2021 NAPE Summit: Energy Takes Center Stage

After a year of getting used to a “new normal” with virtual meetings, virtual conferences and, well, everything virtual, due to social distancing brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the recovery of the event ecosystem is reaching a fever pitch as people begin to come out of its grip and focus on post-pandemic life. At the 2021 NAPE Summit, which will be collocated with the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), financiers, E&P operators and service providers will convene in Houston at the George R. Brown Center on August 18-20 (virtually on August 9 to September 3), and crowd exhibition halls to pick up the latest “swag”, network with familiar and new faces, and strike business deals.

On this episode of E2B: Energy to Business, an Opportune podcast, three thought leaders joined E2B post Daniel Litwin to discuss what attendees and exhibitors alike can expect leading up to the much-anticipated event: Steve Hendrickson, President of Ralph E. Davis Associates, an Opportune LLP company; Grant Johnson, Assistant Chairman of the NAPE Advisory Board, current President of Lone Star Production Company and Helmsman Minerals LLC, and previously Chairman of the NAPE Operators Committee (NOC) in 2015, most recent member of the NOC during the 2020-2021 term; and Carl Campbell, Ex-Officio member of the NOC as American Association of Professional Landmen’s (AAPL) first Vice President, previously serving as NOC Chairman in 2014 and on the NAPE Advisory Board 2017-2021 in various positions.

The trio took a comprehensive picture look at how NAPE reflects the industry’s needs, challenges, and opportunities and highlights the most exciting events and discussion points for this year’s show.

“The wonderful aspect that NAPE this summer is providing is the hybrid event of being able to also have it along the same time as OTC and I think that’s going to be a very helpful addition to broaden the footprint and awareness of NAPE,” Campbell says. “It should be very well attended event after we come out of this cocoon year over the last 12-18 months.”

In response to the growing trend of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) trends and meeting market needs, the 2021 NAPE Summit will feature a “Renewables Pavilion” where participants will have the opportunity to discuss developments occurring in the renewables space and carbon management such as underground carbon capture and sequestration technologies, among other topics.

“Underground carbon storage is an emerging technology and one that takes advantage of so many of the skills we already have in the upstream business, but it hasn’t really been widely practiced,” Hendrickson says. “I’m excited to see this new pavilion and get a chance to meet the other players, compare notes, and share ideas.”

Hendrickson noted that this year would be unique because people have been locked up for the past year and a half. It always sets the tone for the remainder of the year, and in some ways, it’s a family reunion of sorts. He noted it’s a great way to catch up with colleagues and participate in social events at the NAPE Summit. But, one of the most important aspects is to see what the latest trends are in the energy industry.

“Whenever I go, I start at one end of the hall, and I just make it a point, whether it takes all day or part of both days, I’m going to walk the whole floor and see what’s going on in the industry,” Hendrickson says. “It gives me a great chance to get a sense of what the mood of the upstream industry is and see what new plays might be developed.”

“I think this year is going to be especially good,” Hendrickson continues. “Commodity prices are better. Deal flows are picking up. So, I think there’ll be a lot of excitement and it’ll be very interesting to see how companies are responding to the changing environment.”

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