On November 18, the first Alumni Meeting of the ARPEL Leadership Program was held.

The virtual meeting aimed to analyze the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the oil and gas sector, both in the present and in the different scenarios that are analyzed during the training.

The Meeting was attended by 15 students from the Leadership Program, representatives of the companies Ancap, Ecopetrol, Frontera Energy, Pluspetrol, Recope, Staatsolie, Tecpetrol and YPF, from Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Surinam and Uruguay.

IHS-Markit, as instructors of the Program, were also present and made a presentation, which was given by Bob Fryklund, Vice-President - Upstream Energy.

The Program provides tools to develop strategies for the future and understanding of the factors and actors that affect them; decision-making skills that include best practices; a common understanding of regional issues and the options, advantages and disadvantages of each, and a network of future globally responsible leaders, with a common foundation of the region and industry challenges.

The course content is divided into a series of three modules in the main areas: Module 1: Main topics of the global industry and their importance for the strategies and visions of companies in Latin America and the Caribbean. Challenges and development of the upstream. Module 2: The role of downstream in the region under the new global context. Consumption patterns, new generations, urban mobility. Module 3: Gas and renewable energies, and their role as energy fuels in an increasingly decarbonized world. Energy transitions; Innovation; Technology, and Key Disruptors.

In November 2021, Module 3 of the Program will take place in person and will be based in the city of Monterrey, Mexico.

The world is transitioning to a new energy future – one where major questions exist about how to position for the future. As a result, energy and oil and gas companies in particular need to understand a more complex and interconnected set of problems which range from—what the future energy mix should be; what effect will decarbonization have; what is the proper mix of upstream assets – conventional, unconventional, offshore and EOR; and what is the value proposition energy companies bring to communities or the license to operate in increasing sensitive areas. As a result of the onset of digitalization, more powerful computers and automation, industry has massive amounts of data to shift through. To be successful then, a new level of understanding and skills are needed.

For more information about the ARPEL Leadership Program, contact Verónica Ferreira (courses@arpel.org.uy)