Press Release

OPEC Fund to support attendance of participants at the 18th World Petroleum Congress

87/2005 August 30, 2005, Vienna, Austria
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The OPEC Fund for International Development has approved a grant of US$8,500 to finance the attendance of three participants from OPEC Member Countries at the 18th World Petroleum Congress. Convening under the theme Shaping the Energy Future: Partners in Sustainable Solutions, the gathering is scheduled to take place in Johannesburg, South Africa on September 25-29, 2005.

Since its inception in 1933, the World Petroleum Council (WPC) has organized and held a Congress that is hosted by one of its 62 member countries. For the first time in WPC’s history, this high-level event will be held in Africa. Over 5,000 people are registered to attend, including executives and some 300 students from around the world engaged in petroleum-related studies. The three students to benefit from the Fund’s grant have been nominated by the Colorado School of Mines.

Participants will be able to attend a Technical Program comprising four blocks addressing key issues and challenges affecting the global petroleum industry. Each block has an individual theme with plenary addresses delivered by ministers of petroleum and high-profile business leaders. The Congress will include a selection of topical CEO-level roundtable discussions, leading-edge reviews, forecast papers, forums on key areas of industry interests and complementary poster sessions.