WPC Energy is a non-advocacy, non-political organisation with charitable status in the U.K. and has accreditation as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) from the United Nations. WPC Energy facilitates an open dialogue around oil, gas, energy and their products and is dedicated to the promotion of their sustainable management for the benefit of all. Until 2023, the organisation was known as the World Petroleum Council.
WPC Energy has been called "the world’s premier oil, gas and energy forum since 1933."[1] It is widely recognised to "include the most prestigious national energy companies and agencies of the world"[2]
The organisation's premier event is called the WPC Energy Congress. Starting in 1933, the congress was held every four years until 1991, with a 14-year hiatus in between 1937 and 1951 because of World War II. After 1991, it was held every three years until the year 2000. There was a move to have it hosted every two years after the 2000 edition, with Rio de Janeiro hosting one in 2002, but the cycle returned to every three years after that. In order to host a congress, there is a bidding process by interested cities for one in a particular year.[3]
| WPC | Year | Host city | Host country | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1933 | London (#1) | ||
| 2nd | 1937 | Paris |  France | |
| 3rd | 1951 | The Hague | ||
| 4th | 1955 | Rome | ||
| 5th | 1959 | New York City |  United States | |
| 6th | 1963 | Frankfurt | ||
| 7th | 1967 | Mexico City |  Mexico | |
| 8th | 1971 | Moscow (#1) | ||
| 9th | 1975 | Tokyo |  Japan | |
| 10th | 1979 | Bucharest |  Romania | |
| 11th | 1983 | London (#2) | ||
| 12th | 1987 | Houston (#1) | ||
| 13th | 1991 | Buenos Aires |
| WPC | Year | Host city | Host country | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14th | 1994 | Stavanger | ||
| 15th | 1997 | Beijing | ||
| 16th http://www.world-petroleum.org/index.php?/Congresses/16th-wpc.html | 2000 | Calgary (#1) | ||
| 17th http://www.world-petroleum.org/index.php?/Congresses/17th-wpc.html | 2002 | Rio de Janeiro | ||
| 18th http://www.world-petroleum.org/index.php?/Congresses/18th-congress.html | 2005 | Johannesburg | ||
| 19th http://www.world-petroleum.org/index.php?/Congresses/19th-wpc.html | 2008 | Madrid | ||
| 20th http://www.world-petroleum.org/index.php?/Congresses/20th-wpc-doha.html | 2011 | Doha | ||
| 21st http://www.21wpc.com/ | 2014 | Moscow (#2) | ||
| 22nd http://www.22wpc.com/ | 2017 | Istanbul | ||
| 23rd https://www.23wpchouston.com/ | 2021 | Houston (#2) | ||
| 24th https://2023wpc.com/ | 2023 | Calgary (#2) | ||
| 25th | 2026 | Riyadh |
Note: Due to the onset of COVID-19, the 23rd World Petroleum Congress was moved from 2020 to 2021.[4]
This award is named for Institute of Petroleum President Thomas Dewhurst (1881-1973), who organized the first Congress in 1933, and is awarded to individuals who have shown "excellence in the petroleum industry."[5]