connections December 2008

THE WORLD OF OILTANKING VOL. 20/3 DECEMBER 2008
connections
EDITORIAL
ASIA
KOREA
A cool head
and a warm heart
Terminal equipment,
such
as
pumps,
valves, instruments
and even tanks to
name but a few, needs proper maintenance and attention to
guarantee a reliable and efficient performance. However, even
people we recruit are as diverse as their cultural backgrounds.
The diligent development of this “human capital” and nurturing
their growth are vital aspects of our strategy and central to
our corporate values.
We plan with a cool head and a warm heart, fully aware that
investing in the development and wellbeing of our employees
the best maintained piece of equipment is useless if deployed
or operated in an inappropriate manner. This also goes, if not
more so, for less or non-tangible parts of our business. Welltrained and motivated professionals are therefore paramount.
Regardless of what line of business you are in, the most crucial
success factors are people. We would not be where we are
today without the continuous dedication of our employees!
is tantamount to investing in the future. As human beings
take the center stage for us, you will see that the articles in
this issue also have something of a “human touch”.
Oiltanking is constantly growing, as is the number of our
colleagues. As a company operating on a global scale, the
Gust Spaepen
Managing Director Oiltanking GmbH
I hope I have made you curious enough — one very typical
human characteristic, by the way — to read the latest edition
and that we touch upon some interesting topics for you.
Highlights in this issue
NORTH AMERICA
4
MONACO
EPCA
conference
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BRAZIL
First cargo
welcomed
30
14
OT SPORT
Golf goes
urban
Hurricane Ike
hits Texas City
and Beaumont
34
Oiltanking branches out
into South Korea
On September 4, 2008, Oiltanking Asia Pacific signed an agreement to enter into a joint
venture with four other parties to develop a new petroleum terminal in Yeosu, South
Korea. The terminal is expected to serve as a hub for the North East Asia Region.
A new company called OiltankingKNOC Yeosu Co., Ltd. will be formed
through the joint venture agreement
with Oiltanking holding a 34 percent
stake and the rest being spread among
its partners Korea National Oil Company
(29%), Glencore International (15%),
SK Energy Co., Ltd. (11%) and GS
Caltex Corporation (11%). In order to
build, own and operate the petroleum
terminal facility, an engineering study is
already being conducted.
The terminal will have a maximum
storage capacity of 1,655,000 cbm
divided into two phases and will be used
for crude oil, clean and black products.
A 320,000 dwt jetty with 3 berths is to
be constructed with a natural draft of
+/-20 m. The facility will mainly act as a
trading center (arbitrage and blending)
although the facility will also have an
overflow function for the nearby GSCaltex and other Korean refineries,
which are all upgrading or expanding
while suffering from a shortage of land.
Commercial operations are expected to
commence by the fourth quarter of
2011.
Yeosu.
There
are
several criteria that
make the port of
Yeosu
an
ideal
location: Firstly, it is a
crossing
point
for
East/West
shipping
routes linking Europe,
Asia,
and
North
America. Effectively a
gateway connecting
the economies of the
Pacific Rim, Yeosu
port (dwt of 20 m) is
A Done deal Young Won Kang, President KNOC,
Jae Hoon Lee, Deputy Minister of the Korean
expected to act as a
Ministry of Knowledge & Economy and Rutger van
petroleum hub for
Thiel, Managing Director Oiltanking Singapore,
North East Asia and
holding the signed contract (from left to right).
become
a
much
awaited addition to
the shallow draft ports throughout Japan
(20 ha) and its existing jetty (325,000
and along the North coast of China. Its
dwt), however, also add to the appeal of
proximity to the GS-Caltex refinery, not
the Yeosu site.
to mention the available land of KNOC
South Korea is a net exporter of
petroleum products and dominated by
the local refineries, which have begun to
increase their production, with China
and the Pacific West Coast as their main
supply markets. Today, the country does
not have an independent terminal that
could compete with the size and features
of the planned Oiltanking facility in
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3
S o u th A merica
S o u th A merica
The long wait is over The first Oiltanking
terminal in Brazil receives its first cargo.
APLA — a glossy platform
Once again, Oiltanking was involved in the annual APLA congress (Petrochemical
Association of Latin America) in November 2008, thus highlighting its mounting role
as a serious service-provider on the South American market.
First cargo welcomed
On August 12, 2008 Oiltanking’s terminal in Vila Velha Brazil, received its first cargo,
marking a memorable day on the company’s path to further progress.
In the past, Santos used to be the main port for the
export of ethanol in Brazil. Now, Brazil’s leading mining
and logistics company CVRD (Compania Vale do Rio Doce)
and Oiltanking offer a joint new export route via a rail
network and the Vila Velha terminal located in neighboring
Vitória.
After a construction period of sixteen months, the terminal,
which has an actual capacity of 24,600 cbm, finally
welcomed its first load on August 12, 2008. Two additional
tanks are currently under construction and scheduled to be
operational by April 2009, which will increase the total
capacity to 34,600 cbm. The state-of-the-art terminal is
designed to receive ethanol and vegetable oil by railcar
and truck, as well as load tankers for export to the
international markets.
The ethanol rail export terminal in Vila Velha is the first
Oiltanking terminal in Brazil. In light of the fact that the
country is one of the world’s chief and most competitive
producers of ethanol, the terminal makes for an ideal
reference point; the company is also pursuing several
other promising projects.
Rosy outlook Without a doubt the Copacabana is definitely worth seeing but
the business opportunities to be had there by our South American team during
the APLA were equally of great importance.
While our colleagues in Europe were heading to
glamorous Monaco to attend the EPCA (European
Petrochemical Association Conference), “the” conference
for the petrochemical business in Europe, their counterparts
in South America were seen at the conference of APLA — in
the by no means less fancy city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Still and all there is no need to be green with envy! There
was not so much time for our people to enjoy the spectacular
views or sun themselves on the famous Copacabana Beach
as their eyes were permanently glued to their busy agenda
and their minds focused on customers.
opening to exchange substantial information on ongoing
projects, as well as discover new business opportunities
and evaluate new investments. Moreover, it was also a
good chance for Oiltanking to introduce its new terminal in
Brazil and the two “new kids on the block” in its South
American portfolio, namely the promising projects in
Panama and Columbia. You will be able to read more about
them in the forthcoming issues of connections!
The meeting of more than 500 South American
representatives from petrochemical companies, traders
and logistic service-providers allowed for an excellent
MOVING ON UP Oiltanking is
continuously gaining a foothold
in the Brazilian market.
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5
PORTRAIT
PORTRAIT
We Can, We Care
… in “Human
Resources”
Within the Oiltanking
terminals, there are
various departments
and each and every
one of them is crucial
for a smooth and
satisfactory
work
process. Here, we take
a closer look at what
goes on in “Human
Resources”
—
in
Singapore.
THE LADIES from the HR
department at Oiltanking
Singapore: Bessie Ng, Irene
Kang, Shendia Tan and Wong
Shu Ping (from top).
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According to Bessie Ng, Vice
President (VP) Human Resources (HR)
in Singapore, the work of an HR
department is probably the same
wherever you are as it more or less
deals with the same kinds of issues,
albeit in different magnitudes. Looking
at the Singapore terminals is especially
interesting as the HR department caters
for a staff of 139 Oiltankers from all
walks of life, culture and race. “There is
never a dull moment” says Bessie, “and
it is almost impossible to work for a
single hour without someone calling you
or walking into your room. We have to
consider and deal with at least four
different religions, each having its own
rules, one of which might, for example,
involve serving the right food. We also
have to be very mindful of the dissimilar
nationalities and mentalities of the
people working at the terminal. Chinese,
Malay, Indian, Dutch, German, Eurasian
and even Bolivian nationals are
employed here. You have to try to
comprehend their culture and way of
thinking in order to communicate with
them more effectively. Reactions differ
according to a person’s background. It
is our job as an HR department to
encourage
mutual
understanding
between colleagues and help solve any
problems that may arise”, explains
Bessie.
Bessie is supported by three other
colleagues: Wong Shu Ping, Irene Kang
and Shendia Tan. Together, they cover
the full spectrum of HR work — from
finding the right candidates for vacant
positions, drawing up contracts and
promoting colleagues to dealing with
the unions and securing the food supply
etc. In addition, from the office in
Singapore they also provide HR support
for the other terminals in the Asian
region, i.e. China, Indonesia and, in
future, also Korea. Basically, each
member of the HR staff is given his or
her own portfolio of tasks, although
they are expected to know each other’s
jobs in order to cover when someone is
away. Depending on the entry level, the
educational requirements can range
from a General Certificate of Secondary
Education
(GCSE)
or
high-school
certificate to a degree and experience
can vary from zero (junior position) to
more than twenty years (as in the case
of Bessie). According to Bessie, anyone
interested in working in HR should keep
their eyes peeled, their ears to the
ground and their mind open; an interest
in people is also a definite advantage.
Due to the fact that every country where
Oiltanking has terminals has different
legislations and cultures, each country
develops its own HR policies by holding
on to the Oiltanking culture and
embracing the company’s corporate
values. In order to keep in touch with
colleagues from all over the world, they
stay in close contact via e-mail and
exchange their experiences during the
annual HR meeting. You always have to
keep yourself up to speed, as there are
always changes — be it from a legislative,
economical or human point of view.
Therefore, HR work is also constantly
moving, which brings us directly to the
HR term “Change Management”. This
means bringing changes to the company.
It is well-known that people (on the
whole) are skeptical of change,
especially when they are in their
“comfort zone”. “Changing the mindset
of staff members is very challenging,”
explains Bessie. “You often hear
comments like “but in the past …” or
“but it is our culture here to do …”
whenever things are done differently
and are about to alter. This is where the
HR department comes in to help
implement
and
oversee
new
introductions in an employee-friendly
manner and provide reassurance for our
co-workers.
All things considered, HR work is quite
versatile. Contrary to what people might
think, it goes beyond the “paper work”,
such as contracts and recruitments; the
HR department plays a crucial role in
creating
a
harmonious
working
environment and supporting employees
in all kinds of issues. And, as Bessie
points out, “at the end of the day, it is
only employees who feel understood
and supported that will enable the
company to support new ventures. We
try to not forget this in our HR work —
every day.
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7
H u man reso u rces
H u man reso u rces
Newcomers The first participants to be
accepted onto Oiltanking’s HR development
programs “SLP” and “AMP” pictured with
fellow colleagues.
The Strategic Leadership Program (SLP)
Career opportunities
Oiltanking shows its commitment and engagement towards its employees in various
ways. One of these is to support their career development and capabilities through
its Leadership Excellence Program.
Oiltanking (OT) recognizes that motivated and
dedicated members of staff are one of its most essential
assets and key to the company’s sustained commercial
success. However, not only is Oiltanking aware of the need
for qualified and enthusiastic managers and experts, but it
also regards it as their responsibility to prepare them well
for the future. Annual performance and potential appraisal
interviews between superiors and personnel have been
standard procedure for many years. Nonetheless, during
the Spring Meeting of 2006, the results of feedback
interviews conducted between seniors and so-called highpotential nominees triggered a noteworthy discussion at
the High Potential Committee Meeting held for the first time
back then. The committee conversed about the individuals
before confirming and eventually selecting the chosen
people for each group. This approach went on to spawn the
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reputed Oiltanking Leadership Excellence Program (LEP),
which started in March 2007. It reflects the Oiltanking
spirit, the “can-do-attitude”: working on real life OT projects
whereby incorporating theoretical input and a wealth of
hands-on experience.
This development program means a great deal of extra
effort on behalf of both the participators and their superiors
— and not only time-wise. Nevertheless, Oiltanking strongly
believes that the outcome will be well worth the combined
endeavors: the gained knowledge will aid the candidates to
assess their own (managerial) behavior, get them ready for
more complex tasks in the future and at the same time
fulfill both the individuals’ own personal goals and those of
the company. In total, four categories have been
distinguished:
The program is geared towards seasoned senior managers
and focuses on strategy/leadership.
The
Advanced
(AMP)
Management
Program
The aim is to learn management techniques through action
learning as a preferred style on real life OT projects (work
on solution/proposals, present results and implement
ideas). The “SLP” delegates act as sounding boards for this
group.
The Junior Management Program (JUMP)
The program paves the way for colleagues for (potential)
first leadership positions.
The Specialist Program (SP)
The HR department is currently designing this additional
program.
own personalities and strengthen their appreciation for
other peoples’ views and performances with a mind to
reinforcing team collaboration. They also help to acquire,
improve and apply management, business and technological
acumen, along with basic management techniques, in
conforming to the managerial/specialist competencies
desired.
All the groups are given further input through internal and
external guest speakers and work with self-styled
“personality tools”. It goes without saying that internal and
external seminars on areas such as HSSE, finance,
marketing, etc. are provided for as and when necessary.
The entire HR development program is conducted by
trainers from Oiltanking’s partner, Change International,
who is in close cooperation with the International HR
Department at Oiltanking’s HR head office in Hamburg. It
goes to great lengths to ensure that the LEP is planned
according to the diverse requirements of Oiltanking and
will continue to do so into the future.
Each program is somewhat specific but a lot of common
ground is covered. All of them are designed to enhance the
international network by deepening the true understanding
of Oiltanking’s core values and culture, as well as “the
Oiltanking way” of doing business. Promotion of intercultural
competence and encouragement of preparatory measures
for international assignments and rotation is advanced.
Moreover, they allow the people involved to reflect on their
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9
H u man to u ch
H u man to u ch
A day in the life
at Oiltanking
Mostly, people tend to talk
about “big business” and “big
events”. However, the less
glamorous duties that are
often taken for granted are
just as important if you want
to succeed. Unspectacular
episodes can also have a
significant impact in the
end. With 2,170 Oiltankers
around
the
world,
naturally there is a wide
variety
of
different
menial tasks to be carried
out. Here, we take a look
at what some of our
colleagues at some of our
terminals experienced in
just one day: Tuesday,
October 14, 2008.
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It was a sunny
autumn
day
in
Antwerp (probably the last
of the good weather for this year)
and the sunshine seemed to be a good
omen. As a little thank you (!) for coming
into work despite her terrible cold, for once
Lieve Demoulin, Human Resources Supervisor, did
not experience any traffic jams on the road! Koen
Maene (Operations Support & Training Coordinator) and
Joan Oris (Customer Service Officer Custom Affairs) came
by bike as usual. For Gunter Paulus (Operator), however, the
world would have been rose-tinted whatever the weather — he
had just got married the previous Sunday and was off enjoying
his honeymoon. Fortune was also smiling on Saskia (Customer
Service Client Affairs) — she was able to make the most of the nice
weather on her day off. Karin Meeussen (HSSE Administrator) was
even better off: she was on vacation, stretched out on a beach in
Senegal and sipping a delicious cocktail. News also from Sabine
Thierens (Administration Employee): she would be back by October 21
after having spent six months in the South of France. Delicious sandwiches
for Stefan Broeckx (Customer Service Manager) and his visitors. Johan
De Nijs (Sales Manager) was wearing a tie that day (!) for a meeting with
potential customers. Sarah Fakhari (Sales Department) launched a new
customer satisfaction survey. And finally, despite the fact that the phone
did not stop ringing and Annette De Bruyn (HR), the receptionist, was
experiencing some problems with the OTBE contacts database, the good
mood was not to be dampened. In fact, looking at Caroline Landa’s (OPS
Administration Employee) wedding pictures at lunch time put everyone in
an even merrier mood.
For Managing Director Rein Männiste, the day proved that Murphy’s
Law really does exist: He had to catch the ferry from Tallinn, Estonia,
to attend a meeting with a client in Kotka, Finland. However, the
ferry was 30 minutes late, just when he wanted to be in the office
extra-extra punctually … At the terminal, Janne Liinamaa,
Terminal Manager, welcomed the clients and they started the
meeting, which incidentally went very well! It was to be a
thrilling day for one of OT’s bank directors, who also came
to visit the terminal. Nina Kreander, Customer Service
and Marketing Coordinator, showed him around. Later
on, one of the operators, Juha Smids, climbed up to
the top of one of the tanks to grant the visitor
his wish. The director left the terminal with a
big smile — as did the colleagues looking
forward to putting their feet up after
a hectic day.
In stark contrast to the glorious
weather in Antwerp, our colleagues
in Devnya, Bulgaria were greeted by a
foggy and gloomy morning. No wonder
everyone in the office was still a bit sleepy and
crept into the kitchen for a shot of caffeine first
thing — some even started the day with two coffees
at the same time! While the terminal manager Plamen
Kolev and terminal engineer Radomir Georgiev were
Lucky day Molleke,
the “terminal cat” from
OT Antwerp moves into
a loving home.
busy dealing with contractors outside the office, finalizing
the latest details for the ongoing projects, the weather
started to clear up. Hmm, lunchtime! Today, the new
colleague, Radomir Gerogiev, was wearing the chef’s hat! He
was keen on making tasty sandwiches. As tempting as they
sounded, however, the ladies refused his kind offer, preferring to
watch their waist-lines. However, there were some strange
goings-on in the afternoon; one by one, the ladies snuck into the
kitchen! Aha, their good intentions began to crumble and Milena
Nikolova, accountant, was caught red-handed by someone else
with exactly the same intention: to nibble at the sweets stored in
the kitchen cabinet. But, as chocolate is said to be good for the
nerves who can blame them! And as yet another day in the office
drew to a close, even the sun was “smiling” and shone brightly.
It was hot and humid in Singapore. Outside, colleagues were “busy
bees”, but inside the office building it all seemed so quiet and
empty. Where was everybody? Thankfully, Jerlyn Tan, Corporate
Affairs Manager, was in the know: Pele Wendt, Assistant Terminal
Manager, Hendrick Ang, Maintenance & Repair Manager, and
Keith Low, Operations Manager OTS, were cut off in the
conference room for a week-long Hazop study for phase 10 and
the SRC pipeline connection. And as Rutger van Thiel,
President OTAP, Mauricio Prudencio, VP Business Development
OTAP, Gideon Loudon, Business Development Manager
OTAP and Sven Parztsch, VP Engineering OTAP, were on
their way to Seoul, Korea, for a meeting, Rob Eijkholt,
Terminal Manager OTS/OOTS, called from Bali to see
what was happening in the office (he was just
coming back from a diving trip where he checked
out the fascinating underwater world of
Komodo National Park, Indonesia.
Today’s chef Radomir
Gerogiev treats his
colleagues in Devnya to
some fine food.
Spoted A nudibranch with vibrant
colors and stunning markings at the
underwater world of Komodo Park.
THE Place to be The Kotka
terminal welcomed a lot of
customers that day.
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11
H u man to u ch
H u man to u ch
Our colleagues at the terminal
in Malta have a habit of coming to the
office earlier to have a coffee together and get prepared
for the day ahead. That day was no different and it did not take
long for Rachel Caruana (Logistics Manager) to start dashing around and
“driving everybody crazy” (her own words!). It was the second Tuesday of the
month and Leddy Evangelista, CEO, had a management meeting at 9 a.m. As she was
going to travel the same day, the meeting had to finish by 12 noon at the latest. In addition,
all purchase orders had to be signed before she left, so Janette Schembri (Administrative Officer)
was given the job of making sure they were. Then Lorenz Joyce, HSSE Officer, came into the office
with friendly comments about everyone — he always brightens up the day (especially for the ladies …).
There seemed to be a lot of noise throughout the day: either from the constant buzzing of the telephones
or the peals of blithe laughter from colleagues teasing and commenting on each other in the canteen during
the lunch break.
Highlight
It might not be October 14, the day we picked to have a look at a “normal” day at some
of our Oiltanking offices around the globe, but October 16, 2008, was still a special day
and therefore worth picturing as our colleagues in Mumbai celebrated Diwali — the festival
of lights. And so did Rashmi Surve, (Senior Executive Secretary MD).
07:30 hrs
Oh my God, I’m late again and I’ll miss
the bus now. How am I going to get a ride to the station? I
also wonder why starting the day with a race happens to me
everyday. But blessed are the Rickshaws (a three-wheel
15:30 hrs
vehicle with a motor attached to it and a common form of
transport in India). I manage to flag one down and have a
pleasant ride through the colorful streets of awakening Mumbai
with me adding even more color to it by wearing an eight-yard
saree (the traditional dress) for our Diwali party at the office.
members, Yogesh Chavan (Finance Executive), as a cook in
ten minutes! Our colleagues from finance and business
development are experts in the kitchen, too? Now that’s really
something (and good to know!) And voilà, I won at golf! I
can’t believe it: the ball just went into the hole like ice-cream
sliding down your throat — that smoothly!
08:30 hrs
After a bumpy one-hour drive, I finally
reach the office. It is pretty hot outside and I feel exhausted
even before I start my working day. It seems as if the scorching
October sun has absorbed all the energy from my body and I
long for an energy drink!
08:45 hrs
Jocose lunch break
Lorenz Joyce (middle),
OT Malta, surrounded by
his colleagues.
Get-together (from
left) Paul Shynett Jr,
Said Al Masoudi, Morten
Albriktsen, Gerard
Reumer, Daan Vos and
Ashutosh Kaushik.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF
endeavor Jesman
Devia, OT Texas City
(left) together with
Alton Meador, Specialty
Tank, floating a tank.
Just another routine day for the colleagues of the terminal in Texas City, Texas, who were still busy getting the
terminal “back to normal” after the havoc wreaked by the disastrous Hurricane Ike. Jesman Devia donned his
waterproofs and got ready to float the tank 3749 to its foundation. The repairs to the electrical infrastructure
were still in progress but were coming along nicely. Chuck Godin, Maintenance Supervisor, was checking
how the construction of the new maintenance building was going.
In Sohar, Oman, the board of directors of Oiltanking Odfjell Terminals & Co. LLC
had its 10th meeting since the establishment of the company in 2005. It was
the first time the members had met since tank farm operations
commenced in August 2008.
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The buzz of the day seems to have
disappeared and made way for a festive atmosphere and our
Diwali celebration starts. We play a series of games: Kapil Jain
(President) and his team wins at dressing up one of their
17:00 hrs
As another stress-filled day draws to a
close and we get ready to leave the office, there’s still time for
a photo session for all of our female colleagues dressed in
their beautiful sarees — and of course, it’s time for the rangoli
(a form of sand painting decoration that uses finely ground
white powder and colors or flowers and is one of the most
popular art forms in India). We then head home to our families
to celebrate the holiday; tomorrow all of us will be back in the
office to meet our other “family” members in the office again
as we get back to the grind. However, this does not mean that
we won’t be able to enjoy ourselves and have a bit of fun!
I’m sitting at my desk (cooled inwardly
by a refreshing drink and outwardly by the freezing (!) air
conditioning) and it’s high time to check the mails. Of course,
today I find a lot of “Good Morning” messages sent by dear old
friends and colleagues expressing their holiday wishes. They’re
quite inspiring and I appreciate them as I’ve a pile of things to
take care of in my “IN” tray. I remember the golden secret
from Rhonda Byrne‘s novel “The Secret”: “Think of an empty
“IN” tray and the world as your genie will grant you what you
have wished for!
In the meantime, the telephone
keeps on ringing. I wish I had four
hands. Tick tock tick tock — the clock
is ticking mercilessly and, while I get
through the pending work as fast as
I can, it’s almost 12.30 now. Actually,
it’s lunchtime! Hooray! The office
canteen food is always colorful and a
feast for the eyes as well as for the
stomach:
salads
with
fresh
cucumbers,
carrots,
tomatoes
What’s up in the kitchen?
chopped vertically with white rice,
During one game Kapil Jain,
yellow dal, red or orange colored
and his team Indrajeet Guha
vegetables in gravy etc., and a desert
and J.Nampoothiri (from left)
to end with. Heavenly, but I’ve still
had to dress Yogesh Chavan as
a cook as fast as possible.
got to finish the work first.
Visual delights Rashmi Surve
(right) with her colleagues
Sukhada Dagade, Ranjini Pillai,
Jyothi Nair (from left) from the
Mumbai office wearing beautiful
sarees for Diwali.
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13
N orth A merica
N orth A merica
IKE
Logbook
entry:
Hurricane Ike was the third most destructive hurricane to
ever hit the United States. On September 13, 2008, Ike
made its landfall at Galveston, Texas, as a Category 2
hurricane, causing damage everywhere. The Oiltanking
terminals in Texas City and Beaumont — both in the coastal
areas of the Gulf of Mexico — were not spared, either.
Texas City
Texas City, Texas, is located on the shores of Galveston Bay
and is about 5 miles away from Galveston Island and the Gulf
of Mexico. The city is protected by an 18-foot levee that was
built after Hurricane Carla back in 1961. As a waterfront
facility, Oiltanking Texas City (OTTC) is located on the waterside
of the levee.
Preparations for the storm began
several days before the expected landfall.
Following the news meticulously, the OTTC Hurricane Team,
which consisted of ten employees ranging from electricians,
machinists, operators, and managers, made the final decision
to evacuate the terminal on Friday morning, September 12,
as the forecast track of Hurricane Ike and the current high
tides were not favorable for the northern Texas Gulf Coast.
After several days of preparing and securing the terminal, the
electricity was turned off and the gates were locked. At this
point, the waters from Galveston Bay had already covered the
barge docks and most of the north part of the Terminal, but
the eye of Hurricane Ike was still 14 hours away. The hurricane
team spent the next several hours at a hotel in the Houston
area riding out the storm.
On September 13, around 12 pm, the hurricane team
made its way back to the Texas City area to check on their
homes and to do an assessment of the terminal. By 3 pm, the
gates at OTTC were unlocked again and the assessment
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began. At first glance, the terminal looked to be in good shape.
Of course, there was trash and debris all over the place.
However, after driving through, they noticed that most of the
tank farm areas were full of water. This was the first indication
of how high the storm surge was. They found out later that
the official storm surge in the area was 12–15 ft above sea
level. According to the debris line on the levee behind us, they
estimated it to be 14 ft. To put that in perspective, the highest
elevation here at the terminal is about 12 ft above sea level at
the main office. Fortunately, the main office foundation is built
up by about 3 ft and did not take on any storm surge water.
The water was anywhere from 6-8 ft deep
at the peak of the storm.
The rest of the terminal was not so fortunate. In some areas,
such as the truck rack, the water was anything from 6–8 ft
deep at the peak of the storm. This meant that most of the
electrical infrastructure had been exposed to salt water,
including the switch racks, starters, breakers, and pump
motors. There was also extensive erosion to the dike walls
because of the storm surge and wave action, not to mention
the additional wind damage: Metal buildings had lost their
roofs, dock houses destroyed, the insulation separated from
tanks. By the time daylight ran out, they realized that there
was still plenty of work to be done!
On Sunday, September 14, the clean-up commenced. By
Monday, September 15, 38 employees had arrived for
work to assist in this process. The rest would arrive back in
the coming days. Most of the colleagues worked long hours
while the maintenance staff worked many days without a dayoff, performing tasks outside of their normal jobs without
being asked. They were able to manage all of this and take
care of things at home while being without electricity for 1–2
weeks. The loyalty and dedication of these Oiltankers was the
reason for the successful and safe recovery. By Wednesday,
September 17, most of the trash and debris had been
picked up and deposited in roll-off boxes. There were a total
of 32 roll-off boxes loaded and disposed of. This equaled about
1,000 cubic yards of trash and debris. The same day, the
electrical contractor started working to restore power within
the terminal. This would prove to be the long lead item, and
the pump motors would be another. Oiltanking Houston was
able to send their maintenance employees down to Texas City
to start pulling salt-water soaked motors. Within three days,
they had pulled and sent off 156 motors for repair or
replacement. Oiltanking Beaumont offered their assistance as
well, even though they had their own hurricane damage to
contend with.
There was plenty of work to be done.
On Friday, September 26, OTTC was able to make its first
transfer by pipeline and, three days later on September 29,
the colleagues started loading and offloading railcars. By
October 1, the docks started coming back into service,
while the rest of
OOTC’s truck/rail rack came back on-line on October 7.
Some of these activities were still on generator power, as the
terminal did not yet have one hundred percent main line
power. Some 24 days after Hurricane Ike, OTTC was able to
provide service to all customers by all modes. As of Friday,
October 24, all generators were turned in and the terminal
was on main line power again.
CONNECTIONS
15
N orth A merica
F amily affairs
Recipe for success
Colleagues from Oiltanking Houston and Texas City took
part in the cook-off organized as part of the Houston
Livestock Show and Rodeo in October 2008, thus helping
to raise money and even bringing home a trophy in
recognition of their cookery skills.
There are still signs of Hurricane Ike at OTTC. Dike walls are
still being rehabilitated, minor electrical work is ongoing, and
the repairs to the wind damage are still in progress. As for the
employees, they are returning to normal activities. They have
electricity back at their homes. Those that were displaced are
now back in their homes. Some are still making repairs but
hopefully that will be finished soon.
Beaumont
The Oiltanking Beaumont terminal is located approximately
25 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico and is situated along
the Neches River. Transit time for vessels from the Gulf of
Mexico to the terminal is approximately five to six hours. The
terminal consists of two large terminals separated by two
major highways. The shore-side terminal includes two vessel
docks and one barge dock along with numerous tanks. The
remote site terminal consists of tanks only.
While Beaumont went many years without experiencing any
major hurricanes, it has now felt the wrath of two hurricanes
(Rita in 2005 and Ike in 2008) in the last three years. In
addition, Beaumont experienced two near misses with
Hurricane Gustav on September 1 and tropical storm Edouard
on August 5 of this year. Like Texas City, the Oiltanking
employees began preparing for the storm several days before
the expected landfall. The preparations were made easier
because of the same routine practiced during Gustav and
Edouard earlier that month. They included removing pumps
from low-lying manifolds and relocating them to higher
ground, tying down loading arms and other moveable
equipment, renting diesel-driven water pumps and locating
them in expected needy areas. A mandatory evacuation was
ordered by the City of Beaumont on Thursday, September 11
for non-essential personnel. The Oiltanking employees made
the final preparations on Thursday evening, turned off the
power and left to take measures at their homes. Three
employees returned and stayed during the storm in a secure
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CONNECTIONS
location. Having the employees on site allowed for a speedy
assessment and recovery procedures of the terminal.
The eye of Hurricane Ike passed over Beaumont in the early
morning of Saturday September 13. The shore-side
terminal experienced an amazing storm surge of 12 to 13 ft,
25 miles away from the Gulf of Mexico. The surge stopped
approximately 8 ft. from the office building, which is
approximately 2,000 ft. from the river. Barge dock A was
completely underwater. In addition to the trash and debris,
most of the damage experienced by the Beaumont terminal
was due to the storm surge submerging equipment. Beyond
the storm surge, five tanks that were under construction were
damaged by the wind. Each tank had either four or five metal
tank rings without roofs. All the tanks were buckled by the
wind and in need of extensive repair, delaying the construction
schedule.
The loyalty and dedication of the Oiltankers were
the reason for the successful and safe recovery.
On Sunday, September 14, the day after the storm, three
more employees in addition to the three employees who had
stayed during the storm began a general assessment and
clean-up. On Monday and Tuesday, September 15 and 16,
all crews which were scheduled to work checked-in and
continued the clean-up operation. They also returned the
pumps that had been relocated during the days before the
hurricane. On Friday, September 19, six days after the
hurricane, Beaumont received power in the shore-side terminal
and made their first product movement. As experienced with
Hurricane Rita in 2005, the dedication and loyalty of the
Beaumont employees provided services to our customers
sooner than other terminals in the area. Many employees
experienced damage to their homes or were hindered due to
a lack of electricity. Almost all of the employees’ lives are back
to normal except for dealing with minor damages with
insurance companies.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is both the
world΄s largest livestock exhibition and the world΄s largest
rodeo event. In 2008, for example, the attendance figures
exceeded 1.8 million. The 20-day event features bull riding,
livestock competitions, auctions, concerts, trail rides, and
… a barbecue. While the rodeo competitors are honing their
riding mastery and shining their buckles, several hundred
other people are polishing their culinary equipment.
Although the contest is full of fun and cameraderie, the
judges mean serious business as various teams pit their
wits against each other in the World Championship Bar-BQue Contest. The food entered in the competition can be
beef, fajitas, chicken or pork ribs. One of the 100
participating cooking teams was from Oiltanking, comprising
Austin Bracewell, Bob Groves, Jackie Wooten, Mike Johnson,
Luis Rodriguez, Daniel Rodriguez, Erik Malone (all Houston)
and Paul Vargas (Texas City).
Although the event has been held for the last 26 years and
Oiltanking has been competing for 12 years, this year was
the first time that an OT cooking team was among the
winners. The judges, who take “sight, smell, taste and
overall presentation” into consideration, awarded the OT
cooks 5th place for their smoked chicken recipe. The OT
recipe for ribs also made it into the coveted top 25,
eventually finishing 14th. The Oiltankers and their families
attending this occasion were also full of praise for the
cooks’ talent. Of course, coming home with a trophy was
the icing on the cake but the 8 chefs also just enjoyed the
cooking and doing something for a good cause. After all, a
significant part of the Livestock Show and Rodeo is namely
its mission to obtain money for education, such as granting
and/or funding agricultural scholarships and educational
endowments coordinated by the General Rodeo Fund.
What’s cooking in the kitchen Colleagues from
OT Houston and Texas City impressed the jury in the
cook-off with their recipes for smoked chicken and
spare ribs.
CONNECTIONS
17
A sia
A sia
Indian Oiltanking enters
drilling business
A
B
Reasons & types of
directional drilling.
Reservoir Seal
Producing
Fermation
OVERVIEW of
directional drilling.
C
D
On August 15, 2008, Indian
Oiltanking signed agreements in
Calgary, Canada, thus formalizing
its landmark acquisition of Newsco
Directional and Horizontal Drilling
Services, Asia (Newsco Asia) from
Newsco Canada.
India’s Independence Day was also
a historic day for Indian Oiltanking. Terry
Cennon, CEO at Newsco Canada, and
Jayanta Bhuyan, Managing Director at Indian
Oiltanking, signed the acquisition agreements
in Calgary, Canada, thereby bringing Indian
Oiltanking (IOT) closer to its strategic plan to enter
upstream services. The acquisition of Newsco Directional
and Horizontal Drilling Services, Asia (Newsco Asia), a
technically sound and highly reputed company with
specialized domain expertise, gave IOT a major head-start.
Newsco Asia brings rights to existing and future business in
India, South East Asia and the Middle East to IOT, not to
mention brands, Past Track Record (PTR), equipment,
technology, know-how, research & development back-up
and manufacturing facilities. Currently, Newsco Asia boasts
an order book of over 40 million EUR.
In the exploration and production sector of the oil and gas
industry, vertical wells are increasingly being replaced by
directional wells to reach multiple downhole formations from
a single location and substantially enhance productivity and
minimize costs. Directional drilling has very attractive market
opportunities in the region mentioned above. Because of its
highly specialized technology and knowledge-driven nature,
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CONNECTIONS
E
F
G
H
SAND
SAND
SHALE
SHALE
SHALE
SALT
WATER
SHALE
there
are serious
entry barriers for
new competitors, especially
in these markets.
Newsco Canada has several crucial competitive advantages
which have been acquired by Newsco Asia, mainly through
a shareholding in and a comprehensive, legally binding
services agreement with the newly created subsidiary of
the former Newsco Services. The intellectual property
rights to and patents for technology and products,
manufacturing rights, research & development set-up,
vendor contracts and development capabilities, maintenance
& repair set-up and other support facilities have now been
taken over by Newsco Services. Newsco Canada is one of
WATER
the few companies to
have developed in-house
Measurement While Drilling (MWD)
technology, which is now owned by Newsco Services.
The other important competitive advantages to which
Newsco Asia has full access and rights are a strong base of
highly experienced field personnel with domain knowledge
to deliver superior customer services and dedicated tie-ups
with motors and equipment suppliers, which ensures
preferential treatment. Newsco Asia is the only company
with two workshops in India that are capable of maintaining
and repairing tools and equipments.
A: Multiple Wells Offshore
B: Shoreline Drilling
C: Fault Control
D: Inaccessible Location
E: Stratigraphic Traps
F: Relief Well
G: Straightening and Sidetracking
H: Salt Dome
further growth in India and major participation in Indonesia
and the Middle East, not to mention the acquisition of new
technologies like Resistivity Tools, Rotary Steerable and
Hot Hole Motors (for Geothermal Wells). The company is
also set to enter into the lucrative onshore conventional
drilling business.
The strategic focus of Newsco Asia in the near future will be
to expand the directional drilling business with a mind to
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19
INTERVIEW
H u man to u ch
Introducing …
… this time Lisa Meche, Human Resources Manager for North America at Oiltanking Houston. Another colleague whose face
can be seen in Oiltanking’s international advertising campaign “We Can, We Care”.
How did you find out about OT? I
was approached by a headhunter. How
long have you been working for
OT? I’ve been with the company for 12
years now. What is your profession?
I’m the Human Resources Manager for
Oiltanking North America. What do
you like about your job? The people
I see everyday and there’s something
“new” every morning. How would
you describe yourself in one
short sentence? Someone who is
dedicated to her family and friends and
enjoys life! What inspires you?
Defying all odds. How do you
recharge your battery? A weekend
with my husband and the occasional
good martini. What do you do in
your spare time? I΄ve just started
experiencing this … not sure yet … let
me get back to you! Do you have a
hobby? I enjoy decorating my trailer
(only for cowgirls), and is shopping
considered a hobby? Three things
you like? Exhaling in freezing weather;
conversing at the dinner table with my
family; visiting my girl friends. Three
things you dislike? Bad news; mean
people; housework. What makes you
laugh and what makes you angry?
Joking around with my boys makes me
laugh. Also, looking at my husband΄s
facial expressions when I tell him I want
to learn to ride a motorcycle; Malicious
intent annoys me. What could you
not live without? The “Tomorrow”.
What would you do if you had
three months vacation? Cross
some things off my bucket list, like dog
What did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted
to become a marine biologist until I realized that I wasn΄t
comfortable with the ocean unless I was in a really big boat!
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sledding in The Great Tetons, whalewatching in British Columbia, overdosing
on lobster in Maine, Frontier Days in Wyoming. I΄m starting to
sound like the travel channel, but as you can see I could fill a
calendar.
Fruitful
formula
In keeping with its policy of
social corporate responsibility,
Oiltanking Malta has signed a
sponsorship agreement with
engineering students from
Malta University to help fund
their participation in the 2009
rally organized by the Society
of
Automotive
Engineers
International (SAE) in the
Formula SAE competition to
be held in Maranello Turin,
Italy.
Ingenious “Falconers” Students of the
“Maltese Falcon Racing Team” proudly present
their Formula SAE race car.
Under the name of “The Maltese Falcon Racing Team”,
the students recently knocked at Oiltanking Malta’s door in
the hope of raising funds for their project called “Formula
SAE”. The SAE*, an international body of mobility engineers
serving the society, established the competition to give
students the opportunity to apply their studies and develop
new skills while still under the guidance of academic staff.
The research involves the students having to design, test,
up to the judges to award the much sought-after honors to
the winning team, thus proving their worth as budding
engineers.
build and then compete in single-seat, formula style racing
cars. The contest assesses the design and cost of the
vehicle according to regulations set by SAE. Tests are then
carried out to ensure the safety of all competitors. The
participating students, acting as an imaginary firm, are
also obliged to make a presentation to SAE judges, who
might be interested in manufacturing the car. In actual
fact, while the design is evaluated for its marketability, the
vehicle’s dynamic performance — acceleration, handling,
autocross or sprint, endurance and fuel economy — are
studied closely and graded by the experts. Then it is all left
car. Oiltanking’s real interest, however, lies in contributing
to the future engineers’ research and development project
and it wishes the Maltese Falcon Team every success in the
competition!
Oiltanking Malta recognized the value of such experience
for young students and proceeded to formalize an agreement
that was signed on October 31, 2008. A small Oiltanking
Logo will now appear on the Maltese Formula SAE racing
* The organization carries out research and sets standards
for vehicles and aircrafts (e.g. motor oil classification
standards, SAE NET horsepower). It acts as a means for
sharing information for the development and improvement
of engines and their impact on the environment.
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21
OT SPORT
OT SPORT
Ride for the Roses
On August 31, 2008, the so-called “Ride for the Roses” was organized for the eleventh
time in the Netherlands. A team of ten colleagues from Oiltanking Terneuzen
participated in the demanding cycling tour to raise money for cancer research.
The “Ride for the Roses”
was originally instigated by
Lance Armstrong, who won the
Tour de France seven times.
Having recovered from cancer
himself, he brought into being the
event in Texas in 1997 in order to
acquire money for cancer research.
His initiative was followed in many
countries, including the Netherlands.
This year, the Dutch Ride for the
Roses took place in the province of
“Zeeland” in the area north of
Terneuzen. That is where our coworkers from OT Terneuzen came in.
Early in 2008, some hobby cyclists
there approached the management and
suggested that they join in to promote
the sporting element and support the
cancer
foundation
with
a
financial
contribution. The terminal manager, Marc
Tesselaar, was enthusiastic from the word go,
and agreed to enter a team of ten members of staff
in the 100 km tour (there are also shorter routes of 25
and 50 km). For each entrant, the company consented to
donate €125 to the cancer foundation along with an extra
€250. On top of this, Oiltanking also kitted the group out
with a jersey. Although the ten Oiltankers were in good
shape, they wisely did some extra training seeing that the
100 km cycling tour was non-stop and the recommended
speed was to be approximately 25 km/h.
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CONNECTIONS
physically but also with good bicycles and equipment, not
to mention sufficient food and water.
Despite the fact that the advised speed was around 25 km/
h, the team cycled a lot faster, especially during the first
section (about 33 km in the first hour). Riding in groups
went very well, apart from the odd occasion where there
was a hold-up due to too many cyclists. The route covered
a large part of Zeeland, taking in two bridges between the
islands. Cheering crowds of spectators lined the entire
length of the course where they added to the very special
atmosphere and gave the cyclists an extra boost to keep
going, even when the going got tough.
As always, the last leg of the tour proved to be the most
difficult. After about 80 km, the OT group members were
no longer with each other and some started to lag behind.
Nevertheless, they all managed to reunite shortly before
the end and eventually had to cross the finish line on foot!
In the end, it was simply too overcrowded with bicycles,
which made it impossible to ride through. The team
completed the 100 km tour in three and a half hours at
around 2.30 pm with an average speed of 28 km/h. Not too
bad for a bunch of amateurs!
August 31, 2008, the day of the
tour, Tom Blommaert, Sandra
Bouma, Rianne de Bruyn, Eric de
Bruyn, Patricia de Theije, Pascal
Pauwels, Robin Ploegaert, Rick van Driel,
Rinaldo van Geersaem and Omer Verbist got
up early as they were to meet up at Oiltanking
Terneuzen at 7.15 am and travel together to
the starting point in Goes. Since there were so
many participants (… have you ever seen 14,000
people on bikes …?), they were directed to park their
cars a few kilometers from the starting line and make their
way to the starting area by bike. There, every company
had its own area to “park” their bicycles before the race. In
the main building of the “Zeelandhallen”, a healthy breakfast
was served up for all. The allotted starting time for the
Oiltanking team drew closer and they finally set off at 11.00 am
— well-prepared of course — not only mentally and
Bridging the gap About 7000 cyclists
participated in the 100 km tour, which
included crossing two bridges between the
islands in Zeeland.
After the event, everybody enjoyed a well-deserved lunch
and a few drinks. Finally, the really good news was
announced at the closing of the day: a total of €1.1 million
had been collected for the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF), an
all time record! Whilst the race might have been hard-going
at times, the OT line-up is already looking forward to
engaging in the next Ride for the Roses.
Cycling for A cancer
foundation Top row,
from left to right: Robin
Ploegaert, Rinaldo van
Geersaem, Eric de Bruyn,
Rianne de Bruyn, Omer
Verbist. Bottom row, from
left to right: Pascal Pauwels,
Tom Blommaert, Sandra
Bouma, Patricia de Theije,
Rick van Driel.
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23
H u man to u ch
A sia
Rescue project
At the beginning of 2007, Oiltanking Brazil sponsored a social project called “Rescue” in
the city of Vila Velha — thus helping children as well as the neighboring community.
IOT bags prestigious
EPC contract
Indian Oiltanking recently won two Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC)
contracts from Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Cairn Energy in the Western Indian
state of Gujarat, thus underlining once again its excellent reputation.
According to the contract, Indian Oiltanking (IOT) will
provide Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC)
services, including fabrication, erection and commissioning
services for the offsites and utility facilities of the Residue
Upgradation Project at IOC΄s largest and most complex
refinery in Baroda. It reinforces IOT΄s reputation as the top
offsite and utilities EPC company in India established by its
successes at the Panipat and Mathura refineries.
When Oiltanking Brazil started to develop its first
terminal project in the city of Vila Velha located in Brazil’s
state of Espirito Santo, it inevitably came into close contact
with the local community. In order to compensate for the
impact on the people living in the vicinity of the future
terminal during the construction of the product pipelines, the
company was requested by the authorities to sponsor a social
responsibility program for the community.
Oiltanking’s social commitment is firmly anchored in its
corporate values. What may sound like a burden on Oiltanking
has in fact been a regular and rewarding practice ever since.
Now the only question was how Oiltanking Brazil could help
in the best possible way. In order to find out, the company
invited the community leaders to put forward proposals for a
project focusing on a subject of common interest and
considering the main needs of the local people. In early
2007, a project based on the idea of forming a football club
for children aged seven to fifteen was selected. The purpose
of “Rescue” — as it is called — is to motivate the children
through the game and develop positive personal and social
skills. The project also focuses on monitoring the headway of
the participants’ education at school. Apart from the football
coaches, the program is also supported by a team of
professors, a psychologist, a social assistant, and a doctor.
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CONNECTIONS
The scheme also requires the involvement of the children’s
parents, as they constitute the main pillar of their children’s
education. As for Oiltanking, the company supervises the
progress of the complete plan through contacts and reports
presented by the organization Instituto de Ação Comunitaria
do Barrio Paul (IACBP), which is responsible for the project.
Even though the program’s most important achievement is
to teach values to future citizens, it is encouraging to hear
that the “Rescue” teams have been competing successfully in
different tournaments with other teams from the region. In
addition, according to the neighbors, the program has been
a roaring success and the main objectives have been achieved
during its first year. Finally, Oiltanking happily completed the
work in the public area without incident and enjoys a most
harmonious relationship with the local community.
The order for the Viramgam Terminal from Cairn Energy is
to build crude oil buffer storage tanks and associated
facilities. Cairn Energy is a leading exploration and
production company in India with three proven fields in
Rajasthan
—
M a n g a l a ,
Bhagyam and
Aishwarya. To
evacuate large
quantities
of
heavy,
waxy
crude oil from the
Mangala field,
Cairn Energy is
building a 600
km
heated
pipeline from the terminal at Barmer to a coastal location
near Salaya in Gujarat. This 24″ insulated heated pipeline
will traverse Viramgam, which will have an intermediate
pumping station. The terminal facilities at Viramgam are
critical for delivering crude to IOC΄s refineries at Panipat
and Mathura.
At the Viramgam site Completion
of an anti-corrosive layer of a crude
oil buffer storage tank.
Dress for
success The boys
of the “Rescue” team
eagerly await the
distribution of their
colorful football kits.
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25
A sia
A sia
Herculean
task
storage experience. Thus, there was no option but to recruit
the remaining seventy percent from competent professionals
that had sound work background in other fields but the
right attitude and aptitude, and then provide extensive
training to make them suitable for their new responsibilities.
The remote geographies of Mundra, Palanpur and Ajmer
also made it difficult for IOT to attract competent people.
Continual, structured training in operations management
was conducted diligently at all locations covering, amongst
other things, standard operating procedures, HSSE
practices, product loss control, quality management, and
customer services. IOT΄s team of knowledgeable and highly
capable operations professionals, which included the likes
of AG Khan, EP Esteves, S Mundle, Sanjay Dawar and
Pradeep Bhatt and the active support of Nawin Chandra
and Sunil Bhatt from HR, rose to the occasion as usual and
successfully managed this Herculean task. All five terminals
have overcome most of their teething problems and the
selected teams are now managing stable operations with
confidence.
The right candidates Pradeep Bhatt training
new recruits at the HPC terminal in Mundra.
Indian Oiltanking reinforces its position as the preferred
and leading storage and logistics provider in India by
winning an operations & maintenance contract for five
terminals from the Indian public sector giant, Hindustan
Petroleum Corporation.
The five terminals are an integral part of the Hindustan
Petroleum Corporation’s (HPC) new 1,048 km cross-country,
multi-product white oil pipeline from Mundra in Gujarat to
Bahadurgarh in the National Capital Region of Delhi. The
terminals, having a total storage capacity of around 600,000
cbm, had progressively been commissioned by Indian
Oiltanking (IOT) over the last few months to cater to the
product requirements in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and
Delhi. The operations & maintenance contract has an initial
term of five years with the option to renew for a further five
years. With these additions, IOT now owns/operates 17
terminals with a capacity of 1.1 million cbm. Consequently,
IOT is continuing on its unique growth path as India΄s
leading terminal company.
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After the contract was won on a nomination basis following
extensive persuasive efforts and negotiations, the most
formidable challenge was to recruit, train and retain over
100 operations professionals to fill positions at various
levels. Since IOT΄s terminals run with lean staff, only ten
percent of the workforce could be generated internally.
With only one month allowed under the contract, IOT΄s HR
team arranged walk-in interviews at Ahmedabad, Kandla,
Baroda, Jaipur and Delhi on a crash basis. In all, over 600
people were interviewed by IOT΄s seasoned team of
selectors. Due to the paucity of professionals having
understanding of the oil industry, however, only twenty
percent of the requirements, mostly at senior levels, could
be filled with suitable candidates who had oil/chemical
All these terminal locations have very interesting histories ...
Mundra, is located at India΄s largest and fastest growing private port, Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone, promoted by the Adani
Group. It is close to Gandidham, a city established to settle refugees after the partition of India and creation of Pakistan by the British in
1947. Mundra survived the massive earthquake that devastated the area in 2001.
Palanpur, situated on the northern border of Gujarat, was the capital of a princely state. It is the ancestral birthplace of the majority of
India΄s diamond-trading families, known as Palanpuri Jains. The temple of the 23rd Lord of Jainism, Lord Parswanath, is situated here.
Ajmer, also known as Ajayameru, was ruled by the famous Prithviraj Chauhan. It is located in the heart of Rajasthan. Renowned for its fort,
the city is bordered by a large lake. Ajmer is home to the famous Dargah Shareef (tomb) of the most revered Sufi saint, Moinuddin Chisti.
An annual camel fair is held here at Pushkar near the lake bearing the same name. The well-known 14th century temple of Brahma, the Hindu
god of creation, is also located near Ajmer.
Jaipur, popularly referred to as the Pink City, is the capital of Rajasthan and was also the capital of the former princely state of Jaipur.
Founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh. Jaipur is famous for its forts, palaces, gardens, the Jantar Mantar Observatory, not to mention
countless gems and savouries.
Bahadurgarh is a part of the National Capital Region (NCR) centered around the historic city of Delhi. It is renowned for its decorated war
heroes.
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27
M iddle E ast
EUROPE
Oiltanking Odfjell Oman
starts terminal operations
A builder’s paradise
When you enter the Oiltanking Stolthaven terminal (OTSA) in Antwerp, Belgium, you can
hardly miss the cluster of massive steel cup tanks, which dominate the landscape. The
impressive structures are a combination of two large expansion projects: Project 307–399
and the Methanol Project.
Successful commissioning
of first independent bulk
liquid storage terminal in
the Sultanate.
Superb strategic
location The industrial
port of Sohar, Sultanate
of Oman, is ideal for
trade to the western and
eastern global markets.
Project 307–399
At the end of September 2008, Oiltanking Odfjell Terminals
& Co. (OOTO) completed the first construction phase of its
state-of-the art tank terminal in Sohar, Sultanate of Oman. So
far, 322,000 cbm has been put into operation to cater for the
storage and handling of clean petroleum product and
chemicals. By the end of this year, however, an additional
216,700 cbm will be commissioned, while the final completion
of the facility is envisaged for the first half of 2009. With a
total capacity of 842,500 cbm, it is the largest terminal that
Oiltanking has constructed within a 24-month timeframe.
There are also other superlatives. It is the first independent
bulk liquid storage facility in Oman and the first example of
“outsourcing” in the Sultanate. Part of OOTO’s capacity will be
dedicated to the storage and
handling of feedstock and
run-down products for
Aromatics Oman Ltd, the
world-scale
aromatics
plant
which
will
be
commissioned in Sohar in
Q2 2009.
The location of the terminal
is very strategic. Sohar
Industrial Port is situated
in the Gulf of Oman, just
outside the Strait of
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Hormuz and in the vicinity of major international shipping
lanes. International traders and producers have great interest
in this location, which resulted in long-term storage contracts
for the capacity currently commissioned. The terminal’s
infrastructure offers its customers excellent flexibility, quick
turnaround times for vessels and added capabilities such as
truck-loading, blending and the injection of additives. The
terminal also has multiple direct pipeline connections to the
116,000 bpd refinery located in the same port.
OOTO continues to pursue various other possibilities and
several other projects are already “in the pipeline”. This
development underlines Oiltanking’s central role in
transforming Sohar into a major liquid hub in the region.
The decision to build the tanks for Project 307–399 was based
on the growing market demand for middle distillates in
Northwest Europe. The market has also shown a significant
shift from neighboring ports to Antwerp as the preferred
location for distribution and trade. Project 307–399 started in
early 2007 and is actually a combination of two similar
expansion projects due to be completed in two different
phases. It includes the construction of eleven mild steel cup
tanks with a total capacity of 399,000 cbm and two new jetty
loading arms.
The first phase will begin operations in December 2008. This
phase consists of eight tanks with a total capacity of 307,000
cbm. The second phase includes the construction of three
additional tanks with a capacity of 92,000 cbm, to be
operational in the second quarter of 2009. The tanks will be
equipped with all the necessary systems for the storage and
blending of middle distillates. Moreover, because of OTSA’s
connection to the Central European Pipeline System (CEPS),
some of the tanks will be specially equipped to handle jet fuel.
The cup tank structure was chosen for all tanks because it
offers many optimization features over regular tanks. These
include better utilization of land, higher flexibility of noncompatible products in the same tank pit, reduced emissions
from tank-breathing, improved protection against heat,
reduced fire surface, and individual containment in the case of
a tank rupture.
Methanol Project
The Methanol Project is the result of a long-term contract with
a large methanol producer, whereby Antwerp will become
their major hub in Northwest Europe. The product streams will
mainly come from their new production plant, which is now
under construction in Egypt. Earlier this year, the building
work for the Methanol Project commenced and will continue
over two phases until the first quarter of 2010. The project
consists of four mild steel cup tanks (with an internal floating
roof) with a total capacity of 153,500 cbm. Aside from that,
two jetty loading arms, two truck loading racks, and one
railcar loading rack (with three loading positions) will be
added.
These spectacular expansions of the OTSA terminal require a
lot of coordination. Once finished, both projects together will
amount to an impressive storage capacity of 552,500 cbm,
which means doubling the storage capacity by 2010 as it
rockets to over 1.1 million cbm. And, with new, exciting
projects on the way, OTSA will continue to be a builder’s
paradise in the future. Just watch this space!
Facts & figures project 307–399
A large project such as this requires a substantial
number of resources. Here are just a few interesting
facts about the project:
• Total land used:
8.2 hectares
• Total steel: 12,300 tons
• Total length of pipeline: 33 km
• Total number of piles: 7,987
• Total length of piles:
112 km
• Contractors on site: 11
• Languages on site:
9
• All 11 tanks stacked on top of each other would make the list of
the world’s 50 tallest buildings (at nearly 300 meters tall!)
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29
E u rope
E u rope
Hustle and bustle The EPCA in Monaco attracted over 2.000 participants.
“To be an ambassador for the Oiltanking brand and make our
presence felt, not to mention get first-hand information on the
latest developments on the market”.
Stanley Teo, OT Odfjell Singapore
Walk this way
Being all smiles Oiltankers
attending the EPCA were quite
satisfied with there outcome.
If you mention the abbreviation “EPCA”, you can immediately feel the blood pressure of
some our colleagues rise as they become excited. So why is the annual European
Petrochemical Association Conference such a big deal?
The end of September 2008 marked the 42nd annual
European Petrochemical Association (EPCA) conference, which
took place in the small, yet charming, Principality of Monaco.
This year’s event attracted over 2000 delegates from around
the world, including eleven Oiltanking participants. Although
the thought of having a conference in Monaco may seem like
a vacation, in reality the event is anything but a walk in the
park. The EPCA is Europe’s largest chemical conference and
brings together major chemical players from around the globe
and representatives from every industry involved in the
chemical supply chain. It plays an important role as far as
customer contact, industry exposure and new networking
opportunities are concerned. The event itself lasts four days
and is packed with presentations, workshops, networking/
social events and, of course, running from one meeting to the
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next. So do not forget to wear the right shoes! When asked
some questions about their experiences at the EPCA, our
Oiltanking partakers were happy to give their comments.
What was the main reason for attending the EPCA?
“At the EPCA you can meet all kinds of different people related
to the petrochemical industry, from producers and traders to
consumers. You get the opening to share information, explain
new OT developments, and check on the customer‘s new
product flow, all in both informal and formal conversations.
And although most of the formal meetings happen during the
day, luckily there is also a chance to talk more informally in
the evening.”
Johan De Nijs, OT Ghent/Terneuzen/Stolthaven Antwerp
“It is the platform for the EU and almost all the important
market players are present. It is all about networking, and
project marketing for tomorrow’s locations.”
Reza Adami, OT Corporate Center
“Especially with the current market conditions and signs of a
slowdown in production, it was important to talk to our
customers about their business to gauge if and how we would
be affected.”
Huib Jansen, OT Ghent/Terneuzen/Stolthaven Antwerp
What does the EPCA offer over other conferences?
“The EPCA is quite efficient because it offers the unique
occasion to meet a concentration of customers in a short
period of time. The number of customers we meet at the EPCA
in the space of just a few days would take a few months to do
individually.”
Luc Jorissen, OT Ghent/Terneuzen/Stolthaven Antwerp
“Everybody prepares for the event in such a way that actual
results can be achieved. It is also held at the right time of
year: after the summer break and before winter hibernation.”
Sebastian Sira, OT Tallinn
Martijn van Koolwijk, OT Corporate Center
What was your meetings schedule like?
”Three days in a row of contact 24/7 — what more can a sales
guy ask for? The schedule was choc-a-bloc from beginning to
end, and even with some overlaps in the middle. It was very
hectic; I walked a marathon everyday going from one meeting
point to the next.”
Erwin Mortelmans, OT Ghent/Terneuzen/Stolthaven Antwerp
“About four meetings a day. Most of the time was spent networking
at functions and around the lobbies of the EPCA hotels.”
Martijn van Koolwijk, OT Corporate Center
“Monday and Tuesday were the busiest days. There were new
meetings every hour from morning until evening.”
Boris Martynov, OT Sonmarin Kotka
What are some of the success stories?
“We are hoping that the leads will soon become success stories.”
Chin Hao, OT Odfjell Singapore
“There were some constructive meetings where new business
was obtained and ongoing agreements were prolonged.”
Sebastian Sira, OT Tallinn
“We received a lot of market information and could feel the
pulse of the industry in the midst of the financial crisis. Some
of the leads we took back home may develop into contracts.”
Johan De Nijs, OT Ghent/Terneuzen/Stolthaven Antwerp
What was the best part of the EPCA?
“The networking opportunities.”
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31
H u man to u ch
H u man to u ch
The most efficient human haulers Nepalese
“sherpas” expend less energy than other people would
require for the same amount of work.
uper(hu)man
strength
What does the term “workload” make you think of?
Do you imagine a mountain of documents on a desk? Maybe
you picture someone carrying a load on their head — a
practice that is commonplace outside Western Europe and
North America. What about a typical Nepalese porter? On
average, these men and women can bear 93 percent and
66 percent of their body weight respectively. While doing
so, however, they use up less energy per pound than a
backpacker would need to shoulder half the weight. For
instance, porters in Katmandu Valley travel 100 km along
rugged footpaths (and not exactly wearing the best footwear
for the job, either), climb eight vertical km and descend
about 6.5 km to reach Nachme Bazaar, a town located at an
altitude of 3,441 m in the shadows of Mount Everest — only
to run back home for more cargo!
The most reasonable explanation for the superhuman
Confucius (Chinese philosopher, 551-479 BC)
strength
of
these
porters is their ability
to pace themselves
by making frequent
stops. They regulate
their heartbeat and
energy
expenditure
by resting the load on
a
T-headed
stick
(tokma) every two to
three minutes and periodically resting the load on platforms
(chautaras) for longer recovery periods. When on the move,
Nepalese porters sometimes pause more than they walk.
Unfortunately, this practice will not help you to minimize
your workload but a walk in the fresh air certainly will not
do you any harm.
Food for thought
It has been widely acknowledged in common parlance for many
years, not to mention confirmed by researchers, that: nuts are food
for the human brain. From the most regular nuts, such as walnuts
— which incidentally look remarkably like the human brain —
almonds, hazelnuts, cashews and peanuts to the more exotic
nuts: you name it, they all contain a lot of protein and
vitamins. Each of them can improve mental health in its own
way. Besides being an excellent source of nourishment for
the human nervous system and encouraging clear thinking,
they can also lift your mood. Isn’t that simply nuts?
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“A man who has committed
a mistake and doesn‘t
correct it is committing
another mistake.”
Nobody’s perfecct
What do you do when you make a mistake? Read on to find out how you can make
the most of your blunders.
“To err is human”, as Seneca once said back in Ancient
Rome. According to Professor Dr. Michael Frese, a
contemporary psychologist from the Justus-Liebig University
in Giessen, Germany, every human being makes anything
between two and five errors per hour. Unfortunately,
especially in your professional life, little to zero tolerance
for mistakes is the order of the day. However, mistakes are
extremely important. They are often a source of promising
innovations and new developments. The crucial question is
how people deal with their faults. Nobody likes to admit
having made a mistake, but burying a proverbial head in
the sand or passing the buck is not the way to successfully
overcome your mistakes. Forthrightness and sincerity are
paramount to damage control. “It’s vital that employees
aren’t afraid of making mistakes”, says Karin Kreutzer, an
Austrian communication consultant. A positive attitude
towards the mistake, performing an error analysis, adopting
a constructive approach to dealing with it, and the
determination to learn from it all help to overcome the
problem. Of course, it is easier said than done. So how can
you implement this in real life situations? Maybe the
following instructions could prove helpful in the future:
• Draw three columns on a piece of paper. Note the mistakes
you made in the first column.
• In the middle column, write down what you did and what
you thought after you realized you had made a mistake
(be honest!).
• Initially, you may tend to justify the mistakes with
explanations such as: “but I just did …”; “I did everything
right, I overlooked that one, tiny thing, that’s all.”
Comments like these mostly reveal what you could do
better next time.
• Write down what you intend to improve in the future in
the third column. Keep those guidelines close at hand
and you will be well prepared for the next “oops”.
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33
OT SPORT
OT SPORT
Golf goes urban
On a chilly Friday evening on
September 12, 2008, all eyes
were on the 22 sporty football
players
of
Oiltanking
and
Mabanaft, who were no less
international and ambitious than
their professional counterparts.
Keeping in line with tradition, the
teams met to mark the annual
get-together for colleagues from
different
locations
and
subsidiaries at the head office in
Hamburg, Germany. Around 250
enthusiastic “fans” came to cheer
their team on, combining their
shouts of encouragement with ear-shattering fire-crackers. In
the end, there were two winners: While the Oiltanking
“Greasers” were once again the proud winners (2:1), they
© Alchemie/pixelio
F re!
A fair game
shared the prize for the best fan club with the Mabanaft
“Pirates”. A relaxed party in the clubhouse afterwards provided
the perfect end to the convivial meeting.
Persevering performance
OT colleagues show they still have
enough puff left in them despite the
cold water.
In the rough Johan De Nijs, Jo Verellen, and Luc
Jorissen (from left) attempt a shot across the river.
It is an annual tradition for the commercial departments
of Oiltanking Antwerp, Ghent and Terneuzen to organize a
surprise “sales uitje” (sales outing) for the whole group. This
year’s event was both a sporting and unique team-building
exercise in the city center of Ghent, Belgium, featuring a new
sport called “urban golfing”. In principal, urban golfing is the
same as regular golf, but with a few exceptions:
The aim of the game: to hit the ball within a one meter
radius of a designated “hole” using the fewest number of
strokes, for example, a bronze statue.
The course: seven holes in the middle of the city of Ghent
with plenty of obstacles: pedestrians, bikes, cars, buildings,
rivers, bridges, etc ... .
The rules: no more than six swings for each hole, hitting
pedestrians incurs penalty points, and bonuses are awarded
for exceptional shots.
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You are probably thinking: What downtown? Is that not
dangerous? And you would be right! However, the event
coordinators were smart enough to provide soft golf balls
instead of real ones. Since the sport is quite new, not many
people have played or even heard of urban golfing. Therefore,
it is hardly astounding that the Oiltankers immediately
attracted a crowd of spectators — their apprehensive looks
included. Even the press was present.
This year, Sarah Fakhari was the winner of the event with only
twenty-four swings. “It was a lot of fun and the perfect way to
see the city,” she commented. At the end of the day, the
successful team building program concluded with tasty food,
wine and even karaoke!
Social surge
Oiltanking Malta has always been involved in numerous
social and charitable activities. At the top of the list of
beneficiaries is “Razzett”, an organization that supports
children with disabilities and their families. Throughout the
year, OT sponsors it in various ways. Last June, for
example, eight colleagues from the terminal and two of
their children jumped in at the deep end and participated
in a swimathon to raise money. Oiltanking Malta donated
50 euro cents for each lap they completed. Admittedly,
there was not exactly a Michael Phelps in the team and the
Oiltankers “only” swam 400 laps. However, a lot of fun was
had by all and, more importantly, they acquired money for
a good cause. Every little bit helps, after all!
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35
H u man to u ch
H u man to u ch
Telling
the truth
!
No joke!
If you repeat something often enough, it soon starts to sound true. You don’t think
so? Have a look at some of the common misconceptions that people have been taking
at face value for years:
Laughter is one of the most human activities there is and
part of the universal human vocabulary. Its therapeutic value
has been thoroughly and scientifically researched in the past and
its physical benefits proven. Dr. Madan Kataria, an Indian family
physician, seized upon these facts and developed laughing yoga
in the mid-90s. This sort of yoga, also called Hasya yoga, is a
physically oriented technique that uses a blend of simple, playful,
empowering, “tension-releasing” laughter exercises. With gentle
breathing and stretching exercises, rhythmic clapping and the
chanting of Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha in unison, simulated laughter soon
turns into real laughter. A typical laughter yoga session lasts
Technical support asks: “Do you have any windows open right
now?” The customer answers: “Are you crazy? It΄s twenty
degrees below outside ...”
about 20–30 minutes. Performed on a regularly basis, laughter
yoga can reduce stress and increase productivity, as American
and Indian studies prove. So why not start your own laughing
session right now with some jokes?
exhibition! The landscape looks so natural!” The other one
comments: “True, it isn’t a painting; you’re looking out of the
window!”
Two men have to carry a piano to the tenth floor. One says to
the other: “I’ve got some good news and some bad news. The
good news is that we’re already on the seventh floor. The bad
news is that we’re in the wrong building!”
Two friends are admiring an exhibition. Suddenly, one of them
says: “This picture doesn’t really belong in this abstract art
TEST
Are you professionally minded?
Hard to swallow? Spinach
contains a lot of iron!
This myth was born in 1890
when dried spinach was
examined and its high iron
content — which we now
know to be greater than
that of fresh spinach — was
wrongly allotted to its fresh
counterpart.
However,
spinach does contain a lot
of vitamins and minerals
that make it a healthy
vegetable and it can still
make you strong — as long
as you consume more than
1 kg of it every day!
Sweet
news!
Eating
chocolate doesn’t give
you spots! (Better watch
out for anabolic agents).
The all clear for chocolate
means you can indulge in
it as much as you like
without a care in the
world — except maybe for
the hips!
We would also like to shed
some
light
onto
the
following matter: Reading
in bad light ruins your
eyesight!
Granted,
reading by torchlight is
quite wearing for the eyes
and may be something of a
strain, but it’s more your
beauty sleep that will suffer
if you can’t put a book
down. However, reading by
twilight won’t do any
permanent damage. Just
don’t forget to buy new
batteries.
And
“cut”!
Frequent
haircuts stimulate hair
growth!
Unfortunately,
regardless of how often
you cut your hair, shave or
let you hair down, it will
only grow a maximum of
0.35 mm per day. This is
because the roots remain
untouched by threatening
scissors.
Are you qualified to be a professional? Try our “serious” quiz
that consists of four questions and see for yourself:
How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?
Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe and close the door.
(This question tests whether or not you approach simple
things in a complicated way)
How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?
If you thought open the refrigerator, put in the elephant and
close the door, you would be wrong.
Unfortunately, the correct answer is open the refrigerator,
take out the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door.
(This question tests your foresightedness)
The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the
animals attend except one. Who is absent?
The elephant — it is in the refrigerator! (This tests if you are
capable of comprehensive thinking)
OK, if you did not answer the last three questions correctly,
this is your last chance to test whether or not you are
qualified to be a professional:
There is a river that is known to have many crocodiles
in it. How do you cross it?
Simply swim across. All the crocodiles are attending the
animal meeting!
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37
READER’S CORNER
F amily affairs
... 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.
CONGRATULATIONS
Quiz solution
Breaking the spell cast by last summer’s magic quiz was no
mean feat. Nevertheless, some of you found the magic words
and sent us the right solution — see opposite. Many thanks to
all of you! Our congratulations go to Elvira Kaiser, Oiltanking
Germany, Hanau terminal. The new broomstick – sorry, the
new Oiltanking silk scarf is on its way!
S
-
=
1
U
M
M
5
7
7
Shoulder to shoulder Even the youngest Oiltankers demonstrated their common bonding during the family day.
Pearl pleasure
While Oiltanking’s operators were playing basketball
together, the HSSE Manager was feeding his baby daughter
and other “Oiltankers” were going for goal on the football
field or chatting away about what was going on in Nanjing,
China, on October 18, 2008! A fabulous event had been
organized in Pearl Spring Park, where the entire Oiltanking
team from the Nanjing terminal and their families were
able to enjoy their first Family Day since coming aboard.
Koen Verniers, General Manager of Oiltanking Nanjing,
seized the opportunity and delivered an inspiring speech in
appreciation of all the support the employees and their
families had given to the company. Filled with fun-packed
teambuilding games, a prize draw and plenty of chances for
private exchanges, the one-day social event simply flew by.
The two months of elaborate preparation had paid off as
the gathering demonstrated perfectly the family culture
Oiltanking is so proud of. It was also an ideal moment to
encourage colleagues to share the vision of Oiltanking
Nanjing’s brilliant future, not to mention offer their family
members some reassurance.
NEW QUIZ
M
A
7
M
G
!
I
9
8
L
7
0
6
E
I
L
4
8
6
R
C
S
3
2
1
Teamwork
We are watching two painters at work. The master
needs four hours to paint a room; his assistant paints
the same room in six hours. How long would they need
if they worked together? Maybe you would also like to
solve this riddle with someone’s help? In any case, just
make sure you specify to whom we should send the
Oiltanking relaxing set if the entry is correct and wins.
Good luck!
Remember? Zachary
Eugene, the cute little
Texan Oiltanker of Terry
Elliot (OT Houston) and
husband Jason.
Here we are! Are you curious to see our youngest Oiltankers and would like
to know who said “yes, I would” and when and where? Kindly send us your
pictures and read all about it in the next issue.
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39
Misunderstandings!
A misunderstanding occurs when what was meant and what was
understood do not coincide. The consequences can range from being
trivial, tragic or even funny. Misunderstandings form the basis for
novels; they can wreck relationships or wreak havoc. In a nutshell,
they represent a common disturbance in communication, and human
beings are prone to it. Misunderstandings are everywhere and
Copyright: Museum fuer Kommunikation, Berlin/photo: Dirk Laessig
timeless! At long last, the Museum for Communication in Berlin,
Germany, was the first institution to dedicate an entire exhibition
to the topic. From April 23 to October 5, 2008,
“Misunderstandings
—
Stepping-stones
to
Communication” presented a broad range of
famous and less well-known examples from
past and present. One of the exhibits
showed a kangaroo. Legend has it that
when Captain James Cook landed in
Australia in 1770 and first saw these
strange animals hopping around,
he asked the native Australians
(aborigines) what they were
called. The reply was “Kan ga
roo” meaning “I don’t
understand”! The explorer,
however, assumed that
this was the animal’s
name!
IMPRINT connections Vol. 20/3/2008 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 21/1 13.02.2009
L ast b u t not L east