Professor Andrew Jupiter to give public lecture on the Role of Education in Oil, Gas sectors

Georgetown: As part of Mining Week 2016 to be held from August 21 to 27, 2016, the Ministry of Natural Resources in collaboration with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) presents a public lecture to be held at the Savannah Suite of the Pegasus Guyana Hotel on Thursday August 25, 2016 at 18:30 hrs. Delivering the lecture will be Professor Andrew Jupiter, a Distinguished Professor of Practice’, and the theme of the lecture is – ‘The Role of Education in the Development of the Oil and Gas Sector: Experiences and Perspectives from Trinidad and Tobago’. All are invited to this lecture, which is one of the many important steps that the Ministry of Natural Resources is taking to build capacity in the emerging oil and gas sector as the country moves towards exploitation of petroleum resources. Coinciding with Mining Week 2016, the lecture will speak to how the education sector can play its part in ensuring that coming generations are prepared with the necessary skills to fully function in an oil producing economy as the extractive sector transitions from a tradition of mining of ores and minerals only to petroleum and gas. Bio of Professor Andrew Jupiter Professor Andrew Jupiter was conferred the honorary title of ‘Distinguished Fellow’ by The University of the West Indies (UWI) in 2013. He is currently Coordinator of the Petroleum Studies Unit in the Department of Chemical Engineering at UWI. He is the holder of the Trinidad and Tobago Methanol Company (TTMC) Chair in Petroleum Engineering. Mr. Jupiter was appointed Chairman of the Board of Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago and Director of National Gas Company on 2015 September 30, and is a member of the Cabinet appointed Standing Committee on Energy. He was Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries from 1998 to 2004. Prior to this appointment Mr. Jupiter held several senior positions at the Ministry including Senior Petroleum Engineer, Director Operations and Director Energy Planning. He was President of National Energy Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (National Energy) from 2009 to 2012. Mr. Jupiter commenced his career at Shell Trinidad Limited in 1971. He is currently founder and Managing Director of SAKAL Energy Limited. Mr. Jupiter led the Government negotiating team that signed nineteen (19) Public Affairs and Communications Unit Ministry of Natural Resources Upper Brickdam, Georgetown Email: publicaffairsunit@nre.gov.gy Website: www.nre.gov.gy Tel: 231-2506-11 Production Sharing Contracts (PSC’s) between GORTT and multi-national oil companies. Several of these blocks are in commercial production today. He also participated in the successful negotiations for the Atlantic LNG trains 1, 2, 3 and 4 in Trinidad and Tobago. During this time he held the position of Director on State Boards, such as Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (PETROTRIN), National Energy, Lake Asphalt Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago Marine Company Limited, (TRINTOMAR), Trinidad and Tobago Oil Company Limited (TRINTOC), Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI), Education Facilities Management Company Limited, and Alutrint. Professor Jupiter also led the team representing the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (GORTT) in its initiative to provide guidance to African countries in the development of their petroleum industries and has also served as an expert witness to GORTT on petroleum matters. Professor Jupiter is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), the Energy Institute, the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN) and was the first Trinidadian to serve as AIPN Director. He is a Fellow of the Energy Institute and is the recipient of (i) Outstanding SPE Member Award 2004 and 2014; (ii) Outstanding SPE Regional Services Award 2014 and (iii) An award from the Point Fortin Borough Council for his contribution to the economic development of Point Fortin and the Energy Sector of Trinidad and Tobago. Professor Jupiter was one of fifty public servants recognized for their contribution to the country at its 50 years of Independence celebrations (1962-2012). Mr. Jupiter received a BSc in Natural Sciences and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Petroleum Engineering from the University of the West Indies and also holds a Masters of Engineering Degree in Mineral Engineering Management from The Pennsylvania State University.