Aramco CEO Amin Nasser
Letter from Calgary: World’s energy contradictions in microcosm
This year’s WPC laid bare the dilemma facing the energy industry and the world at large, with warnings about the dangers of underinvestment in fossil fuels given the immaturity of alternatives
It is often said that Alberta is to Canada what Texas is to the US, but that does not tell the whole story. In some ways, Alberta is more Texas than Texas: as a hydrocarbons hub, the state produces more than 80% of Canada’s oil while Texas accounts for just over 40% of US oil. In other ways, it is less Texas than Texas, putting greater importance on indigenous land rights that are crucial to energy infrastructure and showing greater appreciation for energy sustainability. So what was striking about the 24th World Petroleum Congress in Calgary in September was how it encapsulated the global tensions between energy security and sustainability. For starters, there seemed to be a lack of consens
Also in this section
23 March 2026
A complex and sometimes contradictory web of factors that include unpredictable oil prices, the globalisation of LNG markets, the expansion of Middle Eastern sovereign capital and the growth of datacentre demand will shape the energy landscape beyond 2026
23 March 2026
The Strait of Hormuz crisis highlights how key waterways can become global chokepoints
20 March 2026
Attacks on key oil and LNG assets across the Gulf mean a prolonged supply disruption, with damage to Qatar’s export capacity undermining confidence in the global gas system
20 March 2026
The US may be systemically stripping Russia of key geopolitical allies, but Moscow can reap rewards from the Hormuz crisis, both in the short and long term
