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Gold/Mining/Energy : Strictly: Drilling and oil-field services -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: jim_p who wrote (66463)5/18/2000 9:13:00 AM
From: jim_p  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 95453
 
Petroleum Geo-Services to Develop National Geophysical/Geological Data Bank for Russia

HOUSTON and OSLO, Norway, May 17, 2000 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Petroleum
Geo-Services ASA (NYSE:PGO)(OSE:PGS) announced today that its subsidiary, PGS
Data Management AS, has entered into an agreement to develop and implement a
National Geophysical and Geological Data Bank (NBDGI) for Russia. The agreement
partners are PGS, GlavNIVC of the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), and The
Central Geophysical Expedition (CGE) of the Ministry of Fuel and Energy (MFE).

Scheduled for startup this year, the data bank will be equipped with the
proprietary PGS PetroBank(TM) system and operated as a division of GlavNIVC. The
operation will include a central location in Moscow and regional centers
throughout Russia, from St. Petersburg to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. When operational,
oil companies will be able to connect online with preapproved access to
quality-controlled seismic, well, production and cultural data.

"PGS is pleased to participate in the development of this strategically
important National Data Bank," said Bjarte Bruheim, president and chief
operating officer of PGS. "This National Data Bank will increase efficiency by
enabling the oil industry to make swift business decisions, while ensuring the
security of national interests. Our superior PetroBank technology combined with
our world-wide experience is the perfect solution for this and other national
data banks."

"We have been engaged in a six-year program of gathering and preparing data for
NBDGI," said Garold Lubimov, director of GlavNIVC. "For the development and
implementation phase of NBDGI we evaluated several technologies and found
PetroBank to be the best. We are confident such state-of-the art and proven
technology will secure the future success of NBDGI."

"NBDGI will be an important system for secure and efficient data management of
our national data assets," said Alexey Kashik, director of CGE. "Having seen how
the PetroBank solution handles such enormous oil industry challenges in Norway,
we are convinced that we have made the right choice for our Russian National
Data Bank. It will provide tremendous value for current and future oil companies
operating in Russia."

"This is an exciting step forward in the expansion of our data management
business in this region, where we have been active since 1995," said Bruheim.
"We have customers located in Moscow, The Urals, Western Siberia, Sakhalin and
the Caspian area. These types of arrangements put PGS in the unique position of
securing the majority of the seismic, well, production and cultural data for
these key oil bearing regions. PGS has long been the dominant player in Norway
where we currently manage and store virtually all such oil industry information.
We are pursuing similar agreements in most regions where the oil and gas
industry is actively searching for or producing hydrocarbons, and I firmly
believe this approach will prove to be the right strategy for PGS in the long
term."

Petroleum Geo-Services is a technologically focused oilfield service company
principally involved in two businesses: geophysical seismic services and
production services. PGS acquires, processes, manages and markets 3D, 4D and 4C
marine seismic data. This data is used by oil and gas companies in the
exploration for new reserves, the development of existing reservoirs, and the
management of producing oil and gas fields. In its production services business,
PGS owns four floating production, storage and offloading systems and operates
numerous offshore production facilities for oil and gas companies. FPSOs permit
oil and gas companies to produce from offshore fields more cost effectively. The
Company also provides data management solutions, 4D reservoir monitoring and
characterization studies and other specialized geophysical services. PGS
operates on a worldwide basis with headquarters in Oslo, Norway and Houston.

The information included herein contains certain forward-looking statements
within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements are based on certain
assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of its experience and its
perception of historical and future trends, on general economic and business
conditions and on numerous other factors, including expected future
developments, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Such
forward-looking statements are also subject to certain risks and uncertainties
as disclosed by the Company in its filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. As a result of these factors, the Company's actual results may
differ materially from those indicated in or implied by such forward-looking
statements.