Dar hosts second oil and gas conference this week

BY DAVID KISANGA

21st October 2013

Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC)

Augmented by exhibitions from key players in the sector, the highly anticipated second oil and gas conference set to starton Wednesday at the Mwalimu Nyerere International Conference Centre in Dar es Salaam and is open to the general public and all other stakeholders.

The two-day conference is aimed at creating a platform over which the general community can be engaged with ensuing discussions expected to give participants a clearer view of opportunities offered by the bourgeoning industry.

Conference Chairperson, Dr. Abraham Temu, who is also an Engineering lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, explains that the conference is a strategic measure seeking to involve the local community and to raise awareness of opportunities in the sector.
Themed ‘Towards growth of oil and gas in Tanzania,’ the conference will shed light on business aspects of the oil and gas industry covering logistics like taxation and financing. It will tackle challenges and prospects of the trade as well as developing and harnessing opportunities in the industry.

The presenters are also to address the matter of sustainable exploitation and utilization of hydrocarbon resources and issues relating to the institutional, policy, legal and regulatory framework.
Technology too will be covered along with capacity building for local players and approaches to increasing public awareness revisited.

Other than the business related topics, the touchy question of environmental risks posed by exploitation of the two resources like oil spills from offshore drilling will attempt to be answered.

The meeting is being held with auspicious support from Ministry of Energy and Minerals (MEM), the Department of Chemical and Mining Engineering of the University of Dar es Salaam, the Institution of Engineers in Tanzania, the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) and the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA).

Assistant Chairperson for the conference, Eng Joyce Kisamo noted that the oil and gas conference said stakeholders will be able to share their practices and experiences as well as disseminate information to the wider public on the status of the oil and gas industry in Tanzania and with plenary sessions and paper presentations expected to follow.  

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN