There’s energy behind surge in events
If you pay attention to oil and gas— and in Houston, a lot of people do— you probably already know about OTC and CERA Week.
The Offshore Technology Conference and the conference sponsored by IHS- Cambridge Energy Research Associates are held every spring, drawing thousands of energy professionals to town.
But October is turning out to be pretty buzzy, too, with conferences, a trade show and even an energy- themed family day planned for the plaza in front of Houston’s City Hall.
“We don’t do enough pounding our chest to say, ‘ We’re doing a lot of good things in this city,’ ” said David Holt, president of the Consumer Energy Alliance, which started Energy Day last year.
Energy Day expanded into Energy Week this year, an effort by the Alliance, the Greater Houston Partnership and the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers to boost the city’s energy street cred.
“The numbers change, but energy impacts about 50 percent of the economy here,” said Lane
Sloan, co- chair of the Partnership’s energy collaborative. “It’s the most strategic, biggest sector Houston has. And when you look at the growth worldwide in energy, it’s going to be a good thing to be the energy capital. But to keep it, you’ve got to market yourself.”
Several conferences already have come and gone this month.
For the independents
EnergyWeek will kick off with a two- day conference and trade show focused on technology for independent oil and gas producers, set for Wednesday and Thursday at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
Sponsored by the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, the 21st Century Energy Technology Trade Show & Conference is aimed at giving independents an entry point to today’s technology, said Sandi Simon, vice president of development.
“On the one hand, the technology will save you money in the long run and theoretically lead you to more success, but if you don’t have the money, what do you do?” she said. “I want them to take away something useful.”
Big names, hot topics
That’s followed Friday by the Greater Houston Partnership’s annual energy summit.
This year’s event will feature Lisa Jackson, head of the Environmental Protection Administration, who will address the balance between growth and the environment, a hot topic in Texas.
Other speakers— including Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Barry Smitherman and ExxonMobil Corp. President Rich Kruger— will discuss natural gas vehicles, energy security and the energy workforce, key industry issues.
Sloan is now a consultant after a long career at Shell— he served as president of Shell Chemical Co. and executive vice president of the Americas for Royal Dutch Shell’s global chemical operations, among other roles— and he has remained engaged on a wide range of issues, from the development of renewable energy to energy security.
One theme running through many of this month’s conferences will be the changes produced by shale drilling.
Bruce Bullock, director of theMaguire Energy Institute at Southern Methodist University, will talk about that at the 2012 Energy Summit later this