Join us at UT Austin for a one-day roundtable exploring how shifting laws, regulations, and geopolitical dynamics are reshaping the offshore energy and maritime sectors across the U.S. and Europe.

Scholars and practitioners from Texas, Athens, Swansea, and Queen Mary University will discuss topics including:
🔹 Offshore carbon sequestration and CO₂ transport
🔹 Legal challenges around new maritime fuels
🔹 Cyber-physical systems in offshore operations
🔹 Hydrocarbon regulation and geopolitics
🔹 The evolving landscape of offshore wind development

This interdisciplinary discussion brings together leading experts in energy law, maritime law, and policy to explore the legal frameworks shaping the future of offshore energy.

📍 University of Texas at Austin
🕘 Full-day program with sessions, lunch, and networking
🎓 Open to students, faculty, and anyone interested in energy and maritime policy

No need to register – just show up!

PROGRAM

Morning – First Session – Carbon Sequestration – 9:30 am – 10:40 pm (John Dzienkowski – Moderator)
• Lia Athanasiou (Athens) – “Maritime Transport, Storage and Re-use of CO2”
• Susan Hovorka (UT Bureau of Economic Geology) – “The Promise of Offshore Sequestration”

Coffee Break – 10:40 am – 11:00 am

Morning – Second Session Part A – Maritime Issues – 11:00 am – 12:10 am (Lauren Fielder –moderator)
• Tabetha Kurtz-Shefford (Swansea) – “Future-Proofing Fault: International Liability for Novel Marine Fuels”
• Michael Sturley (Texas) – “Maritime Issues in the Offshore Industry”

Lunch – 12:10 am – 1:10 pm
Afternoon – Second Session Part B – Maritime Issues – 1:10 pm – 2:20 pm (David Spence –moderator)
• Barış Soyer (Swansea) – “Fueling the Future Safely: Why the HNS Convention Matters More Than Ever in the Era of New Maritime Fuels”
• Miriam Goldby (Queen Mary University – Fulbright Scholar) – “Cyber-physical systems in maritime and offshore: some implications for law and contract”

Afternoon – Third Session – Recent Developments in the Hydrocarbon Space – 2:20 pm – 3:30 pm (Melinda Taylor – Moderator)
• Antonio Massieu – Toeppich & Associates (Former General Counsel, Mexican Hydrocarbons Commission) – “A perspective on regulatory developments in Mexico that affect upstream oil and gas”
• Emmanuel Mastromanolis (Athens) – “Geopolitical tensions and unilateral conduct in the natural gas sector: current status quo and the way forward”

Coffee Break – 3:30 pm – 3:50 pm

Afternoon – Fourth Session – Offshore Wind Issues – 3:50 pm – 5:00 pm (John Dzienkowski – Moderator)
• David Spence (Texas) – Recent U.S. developments (cancellation of leases, lawsuits overthrowing the cancellations) and the polarized political discourse regarding offshore wind.
• Robin Main (Hinckley Allen) – “Challenges facing private companies seeking to develop offshore wind in the United States.”