• CERAWeek
  • March 18 - 22, 2024

Paul Markwell

S&P Global

Senior Associate

Paul Markwell, Senior Associate, S&P Global, is an independent Energy sector advisor with almost 40 years experience spanning technical and executive roles in upstream oil and gas companies, and research and advisory firms. His current focus is around helping energy sector players adopt best practices in ESG, decarbonization and digitalization. Paul spent 17 years with IHS Markit companies until 2021, and has been a regular speaker and moderator at CERAWeek through that time. In his last full time position at IHS Markit he was Vice President for its Global Upstream Oil & Gas Insight business, where his teams provided insights to a wide range of energy sector players globally on company strategies and transactions; E&P terms and aboveground risk; costs, technology and operating performance and plays and basins and technical analyses. Previously he led various research and consulting teams supporting clients on business strategy, market outlooks, opportunity screening and characterization, unconventionals, and technology and innovation and he led a number of energy policy advisory programs for governments in the MENA region. Paul previously held posts at McKinsey and Company as an upstream expert consultant and as European Petroleum Practice Manager. The first half of his career was spent in international E&P companies working in the Netherlands, Thailand, the UK and Pakistan, initially as a Petroleum Engineer and in upstream operations and business development in Shell International; then in business development and country manager roles in Hardy Oil & Gas and British-Borneo. Mr. Markwell holds a BSc from Imperial College, London, and an MBA from Henley Management College. He is a Fellow of the Energy Institute in the UK and an Honorary fellow of Brunel University, London, where he served for 8 years as an independent member of Council and Audit committee chair. 

Sessions With Paul Markwell

Tuesday, 12 March

  • 11:35am - 12:35pm (CST) / -

    Global Upstream Strategies: Diversification versus specialization

    Panel Oil

    Since the oil price drop in 2014, oil & gas companies have refocused their portfolios in search of cost competitiveness. As a result, more companies have become de-facto specialists for certain asset types or geographies (such as North American unconventionals, oil sands, integrated gas projects). Conversely, the energy transition is spurring some larger companies to diversify into low-carbon solutions. How will this dichotomy of specialization and diversification impact the design of future upstream portfolios? How will diversified players make their capital allocation decisions between quite different business segments? What impact will the energy transition have on each class of upstream players?

  • 05:00pm - 05:50pm (CST) / -

    Game-changing Technologies for Oil & Gas

    Panel Oil Gas Technology/Innovation

    The oil and gas industry is witnessing a new era of progress in digital and related technologies that are transforming operational performance and efficiency and creating renewed opportunity to secure sustainable growth. The industry has a history of developing technical and operational innovations that have forged game-changing growth into new segments such as deep water and shale. This panel will explore the prospects for the next game-changers and what they might look like. Which areas of technological progress offer the most promise to become game-changers for the industry? What form of impact might a game-changer have, for example, in unlocking resources, reducing costs, or changing the nature of work? Would we know a game-changer if we saw one? Could a series of incremental gains over time also constitute a game-changer? Is the industry structured to unlock innovations? Which types of players and partnerships would hold the key?