Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Eng Ali Al-Naimi opened here today the Saudi Forum for the technologies of oil and natural gas exploration and production. The Forum is organized by King Abdulaziz city for sciences and technology (KACST) in cooperation with the ministry of petroleum and mineral resources. Speaking on the occasion, al-Naimi underlined the importance of the Forum and said it will focus on the problems of oil and natural gas exploration and production and exchange of expertise in this respect. He noted that technology is an essential matter for the development of the known reserves and discovery of new reserves. "Moreover, it positively contributes to increasing production and reducing cost of production." The Kingdom has been giving a great attention to researches, sciences and technology in the field of petroleum and gas and other industries linked with them, he said. As the Kingdom contains a quarter of the world oil reserves and is the biggest oil producing country and one of the biggest countries in the field of production of gas, it is a normal matter when we give attention to research and development of sciences linked with this industry, he said. He said Saudi universities like King Fahd university for petroleum and minerals; King Saud university; King Abdulaziz university and KACST have the scientific capability to positively contribute to the process of research and development in technologies of oil and gas exploration and development. He pointed that King Abdullah has recently laid the foundation stone for King Abdullah university for sciences and technology in Thawal at the red sea coast, which will positively contribute to the development of researches and applied studies as well as in the various energy domains. --MORE
