Minister leading delegation to Offshore North Seas show

Ed Byrne, Minister of Natural Resources, will lead a delegation of 11 companies and organizations to the Offshore North Seas (ONS) conference in Stavanger, Norway, August 24-27. ONS is one of three major oil and gas conference and trade show the province attends to promote the potential of our petroleum resources and the province�s capacity to supply and service the industry. Previous shows included the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in May and the Global Petroleum Show in Calgary in June.

"ONS is the premier European oil and gas conference which has an average attendance of over 30,000 people," said Minister Byrne. "ONS has become a key European meeting place for industry for the past 30 years with its focus being the promotion of new technology. In fact, much of the technology transfer that has occurred in our industry which now allows for our local companies to compete internationally, was derived and improved upon from our Norwegian experience."

Minister Byrne said the success of ONS has been built on its ability to look ahead to new challenges and new opportunities. He noted that one of the key themes for this year�s conference is the growing need for natural gas.

"Advancing technologies are vital for the development of the petroleum industry in this province as we continue to prove that the challenges of developing our resources can be overcome," said Minister Byrne. "It is also timely that natural gas will be a topic of discussion in light of the potential for offshore gas developments in this province."

Minister Byrne will take the opportunity while he is in Norway to meet with Norsk Hydro, one of the significant players in the province�s offshore, having interests in Hibernia, Terra Nova and Hebron fields.

"Norsk Hydro has developed its own heavy oil project, Grane, which is similar to the Hebron field," said Minister Byrne, who will have the opportunity to visit the field. "I will see first hand the operations and be able to discuss with Norsk Hydro the development and operational challenges related to the development of this field. Having a good understanding of heavy oil developments is critical to being able to help advance the Hebron project."

Minister Byrne said that while having the opportunity to learn from other experiences is an important part of the province�s attendance at these shows, these events also enable the province to share its experiences and accomplishments with other jurisdictions. As an example, during ONS, officials from the province will meet with representatives of the Western Australia Department of Industry and Resources who are keenly interested in how this province is utilizing its natural resources as a catalyst for sustainable economic development.

"While this province is still a relatively new player in the oil and gas industry, we have made great strides in its development in a very short time," said Minister Byrne. "We are eager to share our experiences and the knowledge we have gained in this industry."

Media contact: Carmel Turpin, Communications (709) 729-5282

2004 08 20                                       12:55 p.m.