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Secretariat

The Secretariat is the administrative organ of the IEF. Governed by a Secretary General responsible to the Executive Board of the Forum the Secretariat is a permanent body charged with structuring and managing the IEF programme of work and ensuring the continuity and development of the producer-consumer dialogue including through preparation for IEF Ministerial Meetings. Based in the Diplomatic Quarter of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia the Secretariat has been headquartered there since its inception in December 2003.

The duties of the Secretariat include:

  • the provision of a neutral platform for dialogue and an exchange of views on issues relating to the objectives of the Forum among Members of the Forum and between Members of the Forum and energy-related industries;
  • the exchange of energy data and information among energy producing, consuming and transit States, organizations and energy-related industries;
  • the organization of seminars, symposia, conferences, workshops, training programmes, exhibitions and roundtable discussions on energy-relevant global or regional issues;
  • the establishment and conduct of dialogue and cooperation with other energy relevant entities in undertaking research and analyses;
  • outreach to energy entities in the public and private sectors, and to international organizations and non-governmental organizations, to promote the study and exchange of views on the interrelationship among energy, technology, environmental issues, and economic growth and development;
  • the preparation and dissemination of newsletters, factual and analytical reports, statements and press releases on activities of the Forum;
  • the provision of assistance to Members of the Forum to ensure that the dialogue among them is more fully focused and result-oriented;
  • the provision of advisory, operational and logistical services to the Host State of a Ministerial Meeting;
  • the preparation of a focused agenda, and collection and analyses of pertinent factual information relevant to the agenda of the Ministerial Meetings in order to facilitate discussions on concrete issues;
  • the provision of assistance to the Host State and Co-Host State(s) with the preparation and issuance of a Concluding Statement;
  • the preparation of agendas, necessary analyses, reports and provision of assistance to the Executive Board, the International Support Group and the Industry Advisory Committee;
  • the circulation to the Members of the Forum of the proposed biennial Programme of Work and draft annual budget and the transmission to the Executive Board of such comments as Members of the Forum may have made;
  • the circulation to the Members of the Forum of the biennial Programme of Work and annual budget approved by the Executive Board.

The Secretariat also seeks to improve the relationship and depth of understanding between the energy industry and the governments of oil and gas producing and consuming countries through industry’s participation in IEF events and symposia. This effort includes the International Energy Business Forum (IEBF), which gathers energy CEOs biennially in conjunction with the IEF Ministerial, a permanent Industry Advisory Committee (IAC) that counsels the Secretariat, and frequent topical symposia that incorporate members of industry and government, as well as participants from international organisations, other experts and academia.

Dialogue Insights

  • Gas is far from being just a bridging fuel. Gas is here to stay.
  • An integrated global gas market is not likely in the near term.
  • The three main gas regions (North America, Europe, & Asia) will keep their own fundamentals for some time.
  • The regionalisation of gas markets does not imply lower interdependence.
  • In the US, cheap gas displaced coal but in Europe cheap US coal has displaced gas.
  • The energy mix in one region depends on the energy mix in another.
  • In North America, UK, & increasingly Europe, gas trading at hubs provides liquid & transparent pricing data.
  • In the US, deregulation & financialisation of the gas market helped establish a price based on fundamentals.
  • The logic for establishing an Asian gas-pricing hub is questionable as the number of buyers & sellers is small.
  • Demand for natural gas in the coming decades is projected to come mainly from non-OECD countries.
  • Prospects for natural gas consumption are still tied to its applications as much as to its relative price.
  • Gas usage depends heavily on an anchor technology, such as electricity generation.
  • Markets remain interconnected and interdependent, despite the recent "re-regionalisation" of gas markets.
  • More dialogue is required to analyse possible changes to the structure of gas contracts.
  • Long-term contracts help ensure security of supply & demand, but there is room to incorporate market signals.
  • Policymakers must balance short-term mandates with long-term goals for the nations they represent.
  • Most stakeholders and market actors do not grasp the degree to which renewables need gas as a backup.
  • Industry and government should work together to address "herd mentalities" regarding entering new markets.
  • Future gas demand levels for transportation remain a "known unknown".
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