GASTECH 2006 set for sure-fire success

The 22nd International Conference and Exhibition for the LNG, LPG and Natural Gas Industries, hosted by ADNOC and co-hosted by Dolphin Energy, is being held 4-7 December in Abu Dhabi 4-7 December 2006, under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and at the guidance of H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

'We thank ADNOC, our hosts, and co-hosts Dolphin Energy for their enthusiasm and tireless support for Gastech, and look forward with great expectations to a truly exceptional show in early December,' says Event Director, Tony Stephenson of dmg world media (uk) ltd.

'There could be no better place than Abu Dhabi to hold Gastech this year. As James Ball, a member of our Programme Advisory Committee (PAC) and President & Chiief Mentor, Gas Strategies Consulting Ltd so succinctly sums up in our GasTV preview: 'Given the importance of Middle East LNG, it is timely that we assemble in the original Middle East LNG exporting nation. From the Middle East you look east and you look west - you have different situations either way. You look around you at a business that was hardly there 20 years ago and is now one of the world leading supplying regions - it is very important.''

Courtesy of GasTV, a special video preview focussing on the main attractions of Gastech 2006 and topics of concern to the industry that are bound to be high on the agenda in Abu Dhabi in early December can now be seen at www.gastech.co.uk

Compelling conference

Gastech 2006 will be be opened by HH the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Lt. General HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed AL Nahyan (tbc) in a ceremony at the incomparable Emirates Palace Hotel.

His opening speech will be followed by addresses by HE Mohammed bin Dhaen Al-Hamli, Minister of Energy, Abu Dhabi, UAE (tbc); H.E. Yousef Omair bin Yousef, Secretary General SPC, CEO ADNOC; Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, CEO, Dolphin Energy; Dr Edmund Daukoru, President of the OPEC Conference and Secretary General, OPEC; Toshihiro Nikai, Minister of Economy, Trade & Industry, Japan (tbc); and HE Abdulla bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Second Deputy Premier & Minister of Energy & Industry, Qatar (tbc).

Industry keynotes by Jim Mulva, Chairman and CEO, ConocoPhillips; Thierry Desmarest, Chairman, Total; Tony Meggs, Group Vice President, Technology, BP plc; and Prasert Bunsumpun, President, PTT complete the opening ceremony line up.

Thereafter, there are two conference streams at Gastech 2006, commercial and technical and, as Paul Young Co-Chair of the Programme Advisory Committee (PAC) and Chief Marketing Officer, Exmar N.V explains: 'I think it is going to be the strongest line up of speakers, panels, sessions and keynotes that Gastech has ever seen.' The PAC was faced with a record-breaking number of abstracts and was forced to be highly selective, which in its turn has resulted in the extraordinarily strong programme.

Conference Producer, Lynne Evans explains: 'Gastech has a strong reputation as a quality conference at which CEOs and Presidents are eager to speak. Our conference programme emphasises its importance and features a host of big names amongst the 120 speakers from 36 countries.'

Each morning starts with keynote addresses. On Day Two these will be given by Stuart McGill, Senior Vice President, ExxonMobil Corporation and Charles Watson, Director Middle East, South Asia & Africa, Shell International Gas & Power Limited; on Day Three it will be the turn of Sergey Frank, CEO, Sovcomflot and Nicolas Saverys, CEO, Exmar NV. The full conference programme is at www.gastech.co.uk

Record breaking exhibition

This year's Gastech has set new records, with unprecedented demand for space that has seen the exhibition continually grow until it occupies over 8,500m2 in two halls, including nearly 1,800m2 taken by exhibitors new to Gastech.

The IT Zone is one of many 'firsts' at Gastech. Sponsored by DU, it is an innovative addition to the Gastech exhibition and will allow attendees access to the leading information technology providers in the industry and free entry to a series of small technical workshops dedicated to hardware and software developments. Exhibitors so far include Hewlett Packard, Intel, Novell, Sap Arabia and Xerox.

Networking opportunities

The opportunity to network has proved vital to the success of Gastech over its long history (the first Gastech was staged in 1972). This year's programme offers a host of opportunities. To start the week, Sunday 3 December sees the 'Excellence in Energy Awards' (better known as the 'Oil Oscars') organised by Pipeline Magazine being held in association with the Gastech Speakers Dinner.

The following evening, up to 3000 people are expected at the spectacular ADNOC Gala Dinner at the magical Emirates Palace where they will be introduced to traditional entertainment. On Tuesday 5 December delegates and exhibitors can enjoy Abu Dhabi culture and entertainment at the Chevron party at a stunning beachfront venue.

Then, on the final evening of Gastech 2006, it's time to look forward to the next event in the series and to Thailand, the chosen venue in March 2009. Hosts, PTT and Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) are inviting all Gastech delegates and exhibitors to be transported, as if by magic carpet, to 'The Glamour of Siam Paradise' at the Rotana Beach Hotel, where guests will be treated to a fabulous evening with Thai food, entertainment and cultural insights all playing their part.

New features

There are a number of new features at Gastech 2006 - the first time the event has been linked to the Excellence in Energy Awards; the first Gastech IT Zone; the first Gastech & LNG Hosted Buyers Programme; the first time that GasTV - as GasTV Live - has been available in guests hotel bedrooms; the first Gastech Invitational Golf Tournament; and the first 'Meet at the Oasis' feature. Information on all of them and the first 'Fuelling the Future' initiative is available at www.gastech.co.uk

'Fuelling the Future' is an initiative aimed at graduation year students and responds to a key concern of the industry - the shortage of human resources.

Technical tours

Technical tours are a key component of Gastech and provide a marvellous opportunity for delegates to visit key facilities the day after the conference closes. It also enables delegates to meet people actively involved in the technical projects. Working closely with Gastech hosts ADNOC and their group of companies, tours to two of the most important sites in the UAE - Das Island and Habshan have been organised. Early booking is vital as only small numbers of people can be accommodated on these tours, so it is very much a question of 'first come, first served'.

'This year's Gastech sums up three all-important 'Cs' for the industry - commerce, content and connections,' says Tony Stephenson. '. We look forward to seeing you there.'