Letter from Calgary: World’s energy contradictions in microcosm
This year’s WPC laid bare the dilemma facing the energy industry and the world at large, with warnings about the dangers of underinvestment in fossil fuels given the immaturity of alternatives
It is often said that Alberta is to Canada what Texas is to the US, but that does not tell the whole story. In some ways, Alberta is more Texas than Texas: as a hydrocarbons hub, the state produces more than 80% of Canada’s oil while Texas accounts for just over 40% of US oil. In other ways, it is less Texas than Texas, putting greater importance on indigenous land rights that are crucial to energy infrastructure and showing greater appreciation for energy sustainability. So what was striking about the 24th World Petroleum Congress in Calgary in September was how it encapsulated the global tensions between energy security and sustainability. For starters, there seemed to be a lack of consens
Also in this section
17 February 2026
The 25th WPC Energy Congress, taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 26–30 April 2026, will bring together leaders from the political, industrial, financial and technology sectors under the unifying theme “Pathways to an Energy Future for All”
17 February 2026
Siemens Energy has been active in the Kingdom for nearly a century, evolving over that time from a project-based foreign supplier to a locally operating multi-national company with its own domestic supply chain and workforce
17 February 2026
Eni’s chief operating officer for global natural resources, Guido Brusco, takes stock of the company’s key achievements over the past year, and what differentiates its strategy from those of its peers in the LNG sector and beyond
16 February 2026
As the third wave of global LNG arrives, Wood Mackenzie’s director for Europe gas and LNG, Tom Marzec-Manser, discusses with Petroleum Economist the outlook for Europe’s gas market in 2026






