EMGC to underline region’s era of opportunity

The fourth Eastern Mediterranean Gas Conference (EMGC) is being held at Hilton Cyprus in Nicosia, Cyprus, March 14-15. The event venue is conveniently located, allowing easy access to some of the capital city’s main attractions, such as the city center, the Old City and the modern business district.

null

During the two-day event, sponsored by Deloitte and Cyprus Hydrocarbons Company, attendees will get an in-depth look at developments taking place throughout the region’s natural gas sector. Since Eni’s discovery of Zohr field—which holds an estimated 30 Tcf—the region has emerged as a key contender in the natural gas industry.

This “era of opportunity” will be highlighted in sessions that will cover everything from resource potential, development, foreign investment, challenges, opportunities, monetization, gas trade and, above all, the future of the Eastern Mediterranean.

Day 1. Following opening remarks from Gulf Publishing Company President and CEO John Royall, the conference will kick off with a keynote address from Luca Bertelli, chief exploration officer, Eni.

Session One, “The State of the Eastern Mediterranean: Realizing the full resource potential and the path to production,” will include talks from industry executives, such as Dr. Panos Kelamis, CEO of Cyprus Hydrocarbons Company; Dr. Michael Gardosh, head of the Geology & Geophysics department at Israel’s Natural Resources Administration; and Yaniv Friedman, deputy CEO at Delek Drilling/Avner.

Session Two, “Overcoming challenges presented by the region’s resources,” will include presentations from Matteo Restelli, development manager of gas infrastructure for IGI Poseidon; Gina Cohen, Eastern Mediterranean gas consultant; and Tim Crome, Technip’s V.P. of subsea Mediterranean.

Session Three, “Drawing foreign investment to the region,” will close out the first day of the conference. As opposed to the customary lecture, the session will be presented as a panel discussion. It will include a panel of industry executives, including Libor Krkoska, head of office at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and several guests invited from BNP Paribas and Hellenic Bank.

Between sessions, time will be allotted for coffee and networking, allowing attendees to intermingle and meet with other industry professionals, as well as potential clients.

Day 2. Following an opening keynote address, the conference will conclude with Session Four, “Accelerating efforts to establish natural gas trade.” Speakers include Charles Ellinas, CEO of EC Cyprus Natural Hydrocarbons Company; Brenda Shaffer, professor at the University of Haifa’s School of Political Science; and Nicoló Sartori, senior fellow and researcher for the Security and Defense Program at Instituto Affari Internazionali.