23rd World Petroleum Congress has been postponed for a year

The widespread consequences of COVID-19, including health and safety concerns, travel restrictions, and impacts on the global petroleum industry, have presented extraordinary challenges for the world and have taken an enormous toll on the oil and gas sector. Therefore, the World Petroleum Council Executive Committee and 23rd World Petroleum Congress Organizing Committee have agreed to postpone the Congress to December 5-9, 2021 in Houston, USA.


In a statement from WPC President Tor Fjaeran and 23rd WPC Organizing Committee Chairman Jeff Shellebarger is written the following:


“Our global stakeholders and partners were consulted during the evaluation process and remain committed to our efforts. Their valuable input supported our course of action and is greatly appreciated. We will communicate with all speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and registered delegates to keep them informed about their options and ongoing developments.


Our industry is resilient and innovative. As the organizers, we are committed to providing a safe, world-class, global forum to address these massive changes we are currently experiencing, while continuing our high-level engagement, discussion, and dialogue when we convene in Houston next year.


We look forward to welcoming each and every one of you to the 23rd World Petroleum Congress in December 2021.”


"The large-scale challenges that the global oil and gas industry is currently facing, require an in-depth discussion and joint search for solutions. The most suitable platform for this is the World Petroleum Congress, which has the reputation of the largest and most authoritative international meeting of key oil and gas industry specialists," – believes Anatoly Zolotukhin, Senior Vice-President of the World Petroleum Council.


"On the eve of the 23rd World Petroleum Congress, our country has done a lot of preparatory work," – said Vlada Streletskaya, director of the Russian National Committee of the World Petroleum Council. – Representatives of Russia are actively involved in forming the programme of the Congress, they are invited to lead sessions and give presentations. Additional time will allow us to expand the range of Russian participants and form the prerequisites for the most effective participation of our delegation in the Congress events".


The World Petroleum Congresses have been held by the World Petroleum Council every three years since 1933. Traditionally, the programme of the World Petroleum Congress focuses on the most important issues of the industry agenda, the discussion of them is attended by representatives of global and national oil and gas companies from dozens of countries, prominent scientists and authoritative experts. The congresses were held in Moscow twice – in 1971 and 2014.