Schlumberger Opens Research Center in Saudi Arabia

Author: Schlumberger Press Release
Released 18 April 2006

Facility to Focus on Maximizing Oil and Gas Resources Through Collaboration in Technology

DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia, March 25, 2006 - Schlumberger today inaugurated a new oilfield research center in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia under the patronage of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Minister of Higher Education HE Dr. Khalid Al Angari and the Minister of Petroleum & Mineral Resources HE Mr. Ali Naimi. Schlumberger Chairman and CEO Andrew Gould, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals Director Dr. Khalid Al-Sultan and the President & CEO of Saudi Aramco Mr. Abdallah Jum'ah officiated at the opening ceremony.

The new state-of-the-art center, to be known as the Schlumberger Dhahran Center for Carbonate Research (SDCR), houses a team of international scientists working on oil and gas industry research projects in collaboration with other research institutes, both in the Kingdom and worldwide. Activities will emphasize the carbonate reservoirs of the Middle East but are expected to have worldwide application.

More than 300 oil and gas industry, government and academic institution representatives attended the opening that featured presentations of the research center’s projects, as well as displays of current Schlumberger technologies. A one-day Reservoir Optimization Conference that includes a number of joint Schlumberger and Saudi Aramco workshops will follow the official opening.

Commenting on the opening, Andrew Gould, Schlumberger Chairman and CEO remarked: "We believe the combination of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's leading human and natural resources and our own technical and scientific expertise will allow this new center to develop ground-breaking technologies that will maximize both oil and gas resources in the region and the contribution the exploration and production industry makes to the global economy."

SDCR is the first research center to open on the King Abdullah Science Park at the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). It has been built to promote future technology development through closer interaction between research scientists from Schlumberger, experts from KFUPM, Saudi Aramco, and the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) as well as other regional oil companies and institutions.

In recognizing the location, KFUPM Director Dr. Khalid Al-Sultan stated: "This research center is a pure example of universities’ persistence to create technical alliances with major technology companies such as Schlumberger."

SDCR is the first of its kind in the Middle East and Africa. The decision to locate it in Saudi Arabia was based on the Kingdom’s dominant position in oil and gas reserves and production capacity, as well as on the availability of experts and scientists capable of working on projects designed to facilitate focused technological solutions.

About Schlumberger

Schlumberger is the world's leading oilfield services company supplying technology, project management and information solutions that optimize performance for customers working in the oil and gas industry. The company employs more than 60,000 people of over 140 nationalities working in more than 80 countries and comprises two business segments. Schlumberger supplies a wide range of products and services from formation evaluation through directional drilling, well cementing and stimulation, well completions and productivity to consulting, software, information management, and IT infrastructure services that support core industry operational processes. WesternGeco, a joint venture with BakerHughes, is the world’s largest seismic company and provides advanced acquisition and data processing services. In 2005, Schlumberger operating revenue was $14.31 billion. For more information, visit www.slb.com.

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