There was a slightly different feel to the gathering of more than 100 guests at a subtly sumptuous reception in the Bois de Boulogne district of Paris last week.
For one thing they all knew each other either directly or as the stuff of industry legend. Many of them also professed to have retired from the gas business but this claim was often uttered with a devilish twinkle in the eye, implying they had not entirely given up the chase.
They were all gathered to honour one man who fit both these descriptions - gas shipping pioneer Rene Boudet - who soon turns 89 but amazingly still likes to pop into the office every day.
Guests at the dinner, which was hosted by shipbroker and gas specialist Poten & Partners, spanned the generations and the industry.
Boudet´s son Jacques, who heads Geogas - today´s incarnation of his father´s gas venture - was present with his family.
Ex-Shell gas man Etienne Schlumberger, a contemporary of Boudet, attended with the notable honorific "Father of the semi-refrigerated concept" against his name on the guest list. He apparently mocked up this design on the back of an envelope while travelling with Boudet. His oil-major employers were not interested so Boudet stepped in and took on the design.
Norwegian gas legend Inge Steensland was also among the guests, along with representatives from French oil giant Total, Gaz de France, the broking world and classification societies.
Exmar boss Nicolas Saverys, a former trainee at Boudet´s company Gazocean almost 20 years ago, also showed up in honour of his former boss.
Poten boss Mike Tusiani was on hand to give a moving address to the man he has known for 30 years.
Tusiani described Boudet as one of the most influential people he had met, calling him a pioneer and highlighting his predictions on the important role natural gas would play, his work on the technology of gas transport and his concern about the need for gas infrastructure.
Throughout his career Boudet has believed passionately in the importance of innovation. Tusiani aptly quoted from a paper Boudet had presented at the first Gastech meeting in Amsterdam in 1974. In it Boudet said: "If you are content to imitate your competitors, you always get in too late. Go all out, find new ideas for yourselves, develop them, realise them and you will see what a kick you get out of living."
From the look of him, Rene Boudet still appears to be doing just that.
