The future plans of Banagas were discussed at a key meeting chaired by Oil and Gas Affairs Minister and National Oil and Gas Authority (Noga) chairman Dr Abdulhussain Mirza.

Mirza visited the Banagas head offices, accompanied by Noga officials, where he was received by Banagas chairman Ali Al Jalahma, general manager Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, directors and the executive committee of the National Gas Expansion Company.

He was briefed on the company's operational and financial results for 2010, future plans for expanding the facilities and achievements over the last five years.

Dr Mirza expressed his appreciation to the board of directors and executive management of the expansion company and praised their role in setting out clear strategies to achieve the company's goals.

He also praised the management for the excellent operational and financial performance of the company.

He hailed the comprehensive training and development programmes which have ensured nationals occupy senior positions in the company.

Dr Mirza congratulated the employees for having worked over six million hours since May 2002 without a lost time accident and for having received multiple safety awards from prestigious international organisations such as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, the Gas Processors Association and the National Safety Council of the US.

He also visited Compressor Station No 7 which was commissioned in 2004, the last major project executed by the company at a cost of $32 million, allowing the company to process an additional 66 million standard cubic feet per day of associated and refinery off gas. The payback period for this project was a remarkable 18 months.

Dr Mirza thanked management for continued co-operation extended to Tatweer Petroleum for execution of Phase 1 and 2 of the Bahrain Field Associated Gas Handling Project under which Tatweer Petroleum intends to construct three gas compressor stations with a target commissioning date of 2013.

He wished Banagas employees every success.

Banagas was established on March 15, 1979 with the primary objectives of processing associated gas into marketable products which include propane, butane and naphtha, and for supplying residue gas for local industrial use.

The company has the capacity to process 285 million standard cubic feet of associated gas per day. It also processes off gas from the Bapco refinery which is very rich in propane and butane.

Banagas is a joint stock company, 75 per cent owned by Nogaholding, 12.5 per cent by Chevron Bahrain and 12.5 per cent by the Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation. It manages and operates the expansion company's facilities.-TradeArabia News Service