OGWA to break ground with new launch features

Omanexpo will present a surprising but interesting twist to the otherwise traditional inauguration ceremony of the much-awaited OGWA (Oil & Gas West Asia) 2012. This is part of the company's initiatives to take its shows to a new level by implementing significant changes that reflect the importance that it is giving to the industry. OGWA, established and recognised as one of the biggest and most significant oil and gas events in the Middle East region, will be formally opened by the personal representative of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, His Highness Sayyid As'ad bin Tariq bin Taimur al Said at the Oman International Exhibition Centre. The inauguration entourage, consisting of the most distinguished dignitaries, ministers, ambassadors, diplomatic corps members, and executives of the SABCO Group, will convene at the Al Hossen Ballroom of the Golden Tulip Hotel and will commence with a welcome speech by Dr. Zaid Al Siyabi, Chairman of the OGWA 2012 SPE EOR Conference. It will also include executive speeches by PDO Managing Director Raoul Restucci and 2012 SPE President Alan Labastie. This year's OGWA, as in previous editions, will include a high-profile Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) technical conference organized by the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the largest individual-member organization serving managers, engineers, scientists and other professionals worldwide in the upstream segment of the oil and gas industry. Apart from the technical topics, sustainable growth, heavy oil and human capability requirements will also be discussed. OGWA will also feature a diverse platform of the latest equipment, technology and services in the market for the oil and gas operations. Over 200 local and international companies from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, USA, Russia, Canada, Italy, France, Turkey, China, Iran, Syria and Norway—the latter three being new entrants—will participate in the exhibition. OGWA's project manager Gaith Aloul said "We have received such a good response from individuals and companies alike for this year's event and we are expecting it to be even bigger than the previous one, as we have witnessed a growth of almost 40% in the number of new participating companies. This is proof of the continuous overwhelming response from this major industry. We are pleased and grateful to the Ministry of Oil & Gas and PDO for supporting us once again." OGWA 2012 is supported by The Ministry of Oil & Gas, Petroleum Development Oman, Oman Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Oman Society for Petroleum Services. The show's roster of partners includes Oman International Exhibition Centre (Strategic Partner), Society of Petroleum Engineers (Conference Content Partner), Agility (Official Logistics Partner), Gulf Energy (Lanyard Sponsor), and Intercontinental Hotel Muscat (Official Hotel).