Nigeria Oil & Gas Conference & Exhibition (NOG)

Statement from CWC Group:

In memory of H.E. Dr. Alirio Parra

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of His Excellency Dr Alirio Parra, Former Minister of Energy and Mines, Venezuela and Senior Advisor, CWC Group Limited, on the 9^th of March 2018, aged 90. Dr Parra was an inspiration to us all and will be sorely missed here at CWC.

Alirio was energised by the industry and refused to give up work as he got older. Up until very recently Dr Parra was one of the first in the office in the morning, and in 2017 was still insisting to travel to Vienna and his beloved Nigeria. Dr Parra also had an incredible thirst for knowledge, whether it was latest industry trends, or the functionality of the latest Apple product, he never felt he was too old to learn. With a strong moral compass, an unrelenting dedication to his industry, and a calm and modest persona he was an example to all of our staff both past and present.

Early in his career, as a member of the Presidential Commission on Oil Nationalisation in 1975, he participated in the creation of Petroleos de Venezuela S.A., or PDVSA. In fact, as a founding Board Member of PDVSA, he spent 15 years helping to shape the company into an efficient, global commercial enterprise. In this, he modernised PDVSA’s downstream sector and revamped the entire refinery sub-sector, while also making sure the company was more efficiently integrated into world markets. He also initiated and facilitated the development of Orinoco heavy crude.

Dr. Parra was Venezuela’s Minister of Energy and Mines from 1992–94 and during this period he also served as President of the OPEC Conference. Read more…

These eminent achievements alone are venerable but over the years Dr. Parra was involved with many other professional activities.He was a former President of the International Association of Energy Economists (1988), Chairman of the British Institute of Energy Economics (1997) and the Oxford Energy Policy Club (1984-95). He was also a former President of the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) and a Member of the International Advisory Board of the French oil company, Total.In October 2006, he was elected an Honorary Fellow of the British Institute of Energy Economics.He was also Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Energy Intelligence Group in Washington DC, and Vice-President of the Anglo-Venezuelan Society in London.

In 1997, he joined CWC Group where he remained until he died. Here advised the Board, met with senior figures in the world of Energy, chaired many conferences and enjoyed the office life at our London HQ.

In 2017, at a gala dinner among OPEC and non-OPEC participants which commemorated the landmark ‘Declaration of Cooperation’, the Organization honoured his distinguished career and life achievements. In receiving the award, Dr. Parra said: “I am humbled, surprised, but delighted to be the recipient of this tremendous and incredible honour.”

OPEC honoured HE Dr. Alirio Parra (second rright), for his distinguished career and life achievements

His Excellency, Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, OPEC Secretary General, said: “This is an extremely sad day, not only for his family, his wife Sally and their children, who are in our thoughts and prayers, but for the entire OPEC family which Dr. Parra was a founding member and remained a treasured part of his entire life. But we should also recall the great life of this quintessential gentleman: one of the great men of the industry, a proud son of Venezuela and a citizen of the world, a scholar, a real oil man – and, to many of us, a very dear friend.”

Even last week Dr Parra was in contact with staff in the office, hungry for industry news and the welfare of the teams. This is typical of the man who knew no limitation in his age, and was always thinking of others. Our thoughts and prayers are with Alirio’s family in this difficult time.

CWC Group Limited

Exclusive Announcement: Dr. Emmanuel Kachikwu Confirmed to Speak at NOG 2018

Dr. Emmanuel Kachikwu, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources has confirmed his participation at the 17th Annual Nigeria Oil & Gas Conference and Exhibition. Kachikwu will be heading up an unrivaled line up of industry leaders.

“The Nigerian Oil and Gas Conference & Exhibition is an important event in the Nigeria oil and gas industry calendar. As such, I am delighted to participate with you today in discussing the current state of our industry and discuss the roadmap for moving the industry forward.”

Dr. Emmanuel Kachikwu, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources at NOG 2017

View all Confirmed Speakers

The Gathering Place for the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry

The Nigeria Oil & Gas Conference & Exhibition, now in its seventeenth year, will be returning to Abuja from 2 – 5 July 2018. The annual meeting of industry stakeholders will once again gather over 700 industry professionals to network and explore new business opportunities within the industry. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet the who’s who of the Nigerian oil and gas industry.