Saudi Aramco Friday inaugurated the Fourth National Oil Company (NOC) Forum, a gathering of chief executives from NOCs. The inauguration ceremony took place at Saudi Aramco's Shaybah Producing facility in the Rub' al-Khali desert, where Ali I. Al-Naimi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and Chairman of the Saudi Aramco Board of Directors, welcomed the NOC delegates. "We are delighted to have you with us this evening and for the next several days of discussions and deliberations," Al-Naimi said. "The National Oil Companies Forum is a tremendous opportunity for public-sector petroleum enterprises to address the issues facing their organizations and our industry as a whole, as well as a chance for NOC leaders to meet and interact with their peers in an environment free from the constant hustle and bustle of daily operations and activities." During the two-day event, Nov. 25-26, participants from more than two dozen NOCs will discuss matters in two broad categories: Human Resources, and Sharing of Best Practices. During the Human Resources session on Nov. 25, the discussion will focus on sub-themes such as recruiting and retaining qualified staff, advanced technical training, and preparing global oil industry leaders of tomorrow. During the Best Practices session on Nov. 26, sub-themes will include finance and investment decisions, managing complex projects, and the role of NOCs in community development. The first NOC Forum gathering was hosted by Algeria in 2002, followed by Norway in 2003 and Brazil in 2005. After the 4th NOC Forum is held in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, the 5th NOC Forum will be held in China, in April 2008. These events confirm the commitment of the attendees to work toward ever-increasing cooperation on shared challenges, according to a report carried today by Saudi Aramco's web-site.
