MEDIA ADVISORY: Western States and Tribal Nations West Coast LNG Export Forum to Convene Japanese, Tribal and Industry Officials to Examine New Routes to Deliver LNG to Asia
Dec. 12-13 Event Will Feature Signing Ceremony Welcoming Jicarilla Apache Nation to WSTN
DENVER – Western States and Tribal Nations (WSTN) Natural Gas Initiative will host the WSTN Asian LNG Forum in December, bringing together senior officials from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), four sovereign tribal nations and industry stakeholders to examine the potential to export U.S. natural gas to Asia from North America’s west coast.
The event will take place on Dec. 12-13, 2022, at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colorado. During the forum, WSTN will formally welcome the Jicarilla Apache Nation into its leadership and board, which is solely made up of governments and sovereign tribal nations.
The forum comes against the backdrop of the rapidly shifting geopolitical dynamics of LNG after the Ukraine invasion. Those factors have increased the need for more cargoes to reach Asia faster and more cost-competitively, since the region is expected to account for 70% of global demand through 2040. The forum will look at the viable new routes that could make that happen, generating economic development in the American West, Tribal Nations and Mexico, while fueling economies and lowering emissions in Asia.
Confirmed speakers include Takeshi Soda, Director of the Oil & Gas Division for Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Representatives from the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) are also confirmed.
The forum will also feature a high-level panel discussion “Tribal Perspectives on Resource Development” with participation by the Navajo Nation, the Ouray & Uintah Ute Indian Tribe, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Jicarilla Apache Nation.
Additionally, a leadership team from Sempra Infrastructure Partners will provide a closer look at Sempra’s liquefaction portfolio development plans with a specific focus on additional LNG capacity at Energia Costa Azul in Ensenada, Mexico.
A draft agenda for the public portion of the event on Monday is available here. Further details, live stream information and other confirmed guests is forthcoming. Please click here to register, which is required for entry.
Interested reporters are asked to contact Bryson Hull at 202-657-2855 or bhull@hbwresources.com if they wish to attend in person or arrange interviews.
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About Western States and Tribal Nations
Western States and Tribal Nations is a unique, trans-national initiative led by state, county and sovereign tribal nation governments, focused on creating rural economic development, advancing tribal self-determination and reducing global emissions by exporting western North American natural gas to international markets that need lower-emitting fuels.
Contact:
Bryson Hull
P: 202-657-2855