Media release: Decarbonisation and energy security the focus as APPEA Conference & Exhibition opens in Brisbane

More than 2,000 delegates have gathered in Brisbane for the largest oil and gas conference in the southern hemisphere to continue to chart the path towards a cleaner energy future through the global challenges of decarbonisation and energy security.

The APPEA 2022 Conference & Exhibition, this year with the theme of Positive Energy For A Changing World, will showcase new technology transforming the industry to deliver lower emissions alongside top speakers on cleaner energy from around the world.

More than 120 exhibits – including models of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology; a robotic dog and drones used for monitoring and surveying; a huge excavator that can be operated autonomously; and a living room scene with everyday items made of gas – will be on show at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre over the next three days.

With principal partners Woodside Energy and ExxonMobil, the conference speaking list features the leaders of some of Australia’s biggest companies – including Santos Chief Executive Kevin Gallagher, Woodside Chief Executive Meg O’Neill and Shell Australia Country Chair Tony Nunan.

Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) Acting Chief Executive Damian Dwyer said natural gas was the key to so much change and uncertainty in the world, including challenges posed by climate change, the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This exciting event showcases the best technology and brains of our industry, helping solve the global challenges of our time – decarbonisation and energy security,” Mr Dwyer said.

“The conference will show how central gas is to our lives – making everyday products, powering homes and business and contributing to our economy, including the billions we pay to governments annually that help pay for public services and roads, schools and hospitals.

“But the agenda also highlights the importance of decarbonisation, using lower emissions technology, replacing coal, partnering with renewables, supporting manufacturing and producing hydrogen.”

In the conference’s technical and business papers sessions, leading industry experts will examine challenges and opportunities facing the sector, including how to make Australia’s powerhouse LNG industry zero emissions; how gas can partner with the growth of renewables to decarbonise; how satellites in space are being used to monitor emissions; and the roll out of proven and viable technologies like CCS.

A world-first initiative will be detailed about how remote-controlled vessels are being deployed to check operations; how gas production operations are being controlled from hundreds of kilometres away and even using technology to monitor and protect native wildlife.

APPEA Queensland Director Matthew Paull said the host state, Queensland, had long been central to Australia’s energy needs.

Mr Paull said the state had also showed its smarts to constantly evolve with the development of new opportunities.

“Queensland continues to be a key player in Australia’s oil and gas story – the second biggest petroleum workforce in the country, with about 31,000 Queenslanders directly employed by almost 9,000 businesses,” Mr Paull said.

“This is due to the heavy lifting done by the Queensland Government over the years that has fostered new areas of growth in CSG in the Surat Basin and the LNG industry in Gladstone.

“The conference is a chance to continue to move further towards a cleaner energy future for the state, with decarbonisation central to the agenda and the opportunity to take our competitive advantage in Queensland and set the industry and state up for decades to come.”

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