India is Under Explored and not Under Endowed

New Delhi, The SPE conference commenced with a resounding beat at Mumbai, on March 04, 2008. The short but impressive performance by the drummers of Rajasthan, Manipur, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Punjab set the tone for 2008 SPE Indian Oil & Gas Technical Conference & Exhibition.

Inaugurating the three day Conference, Mr. M.S.Srinivasan, Secretary, MoPNG, Govt of India said,” India is under explored and not under endowed. Challenges of exploring further, deeper and wider in search of fuel have to be converted into opportunity.” This was aptly embodied in the theme of the Conference-Changing Landscape: Emerging Opportunities in the Indian E&P Industry.

Commenting on the changing scenario of hydrocarbon industry, Mr Srinivasan remarked that 30-35 years ago the word gas was not commonly heard of but following the Arab oil imbroglio gas it was considered conceivable and commercially viable. This was because of its property of liquefaction and transportation through pipeline and being less harmful to the environment. Gas became a light fuel a preferred fuel, in fact a premium fuel. In fact the first half of the 21st century is the era of natural gas.

Observing the correlation between science and technology Secretary said that through science we make a discovery but it is technology which makes the practical application of science possible. Technology needs to be harnessed for the benefit of mankind as it helps make informed decisions. He further quoted the great scientist Louis Pasteur saying,
“Even chance favors the prepared mind.”

Expressing his best wishes for the conference Mr Srinivasan said that SPE is a galaxy of technical experts who will through these three days share their expertise and knowledge with the participants. He was confident that this conference would yield some break through technologies.

Mr. Srinivasan complimented SPE and ONGC for inviting the students as they are the future that they need to be exposed to the operational aspects of the hydrocarbon industry.

In his address, Mr. R. S. Sharma, Chairman ONGC Group of Companies and Patron-in-Chief, 2008 SPE Indian Oil & Gas Technical Conference & Exhibition, said “the challenges facing the oil industry are multifold; to increase production from existing fields and discover new assets and bring them to production in the shortest possible time”. He expressed hope that the Conference would bring together experts from all domains of hydrocarbon sector on a global level. Mr. Sharma added that we need collaboration, innovative thought and sustainable eco-friendly and safe technology, all at the right cost.

In his welcome address Mr. N.K. Mitra, Director(Offshore), Chairman of the Conference apprised the audience of the challenges in the energy sector in the Indian context where the growth rate of 9% would mount a pressure on the energy security aspects of India. He added that around 69% of oil and 77% of gas is yet to be explored in India .Mr.Mitra added that the developing economies cannot totally rely on alternate sources of energy for sustained development thereby rendering the role for petroleum engineers that much more critical.

A short film portraying the operations of oil companies in India, in upstream, down stream and midstream sector, got a rave response from the participants of the Conference. It focused on the engineering excellence of ONGC, BG and Cairn, the key players of the industry today.

The event is spread from March 4 to March 6, 2008. and will encompass 2 plenary and 13 technical sessions. It witnessed a registration of 800 conference delegates including over 70 foreign delegates.

The conference puts a special thrust on students participating from all over India including MIT Pune, Petroleum Engineering Department, Dibrugarh, Institute of Petroleum Technology, Gandhinagar, ISM –Dhanbad, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun, and Institute of Petroleum Management, Gandhinagar. 200 students from various schools of Mumbai are also invited to this Conference & Exhibition.

The Exhibition was inaugurated by Mr. M. S. Srinivasan, Secretary MoPNG. Adding glamour to the inauguration was the fanfare by performers of wind instruments from various parts of the country. The Exhibition showcases the state- of- the art technology and services by various exhibitors from the Oil & Gas Industry. Eye-catching exhibits have been put up at the stalls of industry leaders like ONGC, OIL, Reliance, Cairn India, BG, Schlumberger, Shell India, Great Offshore, Baker Hughes, Petronet LNG, Haliburton etc amongst a total of 61 exhibitors. The dignitaries went around the various pavilions and were apprised about the latest technological innovations in the hydrocarbon industry.

Proposing the vote of thanks, Mr. Leo Roodhart, President SPE said that India is a very vital place for SPE. With seven sections and 1549 members in India, SPE Board of Directors is considering formation of an Indian National Council to create synergy amongst its members. He added that India is currently one of the least explored regions in the world and is attracting immense international interest. He appreciated the support of ONGC and all other participating companies for organizing this Conference.

March 4 being the National Safety Day, a safety pledge was administered on this occasion by Secretary, MoPNG.