Energy Group to Tour Vietnam
By Hadi DP Mahmud

Bandar Seri Begawan - The Brunei Energy Association (BEnA) will be organising the BEnA Energy Tour 2007 to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, early next month.

During the four-day visit, BeNA members will meet their Vietnamese counterparts in the oil and gas industry, followed by a tour of Petro Vietnam's plant on the following day as well as dialogue sessions with Petro Vietnam associates, The Brunei Times learned from the group's fourth annual general meeting yesterday at the Bunkers Cafe in the Empire Hotel and Country Club.

Earlier this month, Vietnamese Ambassador to Brunei Ha Hong Hai announced earlier this month that a memorandum of understanding between Brunei National Petroleum and Petro Vietnam may be signed sometime this year.

The MoU will further boost the 15-year-old diplomatic relations between the two countries, he said, citing that both countries can benefit from cooperation and share their experiences in oil and gas exploration.

During BEnA's annual general meeting yesterday, several educational projects, forums, seminars and conferences were announced. The association is also planning a trip to Nanjing, China for the Gas China 2007 Exhibition in early November.

BEnA will also be holding talks with Tokyo Gas and Mitsubishi Corporation of Japan and Kogas of Korea in April and September respectively.

Besides strengthening bilateral relations, BEnA members hope to explore business matching opportunities, expand their network base and discuss with their Japanese and Korean counterparts in the region's energy industry.

In May, BEnAwill be holding a 'BEnA Energy Project: Outreach to Community' to raise awareness on the conservation of energy.

Members plan to monitor changes in energy usage and expose the benefits the community would receive through conservation.

Other plans include the Energy Debate, which will possibly involve all schools in the sultanate to partake in debating different topics relating to energy in June.

BEnA may collaborate with the Ministry of Education to stimulate research on energy technology between schools in Brunei.

They hope to enhance the understanding of the `Brunei Future Generation' of the conservation and efficient utilisation of energy to the nation.

BEnA, which is led by Zainal Abidin Mohd Ali of Brunei Shell Petroleum, was formed in 2002, with a primary function to assist in facilitating the Gasex 2002 held in Brunei. The non-profit organisation aims to promote uniformity of practices and standards relating to the energy industry as well as to actively participate in worldwide energy activities under the auspices of such renowned bodies as the International Gas Union, Gas Information Exchange in the Western Pacific and Apec Energy Business Network. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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