oward a knowledge-based economy Saudi Aramco

December 30, 2015
vol. LXX, No. 50
message from the CEO
a weekly Saudi Aramco publication
2015 tested our mettle, made us stronger
Dear colleagues:
As 2015 draws to a close, I want
to thank each of you for all that you
are doing for our company and for
the Kingdom. Your innovation, dedication, and cost-optimization efforts
have helped Saudi Aramco continue
to grow, even in challenging times.
As a company, we continued to
navigate persistently weak oil prices. We have proactively adjusted
our budgets and intensified our fiscal discipline without compromising
our long-term strategic aspirations
— and we will continue to do so.
We experienced a tragedy this year;
the Radium Fire incident deeply impacted
the Saudi Aramco family. This tragedy brought out Saudi Aramco’s caring
community spirit, and I thank all of those
who responded when our colleagues and
their families needed help and support.
According to on-the-job indicators, we
continued to make significant progress
on safety. However, we still have challenges to address, particularly fatalities
resulting from off-the-job motor vehicle
accidents and contractor safety practices.
In business, as in life, we do not grow
stronger when things are easy, but when
they are difficult. Despite the challenging external environment, we were able
to mark many significant achievements
across the company, thanks to the
long-term approach that allows us to
keep expanding and to be resilient and
agile enough to seize opportunities.
For example, our oil production reached
new levels, and a new record sales gas
rate was achieved. Our unconventional
gas program also made good progress,
and we had another good year in exploration. Several mega-projects came
online in 2015, such as the Wasit Gas
Plant, Shaybah NGL, our Sadara joint
venture with The Dow Chemical Company, and our YASREF refinery joint venture
with Sinopec. Meanwhile, our Jazan
project, Shaybah expansion, Khurais
increment, and Fadhili gas project made
progress toward planned startup.
We also made a major change to
procurement that will sustainably support the Kingdom’s economic growth
and workforce development.
In December, we launched the In
Kingdom Total Value Add (IKTVA) program, which will double the amount of
locally sourced materials and services to
70% by 2021 while enabling a competitive Saudi energy sector to export
30% of output and create 500,000 jobs
for Saudis over the longer term. IKTVA
participation is now a requirement for
our local and international suppliers.
To enable the optimal pro-business
environment, we are creating training
centers for young Saudis across the
Kingdom, partnering with academia, and
moving forward with major economic development projects such as the Maritime
Complex infrastructure at Ras al-Khair,
which will make Saudi Arabia a hub for
maritime manufacturing and services.
Farther afield, we signed an agreement
with Indonesia’s PT Pertamina for the
Cilacap Refinery upgrade in Central Java,
and formed a 50-50 joint venture with
Lanxess, the German specialty chemicals
company, to create a new enterprise for
the development, production, marketing, sale, and distribution of advanced
synthetic rubbers. With inaugurations
in Beijing and Detroit this year, we now
have 11 fully operational global research
centers where game-changing technologies will create the fuels and engines of
the future. Indeed, 2015 was a strong
year for innovation, as we filed 195 patent applications (against a target of 175).
We crossed the 100-patent threshold for
the first time, with 118 patents granted.
Finally, our industry’s place at the climate-solution forefront was never more
evident, notably through our role in the
Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, which
indicates our belief in a technology-driven, industry-led approach. We launched
our first CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery
demonstration project this year, which
we estimate will permanently sequester
40% in the reservoir and realize additional oil capacity. We also showcased
our total flared gas level as one of the
lowest in the world, and we are investing huge sums in gas to achieve high
efficiency and low emissions from the
Kingdom’s power generation sector.
In short, while the year has been
challenging — and the months ahead undoubtedly will continue to test our mettle
— I believe that 2015 proved Saudi Aramco has what it takes to emerge from difficulty stronger, more agile and resilient.
I know that I can count on all of you
to continue rising to the challenge.
Under the wise direction of the new
Supreme Council and our Board of Directors, we have shown time and again that
we perform best under pressure, when
we are asked to do more with less, and
when our creative spirit is unleashed.
Again, thank you for the tremendous
contributions you bring each day to this
great company. I wish you and your families a healthy, safe, and prosperous 2016.
Amin Nasser
Roadshow: reaffirming a
commitment to a vision
Saudi Aramco’s senior management unveils the 2016-2018 Business
Plan during a Kingdomwide Roadshow, reaffirming our long-term
commitment to be the world’s most reliable oil and gas producer
while achieving our vision of becoming the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals company by 2020. Acknowledging
recent market volatility, the show put a focus on remaining focused on maintaining our market position, implementing long-term
strategies to drive growth, and meeting the Kingdom’s energy demand, all while remaining agile and taking advantage of opportunities to contain costs. This years tour stopped in Dhahran (shown
at left), ‘Udhailiyah, Tanajib, Ras Tanura, Riyadh, and Yanbu’.
see pages 2 and 3
recognizing exceptional safety
Like this team from the Riyadh Refinery
Department that developed a safer design
to replace the previous LPG analyzer in the
lab there, scores of employees from around
the company have been recognized in the
Exceptional Safety Achievement Recognition Program. The annual recognition is
designed to spark innovation in developing
safer ways to do our jobs by recognizing
those who have gone the extra mile.
see pages 6 and 7
OPEC
basket
five-week price trend 2015
$ 39.30
38.53
35.31
32.20 31.33
NOV 27 DEC 4 DEC 11 DEC 18 DEC 25
Saudi Aramco
by the numbers
30 million
kilowatt hours of energy were saved
after the replacement of more than
500,000 incandescent light bulbs with
LED light bulbs in 2014.
December 30, 2015
Roadshow: reaffirming a long-term
2
company news
containing costs, making priorities, and maintaining
Amin Nasser answers a question during the Roadshow presentation in Dhahran. To his left is Abdallah I. Al Saddan, senior vice president of Finance, Strategy, and Development, and Mohammed Y. Al Qahtani, acting business line head of Upstream. To Nasser’s right is Muhammad M. Al Saggaf, acting service
line head of Operations and Business Services. (Photo: Mohammed Al Shaikh/MPD)
by Scott Baldauf
Saudi Aramco’s senior management unveiled the 2016-2018 Business Plan during
the annual Roadshow last week, reaffirming our long-term commitment to be the
world’s most reliable oil and gas producer while achieving our vision of becoming
the world’s leading integrated energy and
chemicals company by 2020.
At a time of market volatility, the business
plan was developed with an eye on optimizing the benefits of the Kingdom’s rich natural resources while containing costs, maintaining financial discipline, and prioritizing
projects that deliver the greatest impact in
strengthening and diversifying the Kingdom’s economy.
employees are the key
The Roadshow traveled to all parts of the Kingdom, including, from top: Ras Tanura, Yanbu’,
Dhahran, ‘Udhailiyah, Riyadh, and Tanajib. The
sessions allowed company leaders to hear firsthand the details of the 2016-2018 Business Plan
and the company’s strategy moving forward.
(Photos: Moayed Al-Qattan, Mohammed Al
Shaikh, and Musleh Khathami/MPD)
President and CEO Amin Nasser said that
long-term strategic goals were the guiding
force for the 2016-2018 Business Plan, but
he added that the company’s employees
would be the key factor in Saudi Aramco’s
ultimate success. The business plan was
endorsed in mid-December by the Saudi
Aramco Board of Directors at a meeting in
Dhahran.
“Acknowledging the challenges faced by
the industry, we will stay the course toward
our strategic intent of becoming the world’s
leading integrated energy and chemicals
company, with a reputation cemented by
our oil and gas leadership, and complemented by world-class refining and industry-leading technologies,” Nasser said.
Nasser and other members of the corporate and executive management team
shared the business plan last week at interactive Roadshow sessions in Dhahran, ‘Udhailiyah, Tanajib, Ras Tanura, Yanbu’, and
Riyadh.
Nasser said that although oil prices remained weak in 2015, Saudi Aramco will
continue to respond to market issues and
fiscal strengths while focusing on priorities.
These include maintaining a strong position
in the Upstream oil and gas business; implementing long-term strategies to drive business growth, such as expanding our refining
and chemicals businesses; and meeting the
Kingdom’s growing energy demand.
Achieving these goals in current market
conditions will require agility and keeping a
close eye on costs. The company will expedite high-priority projects and defer others,
re-examine existing contracts, and seek cost
containment opportunities in future contracts for goods and services.
Bassam Asiri, manager of the Planning
and Performance Management Department, gave a detailed presentation of highlights from the 2016-2018 Business Plan.
Attendees were then given a chance to
participate in question-and-answer sessions
with corporate management team members at each venue.
six strategic objectives
Asiri said that Saudi Aramco’s six strategic
objectives would continue to guide short
-and long-term decisions over the next five
years.
• Reinforce the company’s pre-eminent position in oil and gas exploration
and production.
To support the Kingdom’s industrialization
and to meet growing domestic demand for
power, the company is on track to significantly increase nonassociated gas reserves
addition targets. The company will also replace 100% of crude oil production with
new oil discoveries.
Obtaining these objectives will require significant investments toward completing facilities at the Midyan and Fadhili gas plants,
expanding the Hawiyah Gas Plant, and constructing a deep ethane recovery plant in
‘Uthmaniyah. The business plan affords the
ability to expand the Master Gas System’s
capacity and reach in the Central and Western regions to help meet growing demand
by utilities and to displace the burning of
valuable hydrocarbon liquids.
• Integrate across the hydrocarbon
value chain.
Becoming a global refining and chemical
business is a driver of future prosperity for
Saudi Aramco and the Kingdom. As such,
the business plan calls for continued investment in the domestic refining business,
including the refinery complex in Jazan
and the clean fuels projects in Riyadh and
Ras Tanura. Domestic joint ventures such
as Sadara and Petro Rabigh II will achieve
commercial operation next year, and adjacent industrial chemical value parks will attract local and international investment into
job-creating manufacturing companies.
Saudi Aramco will also continue looking
for investment opportunities that enhance
the company’s global production foothold,
as seen in its agreements with LANXESS and
Novomer, as well as the ongoing expansion
of the S-Oil olefins business. Previous investments in cogeneration plants at company
facilities have also positioned Saudi Aramco
to become self-sufficient in electrical power
next year.
• Lead in technology development
and innovation.
Through our network of research centers and technology offices, Saudi Aramco
will target high-impact and value-creating
domains such as carbon management and
seismic processing and imaging. In the Upstream, the company will target technologies in development of a basin simulator
and nonseismic research, as well as SmartWater Flood to increase hydrocarbon recovery rate. Downstream, the company will focus on securing the place of hydrocarbons
as the fuel of choice, increasing engine efficiency in automobiles, and expanding research in carbon management.
The company’s unrelenting efforts to lead
in technology development and innovation
are forecast to reach a record 525 patents
to be filed over the length of the business
plan.
• Develop an adaptive organization.
As the company’s transformation program
matures, the business plan will embed Operational Excellence into day-to-day operations across the board. Over the next three
years, we will see supplements to our se-
the arabian sun
commitment to a vision
company news
3
financial discipline emphasized at annual event
• Enable sustainable development of
the Kingdom.
Saudi Aramco remains committed to diversifying the Kingdom’s economy and spurring private sector investment in new industries that create well-paying local jobs and
help develop a world-class energy goods
and services sector. Highlights include major
projects such as the Maritime Yard at Ras alKhair, the Energy Industrial City in the Eastern Province, and other ventures to supply
rigs and rig services, oil field services, and
the local manufacture of proppants for use
in fracturing operations.
The company is also making significant
strides to increase direct materials spending with national manufacturers, and to
increase our service contractor Saudization
levels.
In 2016, Saudi Aramco will also unveil the
King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture,
in support of the Kingdom’s transition to a
knowledge-based economy.
Nasser expressed gratitude for efforts by
line management and employees in putting
the company’s strategic intent into action.
He praised the organizers of the six Roadshow events and welcomed the chance to
field questions from employees about the
2016-2018 Business Plan.
In closing, Nasser said the company’s success will depend on the efforts of each of
us. “I believe that with our highly skilled
workforce and our agility as a company,
Saudi Aramco will successfully navigate the
volatile market and take advantage of opportunities as they arise,” he said.
The business plan Roadshow
offered an insightful look
of the coming years for
our company and a special
look at our current and
future strategic position to
continue leading the oil and
energy industry, despite the
oil price and all challenges.
I am really proud to be an
Aramcon and be part of the
value our company creates.
— Eyad A. Al-Basrawi, head
of the Ras Tanura Refinery
and Programming Division
It is obvious that the
concept of ‘do more with
less’ is clearly realized in
this business plan with
challenging projects and
targets, and reduced
budgets compared to the
previous business plan. The
business plan considered all
aspects to ensure sustained
and reliable refined products
and crude oil supply to
local and international
markets, which will help the
Kingdom to get the most
share from this market.
The oil market is cyclical,
and the prices will inevitably
rebound. I believe we should
take such opportunities to
challenge the status quo
by being more creative
and efficient. It’s such
an exciting period to
be at Saudi Aramco.
— Mohammed M. Al-Farsi, assistant
to the vice president of Domestic
Refining and NGL Fractionation
” ” ”
• Be an employer of choice.
Despite challenging market conditions,
extensive investment will continue to be
made in our most valuable resource: our
people.
Saudi Aramco will continue recruiting,
attracting, and retaining the best talent to
meet requirements for new facilities, businesses, and ventures by fostering a positive work environment and providing professional development, particularly in the
areas of unconventional resources, chemicals, and finance. Honoring the company’s
commitment to the primary incentive for
many Saudi employees, the Home Ownership Program will continue to expand. Over
the next three years, this program will make
available more than 3,700 new housing
units and 1,200 lots in South Dhahran, East
Dammam, Abqaiq, al-Hasa, and Yanbu’.
” ” ”
curity portfolio and improved fire protection
services. We will further reduce the company’s environmental footprint through various stewardship initiatives such as the Ras
Tanura Mangrove Eco-Park at Rahima Bay,
the planting of 2 million mangrove seedlings at various locations, and continued reductions of flaring, SO2 emissions, and hydrocarbon discharge to marine targets over
the business plan period.
The Marine Department will take advantage of the slower market to renegotiate
contracts with business providers, providing
the same service level at lower costs, while
the Aviation Department will improve utilization rates by optimizing work schedules
and introducing new routes and additional flights without expanding the size of the
fleet. Renegotiating sizeable reductions in
contracting costs will be encouraged companywide.
— Abdullah F. Essa, superintendent
of Distribution Engineering at Central
Region Distribution in Riyadh
A business plan that comes
in the midst of the current
global economy may look
challenging, but we are
receiving the future with
readiness and optimism
because 2015 proved
that we at Saudi Aramco
can flip challenges into
opportunities. If 2015 was
the year that witnessed
the lowest oil prices in
a decade, it is the same
year that witnessed
strategic transformational
achievements led by
Saudi Aramco.
— Shaker Mahrous, manager of
Yanbu’ NGL & Fractionation
While the price of oil is
weak, we have a strong
business plan to take
advantage of opportunities
that will emerge as the
market recovers.
— Emad Johar, assistant
to the vice president of Gas
Operations in ‘Udhailiyah
The 2016-2018 business
plan is pragmatic, dynamic,
and challenging. It entices
organizations to be more
capital efficient while
refining operational
nimbleness. Creativity is key
for the Aviation Department
to deliver reliable services
and meet growth while
investing smartly in
its resources and core
capabilities. In other words,
the 2016-2018 business
plan is an opportunity
platform for efficiency
on a scale never before
seen. It will be seized.
— Fahd Cynndy, manager of the
Aviation Department, Dhahran
December 30, 2015
4
company news
STEMania looks to inspire future leaders
The program, which is a collaboration
between Saudi Aramco and the Ministry of
Education (MoE), has three tracks: Going to
Mars (robotics), 8 Bit (electronics), and ScienceMania (general science).
six schools participate
More than 300 middle school girls recently
gained hands-on experience in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), through a
joint Saudi Aramco and Ministry of Education
program called STEMania.
by Sara Al-Bassam
Dhahran — What happens when you
give 300 middle school girls programming
boards, robotics kits, a chemistry set and the
belief that they can? It might not have been
something from a sci-fi movie, but there
were definitely sparks in the classrooms.
The STEMania program, which teaches
middle school students STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and math),
concluded on Dec. 10, after successfully
completing its pilot phase.
“The STEMania program looks to inspire
future generations of young women to pursue STEM disciplines,” said Huda M. Al Ghoson, executive director of Human Resources,
who sponsored the program. “The program
also enhances the students’ creativity, intellectual curiosity, and self-confidence while
equipping them with life skills and digital
literacy.”
As a pilot program, the six schools in the
Eastern Province that have “After School
Clubs” or “Nawadi Al-Hay” open to their
communities took part in the program: two
in al-Khobar, three in Dammam, and one in
Saihat.
It began on Oct. 15 with a week of training 33 government school science teachers
how to use the 3 kits. A week later, the classrooms were filled with 150 middle school
girls from Round One, who were pre-selected by the Ministry, and ready to get handson with STEM for the next four weeks.
“Typically science is taught out of books,
as theories and principles, with most students never getting a chance to see what
they’re studying applied, let alone apply
it themselves,” said Reem A. Al-Ghanim,
division head of Women Development and
Diversity. “We wanted to get the worry out
of STEM subjects, by giving these students
a chance to not only apply the science that
they learn, but to also have fun with it.”
Just in case learning to program Arduinos
(an open source microcontroller) and building bridges out of cardboard and straws
didn’t convince the students that STEM fields
are within their reach, the program’s “STEM
Friends” sealed the deal.
The “Friends” are a group of Saudi Aramco female engineers and scientists who have
graduated from university in the past few
years and are familiar with the challenges of
entering STEM fields.
“We wanted to help students who were
interested in STEM fields but had never met
anybody working in them,” said Malikah F.
Sharif, the program champion. “By involving
Saudi Aramco female scientists and engineers, we introduced the students to potential role models.”
The “STEM Friends” visited the schools to
help the students with their projects, and to
talk to them about their journeys.
Maha Abduh, an electrical engineer in the
Power Systems Engineering Department,
visited the same school she attended as a
student. “The robots you are controlling
teaches you the basics of the programming
functions that are part of my job,” she said
to the students as she wore her coveralls,
safety shoes, and hard hat. “I also go to the
field and participate in troubleshooting power transformers and substation equipment
failure while wearing these fire resistant
clothes.”
In return for the STEM Friends sharing their
journeys, the students shared their dreams.
“I’ve always wanted to go to space and see
what’s there,” said Tasneem, a student in the
robotics track. “I want to become an astronomer, or even an astronaut. … I love space.”
“When I was a kid I always wanted to be
a scientist,” said Fatimah, a student in the
STEMania, “but I didn’t see any Saudi women entering science or getting jobs as scientists, so I thought it wouldn’t happen and I
let go of that dream. Are there other Saudi
women who are scientists?”
“Yes, there are,” Halah Al-Asmari, a
geophysicist at EXPEC Advanced Research
Center, told her. “There are many, and I’m
talking to one now.”
your voice
Raed Abudawoud
[email protected]
Dhahran
choosing
the kind,
voluntary
path
Tahita Doyle
[email protected]
Dhahran
Les Misérables’ main character, Jean Valjean, was clearly a “Voluntarily Kind” type of
leader who persevered through life’s difficulties to realize his vision of a better tomorrow
for himself and others who were miserable.
Due to his effective personal attributes, intentional kindness, and pursuit of happiness,
he was successful in realizing his dream.
In the Dec. 23 edition of The Arabian
Sun, we introduced a theory regarding four
classes of leaders. We hope that our story
was met with appreciation and reflection.
To complete our journey, we introduce the
Voluntarily Unkind (VU) and Voluntarily Kind
(VK) leaders.
VU: the Voluntarily Unkind
Your Voice reflects the thoughts and opinions
of the writer and not necessarily those of the
publication.
The VU Leader is the least admired of the
four brands of leadership. This type of leader tends to hide information from others, be
highly inaccessible to others, and induces
lack of trust among co-workers. Also, a VU
leader manipulates employees to serve his
agenda, abuses authority, accuses employees of misconduct, and promotes an environment of conflict. All of this results in a
hostile workplace where employees blame
each other for small or no delivery. These
negative traits lead to a poor, somewhat
dysfunctional, business unit. The days of
this form of leadership are hopefully long
gone and non-existing in our presence.
The damage the VU leader is capable of
inflicting on their environment is much
worse than what an Involuntarily Unkind
person such as Javert of Les Misérables
causes.
VK: the Voluntarily Kind
Contrary to the VU leader is the most
admired: the VK leader. As the name suggests, this class of leader voluntarily and
intentionally seeks to be kind to others
around them. He is people oriented, embraces our core values, and is sensitive to
the concerns or discomfort of his team.
The VK nurtures positive energy within
their work teams and in the surrounding
organizations.
VK leadership focuses on results through
“people” by understanding their strengths
and weaknesses. They induce trust by
constantly appreciating, accommodating,
motivating, and inspiring team members
and seek to praise, reward, and recognize
achievements, no matter how small. Other traits of VK leaders that are noteworthy
are the ability to enhance mutual trust,
resolve conflict, and invoke fairness. The
result is a high morale team that attracts
employees of VU, IU, or even IK run organizations.
conclusion
Saudi Aramco is witnessing the largest
demographic shift in its history with an increasing influx of young talent. Combined
with the need to accelerate the growth of
the organization into a global enterprise,
these trends pose challenges to connect
the younger workforce to their superiors
and bridge both to a larger shared vision.
Aspirations toward accomplishing this can
help dodge potential conflicts between
young talent and their leaders, which otherwise can result in a negative outcome
characterized by IU leadership.
For Saudi Aramco to succeed in its transformation, it will require our continual
growth of the new breed of leader — one
who possesses the synergistic combination
of positive values — our core values, the
four critical behaviors, and emotional intelligence. This is of particular importance to
the front-line leader who is expected to be
the role model to a relatively large number
of employees that is age, nationality, and
gender diverse.
Awareness and effort to increase the
adoption of positive values, as well as a focus on the “people” element by our leaders, are therefore warranted. Of particular
emphasis is the need to demonstrate the
good values we speak to our teams and
use to lead our organizations through misalignments, conflicts, and challenges. This
will assuredly increase our chances to attain a successful transformation that we
can all sustain.
the arabian sun
company news
YASREF wins Platts 2015 Construction
Project of the Year
New York — The Yanbu’ Aramco Sinopec Refining Company (YASREF) won the
“Construction Project of the Year” at the
2015 Platts Global Energy Awards in New
York City. The renowned event is in its 17th
year and considered by many as the “Academy Awards” of the energy industry.
Mohammad S. Alshammari, YASREF
president and CEO, and Fahad Al-Othman,
project director, accepted the award on behalf of the company. Alshammari said: “I
am humbled to accept this great award on
behalf of many thousands of people who
saw the project from a concept to a global
refining production landmark.
“This is in recognition of the significant
efforts exerted by all of our teams and
also our outstanding safety record. My
congratulations go to each and every one
who worked and contributed to this great
achievement,” he added.
The Platts Global Energy Awards for 18
categories honored organizations and individuals in the energy industry who are
dedicated to achieving excellence. YASREF
was competing against seven other finalists (the majority of which are well-known
multinational companies) in the category
of “Construction Project of the Year.” The
award winners were selected by a panel of
independent judges, including former regulators, past heads of major energy companies, leading academics, and international
energy experts.
YASREF, a joint venture between Saudi
Aramco and China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec), operates a world-class refining complex that produces premium fuels
and products for both international and
domestic markets.
5
Mohammad S. Alshammari, right, and Fahad Al-Othman accept the 2015 Platts Global Energy Award
at a ceremony conducted recently in New York.
SGPD seeks safe solutions that lead to less pollution
by Jawad Ali
‘Udhailiyah — Under the theme of “A Safe
Solution Leads to Less Pollution,” the South
Ghawar Producing Department (SGPD) recently conducted a two-day safety and environmental awareness campaign and exhibit
in ‘Udhailiyah. About 500 visitors from various Saudi Aramco organizations, contractors,
the ‘Udhailiyah community, and students
from the Saudi Aramco ‘Udhailiyah Industrial
Training Center attended the event.
The campaign was inaugurated by Yousif A. Al-Furaidan, general manager of the
Southern Area Producing, Abdulaziz U. Al
Saleh, SGPD manager, and other members
from Southern Area Oil Operation management.
Al Saleh welcomed the attendees and
emphasized the value of such campaigns to
raise awareness and provide a platform to
exchange knowledge on two of the most
important aspects of our work and life: the
safety of our people, and protection of our
environment.
“Our journey toward sustainable and improved safety and environmental perfor-
mance will always be a work in progress. It
is a continuous road of learning, engaging
and committing ourselves to reaching a high
level of achievement in our goal,” he said.
“Over the years, and with great diligence,
we achieved an outstanding track record in
these two areas. However, challenges will
continue to lie ahead. With the support and
commitment of each and every one of you,
I am confident we will continue to create a
better tomorrow: for us, and the next generation to come.”
solutions at home and work
Seven Saudi Aramco departments participated in the event, including the Environmental Protection Department, the Southern
Area Production Engineering Department,
the Khurais Producing Department, the Loss
Prevention Department, the Fire Protection
Department, and SGPD. Also participating in
the event were the Water and Sewage Authority in al-Hasa, the Summit Technologies
Company, and the Wesam System Company.
The exhibition featured booths that addressed valuable and various home and work
safety and environmental topics such as gas
leak monitoring, groundwater conservation,
wastewater treatment, flaring minimization,
safe driving, and home electrical and fire
safety. It also put on display a number of interactive learning tools such as a fire extinguishing simulation tool and an infrared gas
leak detection camera.
As a memorial to the event, hundreds of
environmental and safety posters, brochures
and gifts were distributed to the participants.
Hussain Ramadan gives a presentation on efforts
by the al-Hasa Water and Sewage Authority in
water treatment. The presentation was one of
several at the two-day safety and environmental
awareness campaign conducted in ‘Udhailiyah.
Performance Management Improvement Project drives change
by Scott Burch
Over the past year, the Performance
Management Improvement Project (PMIP)
team collaborated across HR organizations,
and using feedback gathered from leaders,
employees, and Performance Management
Program (PMP) stakeholders, developed
recommendations for improvements to the
performance management program.
While many opinions differed on the best
solution for improving the program, our
collective voice across the company reiterated one core theme, performance management will not change unless individual
behaviors change.
Prior to the start of the 2016 PMP cycle,
HR will roll out a detailed communications
campaign to ensure leaders and employees
have a clear and consistent understanding of
the upcoming changes and enhancements.
Changes will include traditional system and
process enhancements such as improving
system usability and updating the standards
of performance and behaviors to promote
clarity and effective decision making.
capability and accountability
The differentiator between the upcoming 2016 PMP enhancements and past
improvements is that traditional enhancements are integrated into a robust capability and accountability strategy that benefits
both leaders and employees. For example,
all permanent chief position holders will
participate in a two-day Performance Management for Leaders program to enhance
capabilities, achieve stronger results, and
improve employee engagement in their respective areas. HR will also launch performance management workshops to equip
employees with the necessary skills and
knowledge to own their performance and
career development.
These examples, along with a continued
emphasis on applying the four critical behaviors and building HR business partner
capabilities within each Business Line, reinforce the importance of behavior change
in the success of the Performance Management Improvement Project.
Individual change requires a collective
effort from all of us to achieve organizational success and build an engaged, performance-driven culture. Although changing mindset and behaviors takes time, the
following end results are worth the investment:
1. Employees that own their performance
and fully understand how PMP supports
our culture of performance
2. Leaders that confidently use performance management tools to enhance performance, engage employees in meaningful people conversations, and drive results
3. Performance management that is applied fairly and consistently across the company.
4. An energetic, high-functioning workforce built on trust, engagement, motivation that delivers exceptional business results.
As we reflect on the impact of our accomplishments in 2015, let’s commit to
adopting the four critical behaviors as individual leaders and employees to set the
foundation for collective success in 2016.
recognizing exceptional
safety companywide
December 30, 2015
6
company news
making a difference companywide
”
Hani H. Al-Khalifa, top, and Mohammad A. Al-Mulhim, bottom, from the North Ghawar Producing Department received one of the company’s 2015 ESARP
awards for their initiative, ONIS Line Blind, above left, which is a positive isolation new technology that replaces the traditional blinding. The initiative not
only improves safety, but also reduces downtime and manpower requirements. (Photos: Mohammed Al Shaikh/MPD)
by Jeff McCoshen
This program has
been able to engage
all members of
the workforce on
being proactive in
loss prevention in
their daily activities.
Saudi Aramco is
working hard to
be a frontrunner in
safety locally and
internationally, and
the ESARP program
reflects this devotion
and hard work.
— Bader F. Al-Qadran
The task of selecting the annual winners of
Saudi Aramco’s Exceptional Safety Achievement Recognition Program (ESARP) continues to get more challenging every year.
But that’s just fine with the Loss Prevention committee charged with the duty of
sifting through the long list of companywide nominations — a list that has grown
every year since the start of the program
nine years ago.
While that can make for longer meetings
during the selection process, it also serves
as a strong signal that the company’s message of safety being paramount to everything we do is resonating with employees.
exceeding expectations
Bader F. Al-Qadran, executive director of
Safety & Industrial Security, feels the program has met, and even exceeded, expectations since being implemented.
“I have always thought highly of the ESARP program and the positive merits the
proactive safety initiatives provide,” said
Al-Qadran. “This program has been able to
engage all members of the workforce on
being proactive in loss prevention in their
daily activities. Saudi Aramco is working
hard to be a frontrunner in safety locally
and internationally, and the ESARP program
reflects this devotion and hard work.”
Abdullah A. Al Ghamdi, Loss Prevention
Department (LPD) manager, said ESARP
presents “a real opportunity to come up
with fresh ideas” addressing safety in all as-
pects of the company’s business.
“We are always trying to think outside
the box to achieve the highest standards
of excellence by focusing on continuous
improvement and enhancement of our
programs and processes in terms of safety
leadership in our company,” said Al Ghamdi. “These proactive initiatives over the past
several years have achieved results that
clearly advanced safety within our company
and the public.”
One of those initiatives this year was
a new RGA analyzer developed in the Riyadh Refinery Department (RRD) by Sultan
A. Al-Mutairi, Dominic J. Kearney and
Mohammed A. Asmi in response to an external incident from another lab within the
company. The incident noted that a cylinder
sampling syringe filled with hydrocarbon
gas had broken and released gas into the
lab.
The team led by Al-Mutairi developed
a new analyzer technique that allows the
technician to directly connect the sampling
tube of the analyzer to the cylinder, thereby
eliminating the risk of leakage.
“I am very proud of them,” Abdulrahman
A. Fadhel, RRD manager. “The company is
recognizing Sultan and his team for the
high level of thinking when they identified
the hazard, no matter how small it is.
“Sultan challenged himself and his team
to not accept continuing to use it, and as
a result, they came up with this great initiative that not only minimized the risk but
eliminated it totally.”
The ESARP awards recognize individuals
and groups that take such a proactive approach to develop and implement safety
initiatives, resulting in safety enhancements
that make a difference throughout the
company.
Each year, departments within the company are asked to select two exceptional
safety achievements for consideration for
the award. Once the nominations are submitted, a field verification assessment is
carried out to determine the effectiveness
of each initiative, followed by a thorough
scoring evaluation completed by committee members. One of the key aspects the
committee is looking for is whether the initiative is easily transferable to other departments within the company.
This year, the committee sorted through
a record 104 nominations, which are endorsed and forwarded by managers, before
ultimately deciding on nine safety initiatives
that involved 30 employees for 2015.
Salem S. Al Ghamdi, Technical Support
Unit supervisor, said each initiative undergoes a rigorous selection process to ensure
it meets a detailed set of criteria. “We always ensure that each submitted initiative
is intensively reviewed and gets the same
attention as all the others,” said Al Ghamdi.
He further noted that the winning initiatives have already made a measurable
impact on improving safety within the organizations involved, and in many cases,
elsewhere in the company.
The program is constantly evolving to
further promote safety initiatives across
the company. In addition to quality, the
committee attempts to increase the quantity of submissions every year by refining
the guidelines for determining a qualifying
ESARP safety initiative, hoping that they
may “catch a big fish” — a good quality
submission — by extending the net further.
As LPD manager, Al Ghamdi noted that
the program has been reviewed in detail
to assess its effectiveness by surveying the
implementation of previous ESARP winning
initiatives. That assessment, he said, revealed that 100% of the winning initiatives
surveyed are still fully implemented.
“ESARP has clearly added value to many
aspects of our facilities and practices,” he
said.
Letters of congratulations were sent out
to this year’s recipients and recognition
events, attended by line management,
were held in the respective departments. In
addition to a framed certificate signifying
the award, each recipient also received an
iPad.
Hani H. Al-Khalifa, who teamed with
Mohammad Al-Mulhim on an award winning ONIS Line Blind initiative from the
North Ghawar Producing Department, said
being recognized by the company is truly
an honor.
“After 3 ½ years of hard work, winning
the ESARP award has provided us with new
energy to continue our journey toward
safety enhancement and operational excellence,” said Al-Khalifa.
the arabian sun
company news
Loss Prevention Department announces
2015 safety awards
Initiative: Process Modification for
Maximum H2S Rejection in Debutanizer
& Reduction in Downstream Corrosion at
Hydrocracking Unit
The hydrocracker had a history of shutdowns because of corrosion and the debutanizer bottom circuit was one of the areas
that had been prone to issues. The temperature in the boiler was higher than design, yet
H2S rejection was poor and sulfidic corrosion
was prevalent in the fractionation section.
The initiative designed, developed and implemented light naphtha recirculation to the
debutanizer column to increase the stripping
trays vapor/liquid ratio and thereby increase
H2S stripping. This resulted in a decrease in
the reboiler temperature and increased vaporization. Consequently, high temperature
sulfidic corrosion was reduced and the corrosion rates in downstream carbon steel piping
were mitigated. This allows unit operations
to be safe and reduces corrosion and consequent shutdowns in the debutanizer bottom
circuit.
This initiative was implemented at the RT
refinery.
Individuals recognized: Ali H. Abdulal,
Vinod Ramaseshan, Omar A. Zuwaidi,
Stanley C. Gustas III, and Talal A. Rasheedi.
Terminal Maintenance Department
Initiative: Valve Actuator Spring Compression Tool
During the overhaul of the valves’ actuators, the compressed spring could suddenly release during the disassembly activities
to remove the O-Ring holding the spring in
place. This practice had high potential for
injury to technicians performing the task,
which normally required one technician and
two helpers.
To overcome this problem, technicians proposed the subject tool that was constructed
and used to remove the O-Ring spring, and
release the compressed spring safely and
easily from the valve actuator. Using this
tool, the task now can be done by one technician only. This tool should eliminate the associated risk with O-Ring removal during the
valve actuator overhauling.
Individuals recognized: Abdullah S.
Alshahrani and Abdullah I. Saleh.
North Ghawar Producing
Department (NGPD)
Initiative: ONIS Line Blind
ONIS Line Blind is a positive isolation new
technology that replaces the traditional
blinding. The ONIS Line Blind requires minimal preparation to change the blind position
from open to closed, or vice versa. The main
objective of the ONIS Line Blind is to reduce
the time for hydrocarbon exposure from 4
hours or more (with a traditional blind) to
a couple of minutes only. Moreover, it has
the following advantages in comparison
with the normal blinding method: There is
no need for a crane when the blind position
is changed; one operator can do the work;
no tools are used during blinding operation;
it’s fast and offers a quick response during
any emergency; it reduces the downtime for
facilities. The blinds have shown satisfactory
results after pilot tests in Shedgum GOSP-3
and ABGOSP-5. One blind will be deployed
at each division of the North Ghawar Producing Department in the next business plan.
Individuals recognized: Hani H.
Al-Khalifa and Mohammad A. Al-Mulhim.
Jiddah Refinery Department (JRD)
Initiative: Jiddah Refinery Safety Messenger Program
The program was developed and implemented targeting operations, maintenance,
engineering and contractors to deliver a consistent communication of safety messages.
The program is led by the Operation Compliance Group and has 36 safety messengers
covering all units and operation shifts. The
JRD has also developed a Web page to allow
accessing, downloading and uploading of
safety messages and training materials.
Individuals recognized: Awadhallah A.
Zabali and Hisham A. Shah.
Shaybah Producing Department
Initiative: Fin Fan Motor Special Lifting
Tool
Maintenance staff at Shaybah GOSPs faced
the challenge of safely removing and installing fin-fan motors as there are no lifting eyes
on the skids to fix the come-a-long, chain
hoist, or any other tool at the facility. The
team fabricated a special tool to remove/install fin-fan motors that eliminated the risk
associated with falling/dropped objects, poor
body position, and downtime. The fabricated
tool requires a simple operation to remove or
install fin-fan motors.
Individuals recognized: Hosam Maghribi and Yousif Motawa.
Safaniyah Onshore Producing Department (SONPD)
Initiative: Crude Oil Storage Tank
Cleaning With Non-Man Entry System
The cleaning of large crude oil storage
tanks is recognized as a hazardous activity
when using internal manual cleaning techniques. The SONPD faced the challenge of
cleaning two floating roof storage tanks of 1
million barrel capacity each at the Safaniyah
Onshore Plants. A detailed review was carried
out to identify suitable and available technologies. After technical feasibility, safety assessment and cost-benefit analysis, the BLABO®
non-man entry system was selected. The BLABO® is an automated, mobile and modular
system especially designed to clean large volumes of difficult-to-clean oil tanks. It includes
tank cleaning, sludge separation and oil recovery in one integrated process. The use of
this system allowed the SONPD to safely clean
T-7 and T-8 Arab Heavy crude oil tanks. It also
minimized the impact on the environment by
reducing the sludge and emissions. The tank
cleaning required 50 days versus 90 days by
conventional methods.
Individuals recognized: Salem O. Shammari, Ali S. Al-Ajmi, Falah F. Al-Azmi,
Falah M. Al-Dhafiri, and Baqir A. Shaikh.
Riyadh Refinery
Department (RRD)
Initiative: New RGA Analyzer
The Riyadh Refinery lab team became
aware of an external incident report about
a cylinder sampling syringe filled with hydrocarbon gas breaking and releasing gas into
the lab. After an investigation into the possi-
bility of that happening at Riyadh, it was determined that there was a need to eliminate
such a hazard. To achieve this goal, the LPG
analyzer was replaced with a safer design.
The previous design required the lab technician to use a sampling syringe to draw a sample from the cylinder containing hydrocarbon
gas, and then transfer it to the inlet tube of the
old analyzer for analysis. This manual method
had a possibility of releasing H2S trapped gas
into the lab. The new technique developed
allows the technician to directly connect the
sampling tube of the analyzer to the cylinder,
thereby eliminating the risk of leakage.
Individuals recognized: Sultan M. Almutairi, Mohammed A. Al-Asmi, and
Dominic J. Kearney.
Central Region Distribution
Department
Initiative: Improvements to the Asphalt
Loading System
South Riyadh Bulk Plant implemented a
solution to improve the reliability, safety and
overall work environment for its asphalt loading system by eliminating Saudi Aramco operator and contractor personnel exposure to
the heavy hydrocarbon product, and its fumes
and vapor. This was done by enhancing the
product supply piping arrangements, replacing loading arm components, improving the
loading arm operation with an advanced level
alarm and sensor system, improving the heating system and ventilation system, adding a
crossover bridge above the loading area and
a barricade to prevent falls. These safety improvements resulted in a complete reduction
in product spillage and leaks, the elimination
of risk of working at heights, and is also an
environmentally friendly solution.
Individuals recognized: Ali J. Alharbi,
Ahmed K. Balkheyour, Saud M. Al-Otaibi,
Abdulkarim S. Al-Amri, Ali N. Al-Zamil,
and Abdullah S. Al-Joloud.
Ras Tanura Producing Department
Initiative: Special Tool to Remove Upper Ring of Safety Relief Valves
Maintenance personnel previously used a
hammer and a screwdriver to remove and
install the upper ring of steam safety valves.
This practice had the potential for injury to
the hands of the technician and possible
damage to the edge of the ring. To improve
the process, a special tool was fabricated to
open and close the ring safely and efficiently.
Utilizing this tool enhances the work process,
protects the parts from damage and gives the
technician the ability to do this task safely.
Individuals recognized: Ali H. Al-Otaibi,
Nayif M. Shammary, and Saad A. Al-Jabr.
”
Process & Control
Systems Department
7
After 3 1/2 years of
hard work, winning
the ESARP award
has provided us
with new energy
to continue our
journey toward
safety enhancement
and operational
excellence.
— Hani H. Al-Khalifa
December 30, 2015
8
company news
toward a knowledge-based economy
Saudi Aramco-KAUST unveil Partnership Committee
”
The new Saudi Aramco Research and Development Center at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), which is currently
under development, is just part of the ongoing
collaboration between the Saudi Aramco and
KAUST. A Partnership Committee was recently
unveiled to promote collaboration and accelerating the Kingdom’s transition toward a knowledge-based economy.
We are looking
forward to further
sustaining and
institutionalizing
our strategic
partnership, and the
newly inaugurated
Upstream Petroleum
Center at KAUST
represents an
opportunity to
leverage our
collaboration.”
— Mohammed Y. Al Qahtani
by Waleed Somali
Dhahran — A newly formed partnership between Saudi Aramco and King
Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has a goal of accelerating
the Kingdom’s transition toward a knowledge-based economy.
The Saudi Aramco-KAUST Partnership
Committee held its first meeting on Dec.
7 and was co-chaired by Mohammed Y. Al
Qahtani, acting business line head of Upstream for Saudi Aramco, and Jean Frechet,
KAUST vice president of Research.
The committee builds on the achievements of the previous joint oversight board,
which was headed by Amin Nasser, Saudi
Aramco’s president and CEO, and KAUST
president, Jean-Lou Chameau.
In their opening remarks, Al Qahtani and
Frechet underscored the importance of the
strategic partnership that bonds the two
organizations.
They said both organizations shared
a clear goal of creating focused, robust,
tangible and result-oriented collaborative
activities and were committed to creating
transformational and high value-added outcomes for both the Kingdom and the world.
progress working together
Al Qahtani and Frechet pointed to the
excellent progress that has already been
made, with ongoing collaboration between
the faculty, researchers, scientists, and students at KAUST, and their Saudi Aramco
counterparts.
This has led to the creation of strong
professional ties that are achieving a broad
spectrum of positive outcomes.
The meeting included presentations on
the new Saudi Aramco Research and Development Center at KAUST, which is currently under development. This important
initiative is expected to produce groundbreaking technologies and research that
leverage KAUST’s innovation ecosystem and
maximize Saudi Aramco’s research and development portfolio.
The new cutting-edge 18,300 square
meter center will cater for the important
domains of: oil and gas network integrity; chemicals; carbon management; fuel
technology; hydrocarbon recovery; computational modeling and environmental protection. When fully operational, the center
will accommodate 139 dedicated full-time
researchers and support staff. This new
milestone investment will help in creating
global innovative technological solutions to
address the energy industry’s evolving and
complex challenges.
Other presentations covered KAUST’s
High Performance Computing and Extreme Computing Research Center, the
newly-established KAUST Upstream Petroleum Research Center, and the Saudi Aramco Advanced Development Program at
KAUST. The presentations and the ensuing
discussions resulted in a set of agreed upon
action items that both sides committed to
execute in a timely manner.
Speaking following the meeting, Al
Qahtani said, “This was an excellent first
meeting for the new committee, and I’d
like to thank my co-chairman, Frechet, and
all involved in taking our organizations’
collaboration to this next stage.
“We are looking forward to further sustaining and institutionalizing our strategic
partnership, and the newly inaugurated
Upstream Petroleum Center at KAUST represents an opportunity to leverage our collaboration.”
a wide range of collaboration
Saudi Aramco and KAUST are already
working together across a variety of domains, such as high-impact research, talent
acquisition and development, entrepreneurship, and outreach cultural programs.
The strength of their collaboration is also
demonstrated by Saudi Aramco having 28
company-sponsored employees pursuing
advanced studies at KAUST (25 Ph.Ds and
three M.S.s), the presence of 24 full-time
company scientists on location at the university, and Saudi Aramco’s hiring of KAUST
graduates. Overall, the university has 901
students enrolled, at both M.S. and Ph.D.
levels.
There are also long-term research collaborative agreements between Saudi Aramco
and KAUST, in various fields such as geophysics, reservoir engineering technology,
production technology, seismic, fuel combustion research, catalysis, material sciences, renewables, information technology,
and the environment.
Other initiatives currently underway include the KAUST Winter Enrichment Program; the Dhahran Specialized Lecture
Series, which brings distinguished speakers
from KAUST’s global network to deliver
talks on science, technology and innovation; and the Saudi Aramco Marine Environmental Research Center at KAUST.
The university has core competences
and specialties in science, engineering and
technology. These, together with KAUST’s
strong intellectual capital, global orientation, advanced technical capacity and infrastructure and its specialized niche in academic programs and research, make it a
natural partner for Saudi Aramco.
The university’s global reach is demonstrated by its diverse international student
base, international faculty and staff and
initiatives such as the Global Collaborative Research program. The program was
launched to help establish KAUST’s research
programs, and during this year, engaged a
network of over 30 renowned institutions
from 15 countries as partners to assist
KAUST’s evolution as a global research university.
Saudi Aramco and KAUST
committee members
The Saudi Aramco representatives in the
committee include the following members:
Al Qahtani, (co-chairman); Khaled A. Al
Buraik, vice president of Petroleum Engineering and Development; Ahmad O. Al
Khowaiter, chief technology officer; Huda
M. Al Ghoson, executive director of Human Resources; and Abdullah O. Al-Baiz,
executive director of Engineering Services.
Waleed A. Al-Somali, performance improvement consultant from EXPEC ARC, is
serving as the coordinator of the committee on the Saudi Aramco side.
KAUST representatives on the committee include: Frechet (co-chairman); Nadhmi Al-Nasr, executive vice president; Mark
Crowell, vice president of Innovation and
Economic Development; and Yves Gnanou,
dean of Physical Sciences and Engineering.
Ron Bowker, head of operations for Administration and Finance, and John Tannaci,
manager of Planning, Research Operations,
and Support are serving as the coordinators
of the committee on the KAUST side.
The meeting was also attended by several Saudi Aramco and KAUST representatives. These included, from Saudi Aramco:
Abdullatif A. Al-Ghanim, general manager of EXPEC Computer Center, Ammar
A. Al-Nahwi, manager of the Research
and Development Center (R&DC); Jamil
F. Al-Dandany, director of the Educational
Partnerships Department; and Ali A. Al-Meshari, chief technologist at EXPEC ARC.
In attendance from KAUST were: Najah
Ashry, vice president, Saudi Initiatives; David Keyes, director of the Extreme Computing Center; and Taduesz Patzek, director of
the Petroleum Research Center.
the arabian sun
community news
green matters
avoiding foodborne Illnesses
by Ziad Hawi, EPD
Foodborne illnesses are a common occurrence worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that about 600
million people get sick from eating contaminated food each year and that about
420,000 die.
While anyone can get a foodborne illness, some high-risk segments of the population are much more vulnerable. To be
sure, the effects of the illness are much
more severe and potentially life threatening.
Pregnant mother and fetus: During
pregnancy, the mother’s immune system
is weakened, making it more difficult to
combat noxious microorganisms occurring
in food. Similarly, the fetus’s immune system is not developed enough to fight off
harmful bacteria.
Babies and young children: Infants
and young children are more at risk for
foodborne illnesses because their immune
systems are still developing. The underdeveloped immune system makes them
more prone to foodborne illnesses. In a
recent report, the WHO estimates that
children under the age of 5, which make
up only 9% of the global population, account for nearly 40% of all illnesses linked
to eating unsafe food.
The elderly: As people age, their immune systems becomes less effective in
recognizing and fighting off microorganisms. Also, a significant percentage of the
elderly have chronic diseases. The disease
and/or side effects of the prescribed medications may further compromise the immune system making them more susceptible to contracting a foodborne illness.
Immunocompromised individuals:
Chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes can compromise the immune system. Furthermore, chemotherapy, radiation, or medications used to treat cancer
patients may also weaken the immune
system.
Foodborne illnesses can be dramatically
reduced by adopting the following practices:
Hand washing promotes good hygiene and is one of the most effective
ways to mitigate foodborne illnesses.
Hand washing is the first step in keeping
your children safe.
Cleaning helps remove harmful pathogens from hands, surfaces, and produce.
Food contact surfaces should be kept
clean, including cutting boards, dishes,
utensils, and countertops, which should
be cleaned using hot soapy water, especially after using raw foods that may be
sources of pathogens. As an additional
precaution, 1 tablespoon of unscented
chlorine bleach per gallon of water can
be used to disinfect food contact surfaces.
Also, fruits and vegetables should always
be washed in fresh, chlorinated water.
Separation prevents cross-contamination that can occur by spreading bacteria
from raw food to ready-to-eat food. Accordingly, raw meat, poultry, seafood, and
eggs must be separated in the grocery
shopping cart, bags, and in the refrigerator. Cooked and ready-to-eat foods should
always be stored above raw foods to avoid
juices dripping onto food. Avoid unhealthy
practices such as placing cooked food on
an unwashed plate that previously contained raw foods or using marinades on
raw foods without boiling them first. Use
separate cutting boards for raw and ready
-to-eat foods.
Cooking kills harmful pathogens that
occur in foods. To ensure that food is
cooked safely, verify that the internal
temperature reaches 75 degrees Celsius
(167 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 seconds.
A food thermometer is the most accurate
and safest way to verify that the food was
cooked properly.
Chilling is also an important step for
keeping food safe because it slows down
the growth of food pathogens. Chilled
food should be kept under refrigeration
below 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit).
To minimize foodborne illnesses, highrisk groups can avoid the following
foods:
• Raw foods such as raw meats and
raw fish, which occur in some sushi and
sashimi
• Refrigerated smoked fish and partially
cooked shrimp and crab
• Raw and undercooked eggs
• Foods containing raw eggs such as
homemade salad dressings and raw cookie dough
• Soft cheeses including feta, Brie,
Camembert, blue-veined, and queso fresco
• Unheated deli meats and luncheon
meats.
Foodborne illnesses have many symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
and fever. If you think that you may have
a foodborne illness, consult your physician
or health-care provider, or seek medical
treatment as appropriate.
Washing your hands is just one of a number
of ways to prevent foodborne illness. Cleaning helps remove harmful pathogens from
hands, surfaces, and produce.
"green matters" is a regular column offered by
the Environmental Protection Department highlighting challenges and potential solutions to
some of the most pressing environmental issues of
the day.
bulletin board
community education
The Office of Community Education
announces that registration is open for
Winter Session 2016. Grade code 11+
employees and their dependents over 15
years of age, with a valid Saudi Aramco
ID, are eligible. Females, grade code
3-10, are also eligible. Information and
a course list are available on ShareK.
Winter courses will begin in January and
offer a variety of academic, recreational
and high interest options. Students may
register online or at the Community
Education Office. Booklets containing course
information are available at the Community
Information centers and the Community
Education Office. You may contact us
at 877-1688 for further information or
assistance. Interested instructors may
also contact our office at 877-1526.
Dhahran Oasis Quilt
Guild (DOQG)
The DOQG meets Monday afternoons and
Tuesday evenings at 4056 Karl Street. All skill
levels are welcome. If you are interested in
learning the art of quilting, please join us at any
Monday afternoon or Tuesday evening meeting.
DOQG is a self-directed group open to all 11+
employees and their dependents above the age
of 15. Open Sewing (9 a.m. Wednesdays).
For more info, call 878-0747 or
email [email protected].
sports
Dhahran basketball
season begins
Basketball season is here! The Dhahran Basketball
Association (DBA) opened the 2015-2016 Winter
League with 10 teams participating. All Saudi
Aramco 11+ employees and dependents age 16
and up are encouraged to join. Games are played
at the 3rd Street Gym from Sunday through
Wednesday each week. This is a great opportunity
to get in shape playing one of your favorite
sports with referees, score keepers, and uniforms.
Email [email protected] or Ritchie.
[email protected] if you wish to join a team.
Dhahran Youth Baseball
Association
Registration for the Dhahran Youth Baseball
Association will be 4:30-6 p.m. Sunday, Jan.
17, through Monday, Jan. 19, in the alMujamma’ lobby. Sign up will be for Teeball
(ages 5-6); PeeWee (ages 7-8); Minors/Majors
(ages 9-12), and Juniors/Seniors (ages 13-17)
leagues. For more information, contact Karien
Wilson at [email protected].
Dhahran Road
Runners Half
Marathon
The Dhahran Road Runners Club (DRRC) will
hold its annual half marathon Saturday, Feb. 13.
Open to all employees and dependents eligible
to use 11+ facilities, the race will begin 6:30 a.m.
at the Dhahran Cricket Fields. Individuals and
teams must pre-register by Jan. 25 at www.drrc.
myaramco.com/half.php. SR100 per individual.
For more information, email Malik.Shobber@
aramco.com or [email protected].
medical
Emergency numbers
For your safety, save the emergency numbers to your
mobile phone. From a land line inside Saudi Aramco,
dial 110 for ambulance, fire, or security; from outside
Saudi Aramco, dial 997 for ambulance or 998 for fire.
Abqaiq: From your mobile phone inside
Abqaiq, dial 013-572-0110.
Dhahran: From your mobile phone inside
Dhahran, dial 013-872-0110.
ar-Rakah: From your mobile phone inside
ar-Rakah, dial 013-872-0110.
Ras Tanura: From your mobile phone inside
Ras Tanura, dial 013-673-0110.
Udhailiyah: From your mobile phone inside
Udhailiyah, dial 013-576-7110.
'
'
SAEA
Tickets on sale now!
Tickets now available for:
•
Billy Beez at the Mall of
Dhahran in al-Khobar
•
Fun Oasis at Al Rashid Mall in al-Khobar
•
Al Hokair Entertainment Centers, including
Spark's at the Mall of Dhahran, Fun Studio
at Dareen Mall in Dammam, Happy Land
on the Dammam Corniche, and Digital
Land at the Al Shiraa Mall in Dammam
•
Ramroma Land Entertainment Center — Venicia Mall in al-Khobar
and Marina Mall in Dammam
•
Toy Town at Fouad Center
•
An Evening at the Movies
•
Wahoo!! Water Park
•
Lost Paradise of Dilmun Water Park
•
Coach to City Center Mall in Bahrain
•
“Discover Arabia” Taif – Feb. 19 and 20
Tickets can be purchased in the SAEA office on
weekdays between 3 and 5 p.m. or at the
Al-Midra Atrium on Thursdays between
11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. (limited selection).
For more information, please call
the SAEA office at 872-0117 or visit them at 1424 King’s Road.
9
December 30, 2015
10 this and that
sudoku
easy
Each row, column and 3-by-3
square must contain only one RELEASE
of
DATE—Sunday, December 20, 2015
each digit, from 1-9.
Los Angeles Times Sunday Crossword Puzzle
last week’s answer
December 27, 2015
EditedRELEASE
by RichDATE—Sunday,
Norris and Joyce
Nichols Lewis
74 One swinging in
41 Muscle malady
8 Slender fish
104 Machu Picchu
74 With “The,”
a box
42 Dog once
9 Pole or Croat
dweller Sunday
Los Angeles
Crossword
Puzzle
2002 Steven Times
75 Derogatory
shunned
10 Irritated
106 Film lover’s
Pinker best-
“LA-LA LAND” By
GARRY MORSE
Take your Arabian Sun with you while
on the move.
across
1 Duchamp genre
5Toot one’s own
horn
10 In the thick of
15Prepare for a birth,
in a way
19 Not supportin’
20Moose meeting
place
21 Check
22Munch Museum
city
23 *Bugs line
25Seat of New York’s
Oneida County
26Common parade
street
27Martha’s Vineyard
papers
28*Classic novel with
the chapter “My
Breaking In”
30 Babs Bunny, e.g.
31 Website for techies
33 Single or double
34Title teacher in a
1967 film
37*“End of
discussion!”
43 Guinea pig, e.g.
46 Part of a Latin trio
48 It may be close
49 Meter reading
50 Eggs in a clinic
51*John Adams’
home after the
Market Street
mansion
54 Air quality concern
55Sounds heard with
a stethoscope
57 Hyundai sedan
58 Glue base
60Agcy. with facilities
in Denver and West
Point
61Ben Jonson epitaph
words
63 40 day season sans Sundays
65 Comédie part
66 To be, in Paris
68*“That’s how the
cookie crumbles”
72 Hardy heroine
73 Capone nemesis
74Everett of “Citizen
Kane”
75 Cryptic letters
77 Drying-out sites
79 Quake danger
83Delivery van
assignments
86 Baker with Grammys
87 BC and Cal, e.g.
88 *Whodunit staple
90 Base VIP
91Popular Girl Scout
cookie
93 Indian wrap: Var.
94 Grumpy mood
95 Prior to, poetically
96*Soap set in Pine
Valley, Pennsylvania
100 Mdse.
101Gentle treatment,
briefly
102 Weighty refs.
103 Some dishwashers
105 *No spring chicken
111 Polytheistic creed
116 Rate of speed
117 Pope’s muse
118Answer to the
spoken riddle
hidden in the
answers to starred
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120Like many a quote:
Abbr.
121Home to the Sforza
Castle
122“Buckaroo Holiday”
ballet
123 Driver’s warning
124 Advance
125 Argues vehemently
126 German steel hub
127 Secondhand
Down
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Georgia athlete,
familiarly
2 Ottoman general
3 Actress Cameron
4 Paid for a hand
5 Wheat protein
6 Easy gait
7 Bookie’s numbers
8 Back in the day
9 Sleuth, slangily
10 Former minors
11 Prefix with ethics
12 Of the ear
13 Banjo part with frets
14 Bit of this, bit of that
15 Rootless one
16 Jacob’s womb-mate
17Cut (open), as a
letter
18Tiger with a red
scarf
24Ancient gathering
place
28 __ noir
29 Sushi bar suppliers
31Scene using stunt
drivers
32 Piercing site
34 Cutting tools
35Letters before two
cents?
36Whatever the
weather
38 Brit. medal
39 Tough guy
40Going through the
roof
41 Sees through
42Critic who won’t
quit
43 Tricky force tactic
44 Some are blessed
45 Sweet and sour
47 Eyes persistently
52 Pilot’s update, briefly
53 Heckle, say
54 Editor’s “Leave it”
56Many open mic
night performers
59 Sci-fi staple
60 On the fence
62 Blowup: Abbr.
64“I do not see why
I should __ turn
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66 Infuriate
67 Many a concertgoer
69 Many a startup
70 Move nonchalantly
Rich Norris and Joyce
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remark
response
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ACROSS
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black mic 76
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AMY JOHNSON
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in some
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93 1963
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110 Down
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12/20/15
©2015 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
[email protected]
113 Wall St.staple
highlights
90 Base VIP
114 Arid
12/27/15
©2015 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
[email protected]
115’60s TV barn
ANSWER
TO TODAY’S PUZZLE
resident
118“__ You
ANSWER TO TODAY’S PUZZLE
Experienced”:
Hendrix album
119 Negatives
“extra! extra!”
by Amy Johnson
crossword
last week's crossword answer
12/20/15
12/27/15
the arabian sun
this and that 11
movies
Tomorrowland
Dhahran
Abqaiq
George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Britt Robertson
Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore
Tomorrowland
action
Dec. 30-31, Jan. 1-2 5 p.m.
Dec. 30-31, Jan. 1-2 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 3 and 6
Jan. 3 and 6
PG-13
The Seventh Son
action
Dec. 30-31, Jan. 1-2 5 p.m.
Dec. 30-31, Jan. 1-2 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 3 and 6
Jan. 3 and 6
5 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
PG-13
5 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
Bound by a shared destiny, a teen
bursting with scientific curiosity and
a former boy-genius inventor embark
on a mission to unearth the secrets of
place, somewhere in time and space
that exists in their collective memory.
Big Hero 6
'Udhailiyah
Najma
Big Hero 6
Interstellar
Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Daniel Henney
Mathew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica
Chastain
biography
Dec. 30-31, Jan. 1-2 5 p.m.
Dec. 30-31, Jan. 1-2 8 p.m.
Jan. 3 and 6
Jan. 3 and 6
5 p.m.
8 p.m.
PG
science fiction
Dec. 30-31, Jan. 1-2
Dec. 30-31, Jan. 1-2
4:45 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
Jan. 6
Jan. 6
4:45 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
A special bond develops between
a plus-sized inflatable robot, Baymax, and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who
team up with a group of friends to
form a band of high-tech heroes.
PG-13
accomplishments
The Scott AirPak self-contained breathing
apparatus (SCBA) was introduced in the early 1950s and was immediately adopted for
use by company personnel, as evidenced by
this January 1953 photo. Here, workers are
being instructed in its use. The Scott AirPak
supplied 30-60 minutes of fresh air to workers performing jobs such as tank cleaning
and tank gauging. Providing its workforce
with the latest and best technology available has always been one of the hallmarks
of the company. (Photo: T.F. Walters)
arabian
the arabian sun
12
Partnership Committee unveiled
Looking to accelerate the Kingdom’s transition toward a knowledge-based economy, Saudi Aramco and
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology officials meet in Dhahran.
Brian Gratto retires after more than three
decades with Saudi Aramco
Dhahran — For the Gratto family, Dec. 31,
2015, represents the end of a three decade
journey with Saudi Aramco and the beginning of a new journey where the family will
be reunited once again in the same country.
In 1977, Brian graduated with a bachelor’s
degree in geology from Queens University before going to work in Canada for five
years.
His journey with Saudi Aramco started
in 1982. Gratto joined Saudi Aramco as a
member of the Reserves team before moving into Northern Fields Development. He
briefly left the company to pursue his Master’s in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo, and after graduating,
was rehired by Saudi Aramco in 1993. He
worked on several important and high-level
projects between 1998 and 2009, including
the Kingdom Gas Strategy, the Natural Gas
Initiative, and Upstream joint ventures.
In 2009, Gratto was tasked with establishing the Exploration Resources Assessment
Department under Exploration and leading
the department as a manager until 2011,
when he was named the manager of the
Unconventional Gas (UG) Initiative under the
umbrella of the Accelerated Transformation
Program, a role he held until 2012. During
this period, he was instrumental in formulating the strategy to exploit and develop the
UG resources in the Kingdom in three areas
Northern Arabia, South Ghawar, and Jafurah/Rub’ al-Khali.
In 2012, he was put in charge of implementing the UG strategy and establishing an
organization under Exploration for Unconventional Resources. Starting with a small
team of people, Gratto leaves an organization that today has over 500 employees.
Brian and his wife, Heather, have enjoyed
their time in Saudi Arabia and living in the
Dhahran community, where they raised their
children, Shawn and Tara. They were active
members of the community and have been
very involved in the Hobby Farm for many
years due to their passion and love for horses, as well as the golf course, where they
see page 8
Brian Gratto and his wife, Heather, have enjoyed
their time in Saudi Arabia, where they raised
their children, Shawn and Tara, and were active
members of the community.
enjoy their weekends.
The Grattos will be forever grateful to
Saudi Aramco and Saudi Arabia for providing them with the opportunities to travel the
world, provide their children an excellent education, as well as allowing them to enjoy
retirement.
the morning catch
Sharon McNeill captured this image of fishermen bringing in their nets in the early morning this March. McNeill was vacationing near
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India, when she
captured the photograph with her Canon Ixus
130 point-and-shoot camera. McNeill lives and
works in the Dhahran in the Corporate Business
Ethics Office. She has been with the company
for 25 years.
The Arabian Sun is a weekly publication issued free
of charge by the Public
Relations Department for
Saudi Aramco employees.
Room 87, Dhahran Heights, Building
9156, D Wing, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Telephone, (013) 876-0374
Email: [email protected]
ISSN: 1319-156X
Publishing Director:
Abdullah Maghlooth
Editors: Jamsheed Din, Todd Williams
Editorial staff: Eamonn Houston, Scott
Baldauf, Jeff McCoshen and Rawan Nasser.
Correspondence may be addressed
to the editor, R-87, Dhahran
Heights, Building 9156 (D Wing)
Articles may be reproduced provided The Arabian Sun is credited.