Houston Texas
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Argus Global Crude Summit Americas

Houston, Texas, US
5-7 February 2025
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2025 Agenda

(ADD ON) Interactive workshop - hosted by Kpler

14:00 - 15:00

All change at the top - macroeconomic outlook

• What is the outlook for the US economy as Trump enters the White House?
• Expectations for Chinese growth amid intensifying tariff implementation
• Analysing European economic malaise and how things might improve in 2025

Speakers Include:

Reid I'Anson

Reid I'Anson

Economist
Kpler
David Fyfe

David Fyfe

Chief Economist
Argus
15:00 - 16:00

Crude Oil Market Outlook

• What comes next for OPEC?
• The demand growth dilemma across the globe
• The driving energy forces in the Americas in 2025

Speakers Include:

Matt Smith

Matt Smith

Head Analyst- US
KPLER
16:00 - 17:00

The Evolution of Energy Markets

• How is technology driving market efficiency through cargo tracking, satellites and drones?
• What are the implications of greater transparency via emissions tracking, risk and compliance
• How have sanctions and conflict affected trade flows?

Speakers Include:

Jonathan Leitch

Jonathan Leitch

Director of Commodity Research
Kpler
17:00 - 19:00

Welcome drinks reception & registration

Open to all conference attendees

Main conference day one

08:00 - 09:00

Registration and coffee

9:00 - 9:15

Argus welcome address

Speakers Include:

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Adrian Binks

Chief Executive Officer
09:15 - 09:20

Chairperson’s opening remarks

Speakers Include:

Neil Fleming

Global Head of Editorial
09:20 - 09:50

CEO fireside chat: View on the future of crude oil

Speakers Include:

Avigal Soreq

Avigal Soreq

President & Chief Executive Officer
Delek US
Matthew Oatway

Matthew Oatway

Executive Vice President, North America
9:50 - 10:30

Special guest speaker keynote address: Ambassador Nicholas Burns, Former US Ambassador to China

Moderated by: Neil Fleming, Global Head of Editorial, Argus

Speakers Include:

Nicholas Burns

Ambassador Nicholas Burns

Former US Ambassador to China

Neil Fleming

Global Head of Editorial
10:30 - 10:40

Short speech - Scott Bormaster, Chairman, Carl McCain Memorial Foundation

10:40 - 11:30

Morning coffee and networking

Positioning Americas crude supply on a global stage

11:30 - 12:20

Macro panel discussion: Crude market dynamics amid shifting macroeconomic & geopolitical tides

• Economic soft landing or resurgent inflation? Key headwinds for commodity demand
• Oil demand prospects – deflationary China and a transitioning Atlantic Basin
• What is the outlook for trade policies and tariffs and how will this have a ripple affect globally?
• North American supply prospects – new regulatory regimes & emerging export outlets
• Where next for the swing supplier - challenges ahead for OPEC+ producers

Speakers Include:

Chris Birdsall

Chris Birdsall

Director, Economics and Energy
ExxonMobil

Michael Cohen

Chief US Economist and Head of Oil and Refining
bp
Pedro Antonio Merino Garcia

Pedro Antonio Merino Garcia

Chief Economist
Repsol
Jesse Thompson

Jesse Thompson

Senior Business Economist
Federal Bank Of Dallas
David Fyfe

David Fyfe

Chief Economist
Argus
12:20 - 12:50

Shifting landscape of crude oil trading - growth of AI, rise of options, new entrants from hedge funds

Speakers Include:

Peter Keavey

Peter Keavey

Managing Director and Global Head of Energy and Environmental Products
CME Group
Paul Chapman

Paul Chapman

Managing Partner
HC Group
Matthew Oatway

Matthew Oatway

Executive Vice President, North America
12:50 - 14:00

Networking lunch

Production capacity and upstream M&A

14:00 - 14:30

The North American production growth story: Permian, Bakken and Canadian Oil Sands

• Does the US continue to be the biggest world crude producer globally?
• How has consolidation of the E&P sector had an impact on competitiveness and how much room is left in the Permian after all these mergers?
• Understanding the impact of upstream M&A deals on production?

Speakers Include:

John Argo

John Argo

Vice President, Williston Basin
Continental Resources
Shannon Flowers

Shannon Flowers

Director Crude & Water Marketing
Coterra Energy

Transparency around global crude markets

14:30 - 15:10

Keynote trader panel: Piecing the puzzle together: Global interconnectivity of crude markets

Hear the opinions of the leading traders in the crude business and explore the changing global crude trading landscape. Explore new trade routes and the setting up of new supply chains

• Exploring crude globalization and where the new trading routes are emerging
• What is the impact of backwardation on trading strategies and how is the price managed?
• What instruments can help with liquidity concerns and geopolitical risk from a legal and financial standpoint?

Speakers Include:

Barbara Harrison

Barbara Harrison

President Crude Supply and Trading
Chevron
Simon James

Simon James

VP Crude Trading & Refinery Optimisation
Equinor
Taghi Taghi-Zada

Taghi Taghi-Zada

Chief Trading Officer
SOCAR
Jonathan Gould

Jonathan Gould

Vice President, Business Development
Argus
15:10 - 15:50

Spotlight on Latin America: A changing crude dynamic and appetite for oil products

How the crude landscape is changing across Latin America, including Guyana, Brazil, Argentina and Colombia

• What is the current demand for gasoline grades including octane boosters or blend components?
• What would companies need to build out to facilitate supplies to Latin America?
• What impact does the TMX pipeline have on the Latin American crude grades?
• How are companies overcoming credit risk challenges?

Speakers Include:

Francisco Villamil

Francisco Villamil

Executive Trading Manager
Vista
Vicente Valarino

Vicente Valarino

General Manager, Product Trading
Citgo
Vanessa Viola

Vanessa Viola

Senior Vice-President, Latin America
Argus
15:45 - 16:10

Afternoon coffee and networking

Special guest speaker

16:15 - 17:00

Special guest speaker keynote address

Speakers Include:

Condoleezza Rice

Condoleezza Rice

66th Secretary of State
17:00 - 17:10

Chairperson’s closing remarks and close of conference day one

Speakers Include:

Neil Fleming

Global Head of Editorial
17:10 - 19:10

Networking drinks reception

Main conference day two

08:00 - 09:00

Morning coffee and networking

09:00 - 09:10

Chairperson's opening remarks

Speakers Include:

Neil Fleming

Global Head of Editorial
09:10 - 09:50

Making waves: Americas crude exports are creating new opportunities for shipowners to send their tankers on long journeys, but slowing growth in loadings is limiting the effect on rates.

• How has TMX shifted tanker flows in the Pacific basin?
• How is emerging LatAm production transforming the transatlantic trade?
• Is sluggish crude demand in China enough to tank the crude tanker market?

Speakers Include:

Tray Swanson

Tray Swanson

Associate Editor
Argus
Rohit Rathod

Rohit Rathod

Senior Oil Market Analyst
Vortexa

Exploring Canada's changing role on the crude stage

09:50 - 10:30

Short presentations and panel discussion: TMX pipeline coming into full flow: Where is the crude going and what is the impact on global flows?

With Canadian volumes ramping up, hear from those working on the TMX pipeline project and get first-hand insight into where crude is expected to go and how producers will utilize the pipeline

• Utilization of the pipeline: what are the updates on improved load and increased throughput?
• How much of the cargo goes to Asia versus California and how much will be reloaded onto larger cargo ships?
• Understanding the evolving trade patterns for TMX cargoes out of Vancouver.

Speakers Include:

Jason Balasch

Jason Balasch

Senior Director, Business Development
Trans Mountain
Matt Smith

Matt Smith

Head Analyst- US
KPLER
Gus Vasquez

Gus Vasquez

Argus Americas Senior Crude Editor
Argus
10:30 - 11:30

Morning coffee and networking

A spotlight on China

11:30 - 12:00

Spotlight on China: Illuminating China’s energy demand and a flourishing EV market

• How is Chinese energy demand changing and what could be the impact on crude markets?
• Understanding crude oil pricing and economics weighing on the industry
• The fast pace electric vehicle rise: what does this mean for gasoline and crude demand?

Speakers Include:

Tom Reed

Tom Reed

Vice-President, China Crude and Products
Argus

What will drive the refining industry of the future?

12:00 - 12:50

Panel discussion: Redefining the refining landscape: What will refining operational ability look like in the future?

Elections, new energies including hydrogen and diversification to EVs are cutting into oil product demand. Pose your pressing questions to a panel of refining experts and explore the key market drivers

• Where will refinery reconfiguration, rationalization or closures happen in light of new energies?
• What is the next big driver for sustained refined product demand globally?
• What is the impact of decarbonization, including on the carbon intensity of crude grades?
• What will refineries of the future look like in terms of operational ability and running the right crude grades?
• Which crudes in the future will be more favourable including low-carbon grades?
• Where will refining demand come from in the future?

Speakers Include:

Shelly Abraham

Shelly Abraham

Executive Director (Supply Chain Optimisation)
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited
Suresh Vaidyanathan

Suresh Vaidyanathan

Vice President of Renewable Fuels
Phillips 66
Jonathan Gould

Jonathan Gould

Vice President, Business Development
Argus
12:50 - 14:00

Networking lunch

Infrastructure

14:00 - 14:45

Adapting to a global world: Increasing export capacity at ports and investments in infrastructure

Midstream companies are always looking to improve operating efficiencies and increase throughput. This panel will explore the infrastructure needed to meet US crude export potential and the future investment required.

• How are ports adapting to become larger exporters of crude?
• Understanding the need to build more storage capacity at terminals for product exports
• How do growing global light-crude production streams impact future US export capacity investment?

Speakers Include:

Kent Britton

Kent Britton

Chief Executive Officer
Port of Corpus Christi
Phillip Anderson

Phillip Anderson

SVP, Business Development
Enbridge
Todd D

Todd Dillabough

CEO
Ocean Point Terminals
Gus Vasquez

Gus Vasquez

Argus Americas Senior Crude Editor
Argus

Interactive working group

14:45 - 14:50

Chairperson's closing remarks

Speakers Include:

Neil Fleming

Global Head of Editorial
14:50 - 15:20

Interactive working groups

Join a table of 15-20 attendees and delve further into your main industry challenge. Your opportunity to interact with both facilitator and audience members to collaborate and find solutions

Working group 1:
WTI Midland and liquidity
A deep dive with Argus experts and get all your questions answered on WTI Midland
Leader: Gus Vasquez, Editorial Manager, Argus

Working group 2:
The outlook for Permian output growth
Leader: to be confirmed

Working group 3:
The new era of data and AI driven solutions to improve trading decisions
Explore what innovative solutions are helping trading optimisation
Leader: Pedro Nascimento, Chief Technology Officer, Darling Analytics

Working group 4:
Energy policies impacting global crude demand
Get to grips of the current regulatory landscape including new policies, infrastructure permitting, and the IRA
Leader: David Fyfe, Chief Economist, Argus

Speakers Include:

Gus Vasquez

Gus Vasquez

Argus Americas Senior Crude Editor
Argus
David Fyfe

David Fyfe

Chief Economist
Argus