Bahrain is set to expand co-operation with India in the energy and petroleum sector, and is looking into significantly increasing the export of crude oil and finished products to India, said a senior government official.

However, it is the Indian manpower expertise in the oil and gas sector that will be extremely beneficial to Bahrain, added Energy Minister Dr Abdulhussain Mirza.

"With Bapco's refinery expansion master plan in the pipeline, Indian expertise will be critical," Dr Mirza told reporters on the sidelines of the Process Control and Instrumentation (PCI) exhibition yesterday (December 28).

"Even in the early days of Bapco, Indian oil companies had seconded their experts to Bahrain," he added.

Ways of expanding co-operation between both countries was discussed between Dr Mirza and India's Oil Minister S Jaipal Reddy during the 20th World Petroleum Congress in Doha.

"We have invited Indian oil companies to take up new projects available after restructuring of the oil and gas sector in the country," Dr Mirza said.

He said Mr Reddy had indicated India wanted to substantially increase its $518 million crude and other oil products' imports from Bahrain.

"We also discussed co-operation between the National Oil and Gas Authority and India's Oil Ministry and pledged to work at enhancing it," Dr Mirza added. – TradeArabia News Service