The 25th World Gas Conference (WGC2012) was officiated by the honorary YAB Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak, Prime Minster of Malaysia. Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib recognised the fact that the WGC 2012 turned out to be the platform for opportunities and windows for players to leverage on emerging opportunities brought about by Asia’s robust growth projection. This is critical as Asia’s rising prominence and significance will to a larger extent help sustain the pace and quality of the global economic recovery. Tan Sri Dato’ Shamsul Azhar Abbas, Acting Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of PETRONAS also gave his address during the opening ceremony.

A total of 5,299 delegates from 90 countries, 220 exhibitors and 13,803 trade visitors participated in the event. Over 70 conference sessions including keynote addresses, strategic panels, luncheon addresses, technical committee sessions, and expert fora were presented at this event. And a total of 122 technical poster papers were presented through an “Interactive Expert Showcase” medium at the exhibition area. A WGC2012 Youth Programme, with participation of 216 young professionals worldwide was also organized alongside WGC 2012.

In conjunction with the high-profile WGC 2012 opening ceremony, PETRONAS marked the occasion of the mechanical completion of its first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) import terminal /regasification facilities in Melaka. The mechanical completion of the project was done in two years comprising of two Floating Storage Units; a Jetty Regasifcation Unit; a 3km Sub-Sea Pipeline with Cathodic Protection System; and an On-Shore Pipeline comprising of two sections.

The project was developed in anticipation of future increase in gas demand in the face of depleting indigenous gas reserves. During the ceremony, Yab Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib, started the 3.8 million tonnes a year (t/y) Melaka facility, telling delegates that gas was the fuel that would ensure global economic growth with the right environmental benefits.

In tandem, during WGC 2012, Datuk (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hashim, President, International Gas Union for 2009-2012 Triennium announced their success of the advocacy work undertaken for the past three years, as the world enters the ‘Golden Age of Gas’. According to Datuk Rahim, Policy and decision makers are beginning to seriously consider the virtues of natural gas which addresses the triple challenges of meeting the insatiable global demand for energy, addressing the issues of carbon dioxide and other emissions and the concern on sustainability both in terms of security of supply and long term availability and affordability.

On 7 June 2012, in a celebration at the Traders Hotel, Datuk (Dr) Abdul Rahim Hashim, officially handed over the IGU Presidency for the 2012-2015 Triennium on behalf of Malaysia to IGU Vice President and Senior Vice-President of TOTAL, France, Jérôme Ferrier.

The IGU President, Jérôme Ferrier, announced that the 26th World Gas Conference will be hosted by France and will take place in Paris on 1-5 June, 2015. The theme for the new Triennial Work Program (2012-2015) will be: Growing together towards a friendly planet and there will be four strategic guidelines pillars: Human Resources for the Future; Natural Gas Available Everywhere; Natural Gas for a Sustainable Development; and Combination with Renewables and Electricity. Also elected for the 2012-2015 Triennium are: Georges Liens, Coordination Committee (CC) Chairman, GDF SUEZ; Yves Tournié, CC Secretary, TOTAL; and Daniel Paccoud, President NOC, Association Française du Gaz.

The 25th World Gas Conference ended on a high note. WGC 2012 offered the platform for some of the biggest gas producers and decision makers to address natural gas issues and concerns and set the stage for the world to enter the Golden Age of Gas.