The World Petroleum Congress to Be Held in Kazakhstan for the First Time

Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, has long been positioned as an influential international dialogue platform for finding solutions to many pressing problems of our time. In 2028, for the first time ever, the city will host the most important event in the global oil and gas industry, the World Petroleum Congress (WPC). In that year, the Congress will be held for the 26^th time in its long history. Kazakhstan has worked for many years trying to obtain the right to host this prestigious large-scale event. The Congress in Astana will be the first international oil and gas event of this level not only for the Republic of Kazakhstan (RK), but also for the Central Asian region.

Astana’s long-awaited victory

Kazakhstan, a country that has significant proven hydrocarbon reserves (3.3% of the world’s total), is quite a large player in the global energy market. According to the Ministry of Energy of the RK, as of the beginning of 2024, the country’s current oil reserves amounted to 4.4 billion tons. In addition, Kazakhstan has solid gas resources, ranking 22^nd in the world and 3^rd among the CIS countries (after Russia and Turkmenistan). Approved recoverable reserves amount to 3.8 trillion cubic meters, including 2.2 trillion cubic meters of associated gas and 1.6 trillion cubic meters of free gas.

According to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy, Kazakhstan ranked 13^th in the global list of oil-producing countries in 2023. Last year, about 90 million tons of oil were produced in the Republic of Kazakhstan, although according to the original plan, it was to produce 92-93 million tons. This slight underperformance can be explained by repairs at large oil and gas production enterprises, as well as by Astana’s obligations to voluntarily reduce production volumes within the OPEC+ format.

By 2030, Kazakhstan plans to increase production to 104.2 million tons. To achieve that, the country relies mainly on the expansion of three giant fields: Tengiz, Kashagan and Karachaganak, which currently account for more than half of all oil produced in the country [1].

The news that Astana was picked as the venue for the 26^th world oil industry forum came in early June of this year. Back then, following the negotiations held in London between Pedro Miras, President of WPC Energy [until 2023, the organization was known as the World Petroleum Council, or WPC], and Magzum Mirzagaliev, head of the KAZENERGY association, a corresponding memorandum was signed [2].

It should be noted that Kazakhstan has fought for the right to host the World Petroleum Congress for many years. The RK began to seek the role of the host country of such an ambitious event in 2014 for the first time, when it submitted an application to organize the 22^nd WPC, which was held in 2017. At that time, preparations for the Expo 2017 were in full swing: Modern exhibition facilities, hotels, international transport hubs and an airport were being built in Astana. Given all this, the Kazakhstani authorities reasonably expected to combine these two large-scale events. However, back then, the majority of the members of the World Petroleum Council made their choice in favor of Istanbul, Türkiye. In 2019, the Republic of Kazakhstan made a second attempt, which was again unsuccessful: This time Houston, Texas, was chosen as the venue for the 23^rd WPC (it was held in 2020). Kazakhstan did not give up, and decided to pursue the coveted chance to host the event. And, finally, the third attempt was a winner.

The KAZENERGY association (it unites organizations of the RK’s oil and gas and energy complex), which initiated the application to hold the oil congress in Kazakhstan, explains the country’s long-awaited success by the group’s close cooperation with WPC Energy, as well as support provided by the Kazakhstani government and KazMunayGas, a national oil and gas company.

During the nomination campaign, where Kazakhstan’s candidacy was considered, members of WPC Energy pointed out the high level of development of the national industry, its importance for the global industry, the country’s activity and authority within the organization. Astana’s application was unanimously supported by all member of WPC Energy.

An important factor in making the decision could be the long-term presence of large multinational oil and gas corporations in the Kazakhstani energy market: Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell plc, TotalEnergies, CNPC, INPEX, Lukoil and a number of others are all based in WPC Energy member countries.

Perhaps, the decisive role in the RK’s victory was played by the country’s vast experience in hosting various major events at the international level. Among others, summits of the SCO, OSCE, OIC, the Astana international forum, congresses of leaders of world and traditional religions, KAZENERGY forums, the international exposition Expo 2017 Astana allowed Kazakhstan and its capital to consolidate their status as an influential international platform that affects decisions of global significance.

It should be stressed that the Kazakhstani oil industry will cross its 125-year mark in November 2024: Oil was produced for the first time in 1899 at the Karashungul field in the Atyrau Region [3]. Thus, ahead of the celebration of that landmark date, the choice of Kazakhstan as a venue for the next World Petroleum Congress is a truly historical achievement for this Central Asian nation.

Oil as the world’s unifying principle

WPC Energy is an international nongovernmental, non-commercial organization, which has accreditation as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) from the United Nations; it is dedicated to providing a global forum for the discussion of key issues of the oil and gas industry.

The dialogue within the framework of WPC Energy is intended to consolidate positions and work out practical solutions encompassing all countries involved in the production, processing, storage, marketing, and consumption of hydrocarbons and various energy sources.

The World Petroleum Council was founded in London in 1933. Today, the organization includes about 60 countries (including OPEC member nations), which together account for 96% of global oil and gas production and consumption. The largest state-owned, as well as independent, oil companies based in various countries of the world have representation in WPC Energy. Each country has a national committee comprised of representatives of the oil and gas industry, academic and research institutions, and government agencies. The governing body of WPC Energy is the Council made up of members representing their national committees [4].

Membership in WPC Energy offers many benefits to participating countries. For instance, they have access to the latest information regarding the most recent scientific and technological discoveries and achievements, to general economic and specialized industry-related information, as well as data on the current state of affairs in the global oil and gas industry.

Over the past ninety years, the World Petroleum Council, at each stage of its development, has analyzed and covered a huge number of factors (economic, political, social, natural) that play a role in the processes occurring in the oil and gas industry. The organization’s activities have also influenced the situation in the world, scientific and technological progress in the industry, achievements of fundamental and applied sciences, the state of national economies, and have contributed to a wide dissemination of scientific and technical knowledge and furtherance of international cooperation.

The World Petroleum Congress is WPC Energy’s flagship event. It was first held in the British capital in July 1933. By that time, the relatively young but already rapidly developing oil industry was in need of an environment for the international exchange of scientific and technical information, for the building of cooperation and other international relations [5].

A key role in organizing and holding the first WPC was played by the London Institute of Petroleum Technologists (later renamed as Institute of Petroleum), led by its President Thomas Dewhurst, who was later elected president of the World Petroleum Congresses that were to follow.

The event was a huge success among the global oil community, as it brough together about 1,000 delegates from 35 countries. That forum went down forever in the history of the global oil industry as its first global-level event.

Since then, the WPC has firmly established its status as an influential international platform to discuss current issues on the global energy and oil agenda. The event, usually attended by more than 15,000 people from over 100 countries, traditionally brings together heads of state and government, of industry-related ministries and departments, senior executives of major corporations, representatives of NGOs and international organizations, as well as scientists and leading experts from all over the world. Renowned energy companies, such as ABB, General Electric, Siemens, Honeywell, Saudi Aramco, Petrobras, CNPC, Sonatrach, Gazprom, Lukoil, BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, PDVSA, Schlumberger, Shell, Total, Qatar Petroleum, are also among the Congress regulars.

In the course of numerous discussions at the Congress, which is often referred to as the «Olympics» of the oil and gas industry, all aspects of the energy sector are covered, from advanced technologies in oil exploration, production and refining, to the role of natural gas and renewable energy sources (RES), industrial management issues and the industry’s impact on society, the economy and the environment.

Since its inception in 1933, the WPC was held every four years until 1991, with a 14-year break between 1937 and 1951 due to World War II. After 1991, it was held every three years until 2000. Following that, the world forum of the oil industry was scheduled to become biennial. In 2002, it was held in Rio de Janeiro according to that plan. However, afterwards, the Congress switched to the triennial schedule back again.

After its 25^th, «jubilee», event, which will be held in the Saudi capital of Riyadh in April 2026, the WPC is expected to make a transition to a biennial cycle.

The World Petroleum Congress takes place in one of the WPC Energy member nations. Cities applying to host the next world oil industry forum submit an application, which must be vetted according to an established procedure. The WPC has already been hosted by the UK, U.S., Norway, China, Brazil, Spain, Qatar, Russia, Turkey, and Canada. Some of the countries have hosted this large-scale event more than once.

Productive cooperation between WPC Energy and Astana

Cooperation between Kazakhstan and WPC Energy began in 1997, when Astana joined the organization. However, after some time, its activities as a member of the World Petroleum Council were suspended. In 2008, within the framework of the World Petroleum Congress in Madrid, Kazakhstan renewed its membership in WPC Energy on the initiative of the KAZENERGY association [6].

Kazakhstan’s national committee of WPC Energy is one of the most active within the organization. It has initiated a number of noteworthy events that were highly appreciated by members of the World Petroleum Council. Among them, it is important to note the meetings of the WPC Executive Committee and Congress Program Committee held in 2012 as part of the 7^th KAZENERGY Eurasian Forum in Astana.

Another memorable moment in Kazakhstan’s interaction with the WPC was the World Petroleum Council Day held in September 2017, within the framework of the international specialized exhibition Expo 2017 in Astana, in which Thor Fyaeran, President of the WPC, took part.

In October 2018, the second meeting of the World Petroleum Council was held in Kazakhstan’s capital city, attended by heads of delegations of the national committees of the organization’s member nations. Those were representatives of major international industry corporations and government organizations from 30 countries, including OPEC member nations. As part of the event, a conference was held, «Investment Opportunities: New Solutions for Sustainable Growth», organized by the KAZENERGY association and the Ministry of Energy of the RK. Thus, Kazakhstan initiated a special investment-themed session for the first time, which later would become a usual practice of the WPC.

Another landmark event in the history of Kazakhstan’s partnership with WPC Energy was the 7^th Youth Forum of the World Petroleum Council, held in Almaty in September-October 2022 under the slogan «Energy Transition: Dialogue of Generations». More than 700 delegates from almost 30 countries were in attendance. Among them were representatives of academic, industrial and business circles, government and industry organizations, presidents of leading technical universities, world industry experts, young professionals and students. An action-packed business and cultural program of the forum included more than 20 events, as well as 110+ papers and reports on current issues of the global energy agenda.

At multiple panels, young representatives of the energy industry discussed issues of decarbonization and environmental sustainability, debated how to achieve real results in the energy transition, to conserve conventional and expand the use of renewable energy sources.

The main practical outcome of the youth forum, which WPC Energy President Pedro Miras called one of the best in history, was the adoption of the Almaty Declaration. It reflects the organization’s member nations’ common vision of the future of the oil and gas sector as a stable and sustainable producer of energy resources and a promoter of the global environmental agenda.

A truly momentous event for the WPC Energy member nations was the WPC Council meeting held within the framework of the youth forum in Almaty, at which the organization’s Strategic Plan for the next five years was approved. The WPC will continue to evolve into the most important global forum promoting open dialogue on the rational use of all energy sources [7]. In a bid to implement this plan, it was decided to use the Kazakh-British Technical University as a basis for setting up an educational hub that would pool resources of the world’s higher technical educational institutions, think tanks, research organizations and other educational institutions, would specialize in energy and operate under the auspices of and in coordination with WPC Energy. This important initiative, launched by Astana, is designed to promote cooperation between promising specialists, development of mentoring programs in the field of technical expertise, advanced training, job search, etc., around the world.

As part of the world oil forum, which will be held in 2028 in Astana, Kazakhstan intends to present its initiatives on environmental responsibility, mobilizing ESG investments and achieving sustainable development goals [8].

In particular, the Congress’s extensive business program includes global events dedicated to the implementation of the Sustainable Energy Strategy for the Future until 2050 and achievement of carbon neutrality in Kazakhstan by 2060. Particular emphasis is to be made on current issues in the global gas industry, prospects for renewable energy, as well as the resurgent agenda for the use of fossil fuels and peaceful nuclear energy. Experts will also discuss regional aspects of energy security and cooperation, which is especially crucial for Central Asian countries.

New prospects and opportunities for Kazakhstan

The Republic of Kazakhstan will become the first Central Asian country, and the second among the CIS countries after Russia, to host the World Petroleum Congress. Holding a business event of this level in Astana will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the country’s political and image-building appeal and will allow it to further strengthen its authority on the world stage.

Naturally, expectations for the upcoming World Petroleum Congress in Astana are not limited to merely boosting the reputation and profile of Kazakhstan in the international arena. As the KAZENERGY association notes, holding a WPC will produce a multiplier effect on the national economy and will make a great contribution to improving the business climate, attracting investments and advanced technologies in the oil and gas industry. Moreover, it will give a powerful impetus for the development of the service sector, business tourism and infrastructure of Astana and other cities. The event will also have a positive impact on the networking among experts of the oil and gas industry, will drive sharing best practices, innovation in the field of professional training, and finding new investment partners.

On a separate note, we should remark that bringing in new investments is one of the strategically imperative challenges that the Kazakhstani leadership is facing today. In recent years, Astana has been pursuing an «open door» policy for foreign investment and has taken active measures to increase investment appeal by introducing various mechanisms to support investors, including in the field of subsoil use. By the way, in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI), Kazakhstan is a leader not only in the Central Asian region, but also among all countries of the post-Soviet space.

The Concept of Investment Policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2026, which is currently in its implementation stage, provides for increasing the level of investment in fixed assets to 25.1% of GDP and increasing the inflow of FDI to $25.5 billion in 2026.

Within the framework of this concept, one of the major areas of investment influx is the commodities sector, where oil and gas are the core. As a major industry, the oil and gas sector is the basis for the development of the Kazakhstani economy at large. It accounts for about 20% of the country’s total GDP and a substantial portion of the state budget. In addition, oil and gas account for more than half of Kazakhstan’s exports.

While Astana has been taking certain steps to diversify its economy in recent years, in an attempt to move away from dependence on raw materials, the country’s authorities intend, going forward, to continue to pay attention to the development of the oil and gas complex. Thus, in December 2023, Kazakhstan’s government approved a Comprehensive Plan for the development of the largest oil and gas and petrochemical projects for 2023-2027. In particular, the plan is aimed at implementing 20 major projects with an expected total investment of $37.3 billion.

Along with the development of the oil and gas potential, another key priority for Kazakhstan’s leadership is alternative energy. The country possesses enormous resources for its development, and the authorities have high hopes for it in the future.

It is a well-known fact that a concept for the country’s transition to a green economy has been implemented in the Republic of Kazakhstan for more than ten years now. One of its key goals is to increase the share of renewable energy sources in the country’s energy balance. As a footnote, currently more than 70% of all electric power generation in Kazakhstan comes from hard coal.

In 2020, Astana was able to achieve the first target indicator defined in the concept for the transition of the RK to a «green» economy: Renewable energy sources accounted for 3% of the total volume of electricity generation in the country. The National Development Plan of Kazakhstan has specified a new similar target indicator for 2025, which is now 6%.

By the end of the current decade, Kazakhstan plans to increase the share of renewable energy sources in its energy balance to 15%, and by 2050, «green» sources should account for at least half of the total energy consumption in the country.

Astana has set itself an ambitious goal: to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. In February 2023, a Low-Carbon Development Strategy was approved. To date, Kazakhstan is the first country in the Central Asian region to adopt such a document.

Specific steps to implement the goals and principles of the strategy will be spelled out in a corresponding roadmap. A special taskforce has been set up for its development; it is divided into 18 subgroups of various specialties [9]. The roadmap will cover issues of building an effective system for trading in quotas for greenhouse gas emissions, «green» funding, increasing the energy efficiency of enterprises and buildings, and decarbonizing industrial processes. In addition, low-carbon policy measures will be determined throughout the entire Kazakhstani economy.

The KAZENERGY association emphasizes that great hopes are placed on the oil and gas industry, as a key sector of Kazakhstan’s economy, in a bid to achieve the goals set in the Climate Strategy. The association also says that decarbonization technologies will require companies to invest more and to restructure their current business models. In reality, this means that there is a need to find some kind of practical formula, which would help achieve climate neutrality while maintaining a balance between the interests of the country and the oil and gas industry.

Taking into account the importance and scale of these and other challenges within the framework of the implementation of this strategy, the WPC Energy Congress in Astana is perceived as an effective and efficient tool to ensure synergy of the national industry community, the experience of foreign experts, and the best modern technologies for the benefit of the development of Kazakhstan’s energy sector [10].

Kazakhstan’s national committee of WPC Energy says that the Congress in Astana will be financed by international sponsorships, and also through the sale of delegate seats and exhibition space. All proceeds from the event will be used for charitable goals, including the implementation of a social project to create an Oil Museum in Atyrau or the establishment of special educational grants for Kazakhstani students of industry-specific technical universities.

Conclusion

It may be noted that the choice of Astana as the venue for the 2028 World Petroleum Congress indicates recognition of the WPC Energy Kazakhstan national committee’s contribution to the activities of this influential organization and to an international dialogue on current issues in the oil, gas and energy industries.

Holding such an ambitious event as a global oil industry forum in Kazakhstan will undoubtedly contribute to the strengthening of the international influence and profile of this Central Asian country across the globe, its further integration into the global economic and innovation space, the influx of new large foreign investments and advanced technologies into the Kazakhstani market, which will ultimately produce a powerful economic effect. In addition, as a leading international dialogue platform that brings together the best minds in the global energy industry, the 26^th WPC in Astana will offer Kazakhstan a unique historical opportunity to find the most effective solutions in order to achieve its ambitious goals, whether in the oil and gas sector, decarbonization of the economy and transition towards carbon neutrality or in the development of renewable energy sources.