Timor-Leste’s professional petroleum, gas, and energy community marked a pivotal day in its evolution on 7 November 2024 with the official launch of the SPE Timor-Leste Sectionby H.E. Francisco da Costa Monteiro, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, in the capital, Dili.
Proceedings took place in the presence of 200 invited guests including Her Excellency Caitlin Wilson, Ambassador of Australia, an array of dignitaries from across a range of industries, not just energy, and SPE sponsors from Canberra, Perth, Darwin, and Dili. Guests were guided to their seats by a team of enthusiastic petroleum engineering students from DIT, UNTL, UNDIL, and UNITAL universities.
The emcee was Kevin Alexandro Martins, UNTL student and vice president of SPE Timor-Leste Student Chapter. Sr Fernando da Silva, chair SPE Timor-Leste Section, warmly welcomed guests and provided opening comments. Minister Monteiro, who studied petroleum geology at the Australian School of Petroleum, University of Adelaide, delivered keynote remarks praising the benefits of the section’s establishment for professionals in the country. Terry Palisch, 2024 SPE President, attending ADIPEC in UAE, sent an inspiring 6-minute video tribute, and then a troupe of Timorese dancers led by SPE student member Cecilia Pinto gave a lively performance wearing traditional outfits.
Steve McBride delivered a speech summarizing the SPE Timor-Leste journey which started back in 2022 leading to the formation of one of the largest SPE student chapters in 2023 and included a special video slideshow of the recent 1-week visit to Perth by 18 Timorese scholarship winners. McBride emphasized that Timor-Leste was a case of “putting the cart before the horse” with the establishment of the student chapter before the section, largely because there had only been a handful of professional members, and simultaneously it had been evident that the students needed immediate support.
Justin Kijam, SPE Asia Pacific Regional Manager of Member Programs and Strategic Initiatives, provided his insights for the section going forward, outlining how he and the SPE team based in Kuala Lumpur can offer essential support and facilitate connectivity across the region.
A Q&A session featured a spectrum of questions from invited local professionals on topics such as the benefits of joining SPE to those in Dili, types of future events, etc. Interactions were lively and uplifting, and it provided a fitting end to formalities prior to a delicious Timorese lunch for all guests.
All great milestones require champions and Sr Dino da Silva, President ANP (the Timor-Leste petroleum regulator) must be recognized for his enthusiasm lending robust support to the creation of a section. At the start of 2024, Timor-Leste only had nine professional members, so special thanks to Sr Rui Soares, president and CEO, Timor Gap (the national oil company), for financially supporting his staff to join, which contributed to boosting membership above the minimum criterion of 25 in the country. There are now 44 SPE members in the Timor-Leste Section.
Sr Fernando da Silva, ANP, should be highly commended as the inaugural chair of the new section for his close collaboration initially with us at SPE Western Australia (WA), navigating the preparatory stages of the nomination to form a section, including the selection of a diverse section board and planning for the official launch.
Kudos to all of those (and their respective organizations) who have stepped up as SPE volunteer board members to progress the SPE mission and vision in Timor-Leste including Dircia da Costa (Timor Gap), David Lawson (Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources MPMR), Luis Pereira (Sunda Energy), Sarah Green (Caltech), Edgar Da Costa (ANP), Noventino Fernandes (MPMR), and Ernesto Pinto (ANP).
SPE WA looks forward to supporting the Timor-Leste Section journey and collaborating closely on a smooth transition of responsibility of the SPE Timor-Leste Student Chapter over the following 12 to 15 months.
