Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the 19th Middle East Oil & Gas Show and Conference (MEOS 2015) was opened here by the Energy Minister Dr. Abdul Hussain bin Ali Mirza.
GCC energy ministers and the Secretary-General of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) attended the event, held here from March 8 to 11 with the participation of senior GCC and international officials, researchers, practitioners, CEOs and oil and gas specialists.
Opening the conference, the Energy Minister expressed sincere thanks and gratitude to HRH Premier for his constant keenness to patronise such a vital international oil and gas gathering ever since it started in 1979.
The Minister said the volatile oil prices and the increasing production of non-traditional energy sources such as oil shale required more cooperation among all the influential sides to address the issues of production and prices and ensure oil markets' stability.
He pointed out that the National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA) had taken many initiatives to increase oil revenues through developing the oil industry, consolidating energy conservation and building up partnerships for renewable energy.
The Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) techniques was used in the Bahrain Well, production-sharing agreements with giant world companies were signed, Bahrainisation was consolidated and adherence to international safety and environmental standards was confirmed, he said.
Dr. Mirza highlighted the kingdom's energy projects in 2014, citing preparations to relocate the fuel tanks from Arad to the Bahrain International Airport after the initial designs were examined by British Petroleum, in line with HRH Premier's directives, the opening of a new Gas Compressor for the Bahrain National Gas (Banagas), and the launch of the pilot project of solar energy, carried out by the Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco), and implemented by the US Petrosolar company at a cost of US $ 72 million.
He said the oil and gas company had undergone important development, including the renovation of the Bahrain Refinery, the first to be built in GCC region in 1936, and the replacement or expansion of the 115-km pipelines connecting the oil fields in Saudi Arabia to the Bahrain Refinery Bahrain.
The Minister thanked the participants and wished them every success.