The event has been held for the first time in 1997 and since that OGU has become venue for business contacts of companies, which are interested in long-term cooperation in oil and gas market in Uzbekistan.

The event is organized by international exhibition company ITE Uzbekistan, member of UFI, ITE Exhibitions & Conferences Ltd. (UK) and its partners: ITE Moscow, GIMA (Germany), ITE Chin).

The exhibition is officially supported by the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade of Uzbekistan, Uzbekneftegaz, SCO Secretary, Tashkent city administration and Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan.

Lukoil, Tethys Petroleum, Worley Parsons, Repsol, Technip, Wartsila, CGGVeritas, Delta Oil company, Mubadala, Tenaris are sponsors of the event.

The exhibition was placed in two pavilions of UzExpoCenter and it gathered over 200 companies from 26 countries.

The organizers of the event said that over 1,300 companies from 47 countries have participated OGU in 15 years and some 86,000 people visited it. The organizers said that the exhibition and conference helped foreign companies to enter the Uzbek market. Among them are Lukoil, CNPC, KOGAS, Petronas and others.

The pride of the exhibition is their regular participants such as CGGVeritas (FRance), Jumo (Germany), Dressta Co. Ltd (Poland), Gazprom (Russia), Lukoil (Russia), Smith Bits, Schlumberger Company (USA), Uzbekneftegaz (Uzbekistan).

Italian companies are actively participating at the exhibition – Breda Energia, Caspian Allied International, Gea Refrigeration, PIETRO FIORENTINI, Techint, Tenaris, Thermoengineering. The Italy-Uzbekistan Commerce Chamber supported their participation at the event.

Large number of companies is representing Germany, among them are BAE, Jumo, Liebherr-Export AG, MAN, Samson, VOITH Turbo.

About 35% of exhibitors represent Russia. Lukoil, Gazrom, Tegas, Intega, Albatros, Neftegaz Systems, and others presented their opportunities and products at the exhibition. Chinese companies led by BGP also are participating at the event.

Number of the companies from Uzbekistan increased significantly. Uzbekistan is represented by Uzbekneftegaz, Neftegazkipavtomatika, Uzkimyosanoat, ATIB Drilling, Eco Gaz, Mashimport, NUR PULAT SAVDO and others. Their share made up 15%.

Central event of OGU 2011 will become international oil and gas conference titled “Diversification of products – new stage of development of oil and gas industry of Uzbekistan”, which will kick off on 18 May.

During the conference, the participants will discuss development of oil and gas sector in Uzbekistan, perspectives of expanding and diversification of hydrocarbons exports.

Over 500 delegates from 27 will consider modern state and perspectives of global energy market, investment and resource potential, role of strategic partnership in exploration and drilling, alternative energy sources and others.

It is also planned to hold a roundtable “Perspectives of oil and gas sector in Central Asia in context of modern global challenges” in cooperation with the Center for Political Studies.