Our mission
Urgent action is required, now more than ever, to build a world where petroleum resources are managed effectively and where countries can work together to move beyond oil and gas. Through a unique, peer-to-peer approach driven by member countries, we help governments find and implement fit-for-purpose solutions and understand the voices of other stakeholders.
Our unique approach
We believe that peer-to-peer exchanges and support can help countries implement practical solutions far more effectively than top-down approaches. We created a trusted, informal space where member countries are free to share successes and failures, and give each other advice, free from commercial and economic pressures. We enable discussions within government around how to oversee the development of hydrocarbons and support environmental goals.
Our activities
Meetings
The project hosts an annual five-day meeting in one of the member countries, including an international discussion, training sessions and a national seminar for the host country. In-depth thematic workshops are also held throughout the year
Training
Opportunities for capacity building are offered to member countries through training sessions on a range of different topics. Sessions can last between 1 and 5 days.
Research
The co-organising institutions produce research of direct relevance to emerging producers. Member country officials and subject matter experts also develop resources and policy toolkits through our working groups. The group has also collaboratively produced ‘Guidelines for Good Governance in Emerging Oil and Gas Producers.
Advice
To help emerging producers tackle new policy issues or reform their existing frameworks, peer-to-peer support and expert advice is made available through recommendations, case studies, and lessons learned from other producers. Member countries are also able to request help or feedback by contacting our help-desk.
Exchanges
We facilitate bilateral exchanges, mentoring opportunities and secondments to support members with specific technical issues or to develop practical policy tools.
Knowledge sharing
platforms
We offer our members a discussion platform to exchange ideas, questions and challenges. We also have a benchmarking platform that supports the government oversight of oil company operations.
Policy labs
Labs produce practical tools to support policy-making and implementation. They include a sequence of the above activities over a longer period of time. Governments build their own solutions to their problems that fit their local context. Learnings are extracted during the process and published. Peer learning is a key feature.
What we work on
CORE TOPICS
- Vision for development
- Energy transition
- NOC strategy & role
- Natural gas development
Elaborate
a strategic
vision
CORE TOPICS
- Inter-agency coordination
- Managing operators
- Establishing regulators
- Establishing NOCs
Increase
capacity to
execute
CORE TOPICS
- Getting a good deal
- Local content
- Revenue management
- Minimize value leakage
Maximize
socio-
economic
returns
CORE TOPICS
- Managing expectations
- Public engagement and
communications
- Good governance
Build public
trust &
accountability
Our values
Producer-led
Officials from emerging producer countries participate in project design and delivery. This provides an enormous opportunity for transferring knowledge and increasing the relevance and value of our activities..
Peer-to-peer
What makes this group special and unique is its peer-to-peer learning and experience sharing. A wide range of countries exchange frankly, with those slightly ahead in terms of the development of their petroleum resources.
Coordinated
We support intra-governmental and intra-regional coordination for more effective policy-making and implementation.
Fit for purpose
IOur recommendations are focused on appropriate practice, which is fit-for-purpose, produces rapid results and makes incremental improvements to governance and accountability.
Sustainable
We stress the importance of a clear vision for the development of a new producer country. We highlight the risks of a commodity-dependent economy and means of achieving diversification and environmental protection.
Accountable
By increasing knowledge of all stakeholders, we support accountability. We also emphasize the importance of managing public and government expectations about the benefits of the oil and gas sector.
Our history
The New Petroleum Producers Discussion Group (or The New Producers Group) is a non-profit initiative established by Chatham House, the Natural Resource Governance Institute and the Commonwealth Secretariat. It started with a research paper in 2012 questioning the appropriateness of ‘best practice’ governance advice in a context where resources were uncertain and petroleum sector knowledge was low. That year, we organised a workshop with emerging producer governments to discuss what policies and institutional set up would be more fit-for-purpose. In the years that followed, oil prices fell and, over time, signs grew that the energy transition would disrupt the plans of emerging producers. Our focus evolved from the governance of the oil and gas sector to a concern for building resilience to change. Through this time, we have been working as a network and community of practice, bringing together over 600 individual members from emerging and established oil and gas countries.
