Nova Scotia's Oil and Gas Team Heads To Houston
When Energy Minister Ernest Fage heads out next week to promote Nova Scotia's oil and gas industry at one of the biggest trade shows in the world, he won't be alone. Twenty-six Nova Scotia companies and organizations will join the Department of Energy and the Offshore/Onshore Technologies Association of Nova Scotia (OTANS) at the 2003 Offshore Technology Conference, held in Houston, Tex., from May 5 to 8.
"Encouraging exploration and building our capacity in our offshore means we have to promote Nova Scotia's potential both here and around the world," said Mr. Fage. "With a potential for as much as 40 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, our close proximity to areas of high natural gas demand, and our growing expertise in engineering, fabrication and supply, Nova Scotia is ready to continue its growth in the North American energy market."
The minister will meet with senior officials from several energy companies and will make presentations on behalf of the Nova Scotia government. Nova Scotia's offshore has 57 exploration licences totalling $1.56 billion in work commitments. Exploration activities continue, with a number of seismic acquisition programs being conducted in 2003 and eight to 10 exploration wells expected over the next 12 to 18 months.
The four-day conference includes a trade show, technical presentations, news conferences, presentations, and several industry meetings. This year's conference will feature a technical presentation by Nova Scotia. P.K. Mukhopadhyay, of Global Geoenergy Research Limited, will present a paper titled Petroleum Systems of Deepwater Scotian Basin, Eastern Canada: Challenges for Finding Oil Versus Gas Provinces, developed in partnership with the Canada Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board; Bass Enterprises Production Co., and the Nova Scotia Department of Energy.
The companies and organizations attending the conference represent Nova Scotia's growing gas industry. They have expertise in engineering, fabrication, supply and services, training, and business development. The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Nova Scotia Business Inc., and the Greater Halifax Partnership will also join the Nova Scotian delegation being led by the Department of Energy and OTANS. Irving Shipbuilding Inc., will also have a booth at the conference. A small number of Nova Scotian companies are also attending the conference on an individual basis.
"OTANS member companies can be found around the globe. Over one- third of our member companies are now involved in the export market," said OTANS Chair, Jay Abbass. "Our potential customers are all in Houston at the same time. That is what makes this mission such a good investment."
Founded in 1969, the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) is the world's foremost event for the development of offshore resources in the fields of drilling, exploration, production, and environmental protection. With more than 2,000 exhibiting companies, divisions, and subsidiaries, OTC ranks among the largest 200 trade shows held annually in the United States and is among the 10 largest meetings in terms of attendance.