21 December 2008:  During this time of financial uncertainty and volatility the leaders in the oil and gas sector are facing numerous challenges.  The upcoming oil and gas conference - MEOS 2009 - at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre will herald an opportunity for the oil industry to convene and canvass ideas and cost effective solutions for the future.

Held under the patronage of the Prime Minister of Bahrain, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, MEOS 2009 will feature an exhibition showcasing the industry's products and services, while the conference, organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers, will run parallel to the exhibition and is anticipated to attract well over 1,500 delegates. 

The conference itself is underpinned by the theme 'People, Demand, Technology - Bridging the Gaps ' which recognises the higher degrees of integration and cross-disciplinary activity between the workforce and technology in delivering energy to the market within the framework of fluctuating demand and changing prices. Specific topics will include investment and field exploration, working towards a greener and cleaner environment, ensuring high performance under difficult conditions, and the outlook for the sector in light of the world economic situation.

"Challenges present us with the opportunity to think of solutions. We welcome the opportunity to work with over 280 companies from over 28 countries to meet within the one arena  to discuss and deliberate how to ensure oil and gas operations continue to be reliable and sustainable in the face of  this era of turbulence," remarked Fawzi Al Shehabi, Director of Sales of Arabian Exhibition Management.

Faisal Al Mahroos, Conference Chairman commented, "With the continuing vibrancy of the industry, MEOS 2009 will be considerably bigger and better than 2007.  MEOS 2007 attracted over 6,337 trade visitors and conference delegates from around the world. The 14,000 square metres of exhibit space covers all areas of the upstream industry, including production, reservoir management, drilling, completions, measurement systems, geology, geo-physics, automation, transportation, health and safety, and information technology."

Utilising both halls of the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre, the exhibition will play host to all the regional national oil and gas companies (and an additional semi-permanent structure) including Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO), Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Petroleum Development Oman, Qatar Petroleum and Saudi Aramco as well as leading international petroleum companies such as Baker Hughes, China Petroleum Technology and Development Corporation (CPTDC), ExxonMobile Corporation, Halliburton, Schlumberger and Shell.

"We welcome the presence of the world's biggest suppliers of technology while there will be national pavilions from Italy, the UK and USA. Indeed this is the first time there has been an Italian national grouping of over 20 companies which highlights the calibre and stature of the MEOS conference and exhibition to the global energy sector," added Fawzi Al Shehabi.

The  highly technical conference is organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and will kick-start on the 15th March with welcome addresses by Bahrain's Minister of Oil & Gas Affairs and Chairman of the National Oil & Gas Authority His Excellency Dr. Abdul-Hussain bin Ali Mirza and the 2009 SPE President Leo Roodhard, followed by high-level speeches from Andrew Gould, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Schlumberger; Dr. Bernard J. Duroc-Danner, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Weatherford International Ltd; Khalid A. Al-Falih, President and Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Aramco; Mark W. Albers, Senior Vice President, ExxonMobil; and Sami F. Al-Rushaid, Chairman and Managing Director of Kuwait Oil Company.

"With a rich technical programme including 31 technical sessions, 8 panel sessions and 72 posters throughout the conference, companies and delegates alike can utilise this forum to learn about future global oil demand, forge trading relationships, share expertise and knowledge, and create new technologies for exploration and production,"  commented Waleed Refaay, Regional Director Middle East, Society of Petroleum Engineers.

As oil and gas will continue to be the main energy source for the world's energy needs for decades to come, MEOS 2009 will play a pivotal role in ensuring the industry's leaders, experts and engineers remain at the cutting edge of this business. In Leo Roodhart's words, President of the SPE, "Since this event first took place in 1979, it has remained one of SPE's main Middle-East focussed events, which has contributed to the growth of our industry and the development of our resources."

MEOS 2009 will be open daily to trade visitors from 08.30 to 17.30 hours on 16 and 17 March 2009 and 08.30 to 16.30 hours on 18 March 2009.

MEOS 2009 is organised by Arabian Exhibition Management in association with London based Overseas Exhibition Services, both members of Allworld Exhibitions.

-Ends-

For more information please contact:
Fawzi Al Shehabi / Lisa Nops
P.O. Box 20200, Manama, Bahrain
Tel: +973 17 550033,
Fax: +973 17 553288
E-mail: fawzi@aeminfo.com.bh / lisa@aeminfo.com.bh

© Press Release 2008