Eighth meeting of the working group of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries OAPEC Started yesterday in Damascus to discuss possibilities of cooperation in the field investment of natural gas.

Eng. Sufian Allao Minister of Oil and Mineral Resources said at the opening meeting that some members of the OAPEC has seen significant developments in the areas of the natural gas industry from exploration ,transport and export operations in addition to the steps that have been taken to achieve bilateral and regional cooperation in developing natural gas.

 
Oil minister said that Arab gas pipeline project embodies the best examples of cooperation in natural gas pointing out that Syria has completed the installation and operation of the first part of the third stage and through Syrian territory from the Jordanian border to the Al Rayyan near Homs in addition to the start of pumping gas to Syria network linking the Syrian gas network which will allow Turkish gas pipeline linking Turkey and the Arab network, hence, access to Europe.

 
Allao added that the establishment of the European gas market far more Arab in Damascus and the efforts and technical studies that have been, legislative preparation and training courses have been established in order to upgrade the gas industry in countries benefiting from the completion of the project as well as technical and economic studies for projects to develop infrastructure to link gas complement the recipient countries Of the project and Europe via Turkey.

 
Mr. Abbas Ali Naqi Secretary-General of the Organization of OAPEC Said that this meeting comes in conditions characterized by global energy markets, oil price fluctuations are particularly acute in terms of height and unprecedented access to about 148 $ a barrel, then drop by 50 percent, reflecting the volatile conditions of energy market the global oil and erratic unstable, noting that the meeting will focus on developments in gas industry in all Member States in addition to the surveillance and control of gas networks.

 
Then discussion started by working papers by representatives of participating countries, namely Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Libya and the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Algeria and Egypt in addition to Syria.

 
Opening ceremony was also attended Dr. Hassan Zeinab deputy of oil minister and number of general directors and heads of boards of directors of the oil and gas companies.