Dubai, March 30, 2014 (Gulf Intelligence) - The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries Secretary General HE Abdalla Salem El-Badri will deliver The 2014 Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah International Energy Awards Lecture at the annual gala dinner event at the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha on April 8th.
The Keynote speech by the head of OPEC will address an international energy audience, supported by Shell, on the outlook for global energy security in light of Russia's dramatic standoff with the West over Moscow's seizure of the Ukraine's Crimea peninsula, which has stoked fears of possible gas supply disruptions to Europe, which relies on Russia for 25% of its gas imports, the vast majority of which is transported through Ukrainian territory.
European countries, including Germany, have sought to speed up diversification of their natural gas supplies since Russia cut off deliveries to Ukraine and other parts of the EU in 2006 and 2009 over disputes related to pricing and supplies. Europe is now looking to raise imports of liquefied natural gas, including from Qatar, the world's largest exporter of the super-cooled fuel that already supplies about 10 percent of the bloc's requirements.
"Qatar will continue along this path supporting European economies by supplying LNG," HE Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, the Gulf state's former energy minister and now Chairman of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority, said in an address on Energy Transition and the Role of Europe at the annual Brussels Forum this week.
Qatar's largest LNG producer, Qatargas, signed its first five-year supply deal with Germany's E.ON in 2013 covering the delivery of about 1.5 million tons of LNG annually via the Gate LNG Terminal in Rotterdam. Tensions between Germany and Russia over Ukraine's political future have propelled the issue of energy security to the very top of governments' agendas and highlighted the need to maintain and advance the ongoing dialogue between energy consumers and producers.
El-Badri, who sits at the helm of OPEC, supplier of about 40 percent of world crude, will outline the possible implications of ongoing geopolitical events on global energy markets and the role of oil and gas producers in the Middle East and North Africa in helping secure future energy supplies to consuming nations.
Recent geopolitical developments come at a time when the global energy industry is undergoing a period of rapid transformation triggered by North America's shale boom and sustained world demand growth that has seen the emergence of new energy corridors at a time when the sector is also confronted with a looming skills shortage, which will present another raft of energy security challenges in the coming years.
"Cooperation is the only way forward for governments and energy companies in an increasingly interdependent world," said Dr. Aldo Flores-Quiroga, Secretary-General of the International Energy Forum, who along with El-Badri is part of an independent selection committee tasked with choosing the 2014 winners of the Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah International Energy Awards for Lifetime Achievement.
The Al-Attiyah Energy Awards, now in their second year and supported by Qatar Shell as Gold Partner and Qatar Petroleum as Silver Partner, were established to celebrate the legacy of Qatar's former Minister of Energy and recognize distinguished individuals for their Achievements over the full career cycle in the global energy industry.
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KEYNOTE LECTURE SPEAKER:
H.E. Abdalla Salem El-Badri was appointed OPEC Secretary General on 1 January 2007. He began his oil industry career with Esso Standard (now ExxonMobil) in 1965 after studies in Accounting, Business Administration, Finance and Management in the United States and Libya. In 1977, he became a member of the Board of Directors of Libya's Umm Al-Jawaby Oil Company, moving on to become Chairman of the Waha Oil Company (a joint venture company between the Libyan National Oil Company, Conoco, Amerada Hess and Marathon Oil) in 1980. In 1983, he became Chairman of the Libyan National Oil Company, before being made Minister of Petroleum in 1990. His ministerial career continued with his appointment as Minister of Energy, Oil and Electricity (1993-2000) and Deputy Prime Minister (2000-2004), before he returned to the chairmanship of the Libyan National Oil Company (2004-2006).During the latter half of 1994, he was both President and Secretary General of OPEC, and again served as its president in 1996 and 1997. He has been a frequent speaker at numerous international industry events. In 2013 he was awarded The Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah International Energy Award for the Lifetime Achievement for the Contribution to the Advancement of OPEC.
THE ABDULLAH BIN HAMAD AL-ATTIYAH INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AWARDS
for "Lifetime Achievement"
His Excellency Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah is recognized globally for having made a formidable contribution to the international energy industry over the course of many decades. In honor of H.E.'s incredibly successful career that touched so many people, companies and nations, producer & consumers, and perhaps most notably the development of his home State of Qatar's energy industry, The Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah International Energy Awards will reward individuals for their Lifetime Achievement in the advancement of the global energy industry.
THE VISION & MISSION OF THE AL-ATTIYAH FOUNDATION
The Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah International Energy Awards Foundation has been conceived to celebrate the legacy of H.E. Al-Attiyah by rewarding individuals for their Lifetime Achievement in advancing fields of work and policy that emulate His Excellency's 40 years of distinguished contribution to the global energy industry. The Nominees are recognized for an outstanding record of accomplishment in their sector over the whole of a career, acknowledging individuals who have made an exceptional impact on the energy industry with distinct personal achievements for a consistent and prolonged period of engagement.
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