NEW NAME and new logo. Qatar's state-owned oil company embarked on a change of identity at the beginning of this year.
Formerly Qatar General Petroleum Corporation QGPC), Qatar Petroleum's (QP) new identity serves as a symbol of the company's commitment to bring pride to Qatar, to develop its potential, and to live up to the expectations of Qatar's people and the company's partners, according to Minister of Energy and Industry Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah.
QGPC was founded in 1974 to oversee the oil and gas industry in the country and various interests overseas, including exploration and drilling for oil, natural gas and other hydrocarbon substances; production, refining, transport and storage of the aforementioned substances and any of their derivatives and by-products, as well as trading in, distribution, sale and export of these products.
Diversification has been a key policy for the company since its establishment, and so in addition to producing crude oil and gas QP also manufactures industrial and even household consumer products through its petrochemical subsidiaries.
In addition to playing a lead role in the development of Qatar's oil and gas industry, such industrial development has required the delicate integration of resources and environmental considerations.
QP has said that it is committed to conducting its activities with minimum impact on the environment, while continually improving its environmental performance.
In mid-1994 the company created the first industrial environmental organisation in Qatar when it formed its Environmental Affairs department.
Since that time the department has, according to QP, been working ceaselessly to improve the environmental performance of the corporation and provide focus and leadership in the country for industrial environmental matters.
At both the industrial cities of Ras Laffan and Messaieed, environmental programmes have covered issues such as wastewater treatment, hazardous waste treatment, air quality monitoring programmes, environmental surveillance and emergency programmes.
