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2024 Agenda
7 October 2024
Pre-conference welcoming drinks reception
- 17:00 - 19:00
Welcome to the Argus Bitumen & Roads Asia Conference networking reception
Location: SoBe Dubai, 5th Floor, W Dubai - The Palm
8 October 2024
Conference day one
- 08:00 - 10:00
Morning registration and networking breakfast
- 09:55 - 10:00
Conference welcome
Speaker:
Emily Harris
Conference ProducerArgus- 10:00 - 10:05
Chairperson's opening remarks
Speaker:
Jonathan Weston
Europe & Asia Bitumen LeadArgus
Keynote regional panel and Argus market update for Asia and the Middle East
- 10:05 - 10:50
Keynote panel: The state of play for bitumen and asphalt across Asia
• What do refineries make of the current supply/demand outlook for the coming year?
• How is sustainability being addressed by key companies across the bitumen and road building supply chain in Asia and the Middle East?
• What are the opportunities available to Singaporean bitumen industry participants - including tackling decarbonisation, new export opportunities in Africa, boosted future demand from Southeast Asian road-building countries and more?Leticia Parra Rodriguez
General ManagerSustainable Road Solutions - Total EnergiesDr Pankaj Kumar Jain
Senior Vice President - Marketing and TechnicalHan Wee Ang
Head Products Trade & SupplyHiin Asia Pacific Pte LtdModerator:
Jonathan Weston
Europe & Asia Bitumen LeadArgus- 10:50 - 11:00
Argus presents: A global bitumen trade flow overview
• Key market fundamentals: Understand key market drivers behind supply, demand and their impact on bitumen pricing across Asia.
• How is bitumen’s relationship with crude and high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) evolving – why and how has the relationship become more volatile?
• How are global bitumen price trends evolving?Speaker:
Jonathan Weston
Europe & Asia Bitumen LeadArgus- 11:00 - 11:40
Argus presents: Asia Pacific and Middle East bitumen demand flows - a vital import-export relationship
- Key market fundamentals: Understand key market drivers behind supply, demand and their impact on bitumen pricing across Asia Pacific and the Middle East
- How are different key trading hubs for this region – including Singapore, South Korea, Middle East and Europe – competing with one another and what impact does this have on the wider industry?
- What is driving the Chinese bitumen industry and how is this unique to the rest of Asia?
- How have funding issues and weaker Chinese economic data affected demand and inventory rates in China? How has this impacted the demand for imports?
- How is the flow of bitumen from the Middle East to India being altered by changing logistics, security concerns and more?Speaker:
Sathya Narayanan
Senior ReporterArgusClaire Ng
ReporterArgus
Coffee break
- 11:40 - 12:20
Morning networking and refreshments break
Sustainable bitumen production and speed networking
- 12:20 - 12:50
Paving the way for the future: Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), low temperature bitumen, polymer modified bitumen (PMB) and the journey to a sustainable bitumen industry
• Bitumen is designed for high durability and longevity which are two key pillars of sustainability – but what technologies are being developed to further reduce the emissions involved in the production and processing of bitumen and asphalt?
• How can sustainability initiatives best be partnered with increased demand for roads and even higher volumes of traffic loads to ensure the continued durability and longevity of new roads?
• How can the development of specialty additives and binders further assist in the production of sustainable bitumen and help mitigate issues of viscosity and mixing temperatures?Speakers include:
José Javier García Pardenilla
Managing Director, Ditecpesa Asphalt ProductsFerrovialTaisir Mustafa
CEOMiddle East Modified Bitumen Company (MEMBCO)- 12:50 - 13:20
Speed networking
Bring your business cards and maximise the efficiency of you networking with this dedicated and structured time to meet your fellow delegates. All persons will be given a few minutes to interact, network and exchange business cards with other participants. At the end of each round, a bell will ring and an announcement made that all participants will move on. Full details will be released closer to the event.
Lunch break
- 13:20 - 14:50
Lunch break
The buyer's perspective - New Zealand and Australia
- 14:50 - 15:45
The buyer’s perspective: How has the bitumen and asphalt industry in Australia and New Zealand evolved and what is the impact on Asian markets?
• Australia and New Zealand are key export destinations for Asian-produced bitumen, and developments in their regional road construction and local bitumen demand can have lasting impact on Asian trade dynamics
• How are intra-regional trade flows shifting? Will China and Singapore continue to be the biggest exporters to Australia and New Zealand?
• How are Australia and New Zealand based companies addressing sustainability whilst ensuring they continue to meet import demand?Speakers include:
Mark Ford
General Manager - BitumenFulton Hogan New ZealandDoug Carrasco
General Manager Road Science & Asphalt ProductionDowner Group
Coffee break
- 15:45 - 16:15
Afternoon networking and refreshments break
Logistics and shipping in the bitumen value chain
- 16:15 - 17:00
Breaking new ground: The evolution of bitumen vessels and a new freight industry
• How are regional logistics evolving, including new, larger bitumen vessels and developments in containerised and bulk storage?
• Where are we seeing orders for larger vessels coming from and what impact are they having?
• What effect will a sustained push toward a more efficient and rejuvenated bitumen logistics network have on getting product to key development bright spots, and could this aid in the further development of Southeast Asia and Africa?Speakers Include:
Capt. Allen Pinto
Director of Shipping Operations & Head of Bulk Bitumen (M.East, India, Africa)Richmond Mercantile Ltd
Day one concludes
- 17:00
Chairperson's closing remarks and day one concludes
- 17:00 - 19:00
Day one networking reception sponsored by Victory King Trading LLC
9 October 2024
Conference day two
- 09:00 - 10:00
Morning networking and breakfast
- 09:30 - 09:35
Chairperson's opening remarks
Speaker:
Sathya Narayanan
Senior ReporterArgus
Argus Asphalt Annual and Chinese market update
- 09:35 - 10:05
Argus presents: The asphalt annual outlook for Asia and the Middle East to 2029
• Looking to 2029, what can we expect between now and then in terms of supply and demand fundamentals, pricing implications, and the development of inter-regional trade flows?
• How will bitumen’s relationship with crude oil, VGO, and fuel oil evolve in the coming years?
• What is the big picture for Asian bitumen trade considering the changing refinery landscape, economic recessions and sustainability pressures?Speakers:
Irina Vinogradova
Senior Manager - ConsultingArgusSarah Raffoul
Manager - ConsultingArgusModerator:
Sathya Narayanan
Senior ReporterArgus- 10:05 - 10:35
China market focus – economic recovery, road and highway projects and future growth opportunities
• What are the current supply and demand expectations for bitumen in China and how does this relate to announced road development projects?
• How is China’s economic recovery tied into the bitumen industry?
• What role is sustainably produced bitumen playing in the future of China’s bitumen industry?Speaker:
Joseph Gan
TraderSunshine OilModerator:
Chloe Choo
Senior Reporter, Bitumen and Oil ProductsArgus
Coffee break
- 10:35 - 11:10
Morning networking and refreshments break
Developing Southeast Asian and African markets focus
- 11:10 - 11:30
Argus presents: Making sense of demand patterns, supply solutions and pricing in African markets
- Understand key challenges such as inflation and currency factors, budgetary, payment and other issues affecting African countries
- How are shipping and supply trends into African markets from Europe and the Mideast Gulf/Asia affecting freight rates and delivered prices?
- Learn more about import requirements in differing African markets with varying supply and import logistics opportunities and challenges – looking from bulk bitumen tanker flows to container movementsSpeaker:
Keyvan Hedvat
Europe/Africa Editor, BitumenArgus- 11:30 - 12:00
The East African emerging markets & economies - Challenges and opportunities for the Asia bitumen market
Farjam Behrouzi
Managing DirectorZoras EnergyModerator:
Keyvan Hedvat
Europe/Africa Editor, BitumenArgus- 12:00 - 12:30
New cities, increased road developments, policy drivers: How are Southeast Asian countries impacting the wider Asian bitumen market?
• How are these developing markets in Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan and Indonesia structured?
• What is the scale and stage of announced construction projects in Southeast Asia? How are road developing countries balancing completing projects in a timely and cost-effective manner with tackling emissions?
• What is the impact of these exporting regions in the overall APAC seaborne market?Speaker:
Sungmin Lee
Deputy Managing Director, Star EnergyModeratorModerator:
Chloe Choo
Senior Reporter, Bitumen and Oil ProductsArgus
Chairperson's closing remarks and conference concludes
- 13:15
Chairperson's closing remarks
- 13:15
Conference concludes and networking lunch, continue private meetings