Australian and overseas government ministers and officials, industry representatives and media will be in town for the APEC Energy Ministers Meeting on May 27-30 and South East Asia Australia Offshore Conference (SEAAOC) on May 30 to June 1.

The conferences are timely, with agreement just reached between Australia and East Timor to further develop petroleum in the Timor Sea and share the royalties on an equal basis.

The Australian Senate last month gave the final tick to legislation on the agreement.

Darwin will have the opportunity to showcase its modern port and infrastructure facilities developed to service and supply offshore and onshore oil and gas projects.

Topics covered at the event will include liquefied natural gas producers and markets, gas-to-liquids and downstream gas technologies and opportunities, commercialising gas reserves in Australia and Papua New Guinea, and exploration and production.

Speakers at SEAAOC will include Northern Territory Chief Minister Clare Martin, Australian Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources Ian Macfarlane and Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association chief executive Belinda Robinson.

Industry speakers include ConocoPhillips Australia’s new president Joe Marushack, Oil Search managing director Peter Botten, Nexus Energy managing director Ian Tchacos, MEO Australia managing director Chris Hart, and North West Shelf Australia LNG president Peter Cleary.

Other eminent speakers include Taiwanese Minister for Economic Affairs Steve Ruey-long Chen and Peruvian Minister of Energy Juan Valdivia Romero. East Timor Prime Minister Dr Jose Ramos-Horta has also been invited to speak.

SEAAOC will be held at the Holiday Inn Esplanade. Visit www.seaaoc.com for more details.