Muscat, Oman, 12 February 2009 - The 2009 Middle East Artificial Lift Forum (MEALF) has secured the support of many leading companies in the oil industry, reflecting the importance of the event for discussing the latest developments in the use of artificial lift technologies for oil production.

The biennial conference, which is scheduled at The Gulf Hotel Bahrain on February 16-18, is being held this year under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Abdul Hussain bin Ali Mirza, Minister of Oil and Gas Affairs and Chairman of the National Oil and Gas Authority of Bahrain. Managed by Omanexpo LLC, MEALF 2009 will bring together a large number of industry professionals from within the GCC and other parts of the world, and it will feature training workshops and technical presentations on beam pumping (BP), electrical submersible pumps (ESPs), gas lifting (GL), and progressing cavity pumps (PCP).

The event is supported by Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), Schlumberger, and Zenith Oilfield Technology as platinum sponsors. A subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, KOC is responsible for exploration operations and the development of producing fields in the State of Kuwait. Schlumberger is the world's leading oilfield services company supplying technology, information solutions and integrated project management that optimize reservoir performance. Zenith Oilfield Technology, meanwhile, is an artificial lift service company that provides leading-edge technology and services related to gathering and analysis of downhole data and specialised completions.

MEALF 2009 has also received the support of Alkhorayef Petroleum and Weatherford Oil Tool Middle East Ltd. as gold sponsors. Established in 1980, Alkhorayef Petroleum has been innovative and commercially bold in developing new concepts in ESP system contracts for its customers, while Weatherford is one of the largest global providers of innovative mechanical solutions, technology and services for the drilling and production sectors of the oil and gas industry.

Many other leading companies in the industry are also backing MEALF 2009 as the event's silver sponsors. These are Baker Hughes, Lufkin, Novomet, Sertecpet S.A., and Wood Group ESP.

Baker Hughes is the market leader in the ESP systems industry for both oilfield and water well applications. Lufkin's oil field pumping units, for its part, are known throughout the world as the industry standard, while Novomet manufactures complete ESP stands for oil production, water injection pumps and test-benches for testing the equipment. Sertecpet SA, which is based in Ecuador, is dedicated to building equipment for the oil industry including artificial lifting systems by pumping hydraulic pressure. Another silver sponsor, Wood Group ESP, is a global leader in the manufacture, testing, repair and service of submersible pumping equipment.

All MEALF 2009 sponsors will have a strong presence at the event by bringing in a large number of delegates to the conference and setting up stalls at the exhibition. In addition, MEALF 2009 is also supported by Upstream magazine, Gulf Oil & Gas, and Drilling & Exploration World, all of which are the event's media partners.

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To register for the event or for more information, visit www.mealf.com or contact Omanexpo LLC at +968-24660124, mobile no. +968-99442802, or e-mail clemento@omanexpo.com.

© Press Release 2009