IEW: PNGRB holds International Conference of Regulators in Goa

PANAJI: The inaugural edition of the International Conference of Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulators was held under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) between February 5 and 8 during the India Energy Week (IEW) 2024, Goa. The conference featured major South and Southeast Asian National Energy Regulatory Authorities from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, as well as international industry leaders. S&P Global Commodity Insights was the knowledge partner for the conference.

The conference overarching theme was “Navigating Pathways for Natural Gas Development”, emphasising upon natural gas’s role in driving faster and deeper emission reduction that is vital to meet climate goals of emerging and developing countries. The discussions at five plenary sessions delved into a spectrum of topics, ranging from geopolitical uncertainties impacting energy security, rapid infrastructure development, public-private partnerships and institutional growth. A roundtable of international regulators brought together the custodians of regulatory frameworks, providing a platform for sharing best practices, cross-border collaborative strategies to enhance energy security and ensuring effective governance.

The Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri while addressing the gathering reiterated the Prime Minister’s vision to increase the share of natural gas from 6 per cent to 15 per cent in India’s energy mix. He appreciated PNGRB for this initiative and emphasised that going forward international regulatory conclave of oil and gas regulators be made as an integral feature of IEW. PNGRB chairperson Anil Kumar Jain stressed upon the importance of regional collaboration between South and Southeast Asian countries for knowledge sharing to formulate effective regulatory frameworks for natural gas development.