah Khan. A presentation by BMA Captial on ‘M&A and Investment Opportunities in Pakistan’s Energy and Power sectors’ concluded the session.
The opening session was on “Oil & Gas Policy – Balancing the Investment, Demand and Supply Equation” and was steered by a comprehensive presentation on the petroleum policy by. Farooq Rahmatullah, chairman of the Board, Pakistan Refinery Limited. Sayem Ali, Senior Economist, ME & Pakistan, Standard Chartered Bank Limited, gave an insight on energy issues and its impact on the economy of the country. Shahzad Iqbal, Executive Director, Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) highlighted the demand and supply equation concerning the industry.
The session on “Diversifying the Energy Mix – A Road-Map Towards Sustainable Energy Solutions” was chaired by former federal secretary and currently Independent Power Producers Advisory Council (IPPAC) Chairman M. Abdullah Yousuf. The discussions included presentations by Syed Imran Shah, Project Director, Fauji Fertilizer Energy Limited; Dr Saqib Nasir, scientist at Pakistan Council of Scientists & Industrial Research (PCSIR) and Air Commodore (r) Khalid Iqbal, Consultant, Policy & Strategic Response, Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI).
The closing session of the forum “Pakistan Energy Model v/s the Developing World’s Model” was chaired by Werner Liepach, Country Director, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and it concluded that Pakistan was an energy-rich country but yet there was energy deficiency therefore the need for alternate sources and coal was to be considered. It featured presentations and in-depth discussions by Shamsuddin Ahmed Sheikh, CEO, Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company, Dr Gulfaraz Raja, former secretary petroleum M Abdullah Yusuf and Dr Muhammad Bilal Khan, Director and Principal, Center for Energy System at NUST.
