OPEC’s 60th Anniversary Celebration Postponed

OPEC’s 60th Anniversary Celebration Postponed
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OPEC’s 60th Anniversary Celebration Postponed

OPEC’s 60th Anniversary Celebration Postponed

The celebrations of OPEC’s 60th Anniversary, which were originally scheduled this month in Baghdad where the Organization was founded, have been postponed.

Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, OPEC Secretary General, said in statements on Friday that he received a letter from Ihsan Abdul Jabbar Ismaael, Iraq’s Oil Minister stressing that it is “genuinely disappointing not to be able to host the 60th Anniversary” following months of preparations for the historic event.

“The health and safety of all are of utmost importance,” the Minister noted.

Barkindo expressed his sincere gratitude for Iraq’s gracious initiative to host OPEC’s Diamond Anniversary in the Al-Shaab Hall in Bab Al-Muaadham, Baghdad, the site of OPEC’s founding in 1960.

“It is very unfortunate that we are unable to mark OPEC’s Diamond Anniversary in September at the same site where the historic ‘Baghdad Conference’ was held between 10 and 14 September 1960," he said.

"It was a historic meeting in all senses that saw the common vision and wisdom of our Founder Members and led to the creation of a foresighted organization that grew in stature and influence to become a distinguished entity within the global energy community,” Barkindo noted.

OPEC is an intergovernmental organization that was established on 14 September 1960 in Baghdad by its five Founder Members: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Its membership has grown since then to 13 oil producing countries.

This month, OPEC is also marking the 55th year since the Organization’s Secretariat moved to the Austrian capital of Vienna.



Abu Dhabi's XRG Targets Gas, LNG Capacity of 20-25 Million Tons a Year by 2035

Sultan Al Jaber, COP28 President, speaks at the United Nations climate change conference COP29 opening in Baku, Azerbaijan November 11, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
Sultan Al Jaber, COP28 President, speaks at the United Nations climate change conference COP29 opening in Baku, Azerbaijan November 11, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
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Abu Dhabi's XRG Targets Gas, LNG Capacity of 20-25 Million Tons a Year by 2035

Sultan Al Jaber, COP28 President, speaks at the United Nations climate change conference COP29 opening in Baku, Azerbaijan November 11, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
Sultan Al Jaber, COP28 President, speaks at the United Nations climate change conference COP29 opening in Baku, Azerbaijan November 11, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo

XRG, the international investment arm of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), is aiming to have a gas and LNG business with a capacity of between 20 million and 25 million metric tons a year by 2035, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

XRG was set up last year as an investment company focused on lower-carbon energy, gas and chemicals, with assets of more than $80 billion.

On Tuesday, its board, whose members include former BP CEO Bernard Looney and Blackstone's Jon Gray, approved the capacity target and a new five-year business plan.

Board members also supported the assessment of potential gas acquisitions and LNG opportunities in North America, Reuters reported.

ADNOC's current US investments already sit under XRG, and the oil giant's Chief Executive Sultan Al Jaber said in March that XRG would make a significant investment in US natural gas in coming months.

XRG has also changed the name of its low carbon energies platform to Energy Solutions to reflect the full scope of the company's strategy, including energy demand linked to artificial intelligence and the digital economy, a company spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The board "endorsed the company's ambition to create a top three global chemicals platform," XRG said.

ADNOC had agreed in October to buy German chemicals maker Covestro for 14.7 billion euros ($16.73 billion) including debt. Jaber later said it would sit under XRG.