The World Petroleum Congress is a big deal for Houston. Here’s why

By Ogbu Charles Tochukwu://

The World Petroleum Congress, a triennial gathering of the biggest names and thinkers in the oil and gas industry, returned to Houston on Sunday for the first time since 1987 — when the region was struggling to pull itself from an epic oil bust.

Another oil bust, albeit shorter, but deeper — serves as the backdrop for this edition of the congress, postponed a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But unlike the meetings of more than 30 years ago, the issues facing the industry are more profound than the cyclical challenges of oil and gas.

Oil company executives, energy ministers and other policymakers must contend with what world that still needs, but not necessarily wants, the fossil fuels that have powered modern society. As climate change, which seemed like a far-off theory in 1987, becomes all too real, the questions for the industry and the World Petroleum Congress include how long the world will need oil, how much will it need and how can the energy industry adapt.

The 23rd gathering of the World Petroleum Congress, called the Olympics of oil, kicked off Sunday and runs through Thursday at George R. Brown Convention Center downtown. About 2,500 are expected to attend.

Established in 1933, the congress was held every four years until 1991, with a 14-year hiatus between 1937 and 1951 because of World War II. Since 1991, it has been held every three years since, except for a two-year gap between host cities Calgary in 2000 and Rio de Janeiro in 2002.

Jeff Shellebarger, who retired as president of Chevron’s North American oil and gas operations, is chairman of the Houston organizing committee. He recently spoke with the Houston Chronicle about the importance of the World Petroleum Congress returning to Houston and the challenges ahead for the global oil and gas industry.