Preparations are underway for the launch of the UAE's first oil and gas museum in November at the 15th edition of Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (Adipec) in the UAE capital.

The 'Adipec museum' will remain open throughout the leading oil and gas expo from November 11 to 14 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, said the event organisers.

Comprising exhibits loaned by local and multinational energy companies, plus personal contributions, the museum will be a chronological study of the UAE’s oil and gas industry, and will include an interactive timeline from 1928 to the 2000s.

The Adipec Oil and Gas Museum will comprise a wide variety of exhibits, many of them on public display for the first time, including archive photography, film, plans, engineering components and machinery, as well as the testimonies of former and present-day oil executives.

It is set to provide visitors with an interactive journey exploring the discovery, extraction and production of oil in the UAE, said the organisers.

In addition, the museum will feature a tribute to the vision of the UAE’s founder, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

A number of exhibits have already been received with the support of contributors and sponsors (which include Partex Oil & Gas, ExxonMobil, Total and Shell).

To date, the organisers have received interesting exhibits which include a copy of the original Abu Dhabi concession agreement dating back to 1939 as well as a geological map of the hinterland of Abu Dhabi drawn in 1935.

Hundreds of images have also been received for inclusion in the museum. Amongst these are an image of the late ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan, pictured with Dr Macpherson of BP and N Barnonty of Khanaqin Oil Company, dating back to 1953, and a photo of a water distillation plant for fresh drinking water dated 1963.

Undoubtedly the greatest single boon that oil wealth brought to Abu Dhabi is fresh drinking water, an unheard of luxury for the area prior to the discovery of oil, the organisers stated.

Sure to be a key attraction at the museum is the equipment section, which will comprise some of the original tools and paraphernalia used to aid the extraction of oil, such as hydraulic power tongs, monitoring systems used for Adco and Adma-Opco fields, and crude oil loading pumps dating back to 1966.

With the advent of oil came wealth never witnessed in the region before. Three cars -Chevrolet 3100 pick-up, a Land Rover and a Dodge Power Wagon - which were used during the oil boom in the UAE and have been in the emirates for more than 60 years, will also be on display.

The museum will also feature a running documentary about the history of oil and gas in the UAE. In the video, industry professionals who have served in the sector for many years will recall their experiences.

Contributors to the documentary include David Heard, Mohammed AJ Al Fahim, Peter Hellyer, Ahmad Rahma Al Masaood, Ahmed Tamim, Murshed Al Romaithi, SaqarMuharibi and Martin CalousteGulbenkian.

Kimon Alexandrou, the commercial director at dmg::energy, said: 'We have received hundreds of exhibits and memorabilia to date. But, we’re still looking for contributors who can help us recover tools, images and equipment from 1940s, 80s and 2000s.'

“As Adipec is the region’s largest oil and gas event, we wanted to give back to the industry by providing them with a fascinating and necessary historical timeline of the oil and gas sector in the UAE,”Alexandrou added.-TradeArabia News Service