TOGY Bahrain 2013 Launch

Abu Dhabi

The Oil & Gas Year, in partnership with the Ministry of Electricity and Water Affairs and the National Oil & Gas Authority, launched its fourth annual publication on Bahrain, The Oil & Gas Year Bahrain 2013.

AWARDS: Abdul Rahman Jawahery, president of the Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company, was given the Man of the Year award during the ceremony, held at the Al Murjan Room at the Gulf Hotel. Awards were also given to BASF, Petrochemicals Project of the Year; to Bahrain Polytechnic University, Education Institution of the Year; the Bahrain International Investment Park, Industrial Park of the Year; to the Bahrain Petroleum Company, HSBC and BNP Paribas, Financial Advisory of the Year; and to Tatweer Petroleum, Upstream Project of the Year. Key private and public sector players from Bahrain’s oil and gas industry were in attendance.

PARKS, PLANTS AND GAS: The core of this year’s publication saw natural gas usage, industrial activity and upstream development of the Bahrain oilfield feature prominently. Also part of the publication is a roundtable discussion on the implications of energy subsidies for Bahrain’s economic growth, and the policy that could be directed towards conserving precious natural gas resources.

Of the major projects ongoing in Bahrain, the appointment of banking groups HSBC and BNP Paribas as financial advisors to the $4-6-billion Bahrain Petroleum Company refinery upgrade features as the Year’s Focus. The publication also examines a steam injection programme, which was upgraded from the pilot stage by Tatweer, a consortium between US-based Occidental Petroleum, the UAE’s Mubadala Petroleum and the Bahraini government. Additional recognition was given to BASF for beginning production at its antioxidant blend plant, to Bahrain Polytechnic for graduating its first class of students and to Bahrain International Investment Park for seeing four energy-related companies commission plants in the past 12 months.

CEO of The Oil & Gas Year, Guillaume Doane, said: “The scale of upstream activity and industrial development taking place is unprecedented by Bahraini standards. The kingdom is on the doorstep of making critical choices that will address acute resource shortages and sustain long-term energy development.”