Current Debates Program

Opening Remarks

Neil Chatterjee, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) (USA)

Key Topics

• The role of regulation in fostering the growth of the global gas market
• What role can regulations play in establishing competitive market structures in developing countries? How have poor regulations in these countries hurt market competition and gas use?
• Examining regulatory barriers that can impede growth
• How can the regulator ensure that reliable and low cost natural gas becomes an essential element of the energy mix?
• What market and regulatory conditions support the growth of the global gas market?
• What is the role of technological innovation in developing smaller gas markets and how should it be supported?
• Convergence with renewable and gas markets: how can they co-exist?
• Case studies of successful and creative regulatory approaches across the value chain: siting; FLNG and FRSUs; LNG engine and bunkering technologies
• Opportunities for unique partnerships between governments, regulators and industry

Opening Remarks

Jeff Duncan, Congressman of South Carolina's 3rd District, U.S. House of Representatives

"Spotlight interview"

H.E. Yury P. Sentyurin, Secretary General, Gas Exporting Countries Forum

Key Topics

• Is Gas a victim or instrument of Geopolitics?
• To what extent is the US shale revolution reshaping energy Geopolitics?
• How has the shale gale changed the rules of intercontinental gas trade and realigning strategic relations among the United States, the European Union, Russia, China, and beyond?
• Will the shale boom and the growth of the global LNG trade make gas a true global commodity?
• What are the implications of the U.S. becoming an energy super power?
• Will gas bring greater peace and cooperation in the East Mediterranean?
• How will geopolitics play out in the development of resources ie. Russia, Iran, China?
• In the past national policies have limited market integration in South America – can South America capitalize on its abundant resources? 

Opening Remarks

Howard Elliott, Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Department of Transportation (USA)

Key Topics

• What are the safety trends influencing and shaping the oil and gas industry?
• The regulator’s role in driving public safety
• Keys to developing an effective corporate safety management system
• How do you measure safety improvement?
• Transforming to a safety first company culture: the journey since Deepwater Horizon & San Bruno
• Sustaining a safety first company culture: incentives, motivation and other proven strategies

Key Topics

• Is the energy sector a prime target for cyber-attacks?
• How is the increasing interconnection and digitalization of the energy sector increasing cyber-attack risk?
• Do we need to develop a cross-sector cyber security framework to help locate key areas of risk management and those systems that need to be protected?
• Do governments need to stimulate the introduction of standards, regulations and support information sharing to reduce cyber risks?
• The role of supply chain integrity in protecting against cyber attacks
• Securing the distribution system against physical threats
• Case study: the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey – resilience and restoration lessons learned
• Is distributed generation the answer?
• Does a larger role for natural gas mean more risks going forward?
• Using predictive tools, social media and other ways to communicate with the customer

This “Forecasting the Future” session will explore the alternative scenarios for the future of gas, based on a range of possible energy and environmental policies; national and geopolitical tensions; ‘game changer’ technological breakthroughs, or other variables which may influence what the energy reality may look like in the decades to come.

Predicting the future of the energy industry will be considered by asking:

• Which are the biggest key drivers that will shape the future of the gas industry?
• What are the technical, policy and economic drivers that will be most likely to fuel an increase or decrease in gas use?
• What technological advancements will have the greatest influence?
• Which national and international policies will have the greatest role in determining the future of gas use?
• How will the development of renewable fuels affect gas use going forward?
• What geopolitical tensions could impact or arise from changes in global gas use?
• What action can the industry take to prepare for an unknown future?

Key Topics

• Why has regional natural gas trade been limited in South America despite the political support for the concept of energy integration?
• What are the prospects for sub regional integration?
• What are the natural gas trends in the Americas?
• What are the challenges in Latin American countries in increasing upstream investment and develop new gas resources?
• What are the prospects for the region becoming an important LNG market?
• Will the growing number of LNG suppliers and advances in small-scale technology and opportunities for oil-to-gas conversions lead to the development of a regional gas markets as part of the energy mix in the Caribbean?