KARACHI: The 5Th Pakistan OIL & GAS Forum 2013 organized by SHAMROCK concluded at the Marriott Islamabad demanding and foreseeing political will as the conduit to create an integrated Energy Ministry to build, improve and implement on 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 organizations, including multiple panels of experts attended the forum. The Federal Secretary of Petroleum, Mr. Abid Saeed, while dilating upon some of the critical issues facing the oil & gas sector, said that the conference had come at an appropriate time and hoped that the incoming government would take favorable and pragmatic decisions.
Mr. Shahid Sattar, Member Energy, and 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 privatization 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 flavor 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 the newly elected government.
Earlier Chairman O&G Forum, Mr. Menin Rodrigues welcomed the delegates and highlighted the company’s commitment towards organizing knowledge-based forums to enhance capacity, influence decisions, seek alternatives and make a difference to nurture good governance to meet the challenges of time.
The exclusive ‘Thought-Leadership CEOs Forum’, a novel pre-session interlude to discuss the ‘state of the industry’ was led by Mr. Moazaam M. Malik, Chairman & CEO of BMA Capital Management Limited. It included Mr. Anwer Moin, CEO, Ocean Petroleum Limited; Mr. Farooq Rahmatullah, Chairman, Pakistan Refinery Limited, Mr. Mohsin Khalid, Chairman, Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) and Mr. Jehangir Saifullah Khan, CEO, Saif Energy Limited. A presentation by BMA Captial on ‘M&A and Investment Opportunities in Pakistan’s Energy and Power sectors’ concluded the session.
The opening session on “Oil & Gas Policy – Balancing the Investment, Demand and Supply Equation” and steered by a comprehensive presentation on the petroleum policy by Mr. Farooq Rahmatullah, Chairman of the Board, Pakistan Refinery Limited. Mr. Sayem Ali, Senior Economist, ME & Pakistan, Standard Chartered Bank Limited, will give an insight on energy issues and its impact on the economy of the country. Mr. 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, Chairman, Independent Power Producers Advisory Council (IPPAC) Mr. M. Abdullah Yousuf. The discussions included presentations by Syed Imran Shah, Project Director, Fauji Fertilizer Energy Limited; Dr. Saqib Nasir, Sr. Scientist, Pakistan Council of Scientists & Industrial Research (PCSIR) and Air Comm (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 Mr. Werner Liepach, Country Director, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and opined that Pakistan was an energy-rich country but yet there was energy deficiency; the need for alternate sources and coal was to be considered. It featured presentations and in-depth discussions by Mr. Shamsuddin Ahmed Sheikh, CEO, Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company; Dr. Gulfaraz Raja, former Secretary Petroleum; Mr. M. Abdullah Yusuf, Chairman, Independent Power Producers Advisory Council (IPPAC) and Dr. Muhammad Bilal Khan, Director & Principal, Center for Energy System, NUST.
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