A popular feature of the Americas Energy Summit & Exhibition, the Masterclass provides direct access to the latest insights and perspectives from industry experts on the topics that matter today. Fully CPD accredited, the sessions will arm you with the necessary tools to apply in your daily job and shape your business strategy going forward whilst also allowing you to start your networking early.

What new trends are emerging?

• Key regional markets
• Selling gas: the cost vs value considerations
• Supply capacity development – the business models behind Qatar and the US projects
• The Global Portfolio Aggregators role
• Contracting structures and short-term vs long-term considerations
• LNG pricing options

The long lens into the future

• Scenario planning for the global market out to 2050
• Impacts on price sensitive buyers and new entrants
• Key considerations of the principal stakeholders

• Achieving energy security, affordability and decarbonization
  • What lessons did we learn from the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 energy crisis from LNG buyers’ and suppliers' behavior?
  • What changes are we seeing from key regional buyers to run their businesses?
    • Short term till 2026
    • Longer term till 2040
• Are projections broadly correcting on LNG market stabilization post 2025/2026?
• Which factors could bring significant changes in Global LNG demand projections from now until 2040?
• Which markets are likely to offer sustained demand growth?
  • Specific focus on Europe
  • Various Asian markets
  • Niche businesses in the Americas
• Will certification of LNG’s carbon footprint become the norm?
• The Global LNG supply response from key stakeholders
  • Governments
  • Integrated energy companies
  • Liquefaction project developers
  • Investors and lenders

• What commercial innovations are we seeing for structuring new LNG projects?
  • US feed gas sold on a netback basis
  • Equity investors as off takers
• Different tenures of the deals
• Development of new liquefaction projects: The case for FIDs in the next 12-24 months
  • How many FIDs are quite likely?
  • What is holding the projects back?
• How time sensitive are these projects to meet demand at the right price?
• The changing hurdles on project viability. The imperative to manage:
  • Supply cost inflation
  • Rising cost of capital
  • Availability of EPC contractors
  • ESG constrained lenders
  • Aggregating sufficient long-term demand
• To what extent are energy transitions influencing investments in new facilities?

• What is the status of the CCUS market?
• What impact has the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) had on the CCUS market in the past year and the projected impact?
• Is the CCS & CCUS technology ready? How will CCS within energy projects become economically viable?
• Is increasing carbon tax the only option for governments and policy makers to create a higher uptake in CCS across the industry?
• How important has public opinion and climate regulations been in shaping a new urgency for CCS & CCUS projects across the industry?
• What significant technological developments have been made and what more action needs to be taken?
• Carbon sequestration, where is all the carbon going?
• What are the different industry uses?
• CCUS policies and regulations: A need for a safe implementation of the technology across the energy sector

• LNG will reduce carbon emissions in coal-dependent nations rising to the challenge to substitute LNG, what can we do to facilitate it?
• How are the LNG and gas industries progressing to net-zero targets set by governments?
• Using avoidance, reduction and carbon offsets, how are the LNG players responding to decarbonization? Collaboration between stakeholders in the energy industry key to meet emissions reduction targets: what agreements are already in place? How much work needs to be done?
• What’s the current track record and progress in the electrification in the upstream and liquefaction plants?
• How will a proposed methane fee under the IRA affect current operations?

• The pathway forward for hydrogen:
  • The economic case for hydrogen, its applications and advantages
  • Will affordable hydrogen consumption only come from government incentives for production?
  • What are the persistent regulatory, storage and transportation hurdles?
  • What role will ammonia play in developing the hydrogen economy?
  • How will the Americas capture the best new talent needed to build the hydrogen economy?
  • How will hydrogen hubs contribute to the development of widespread use in North and Latin America? Where will they be located and why?
• LNG & natural gas synergies with hydrogen:
  • How can hydrogen complement the LNG & gas industries in their path to GHG reduction?
  • Which form of hydrogen production will be more prominent in the energy mix over the next 10 years? How will emission intensity be the deciding factor?
  • Is there a case for adapting current LNG infrastructure to produce hydrogen?

• Global outlook for short term LNG shipping capacity for 2024-2028
• Current commercial considerations: LNG vessel charter rates, contract lengths and growing presence of Chinese shipyards
• Will the number of new vessels be sufficient to handle projected global growth in LNG demand? How much additional capacity can be created by optimizing vessel use?
• Is existing infrastructure enough to support the projected demand growth in LNG bunkering?
• Regulatory changes: Are they sufficient to drive change; how will the cost of increased environmental regulations on ships be shared?
• The Eco-fuel dilemma: Methane, Ammonia, Electrification or alternatives: What would be cost-effective and available?
• Shipping options for the emerging hydrogen economy
• What is shipping’s future role in carbon capture and storage?
• Are ports and infrastructure prepared for the increased volume of vessels through key strategic regions in the Americas?

All competition entrants will also gain complimentary access to a networking breakfast and to the entire event to enable them to participate in vital industry learning and networking opportunities with key industry players.

This year we are expanding on our existing partnerships with SOWELA, McNeese State University and The University of Louisiana at Lafayette to incorporate a wider pool of universities in Louisiana and Texas that teach relevant courses to the industry. This will ensure both the outreach and opportunities are available to more students looking to start a career in the energy space.

• What is the overall gas supply, demand and storage outlook for Europe as we enter Winter 2023/2024 – which factors could precipitate a shift?
• To what extent will Europe set the global LNG spot price benchmark, and for how long?
• What benefits would a new spot European LNG index have for the industry?
• Is there a long-term shift of USLNG supplying European companies? What are the considerations for European companies to secure long term deals?
• What commitments is the EU prepared to make to accelerate CO2 reduction and what consequences does that have for LNG long term?
• What is the current EU thinking on the progression of managing Energy security, decarbonization and affordability - What can we expect to see next?
• Is European LNG and natural gas infrastructure sufficient to move gas freely around the continent? What else needs to be done?

• Regional overview to 2030 – where are the growth opportunities for LNG imports? Which countries are likely to embrace LNG and become consistent importers?
• What are the key hurdles / risks holding import projects back?
• Contracting trends: Following an illiquid spot market in 2022, is there more willingness from buyers to sign long term SPAs? Or are the trends pointing more to supplies from portfolio aggregators?
• Examples of successful launches of small-scale projects
• Where are the prospects for LNG exports in the longer term from the region? Which markets are they likely to supply - updates on progress of the front runners?

• North Asian markets:
  • Key challenges in balancing LNG and their decarbonization objectives
  • Managing expiries of LNG contracts throughout the 2020s against uncertain demand
  • How much appetite is there for new long-term contracts?
  • China country focus: Latest LNG supply and demand outlook
• South & Southeast Asian markets:
  • Which regions will LNG be a driving force in Asia Pacific’s energy transition and shift away from coal power generation?
  • What impact has the war in Ukraine had on new entrants and their existing projects and their planned gas to power projects?
    • Current examples of companies needing to bolster their LNG supply
    • Strategies to use infrastructure until supply situation improves
  • Does difficulty in securing LNG cost competitively defer LNG demand or destroy it?
    • Pricing levels needed to stimulate long term demand
• Indian Sub-Continent markets:
  • Specific challenges for price sensitive markets
  • What is the appetite for investment in US projects, and for commitment to long-term HH indexed LNG?
  • New initiatives to secure LNG
  • What are the specific challenges for price sensitive markets in Asia?

• How are financiers responding to unprecedented gas prices, volatility, inflation, and demand uncertainty?
• What efforts are expected from host governments to qualify their support for gas in energy transitions long-term to promote investment in LNG supply quickly?
• What are the key financing hurdles associated with currently proposed LNG projects?
• ESG considerations for investors: What are the current attitudes towards LNG project investments?
• Where will the financing of new projects come from between traditional investors or new players such as venture capitalists?
• Has a shift to more long-term contracting in global markets convinced lenders to support more LNG infrastructure projects?
• What are the current financing trends between debt and equity for LNG projects?

• How will widespread certification of gas change the LNG industry? What are the driving forces?
• How will the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) continue to have an impact on the LNG and natural gas industry in the US?
• How are local regulations and permitting reforms impacting global LNG supply?
• How will reforms to greenhouse gas reporting and certification of LNG affect the wider industry in the future?
• What impact will technology play in monitoring methane leakage and reporting?

• How have volatile and illiquid spot prices over the last few years impacted the LNG industry’s approach to spot trading and risk management?
  • The impact of rising margin calls on the exchanges for LNG trading companies
• Examples of Risk Management service providers and their views on changing trends in the industry
• Hedging strategies for USLNG off takers
  • Different approaches from global portfolio aggregators, traders and end users
• Feed gas suppliers: Are US producers looking to diversify their exposure and start selling US gas on regional market netbacks?
• LNG charter rates - the need for a futures and forwards market

• What strategies are needed to clarify public perception of LNG as the correct transition fuel?
• How is public perception of LNG and natural gas affecting the future generations entering the industry?
• What programs are in place to ensure future workforce and resources are available for future LNG and natural gas infrastructure projects?
• What role will digitalization and technology advances play in increasing efficiency of LNG production and improve emissions?