2002 - OPEC

The latest edition of the Annual Statistical Bulletin, OPEC’s comprehensive package of statistical data
on the oil and gas data industry, was also published by PRID during 2002. This new edition, which
covered the period up to end-2001, was supplied complete with a CD-ROM containing all the data in
the book and additional statistics extending the time series of many of the tables.
The OPEC website can be accessed by millions of computer users around the world. The website, which
can be found at www.opec.org features press releases, speeches, publications, as well as background
information on the Organization. Since the original version went online in 1997, web technology has advanced
at a considerable pace. To keep abreast with these developments, the site was redesigned in 2001, which
resulted in a tremendous increase in traffic and currently receives around 90,000 hits per day and up to
200,000 hits during conferences. As a continued service to users worldwide, the website is undergoing another
major redesign/development effort, adding even more functionality and advanced features like audio/video,
mobile/wireless computing, a Content Management System, as well as a password secure area for OPECNA
subscribers and OPEC Staff. The new website is scheduled to be launched the first quarter of 2004.
Speechwriting, another of PRID’s traditional strengths, was once again well to the fore in 2002, with the
Department preparing around 52 speeches for the President of the Conference, the Secretary General and
other senior OPEC officials. These addresses were delivered both at OPEC Conferences and at a number
of high-profile industry events, including the WSSD in Johannesburg, South Africa; the 8 th IEF in Osaka,
Japan; the COP8 to the UNFCCC in New Delhi, India; the World Petroleum Congress in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil; the Oxford Energy Seminar and the Oil & Money Conference (both in the UK) and many more. Four
articles appeared in publications targeted at specialist energy industry readership.
PRID’s design and graphics unit had another busy year in 2002, continuing to provide services not
only to the various OPEC publications, but also the OPEC Conferences and numerous other internal
meetings and workshops that took place throughout the year.
Video coverage was provided for all the OPEC Ministerial Conferences, meetings of the BoG, ECB,
OPEC/non-OPEC Experts Meeting, the Brainstorming Meeting for EXPO 2005, the Public Relations
Brainstorming Meeting and the 1 st OPEC UNCTAD/WTO Workshop. Seven videotapes entitled: ‘OPEC
Chronology of Events’ were produced and distributed to Member Countries and Embassies in Vienna.
The full coverage of important events such as the 8 th IEF and OPEC Conference held in Osaka, Japan
in September 2002, and a number of cultural exhibitions were edited and sent to Member Countries
and numerous members of the international press.
The installation of the ‘Energy News Live Project’ was completed on April 29, 2002. For the very first
time, a live press conference by the then Secretary General, HE Dr Alí Rodríguez Araque, was aired from
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