Oil and gas industry experts are making final preparations for the 14th Society of Petroleum Engineers Oil & Gas Show (MEOS 2005), which is scheduled for March 12 to March 15 at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre (BIEC).

This landmark event will focus on the technical and business challenges as well as opportunities the Middle East faces in managing what have become the world's most important energy reserves.
A high-level technical conference, which will run parallel to the products and services exhibition, is scheduled for this year under the theme -- 'Meeting the Global Demand Challenge'. Up to 1,500 delegates are expected to pre-register for this event, organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers.
"The challenge of meeting future oil and gas demand, forecast to increase 70 per cent by the year 2030, calls not only for us to make the most out of our current mature and marginal fields through the application of new technologies and techniques, but also for us to develop new resources and alternate hydrocarbon energy supplies," Abla N S Al-Riyami, MEOS 2005 Programme Committee chairman and Petroleum Engineering Manager, Petroleum Development Oman, said.
Speakers at the opening ceremony on March 12 will be Bahraini Oil Minister Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, Iraqi Oil Minister Thamer Abbas Ghadban, Kuwaiti Oil Minister Shaikh Ahmad Al Fahd Al Sabah, Bapco president Dr Mustafa Al Sayed and MEOS 2005 chairman and Kuwait Oil Company deputy chairman Farouk Al Zanki.
A technical programme will be held along with a plenary session in the afternoon with a distinguished panel of speakers representing NOCs, IOCs, service companies and a non-petroleum industry addressing the conference theme.
A series of traditional technical sessions, selection of panel and workshop sessions will are lined up for the subsequent three days. Topics to be addressed include 'Maintaining Plateau in Mature Fields', 'Exploitation of Marginal Fields', 'Unconventional Hydrocarbon Resources', 'Reservoir Characterisation & Modelling' and 'Improved/Enhanced Oil Recovery'.
The latest products and services available in the quest to unlock the region's full potential will, meanwhile, go on display at the associated 12,000 square metre exhibition. Over 200 companies from 21 countries will attend.
Key participants making a return appearance at MEOS are GCC companies, including Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco), Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco).
International oil companies, including ChevronTexaco, ExxonMobil, Petronas and Shell will also occupy significant exhibition space. Service industry giants Compagnie Générale de Géophysique (CGG), Petroleum Geo-Services (PGS), Weatherford and Schlumberger, among others will consolidate this line up, in addition to UK and US pavilions and smaller specialist suppliers and distributors. New to MEOS is a delegation of companies from Iraq.
As an added innovation, the Middle East's longest running oil and gas show has also expanded to include a new hall dedicated to real time service and product providers. On display will be the collective expertise, processes and technologies currently meeting the industry's need to improve reservoir assets through an immediate response to potential issues or opportunities.
World leader Halliburton will take a key stand in the new hall. Commenting on the concept, Halliburton ESG's strategic marketing director Eric Johnson said, "For the first time in the Middle East, the Halliburton group of companies will present its interactive presentation, including data and storage areas, geoscience partner room, production office, board room, vislab, RTOC and field operations room all operating in real time."
Johnson said, "MEOS 2005 will provide a can't miss opportunity to all exploration and production engineers and oil professionals in the region looking to compare, specify and update themselves with the latest tools to improve efficiency."
MEOS 2005 will open to trade visitors between 9 am and 6 pm on March 12-14 and between 9 am and 2 pm on March 15. It has been organised by Arabian Exhibition Management in association with the London-based Overseas Exhibition Services -- both members of Allworld Exhibitions.