ABU DHABI [MENL] -- Saudi Arabia has moved to assuage foreign energy firms that the kingdom can protect them from Al Qaida attack.

Saudi Oil Minister Prince Ali Al Naimi met senior Western executives at Aramco headquarters in Dhahran in the aftermath of an Al Qaida attack in nearby Khobar on Sunday. Khobar houses many of the foreign executives who operate in Saudi Arabia's oil sector.

CAIRO [MENL] -- Egypt has been marketing opportunities in its energy sector.

Egyptian Oil Minister Sameh Fahmi has been briefing foreign delegations regarding the prospects for investments in Egypt. In a meeting with the Egyptian-French businessmen association, Fahmi said more than 170 oil and natural gas explorations were taking place around Egypt.

ABU DHABI [MENL] -- Saudi Arabia has reported crude oil production of 8.1 million barrels per day.

The state-owned Saudi Aramco said it produced an average of 8.1 million barrels of oil per day in 2003. Aramco operates the kingdom's energy sector.

LONDON [MENL] -- Morocco has been deemed a potential prospect for energy exploration and development.

Industry sources said leading Western energy contractors have expressed interests in developing Morocco's crude oil and natural gas reserves. They said much of those reserves could be located offshore in the Mediterranean Sea and that seven wells would be drilled over the next 18 months.

ABU DHABI [MENL] -- ExxonMobil has detailed its project to help develop Qatar's natural gas sector.

ExxonMobil has launched a joint venture with Qatar Petroleum to export to the United States by 2009. The two companies have signed an accord to produce and deliver 15.6 million tons of liquefied natural gas per year to the United States.

ABU DHABI [MENL] -- A leading Western enery expert has revised his forecast regarding the future of oil reserves in Saudi Arabia.

Oliver Appert, chairman and CEO of Institut Francais du Petrol said the kingdom maintains extensive oil reserves that will outlast any other country. Appert, who signed a memorandum of understanding between his company and the state-owned Saudi Aramco, said Saudi oil discoveries stand in contrast to the global of trend of shrinking supplies.

CAIRO [MENL] -- Egypt has announced the discovery of a natural gas reserve in the Nile Delta.

BP Egypt said it found gas at Taurt in the Ras El Barr concession in the Nile Delta region. The company said the gas well was located 70 kilometers northeast of Port Said.