2017 Summer NAPE Recap
09.01.2017
More than 2,800 oil and gas industry decisionmakers and 200 exhibitors from across the U.S. attended Summer NAPE in Houston. Held Aug. 16–17 at the George R. Brown Convention Center, the 2017 event grew in attendance, exhibits and events, with the introduction of two all-new offerings — regionally focused (and widely popular) Hot Play Happy Hours and the Lease & Mineral Exchange program. “As a destination for oil and gas industry dealmaking and upstream trends, NAPE often serves as a barometer for the oil and gas industry’s growth and performance in the months to come,” said Greg Riedl, chairman of the NAPE Operators Committee. “Continued gains in NAPE attendance and exhibitor activity are positive indicators of the industry at large and what we can expect in 2018.” He added: “Summer NAPE is intentionally designed to be a more intimate, regionally focused show, so these new offerings were widely welcomed by attendees.”
Kicking off the NAPE Business Conference, Bruce Niemeyer, vice president of the Mid-Continent business unit for Chevron, opened with a reflection on the history of the Permian Basin. He shared how the legacy of the first workers in the Permian Basin continues to develop today, as oil and gas professionals are making history in the region. The conference continued with a Wood Mackenzie panel discussion among Robert Clarke, research director; R.T. Dukes, research director; and Clay Lightfoot, research analyst. They explored the current state of activity in the U.S. Lower 48 upstream, including investmentpotentials, price outlooks, and play and operator benchmarking. Dukes highlighted the huge potential in the Permian Basin as well as other key regions. The NAPE Business Conference Luncheon featured Alan Townsend, president and CEO of Rosehill Resources, and Steve Goreham, executive director of the Climate Science Coalition of America. Goreham tackled the three common misconceptions about energy: pollution, climate destruction and resource depletion. He illustrated how we are experiencing the start of an upheaval in energy with the recent changes in public policy and perception on climate change. The Business Conference was taken to the next level with the addition of the Hot Play Table Talks, which provided greater opportunities to meet and network with industry decision-makers in specific shale plays. After the NAPE Business Conference concluded, the Summer NAPE Exhibit Floor hosted more than 100 prospects and opened to scores of upstream deal-makers, financiers and energy professionals from across 34 states and 190 cities. Also new for 2017, Summer NAPE offered a Lease & Mineral Exchange that gave exhibitors the option to showcase undeveloped lease positions for the first time in NAPE’s almost-25-year,history.
NAPE is constantly looking for ways to provide even more in-depth insights and businessbuilding opportunities for exhibitors and attendees. The new Lease & Mineral Exchange along with the returning Prospect Previews and Capital & Service Provider Presentations were well received by packed crowds in the NAPE Theater. Several presenters reported positive momentum after their presentations. “We did an opening at Summer NAPE to kick off our marketing process for our prospect and had an excellent response from a variety of operators interested in our project. We’re looking forward to having further discussions with many of them,” said Keith Skaar, partner/senior petroleum geologist at Augustin Exploration. The annual Summer NAPE Icebreaker event was a huge success where more than 1,000 oil and gas professionals were able to meet and connect with one another. Day Two included more dealmaking and more networking, capped off with a large crowd enjoying an ice cream social and a NAPE sponsored ATV giveaway. Attendees then made their way to the much anticipated Hot Play Happy Hour socials at conveniently located local hot spots where they continued to network and connect with E&P players working in their same regions of interest. “NAPE is an open book. Everyone here comes to learn and observe,” said Joe Garcia, vice president at Imersion Global Inc. “In exhibiting at Summer NAPE, it’s not just about the deals you make today, but the ones coming down the road because you were here today.”