The Australasian Oil & Gas Exhibition (AOG), organised by Diversified Exhibitions Australia , will draw the attention of the oil and gas world to Western Australia in February with international participation at the biennial industry event.

A record number of overseas exhibitors will descend on Perth for AOG 2009, demonstrating the recognition of Australia as a major player in the international oil and gas industry and reflecting the Expo’s standing as the significant Australasian oil and gas industry exhibition.

“International interest in AOG 2009 has been particularly pleasing as it reinforces industry support for the Expo and the Australian oil and gas industry as a whole. With more than 80 international exhibitors confirmed, the Expo will provide delegates with access to a wealth of local and international technology, contractors and equipment,” said Bill Hare, AOG Exhibition Director.

The comprehensive list of international exhibitors will congregate at the Perth Exhibition and Convention Centre, to display their wares to decision makers from within all facets of the oil and gas industry. The Expo will include designated ‘country pavilions’ for USA, UK, Norway and China and boast companies such as CTC Marine, Piper Valve Systems, Duco, Mokveld Valves, KTL Offshore, Flexlife, GE Oil & Gas / Vetco Gray, NKT Flexibles, Rotech Subsea, SEA Trucks Group and PecoFacet.

The influx of international representation will exhibit alongside many of Australia’s oil and gas giants at the major petroleum exhibition ever held in the Southern Hemisphere. With a combination of more than 320 local and international exhibitors, AOG 2009 is setting a standard for the industry and reinforcing Western Australia’s position as the nation’s oil and gas heartland.

“The growing global interest in the Expo can be attributed to the unique access the exhibition provides to key decision makers from companies concerned with multiple facets of oil and gas production and exploration,” Bill Hare said.

Western Australia is the home of major Australian exploration and production companies such as Woodside and is also the Australian base for international companies such as Chevron, Inpex and Apache Energy.

Host city Perth is often referred to as the Houston of the Asia-Pacific with numerous offshore and onshore basins continuing to provide world-class petroleum exploration opportunities.

“Western Australia is undoubtedly Australia's pre-eminent oil and gas state, accounting for about 70 per cent of the nation's crude and condensate production and 58 per cent of gas production. We therefore see Perth as a most fitting location for the meeting of key decision makers from the world’s oil and gas industry,” Bill Hare said.

A strong overseas presence will also prevail at the Society for Underwater Technology’s 1st Annual Subsea Conference, which is running in conjunction with AOG 2009. The two day conference includes both international and local keynote speakers and will showcase technical challenges and solutions from within the subsea arena and provide a forum to maintain high standards in marine science and technology.