JODI Training Workshop for Latin American Countries

The Joint Oil Data Initiative (JODI) partner organisations (APEC, Eurostat, IEA, IEF, OLADE, OPEC and the UNSD), with the cooperation of the IMF, held a JODI training workshop in Caracas from 14 to 18 August 2006, for energy statisticians from Latin American countries.

Hosted by the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum of Venezuela and PDVSA, this event is the first of its kind. A second training session is envisaged to follow in South Africa in December 2006.

33 delegates, in charge of collecting energy data, from 14 OLADE member countries (including major Latin- American producer/consumer countries like Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela) attended the workshop. After setting the importance of oil in the international energy market and scene, the workshop emphasized the importance of data transparency and its contribution to oil market stability and, hence, to the world economy. Assessment of the data quality, data gathering, legal framework and confidentiality of oil statistics were also discussed. The workshop also gave participants the opportunity to compare their common practices in gathering oil data. Lastly, OLADE introduced to the participants a new version of its National Information System (SIEN).

Being the first link in the oil data collection process, the role of energy statisticians in country administrations is crucial. The aim of JODI training workshops is to provide such statisticians with tools to help them in the collection and checking of energy primary data, while increasing their awareness about the importance of their activity in increasing transparency in the oil market. JODI training is part of a broader plan of actions which also includes the dissemination of a manual and direct communications with countries, in order to improve the timeliness, completeness, and reliability of the data. This plan will be discussed at length on the occasion of the 6th JODI Conference in Riyadh in November 2006.

JODI is a concrete outcome and achievement of the producer-consumer dialogue and is an example of international cooperation. More than 90 countries, representing 90% of global supply and demand, are now participating in JODI and submitting data (available on a free basis at JODI) which covers production, demand and stocks of seven product categories: crude oil, LPG, gasoline, kerosene, diesel oil, fuel oil and total oil.