24th World Petroleum Congress in Calgary
The World Petroleum Council of Canada (WPC Canada) is excited that Calgary will be the host city for the 24th World Petroleum Congress in 2023. Calgary was selected as the host city for 2023 by members of the World Petroleum Council (WPC) on June 23, 2019, in St. Petersburg Russia.
The vote came after months of consultation with member countries; Calgary was competing against Baku, Azerbaijan; Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Buenos Aires, Argentina. The final win came after a fourth ballot 21-20 win when Calgary was competing against Baku.
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In a nail-biting finish Canada won the bid to host the 24th World Petroleum Congress (WPC) in 2023, widely recognised as the "Olympics" of the oil and gas industry.
One vote made all the difference. In a tightly contested competition, Canada won the right to host the prestigious World Petroleum Congress in 2023 with 51% of the votes, one vote more than the closest runner-up Azerbaijan.
41 member countries of the World Petroleum Council gathered for the 2019 Annual WPC Council meeting in St Petersburg in June 2019 and voted on the country to host the world’s largest oil and gas event in 2023. Five member countries of the World Petroleum Council had put forward their bids to hold the 24th WPC. Canada faced off against Argentina with Buenos Aires, Azerbaijan and their capital Baku, Nur-Sultan, the newly renamed capital of Kazakhstan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with Dubai. After four rounds of voting, Canada pulled past its closest rival Azerbaijan in a nail-biting finish with just one vote to win.
Tor Fjaeran, President of the WPC, was very pleased with this strong turnout and the record number of bidders for the 24th WPC. He stated that “this underlines the continued importance of the World Petroleum Congress as a world-class gathering to discuss key industry issues with all stakeholders, network, and share best practices for the global oil and gas sector”. He recognised the efforts of all five candidate countries and commended their highly professional and ethical promotional campaigns.
The Canadian team of volunteers was ecstatic with winning the Congress in their second attempt as Denis Painchaud, Chair of the WPC Canadian National Committee, said in his speech after signing the host agreement with the Director General of the World Petroleum Council, Dr Pierce Riemer: “It was a thrilling victory – five years in the making”, and he gave everyone a “guarantee, that you will have an unbelievable experience in Calgary in 2023.”
Previous Congress Editions
23rd World Petroleum Congress - Houston 2021
05 - 09 December 2021
Theme: Innovative Energy Solutions
22nd World Petroleum Congress - Istanbul, 2017
09 - 13 July 2017
Theme: Bridges to our Energy Future
21st World Petroleum Congress - Moscow 2014
15 - 19 June 2014
Theme: Responsibly Energising a Growing World
20th World Petroleum Congress - Doha 2011
04 - 08 December 2011
Theme: Energy Solutions for All: Promoting Cooperation, Innovation and Investment
19th World Petroleum Congress - Madrid 2008
29th June - 3rd July 2008
Theme: A World in Transition: Delivering Energy for Sustainable Growth
18th World Petroleum Congress - Johannesburg 2005
25th - 29th September 2005
Theme: Shaping the Energy Future: Partners in Sustainable Solutions
17th World Petroleum Congress - Rio 2002
1st - 5th September 2002
Theme: Petroleum Industry: Technological Excellence and Social Responsibility in Serving Society
16th World Petroleum Congress - Calgary 2000
11th - 15th June 2000
Theme: Petroleum for Global Development: Networking People, Business and Technology to Create Value


World Petroleum Congress Considered the “Olympics” of the Petroleum Industry
A global symposium assembling more than 100 nations, the World Petroleum Congress convenes every three years for thought-provoking exchanges and an interactive exhibition.
The Congress participants examine all aspects of the industry, from technological advances in upstream and downstream to the role of natural gas and renewables and the management of the industry and its social, economic and environmental impact.
For more information about the World Petroleum Council and all its events, visit:
www.world-petroleum.org