In fiscal 2024, JCCP’s Human Resource Development Programs, Technical Cooperation Programs, and International Cooperation Projects were implemented efficiently through a combination of virtual and in-person formats cultivated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The prices of crude oil and natural gas have risen with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and while showing significant fluctuations thereafter, they have more or less settled down at present. Nevertheless, when considering Japan’s dependence on imports to satisfy most of its crude oil and natural gas needs, it is clear that stabilizing the crude oil and natural gas markets is essential to help ensure stable economies both globally and domestically. Furthermore, as an organization assuming a role in securing a stable supply of energy for Japan, we have become more acutely aware of the need to maintain and establish cooperative relationships with oil- and gas-producing countries through JCCP activities.

With respect to the carbon neutrality movement, we have made flexible and dynamic responses in all aspects of our operations and have seen an increase in JCCP projects related to carbon neutrality. Going forward, we anticipate that the acceleration of government initiatives to realize GX (green transformation) will require us to also engage in operations that respond promptly to such governmental initiatives.

In fiscal 2024, 19 regular courses were implemented directly by JCCP, all in in-person format. They included three courses on strategic management and financial management, two on human resources, two on project management, two on carbon neutrality, one on supply chain management, three on instrumentation and DX for refineries, one on LNG technologies, one on the environment, and four on petroleum technologies and maintenance.

Although the courses were held in person as before, their quality was enhanced by effectively utilizing the infrastructure and expertise gained from conducting online courses to create a comprehensive design, from pre-program learning to information provision during the program and post-program review. Participatory activities, implemented in the form of gamification and workshops to promote interaction among participants, were also improved by reviewing the activities held in the previous year. The result was a higher level of participant satisfaction than ever before. Further upgrades were made by evolving our 3D virtual reality resources and utilizing other advanced DX technologies.

The researcher exchange (invitation/dispatch) program is offered with the aim of cultivating researchers for the development of advanced technologies in the oil downstream sector in the future by mutually inviting and dispatching researchers between oil- and gas-producing countries and Japan.

Under the fiscal 2024 researcher invitation program implemented on commission by The Japan Petroleum Institute (JPI), a researcher from Aramco Research & Development Center (Aramco R&DC) was welcomed by a research institute in Japan, while another researcher from Petroleum Research & Development Center, Ministry of Oil, Iraq (PRDC MoO) received online guidance from a research laboratory at a Japanese university. The two researchers engaged in their respective studies under the guidance of their host facility and received a certificate of completion following a presentation of results at JCCP. Another researcher from King Fahd University of Petroleum

JCCP supports oil- and gas-producing countries in solving technical challenges mainly in their oil downstream sector through the transfer of Japan’s technologies and expertise and the joint development and study of technologies in the form of technical cooperation projects. These projects are classified into three stages and implemented while carefully confirming their validity at each stage.

In fiscal 2024, two first-stage project finding surveys (basic survey) were implemented in three countries in addition to eight second-stage feasibility studies (project formation study) in five countries and nine third-stage joint projects with oil-producing countries in eight countries. Additionally, a project implementation agreement was signed and exchanged in fiscal 2024 for the new project on “Agro-forestation of Rubber Trees for Producing Carbon Neutral Oil (Indonesia).”

International cooperation programs aim to promote and strengthen information sharing, technical transfers, and human exchanges through direct dialogue with top management by organizing international conferences, networking meetings, and other such activities.

【JCCP International Symposium】
The JCCP International Symposium has been held annually since JCCP’s founding, inviting leaders from oil- and gas-producing countries to make presentations along with executives of oil companies in Japan. The participants primarily consist of executives at the minister and vice-minister levels from government agencies, management executives from national oil companies, and energy experts. Through the exchange of views and sharing of information among the leaders, the symposium sheds light on issues that need to be addressed cooperatively to achieve Japan’s goal of securing stable supplies of oil and natural gas. It also provides a forum for human exchanges aimed at maintaining and strengthening Japan’s relations with oil- and gas-producing countries.
Discussion themes focus on timely topics that take into consideration the environment and circumstances surrounding the oil and gas industries in that specific year. For example, past themes have included demand-supply changes brought about by sharp increases or decreases in population, the exacerbation of environmental issues, the nationalization of core human resources in oil-producing countries, the shale oil and gas revolution, the falling price of crude oil, and the need for further responses to geopolitical and environmental issues. More recent themes have included sustainable energy toward achieving carbon neutrality, DE&I (diversity, equity, and inclusion), DX (digital transformation), SX (sustainability transformation), the utilization of AI (artificial intelligence), technological innovation, the development of next-generation leaders, and human capital management.
The fiscal 2020 and 2021 symposiums were held in remote format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As in-person interactions had been difficult during this time, participants engaged in discussions and information exchanges online. In fiscal 2022, the symposium resumed in-person participation for the first time in three years by adopting a hybrid format. This approach accommodated both remote and on-site attendees, making it easier for more people to participate.
In fiscal 2023, the symposium was held entirely in person. This allowed for face-to-face exchanges between international guest speakers and representatives from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry as well as from Japanese companies. In these ways, the symposium has continued to promote exchanges and cooperation over the years through flexible responses to international affairs and participants’ needs.

【FCW Forum】

The Friendship Committee for Women Career Development (FCW) was established in 2015 to promote women’s empowerment and career development in the oil industries in UAE and Japan. Its activities include the FCW Forum held semi-annually in UAE and Japan to promote information exchanges.

In fiscal 2024, the 19th FCW Forum was held on October 29 in Tokyo under the central theme of “Women’s Career Development - Designing a Sustainable Energy Industry,” with the attendance of approximately 120 participants.
In the presence of H.E. Dr. Maitha Al Shamsi, Minister of State of the United Arab Emirates and member of the FCW board, Ms. Fatema Al Nuaimi, ADNOC Executive Vice President, Downstream Business Management, gave a leader’s speech, and Mr. Joe Sakai, Director of ChangeWAVE Group, Inc., gave an inspiring talk. The speakers emphasized that now is the time for women to take action. They encouraged women to seize this opportunity amid significant social changes to create a society in which future generations of women would be evaluated even more fairly than they are today.
In the following workshop on “Women’s Career Development - How we can demonstrate leadership,” participants from Japanese companies cooperating with the FCW and oil companies in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and first-time participant Malaysia divided into three groups under the themes of “Challenges and Solutions in DE & I” “Career Development of Women Engineers,” and “Value Co-Creation” and engaged in a preliminary discussion before presenting their ideas and proposals as a group.
The forum also featured a panel discussion on “Women’s Career Development - Leader Development, Mentoring, Women Engineers Program.” With Dr. Junko Nomura of the Institute of Science Tokyo as moderator, leaders from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the oil industries in Japan and UAE took the stage. They spoke about initiatives taken by various companies, the importance of taking a courageous step forward upon sharing issues and case examples of promoting mentoring, and the significance of creating a network (particularly among female engineers) as encouragement to next-generation leaders, including female leaders.

JCCP has overseas offices in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia (Al-Khobar Office) and Abu Dhabi, UAE (Middle East Office). Each office oversees a group of Middle East countries, with the Al-Khobar office in charge of affairs in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and Bahrain, and the Middle East office in charge of affairs in UAE, Qatar, Oman and Iran.
The principal roles of these overseas offices are to provide local support and to collect local information to enable JCCP projects to be implemented smoothly and safely in the countries under their charge.