Muscat, Oman, 3 May 2009 – A growing number of local and international oil & gas companies have already confirmed their participation at the seventh Oil & Gas West Asia (OGWA) Exhibition and Conference, which will be held on April 11-13, 2010 in Muscat.

Held under the patronage of the Ministry of Oil & Gas and supported by Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), OGWA 2010 will showcase the operations of major oil & gas firms that are contributing to the continued development of the vibrant oil & gas industry in Oman and in the wider region. The international exhibition will also present the latest equipment, modern technologies, and professional services required in exploration and production activities, while the accompanying technical conference will discuss best practices, market trends as well as the challenges currently facing the industry.

“OGWA 2010 will strongly highlight the industry’s growth through the years, and it will be an opportunity for the region’s industry professionals to get together and meet new contacts as they inspect the products and equipment on display,” said C.J. Paul, general manager of Omanexpo LLC, the leading exhibition management company in the sultanate.

First held in 1998, OGWA is the biggest event in Oman for the oil & gas industry, and it is now recognized as an important fixture in the region’s industry events calendar. The previous edition of OGWA in 2008 featured over 125 stands from more than 230 oil, gas and petrochemical producers, suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, agents and service providers. Some 400 delegates also attended the OGWA 2008 SPE conference, and up to 3,500 industry professionals visited the exhibition.

Thus far, among the major oil and gas companies that have already signed up for OGWA 2010 include Qatar Petroleum, Dolphin Energy, Oman Gas Company, Partex Oil & Gas, Sichuan Honghua Petroleum Equipment Co., and MB Petroleum. Many others are expected to finalize their participation soon, and judging from the strong initial response received by the organisers, the OGWA 2010 exhibition is expected to register up to 20% growth in terms of exhibition area covered and total number of participants.

The associated OGWA 2010 conference is also expected to attract more delegates, since the event will once again be managed and organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). The direct involvement of SPE will guarantee the high quality of the technical presentations and the excellent caliber of the speakers, thus ensuring that the topics discussed will be truly relevant to industry professionals.