CONFERENCE ON OIL AND GAS IN ARCTIC MEETS IN MURMANSK

MURMANSK, November 17, (RIA Novosti) - On Wednesday, November 17, in Murmansk (administrative centre of the same name region in the Kola peninsula washed by the Barents Sea) the 2nd Oil and Gas of the Arctic Shelf-2004 international conference will begin its work. It will last three days, the conference's organising committee said.

The aim of the forum is to consolidate the efforts of geological prospecting agencies in their continued study of the Arctic shelf and prepare infrastructure for tapping offshore oil and gas deposits, a source told the agency.

The first international conference on oil and gas of the Arctic shelf was held in Murmansk in 2002. It was attended by about 300 representatives of ten countries.

"The conference was a great success and excited interest both among Russian and overseas geological prospectors, research institutions, and oil and gas companies," the source told the agency.

"Considering the need by specialists to hold such a conference again, it was decided in 2002 to make it a fixture and hold it in Murmansk biannually," he added.

The present conference is expected to see over 300 delegates from more than 10 countries.