Dow Jones Energy Hosts World Chemical Forum 2026

Key Terms

feedstocks technical

Feedstocks are the basic raw materials—such as crude oil, natural gas, agricultural crops, or recycled waste—fed into an industrial process to make products like fuels, chemicals, plastics or fertilizers. For investors, feedstock type, cost and availability act like the price of flour for a bakery: they drive production costs, profit margins, supply reliability and environmental footprint, so changes can materially affect a company’s competitiveness and value.

polyolefin technical

Polyolefins are a family of common plastics—including polyethylene and polypropylene—made by linking simple chemical building blocks called olefins. Think of them as different recipes made from the same basic ingredient: they are lightweight, durable, and widely used in packaging, automotive parts, and medical items. Investors watch polyolefins because demand, raw-material costs (tied to oil and gas), and recycling or regulation trends directly affect producers’ sales, margins, and supply-chain risk.

petrochemicals technical

Petrochemicals are the basic chemical ingredients made from oil and natural gas that are used to produce everyday products like plastics, fibers, fertilizers, solvents and many industrial materials. They matter to investors because their demand and prices link energy producers, chemical manufacturers and consumer industries—changes in raw fuel costs, regulation or product demand can quickly affect company revenues, profit margins and supply-chain risks, much like flour affects a bakery's business.

The premier event returned to Texas, convening global leaders from across the chemical and energy value chains to navigate the evolving industry landscape

THE WOODLANDS, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Dow Jones Energy, a leading provider of energy pricing, news and analytics, is hosting the third annual World Chemical Forum, presented by Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS, at The Woodlands Resort in The Woodlands, Texas.

Beginning today, the forum brings together a global assembly of hundreds of attendees and industry leaders from more than 35 countries around the theme of “Embracing the New Reality: Transform to Thrive.” Conversations will focus on navigating evolving cost structures, shifting energy priorities and a dynamic global trade landscape.

Powered by data and intelligence from OPIS and Chemical Market Analytics, and in collaboration with The Wall Street Journal, the event offers a comprehensive exploration of the future of chemicals and energy, their inter-relationships and how both markets will address global economic and environmental challenges.

“The chemical industry is moving at a breakneck pace, and navigating that change requires more than just raw data—it requires the right perspective,” said Dewey Johnson, Global Chief Markets Officer, Chemicals. “At Dow Jones Energy, we combine deep expertise with reliable analysis to help our partners make sense of these shifting markets. The World Chemical Forum is the perfect place to bring those insights together and get a real grip on where this industry is headed.”

“This event is part of our mission to provide the trusted intelligence that powers global commerce,” said Sarah Cottle, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Dow Jones Energy. “As the industry navigates a transformative era defined by new energy priorities and shifting trade dynamics, World Chemical Forum is an essential moment showcasing what Dow Jones Energy does best – connecting our customers with deep sector expertise to drive sustainable growth and innovation in the years ahead.”

Featured speakers for the 2026 World Chemical Forum include:

• Dr. Thomas Kloster, President, Petrochemicals Division, BASF
• Adrian Cooper, Executive Chairman, Oxford Economics
• Lars Eirik Nicolaisen, Deputy CEO, Rystad Energy
• Bob Patel, Board Director, Senior Advisor, Former Private and Public Company CEO
• Jim Teague, Co-CEO and Director, Enterprise Products Partners
• Dr. Slil Siripong, Director Finance & Strategy, SCG
• Andre Wilkie, Strategy & Execution, XRG
• Justine Smith, Executive Vice President of Commercial, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company
• Sameer Bharadwaj, CEO, Orbia
• Chris Jahn, President & CEO, American Chemistry Council (ACC)
• Marco Mensink, Deputy Director General & Executive Director Industrial Policy, CEFIC
• Dr. Raja M. Almarzoqi, Chief Negotiator, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
• Ignacio Torras, President & CEO, Tricon Energy
• Samantha Gross, Director, Energy Security & Climate Initiative, Brookings Institution
• Rebecca Liebert, President & CEO, The Lubrizol Corporation
• Deon Carter, President, Chlor-alkali Products & Vinyl, Olin
• Scott Rook, CEO, Chemtrade
• Leon de Bruyn, President & CEO, Lummus Technology
• Fredrico Veller, National Undersecretary of Hydrocarbons, Argentina
• Udo Lange, CEO, Stolt-Nielsen

The forum will feature two days of strategic insight, with key topics on the agenda including:

• Adapting Chemical Supply Chains Amid Tariffs and Geopolitics
• Changing Paradigms in Energy Markets
• China’s Short to Medium Term Energy & Chemicals Outlook
• Global Feedstocks in Flux: Navigating Cost, Supply and Strategy in a Shifting Market
• Polyolefin Power Plays: Who Survives and What Shifts the Game?

The full list of speakers and program schedule can be found at opis.com/world-chemical-forum/.

About Dow Jones

Dow Jones is a global provider of news and business information, delivering content to consumers and organizations around the world across multiple formats, including print, digital, mobile and live events. Dow Jones has produced unrivaled quality content for more than 130 years and today has one of the world’s largest newsgathering operations globally. It is home to leading publications and products including the flagship Wall Street Journal, America’s largest newspaper by paid circulation; Barron’s, MarketWatch, Mansion Global, Financial News, Dow Jones Risk & Compliance and Dow Jones Newswires. Dow Jones is a division of News Corp (Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV).

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Media Contact

Kamilla Rahman

Kamilla.Rahman@dowjones.com

Source: Dow Jones