DOE-OIMB Supervising Assistant Secretary Leonido J. Pulido III welcomes the participants to the ASIA EDGE Forum on LNG Regulation on 10 December 2019 at the Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay City.
TAGAYTAY CITY – As part of its mandate to keep abreast of developments in the downstream oil and natural gas industries, the Department of Energy-Oil Industry Management Bureau (DOE-OIMB) participated in the Asia Enhancing Development and Growth through Energy (ASIA EDGE) Forum on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Regulation held on 10-12 December 2019 at the Taal Vista Hotel.
Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said, “The DOE remains grateful for the various learning opportunities and the continued support of our development partners under the Gas Policy Development Project. Establishing a strong foundation of knowledge on the LNG industry is central to our goal of transforming our country into a regional LNG hub.”
Sponsored by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources (USDS-BER), 55 delegates from five countries participated in the forum, which featured presentations on LNG regulatory practices and other industry developments from energy regulators and operators from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
DOE-OIMB Supervising Assistant Secretary Leonido J. Pulido III delivered the opening remarks, where he warmly welcomed the delegates and expressed the agency’s appreciation for the event. “This forum will be a great opportunity for us to learn from our colleagues not only from the United States, but also from our neighbors in the region, the NEW LNG Club. Together we will be able to hurdle the challenges of developing an LNG industry, more so, for the Philippines, which has been consistent in its efforts to establish a transparent and competitive LNG market in the country for our energy security and in our commitment to reduce our carbon output,” he stated.
Resource speakers included US LNG regulatory agencies (US Maritime Administration, US Coast Guard, and the US Department of Commerce), as well as private sector experts, who shared their knowledge on the operations of floating storage and regasification units, offshore and near-shore LNG facilities permits, maritime traffic from LNG cargoes, industry standards for LNG ports and maritime activities, LNG Health, Safety, Security, and Environment standards, global LNG market, structure and standard terms in LNG sales and trading contacts, fundamentals of infrastructure finance, and domestic gas market and third party access.
The ASIA EDGE Forum was organized by the Commercial Law Development Program of the US Department of Commerce, under the guidance and funding support of the USDS-BER, and in partnership with the Gas Policy Development Program (GPDP). The GPDP is funded through a cooperative agreement with the USDS being implemented by the University of the Philippines’ Statistical Center Research Foundation, Inc.
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