Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will deliver the keynote address at the biennial gathering of oil and gas industry, Petrotech 2003, which begins in New delhi on January 9.

"The conference will be inaugurated by Petroleum Minister Ram Naik on January 9 while the Prime Minister will deliver the keynote address on January 10," Subir Raha, chairman and managing director of ONGC, the firm organising Petrotech 2003 told a news conference.

Petrotech 2003, the fifth in a series, assumes greater significance as this will be the first conference after the dismantling of the Administered Pricing Mechanism, he said adding that the four-day conference would provide an opportunity for both Indian and foreign petroleum companies to interact with each other and to reposition themselves for sustained economic growth.

About 3000 delegates from 20 different countries are likely to participate in the conference, he said.

Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Santosh Kumar Gangwar will inaugurate the poster session on January 9 while Planning Commission Deputy Chairman K C Pant will inaugurate the photo exhibition.

Abdulla Bin Hamad al-Attiyah, Minister of Energy and Industry of Qatar will participate in the theme sessions.