LOS ANGELES, Nov. 10, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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.