Muscat, Oman, 6 February 2010 – The upcoming Oil & Gas West Asia (OGWA) Exhibition and Conference, which will be held in Muscat from April 11-13, 2010, will witness the strong participation of more than 150 international oil & gas companies. All are aiming to strengthen their presence across the Middle East in view of growing opportunities in the GCC’s biggest industry.

Organised by Omanexpo, OGWA 2010 will feature its strongest-ever international representation –,in addition to participation by more than 100 leading Omani companies as well as national oil & gas institutions from the GCC.

The three-day event, which is held under the patronage of Oman’s Ministry of Oil & Gas and is supported by Petroleum Development Oman, has consistently attracted growing numbers of foreign producers, equipment manufacturers and service suppliers since its inaugural edition in 1998.

Nasser Diab, general manager of Omanexpo, commented: “International oil & gas companies are increasingly expanding overseas. GCC countries such as Oman serve as attractive markets for their products, equipment and services – with continued comprehensive exploration and production activities all over the Middle East.”

Diab pointed out that the seventh edition of OGWA will feature exhibitors from more than 30 nations worldwide, thus registering the biggest ever international participation in the biennial event. Among countries represented will be France, Germany, China, the UK, Thailand, Canada, Russia, Qatar, Switzerland, India, Norway, Bahrain, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Korea, Kuwait, the UAE, Spain and the USA.

One of the major international exhibitors is Tecnicas Reunidas of Spain. The company, based in Madrid, is one of Europe’s leading engineering and construction firms for the oil & gas sector, and its international presence extends from Latin America and the Far East to the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Another prominent international exhibitor at OGWA 2010 is Partex Oil and Gas. Based in Portugal, the company is a shareholder in some of the largest oil and gas companies in the world, including those in the UAE and Oman.

Other international companies present at OGWA 2010 include Kudu Industries, Lufkin, Lloyd’s Register, Pall Corporation, Sichuan Honghua Petroleum Equipment Co., PTTEP, Schlumberger, and Weatherford.

Alongside the exhibition, OGWA 2010 will feature the 2nd SPE EOR Conference at OGWA, a high-quality technical conference managed and organised by the well-known Society of Petroleum Engineers. The conference brings together global experts on all forms of EOR techniques to present, share, and discuss their experiences. It will cover the latest advances in thermal gas and chemical EOR methods, EOR selection criteria, surveillance techniques for locating remaining oil, and drivers and challenges in implementing EOR.

OGWA 2010 is officially supported by PDO and the Oman Chamber of Commerce & Industry (OCCI). The gold sponsors of the exhibition are the Al Sulaimi Group Holding and Technical Trading Co., while the official logistics partner is Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo & Co. Media sponsors include Pipeline Magazine as official publication, Zawya as business community partner, and Arab Oil & Gas Magazine, Gulf Oil & Gas, Oil & Gas News, Oil Review Middle East, and Upstream Magazine as media partners.