‘The Geopolitics of Natural Gas’ study to be released at the Baker Institute Feb. 21

MEDIA ADVISORY

David Ruth
druth@rice.edu
713-348-6327

Jeff Falk
jfalk@rice.edu
713-348-6775

‘The Geopolitics of Natural Gas’ study to be released at the Baker Institute Feb. 21

HOUSTON – (Feb. 17, 2014) – “The Geopolitics of Natural Gas,” a multiyear study directed by the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Geopolitics of Energy Project at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, will culminate with a special conference at the Baker Institute Feb. 21.

Who:               The morning keynote speaker will be Ryan Lance, chairman and CEO of ConocoPhillips. The afternoon keynote speaker will be Edward Djerejian, founding director of the Baker Institute.

Mark Finley, global manager of global energy markets and U.S. economics at BP, will give a special “BP Global Energy Outlook 2035” presentation.

Also speaking will be study leaders Kenneth Medlock, the James A. Baker III and Susan Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics at the Baker Institute and senior director of the institute’s Center for Energy Studies; Meghan O’Sullivan, the Jeane Kirkpatrick Professor of the Practice of International Affairs and director of the Geopolitics of Energy Project at Harvard’s Kennedy School; and Amy Myers Jaffe, executive director of energy and sustainability at the University of California at Davis’ Graduate School of Management.

For the complete agenda and list of speakers, see http://bakerinstitute.org/media/files/event/8544c8d0/Conference_Agenda.pdf.

What:             “The Geopolitics of Natural Gas” conference.

When:             Friday, Feb. 21, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Where:           Rice University, Baker Hall, Doré Commons, 6100 Main St.

One of the most dramatic energy market developments in recent years is tied directly to unconventional natural gas, according to conference organizers. Rapid growth in the production of natural gas from shale propelled the emergence of the United States and Canada as potential suppliers of liquefied natural gas to Asian and European consumers. The upstream successes in North America are also catalyzing countries in Asia and Europe to initiate the exploration of their own indigenous shale gas potential, organizers said.

The “Geopolitics of Natural Gas” study consists of two parts, which will be released at the conference:

1)         Case studies looking at internal and regional dynamics that will affect individual countries’ gas production and consumption over the next 30 years.
2)         Results from multiple scenarios modeled using the Rice World Gas Trade Model to simulate how political, economic and geopolitical trends could change domestic and global gas supply, demand and markets — and vice versa.

The conference is sponsored by ConocoPhillips and Baker Institute Energy Forum members.

Members of the news media who want to attend should RSVP to Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

For a map of Rice University’s campus, go to www.rice.edu/maps/maps.html.

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Related materials:

“The Geopolitics of Natural Gas” study: http://bakerinstitute.org/research/geopolitics-natural-gas/

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Founded in 1993, the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University in Houston ranks among the top 20 university-affiliated think tanks globally and top 30 think tanks in the United States. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute conducts research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows and Rice University scholars. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.