Energy
Minister attends gas exporters meeting in Qatar
Trinidad Guardian
Port
Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
05 06 07
Energy
ministers of the 13-nation Gas Exporting Countries’ Forum (GECF) ended their sixth
ministerial meeting in Doha, Qatar, on April 9,
emphasising the importance of continuing their
co-operation towards “strengthening natural
gas supply security and market stability in the
interest of both producers and consumers.”
At the meeting Minister of Energy and Energy Industries
Lenny Saith saw his one year term (2005-2006) as
chairman come to an end.
The host country will assume the chair for the
next year.
Saith
reviewed the major decisions of the forum taken
at its last ministerial meeting held in Port-of-Spain
in 2005, noting that at that meeting, “we
upheld one of the principal mandates of our organisation.
That is the goal of fostering greater dialogue
and co-operation among producers to promote stability
and sustainability in the international natural
gas industry.”
He said decisions had been taken to hold roundtables
on several issues:
Short-term gas market situation
Gas business forum
Gas producers and consumers
Gas and oil
Contractural framework for the implementation of
gas projects, and
Inter and intra fuel competition.
He said he hoped to see further discussion on several
proposals introduced at meetings of the forum’s
executive bureau such as joint investment co-operation,
cross-border interconnection of gas grids and penetration
in the electricity market.
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign
Affairs Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani
said the members of the GECF represented two thirds
of the world’s reserves of natural gas and
said this fact “enhances their position to
play a vital role in energy supply and in meeting
growing future demand.”
“The growing significance of natural gas
on a global level, which impacts on the interests
and economies of producing and consuming countries,
involves efforts to enhance and maintain constant
consultation and mutual coordination among exporting
countries, on one hand, and increasing cooperation
with the consuming countries to ensure stability
in the world market according to fair conditions
to maintain the interests of all parties,” he
added.
Also
addressing the opening session, Qatar’s
Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Industry
Abdulla Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah said a major focus
of the meeting would be the sharing of expertise.
He
said, “We would like to note that in
spite of huge development in the gas industry and
growing demand to import it by consumers, great
challenges face the producing countries regarding
the gas projects development, setting up plants,
necessary infrastructure, pipelines and receiving
terminals to supply world markets. These challenges
include rising project costs, shortage in specialised
labour, limited number of engineering specialised
companies and their impact on construction costs
and completion period in addition to other negative
results which affect in turn project economies
and development process in the producing countries.”
The seventh ministerial meeting is scheduled to
be held in Moscow in 2008.
Members
Algeria Bolivia
Egypt Iran
Indonesia Libya
Malaysia Nigeria
Qatar Russia
Trinidad & Tobago
Venezuela
United Arab Emirates
Norway (Observer)
Trinidad
Guardian
Thursday 3rd May, 2007
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