Abdul Hussain bin Ali Mirza, minister of oil and gas affairs, who opened the SPE 2010 Middle East Health, Safety, Security and Environment Conference and Exhibition, said that Bahrain's flagship oil company Bapco was at the forefront in helping to achieve the growth sustainability in oil sector.

Bapco, he said, has set a new benchmark by raising the bar in health, safety and environment.

"Bapco has completed up to 12 million employee-hours without lost-time accident," the minister added.

Mirza, who is also chairman of the National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA), said the world has changed over the years, and continues to change.

"There is increased public awareness toward health, safety, environmental and security related topics. This is fueled by modern communication systems that enable situations, problems, and incidents that occur in one place to be seen around the world a few minutes later," he said. 

Organized by the Society for Petroleum Engineers (SPE), the conference attracted large who deliberated upon the subjects related to safety, security and environment compliance.

"The industry has moved with the times and has introduced new technology, systems, procedures and legislation, all of which are aimed at enabling a strong, safer, healthier, cleaner and more efficient environment to the benefit of workers and communities alike. In turn, these initiatives and responses assist companies to become more efficient and financially sound, thus contributing to stable national and world economies," he added.