A targeted strategy

Our partners – mainly state-owned companies in oil-producing countries – have been expressing a high demand for training and new technologies for the upstream and downstream sectors in recent years.

Firstly, IFP reinforces and consolidates established relationships with its strategic partners:

• in the Middle-East: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar. Despite a sensitive international context, relations with Iran have been maintained, as part of ongoing contracts and deals that have been signed.
• in North Africa: Algeria, Libya
• in Africa: Angola, Nigeria
• in Latin America: Venezuela

Secondly, IFP is extending its activities in countries likely to play an increasingly significant role in the world energy landscape:

• in Asia: China, India, Malaysia
• in Latin America: Mexico, Brazil

Leading actions in 2007

Saudi Arabia

On June 22, 2007, Saudi Arabia’s new King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and IFP signed a memorandum of understanding defining their joint involvement in research programs with an international scope, and in the fields of higher education and technological development.

Brazil

The partnership with Brazil, and notably with Petrobras, has been further strengthened: on October 23, 2007, the framework agreement for cooperation between IFP and Petrobras was extended for a period of 5 years. This framework agreement has already led to several concrete joint projects, including IFP’s participation in the Bahia project to capture and store CO₂ in the Reconcavo basin in Brazil.

Malaysia

A framework cooperation agreement with Malaysia’s state-run Petronas company was signed on December 4, 2007.
 

+ Press release (25 July 2007): King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and IFP sign cooperation agreement in fundamental and applied sciences