The World Petroleum Council (formerly known as the World Petroleum Congress) was created in 1933 as an international forum dedicated to petroleum science, technology, economics and management. The WPC is a non-governmental organization with its headquarters in London. Over 60 national committees from various countries with a developed oil and gas industry currently participate in the WPC. The WPC’s main aim is to facilitate the development of scientific and technological innovations in the oil industry, and to study economic, financial, management, ecological and social aspects connected with the development of the global oil industry. To achieve these aims, the council organizes forums for discussion, exchange of opinions and knowledge between representatives of the oil industry from various countries of the world, including managers and senior executives from the sector, representatives of government organizations, scientists and engineers, and much more besides. The most recent international forum of the WPC was held in September this year in Johannesburg.

The Russian National Committee of the World Petroleum Council is the successor to the USSR National Committee, established in 1958. Its aim is to ensure the participation of Russian oil industry specialists in World Petroleum Congresses (Councils) so that they may obtain the latest scientific and technical, operations and economic information on the status of the oil industry and science in different countries of the world. The contacts made by the specialists at these councils lead to scientific and technical cooperation, and to commercial relations between oil industry specialists from all over the world. The RNC’s members include the largest Russian oil and gas companies and organizations, such as Rosneft, Gazprom, LUKOIL, Surgutneftegaz, Transneft, Tatneft, Bashneft, Zarubezhneft, the Gubkin Oil and Gas Russian State University, etc.