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CERAWeek 2018: Snapshots and sound bites

Release date:
March 9, 2018
With the theme “Energy in Transition,” this year’s CERAWeek conference in Houston focused on the transformative role technology and innovation will play in shaping the world’s evolving energy mix

The annual week-long summit, organized by research firm IHS Markit, brings together industry executives, government officials and other leaders from around the world to discuss the future of energy. With oil prices climbing in recent months beyond $60 a barrel, the overall mood at the event was more confident and optimistic than in years past. 

 

Group Chief Executive Bob Dudley and several other BP leaders spoke about topics ranging from reducing greenhouse gas emissions to developing a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

 

Here are snapshots and sound bites from some of their sessions:

Bob Dudley, group chief executive, on BP’s approach to adopting a lower-carbon mindset across its businesses

Bob Dudley

“A race to renewables will not solve the dual challenge. Instead, we need to be agnostic about fuels and focused on a race to lower emissions.”

Lamar McKay, deputy group chief executive, on the future of energy innovation and investment

Lamar Mckay

“BP has identified focus areas for our lower-carbon investments ranging from advanced mobility to carbon management to power and storage.”

Bernard Looney, chief executive Upstream, on the drivers behind BP’s efforts to modernize and transform its upstream business

Bernard Looney

“There’s enormous productivity potential in modernization. The drivers of modernization are digital transformation, agility and mindset. And the largest cultural change will come from the right mindset.”

Dev Sanyal, chief executive of alternative energy and executive vice president of regions, on how technology has improved efficiency and reliability

Dev Sanyal

“Recently we applied a mathematical model to optimize production at 180 onshore wells in the U.S. It led to a 75 percent cut in venting emissions, a 20 percent increase in production and a 20 percent decrease in costs.”

Doug Sparkman, chief operating officer for Fuels North America, on how BP is responding to policy changes and technology advancements in the Downstream

Doug Sparkman

“We are investing in a series of smaller plays. We feel we can stay on top of where markets are going.”

Morag Watson, chief digital innovation officer, on how robotics are transforming oil and gas operations

Morag Watson

“Now when you combine robotics with other capabilities, like predictive analytics and artificial intelligence, you have intelligent robots. It changes how we work - making us more efficient and more productive.”

Ray Dempsey, BP America chief diversity officer, on the importance of supporting diversity and inclusion in the workforce

Ray Dempsey

“Inclusion is a choice we all make every day. It’s behavioral. While we can create diversity, we have to get insight into the way we are thinking and reinforce that it’s about how we behave.”

Starlee Sykes, regional president for the Gulf of Mexico and Canada, on ways to help women advance in the energy industry

Starlee Sykes

“Transparency, openness, communication - that all needs to continue. I think what we need to do is keep talking about it until it is not awkward anymore, until it is not an issue anymore, and keep measuring our progress to ensure that we are going forward and not backward.”