Energy, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Forum

The Oil Shale Symposium, being held in Tallinn for the fourth time, will be attended by representatives of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the World Energy Council (WEC), as well as experts from the world’s leading oil shale industries and universities involved in the sector.

The objective for the Symposium, organized by Enefit, Tallinn University of Technology, University of Tartu and Colorado School of Mines, is to generate and boost international interest in the oil shale industry, initiate discussion and build links among various groups interested in the development of the industry, Eesti Energia said.

“Estonia has years of experience and extensive knowledge in mining and processing oil shale. Oil shale is the cornerstone of our energy security. This makes us one of the leading oil shale developers in the world. Ever more countries are taking an interest in tapping their oil shale reserves, and in this Estonia can show the way, sharing its knowledge and experience,” said Juhan Parts, Estonia’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications and one of the main presenters at the Symposium.

The Symposium will feature more than 50 presentations. They will include presentations by Didier Houssin, Director of Energy Market and Security, IEA, who will address the outlook for non-conventional oil and gas in the global energy market, and Dr. Leonhard Birnbaum, Vice Chair Europe, WEC, who will discuss global energy trends.

The international oil shale conference will be held in Estonia for the fourth time; the first conference was held in 1968. The last time Estonia hosted the International Oil Shale Symposium was in 2009, when the event was attended by 300 specialists in their respective fields from 24 countries.