On the 14th June 2023, the Minister of Energy and Energy Industries and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, The Honourable Stuart R. Young, MP delivered the keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference (LACPEC), held at Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
The opening ceremony also featured, Eduardo Gildin, 2023 LACPEC Program Committee Advisor, Texas A&M University; Gail Ramdath, SPE Latin American and Caribbean Regional Director, Tucker Energy Services; Adam Pantin, SPE Trinidad and Tobago Section Chair, Valaris Plc; and Med Kamal, 2023 SPE President.
Minister Young emphasized the need to exploit the hydrocarbon resources that the country possesses and acknowledged the role of the SPE in energy security for Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean region. Minister Young stated that recent developments where the major upstream companies are now targeting small gas pools have been encouraging in this regard and that technologies such as Big Data and Analytics, Industrial Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence to name a few are enabling the industry to maintain operational integrity, optimize performance, manage HS&E and monitor the environment.
Minister Young also reinforced that for oil and gas to be part of a sustainable solution to global energy needs, the reduction of greenhouse gases must be a collaboration between the regulators and the industry. In this regard drilling and development programs must provide for the reduction of emissions, including flaring, a reduced surface footprint and optimal field development and management. Additionally, it is recognized that in order to sustain the use of oil and gas to meet energy demands in a carbon-constrained world, it will be necessary to implement Carbon Capture Sequestration (CCS) as a carbon reduction strategy.
Minister Young also addressed the recent onshore bid-round in which the successful bidders have been informed of their success. In closing, Minister Young thanked the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) for hosting their Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference (LACPEC) in Trinidad and Tobago.
ABOUT THE SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS (SPE)
The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) is a not-for-profit professional association with members engaged in energy resources development and production. SPE serves more than 119,000 members in 138 countries worldwide. The society is a key resource for technical knowledge related to oil and gas exploration and production industry.
The SPE conference was centered around engineering opportunities, the technologies that shape the energy landscape and providing new insights on how science, resources, and people are advancing energy solutions in the region. The Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference (LACPEC) has been held for over 30 years and its purpose is to showcase the latest research and development in petroleum engineering, with focus on meeting the current and future technical needs of the industry. LACPEC 2023 includes over 60 technical papers from 16 countries, also 3 panel sessions comprising of 10 panelists.
Student member highlights of the conference included the Regional PetroBowl Qualifier, the Student Paper Contest for Undergraduate and Masters/PhD, and a student series focusing on resume writing, being a wholistic energy provider to a needy world, and SPE’s role in the energy expansion and advancing the careers of students and young professionals.
To learn more about the Society of Petroleum Engineers Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference, please visit the conference website at www.spe.org .
Minister of Energy and Energy Industries and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, The Honourable Stuart R. Young, MP.
From Left to right: Gail Ramdath, SPE Latin American and Caribbean Regional Director, Tucker Energy Services; Minister of Energy and Energy Industries and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, The Honourable Stuart R. Young, MP; Med Kamal, 2023 SPE President; Adam Pantin, SPE Trinidad and Tobago Section Chair, Valaris Plc.
From left: Minister of Energy and Energy Industries and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, The Honourable Stuart R. Young, MP; Eduardo Gildin, 2023 LACPEC Program Committee Advisor, Texas A&M University; Med Kamal, 2023 SPE President.