Ian Macfarlane, Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources, will officially open the 44th annual conference and exhibition of The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) on Monday 29 March.

Joel Fitzgibbon, MP, Shadow Minister for Mining, Energy and Forestry will address the conference on Tuesday 30 March.

It is the third occasion the annual APPEA conference has been held in Canberra.

Some 900 oil and gas industry people will attend the conference and 120 stalls have been booked for the 2004 APPEA Exhibition.

The theme for this year's conference - "Contributing to our Nation" - is expected to draw strong comment about the relevance of the upstream oil and gas industry in Australia and the value of its contribution to the community.

Debate can also be expected to continue on the Federal Government's long-awaited Australian Energy Policy.

APPEA is the key body representing Australia's upstream oil and gas industry.

Keynote speakers include Dr Philippe Lacour-Gayet, Vice-President and Chief Scientist, Schlumberger Limited, New York (Can the oil and gas industry help solve the co2 problem?); John Gass, Vice-President, ChevronTexaco Corporation and President, ChevronTexaco Global Gas (The future of global gas markets); Dr Robert Skinner, Director, Exford Institute for Energy Studies (Energy supply expectations - real or a pipe dream?); and Gerry Hueston, Chairman, Australian Institute of Petroleum (Where is refining heading in Australia?).

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