The leading global organization on oil and gas, the World Petroleum Council (WPC), will be holding its globally attended Congress in Africa for the first time in its 72-year history, according to the congress organizer in Johannesburg on Sunday.

Imogen Mkhize, CEO of the 18th World Petroleum Congress, said that the Sandton Convention Center will play host to about 4,000 delegates and 500 speakers between September 25 and 29. Seventy percent of the delegates will be from outside South Africa.

This is the most important event on the petroleum industry's calendar and this year's congress will be keenly watched by industry observers around the world in light of recent developments in the oil sector.

She said "this promises to be a groundbreaking event, with many of the world's most respected figures in the petroleum industry gathering to apply their minds to finding solutions to the challenges facing the industry."

"One such issue is oil-price volatility, which has caused waves of unease around the world. Another is the imperative to find alternative sources of energy that are affordable and environmentally friendly," she added.

The theme of the congress is Shaping the Energy Future: Partners in Sustainable Solutions, and it will be hosted by PetroSA, among others.

Mkhize said that it is appropriate that an African country is hosting this year's event, given the intense exploration and drilling activity on the continent.

The congress will have many economic benefits, not least for the business tourism sector, while the country's major resorts should benefit from after-congress tours.

"The congress is also a perfect place to showcase what South Africa and Africa have in terms of energy resources, and we expect to see a lot of matchmaking going on," Mkhize said.

Among the issues to be discussed at the congress are: meeting consumers' growing demand for a cleaner, more reliable and efficient supply through advanced refinery technology; petrochemicals and issues related to "future fuel" quality; finding sustainable solutions; developing fuel products that are environmentally sound, socially acceptable and affordable; the volatility of the oil price; upstream and downstream technologies; protecting and promoting corporate and national integrity in a way that helps secure future oil and gas supplies; and good corporate governance.

South Africa is the host country and PetroSA the host company, while the National Oil Corporation of Libya, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Sonangol ( Angola) and Sonatrach ( Algeria ) are the co-hosts of this most prestigious industry, and truly African, event.

With giant proven oil and natural gas resources, many African countries such as the host and co-host countries, are already major energy suppliers in world terms, whilst new energy powers such as Egypt and Equatorial Guinea are experiencing rapid growth, and hotspots such as Mauritania are emerging as exploration pushes new frontiers.

Africa's future lies in its ability to harness its resources and realize this economic potential, as contemplated in the New Partnership for Africa's Development framework.

The 18th WPC will, therefore, provide a platform from which to attract direct foreign investment into the upstream and downstream sectors of the continent's petroleum industry, and increase opportunities for capital injections into technology development and techniques for effective prospecting and exploration, especially in the area of deepwater drilling.

Two exhibitions will run parallel with the 18th WPC: the Southern African International Oil and Gas Exhibition 2005 (SAIOGE 2005) promises to be the largest such exhibition the continent has ever seen, with the China Pavilion set to become the WPC's largest country group ever, with 800-square-meter net exhibition space, occupied primarily by the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation, SINOPEC, SINOCHEM and China National Offshore Corporation.

The Global Business Opportunities Center 2005 is reserved solely for the WPC member countries' National Committee, where the exhibiting Host and Co-host companies will be joined by some of the most prestigious national oil companies worldwide, including Saudi Aramco ( Saudi Arabia), Qatar Petroleum, and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India.

The World Petroleum Congress was founded in London in 1933. It is an international, unbiased, non-political organization that provides a forum for discussing world issues facing the oil and gas industry. The WPC is dedicated to scientific advances in the oil and gas industries, technology transfer and to promote the management of the world's petroleum resources for the benefit of mankind.

Every three years, the World Petroleum Congress offers an international oil and gas congress hosted by one of its member countries. Trends and outlooks integral to the future success of the industry are the focus of discussions, forums and presentations. Delegates explore international business opportunities, exchange ideas on global issues, network and share the latest information on technology, business management and industry developments.

Source: Xinhua