Halliburton sees the Vanco agreement as another step in maintaining its position as the real-time solutions leader in the global deepwater environment. According to Dave Lesar, Halliburton's chairman, president and chief executive officer, "From the introduction of Halliburton's HalLink(TM) high-speed satellite communications network into Africa to the continued advances being made to our existing infrastructure in Angola and Nigeria, Halliburton will continue to help operators leverage their resources in developing opportunities off the coast of West Africa."

Halliburton's business unit, Halliburton Energy Services, is scheduled to begin engineering related work within the next few weeks. Contract work is expected to continue for several years as Vanco works through its extensive deepwater portfolio, with exploration blocks in seven countries: Cote d' Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Madagascar, Morocco, Namibia and Senegal. Halliburton will provide a variety of engineering and consulting services, including tasks related to reservoir description and well construction planning and engineering, as well as assist in the development of Vanco's overall drilling philosophy.

"With a major drilling program scheduled in just over a year, we knew Halliburton could deliver the necessary expertise and project support for drilling our wells in West Africa's deep water. This relationship with Halliburton will strengthen our capabilities to meet our drilling plans as Operator of these deepwater blocks. It will take us where we need to be in the next twenty-four months," said Vanco's Founder and President Gene Van Dyke.

Drilling engineering work is scheduled to focus on pore pressure/fracture gradient predictions, well trajectory options, casing programs, and testing and completion philosophies. Additionally, drilling time curves and cost estimates are already being created; the use of extended-reach drilling will also be a possibility. Much of the initial engineering and consulting work will be based at Vanco's Houston headquarters with subsequent well construction activities being managed from Vanco offices in each specific country.

In addition to the engineering and consulting contract with Halliburton Energy Services, Vanco has also teamed up with Halliburton's Landmark Graphics Corporation, Granherne and Halliburton KBR. Halliburton KBR worked with Vanco to develop a project screening study related to potential gas market issues in the West Africa development. Landmark Graphics is providing the operator with a complete suite of integrated interpretation software tools, including the SeisWorks(TM) and OpenWorks(TM) tools. Granherne's FieldPlan(TM) screening tool will be used to assist the operator with exploration potential development options. This can be especially useful in water depths up to 12,000 feet.

Halliburton, founded in 1919, is the world's largest provider of products and services to the petroleum and energy industries. The company serves its customers with a broad range of products and services through its Energy Services Group and Engineering and Construction Group business segments. The company's World Wide Web site can be accessed at http/:/www.halliburton.com.

Houston-based independent Vanco Energy Company specializes in exploring for oil and gas in deep water. Since 1997, the company has acquired 20.5 million net acres in seven countries offshore Africa. Having completed a major regional 3-D and 2-D seismic survey in 2000 and 2001, Vanco is now preparing for a regional drilling program. Vanco's World Wide Web site can be accessed at http://www.vancoenergy.com.

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"We are pleased with today's announcement of the signing of definitive agreements by the Texaco Alliance Trust, Shell Oil Company and Saudi Refining Inc. for the sale of interests in Equilon and Motiva that were formerly held by subsidiaries of Texaco Inc. The Texaco Alliance Trust has done an impressive job in expeditiously completing these agreements, which are consistent with the memorandum of understanding that Texaco signed with Shell Oil Company and Saudi Refining Inc. prior to the closure of Texaco's merger with Chevron."

Under terms of the Consent Order of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and agreement with state attorneys general, Texaco was required to sell its interests in Equilon Enterprises LLC and Motiva Enterprises LLC as a condition of its merger with Chevron Corp. On October 9, 2001, Texaco, Shell and SRI announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding for the sale. Prior to completing its merger with Chevron, Texaco transferred its interests in those downstream companies to the Texaco Alliance Trust. Robert A. Falise is Chairman of the Trust and Divestiture Trustee.

Under these agreements, Shell would have 100 percent interest in Equilon, and Shell and SRI would each have a 50 percent interest in Motiva. (Prior to this agreement, the Trust held 44 percent interest in Equilon and 35 percent interest in Motiva. Shell held a 56 percent interest in Equilon and 30 percent interest in Motiva. Saudi Refining Inc.'s current interest in Motiva is 35 percent.) Completion of the sale is expected in January.

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Coda's software was previously only available as part of an integrated Unix-based hardware and software system. This Linux release will, for the first time, allow Coda to supply a software-only solution to any customer for acquiring and processing sonar and shallow seismic data. Coda systems can read all common sonar data formats, allowing customers to acquire sidescan and sub-bottom data on a variety of manufacturers' systems, but post-process using CODAsoft play, geoKit and mosaic modules. Several customers around the world have already adopted this approach.

Whilst retaining the key reliability, functionality and true integration that are hallmarks of Coda's software, version 3 also includes a number of new features developed in response to customer feedback and in conjunction with key customers. These new features include improved file management, recording to networked devices, additional data recording and output formats, support of new printers, compatibility with an even wider range of sonars and a host of improvements to data processing and interpretation. The version 3 functionality builds on the notable additions in version 2, which included improvements to recording, storage media, data transfer routines, data processing and navigation, allowing customers to achieve a new level of productivity.

Version 3 will continue to be available on Coda's traditional Unix platform, with the CODAsoft play module and the analysis and reporting modules, geoKit, mosaic and pipeInspect, available immediately for the Linux platform. The Linux version data acquisition module will ship before Christmas.

Coda Technologies develops advanced survey systems and software for use by commercial, military and academic customers, and specialise in working closely with customers to meet their specific needs. More information is available at http://www.coda-technologies.com or by contacting enquiries@coda-technologies.com, or on +44 131 553 1380.

The symposium will include three special sub-sessions: Sea Ice Information - Emerging Technologies and Future Services; Ocean Models for Defence-Related Initiatives; and Emerging Satellite Sensors & Programs. In addition to invited speakers, the AMRS Association is providing opportunity for other members of the marine community to address the symposium. Abstracts may be submitted online up to 21 December via the symposium's Web site ( http://www.waterobserver.org/workshop-2002-03/ ). Those wishing to attend without giving a presentation may register via the same Web site.

"The operational oceanography theme was developed by the Association's board of directors during their meeting last June" says Dr. Brian Whitehouse, AMRS' executive director. "Since then, a number of key agencies have agreed to sponsor the event, including ESA, NASA, NOAA, the British National Space Centre (BNSC), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the U.S. Office of Naval Research - IFO, the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing, the Canadian Ice Service, the U.S. National Ice Center, Canada's Trade Commissioner Service and the Atlantic Provinces of Canada."

Questions on the symposium should be sent directly to Patricia King, the AMRS Events Co-ordinator, at pattyfsrs@auracom.com.

Oceanology International London 2002 is the world's leading Exhibition and Conference in the marine science and ocean technology sectors. Over 6,000 Visitors are expected to attend the event, which is staged at the ExCeL (Exhibition Centre London) between 5-8 March 2002. More details can be seen at http://www.oceanologyinternational.com.

"Lease Sale 181 is a positive step in improving our energy security, "Interior Secretary Galye Norton said. "True national security must expand conservation programs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and create new jobs - all while protecting the environment". "The Department projects the Sale area contains 1.25 trillion cubic feet of natural gas - enough to serve one million U.S. families for 15 years. The area also contains 185 million barrels of oil - enough to fuel the automobiles of a million families for nearly six years, "Secretary Norton said.

"The funds from this and other lease sales are an important source of revenue to help protect our nation's environment. Since 1982, the Department has collected $110.4 billion from onshore and offshore leases. Over $16.3 billion of those resources have gone to fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This is one more example of this administration's pledge to help protect our most precious national treasures for future generations of Americans," concluded Secretary Norton.

Of the offered 233 tracts comprising approximately 1.3 million acres offshore Alabama adjacent to the Central Gulf of Mexico planning area, the MMS received 190 bids on 95 tracts or about 547,000 acres. The total bids were $458,936,089. This is the first time tracts have been offered in the Eastern Gulf since 1988. Competition between the oil companies was keen at this sale with six different tracts receiving five bids and eight receiving four bids. The highest bid received on a block was $26,015,040, submitted by Anadarko Petroleum Corporation on Lloyd Ridge block 91. The deepest tract bid on was Lloyd Ridge block 446 in 2,908 meters of water submitted by Anadarko Petroleum Corporation. The high bid on a block (each approximately nine square miles) will go through an evaluation process to ensure the public receives fair market value before a lease is awarded.

MMS is the federal agency in the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages the nation's oil, natural gas and other mineral resources on the outer continental shelf in federal offshore waters. The agency also collects, accounts for and disburses mineral revenues from federal and Indian leases. These disbursements totaled nearly $8 billion last year and more than $110 billion since the agency was created in 1982. Annually, nearly $1 billion from those revenues go into the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the acquisition and development of state and federal park and recreation lands.

For more information, contact one of the following at MMS: Barney Congdon +504-736-2595, Caryl Fagot +504-736-2590, or Debra Winbush +504-736-2597. You can also visit their web site at http://www.mms.gov

CRA's prime market focus will be the local government and utilities segments, including municipal-owned utilities. The company will sell and support the entire Leica GIS and Mapping product line, including the GS50 submeter GPS receiver, the GS5 and GS5+ receivers with ESRI ArcPad data collection software, as well as other Leica GPS/GIS data acquisition solutions. Marc Boulanger, Leica GIS sales manager for Canada, said, "We are very pleased to announce CRA as our key dealer for Ontario. With their strong combination of GPS and GIS expertise in the municipal and utilities markets, and their eight regional offices across the province, we believe CRA will do an outstanding sales and support job in representing Leica in Canada's most important economic region."

CRA is a family of companies that provides multi-disciplinary engineering, environmental, construction and IT services and products. Since 1976, the company has grown to encompass a worldwide staff of over 1,300 employees in 50 offices in Canada, the United States, Mexico and the United Kingdom. CRA's staff includes highly qualified professional engineers, hydrogeologists, geologists, environmental scientists, information specialists, industrial hygienists, GPS and GIS specialists and skilled technicians/technologists. CRA is ISO 9001 certified, and is an ESRI Canada business partner.

The Leica Geosystems GIS and Mapping Division, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is a leading provider of integrated end-to-end solutions for the acquisition, processing and 3-D visualization of spatial data. The division encompasses the operations of ERDAS, Inc., and LH Systems, which were acquired by Leica in April 2001, along with Leica's GPS/GIS and LIS business groups. Contact David Van Vliet Conestoga-Rovers & Associates +1 519 884 0510 email: dvanvliet@CRAworld.com or visit the web site at http://www.CRAworld.com

Earning Gold status is Maicons Technology Sdn. Bhd in Selangor, Malaysia. Silver is awarded to ARCHI Information Technology Co. Ltd. from Pusan, Korea, followed by Laurel Industrial Company, Inc. of San Jose, California earning Bronze. The annual selection of CARIS' Strategic Alliance VIPs is quantitative. As the more than forty international Strategic Alliance Program members work throughout the year in support of CARIS, they earn points for their efforts. Points are accumulated and totaled at the end of the year to reveal the top members.

Winning a VIP Award is an important part of the recognition that CARIS gives its Alliance Program Members. "Choosing only three Alliances to give our highest recognition to is very difficult," comments Dr. S.E. Masry, President and CEO. "The quality of Alliances that our Program has is very impressive. We are pleased that so many qualified individuals and companies wish to work with CARIS." Founded in 1991, CARIS' Strategic Alliance Program provides a framework and support system whereby third party organizations can work cooperatively with CARIS in the sale or integration of its geospatial data management and presentation software internationally.

As 2002 Strategic Alliance VIPs, Maicons Technology Sdn. Bhd, ARCHI Information Technology Co. Ltd., and by Laurel Industrial Company, Inc. will be presented with a number of incentives from CARIS including promotion throughout 2002 as a CARIS VIP. To learn more about the CARIS 2002 Strategic Alliance VIPs or the Program itself visit http://www.caris.com/alliances. Join us for CARIS 2002 in Norfolk, Virginia from September 3rd - 6th. E-mail: caris2002@caris.com for details.

The Model 9802 is a dual channel thermal recorder capable of printing analog and digital data across it's 20" display. Since its introduction to the industry ten years ago, the 9800 Series has been a reliable recorder for Navies, research institutes and survey companies the world over. http://www.epclabs.com

Established in 1992 as one of nine New Zealand Crown Research Institutes (CRIs), NIWA's mission is to provide a scientific basis for the sustainable management of New Zealand's atmospheric, marine and freshwater systems and associated resources.The company has a staff of around 600 and annual revenue of $60 million derived from commercial enterprise and competition-based research grants. Areas of expertise for consultancy and research are Atmosphere & Climate, Freshwater, Coastal & Oceanography, Fisheries and Aquaculture & Fisheries Enhancement. http://www.niwa.cri.nz

The order was secure through EPC sales agent Seismic Asia Pacific Ltd. (Darra Queensland, Australia) sales@seismic.com.au For further details contact Ted Curley sales@epclabs.com

Smith assumes the position of president of Leica Geosystems Inc. and will lead the Surveying and Engineering Division for the Americas Region. In this position, Smith will focus his efforts on providing spatial data acquisition products and services that help customers increase their productivity.

In a statement, Smith said, "I am delighted that the recent divisional reorganization of Leica Geosystems will allow us to concentrate on understanding and satisfying the specific needs and requirements of our traditional American customers: surveyors and survey engineers."

Prior to accepting this position, Smith was Leica Geosystems' GPS business development director for North America, managing all aspects of marketing, sales and service of Leica's GPS product lines. In addition to more than 10 years of practical surveying experience, Smith has extensive international experience in sales management, strategic market planning and customer-based application solutions. Smith has a Masters of Science in Surveying from the University of London and is a Chartered Surveyor.

Leica Geosystems, with worldwide headquarters in Heerbrugg, Switzerland, develops, manufactures and markets systems for surveying, mapping and position determination. The company, with 2,750 employees, has a turnover of over 600 million Swiss francs and is listed on the Swiss Exchange. It is structured in six divisions: Surveying and Engineering, GIS and Mapping, Industrial Measurement, Special Products, Consumer Products and New Businesses (Cyrax). Along with the Swiss facilities, the company also has development and production subsidiaries in America and Asia and is represented by 20 sales units and more than 100 representatives worldwide.