Oil Minister Ben Yazza to open key conference Monday

Tripoli, 20 April:

Oil Minister Abdul-Rahman Ben Yazza kicks off a four day oil and gas conference Monday at the Tripoli International Fairground.

The conference runs alongside two simultaneous exhibitions focusing on Libya’s oil and gas and infrastructure sectors.

The exhibition Infrastructure Libya 2012 is backed by the ministries of Planning and of Communications, while the Oil Ministry and the National Oil Corporation (NOC) are the main supporters of Oil and Gas Libya 2012.

The organisers maintain that the two exhibitions and the conference proceedings will address Libya’s immediate technological priorities in those areas where the country is dependent on overseas technology and expertise for the expansion, upgrading and modernisation of its vital infrastructure and oil and gas sectors.

Among those countries with firms taking part in the exhibitions are Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, UK and USA, as well as exhibitors from Libya, including the NOC. Indeed NOC will have a large central stand where executives and department leaders will be on hand to meet international oil companies and industry suppliers. NOC is being supported by two other state oil corporations, Egypt’s EGPC and Turkey’s TPAO.

‘The Way Ahead for Libya’s Oil Sector’ conference is due to be opened by Oil Minister Abdul-Rahman Ben Yazza  with a speech on the “New Political Landscape”. He will be followed by a presentation from Jose Fernandez, United States Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs.

The ensuing strategic session will see an overview of the Libyan oil sector from the NOC Chairman Nuri Buruwin, followed by Nemesio Fernandez Cuesta, CEO Upstream, Repsol and Total’s North Africa director, Jean-Daniel Blasco.

The conference has attracted a number of sponsors including SNC-Lavalin, Repsol, Petrofac, Libya Holdings and Total.

The accompanying exhibition will cover a broad range of key industry areas including drilling and down-hole technology, reservoir management and engineering solutions, Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), pipelines and refinery development, all within the exhibition profile of oil exploration, production, refining and petrochemicals.

The Infrastructure Libya 2012 exhibition will showcase infrastructure planning, civil engineering and project implementation in building and construction, civil engineering and public works, power and electricity, transport and communications, water and environment and safety and security.