Thursday, Apr. 30, 2020 – Thursday, Apr. 30, 2020

07:30 PM – 08:30 PM
US/Central

Energy markets were in flux even before travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders were issued across the globe in response to COVID-19. With Russia and Saudi Arabia engaged in a price war, oil prices plunged to record lows. Meanwhile, reduced travel worldwide has resulted in decreasing demands for fuel. Oil and gas projects are on hold, energy supply chains have been disrupted, and industry conventions have been canceled.

Analysts say the oil and gas industry is facing unprecedented times and an uncertain future — evidenced by oil prices dropping recently into the negative for the first time in history as U.S. oil storage capacity fills up due to the loss in demand. What does this mean for oil futures in the near term? In the long term, how will the industry need to adapt after pandemic restrictions ease, amid already-existing pressures for the industry to adapt to climate change concerns?

Join Asia Society Texas Center to examine the future of oil and gas in Houston and globally.

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Schedule

Thursday, April 30, 2020
7:30 p.m. Moderated Discussion
8 p.m. Audience Q&A — Questions welcome via YouTube Live and Facebook Live

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About the Speaker

Michael Cohen is Chief U.S. Economist and Head of Oil Analysis in BP’s Group Economics team. In this role, he is responsible for oil, transportation, and U.S.energy policy related analysis in BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy and Energy Outlook. The Economics team helps inform decision making for BP’s board and executive team as well as for the Upstream, Downstream, Government Affairs, Trading, and Fuels/Marketing businesses.

Prior to joining BP in May 2019, Michael was Barclays’ Global Head of Commodities Research and was responsible for preparing and delivering differentiated research on commodities markets to Barclays’ global corporate and institutional investor client base. He worked for a decade in the public sector as an Economist with the U.S.Energy Information Administration, the Department of Energy’s Office of Policy and International Affairs, as well as two years in Paris as a senior member of the Oil Markets Division at the International Energy Agency. Prior to government service, Michael worked on electricity market design for LECG (now Navigant) and as a trading desk analyst for American Electric Power. He graduated with a BSBA in Business Economics and a BA in Political Science from The Ohio State University and a Masters in International Economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

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About the Moderator

Edward “Eddie” R. Allen is a co-founder and Senior Partner of Eagle Global Advisors, an investment advisory firm based in Houston, Texas. He serves on the management committee and all investment committees of the firm. In addition to serving as a co-manager of the Eagle MLP Strategy Fund, he is a portfolio manager for a variety of institutional and high net worth clients. Eddie is a co-creator of many of the portfolio strategies and proprietary investment management tools of the firm.Eddie received a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago and his B.S.E. in Engineering from Princeton University.

Eddie holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is also a member the CFA Society of Houston. Before entering the investment advisory business, Eddie served as an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Houston.Eddie currently serves as Chairman of the Asia Society Texas Center and is on the board of the Asia Society Global organization. He also currently serves on the boards of The Menil Collection and The Chinquapin School. He is a past board member of St. John’s School and past Chair and President of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston.

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Asia Society hosts today's leading voices, providing commentary on events in news, society, and culture. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect Asia Society views.

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Business and Policy programs are endowed by Huffington Foundation. We give special thanks to Bank of America, Muffet Blake, Anne and Albert Chao, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Nancy Pollok Guinee, United Airlines, and Wells Fargo, Presenting Sponsors of Business and Policy programs; Nancy C. Allen, Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, and Leslie and Brad Bucher, Presenting Sponsors of Exhibitions; Dr. Ellen R. Gritz and Milton D. Rosenau and Wells Fargo, Presenting Sponsors of Performing Arts and Culture; and Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), Presenting Sponsor of the Japan Series. General support of programs and exhibitions is provided by The Brown Foundation, Inc., The Hearts Foundation, Inc., Houston Endowment, Inc., the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, McKinsey & Company, Inc., National Endowment for the Arts, Texas Commission on the Arts, Vinson & Elkins LLP, and Mary Lawrence Porter, as well as Friends of Asia Society.

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About Asia Society at Home

Though Asia Society is temporarily closed, we are dedicated to continuing our mission of building cross-cultural understanding and uplifting human connectivity. Using digital tools, we bring you content for all ages and conversations that matter, in order to spark curiosity about Asia and to foster empathy.

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About Asia Society Texas Center

With 13 locations throughout the world, Asia Society is the leading educational organization promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among the peoples, leaders, and institutions of Asia and West. Asia Society Texas Center executes the global mission with a local focus, enriching and engaging the vast diversity of Houston through innovative, relevant programs in arts and culture, business and policy, education, and community outreach.