• GWSC to research and develop innovative water solutions for petroleum, petrochemical, municipal and agricultural sectors
HOUSTON, TX, TREVOSE, PA, and DOHA, Qatar, April 27, 2010 -- ConocoPhillips and GE Power & Water, a unit of General Electric Company, announced today that HE Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Industry, State of Qatar, officially opened the companies' joint Global Water Sustainability Center (GWSC) in an inauguration ceremony in Doha, Qatar. The center, located at the Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP), will research and develop innovative water solutions primarily for the petroleum and petrochemical sectors, but also will focus on municipal and agricultural solutions.
The inauguration was also attended by HE Dr. Mohammed Saleh Al-sada, the Qatari Minister of State for Energy & Industry Affairs; HE Dr. Ibrahim B. Ibrahim, Secretary General, the General Secretariat for Development Planning; Dr. Stephen R. Brand, senior vice president, Technology, ConocoPhillips; Christine Furstoss, chief technology officer -- Water & Process Technologies, GE Power & Water; Dr. Tidu Maini, Science and Technology Advisor to Her Highness the Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, Executive Chairman of QSTP; Bill Bullock, ConocoPhillips president, Middle East and North Africa; and Dr. Samer Adham, managing director, GWSC.
"I would like to thank Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Misned, Chairperson, Qatar Foundation, for her vision that served as the cornerstone for the establishment of the Qatar Science and Technology Park, which will give Qatar great benefits for generations," stated the Deputy Premier Al-Attiyah. "I would also like to thank ConocoPhillips and GE for their commitment to efficient and environmentally clean energy production and their efforts to improve the stewardship of water resources. We are confident that the good work in this Center will support our industry and our environment," concluded Minister Al-Attiyah.
About 75 percent of the GWSC's work will focus on the petroleum and petrochemical sector and about 25 percent on non-industrial sectors, primarily municipal and agriculture. On average, approximately three barrels of water are produced for every barrel of oil produced worldwide. However, this water usually contains residual components that limit its use without extensive treatment. Proposed uses for treated water could include recycling within treatment processes, industrial cooling, crop irrigation, livestock watering, and wildlife habitats, potentially leaving more fresh water available for domestic use.
"The GWSC couples ConocoPhillips' industrial applications and field expertise with GE's leading-edge technologies in chemicals, equipment and advanced membranes to develop innovative water solutions for our operations and the communities in which we operate," stated Stephen R. Brand, senior vice president, Technology, ConocoPhillips. "ConocoPhillips has pledged to conserve and protect water resources, and we are proud of our substantial technological and financial commitment to water research."
"GE has had a long running collaboration with ConocoPhillips for over a decade, and the GWSC is a natural extension of our relationship," said Christine Furstoss, chief technology officer -- Water & Process Technologies, GE Power & Water. "This collaboration will harness our collective strengths to explore solutions that address not only the world's most pressing water challenges, but the region's as well. With its goal of developing solutions to help meet the State of Qatar's need for a sustainable water supply, the GWSC also reflects GE's growing commitment to invest and partner in the infrastructure development of the Middle East."
"The Qatar Science & Technology Park offers great opportunities for various technology research centers to collaborate," stated Dr. Tidu Maini, Science and Technology Advisor to Her Highness the Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, Executive Chairman of QSTP. "It is rewarding for us when major companies such as ConocoPhillips and GE have teamed up to create the Global Water Sustainability Center. This indicates that industrial clusters in a science park can provide ground breaking solutions," concluded Dr. Maini.
The GWSC will also sponsor sustainable development projects that benefit the local community such as programs to encourage water conservation, exhibitions and public or industry workshops. A visitor center set within the GWSC facilities will promote water conservation and technology applications to the residents of Qatar within the context of a national awareness campaign. It will further target education and training, knowledge sharing and public outreach. Workshops will be offered that will focus on key issues for water scarce regions such as water conservation and municipal water recycling.
About the Global Water Sustainability Center (GWSC)
The Global Water Sustainability Center is a joint collaboration between ConocoPhillips and GE Water & Process Technologies to examine ways of treating and recycling byproduct water from oil and gas production and refining operations, as well as other projects related to industrial and municipal water sustainability. For more information, go to: www.globalwsc.com.
About ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips is an integrated energy company with interests around the world. For more information, go to: www.conocophillips.com.
About GE Power & Water
GE Power & Water is a world leader in water and wastewater treatment and process systems. For more information, go to: www.gewater.com.
About Qatar Science & Technology Park
Qatar Science & Technology Park fosters the development and commercialization of technology in Qatar. For more information, go to: www.qstp.org.qa.
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