3rd Papua New Guinea Petroleum & Energy Summit

Hon. Dr Fabian Pok Mec Ph.D MP

Minister of Petroleum

Papua New Guinea

Hon.Dr Fabian Pok was first elected to the 6th National Parliament for North Wahgi Open seat in the 1997 General Elections as an independent Appointed Minister for Forests from July 1997-July 1998, then responsibilities as Minister for Public Enterprise and Minister for Communications from April 1998 till resignation from the Skate government in June 1999. Led a bloc of independent MP's in the formation of the Morauta government in July 1999. Joined PDM after formation of government. Named in Sir Mekere Morauta's caretaker cabinet as Minister for Trade and Tourism, Commerce and Industry, and Police on the 15/07/99. Confirmed Minister for Lands and Physical Planning on the 26/07/99, then given added responsibilities as Minister for Petroleum and Energy in March 2000 till November 2000. Relinquished Lands and Physical Planning portfolio in April 2000. Appointed Minister for Labor and Employment on the 21/10/2001.

Hon. Sam Basil MP

Minister of Communications, Information Technology & Energy

Papua New Guinea

Hon.Sam Basil was re-elected to the 10th National Parliament as the member for Bulolo Open Electorate seat as a Member of the Pangu Party during the 2017 General Elections. He is the current Minister for Communications, Information Technology and Energy. Hon. Basil was first Elected to the 8th National Parliament for the Bulolo Open Electorate in the 2007 General Elections as a People's Progress Party candidate. He has held various positions within government including being appointed member of Parliamentary Referral Committee on Lands and Environment and the Special Committee on Gas and Energy as Deputy Chairman.

Kepsey Puiye

Acting Secretary

Department of Petroleum

Mr Kepsey Puiye's previous engagements have included- Head of Petroleum Economics, Acting Director- Petroleum, Acting Deputy secretary. He graduated with the Bachelor’s Degree in Business Economics, then obtained a Master of Science (MSc) Degree in Energy Policy from the University of Dundee, Scotland, UK. In 1996 he got a Diploma in Petroleum Policy & Management- PETRAD, Norway, 1996. Mr Puiye also underwent many international and domestic training programs, predominantly in the oil & gas disciplines.
The major projects he was involved in are the PNG LNG Project- which he was heavily involved: he signed the Permits to Construct the Hides Gas Conditioning Plant and the LNG Plant after undertaking a comprehensive technical vetting of the engineering and design of the project facilities. He was also involved in almost all the existing petroleum projects in PNG. Finally, Mr Kepsey Puiye is heavily involved in almost all the new projects.

Wapu Sonk

Managing Director

Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited

Mr Wapu Sonk has two decades of experience as a Papua New Guinean leader in the oil & gas industry as the industry itself matured from being an oil exporting country to now LNG exporter. He was appointed Managing Director of the National Petroleum Company of PNG in January 2013. He has occupied numerous leadership roles in the Petroleum Industry of PNG since beginning his career with Chevron Nuigini Pty Ltd in 1997. These roles include Director – PNG LNG Project – IPBC (2012), Chairperson of Society of Petroleum Engineers (PNG Section) (2011), Technical Manager, Kumul Petroleum – Managing a Multi Skilled Team of Geologist & Engineers (2010-2011), Drilling & Completions Engineer – Oil Search Head Office – Sydney office, Australia (2007-2009), Night Shift Drilling Rig Operations Supervisor (2006 – 2007) and, Field Coordinator, PNG to QLD Gas Pipeline Project FEED Team – Manage Multinational team (2005). Mr Sonk is also a member of the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC), Society of Petroleum Engineers (Worldwide), and Institute of Engineers PNG.

Dairi Vele

Secretary- Treasury Department

Papua New Guinea

Mr Dairi Vele is the Secretary for the Papua New Guinea Department of Treasury, a position he has held since August 2013. Interestingly, Dairi is the first Secretary for Treasury in PNG to have occupied the position his father the late Morea Vele held twice before. Dairi studied Economics at the Australian National University where he attained his Bachelors Degree in Economics in the year 2000. Prior to joining Treasury, Mr Vele was twice the Director of the Gas Projects Coordination Office from 2007 to 2010 and 2012 to 2013 where he was heavily involved in the successful negotiation of the PNG LNG project on behalf of the State. He was also the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Company of PNG (NPCP) from 2010 to 2011.

Carolyn Blacklock

Acting Managing Director

PNG Power Ltd

Carolyn has 25 years’ experience in private sector finance, development and infrastructure with the last 15 years in the Pacific. Following a successful corporate banking career working with Australian top tier banks, in 2009, Carolyn moved permanently to Papua New Guinea to establish the International Finance Corporation (the private sector arm of the World Bank) where she led the office for the next four years. Following a stint overseeing key projects for Hawkins Infrastructure, New Zealand, Carolyn had been engaged by the Government of PNG in Treasury as their specialist adviser with a specific mandate to accelerate infrastructure development and create a pipeline of bankable projects to attract high quality developers and investors to PNG. More recently Carolyn has taken over a new role as Acting Manging Director at PNG Power. She is known for her strong track record of taking large, complex projects through to successful delivery. She lives and works in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

Jean Marc Noiray

Managing Director

Total PNG Limited