Opening General Session Panelist
Robert Skinner
Former Director
Oxford Institute for Energy Studies
Robert Skinner is based in Calgary where he advises industry and governments, and researches, writes and speaks on energy and oil, particularly unconventional oil.
Before returning to Calgary earlier this year, in May 2003, he was appointed director of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. He was a senior research fellow at St Antony’s College and is an associate fellow of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) in London.
Skinner joined TOTAL’s gas and power group in Paris, and in 1998, launched TOTAL’s entry into the Canadian oil sands.
In 1989, he accepted an international assignment as director of the Policy office at the International Energy Agency at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris.
As Canada’s assistant deputy minister of Energy Commodities from 1985 to 1988, he played a leading role in the liberalization of Canada’s energy markets and trade with the United States.
He began his professional career in 1970 with the Geological Survey of Canada developing diamond and base metal exploration techniques for glaciated terrain.
Skinner has held directorships on the boards of companies and non-profit organizations. He has degrees in geology from Queen’s University in Kingston (HonsBSc1968) and the University of Washington in Seattle (MSc1970, PhD1971).
Higher resolution photo (528K JPG)
