The United States, through the American Gas Association, took over the Presidency of the International Gas Union at the 26th World Gas Conference in Paris.
The U.S. will lead the organization, made up of the gas industries of 91 nations, for a three-year term which will conclude with the 27th World Gas Conference in June 2018 in Washington, DC, AGA informed in a statement.
The mission of IGU is to advocate gas as an integral part of a sustainable global energy system, and to promote the political, technical and economic progress of the gas industry. More than 140 members of IGU are associations and corporations of the gas industry representing over 95 percent of the global gas market. The organization provides opportunities for over 1,000 members of the global gas community to share best practices and engage in discussions relating to all segments of the natural gas value chain.
At an IGU meeting in Croatia in October 2011, the U.S. was elected to lead IGU in a ceremony reminiscent of the selection of a host nation for an upcoming Olympics. In addition to the leadership roles for David Carroll and McCurdy, Mel Ydreos of EnergyVantage will serve as chairman of the IGU Coordination Committee and Jay Copan of Barage Energy Consulting will serve as Executive Director of the 2018 World Gas Conference and as Special Advisor to the IGU president.
Under its theme, “Fueling the Future”, the United States team has ascribed three strategic objectives that will guide their work and the efforts of roughly 1,000 gas industry colleagues across the globe:
The 2018 World Gas Conference National Organizing Committee is made up of approximately 50 companies and organizations representing the entire gas value chain, including exporters, in addition to equipment and services suppliers, government executives, think tanks, the Washington, DC business community and the Secretariat of the International Gas Union.
During their term, the North American team will draw on the expertise and advice of international business and diplomatic leaders through the formation of two groups. The Honorary Global Ambassadors Council consists of members of the diplomatic corps based in Washington, DC and will provide guidance on key issues and opportunities in the gas industries of the countries they represent. The Financial Advisory Board is made up of representatives from key global banks as well major energy companies and will assist the U.S. team in understanding a number of the commercial challenges and opportunities facing the global gas industry.
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Image: WGC 2018