Kuwait City, February 23, 2005 -- Kuwait Shell has staged its first-ever oil shipping standards workshop for senior representatives of the Kuwaiti government and the country's oil sector. The one-day workshop at the Marriot Courtyard Hotel involved visiting Shell specialists, who introduced the company's approach to international shipping standards and procedures, in order to share best practices from the Shell Group's experience.
The workshop, part of a Shell regional roadshow, addressed topics ranging from tanker vetting and oil spill compensation schemes to a comparison of local, regional and international shipping standards. The workshop featured a series of visual presentations, followed by discussions.
Shell representatives included Chris Rowsell, General Manager Shipping Standards, and Dubai's Captain Ashley Buhl, Marine Manager, Supply & Trading, who presented to an audience of representatives from the Ministry of Communications, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, and the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as members of the Port Authorities, the national oil companies, and the Kuwait Oil Spill Contingency Plan.
Dr. Ken Taylor, Chairman of Kuwait Shell, said: "We were delighted to share Shell's renowned international expertise in this important field, as part of our role in supporting the continuous development and improvement in the industry."
Shell's relationship with Kuwait spans more than 50 years, when the Group first brought Kuwait's crude oil to international markets. Later, Shell signed its first Kuwait agreement with HH Sheikh Abdullah Al Salim Al Sabah in 1961, and in recent years has been involved in joint studies with the Kuwait Oil Company, bringing technology and expertise to Kuwaiti staff. Shell is one of the contenders for a possible increased role as Kuwait moves towards the greater involvement of international oil companies in its upstream operations.
Shell's strong presence in the Middle East is based on long-standing partnerships with host governments and national oil companies. Shell companies purchase in excess of one million barrels of oil from the Gulf each day.
The Shell logo is one of the best recognised symbols in the world. With around 119,000 employees in 145 countries, Shell aims to meet the energy and petrochemicals needs of society in ways that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. Shell produces more oil and gas than any other private energy company and serves more than 25 million retail customers every day.
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For Further Information:
Reem Al Sabah
External Affairs Coordinator
+965 243 8640/1
Kuwait Shell Limited
www.shell.com./kuwait
Robin Wilson
Senior Consultant
+965 635 6969
Hill & Knowlton
© Press Release 2005
