More than 200 hundred Chinese companies big and small are taking part in the annual Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston.

The four-day conference, which is considered the top event for the development of offshore resources, began on Monday.

The OTC consists of two exhibition sites: NRG Center and NRG Arena. The center hosts major companies with longer and more consistent participation in the OTC, where major Chinese oil companies such as CNPC and Sinopec are found.

"We have been coming to OTC since the 1990s, and we have come a long way since then," said Liu Weijiang, former director of the International Department and the exhibition team leader at CNPC.

"At the very beginning, we came to promote our equipment and products, now we are here mostly for name-branding and visibility," Liu said. "We showcase our offshore new products and capabilities."

At one corner of CNPC's 2,400 square -foot exhibit stands a podium, two rows of chairs and a wall with a large LCD screen. According to Liu, this is the first year that CNPC has an on-site technology report to engage industry experts.

It is also the first year that CNPC will be awarded a Special Meritorious Award for Engineering Innovation for its smart driller indicator (SDI) by E&P magazine.

Judged by an independent panel of experts, 17 technologies have been selected to receive the honor for improving the process of finding and producing hydrocarbons around the world.

CNPC's SDI technology has been applied in more than 20 wells in China and has shown 20 percent to 54 percent performance improvement, saving rig time and money, according to Liu.

Sinopec's exhibit also drew traffic with its product chain model from upstream exploration and development to drilling, pipeline, offshore platforms and wells.

Liu Rushan, deputy general manager, said that Sinopec looks to display the company's oil and petrochemical equipment and service capabilities: "We have a complete production chain to provide a wide range of service. We come here also to learn the newest technology innovations and trends."

OTC is not just for the big guys. Smaller players can be found in the arena section, where newer and less frequent participating companies are situated. One such player is Wuxi Beyond AOK Electric Co.

"We have been coming to OTC for the sixth time now," said He Daqing, general manager at AOK. "Although we are relatively much smaller, we have a lot of business in the Mideast, and many of our partners also come to OTC. We want our presence known, and hopefully, we can find partners to sell our products," He said.

"It looks promising," said Jake He, international marketing manager at AOK. "We have always set up meetings with some potential partners who are also at OTC."

According to OTC data, the conference has been growing and expanding since its inception in 1969. Last year, the number of attendees reached a 46-year high of 108,300. This year, OTC will offer free access on Thursday so that participants may increase networking opportunities.

"OTC offers unprecedented networking and knowledge in the fields of offshore drilling, exploration, production and environmental protection," said OTC 2015 Chairman Ed Stokes. "During Open Access Day, we are excited to share these benefits and help equip oil and gas professionals with powerful tools for accelerating and sustaining successful careers."

mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com