Programme Day 2

3rd Annual Conference

Oil & Gas Communications:

North Africa & the Middle East

Grand Hyatt Hotel, Cairo, June 16th & 17th, 2008

DAY TWO

0830 Registration & Sponsored Networking Refreshments

0930 Welcome from the Conference Chair

Martin Jarrold, Chief of International Programme Development, GVF

0940 Session 8

Platform-Technology Neutrality in E&P Applications Development

This session asks a simple but important question. Do the developers of business mission-critical applications, including those employed in the unique operating environments of the oil & gas industry (e.g., such as SAP, CITRIX, etc) work within a “technology specific frame of reference” in the broadband world? How will the oil & gas industry benefit from evolution in the operating parameters of such applications to make them more compatible with the high-latency environment of VSAT? Would this introduce an entirely new business model to radically offset the perceived potential advantages of, and create a barrier to entry for, a fibre infrastructure?

1020 Session 9

Real-Time Remote Collaboration & Operations Support Centre Networking

This session will cover the application of convergent digital solutions specifically to the drilling and production environments of North African & Middle Eastern oil & gas fields. The real-time gathering of data, the management and manipulative analysis of that data and the remote collaboration of various physical locations and facets of professional expertise will be particularly addressed.

1100 Sponsor Showcase E

1120 Sponsored Networking Refreshments

1150 Session 10

Communications Terminals: Installation, Maintenance & Performance Metrics Case Studies

Whilst cost-effective, reliable and scalable communications are one of the essential precursors of E&P efficiencies for the oil & gas sector, exploration and extraction of these essential economic resources often takes place where the natural environment creates significant challenges for equipment design and physical resilience. Personal radio, DECT, mobile telephony, WiFi, satellite outdoor units, and other hardware used at the well-head and throughout rig and field locations must be built to take the roughest of rides. This session will offer some case study examples of hardware built to take it.

1230 Sponsor Showcase F

1250 Sponsored Networking Lunch

1420 Session 11

Disaster Recovery, Business Continuity & Environmental Impact in North African & Middle Eastern Oil & Gas

In the real-world realities of the oil & gas environment, maintenance and restoration of essential communications pathways is a number one priority. The comparative effectiveness of different communications platforms in providing redundancy for business continuity/disaster recovery/emergency management in various situations will be analysed, together with the role of communications links in the management of environmental impact.

1500 Sponsor Showcase G

1520 Sponsored Networking Refreshments

1550 Sponsor Showcase H

1610 Session 12 – Closing Presentation

The Energy Industries & GVF Market Sector Initiatives

That the oil & gas vertical market depends on satellite technology for its mission critical operations in the E&P environment, and that new broadband satellite based applications are essential in supporting the operational imperatives of the ‘Digital Oilfield’ is all well established. GVF recognition of the central importance of this user vertical in the satellite industry customer-base, together with coverage of oil & gas connectivity requirements in GVF global programmes has now extended to a formal relationship between GVF and the GulfOilandGas.com industry information portal. In this session the benefits to GVF members of the collaboration with GulfOilandGas.com will be explained.

Martin Jarrold, Chief of International Programme Development, GVF

1640 Closing Remarks from the Conference Chair

1650 Close of Conference