November 10, 2009 08:21 AM Eastern Time
Occidental Petroleum, Mubadala and NOGA Form Joint Operating Company
in Bahrain to Further Develop the Bahrain Field
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Occidental Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:OXY), Mubadala Development
Company (Mubadala) and the National Oil and Gas Authority of Bahrain
(NOGA) announced the creation of a new joint operating company, Tatweer
Petroleum-Bahrain Field Development Company (Tatweer Petroleum), which
will serve as the operator for the Bahrain Field. The company will
operate under the Development and Production Sharing Agreement signed in
April 2009 by all three partners, approved by the Bahraini parliament in
May 2009 and ratified by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Kalifa.
Tatweer Petroleum will begin production and development activities
immediately with its team largely comprised of individuals from the
Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco), in addition to employees from Oxy and
Mubadala. The company also plans to hire additional local employees.
"We are delighted to be part of this new joint operating company,
Tatweer Petroleum. We believe the further development of the Bahrain
Field will greatly benefit Bahrain and its citizens," said Dr. Ray R.
Irani, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Occidental. "Tatweer
Petroleum further expands our presence in the region and is a key
element of our growth strategy for the Middle East."
"We are pleased to begin joint venture operations with our partners,"
said Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chief Executive Officer and Managing
Director, Mubadala Development Company. "This investment is aligned with
Mubadala Oil and Gas's ambition to include Enhanced Oil Recovery
projects as one of the key pillars of its investment strategy in the
MENA region."
"The development and production sharing agreement with Occidental and
Mubadala represents a paradigm shift for the oil industry in Bahrain.
The revitalization of one of the longest producing oil fields in the
world is the cornerstone for fueling the economic diversification plans
set by the political leadership in Bahrain and will bring added
prosperity and opportunity to the whole nation," said His Excellency Dr.
Abdul Hussain Bin Ali Mirza, Minister of Oil and Gas Affairs and
Chairman of the National Oil and Gas Authority, (NOGA).
About Oxy
Occidental Petroleum Corporation is an international oil and gas
exploration and production company with operations in the United States,
Middle East/North Africa and Latin America regions. Oxy is the fourth
largest U.S. oil and gas company, based on equity market capitalization.
Oxy's wholly owned subsidiary, OxyChem, manufactures and markets
chlor-alkali products and vinyls. Occidental is committed to
safeguarding the environment, protecting the safety and health of
employees and neighboring communities and upholding high standards of
social responsibility in all of the company's worldwide operations.
About Mubadala Development Company
Mubadala Development Company (Mubadala) is a business development and
investment company that acts as a catalyst to realize Abu Dhabi's
ambition to diversify and transform its economy, develop a new
generation of business leaders and build a prosperous people for its
people. By harnessing expertise and resources Mubadala generates
sustainable financial returns and builds businesses, clusters of
expertise and even whole new industries. Bringing together and managing
a diverse portfolio of opportunities in areas such as energy,
healthcare, technology, aerospace, and real estate, Mubadala invests for
the long term as an active and diligent partner. Mubadala's sole
shareholder is the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Mubadala Oil & Gas is a business unit within Mubadala that pursues
acquisition, exploration and development opportunities in the Middle
East, North and West Africa, and Central and Southeast Asia. Its
portfolio of assets include Pearl Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Mubadala that operates in four Southeast Asian countries, and
exploration and production activities in Algeria, Libya, Oman and
Kazakhstan. Current net working interest production from its
participating interests in Dolphin Energy, the Mukhaizna field and Pearl
Energy is over 300,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd).
Mubadala's sole shareholder is the Government of the Emirate of Abu
Dhabi. For more information about Mubadala, its partnerships and
activities please visit www.mubadala.ae.
About NOGA
The National Oil and Gas Authority is the government body in Bahrain
responsible for regulation, policy and control of the nation's
hydrocarbon assets. The Oil and Gas Holding Company (nogaholding) is the
business and investment arm of NOGA and steward of the Bahrain
Government's investment in The Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco), The
Bahrain National Gas Company (Banagas), The Bahrain National Gas
Expansion Company (BNGEC), The Bahrain Aviation Fuelling Company
(Bafco), The Bahrain Lube Base Oil Company, the Gulf Petrochemical
Industry Company (GPIC), and Tatweer Petroleum.
Forward Looking Statements
Statements in this release that contain words such as "will," "expect"
or "estimate," or otherwise relate to the future, are forward-looking
and involve risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect
expected results. Factors that could cause results to differ materially
include, but are not limited to: global commodity pricing fluctuations
and supply/demand considerations for oil and gas; higher-than-expected
costs; operational interruptions; political risk; and not successfully
completing (or any material delay in) any capital expenditure. You
should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements
which speak only as of the date of this filing. Unless legally required,
Occidental does not undertake any obligation to update any
forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events
or otherwise. U.S. investors are urged to consider carefully the
disclosure in Occidental's Form 10-K, available through the following
toll-free telephone number, 1-888-OXYPETE (1-888-699-7383) or on the
Internet at http://www.oxy.com.
You also can obtain a copy from the SEC by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.