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Dissemination of scientific and technical knowledge


CLAR think tanks

To foster and facilitate the exchange of knowledge and to develop R&D and innovation, GEP-AFTP has set up a number of think tanks dedicated to various areas of technological or economic expertise. These are known by their French acronyms as CLAREFs (think tanks) or CLARECs (research clubs).

Joel FORT is in charge of these CLARs (Clubs de Liaisons d’Actions de Réflexion).

CLAR think tanks (CLAREFs)

CLAREFs enable individual professional members of GEP-AFTP to form joint think tanks to monitor the latest developments in scientific, technical and economic knowledge and issues in specific fields.

The LNG Commission set up in 2008 remains active and functions in association with the AFG (French Gas Association) – It is chaired by Alain Giacosa (Total).

CLAR research clubs (CLARECs)

CLAR research clubs foster the emergence of research topics, forward-looking courses of action and joint industry programmes or projects (JIPs). They also initiate and/or support the holding of conferences and seminars that enable the industry to be actively involved and represented in the technical committees set up by major professional groupings.

CLAR-OM (Marine Structures) – Vice-President: Daniel Averbuch (IFPEN); Executive Officer: Philippe Perreau (GEP-AFTP); Deputy Executive Officer: Gilbert Damy (IFREMER).

• GEP-AFTP scientific and technical conferences

These conferences are organised by the GEP-AFTP members who chair the CLARs. They focus mainly on technical and economic topics relating to various energy sources that are of interest to GEP-AFTP members.
Access to these conferences is free of charge for individual GEP-AFTP members. They are also generally open to non-members provided there are seats available.

• GEP-AFTP corporate clubs

GEP-AFTP corporate clubs meet to discuss general topics and issues (particularly those of international concern) that interest the management teams of the Association’s corporate members.

Other Activities

• Youth Committee

The main purpose of the GEP-AFTP’s Youth Committee is to develop links between the senior management of oil companies and the younger generations (young professionals and students).
The Youth Committee also aims to develop a network of contacts to facilitate future industrial exchanges.

President: Christophe Paillusseau 

• CITEPH Programme

Concertation pour l’Innovation Technologique dans l’Exploration Production des Hydrocarbures (Consultations on Technological Innovation in Oil & Gas Exploration-Production)

Under an ad hoc agreement, the GEP-AFTP Association manages and leads the CITEPH Programme. This programme aims to provide SMEs and SMIs with private funding of Research & Development projects and to enhance the promotion of French technology relating to oil & gas exploration-production.

The promoters of the CITEPH programme are interested in a very broad spectrum of fields of knowledge, ranging from geosciences to offshore production facilities.

All the organisations that support and finance the programme are represented on a Policy Board, which sets the Programme’s strategic and thematic directions. The Policy Board also ensures that the funding of the projects selected for the Programme by the project sponsors is well coordinated and results from proper consultation procedures.

• BN Pétrole (Oil Standardisation Office)

The Oil Standardisation Office (known as ”BN Pétrole”) is the French oil profession’s body in charge of French, European and international standardisation. It has been officially approved by the French Ministry of Industry and acts under powers delegated by AFNOR, the French national standardisation authority.

BN Pétrole comprises two departments: an Equipment Department and a Products & Methods Department.

The Equipment Department manages around 300 standards, ranging from drilling to LPG standards. It coordinates the work of 11 BN Pétrole standardisation commissions and helps AFNOR to act as the secretariat of two standardisation committees: CEN (European Committee for Standardisation) and ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation).

The Products & Methods Department directly manages some 600 standards, ranging from LPG, fuels and bitumen to classifications, specifications and product testing methods. It coordinates the work of eight standardisation commissions and serves as the secretariat of four committees, including one international (ISO) and one European committee (CEN).

BN Pétrole is governed by a Management Committee (CODIR) made up of representatives of the major French oil & gas companies. The CODIR sets the policies, approves the budget and ensures the smooth operation of BN Pétrole by collecting its members’ dues and the commission participation fees.

Daniel Rioche has been appointed as GEP-AFTP’s Standardisation Coordinator. In this capacity, he attends meetings of the commissions managed by BN Pétrole’s Equipment Department and acts as GEP-AFTP’s representative on BN Pétrole’s CODIR (management committee) and on AFNOR’s Oil & Gas COS (Strategy Committee).

AFNOR’s Strategy Committee covers a large number of activities, ranging from exploration, production, refining, petrochemicals and transport, to the distribution of oil, synthetic and biological products.

International deployment

GEP-AFTP supports the international development of French businesses through international exhibitions and its network of regional representatives. These are oil & gas professionals, each of whom is dedicated to a particular geographical area in the Maghreb, the Near and Middle East, East and West Africa, Europe and the CIS, Asia and Central Asia.


• International exhibitions

Every year, GEP-AFTP organises the French Pavilion at a dozen international exhibitions dedicated to oil & gas related activities: it provides logistical services and reserves exhibition space, which it sells to companies that want to set up exhibition stands. Member companies benefit from preferential rates for these services.
In 2012, GEP-AFTP was present at the following exhibitions: MCEDD – Deepwater Development; OTC – Offshore Technology Conference; WGC – Word Gas Conference – 25th World Gas Conference; NEFTEGAZ; ONS – Offshore Northern Seas; GASTECH; DOT – Deep Offshore Technology.


• Trade missions abroad

With the help of the expertise and experience of its regional representatives, GEP-AFTP organises trade missions abroad, which enable the participants to meet local operators (oil & gas and related businesses), as well as government authorities and economic players in the regions concerned.

GEP-AFTP has seven geographical area managers for the following regions: Europe-Central Asia, Maghreb-Mashriq, Russia, China-Ghana, East Africa, West Africa and Asia (excluding China).


• GEP-APAC

GEP-AFTP is a founder member of GEP-APAC (AsiaPACific), a non-profit organisation registered in Singapore.

GEP-APAC was set up to promote oil & gas and, more broadly, energy-related activities linked with the business sectors of its corporate members, with a view to fostering their development across the whole of the Asia-Pacific area.

Events


• Annual Oil & Gas Industry Days

The Annual Oil & Gas Industry Days are held every year in Paris at the Palais des Congrès conference centre (Porte Maillot). They bring together all the players in the oil, gas and related industries for an exchange of views on the main trends in these sectors.

This 2-day event is attended by over 600 senior managers and representatives of national and international companies, producing countries, research companies, service providers, equipment suppliers, international technical experts and French and European governments.

• Awards

GEP-AFTP awards three prizes and sponsors a fourth one awarded by the AOP (Amicale Offshore Pétrolier).

Every year, GEP-AFTP awards four prizes to talented SMEs-SMIs: one for innovation, one for international development, one for talented male and female engineers and technicians, known as the GEP-AFTP trophy, and one for students, known as the Energia prize, which is organised by the AOP and sponsored by GEP-AFTP.

These awards are given during a special evening event followed by a cocktail party. This provides all the prize-winners with an opportunity to present their achievements to an audience of a hundred prestigious guests. A summary of the results is also presented to the participants in the Annual Oil & Gas Days event.

• Cocktail party

Every year, GEP-AFTP organises a cocktail party followed by a seated dinner for over 600 guests in Paris. This unique event is a great opportunity for all oil & gas industry players to meet in a prestigious venue to do some networking and form partnerships.

Publications


• Directories

Every year, GEP-AFTP publishes two directories: a directory of the Association’s corporate members (Companies Directory) and a directory of the Association’s individual members (Private Members Directory). The content, purpose, aims and distribution of these directories are different.

The Companies Directory is dedicated to corporate members: each member company is entitled to a whole page on which to present its activities. This directory is distributed to participants in in all GEP-AFTP events in France and at all international exhibitions.

The Private Members Directory lists the names, details and job functions of GEP-AFTP’s private individual members. It is distributed only to GEP-AFTP’s private members (electoral college 3), who come from over 250 different companies.

Advertising space is available in both of these directories. The advertising revenue thus generated covers the cost of producing the directories and makes it possible to distribute them free of charge.


•  GEP-AFTP publishes three magazines

Pétrole et Gaz Informations / Oil & Gas Information

Pétrole et Gaz Informations is a bimonthly magazine published in partnership with the Infopro Digital media group. It has become the benchmark magazine in France in the oil & gas industry. It aims to provide its readers with work and decision-support tools. It also acts as a networking link between individual private members of the GEP-AFTP Association.

Each issue contains a comprehensive feature article on a key topic, an interview with a key player in the oil & gas sector and various key sections that provide readers with exhaustive news coverage.

The magazine also presents reports on the scientific and technical conferences organised by GEP-AFTP including its Annual Oil & Gas industry Days, as well as various conferences organised by its partners.


La Revue des Entreprises / The GEP-AFTP Corporate Members’ Review

La Revue des Entreprises is an electronic magazine which is distributed to GEP-AFTP’s corporate members (10 issues per year). It presents the Association’s road map, focusing on its tasks, exhibitions, conferences, etc. It keeps its members informed of future events (international trade fairs, conferences, clubs, etc.). It gives its readers the latest news on its members and on the Oil & Gas industry’s main issues, covering all geographical areas.


La lettre GEP-AFTP de la normalisation / The GEP-AFTP standardisation newsletter

GEP-AFTP publishes a standardisation newsletter three times a year, which is sent to its corporate members’ Standardisation Correspondents. It is designed to be a link and a means of disseminating technical news and information on standardisation issues.