OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)
Chair: Claudia Cuéllar
Moderator: Miranda Vega
Topic A: The Future of Petroleum Regarding New Renewable Energies
Petroleum has been known since ancient times, but the mass consumption and widespread uses of it all across the industrial spectrum doesn’t go back for even 200 years. During this time, society has basically become dependent of petroleum, the trading of the “liquid gold” being one of the biggest engines of the market economy (one of the reasons behind the creation of this organization here, the OPEC).
But we cannot simply ignore the damage done to the environment because of the accounting for the burning of fossil fuels. Gasoline is one of the main derivatives of petroleum, accounting for 70% of its production. The other 30% signifies the rest of the derivatives, including all of the products made with it. Petroleum is also used as one of the principal ways to produce electricity, by burning it.
It is widely discussed if we have reached what is known as oil peak, the moment in which the oil reserves of the world have reached the maximum capacity of extraction and the retrieval of petroleum will begin to decline. So the problem to discuss is not only how petroleum is harmful for the environment, it also is how to save up and recognize priorities for the use of petroleum, and which energies will substitute it when it is gone.
As goals we firstly need to ensure the promotion of new renewable energies, and the ways that they will substitute petroleum. Secondly, it is also important that we find ways to still extract petroleum, as it is vital for the function of society, while taking care of the environment.
Future of Petroleum: http://www.petroleum.co.uk/the-future-of-petroleum
Topic B: The Protection of Petroleum in Context of Rising Gasoline Prices
The transportation sector is the single most important source in the consumption of oil and represents close to half of future oil demand. Within the freight component of this sector, road transport has the largest contribution of around 70%. Vehicle ownership is set to rise throughout the world, but particularly in developing countries.
Iran threat in restraining the exporting of petroleum to Europe is impacting the global price. The energy policies of consuming countries are another factor greatly affecting oil demand. Taxation of energy products is often seen as a means of raising revenue and generally demonstrates a significant discrimination against oil.
In the four major European Union economies of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, around two-thirds of the price of a liter of unleaded gasoline goes to the governments in taxes.
There had been high levels of growth in oil demand from large emerging economies, especially China and India, as well as from some developed economies. Nevertheless, this sudden surge in the demand placed great stress along the entire supply chain of the oil market. Oil demand increases by an average of 1.5 mb/d annually. The industrial boom of India and Chile continue rising the pressure in the price of petroleum.
OPEC has demonstrated time and again its commitment to market stability, with secure supplies and reasonable prices that are consistent with healthy economic growth, especially in the developing countries
“It is now widely accepted that much of the price volatility over the past two years has been driven more by downstream constraints in consuming countries than by shortages the upstream.”
In the OPEC Long-Term Strategy the core objectives for the Strategy are to ensure the long-term petroleum revenues of Member Countries, the stability of the world oil market with reasonable prices, and the security of regular supply to consumers, as well as the security of world oil demand.
http://gaspricesexplained.org/
http://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/search.jsp?
http://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/887.htm