Istanbul plays host to Iraq Future Energy 2012

Maximising opportunities in the oil, gas and power sectors. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) May 20, 2012 - Istanbul-Turkey: The Energy Exchange announced that the third annual Iraq Future Energy 2012 conference returns to Istanbul from 17 - 20 September 2012.

The event will witness senior decision makers from the Iraqi Government, leading IOCs and contractors unveil significant investment and service opportunities in Iraq's oil, gas, power, electricity and related infrastructure.

Jinanda Sheth, Event Director, said: "We have deliberately scheduled this event after the announcement of the 4th bidding round results and the implementation of the Integrated National Energy Strategy. This gives participants an opportunity to discuss these events which will define the industry in the coming years." Ms. Sheth continued "The last 5 years have seen a burst of activity in Iraq's oil and gas sectors and oil companies are now ramping up production in Iraq's fields and expanding their operations seeking out opportunities in the downstream sector."

The first day of Iraq Future Energy 2012 will feature the one-day Iraq Power and Electricity Summit officially supported by the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity. This day will be opened by Dr. Kosay Abdul Sattar who will unveil the new Minister of Electricity's development strategy and vision for the industry, discussing the contracting and financial strategy and the ministry's vision for the private sector's role in power projects. Dr. Kosay will be joined by Mr. Amer Rajab Salih, Head of the Regulatory Department who will shed light on the new regulatory framework and legal reform issues within the electricity sector. Additional speakers include UNDP, IFC and JICA discussing the investment scenario and further development plans within this sector.

The second and third days of Iraq Future Energy 2012 will feature the main oil and gas conference. The focus of the upstream discussions will be EPC projects and real-time service opportunities following the 4th bid round and new production activities. IOCs already confirmed to speak at the event are Shell and Lukoil. Ms. Sheth commented, "This will be the first detailed public discussion of the $17 billion gas flaring project led by Shell, providing an excellent overview of how this deal will impact both upstream and downstream project activity in Iraq."

Over the course of the two-day conference, senior Government officials including Dr. Sami Al Araji, Chairman of the Iraqi National Investment Commission will be joined by Mr. Ibrahim Alolom, Former Minister of Oil, Hans Nijkamp, Country Chairman of Shell and Gati Al Jebouri, Executive Director and Chief Commercial Officer, Lukoil Middle East to form the leading speaker panel. Discussions will be focused around building capacity to meet growing production demands, the infrastructure and security measures required to increase both supply and production, contracting strategies, regulatory frameworks, financial scenarios and human resource competencies and support services to put Iraq on a level with international players.

Furthermore, Ms Sheth explained that this year's event would also explore the potential in the downstream sector further, resulting from exploration activities in the country. "These discussions will be inaugurated by His Excellency Mohammed Abdullah Mohammed, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Industry and Minerals, official event supporter." In dedicated sessions on Iraq's burgeoning downstream sector, progress of Kirkuk, Maysan, Nassiriyah and Karbala refineries and their respective modernisation strategies and plans to rehabilitate existing facilities will be highlighted. Ms. Sheth continued "There is a strong potential for new petrochemical projects, and the strategy of the Government and participating IOCs to put these plans into motion will make for very exciting and valuable discussions." Opportunities in the Fertilizers arena will be addressed by Mr. Mahdi Salim Abdulhasan, Director General of the State Company for Southern Fertilizers.

The final day of Iraq Future Energy 2012 on 20 September will host two master classes. The first will look at the new regulations under which contracts will be awarded and their impact on business in Iraq. The second will examine the latest financing structures and models for energy projects looking at EPC vs. IPP models and the potential use of PPPs in years to come.

Iraq Future Energy takes place from 17 - 20 September 2012 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Event website: www.theenergyexchange.co.uk/iraq

For further information please contact:

Jodie Butler
Marketing Manager
Iraq Future Energy 2012
T: +44 (0) 20 7384 8015
E: j.butler ( @ ) theenergyexchange dot co.uk

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