connections August 2008

THE WORLD OF OILTANKING VOL. 20/2 AUGUST 2008
connections
Reaching
for the
Sky
EDITORIAL
ASIA
Showing our true colors
Big bunker bargain
Oiltanking Odfjell Terminal Singapore (OOTS) and Matrix Marine Fuel Pte Ltd signed
a long-term contract for the construction of fuel oil and gas oil tanks to provide
chemical parcel tankers calling at OOTS’s jetties with bunkers.
“Mirrors reflecting
constantly changing
patterns made of
bits of colored glass”
— that is what you
see when you look
through a kaleidoscope*. When you hold a mirror up to our business, you will
discover that it has a number of similarities to this device that
However, we have to be prepared for unexpected events that
might come out of the blue. Therefore, it is good to know that
whatever we have to face, our company has many dedicated
employees with plenty of grey matter.
I am tickled pink to be able to convey some of our colorful
business to you in this new issue and hope you will like reading
our red-hot news.
When
vessels
in
Singaporean waters need
fuel, they normally re-fuel
when anchored, which is a
became one of the most popular optical toys of all time.
Gust Spaepen
Managing Director Oiltanking GmbH
very
time-consuming
procedure.
The
signed
contract between Oiltanking
Odfjell Terminal Singapore
(OOTS) and Matrix Marine
Fuel, however, means that
vessels calling at OOTS
jetties can be supplied with
fuel
via
a
pipeline,
concurrent with their cargo
operations. To facilitate this,
three tanks have been
custom built for the purpose
of storing and supplying
bunker fuels for Matrix
Marine. The two 6,000 cbm
fuel oil tanks and the 1,000
cbm gas oil tank will be
ready on August 1, 2008,
while
the
official
commencement of services
is scheduled for one month
later. OOTS will receive both products by
ship and, on behalf of Matrix, load the
products onto the vessels.
Just like the tiny fragments of glass in a kaleidoscope, our
daily business is continually shifting, transforming and being
volatile. And let us not forget the colors: in our dealings with
“black gold”, we experience both bright and black days.
Sometimes we might see things through rose-colored
spectacles before discovering, for example, that red tape can
often halt the progress of a project for some time. We observe
how enterprises turn out to be true blue chips or become
white elephants.
Luckily, up to now Oiltanking has enjoyed the rub of the green.
* Kaleidoscope: was already known to the Greeks. Its name is derived from
the Greek words kalos (beauty, eidos (form) and skopein (to look at). In
1816 it was re-invented by the Scot Sir David Brewster.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Black Gold = oil
Black Day = unlucky day
Red-hot news = latest news
Red tape = bureaucracy
Blue chip = first class
Out of the blue = suddenly
White elephant = a supposedly
valuable possession whose cost
exceeds its usefulness
• To enjoy the rub of green = to have
good luck
• To have plenty of grey matter = to
be intelligent
• To be tickled pink = to be delighted
• To see something through rose colored spectacles
=
to
see
something better/brighter than it
actually is
Highlights in this issue
5
GHENT
New tank
field party
EUROPE
Financial
managers
meeting
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12
8
CULTURAL
EXPERIENCE
From Hamburg
to Sohar
GOAN HOUSES
Color under
one roof
14
This is a first in Singapore and will further
enhance OOTS’s role as an attractive and
efficient “one-stop shop” for ships calling
at the terminal. OOTS already provides a
range of simultaneous services to vessels
aimed at reducing the vessels’ time in
port, such as supplying fresh water, ship
tank preparation via nitrogen purging,
bunker by barge, and transshipment
(both board to board and via ship-shoreship lines). By the way, OOTS is also the
only location approved by the Maritime &
Simultaneity Supplying bunkers to
vessels calling at Oiltanking Odfjell
Terminal Singapore is a welcome
addition to the company’s overall
service package.
Port Authority of Singapore to conduct
board to board operations for chemicals.
Besides saving time, this also carries
various other advantages. The new
project will help alleviate the port’s
congestion and reduce the risk of oil
pollution compared to the current
bunkering operation while anchored.
Matrix Marine supplies fuel oil to oceangoing vessels around the world. It already
has a similar established position in
Houston, Texas, with Oiltanking Houston.
The signed contract gives Matrix Marine
a much sought-after entry into the local
bunker supply market. Matrix targets an
annual volume of 144,000 MT for fuel oil
and 12,000 MT for gas oil.
In recognition of the favorable conditions
mentioned Odfjell Shipping, one of the
largest chemical tanker owners and
operators, has signed a long-term
contract with Matrix Marine to off-take
bunkers at OOTS whenever any of its
vessels call there and require fuel. The
initial positive response from certain
vessel owners, operators and customers
is already illustrative enough of the win
win-situation for all parties involved.
CONNECTIONS
3
SOUTH AMERICA
NEWS
Successful pipeline
commissioning in Argentina
S outh A merica
Honey sweetens business in Argentina
Oiltanking completed construction management
contract for Petroandina Resources
In 2007, Oiltanking founded a new company in Argentina,
Oiltanking Logística Argentina (OTLA), with the purpose of
developing storage, marine, and transport facilities to serve the
fuel, chemical, petrochemical, and other bulk liquids markets, and
to offer management and logistic services to third parties.
In May of that very same year, OTLA won an engineering,
procurement and construction management contract from
Petroandina Resources (PAR) for a new head pump station
and crude oil pipeline that required building between the
Mendoza and Neuquén provinces.
PAR, a Canadian company, is the operator of a joint venture
agreement between PAR and Repsol YPF for an oil field located
in the southern part of the province of Mendoza. Production
there has been steadily on the increase and currently accounts
for 4,000 cubic meters of oil per day.
The 81 km long, 12 inch diameter pipeline links the oil field in
Mendoza with the receiving station in the province of Neuquén,
which is a Repsol YPF facility and head of another pipeline that
feeds the Lujan de Cuyo refinery. The crude oil can also be
transferred to Oldelval’s head pump station where the ultimate
destination is the Puerto Rosales Terminal, on the Atlantic coast,
which is owned and operated by Oiltanking EBYTEM (OTE).
The main construction contractor was Skanska, a multinational
enterprise. OTLA contracted Arcan Engineering for the
engineering review and field supervision support.
The project was more than challenging from the very beginning
in terms of finishing as quickly as possible in order to keep down
operating costs, since trucking operations continued to transport
all the crude oil from the field to its final destination.
Oiltanking’s Project Manager was Grover Leiva, Claudio Gonzalez
was appointed Assistant Project Manager and Mariano Astobiza
completed the team as the project engineer. Holger Donath, Director
of OTLA, acted as Project Sponsor where he actively participated
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in contract negotiations and provided advice to OTLA’s team.
Seeing that time is of the essence in most projects, work was
conducted seven days a week during all the start-up and
construction phases, thus posing great demands on the project
team members.
It is worth noting that the project was completed without lost
time accidents for both of the parties involved during the
construction, thanks to the efficient and safe working
conditions implemented by the different companies.
Moreover, the stakeholders had to overcome a very challenging
hurdle, namely the crossing of the Río Colorado river. Initially
the project called for a directional drilling crossing, however
further detailed studies proved that it was technically
impossible to implement this solution due to the non-favorable
characteristics of the river bed. Therefore, the crossing was
carried out by utilizing an existing pipe bridge owned by Repsol
YPF, which had to be repaired and upgraded to allow for the
additional pipeline.
The first crude oil was successfully delivered in Neuquén on
July 16, 2008. Needless to say the project team was very
enthusiastic about this event after having put in a good solid
year of hard work. Congratulations to both the team and OTLA
for yet another triumphant development in Argentina!
Long distance connection The 81 km long
pipeline links the oil field with the receiving station.
What has honey got to do with
Oiltanking? You could say that Oiltankers
are as busy as bees … but actually the
fact of the matter is that Oiltankers at
the Ebytem terminal in Brandsen,
Argentina, had honey delivered to
them. How did this come about? Only
about nine hectares of the land that
was bought to build the terminal
Oiltanking Ebytem S.A. are used. The
rest, approximately 77 hectares, is
rented out to a person who keeps cows
as a means of
payment rather
than money. He
offered two kilos
per
beehive,
which meant sweet news for the
terminal: a delivery of 80 kilos of
honey per year! However, at first the
beekeeper had to see if the bees
produce honey on that piece of land.
Sometimes bees reject places! Luckily,
the bees accepted their new apiary
for grazing. Last year, Oiltanking
Ebytem was approached by a beekeeper,
who asked if he could use a small part
of the land for his business. After
analyzing all possible issues and
exploring every possible scenario
associated with having beehives fairly
close to the terminal, Oiltanking Ebytem
had no objections and gave the green
light. In return for the use of the land to
keep bees, the apiarist suggested honey
and recently Oiltankers welcomed the
delivery of the first batch of smooth
and perfect honey. Now we know what
all the buzz is about! What on earth
are they going to do with so much
honey? It goes without saying that
not only will they delight in it for their
very own consumption but the honey
will also be put to good use as
corporate presents. What a sweet
idea to smack your lips over!
EUROPE
Steady growth at Oiltanking Ghent
On 3 July 2008, Oiltanking Ghent N.V. had no
shortage of good reasons to make a public
announcement. In a joint initiative by Oiltanking
Ghent and the Port of Ghent the national and local
press were informed about the opening of a new
tank field with four tanks each containing 18,750
cbm. At the same time, the starting signal was
given for the construction of four additional tanks
with a capacity of respectively 55,000 cbm. With
this expansion the total storage capacity will reach
1,000,000 cbm in 2009 and it is no great wonder
that Sas van Rouveroij, President of Ghent Port
Company, emphasized the importance of Oiltanking
Ghent for the port.
After the press conference, customers, contractors
and local authorities were invited to a cocktail and
dinner party at the charming estate of Kasteel van
Wippelgem. To the rousing rhythm of a Brazilian band playing
on real drums, Huib Jansen, Managing Director Oiltanking
Ghent, and Sas van Rouveroij, put the finishing touches to the
IN STYLE Huib Jansen (right) and Sas van
Rouveroij during the “signing ceremony”.
Oiltanking logo on a virtual tank shell with true zest.
Undoubtedly the forthcoming project will enable them to
continue writing many more success stories.
CONNECTIONS
5
PORTRAIT
PORTRAIT
We Can, We Care
… in “logistics”
The “logistics” department
at the Amsterdam terminal also
includes “customer services” or
“sales”. Our colleagues elsewhere
may call it differently but “sales”
and “customer services” are
combined here to improve
contact with the clients. Such an
organization means that all functions
that require frequent interaction with
customers are aware of all of their
clients’ activities. Five colleagues work
in this department: Boris Oudenbroek
and Roderick de Rooij in “sales and
customer services”, Peter van Leuven
and Caja Wemmers in “customer
services” and Anthony Verpoorten in
“customs related activities”. How does a
typical day look like?
The A Team (from left) Caja Wemmers, Roderick de Rooij,
Boris Oudenbroek and Peter van Leuven keep track
of tasks and stay cool even in tough situations.
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There is a routine, but it is never the
same! Sounds strange, doesn’t it? But
the routine is the planning, and the
planning is never the same due to
different
loading/discharge
orders,
vessels, products, weather conditions
etc. “Every moment of the day we have
to work on our strategy as to how to
meet our clients’ needs and at the same
time decide how to optimize the
infrastructure and jetties of the terminal”
explains Boris Oudenbroek, Sales
Manager. In other words — to make all
parties involved happy. No easy
undertaking in general and knowing
that the terminal in Amsterdam is the
second largest of Oiltanking’s 62
terminals worldwide makes it even
tougher. On a yearly basis, about 720
vessels and over 3,600 barges are
Within Oiltanking terminals there are various
departments and each of them is crucial for a smooth
and satisfactory work process. Let’s have a closer
look at what happens in “logistics” — at the Oiltanking
terminal in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
handled. In 2007 the throughput was
over 11,000,000 Mt (only incoming
products), while manipulations are over
6,000 a year.
“On a very busy day when a queue is
building up outside the locks and
everyone wants their vessels to come at
the same time, our department has to
make choices and balance it in such a
way that nobody is put at a disadvantage.”
Needless to say, to do the job as
optimally as possible you need a cool
head. A “normal” working week
comprises between 45 to 50 hours – but
when is a week “normal”? Colleagues
with on-call duties easily soar to 60
hours and more. Not counting all the
sleepless nights …
For the documentation, as well as for a
smooth process, our colleagues from
“customer services” work with the
Oiltanking Stock Accounting System
(OSAS) developed in-house. This
software supports order processing and
stock accounting for the thousands of
orders that have to be processed every
year. In order to plan and optimize the
terminal, “customer services” works
most actively together with the
department “operations”. The sales
department works closely with “Finance”,
as well as the Managing Director, Coen
Huebner.
When we asked Boris Oudenbroek what
he thinks is the most essential criteria
for working in his department, he
underlines that the will to work hard
and being omnipresent is very important.
Fluency in both spoken and written
Dutch and English is a must Operational
knowledge helps to give advise to clients
in the best possible way. As for the
“sales” part, a qualification from a
business school is of course desirable
but not essential. And last but not least,
he mischievously adds that “a good
sense of humor!” can move mountains.
CONNECTIONS
7
C O L O R my world
C O L O R my world
Holi-day
The Festival of Colors called Holi is a popular and meaningful Hindu spring festival
where people throw colors at each other.
Color under one roof
Spectacles of color Colonial houses in Goa were colorfully painted, thus becoming a sign of individuality and wealth.
Color is not only an expression of personal preferences; it also plays an important role
in the architectural history of colonial homes in Goa, India.
Dramatic and vibrant colors used in abundance with a
tinge of white are a typical combination adorning colonial
homes in Goa. The color concept dates back to the Portuguese
who colonized Goa in 1510 and stayed for more than 400
years. Upon their arrival, Goan houses were either built in
local red stone or in red mud. Only temples and mansions
used black soapstone and were whitewashed.
As among Christians white was (and still is) associated with
purity and people seemed to be impressed by stately white
buildings, moreover the new rulers had their own ideas to
draw more believers into their churches. They ordered the
compulsory annual painting of houses, after the monsoon had
passed, and introduced painting regulations: only churches
and chapels enjoyed the privilege of being painted completely
white. For private houses, white could only used for highlighting
architectural details like quoins and cornices, and window
edges and balustrades to contrast with the walls.
As a result, houses began to develop their own individuality
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and color became a tool to discern ownership and creativity.
The range of colors was derived from natural pigments —
yellow ochre from slaked and burnt lime; blue from indigo;
red from bruised clay; later on shades such as green, pink,
lavender could be added due to new techniques. With a color
wash, the house looked “dressed” and therefore displayed the
economic well being of the family that lived in it. Not only
Christians but also Goan Hindus have respected the color
practice over the years. Therefore an interesting and
aesthetically pleasing trend developed. With the change in
regime and modernization along with globalization, values
have changed over the past few years, too. The indication of
wealth is not a criterion anymore. Houses are still being
painted after the rains to give them a fresh look, but the
natural colors of the past have been replaced by synthetic
ones in view of the leaps and bounds that have been made in
painting technology. Nevertheless, the colors are still vibrant
and a captivating medium that reflects individuality. They
remain typical of Goa.
Gay day Holi, a
vibrant Hindu festival,
is celebrated with great
zeal and enthusiasm.
The Hindu festival Holi may carry
various different names and people might
follow varying traditions, but what makes
this celebration so unique is its spirit,
which remains the same wherever it is
celebrated. Under the guise of colors,
people seem to merge into one big
fraternity as it is solemnized by people
regardless of caste, creed, color, sex or
age. Worldwide, Holi has the theme of
universal brotherhood.
Holi starts the day after the full moon in
the month of March according to the Hindu
calendar and lasts two days. This year,
this festivity of the rejuvenation of nature, renewed hope of
happiness and peaceful existence was celebrated on March
22. On the first day, people gather to light bonfires, which
signifies the destruction of evil — the burning of “Kolika” — a
mythological character. On the following day, people meet on
the streets and playfully drench each other with colored water
and brightly pigmented powders are applied to their faces.
The vibrant use of colors symbolizes the advent of a radient
and prosperous spring season.
Originally, only natural and herbal colors were used.
Nowadays, however, darker and longer-lasting tints are
favored so synthetic dyes are also included. The colors
overcome the barriers of language and convey true feelings,
but also a message:
YELLOW
stands for optimism and is also regarded as an
auspicious color. It denotes the awakening of new
blossoms and is associated with Mother Earth.
RED
denotes festivity, energy and love.
GREEN
means compassion, purity and understanding, and
is a token of prosperity.
BLUE
expresses new beginnings, trust and peace.
After a fun-filled, exciting and vivacious day coupled with
dancing to the rhythmic beats of the drums and singing Holi
songs, the evenings are spent sober-minded. People meet
friends and relatives, exchanging sweets and festive
greetings.
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9
LEISURE
LEISURE
Hurray, hurray
it is a happy
holiday!
1
6
7
Not only are Oiltankers very
flexible but they are also willing
to face new challenges.
2
8
3
4
9
5
10
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Spot our
colleagues
1) Bullish mood Rashmi Surve, Indian
Oiltanking, in front of the Hindu God
Nandi, in Mysore, India. 2) Hairy tale
Karin Meeussen, Oiltanking GmbH, eye
to eye with a leopard in Gomo, South
Africa. 3) On the road Kay Schlette,
Oiltanking GmbH, viewing a mosque in
Samarkand ind Skahr-i-Zindan, Uzbekistan.
4) World heritage Rohit Kalia, Indian
Oiltanking, exploring the Elephanta
caves, in Mumbai, India. 5) Earthly
beauty Annette De Bruyn, Oiltanking
Stolthaven Antwerp, and her husband
admiring the Gullfoos Waterfalls, Iceland.
6) In disguise Pele Wendt, Oiltanking
Singapore, during the Carnival of Venice,
Italy. 7) Malaysian meeting Zakharria,
Rozzani, Ibrahim Banding, M Ismail, Ajet
and Latiff — colleagues from Oiltanking
Singapore, went together with their
families to Port Dickson. 8) Husky on
the right track Inke Burmeister,
Oiltanking GmbH, visited a husky farm in
Harriniva, Finland. 9) Nature wonder
Susanne Kroeger (left), Oiltanking GmbH,
in Rose Valley, a large area in the Göreme
National Park in the Nevsehir Province of
Cappadocia, Turkey.
CONNECTIONS
11
EUROPE
EUROPE
Spring meeting 2008
WebOffice 2.0. —
From May 6–7 2008, Oiltankers from all over the world
congregated once again for the annual Oiltanking spring
meeting. This time, it took them to a beautiful area just
outside the German capital of Berlin. Schwielowsee in the
vicinity of Potsdam proved to be an ideal venue for the two-day
meeting. Besides updates on new projects in the ever-growing
Oiltanking world, one of the main focuses of this year’s spring
meeting was once again HSSE, especially work safety.
Although Oiltanking has been doing quite well in this respect,
the efforts to improve the performance and minimize accidents
and incidents will continue to be a top priority.
opportunity for Oiltankers from four continents to get to know
each other and rekindle old friendships. Everybody had the
occasion to enjoy the sights during a walking tour around
Potsdam, including the former residence of the Prussian
kings, and learn something about its history. Finally, all the
participants gathered for a delicious barbecue in the delightful
garden of a historic café in the Dutch quarter of the town.
Here, discussions and talks
were resumed and continued
well into the night.
All in all, the 2008 spring
Furthermore, the participants were briefed on future market
trends on the increasingly volatile international oil markets. A
feedback session on the “weboffice 2.0” roll-out, Oiltanking’s
new-look knowledge-sharing tool, rounded off this year’s
spring meeting with valuable input from the users.
As well as serving as a platform for professional updates, the
spring meeting was once again highly entertaining and a good
meeting
once
again
provided a great opening
to intensify the unique
Oiltanking team spirit and
exchange views and ideas
for the future of the
company.
Colleagues go
beyond words.
Financial managers meeting
Put in the picture The female colleagues showed off their knowledge and their new Oiltanking shawls.
On May 19, 2008, twenty-four colleagues from finance
departments all over the world convened in Berlin, Germany,
for three days for the annual Financial Managers Meeting.
This year, two main issues were on the agenda. One of them
was a discussion on how to ensure uniform reporting among
profit centers. The other was an individual training session on
OutlookSoft for each financial manager. The sessions were
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embedded in a series of presentations covering the latest
developments in the group.
During the meeting, the colleagues not only had the possibility
to talk shop but also see old faces and get to know new ones.
Excursions such as a city tour through Berlin, a relaxing boat
trip on the river Spree and a visit to the historical Berliner
Reichstag topped off the successful event.
knowledge is never enough
WebOffice 2.0., a tool for administration and knowledge-sharing, seems to have been the
latest craze at Oiltanking for the last half a year. But what does it actually mean and how
does it help Oiltanking as a company?
In today’s information-driven society, the term
knowledge-sharing is omnipresent and has become an
indispensable element of our everyday lives. In an organization
• Organized filing provides for a structured allocation and,
thus, document search
• Access options allow the user to limit access to his/her documents
as decentralized and geographically dispersed as Oiltanking,
know-how represents a very volatile asset that is not always
available when it is needed. It is important for an organization’s
competitiveness to exchange and preserve its experiences for
the following reasons:
• Staff turnover. Often when a colleague leaves the company
or is moved to another location, knowledge walks out of the
door with him/her.
• “We don’t always know what we know”. It is vital that
expertise learnt and applied in one part of the organization
is communicated to another, where it can be used to achieve
common objectives.
• Accelerating change. In an environment of constant and
accelerating change, information has to be
updated in order to prevent the proficiency
base from eroding.
•
•
•
In the case of Oiltanking, the LotusNotes based WebOffice was the
answer to the knowledge-sharing
issue. The WebOffice we are
speaking of today (WO2) is the
second generation of an application
that was first introduced in 2003 as a
tool for the administration of addresses and
correspondence. It is now known as WebOffice 1.
In spite of its vast potential, it had a number of flaws such
as low operational speed, unorganized structure and poor
usability. To overcome these hurdles and thus reinforce the
prospects of such a knowledge-sharing tool, WO2 has been
introduced. Unlike its predecessor, WO2 has been fully
developed and built internally. This means that it is designed to
meet the needs of the company’s industry and, more importantly,
can be adjusted to satisfy the requirements of its users.
WO2 includes the following features and advantages:
• WO2 is remarkably faster than WO1
• Documents can be accessed off-line by creating local replicas
Interlinking of documents offers the possibility to connect
information of a different nature under several documents
simultaneously
Enhanced correspondence features allow the exchange of
correspondence within WebOffice in a useful, easy and fun way
An inquiries & contacts database, when fully utilized, will
replace the highlights feature and give a detailed and up
todate overview of the organization’s activities worldwide.
It took a little over a year for the WebOffice team to design and
build the application. Prior to the rollout, a trial database had
been set up where all the features could be tested at first hand.
The official rollout of WO2 commenced on March 13 , 2008 with
the Singapore terminal and is fast approaching the
finish line with only Latin America waiting its turn
in August 2008.
In the process of the rollout, a “train the
trainer” method has been applied. This
means that a small group of WO2 specialists
travel to each profit center to train selected persons,
now commonly known by the fancy title of “super-user”. The
choice of super-users was made based on their individual
capabilities and the nature of their daily work in the organization.
Their tasks include training their colleagues in a profit-centre,
providing basic technical assistance and supervising the
implementation and use of WO2. Today, in spite of some initial
skepticism, the WebOffice team is pleased to see the increasing
support for WO2 worldwide. It is a pleasure to experience the
transformation in the people’s mindset from “we have to use it”
to “we want to use it”. With WO2, knowledge-sharing is no
longer a mere catchword but an efficient reality.
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13
C U LT U R E E X P E R I E N C E
C U LT U R E E X P E R I E N C E
A CAMEL on its merry way
to one of the many camel
races which take place from
October to April.
From
Hamburg
to
Sohar
After two and a half years working for Oiltanking GmbH in Hamburg, Germany, Joerg
Neetzke was offered a job at Oiltanking Odfjell Terminals in Sohar, Sultanate of Oman.
Less than a seven-hour flight away from Hamburg, the country is a complete new
experience in terms of culture, climate and geography.
Before flying to Muscat, the capital of the Sultanate of
Oman, for the first time I had to study the world map in order
to find out which part of the world I was heading to. I realized
that the Sultanate of Oman is located in southwest Asia, on
the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula — thus being the
most eastern Arabian country. From the airport it would be a
two-hour drive to Sohar, my final destination and new home
for the next two years. Moreover, I only had had little to no
experience of the Arabic culture, language, climate and
traditions up to then. Therefore, I tried to read up on the
country as much as possible and asked colleagues who had
moved to Oman earlier about their experiences of living
there.
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When I got off the plane in Muscat in the middle of the night
at the end of July 2007, it was not the heat but the humidity,
which instantly turned my body into a sponge. Before arriving,
I had known it would be hot but I never expected it to be that
hot, especially at night, and was somewhat unprepared for
the humidity. At first, I calmed down by telling myself that this
must be an exception since I could not imagine that someone
could actually endure such unbearable conditions for a longer
period of time. Even though people had warned me, I did not
believe it until I experienced it personally. To my horror, I was
forced to acknowledge that from May to the end of September
the climate conditions would not change. Quite the contrary,
in fact: August would be even hotter and more humid! In
Where the rocks
jut out of the sea.
summer, the temperatures often reach 50 degrees Celsius
with very high humidity.
The day after my arrival, I had my first trip by car from Muscat
to Sohar. I was surprised by the quality of the road — with two
lanes in each direction that are in much better condition than
many of our German autobahns — and a road system
connecting all major cities and villages in the mountains. The
main road from Muscat to Sohar runs parallel to the northeast
coastline and then on through the mountains towards the
northwest and eventually Dubai. All major motorways in
Oman are illuminated throughout the night, a fact that I found
very convenient when driving late in the evening. It really
makes sense, too, considering that the dark hours are much
longer here than in Europe. Even during the summer time, the
sun sets shortly after 7 p.m.
Traveling from Muscat to Sohar by car takes two hours with
modest traffic. You still need to get used to the roundabouts,
which appear every 10 to 20 km (except in Muscat itself) to
stop people from speeding. Once you are used to the
roundabouts and passing goats or wild donkeys that do not
care about modern transport, driving long distances becomes
relaxing and is a stark contrast to the crowded and hectic
traffic in Germany. But what really made driving a treat were
the low fuel prices in comparison to Europe. Just imagine: one
liter of “Super” costs not more than 0.12 Omani Rial, which is
less than € 0.25 cents!
I had the impression that moving from Hamburg to Sohar is
like moving to a small village. Sohar has got only two hotels,
two supermarkets — a popular meeting place for the Indian
and Pakistani guest workers — and the city center at the
market (souk) with dozens of small shops. During the day
time, the city always looks deserted and only during the
evening hours after the hot air cools off a bit does life return
The Grand Mosque in
Muscat and in the background
the mountain range.
to the streets. At the beginning I thought it would be hard
staying here since I am used to a large variety of entertainment
and cultural events in Hamburg. Meanwhile, I have to admit
that I rather enjoy the calm neighborhood and the relaxed
way of life. And if I feel like some entertainment, Sohar has a
big advantage: it is located in the middle of the country. You
are only a two-hour drive from Muscat or, in the opposite
direction, Dubai or Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
Only recently, Sohar itself started to develop due to the
industrial area around the harbor and a special development
zone for further industrial production settlements. Besides
the booming economy, it seems that everything is flourishing
in Oman: a lot of people here still have some small farms or
plantations and, of course, there is also the prospering
University and College of Sohar. Incidentally, the Sultan
provides free education and a piece of land for every local
Omani.
As an Arabic country, most of the inhabitants of Oman are
Muslims and traditions are treasured. The industrial
development, of course, means new and different influences
PORTRAIT
Jörg Neetzke joined Oiltanking
GmbH in April 2006 and worked
in
the
Central
Engineering
Department
as
Engineering
Manager in Hamburg, Germany.
Since the end of August 2007, he
has been working as a project
manager for the newly built
Terminal Facilities of Oiltanking Odfjell LLC in Sohar,
Sultanate of Oman.
CONNECTIONS
15
C U LT U R E E X P E R I E N C E
and also a huge amount of foreign laborers coming into the
country. Approximately 30 percent of them reside here already.
I was impressed by how the Omani inhabitants deal with this
situation. They are very open-minded and respect other
cultures as long as one respects their traditions, too. They are
always friendly, greet you and have a small chat with you
wherever you meet them, be it in the queue at the supermarket,
bank or any other places. And they are very hospitable. It
happened more than once that I was invited over for dinner or
tea by an Omani. Once in a while, my neighbor would show up
and offer me some fresh fruit from his garden.
However, it was not only the cheap fuel prices that flabbergasted
me or the amazing friendliness of the Omanis or the heat and
the humidity that took my breath away, but also the country’s
beautiful nature and geography. It shares its borders with the
United Arab Emirates in the northwest, Saudi Arabia in the
west and Yemen in the southwest. The Arabian Sea is situated
to the south and east of the country, with the Gulf of Oman to
the northeast. Central Oman is dominated by a huge desert.
To the north lies the mountain range of Jebel Akhdar, separating
the desert from the fruitful area along the coast-line. The
mountain range stretches from the north to the northwest and
meets the sea around the area of Muscat/Mutrah. Just imagine
that those mountains were formed approx. 150 million years
ago when the oceanic crust was pushed up, which was a very
rare if not unique process. Traveling through the mountains
and driving, walking or climbing actually on a “seabed” or
visiting a nearby Wadi with its quietness, breathtaking beauty
and wildlife is indeed impressive. During winter-time when the
temperature is a moderate 15 to 25 degrees Celsius, a lot of
Wadis have sweet water basins that are inviting for picnics or
even wild camping. I have seen the darkest nights and the
brightest stars there.
ASIA
In the area of Muscat/Mutrah, you can see the mountains
“disappear” into the Arabian Sea, towering high above the
shore-line. Traveling by boat along this coastline is simply
stunning. You will always find small bays with romantic
beaches between the rock formations — most of them only
accessible by boat. Along the southeast coast, the desert
extends to the coast. Oman’s coast stretches about 2000 km
along the Arabian Sea. Needless to say, I just love the
landscape of Oman, which is very attractive in many aspects
and offers a variety of adventures, e.g. diving, sailing, fishing
and going for trips in the desert and mountains. The highest
mountain actually is more than 3000 m and is the place where
you can find some cooler temperatures during the hot summer
months.
Oman offers many attractions in addition to its natural beauty.
There are a lot of historical monuments such as old forts along
the coast and in the mountains, not to mention the Grand
Mosque in Muscat. However, it is a country with moderate
tourism. In contrast to the other Gulf Countries, Oman is
trying to harmonize each new building with the landscape. You
will not find any skyscrapers here!
Oman is opening up quite fast to the Western world whilst
thankfully preserving its culture and cherishing its nature. I
admire many aspects of the country, especially the people. To
be honest, the differences in both culture and climate seem
huge for someone moving from Hamburg to Sohar. I had to
get used to a lot of new and exotic things, while the high
temperatures during the summer months were probably the
hardest to cope with. However, the opportunity to face new
vocational challenges, get to know a new culture, experience
new customs and find new friends from all over the world is
definitely worth every droplet of sweat!
High Up In the mountains just one
hour drive from Sohar.
The highway Heading For
Muscat with one of the
countless roundabouts.
Many of them boast many
decorative monuments.
16
CONNECTIONS
Black rain
On June 12, 2008, “black rain” poured down on the Oiltanking terminal
in Daya Bay, China. A “black day” for our colleagues and the facility?
On June 6, the Hong Kong Observatory Station issued a
“black rain” warning for the city. The next day, many parts of
Hong Kong were inundated with 1.5 meters of floodwater and
the highway to the International Airport was closed for a day.
But that was Hong Kong and the Oiltanking terminal was well
out of harm’s way approximately 90 km north-east of the city,
or so Yeong Kwek Leong, General Manager Oiltanking Daya
Bay (OTDB), thought. However, he was gravely mistaken …
During the night of June 12, 2008, heavy rain started falling
again — this time over Daya Bay. The downpour continued
throughout the following day and although the terminal itself
was not badly affected by the rain, there were signs of flooding
on the main road leading into the petrochemical park. At 3.30
pm, the management of OTDB asked colleagues to stop work
earlier than usual and set off for home. In hindsight, it turned
out to be a very wise decision! By 5.30 pm, it was already
impossible to pass through the main streets of Autou and
Huiyang, both towns near the terminal. The rainwater
overflowed from the rivers and soon reached a depth of two
meters in the main street of Autou. All sundry shops and
businesses on the ground floor were completely swamped and
the muddy torrent destroyed everything in its path. Cars were
also submerged and badly damaged. By 6.00 pm, nobody
could enter the family resort Palm Island as the connecting
bridge to the resort was submerged under one meter of water.
Normally, the river flows some 10 meters below the bridge!
Families living on the resort were marooned while others had
to find shelter and camped out in hotels for the night. Luckily
the heavy rainfall eased off the next day. It was several days
before the normal power and utility supplies could be fully
restored.
The day of the “black rain” certainly was not a rosy day for our
colleagues in Daya Bay but they dealt with the situation
brilliantly and fortunately the day was neither black for them
nor the terminal.
Did you know?
The rain season in Hong Kong, China, is normally between
April and September. The rain can be particularly heavy
and persistent during May and June. The rainstorm
warnings “amber”, “red” and “black” are a set of signals
which are used in Hong Kong to alert the public to the
risk of heavy rain, which is likely to cause major
disruptions due to traffic congestion and floods. They
also act as an early warning system for the emergency
services to be in a position to deal with the situation
swiftly. The Hong Kong Observatory is responsible for
launching these signals, which are broadcast over the
radio and on television. The signals mean:
Amber: Heavy rain has fallen or is expected to fall
generally over Hong Kong in excess of 30 millimeters per
hour, and is likely to continue.
Red: Heavy rain has fallen or is expected to fall generally
over Hong Kong in excess of 50 millimeters in an hour,
and is likely to continue.
Black: Very heavy rain has fallen or is expected to fall
generally over Hong Kong in excess of 70 millimeters in
an hour, and is likely to continue.
When the black signal is issued, Hong Kong grinds to a
complete standstill. Schools will not dismiss students
unless there is a visible risk in staying at school, and
everyone is advised to seek shelter immediately. Buses
and other forms of public transport, however, may be
suspended later to allow commuters to go home,
depending on the demand and the level of risk along the
route. MTR (Mass Rapid Transit) services are limited or
suspended due to the risk of flooding.
CONNECTIONS
17
OT SPORTIVE
OT SPORTIVE
© Alchemie/pixelio
for the sky!
It was a sunny day in March in Lobos,
a small town outside the city of Buenos
Aires, Argentina. The adrenaline level
was sky high, at least for one of the two
friends, who was being kitted out for a
parachute jump. The other person, a
seasoned parachutist with almost 15
years of jumping experience, was also
excited because of what it meant to be
able to jump together.
Alvin Anaya, project coordinator, active
in the Buenos Aires office and former
member of the national Bolivian skydiving
team, had been trying to convince his
Oiltanking colleagues in the office to take
the adrenaline rush, the freedom of freefalling, and the ultimate relaxed state of
mind … As the club had been informed of
their visit, everything happened quickly
upon their arrival: the parachutes were
ready, the aircraft’s engine was roaring
and Holger put on his Oiltanking shirt.
There was no time for second thoughts.
This was it!
It took about 20 minutes for the small
plane to reach the agreed altitude. When
the pilot gave the signal, the side door
was opened and suddenly it all became
up the challenge for ages. For him, the
thrill lay in being able to share his passion
for this sport with someone else. Holger
Donath, Managing Director of Oiltanking
in Argentina, an outdoor sports enthusiast
in general, liked the idea from the
beginning, but needed some time to
take the plunge.
Mid-morning, the Oiltanking colleagues
and a friend left the bustle of the city for
the countryside. It was a perfect day,
since there was barely a cloud in the sky.
Although the summer was coming to an
end, the weather was still warm. During
the journey to the skydiving club, Alvin
explained why he loved the sport so
much. The beauty of the great outdoors,
very noisy … Alvin walked down a footrail
on the wing until he reached a safe
position away from the main door. Holger
and the instructor prepared themselves.
One, two, three … and out!! All three plus
a camera-man jumped simultaneously.
At first, it was as if someone had stopped
time … however the feeling of air literally
cushioning the body immediately took
over and the adrenaline was at its peak.
The tiny fields and houses down below
quickly became larger, the bodies were
embraced by the roaring sound of the
airflow, and it felt like nothing Holger
had ever felt before. The instructor gave
another signal, Alvin drifted away and
the parachutes were opened. It all fell
18
CONNECTIONS
© Alchemie/pixelio
Reaching
A safe bet
© Telemarco/pixelio
Two Oiltanking colleagues
take team bonding 10,000
feet higher …
In June 2008, not only did the weather appeal to the Oiltankers, but also the European
Football Championship, for which they had placed bets.
Which football team wins in a
league system? There is a relatively
simple way of determining this, and
there is the method the organizers of
the European Football Championship
exercise. In fact, their regulations are
so complicated that Kay Schlette,
Oiltanking GmbH, felt compelled to
program the rules in an Excel
spreadsheet, as he could not find any
fit spreadsheets on the Internet.
Based on this Excel file, he then
created a soccer betting game for his
colleagues and managed to win over
48 of them to participate and that was
back in 2004. This all proved to be a
ball for various reasons but well worth
mentioning has to be his very own
designed soccer website including
some videos which feature the friendly
rivalry between his Dutch and German
teammates.
When Kay indicated to Gust Spaepen,
Football (beting) expert Johannes Moerlein,
Tank Terminal Manager Oiltanking Gera, training a
special young talent, his grandson Oskar.
Taking the plunge Holger Donath
(right) and Alvin Anaya, OT Ebytem,
had an unforgettable adventure.
Managing Director Oiltanking GmbH,
his intention to organize a fresh
betting round for the European Football
Championship 2008, he jumped at the chance. No points for
guessing who won the last bet in 2004 and the bottle of
champagne?
silent and suddenly the plunge became
more like a sightseeing tour. Gradually,
the main building of the club drew closer
and closer, until everyone landed. “Wasn’t
it great?” asked Alvin. “It was more than
great, it was incredible! Just like you had
told me”, replied Holger. The two friends
hugged. Both knew that it had been a
day like no other. And then it was high
time for a cold beer ...
Three weeks before the tournament kicked off, Kay took the
first steps to update the Excel spreadsheets and the website.
He received eager support from his fellow workers Steffi
Braun and Keith Bezzina, Oiltanking GmbH, as well as
Antoine Debono, Oiltanking Malta. In addition, the IT
department in Hamburg provided valuable assistance and
backing. Once the website was all set to go, Oiltankers
(both Europeans and non-Europeans) were invited via email
to partake in the gaming stake. This time, 75 colleagues
from all around the world caught the soccer fever.
The betting scores were just as thrilling as the soccer
matches themselves. In the end, it was Johannes Mörlein,
Tank Terminal Manager Oiltanking Gera, who appeared to
be the most knowledgeable about football and he was the
lucky one who could proudly carry home a bottle of
champagne. Unfortunately, there was only one winner.
However, there were no real losers since all the players had
an endless supply of great conversation topics — a good
time was had by all. When it comes to the World Soccer
Championship in 2010 in South Africa, Kay thinks it will be
a safe bet in terms of even more.
CONNECTIONS
19
C olor my world
C olor my world
TRUE-BLUE
SWEET sensory surprise The Spanish word
“Vainilla” (from which all other forms are
derived) is a diminutive of “vaina” meaning
“sheath, pod”, owing to the sheath-like shape
of the fruit.
BLACK. “Black Friday”, “black out”, “black humor”… but
what about “black flower”? The natives of Mexico were
familiar with vanilla. The Aztecs named the vanilla beans
“Tlilxochitl”, a word that is derived from tlitic (black) and
xochitl (flower) referring to the color of the pods. The
vanilla vine that has been cultivated in Mexico for hundreds
of years has been introduced into other tropical areas.
Madagascar still provides the majority of the world’s vanilla,
although there are various other export countries like
Reunion, the Comores Islands, India and Indonesia.
Another species grows on the island of Tahiti.
ORANGE. At least once a year, many Dutch citizens paint
the town red — or rather “orange”. On April 30, the so
called “Queen’s Day”, a national holiday to mark the
Queen’s birthday, the country erupts into one big, all-day
street festival. Amsterdam and Utrecht tend to draw the
biggest crowds. However, you can also find concerts, games
fireworks and flea markets, where mostly children go to
sell and trade their second-hand goods, all over the country.
Furthermore, many Dutch citizens abroad stick to the
tradition of making decorations and/or getting dressed in
orange in honor of the color of the royal house, the House
of Orange.
ORANGE
It is not easy to grow vanilla. Good cultivation conditions
are needed. The pale yellow flower of this orchid lasts only
a single day and each flower has to be pollinated by hand.
This is why vanilla is one of the most expensive spices.
Orange Is The Order Of The Day A lot
of Dutch citizens (as well as foreign wellwishers) get dressed in orange in honor
of the Queen’s birthday.
20
CONNECTIONS
TRUE-BLUE. Now it is written in black and white: Women
really do like pink and purple more than men. However, the
favorite color of both sexes is blue. These likings do not
depend on culture, character, education or other social
factors, but are rooted in human evolution. This is the
result of a recent test conducted by Anya Hurlbert and
Yazhu Ling, two neuroscientists from Newcastle University,
UK. In their study, young adult men and women were asked
to select, as rapidly as possible, their preferred color from
a series of pairs of, colored rectangles. “Although we
expected to find differences between the sexes, we were
surprised at how robust they were, given the simplicity of
our test,” comments Anya Hurlbert. The researchers explain
the different color preferences based on the human’s
hunter-gatherer theory, where women — the primary
gatherers — would have benefited from the ability to stock
up on ripe, red fruits. Also associated with red shades was
the rosy-looking face of a man as he sought a promising
partner to produce healthy offspring.
POLY CHROME. When talking about beaches most people
tend to think of the white powdery tropical ones like for
instance in Boracay, the Philippines. However, do not forget
the legendary pink beach on Harbour Island, the Bahamas.
Or Rabida Island, the Galapagos Islands, which is known
for its unusual red-colored beaches. In addition, there are
black beaches in Costa Rica or Lanzarote, Spain, not to
mention the unforgettable Costa Verde, Sardinia, with its
famous gold-colored sand. And what about a green beach?
Just head for South Point, Hawaii, and you can wander
around in sand that is as green (due to olivine crystals) as
grass.
P O LY C H R O M E
© nvollmert/pixelio
BLACK
The universal Preference for
“blue” might be rooted in human
evolution and the natural penchant
for a clear blue sky as it signals good
weather and stands for pure water.
© Erfolg79/pixelio
Do you feel blue? Do you see red? Do you look at things through rose-colored
spectacles? We are surrounded by colors in our everyday lives — both physically and
verbally. Have a look at our examples and you will soon see that there are no red
herrings!
© Nataraj/pixelio
picture courtesy Hollandse Club, Singapore
© Alchemie/pixelio
Color palette
GreEn with envy? No need to turn red — many
people dream of spending their vacation on a
pristine sandy beach.
CONNECTIONS
21
FA M I LY A F FA I R S
READER’S CORNER
We are family
... and action!
Try to solve our riddle and don’t miss the chance to win! Please send
your entries to: [email protected], or contact us by post:
Oiltanking GmbH, connections Team, Admiralitaetstrasse 55, 20459
Hamburg, Germany or by fax: +49(0)40 370 99 499.
In order to promote the notion of being “one big family”, once a year some Oiltanking
offices organize a special day — and sometimes the “real” family members of
Oiltankers are even invited. Here are two recent events.
Wadi family day
During his welcoming
remarks, Gerard Reumer,
Chief Executive Officer
Oiltanking
Odfjell,
Oiltanking Odfjell Terminals & Co. LLC (OOT) recently held its
3rd Annual Family Day at Wadi Al Abyadh on 15 February 2008.
Approximately sixty people, consisting of management, staff
and spouses, children and other relatives, attended the event.
The family day is becoming a traditional event aimed at
promoting camaraderie outside the office.
thanked one and all for
contributing to the
successes
and
accomplishments of the
company during the
previous year. He also
encouraged each and
everyone, including the
children, to enjoy a day full
of fun and excitement.
Hudhud Travels prepared
fun games like Pictionary,
waterfilling, sweet-hunting, catapulting, and bridge-building.
Each person participated in the games, including the little
ones. Then a hungry group feasted on delicious traditional
Omani food prepared by Ali Mohammed Ali.
The day was a great triumph. Everybody is already looking
forward to the 4th Annual Family Day!
Go, Trabi go!
An afternoon packed with new experiences awaited the
Oiltankers from head office in Hamburg on June 5, 2008 on
their so-called office outing. After being divided into teams,
each group was given their first challenge: driving a Trabi*.
This car, with its cumbersome column gear-shift, was the
most popular vehicle in former East Germany and now enjoys
something of a cult status. After picking the drivers, the next
hurdle came: each team consisting of two cars had only one
city map and one guide between them. The trick was to stay
in touch all the time. In addition, a questionnaire had to be
filled in with the correct answers, good group pictures had to
be taken and practical tasks, such as tying a sailor’s knot
correctly, had to be completed — and as quickly as possible to
maximize the chance of winning the medal (made of liquorice).
The Trabi tour took the teams all over the city of Hamburg and
eventually to a delicious buffet. The perfect end of a day filled
with fun, facts and figures: anything goes!
22
CONNECTIONS
The sum of four numbers equals 89.
CONGRATULATIONS
Quiz solution
The first number is 11 less than the
!
second. The third number is seven
We knew we could count on you but we were overwhelmed
by how much our readers enjoyed our brainteaser in the last
issue. Some solutions even reached us while the print was
still wet. Many thanks to all of you! Maybe next time you
will have as much luck as Michael L. Smith, Motiva Biofuels,
whose name was drawn from a hat. Congratulations, the golf
balls are on their way to you!
more than the second and six less
than the fourth. Can you work out the
four numbers?
The right numbers
are: 9, 20, 27 and 33.
NEW QUIZ
Can you do the trick?
In 1963, Hayley Mills played the female lead in the comedy
Summer Magic, directed by James Neilson:
If identical letters correspond to the same number and
viceversa, which numbers need to be inserted for the
subtraction to be correct? (A leading zero does not feature.)
-
=
S
U
M M
E
R
M
I
L
S
M
A
G
L
I
C
Healing hues
Trabi tour
Oiltankers
exploring
Hamburg on
their office
outing.
* The name Trabi is derived from the German word “trabant” (fellow traveler).
Not out of the blue People have
believed that colors can dramatically
affect human health, inner harmony
and even emotions for centuries.
According to the principle of chromotherapy, otherwise known as color
therapy or colorology, colors have healing properties. This alternative
method of treatment uses color and light to balance a person’s body
wherever energy is lacking, be it physically, emotionally, spiritually, or
mentally. Chromotherapists believe that colors trigger emotional reactions
in people and use Luescher’s color test to diagnose patients (developed by
Swiss psychologist Prof. Max Luescher in the early 20th century), which
involves applying color and light to specific areas and pressure points on
the body. Specific colors — in the right amounts — are thought to have
healing properties. The chromatherapist’s toolbox includes gemstones,
candles, wands, prisms, fabrics, especially silk, and colored lenses.
CONNECTIONS
23
Papa, patata,
Although the potato cultivated
worldwide belongs to just one
botanical species, solanum tuberosum,
the tubers come in many varieties
which differ greatly in size, shape,
texture, cooking characteristics, taste,
and … color! Take, for example, the
so-called Vitelotte, a gourmet
French class prized for its deep
blue skin and violet flesh, Desiree,
a red-skinned potato with yellow
flesh and a distinctive flavor or the
Tubira, which has a pink skin and
white flesh — to name but a few.
While the Incas called the potato
papa, Spaniards called it patata,
apparently
confusing
it
with
another New World crop, the sweet
potato (known as batata). In 1797,
the
English
herbalist
Gerard
referred to the sweet potato as
“common potatoes”, and for many
years solanum tuberosum was
known as the “Virginia potato” or
“Irish
potato”
before
finally
displacing batata as the potato.
Noting that the potato is a staple
food in the diet of the world’s
population and recognizing the
need to focus on the role that the
potato can play in providing food
security, the United Nations has
declared 2008 the International
Year of the Potato.
potato
Bloom Potatoes became
fashionable thanks to Queen Marie
Antoinette, who loved to wear
potato blossoms in her hair.
IMPRINT connections Vol. 20/2/2008 Published by Oiltanking GmbH, Corporate Center, Admiralitaetstrasse 55, 20459 Hamburg, Germany, www.oiltanking.com, Telephone +49- 40- 370 99 485, Fax +49- 40- 370 99 499
E-Mail [email protected] Coordinator Gabi Wuestenberg, Manager Communications Editor Renate Eijkholt Design raz design Print V.I.G. Druck & Media GmbH, Hamburg Published 3 times a year Copy Deadline: vol 20/3 14.10.2008
L ast but not L east