2 Dec 2011 12:43

Shell, Interfax hold competition for best essay on role of natural gas in energy future

*** Oil and gas giant Shell and the Interfax News Agency have announced a competition among Russian undergraduates and postgraduates for the best essay on the role of natural gas in the global energy future through 2050.
The main goal of the competition, officially titled "Formula 2050," is to draw the attention of young industry specialists and future journalists to the problem of the growing demand for energy and development prospects for the natural gas industry through 2050.
Due to the growing population and the need to preserve the environment, humankind is facing a difficult challenge: to identify the share of each energy source - oil, coal, natural gas, and renewables - in the energy balance... The key factors, which can tip the scale in favor any particular type of fuel, will be ecological advantages, accessibility and competitiveness.
The competition organizers have asked undergraduate and postgraduate students to present their vision of the role of natural gas in meeting growing global energy demand through 2050 and answer three main questions:
Which considerations should determine the choice of developing the global energy system by the middle of the 21st century?
What are the advantages of natural gas as an energy source and what role will it play in meeting growing energy demand?
What opportunities are opening up for Russia on the natural gas market and what should be done to realize these opportunities?
"We at Shell believe that gas is central to moving to a low carbon economy while maintaining competitiveness, because gas is abundant, affordable and environmentally acceptable. We look forward to the views of the younger generation about the future of gas - its acceptability as a key element of the future energy mix, its role in satisfying the world‘s growing energy demand but also the new opportunity that this could open for Russia," Shell Russia Country Chair Harry Brekelmans said.
Applications will be accepted from December 2, 2011, through February 1, 2012 on the competition‘s official website http://www.interfax.ru/konkurs/
The competition prize is a trip for two to the 2012 Formula One World Championship. Competition runners-up will also receive souvenir gifts from Shell representatives in Russia.
The competition winners and runners-up will be announced no later than February 16, 2012.
Shell is one of the world‘s largest international oil and gas producers. The company has operations in more than 90 countries and employs 93,000 people. Each day the company produces 3.3 million barrels of oil and gas. A network of 43,000 gas stations is operating under the Shell brand across the globe.
In 2010, Shell‘s revenue was reported at $368.1 billion, and net profit was $20.5 billion.
In Russia, Shell holds a stake in several companies and joint ventures, including the Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd (which operates the Sakhalin-2, in which Shell holds 27.5%) and Salym Petroleum Development (which is developing the Salym group of oilfields, Shell holds 50%).
Shell is the invariable partner of the Ferrari team, one of the most successful teams in the history of the Formula One motor rally. Shell provides Ferrari with first-class technical support and supplies new types of fuel and oils, takes part in designing new engines for the team‘s race cars and helps it in dealing with technical problems. Together with Shell, the Ferrari team has won more than 100 Formula One races.
More on Shell at www.shell.com.ru

Interfax Information Services Group is the largest diversified information provider in the CIS, and a recognized leader on the Russian information market in the B2B segment. Interfax develops professional delivery solutions to help companies operate on the financial and commodity markets, manage risks and organize external communications.
Since the early 1990s, Interfax has been the main provider of up-to-date news from Russia and former Soviet Union countries for the international community. It holds a steady lead in the number of references in reports from that part of the world published in the foreign press and is among the most quoted news sources in the world.
Interfax products and services include news, information from exchanges, analysis, search systems, company profiles, ratings and rankings, credit reports, IR and information disclosure services, the organization of press conferences and placement of web advertisements.
The official website of Interfax group is www.interfax.ru.