CALGARY, Alberta, Sept. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The 24th World Petroleum Congress (WPC) has come to a close after five days of engaging conversations centered on the theme “Energy Transition: The Path to Net Zero”. The Organising Committee for Canada (“OCAN”) is proud to share that the 24th WPC saw over 10,000 unique visitors to the exhibition, over 5,000 delegates in attendance at the Congress, and registrants from 111 countries.

“The 24th WPC has been an incredible success,” said Denis Painchaud, President & CEO, OCAN. “We hit all our topline numbers and have received incredibly positive feedback about the overall experience from participants. I want to thank attendees, speakers, sponsors and exhibitors, as well as our Board, organizing team, employees, contractors and volunteers for making this a truly special event. I would also like to thank Minister Wilkinson, Premier Smith and Mayor Gondek for their participation and support. This event has been a win for the global energy industry, the Canadian energy industry, for Canada and for Calgary.”

“We are thrilled to celebrate the progress achieved during a week of productive and engaging dialogue at the 24th WPC,” said Pedro Miras, President, WPC Energy. “WPC Energy’s vision is to facilitate an open dialogue around oil, gas, energy and its products with participation from around the world. We look forward to continuing these important conversations as we look forward to the 25th WPC taking place in Saudi Arabia in 2026.”

Notable highlights from the 24th WPC included:

  • The Opening Ceremony took place on Sunday, September 17 which included a ceremony to officially mark the transition from World Petroleum Council to a new name, WPC Energy. The Opening Ceremony also included a keynote address from the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Canada and remarks from Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta and Jyoti Gondek, Mayor of Calgary.
  • Day one of the Congress featured a Ministerial Dialogue with HRH Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman Al Saud. This included an MOU signing to officially pass organizing privileges of WPC to Saudi Arabia, which will be hosting the 25th edition in Riyadh in 2026. Following this session, WPC Energy President Pedro Miras presented Aramco President & CEO Amin Nasser with the prestigious WPC Dewhurst Award, recognizing his leadership and contributions to the oil and gas industry.
  • The exhibition floor was heavily populated all four days, attracting visitors and delegates alike to discover features including the Carbon Tech Expo, Canada House, Digital Poster Plaza and Sustainability & Social Responsibility Pavilion. Sponsors and attending organizations have stated that they enjoyed a tremendous amount of business success at the event and felt that they achieved full value for their investments.
  • Feedback from attendees has consistently highlighted the strength of WPC’s speaker panels. The programme included seven plenary sessions, daily luncheon panels, ministerial sessions with global participation, CEO strategic sessions and technical forums, with government representatives, CEOs, academics and more from around the world.
  • Congress proceedings concluded with the WPC Excellence Awards (WPCEA), presented Thursday afternoon. These awards distinguish companies, institutions or any public or private organization engaged in the oil and gas industry for promoting or operating with high excellence standards. The 2023 WPCEA recipients included:
    • WPCEA for Social Responsibility:
      • Kilang Pertamina Internasional Refinery Unit III Plaju: Lighting More Hopes – Indonesia (Small Company)
      • Marun Petrochemical Company: MAHSHAHR Deserves the Best – Iran (Large Company)
    • WPCEA for Technological Development:
      • Micro-Bac International: Bacterial application for environmental and economical improvements in SWD assets – USA (Small Company)
      • Saudi Aramco: Sensor Ball – Saudi Arabia (Large Company)
    • WPCEA for Gender & Inclusion
      • Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO): Women of Tomorrow – A strategic initiative for Gender & Inclusion – Bahrain
  • Calgary welcomed people from all over the world to participate in WPC. Hotels, restaurants and event spaces all opened their doors to delegates and visitors – a true demonstration of Calgarian hospitality and a major contributor to the overall success of the event.

Recognizing our Sponsors
OCAN is pleased to recognize the Diamond, Platinum and Elite sponsors of the 24th WPC for their support: Accenture, Aramco, CNPC, Saudi Arabia Ministry of Energy, Sinopec, Canadian Natural Resources Limited, Cenovus Energy, Pathways Alliance, Repsol, Suncor, bp, Bennett Jones, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, Chevron, Deloitte, Enbridge, ExxonMobil | Imperial, Petrobas, PwC Canada, S&P Commodity Insights, Sonangol EP and WestJet. OCAN would also like to recognize its government partners including PrairiesCan, the Government of Alberta and the City of Calgary for their funding and in-kind contributions and support.

To learn more about what took place at the 24th WPC, please visit www.24wpc.com. To stay connected to WPC Energy and updates regarding the 25th WPC in Riyadh in 2026, please visit www.world-petroleum.org.

About the World Petroleum Congress
Held every three years in WPC Energy member countries, the World Petroleum Congress is the world’s premier oil, gas and energy forum that attracts the attendance of heads of state, energy leaders and technical experts who discuss the challenges and opportunities of managing the world’s petroleum and energy resources for the benefit of all. Under the theme of “Energy Transition: The Path to Net Zero,” the 24th WPC in Calgary featured a multi-stream conference, including strategic and technical sessions, an international exhibition covering 225,000 ft2, programming for young professionals, and special events such as Canada Night, Women’s Networking Breakfast, Ministerial Reception, Excellence Awards and much more.

The information presented at the Congress, as well as the discussions and debates around the progressive programme topics, will help to define realistic, workable paths forward for the global energy industry to achieve a net zero future.

About WPC Energy
Established in 1933, WPC Energy, formerly World Petroleum Council, is a non-advocacy, non-political organization with charitable status in the U.K. and has accreditation as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) from the United Nations (UN). WPC Energy is dedicated to the promotion of sustainable management and the use of the world’s energy resources for the benefit of all. WPC Energy conducts the triennial World Petroleum Congress, covering all aspects of the industry including management of the industry and its social, economic, and environmental impact.

For information about the 24th World Petroleum Congress, contact:
Rebecca Hurl, Brookline Public Relations
E-mail: rhurl@brooklinepr.com
www.24wpc.com

For further information about WPC Energy, contact:
Sarah Beattie, Project Manager
E-mail: sarahb@world-petroleum.org
www.world-petroleum.org