"Within four hours, 60% of the 150 booths available at the Adelaide event had been sold to 44 different companies," APPEA events director Julie Hood said last night.

“This is an outstanding initial response and the Adelaide conference and exhibition is shaping up as another extremely well attended annual event for the association, its members and the industry generally,” she said.

Registrations for the conference component of the 2007 annual event open next month.

Meanwhile, APPEA opened registrations for the 2006 APPEA Environment Conference today. This event is November 19-21 at the Hyatt Regency Coolum on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

With its ever decreasing environment footprint in Australia, and its contribution to technological advancement, the oil and gas industry is one of the best placed industries to Australia’s sustainable development, according to APPEA.

The Coolum conference - titled "Environmental Excellence: a platform for prosperity" - will highlight the challenges and opportunities facing the oil and gas industry.

It will feature case studies and innovations from the industry, as well as updates from governments and researchers.