Dimensions International Fall 2014

Transcription

A Periodical of Saudi Aramco
AAJ
THE LAND OF THE
RISING SUN
FALL
Fall 2014
2
Aramco Asia-Japan
Japan has long been an important
market for Saudi Aramco’s crude oil and
petroleum products, and the launch of
Aramco Asia-Japan in 2012 signaled
an even deeper commitment to what
has been a prosperous and beneficial
relationship with “The Land of the
Rising Sun.” The scope and focus of the
30-year partnership goes beyond oil
trading and procurement to include areas
such as research and development, and
mutual investments in new technologies.
What does a petroleum
engineer really do?
It’s well-known that petroleum engineers have
always played a crucial role in the oil and gas
industry, but not everyone understands exactly
what that role entails. Join us for an inside look of
the various contributions that engineers make in
virtually every aspect of the industry to keep the
production of oil and gas running smoothly — and
safely — on a daily basis. Photo by Ahmad El-Itani
10
departments
abbrev. 28
worldview Back Cover
The Saudi Arabian Oil Company, also known as Saudi
Aramco, was established by Royal Decree in November
1988 to succeed the original U.S. concessionary company,
Aramco. The Aramco concession dates back to 1933.
Saudi Aramco’s Dimensions International
is published periodically for the affiliates,
customers and employees of the Saudi
Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco).
Beginning in 1973, under terms of an agreement with the four Aramco shareholders, the Saudi
Government began acquiring an ownership interest. By 1980, with retroactive financial effect to
1976, the Government’s beneficial interest in Aramco increased to 100 percent when it paid for
substantially all of Aramco’s assets.
Khalid A. Al-Falih
President and Chief Executive Officer
Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Council for Petroleum and Mineral Affairs determines policies and
oversees operations of the Kingdom’s oil and gas industries. Saudi Aramco’s Board of Directors is
chaired by HE Ali I. Al-Naimi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.
Aali M. Alzahrani
General Manager, Public Affairs
Nasser A. Al-Nafisee
Executive Director, Corporate Affairs
Editor:
William E. Bradshaw
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Desert panoramas
Some of the Kingdom’s most
breathtaking natural landscapes were
captured on film for all to see when
a crew made a unique trek into the
depths of the desert on a 10-day trip
that proved to be challenging, but
infinitely rewarding. When completed,
the time-lapse films will serve the
centerpieces of the state-of-the-art
interactive exhibits at Saudi Aramco’s
King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture
in Dhahran. Photo by Grant Reid
22
Johns Hopkins Joint Venture
with Saudi Aramco
A new era in health care in the Kingdom was ushered
in with the inauguration of historic partnership between
Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM) and Saudi Aramco. The
Joint Venture Agreement, which officially came into effect
in January of this year, brings together Saudi Aramco’s
long established health care system and the worldrenowned clinical, educational and research expertise
of JHM.
Contributing to this issue:
Adil A. Al-Sadiq, Dr. Zillur Rahim, Adnan AlKanaan, Dr. Hamoud A. Al-Anazi, Grant Reid,
Kim Kash, Salam A. Al-Jishi and Jeff McCoshen
Design:
Graphic Engine Design,
Austin, Texas, U.S.A.
Printing:
Sarawat Designers and Printers,
Jiddah, Saudi Arabia
All editorial correspondence
should be addressed to:
The Editor,
Saudi Aramco Dimensions International
Public Relations Department,
Saudi Aramco Box 5000
Dhahran 31311
Saudi Arabia
About the cover:
The Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji) located
in Kyoto, Japan, is literally covered in
gold — gold leaf. The Golden Pavilion is
listed on the World Heritage site and is
surrounded by beautiful gardens.
ISSN 1319-0520
Copyright © 2014 Aramco Services Company
FALL 2014
Printed on recycled paper
www.saudiaramco.com
Dimensions International
1
:
JAPAN
A GATE WAY TO ASIA
2
AN EYE ON SAUDI ARAMCO’S PROJECTS IN
“THE L AND OF THE RISING SUN”
BY ADIL A. AL-SADIQ
The 100-year-old Tokyo Train Station has recently been renovated.
The main station in Tokyo handles more than 3,000 trains daily.
3
THE VALUE OF WORK IS DEEPLY ROOTED IN JAPANESE
CULTURE. WHATEVER DIFFICULTIES THEY FACE, IT IS A
DEDICATION TO HARD WORK THAT HAS RESULTED IN
SUCCESS FOR CENTURIES IN THE ISL AND NATION.
That work ethic has paved the way for economic cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Japan, but the relationship
between the two countries has gone beyond mere trade; it is
a bond between a developing country and an industrial giant
in search for markets and sources of energy.
Saudi Aramco has played a vital role in providing Japan
with the energy it has needed to become one of the world’s
major industrialized nations, with the partnership between
the company and Japan going back more than 30 years.
In recent years, that partnership has grown. In 2012,
Saudi Aramco launched Aramco Asia-Japan (AAJ) as part of
a new phase in the pursuit of the company’s vision of becoming a key source of energy and chemicals in the Far East,
helping realize its strategic intent of becoming a leading global and integrated energy and chemicals company by 2020.
Currently, the Kingdom exports 1 million barrels per
day of crude oil to Japan, which represents 30 percent of
Japan’s total crude oil imports. Saudi Aramco’s business in
Japan continues to grow. Since December 2010, the company has leased a commercial crude oil site for commercial
storage on the island of Okinawa, which has a total capacity
of 6.3 million barrels.
ARAMCO ASIA-JAPAN: A LEVER FOR ENERGY PROJECTS
Asia is a major market for Saudi Aramco’s crude oil and
petroleum products. It is also one of the main destinations of
Saudi Aramco’s sales, establishing another important role for
the AAJ office and making it a lever for Saudi Aramco projects in the country.
In recent years, Asian markets have become the main outlet for the marketing of Saudi Aramco’s petroleum products
thanks to steady growth in the region, which is also one of
the most important suppliers of materials, construction, and
services to Saudi Aramco. These commercial transactions
Japanese employees enjoy working as a team. Being led by Izumi Kawaguchi,
right, are Ami Enomoto, Nami Yamamoto and Nozomi Nakamura.
The Aramco Asia-Japan staff are
busy executing the company’s
plans at its offices in Tokyo.
have contributed to the development of the Saudi economy
and helped support growing economies in the Asian region.
Previously, two Saudi Aramco subsidiaries did business in
Japan. The establishment of Aramco Asia merged these subsidiaries into AAJ, a step that came with a variety of challenges.
Young as it may be, AAJ has achieved numerous breakthroughs in growth and expansion. Regional partners welcomed the launch of AAJ, which was described as timely and
crucial to providing more opportunities for the Kingdom and
the Far East, as well as for Saudi Aramco and local companies.
On July 13, 2012, Khalid Al-Buainain, senior vice president of Technical Services, (who was then Saudi Aramco’s
senior vice president of Downstream), opened the offices of
AAJ at a gathering of 300 guests in Tokyo.
“The establishment of this company is a testimony to
Saudi Aramco’s firm commitment to the Japanese market,”
said Al-Buainain.
“The newly established company is based on the longterm and strong relationship between the two countries. The
scope and focus of the company will go beyond oil trading
and procurement to include other areas, such as research and
development, as well as taking advantage of mutual investments in new technology and the Capital Power Initiative,
which was recently launched to support the energy industry.”
DEEPENING SAUDI ARAMCO’S PRESENCE
“As part of expanding our business on a global scale, Saudi
Aramco’s subsidiaries all over the world are offering a wide
range of services, including the marketing of crude oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and chemicals, as well as coordination of joint ventures, procurement, inspection, research and
development, project management, development of human
resources, public and government relations, and communications,” said Ahmed AlSubaey, executive director of
Marketing, Supply and Joint
Venture Coordination.
“Through Aramco Asia’s
regional offices, we continue
Highlights in the history of Saudi-Japanese
to deepen our presence in
one of the fastest growing
cooperation in areas of investment and economics
regions of the world. These
international projects will
continue to play an imporTHE VISIT OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE CROWN PRINCE, DEPUT Y PRIME
tant role in Saudi Aramco’s
MINISTER AND THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE, PRINCE SALMAN BIN ABDUL AZIZ
transformation into a world
leader in the field of energy
AL SAUD TO JAPAN IN FEBRUARY 2014.
and chemicals by 2020.”
THE SYMPOSIUM HELD IN FEBRUARY 2014 IN TOKYO UNDER THE THEME “INVEST
Regarding Saudi Aramco’s operations in Japan, AlIN SAUDI ARABIA,” ATTENDED BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR OF THE SAUDI
Subaey said: “Saudi Aramco
ARABIAN GENERAL INVESTMENT AUTHORITY, ABDULLATIF IBN AHMED AL-OTHMAN.
owns, through one of its
subsidiaries, a 14.96 percent
KHALID A. AL-FALIH, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF SAUDI ARAMCO DELIVERED A
interest in Showa Shell, one
SPEECH IN KYOTO DURING THE 10TH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN SOCIETY (STS)
of Japan’s largest refining
FORUM, WHICH WAS HELD IN OCTOBER 2013.
companies. Showa Shell’s
share price increased by 115
THE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FORUM WAS HELD IN TOKYO IN FEBRUARY 2012.
percent in 2013, which substantiates the prevailing optiSAUDI ARAMCO’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS MET IN TOKYO IN MAY 2012.
mism in the market about
the future of Showa Shell’s
A view of downtown Tokyo from the
Aramco Asia-Japan (AAJ) office.
5
Social Responsibility:
Cooperation and Support
WHEN IT COMES TO SOCIAL RESPONSIBILIT Y IN JAPAN AND
TAIWAN, THERE IS SIGNIFICANT COOPERATION BETWEEN
SAUDI ARAMCO AND THE IWATANI CORPORATION, WHICH
LED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WELL-RECEIVED SAUDI
ARAMCO-IWATANI EMERGENCY LP GAS RELIEF PROGRAM IN 2009.
IN ADDITION, THROUGH AAJ, SAUDI ARAMCO HAS SUPPORTED THE PRESERVATION OF OKINAWA REEFS SINCE
2011 AND ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTES TO MANGROVE PL ANTING
CAMPAIGNS SINCE 2012 IN COOPERATION WITH A JAPANESE
UNIVERSIT Y. MOREOVER, THERE IS A STRONG REL ATIONSHIP
WITH THE OKINAWA INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.
WHEN THE RECENT EARTHQUAKE HIT JAPAN, THE KINGDOM
WAS QUICK TO EXTEND HELP, AND SAUDI ARAMCO’S PRESIDENT
AND CEO KHALID A. AL-FALIH PERSONALLY VISITED THE
DISASTER STRICKEN AREAS TO MEET WITH ALL CUSTOMERS
AND ASSURED THEM THAT COOPERATION WILL CONTINUE. HE
ENCOURAGED SAUDI ARAMCO’S PERSONNEL STATIONED IN
JAPAN TO PROVIDE THEIR OWN CONTRIBUTIONS TO HELP
THE JAPANESE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE DISASTER.
AAJ ALSO PAYS VISITS TO UNIVERSITIES AND GIVES
PRESENTATIONS ON SAUDI ARAMCO'S OPERATIONS IN
JAPAN AND ALL OVER THE WORLD.
The company’s strategic storage plant in Okinawa
can hold 6.3 million barrels of crude oil.
business. Showa Shell has also out performed
its counterparts in the field of solar energy.”
Solar Frontier, a subsidiary of Showa
Shell, succeeded in 2012 in installing a 10.5
MW solar power system in Saudi Aramco’s
Al-Midra office complex in Dhahran. More
than 120,000 solar panels were installed above
the sunshades in the parking area for the production of clean energy for the building.
CHALLENGES
“The creation of Aramco Asia-Japan was
not easy; in fact, we had many challenges,”
said Ahmed Alkhunaini, representative director of AAJ.
“We have been in Japan for nearly 35
years, which brought the company to a high
level of professional and business maturity in
the performance of its basic mission: the sale
and marketing of crude oil and petroleum
products in Japan and other Asian countries.
However, other aspects of the business are
as important as — and complementary to
— the sale of oil. Our business in Japan has
grown into the best professional experience
in terms of import and export during the
past three decades, and Saudi Aramco and
Aramco Asia-Japan are very proud of their
reputation for reliability, which bolstered
their presence in Japan as an important and
essential source of energy.”
The Kingdom exports a total of 1 million
barrels of crude oil per day to Japan and Taiwan, which also falls within the responsibilities of AAJ. Although Saudi Aramco’s initial
presence in Japan was mainly for the sale of
crude oil, the company’s portfolio is expanding, especially at a time when Saudi Aramco
is moving toward development and change
through the application of the Accelerated
Transformation Program (ATP) initiatives,
which integrates many creative initiatives as a
basis for the transformation process.
Ahmed Al-Subaey
Ahmed Alkhunaini
The relationship between the Kingdom and Japan supports the company’s marketing plans for Japan and the
Pacific Rim countries, in a direct translation of the objectives of the ATP, which stresses the importance of developing and driving the marketing of Saudi Aramco's petroleum products globally.
“There are three primary reasons for our presence in
Japan and the formation of these three companies in the Far
East on the coast of the Pacific Ocean,” said Alkhunaini.
“The first reason is our customers. The second reason is
the suppliers and contractors from whom we import materials and equipment, and the third reason is centered around
proposed or independent partners.” Alkhunaini said the
company always encourages Japanese investors to invest
in various fields in the Kingdom, from infrastructure to the
transfer of advanced technologies through the development
of robust and effective communication channels with Japanese
business sectors.
“Our role is not limited to encouragement; we also bridge
the gaps in viewpoints and give a detailed explanation of
the nature of business in the Kingdom. In addition, we help
Japanese investors by arranging constructive meetings with
the competent authorities,” said Alkhunaini.
“There is no doubt that Eastern Asia has a promising
economic future, and we are betting on our students who are
getting their degrees there and who will take over leadership
positions in the company and its subsidiaries worldwide.
Current numbers support our vision and views on East Asian
countries and India where there is an economic boom.”
EMERGING MARKETS
Yuya Katsumata, deputy managing director of the Marketing Services Department, recently completed 10 years of service with AAJ.
Katsumata says when he started working at the Saudi
Petroleum Ltd. in Tokyo in 2004, he was only responsible for
crude oil sales, but since the merger and the birth of AAJ, he
has assumed responsibility for the marketing of other products as well.
The department now deals directly with some departments in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, such as the Crude Oil
Marketing and Sales Department and the Joint Venture
Coordination Department. Katsumata coordinates the
agreements and contracts for commercial crude oil storage
tanks in Okinawa.
Yuya Katsumata
Takuro Abe
“This is just the beginning,” he predicts. “I am sure that
the company will grow bigger and expand its business in the
Far East. Crude oil marketing and sales will cover all markets.”
MARKETING OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
The Marketing Services Department assumes, among other
things, the responsibility of marketing LPG. Takuro Abe,
manager of the LPG & Product Marketing Services Division,
describes energy markets at present as “dynamic and complex.”
“As part of my job in the LPG marketing, I send reports to
the Crude Oil Marketing and Sales Department, and so do officials in other offices in Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, London and New
York. Then, the department staff consolidates these reports into
one comprehensive report for submittal to the pricing committee,
which in turn, announces the prices,” he explains.
“As for me, I constantly monitor market activities and I conduct face-to-face interviews with marketing staff and customers.”
“Pricing is my daily work, and the nature of this work
is especially dynamic to cope with the circumstances of the
markets. The process involves satisfying the customers, fulfilling their needs, maintaining and increasing our profits,
and strengthening our presence in the market.”
AN EYE ON THE MARKET
Atena Hone, an assistant in the Marketing Services Department, is named after the Greek capital where she was born
and lived until she was three years old. Her father was a pilot
stationed in Athens.
Her work is focused on marketing crude oil and LPG
products. She also updates all the data and information on
LPG on a daily basis, and contributes to the preparation of
specific reports and tables on markets and price comparisons.
Hone makes daily comparisons between prices and movement of products.
One of her duties is the preparation of a weekly report on
LPG, participation in the preparation of reports on Asian market
conditions, customer registration and collection of relevant information, as well as the creation of infographics for such reports
to help make them more informative and helpful. Hone, who
speaks fluent English, thanks to attending high school for a year
in Rhode Island where she lived with an American family, also
coordinates the visits of business delegations to her department.
She recalls the learning curve involved when she joined
Saudi Petroleum three years ago.
7
Atena Hone
Hideki Koike
Nasser AlHelal
Tina Suzuki
“When I first started, I had no experience working with
Arabs and Saudis, and I had no knowledge of their customs
and traditions. However, in time, I began to adapt and
explore the Saudi culture to better understand my work
colleagues. I came to know that they are educated and
knowledgeable about the world and work, and that they
are professionals. In short, I can say that Saudis are positive and wonderful.”
HISTORY OF COOPERATION
That same year, Saudi Petroleum Overseas Company
Ltd., a subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, opened a new office in
Tokyo. The office was headed by several managing directors
from Saudi Aramco, and in 1993, the company’s name was
changed to Saudi Petroleum Ltd.
Koike noted other examples of the cooperation between
Japanese institutions and Saudi Aramco.
“There are some academic centers and institutions that
have long-standing relations of cooperation with the Kingdom and Saudi Aramco, such
as the Japan Cooperation
Center for the Middle East,
and the Japanese-Saudi Ara“... BUT ONE THING REMAINS UNCHANGED,
bia Society."
Counselor Hideki Koike has
32 years of continuous service.
Koike is known, loved,
and respected by the employTHAT IS THE FACT THAT I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN,
ees of AAJ. His colleagues
THE MECHANISM OF ACTION
turn to him for advice in all
AND WILL ALWAYS BE, PROUD OF MY WORK
Nasser AlHelal, deputy manwork-related matters. He
IN THIS COMPANY, WHICH I CONSIDER A
aging director of the Strategic
retains in his memory the hisFAMILY FOR ALL EMPLOYEES.”
Procurement and Logistics
tory of cooperation between
Department, says there have
the Kingdom and Japan.
— Yoshiko Komatsu
been significant changes in
“The first economic relathe nature of the work.
tionship between Japan and
“Since we became AramSaudi Arabia dates back to
co Asia-Japan, the pace of
1958 when the Arabianwork quickened and its scope expanded. Our responsibilities,
Japanese Oil Company was founded in Al-Khafji (in the
as a result, increased. For example, our purchases in the region
Partitioned Zone between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait). I was
part of a delegation that visited the Kingdom in 1973. The goal increased by 350 percent in 2013 compared to 2012. In the
past, we used to look for and buy the materials, and Aramco
of the visit was to study the conditions for the establishment of
a joint venture between Japan and the Kingdom in the field of Overseas Co. (AOC) in the Netherlands would pay the invoices.
Now, the situation is completely different; we are responsible
petroleum.”
for everything — contracts and payments, among others. Also,
In 1984, an office was established for Petronal (Petromanagement of travel services and their related contracts were
min International) in Tokyo, covering all business in Japan,
the responsibility of AOC in the Netherlands, and so was the
China, South Korea, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand,
management of logistics contracts. Now, all these tasks are our
Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore. The company’s
responsibility. We have also become responsible for the search
head office was located in London, with branches in several
for new suppliers to cover all of Southeast Asia.”
cities, such as New York, Houston, Singapore and Tokyo.
On working with Japanese employees AlHelal says: “JapThe year 1990, Koike says, was a turning point in Japaanese employees never cease to amaze me; their performance
nese-Saudi economic relations. The Kingdom offered to sell
is characterized by accuracy and loyalty. They have a great
crude oil directly to Japanese oil companies instead of those
sense of responsibility toward their work.”
companies having to buy oil from major companies, such as
Shell, Mobil and Chevron.
8
Yoshiko Komatsu
Japan offers natural beauty, some of the biggest
cities in the world and a wide array of activities.
PUBLIC RELATIONS: THE CONNECTION
BETWEEN EMPLOYEES AND THE SAUDI CULTURE
Tina Suzuki, the pulsating heart of AAJ’s Public Relations,
is experienced and always eager to work. She believes in the
importance of the role Saudi Aramco plays through AAJ in
strengthening and boosting the economic and cultural ties of
more than three decades between the Kingdom and Japan.
Suzuki started working for the company in December
2006. “Following the AOC and SPL merger, all employees
had to get to know each other better, especially with the
number of employees increasing. We had to have a newspaper or a newsletter to provide information on employees.
That is where the idea of the newsletter we launched in February 2013 came from.
“In addition, the Public Relations Department has built
distinguished relationships with the Japanese media, especially the nonprofit ones, such as government-run Channel One
of the Japanese TV, which has aired documentary films on
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, especially the joint venture in
Rabigh,” she said. “We select television and radio channels
and newspapers with utmost care to be sure that we will not
run into any technical or ethical problems.”
Japan is well-known for its various
traditional women’s attire. One of
the most popular of these is the
“furisode,” which is basically a
variation of the famous kimono.
Usually, young ladies in the age of
marriage wear it during weddings
and tea parties to indicate that
they’re not engaged. Customarily
made of very fine threads of lightcolored silk, it can be expensive
and is easily identifiable by the
wide sleeves. In Japanese, furisode
literally means “swinging sleeves.”
“SAUDI ARAMCO’S FAMILY”
Yoshiko Komatsu joined the Procurement Department at
Saudi Petroleum Overseas Ltd. in 1992 as a buyer and has
seen the number of employees increase almost sevenfold.
“Faces and names change around here, but one thing
remains unchanged, that is the fact that I have always been,
and will always be, proud of my work in this company,
which I consider a family for all employees,” says Komatsu,
who holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the Sophia
University in Japan.
That family atmosphere was no more apparent than the
day of the earthquake and ensuing tsunami that hit Japan
on March 11, 2011.
“It was a disaster for the Japanese people,” says Komatsu. “Many foreigners decided to return to their countries. We felt that the world had forsaken us and left us to
face that devastating disaster on our own. However, the
one thing that I will never forget is that at a time when
so many people were leaving Japan that the airports were
jammed, Khalid A. Al-Falih, Saudi Aramco’s president and
CEO, came to Japan to offer his consolation to each and
every one of us in our offices. We were all touched by that
visit that made us
feel very proud
to be members of
Saudi Aramco’s
larger family.
It even made a
strong positive
impression on our
families, as well
as the contractors
and suppliers with
whom we deal.”
The Marunouchi Building,
where the Aramco Asia-Japan
(AAJ) office is located.
9
WHAT DOES A PETROLEUM
ENGINEER REALLY DO?
BY DR. ZILLUR RAHIM, ADNAN AL-KANAAN
AND DR. HAMOUD A. AL-ANAZI
Few career paths in today’s world
offer the amazing variety of key
roles that petroleum engineers play
in the global economy, and as the
world’s demand for hydrocarbons
and their products continues to
rise, petroleum engineers will
play a crucial role in ensuring that
demand is met, new technologies
are deployed, costs and risks are
managed, the environment is
protected, and the world’s
economic future remains secure.
Integrated task cycle for a typical
Reservoir Management Engineer.
WHAT IS PETROLEUM?
FIELD OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING
Most people associate petroleum with transportation, but
petroleum is not just used for fuel. Thousands of everyday vital
products come from petroleum. One 42-gallon barrel of oil
creates 20 gallons of gasoline and four gallons of jet fuel. The
remaining 18 gallons are used to make things like solvents, ink,
tires, motor oil, ice cube trays, house paint, roofing material,
surf boards, hand lotion, candles, shampoo, food preservatives,
toothpaste, golf balls, ice cream, heart valves, trash bags, antifreeze, eyeglasses, shower curtains, and so on.
All these petroleum and associated products come from
hydrocarbon resources found under the earth’s surface and
require human intervention to produce them. Hydrocarbon
is the result of the decomposition of organic matter over the
course of millions of years, which is why the derived fuel or
energy is a “nonrenewable” source of energy. This means that
any depletion of such a deposit cannot be replenished in the
foreseeable future. Consequently, there is an absolute necessity for other sources of energy to be developed to support the
depleting global petroleum reservoirs that have been subjected
to intense demand from energy consumers.
The field of petroleum engineering is all about the exploration
and production of various petroleum-based hydrocarbons,
particularly natural gas and crude oil. These are some of the
most significant sources of energy.
Exploration is the phase prior to actually finding a commercial hydrocarbon resource, and the tasks are mainly carried out by geoscientists with the cooperation of petroleum
engineers. Subsequently, the resource is transferred to the
petroleum engineers who become responsible for development, management, operations and production.
Petroleum engineering, as an academic discipline, originated in 1914 at the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers (AIME) and the first degree was
awarded by the University of Pittsburgh, PA, in 1915.
The number of petroleum engineer students is low compared to the other known engineering departments, such
as mechanical or electrical; therefore, there is a worldwide
industry demand for petroleum engineers.
The petroleum engineers formed a society — the history
begins within AIME. AIME was founded in 1871 in Penn-
10
Porosity, movable hydrocarbon saturation, reservoir thickness and extent generally define the amount of hydrocarbon
accumulated in a field and permeability defines the production potential.
WHO IS A PETROLEUM ENGINEER?
A cut out view of a hydrocarbon reservoir illustrating rock
bedding and layering.
sylvania to advance the production of metals, minerals, and
energy resources through the application of engineering. The
Petroleum Branch of AIME became a full-fledged professional society — the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) —
in 1957 and the first Board of Directors meeting was held in
Dallas, Texas, with president John H. Hammond presiding.
The number of SPE members in 2014 exceeded 124,000,
making the society the largest in the engineering industry.
A petroleum engineer is employed by an oil company to
design, test, and implement methods to produce petroleum
products from the earth and sea floor. These engineers are
involved in confirming the commercial presence of oil or gas,
locating the drilling sites, designing products by combining
their efforts with other engineering groups, contributing to
the development of software to control and run equipment
and simulate hydrocarbon flow through the reservoir, planning field development, and oversee the removal and processing of the petroleum itself.
A petroleum engineer possesses a mix of various skills in
mathematics, chemistry, geology, physics, finance, etc., over
THIS GRAPH SHOWS THE MEMBERSHIP GROWTH OF THE
SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS (SPE) FROM THE LATE
1950s TO 2014. MEMBERSHIP CURRENTLY EXCEEDS 124,000.
140
100
80
60
40
20
0
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
YEAR
SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS (SPE) MEMBERSHIP
COUNT BY REGION.
16
(THOUSANDS)
“Reservoir” is one of the most common terms in petroleum
engineering. What is a reservoir? In a general sense, a reservoir is a large natural or artificial lake used as a source of
water supply. In petroleum engineering terms, a reservoir
is where the hydrocarbon migrates into and resides — an
underground source usually thousands of feet deep — sitting
in very harsh conditions of pressure and temperature, and
bounded by impermeable layers above and below to contain
the hydrocarbon.
The two main fabrics of reservoirs are carbonates and
sandstones. They possess different chemistry and characteristics, and do not provide open space like lakes. Rather, they
are tightly grained, often consolidated, and hydrocarbon is
stored in the very small pore spaces of the rock fabric, known
as “porosity.”
When these pore spaces are connected and the fluid can pass
from one set of pores to the other, the rock becomes permeable.
This phenomenon is defined as “permeability,” and the higher
the permeability, the greater is the potential for hydrocarbon
flow. The flow of hydrocarbon from the reservoir reaches the
wellbore due to pressure differential between the reservoir and
wellbore, making the reservoir producible.
Saturation is an important aspect of a reservoir as different fluids, such as water, oil and gas, can coexist in the same
structure. No single fluid is usually found to saturate the
entire reservoir. Even if a single fluid existed, such as in a very
dry gas reservoir, not all the gas can be produced by virtue of
some of the gas sticking to the porosity walls, termed as residual saturation.
120
12
8
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WHAT IS A RESERVOIR?
11
Left A computer model of a field development plan simulated by the petroleum engineers with optimal well spacing and configuration.
Right A reservoir simulation model combined with geology showing well placement and hydrocarbon movement.
and above the core petroleum engineering subjects. The discipline also overlaps several other engineering branches that
include chemical, civil, and mechanical engineering; however,
the work is focused on the evaluation and production of gas
HISTORIC AND FUTURE ENERGY DEMAND WORLDWIDE.
QUADRILLION BTU
250
200
150
100
50
0
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040
YEAR
SOURCE: U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION (RELEASE DATE JULY 25, 2013).
ENROLLMENT OF ENGINEERING STUDENTS IN BACHELOR DEGREE
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
El
ec
tri Me
ca ch
l/C an
om ica
pu l
te
r
Co
Ci
m
vil
pu
O
t
er th
En
Sc er
gi
ne
i
er Ch enc
in e e
g m
(G ic
e a
Bi ner l
om al
)
Ae edi
ro cal
sp
I
a
M ndu ce
et st
al ri
lu al
Bi
r
ol
og En Pet gica
ica vi rol l
l & ron eu
Ag me m
n
r
En Civ Ar icul tal
g. il/E ch tur
Sc nv ite al
ie iro ctu
nc n r
En
es m al
gi
ne
& ent
er
Ph al
in
ys
g
M Nu ics
an cl
ag ea
em r
e
M nt
in
in
g
BS ENROLLMENT (THOUSANDS)
PROGRAMS (2013).
12
and oil reservoirs, making them available to the consumer in
various forms and stages.
Given the vast scope of petroleum engineering, a
single person obviously cannot champion all the tasks.
The petroleum engineering functions are broadly divided into three categories: Upstream, Midstream, and
Downstream. The very onset of exploration with the
drilling of exploratory wells and subsequent development and production of the field is considered Upstream
and is often referred to as Exploration and Production
(E&P). The Midstream sector includes all the complex
pipeline networks to transport the hydrocarbon from
the wells to the purification plants, refineries and other
installations. The ultimate refining and processing of
the crude, purification of natural gas, operating petrochemical plants, deriving products from oil and gas,
etc., compose the Downstream industry. The delineation
of a field (identifying field boundaries) and its development by drilling a sufficient number of wells, ensuring
that the hydrocarbon production target is met and the
field is produced optimally and economically, and managed diligently by using proper production strategies are
important tasks carried out by the Upstream petroleum
engineers. They ensure that the reservoir life cycle is
maximized by applying the most appropriate engineering and earth science technologies while fully complying
with safety and environmental regulations.
There are four areas of concern for a petroleum engineer: finding the oil/gas, evaluating hydrocarbon potential, maximizing recovery and transportation and storage. The major specialties include: design, oversee and
run multimillion dollar drilling and production operations, perform laboratory tests, studies, and experiments
to understand the reservoir and enhanced recovery methods, and develop computer simulation models to determine the optimal recovery process.
Upstream petroleum engineers are further divided
according to their specialties; some specialize in drilling
engineering and are responsible for designing and actual
drilling of the wells. “Production” engineers ensure proper
completion and tie-in of the well to the processing plants,
managing production operations, and optimizing operating expenses.
“Stimulation” engineers fracture and rejuvenate wells
to enhance productivity, making unconventional reservoirs
commercially producible. “Reservoir” engineers fully evaluate reservoir properties, potential, and forecast oil and
gas production rates.
Petroleum reservoir management is one of the main
branches of petroleum engineering and includes: overall field
development and planning, maximizing property value, evaluating production performance, ensuring reservoir health, and
being responsible in supplying and sustaining a substantial
portion of world energy.
Among all aspects of petroleum engineering, reservoir
management engineering, mainly comprised of reservoir engineers, is the final authority and responsible entity for the supply of petroleum to a country. Reservoir management engineers forecast 1- to 5-year operating and business plans by
running complex simulation models that include field development design and strategy, optimal drilling direction and
well configuration, production performance forecasts, longterm production sustainability and financial budgeting. Their
work is office-based and a significant part of it is spent interacting and working with the drilling engineers, log and core
specialists, laboratory scientists, and completion, stimulation,
and production technologists to ensure that field development
progresses as per design and requirement.
During the initial training and assignments, a petroleum
engineer rotates between fields and offices, such as manufac-
SAUDI ARAMCO CRUDE OIL PRODUCTION. IN 2013, THE AVERAGE
PRODUCTION WAS 9.4 MILLION BARRELS OF OIL PER DAY.
MILLION BARRELS PER DAY
Left A well log showing formation lithology, reservoir development
and gas saturation. Right A computer model of a gas field.
turing installation, production plants, well sites, laboratories and computing centers. Petroleum engineers
can work in offices or in the field, or at both places,
depending on the specialization and focus.
Therefore, a reservoir management engineer who
deals with well productivity enhancement, designing
field development, managing and optimizing reservoir performance, can spend their career in an office
environment with infrequent visits to operation facilities.
A production engineer, on the other hand, dealing with well completion, reservoir stimulation, and
surface installations splits his or her job between the
office and operation sites, as needed. A drilling engineer who is responsible for the actual drilling of a well,
mostly needs to stay on-site during the duration of time
assigned to him. An experienced drilling engineer can
choose to work on designing wells, optimizing technologies, supervising operations, and managing logistics,
thereby spending much time in the office.
When petroleum engineering is mentioned, it most
likely refers to the Upstream.
Downstream engineers, often called petrochemical engineers, are more skilled in fluids and chemistry,
and are responsible for the proper separation, processing and purification of crude, running the refinery
plants, and working in the process of converting petroleum raw materials to develop and produce a diverse
range of products, commodities, and specialty chemicals, including medicines.
As demands increase for alternative energy, some forward-thinking petroleum engineers are turning their talents
to working on clean energy products that produce lower
carbon emissions.
Many petroleum engineers travel the world or live in foreign countries — wherever their explorations take them to
find and recover these valuable natural reserves. Petroleum
engineers interact with world industry professionals on a
regular basis through meetings and conferences, to become
familiar with each other’s challenges, share and disseminate
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
YEAR
13
Trucks carrying state-ofthe-art service equipment
to well sites in the desert.
information, and deduce solutions to tough problems.
Another facet of petroleum engineering is the financial analysis of each project. Petroleum engineers must gauge financial
viability and determine if the entire process will be economical.
Organization, integration, and analysis of data are important
DAILY OIL PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY IN 2013.
OIL PRODUCTION (MMBPD)
12
10
8
Total >85 (MMBPD)
6
4
2
Ru
ss
ia
KS
A
US
A
Ira
Ch n
Ca ina
na
da
Ira
q
Ve UA
ne E
zu
e
M la
ex
i
Ku co
wa
Br it
a
Ni zil
ge
No ria
rw
Al ay
ge
A ria
Ka ngo
za la
ks
ta
Qa n
ta
r
Co U
lu K
m
bi
a
0
SOURCE: THE WORLD FACTBOOK, 2013.
DAILY NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY IN 2012.
GAS PRODUCTION (Bcfd)
120
100
80
Total >260 billion cubic ft per day (Bcfd)
60
40
20
US
Ru A
ss
ia
EU
I
Ca ran
na
da
Qa
No tar
rw
a
Ch y
in
a
KS
Ne Alg A
th er
er ia
In land
do s
n
M esi
a
Uz alay
be sia
ki
st
a
Tu
rk Eg n
m yp
en t
ist
M an
ex
ico
U
Bo AE
Au livi
st a
ra
lia
UK
0
SOURCE: THE WORLD FACTBOOK, 2012.
14
parameters for engineers
to carry out such evaluations.
Petroleum engineers
have a future full of
challenges and opportunities. In addition to
working in the onshore
conventional fields,
they must develop and
apply new technology
to recover hydrocarbons from offshore oil
and gas fields and from
unconventional shale oil and gas, tar sands, and tight gas.
They must also devise new techniques — enhancing secondary and tertiary modes of exploitation — to recover oil and
gas left in the ground after exhausting conventional producing methods. This can include injecting chemicals in the
reservoir and making it preferential to oil flow or
using in situ combustion and heating techniques
to make heavy oil lighter in the reservoir so that it
can be easily flowed back to the well.
In practice, “conventional oil and gas,” or
the term “conventional resources,” applies to oil
and gas that become producible after the drilling,
completion and perforation operations, just by the
natural reservoir pressure or sometimes by applying compression.
After the reservoir has been producing for a
long period of time — usually decades — the natural pressure of the wells may be too low to produce the remaining quantities of oil and gas. At
that time, different recovery techniques are used to
boost production, which may include water and
gas injection or sophisticated compression mechanisms; but these oil and gas fields will still be considered conventional resources.
Unconventional reservoirs cannot produce commercially except by the use of sophisticated drilling methods and extensive hydraulic fracturing
conducted from the very onset of the development
initiative. As opposed to a conventional field, an
unconventional field produces with a much larger
number of wells at a much lower production rate,
requiring the application of numerous optimization
techniques to bring the cost down so as to make
the project economical.
In either case, careful planning and design,
along with the application of high-end technology
for commercial and economic extraction of hydrocarbon, is required.
A petroleum engineer is responsible for working
with engineers of other disciplines during explora-
Left:
A hydraulic
fracturing site
to stimulate
and improve
production from
unconventional
reservoirs
(Pennsylvania,
U.S.).
Right:
A photo of a
typical drilling
rig. Photo by
Mahdi Hussain
tion, to development and production, to selecting the most
optimized development plan. The petroleum engineer normally works very closely with the Exploration team that includes
geologists and geophysicists on estimating hydrocarbon potential and reserves, and when an exploration is successful and a
discovery is made.
“Reserves” is an important term often used by petroleum
engineers and is defined as the amount of hydrocarbon that
can be commercially produced under current technological
constraints from a certain field. Reserves is closely synonymous to the frequently used abbreviation “EUR” that stands
for estimated ultimate recovery. With time, reserves can
increase due to improvement and advancement in technical
capability, application of innovative ideas, lowering of cost,
extension of the developed area, or increase of field volumetrics. The reserves numbers are always lower than the initial hydrocarbon in place, which is defined to be the total
volume of naturally occurring underground accumulations,
producible or not. Reserves divided by the hydrocarbon in
place is known as the recovery factor.
Petroleum engineers are able to continuously update
field delineation more precisely and recompute hydrocarbon reserves estimates and the production potential with the
increased data acquired throughout the development phase.
When a delineation drilling confirms the availability of sufficient reserves that will lead to a commercial exploitation
project, the petroleum engineers design the field development by evaluating reservoir and hydrocarbon properties,
drilling and completion strategies, complexities, recovery
methods, cost and safety issues.
SAUDI ARABIA: AN EXAMPLE OF EXPLORATION
AND PETROLEUM ENGINEERING
One of the most outstanding examples of oil and gas —
from discovery to production — lies with the history of
Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom granted oil concessions to
Standard Oil of California (Socal, today’s Chevron) in
1933, and the company started drilling exploratory wells
in Dammam in 1935. Dammam-2 produced about 3,800
barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil and the company had 1,150
employees. However, the well started producing water and
Dammam-3, 4, 5 and 6 were not promising.
Max Steinke was the chief geologist for Socal and due to
his insistence, vision, hard work, and patience, Dammam-7,
also known as the “prosperity well,” made the most outstanding discovery, which has led the Kingdom to eventually
become the possessor of 20 percent of world oil reserves.
The Dammam-7 well became the symbol of success that
initially yielded 3,700 bpd, but opened up the vast horizon of
more exploration, delineation and development.
The company name was changed to the Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco) in 1944 and eventually to Saudi
Aramco in 1988.
With the use of best-in-class technology, reservoir and
petroleum engineering practices, application of innovative
ideas and concepts, and above all, the best group of talents
and highly skilled professionals, Saudi Arabia has made itself
into a world-class oil and gas producing champion, providing
the Kingdom and the world with the energy needed to meet
the ever-challenging and growing demand.
Throughout the 80-plus years of history, Saudi Arabia has
become a world leader in exploration, production, refining,
distribution and marketing.
With 121 oil and gas fields, the country possesses 260.2
billion barrels of proven conventional crude oil and condensate reserves and 288.4 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves.
In 2013, Saudi Aramco produced 3.4 billion barrels of oil,
about one in every eight barrels of the world’s crude oil production and 4 trillion standard cubic feet (Tscf) of natural gas
compared to the world's total production of 125 Tscf.
While the crude oil is for export, Saudi gas production is
entirely dedicated to support the domestic energy consumption: mainly for electricity, de-salination plants, turbines and
machinaries, and downstream industry.
Next time when you drive your car, travel by plane, sit in
your home in air-conditioned comfort, plan your cruise, light
your house, eat ice cream, play golf, or take your medication, think of the contribution of the petroleum engineers to
our society.
15
DESE
P A N O R A M A S
A Travel Diary
The high dune desert area between
Harrat Khaybar and Al-‘Ula.
16
RT
by GR ANT REID and KIM K ASH
Photos by GRANT REID
L A ST N OV E M B E R , A C R E W T R AV E L E D T H E
L E N GT H A N D B R E A DT H O F SAU D I A R A B I A
TO C R E AT E A S E R I E S O F T I M E - L A P S E F I L M S
S H OW I N G T H E K I N G D O M ’ S B R E AT H TA K I N G
N AT U R A L L A N DSCA P E S . T H E F I L M S W I L L
BE THE CENTERPIECES OF THE MUSEUM'S
STAT E - O F-T H E - A RT I N T E R AC T I V E E X H I B I TS
TO B E H O U S E D AT T H E K I N G A B D U L A Z I Z
C E N T E R FO R WO R L D C U LT U R E I N D H A H R A N .
17
Tabuk); and at
the star dunes
— radially symmetrical dunes
formed where
the wind blows
in different
directions over
the course of the
years — in the
Rub’ al-Khali (the
Empty Quarter).
The crew also
filmed hours of
close-up footage.
All of this will
become the backbone of the Desert
TOP A view into the Jabel Bayda volcano crater and lake in the Harrat Khaybar area. The white color
Trek zone in the
is due to the silica-rich lava. BOTTOM The “whale-back” lava flow seen here is from Jabal Qidr — the
Rihlaat (Journeys)
only stratovolcano (conical volcano) in the Harrats — seen in the distance.
gallery of the
King Abdulaziz
Center for World
Culture, which
our cameramen filmed the scenes using
robot cameras over successive 24-hour pe- explores Saudi Arabia’s ancient, natural and social history.
The film crew traveled with four Saudi Aramco staff
riods at the Harrat (lava field) Khaybar —
members who have extensive desert knowledge and driving
one of three coalesced basaltic lava fields
in western Saudi Arabia — containing sev- skills. Museum project director Grant Reid was one of the staff
members who accompanied the film crew, doing everything
eral volcanic craters; in the Al-‘Ula Desert
from burying electrical cables in the sand (to keep them out of
(northwestern Saudi Arabia); in the dry
the shots) to setting up the campsites and preparing meals for
riverbeds of Wadi Disa (150 kilometers
the round-the-clock photographers.
(km) south of the northwestern city of
F
18
Reid kept a diary of the group’s travels. Come along on
his amazing journey through the vast and stunning open
spaces of Saudi Arabia.
Day 1 – November 20, 2013
I drive to the Dammam airport after a heavy rain. The weather
has been stormy and wet over the last three days. It’s a great
sign, as we hope to see some rare desert greening.
The Embraer 170 took off fast and climbed. Soon we are at
35,000 feet, all clear and now descending over volcanoes and
desert features in western Saudi Arabia. We approached Medina, sprinkled with steep and dramatic iron-hued mountains,
the second holiest city in Islam after Makkah.
The hotel is massive and seemingly empty at 2 p.m. On
the way to my room I hear German voices and find the camera crew in the smoking lounge. Here is Jan Puekert, the tall,
rangy producer, and the camera crew from TMS (Tamshick
Media+Space): Daniel Frohlich, Mark Laqua, Sasha Eckardt
and Mark Tamshick.
Jan, Mark Tamshick and I set off to scour the city for
necessary equipment: fuel; large, heavy duty car batteries and
generators that we could not transport by plane; plus food, gas
bottles and camping equipment for several days. It’s a bit of a
mad rush to find our way in a new city as night falls and prayer
time begins. We wade through supermarkets and DIY stores to
gather all sorts of things that are not to be found in the remote
areas where we are going.
A photo of Neoproterozoic greenstone rock in the high
dune desert area between Harrat Khaybar and Al-‘Ula.
Day 2 – November 21
In the morning, we meet up with Saudi Aramco staff members James Farrant, Shihab Alireza and Paul Lecallion, who
have flown in from Dhahran. All are veterans with expedition
skills and comprise the drivers of our Toyota Land Cruiser
fleet. We repack and begin the drive, Paul leading the way
since he has been almost everywhere in Saudi Arabia. We
drive in a convoy northwest for 300 km, with the landscape
stringing out sparse and sparser.
After midday, we run out of road. We start out into the
volcanic plateau, and soon we see the volcanoes some 40 km
away. Gravel plains come and go, breaking into rocky flat scree
fields. Black lava appears on our left flank as we start to climb.
The volcanic fields of western Saudi Arabia are less than
10 million years old and are not directly related to the Red Sea
Rift, which is the spreading center between the Arabian and
African plates. Harrat Khaybar, 65 km northeast of Medina,
is one of Saudi Arabia’s largest volcanic fields, covering more
than 14,000 square km. It contains a 100 km long, north-south
oriented line of volcanic vents, including scoria cones, lava
domes, maars, basalt lava flows — and Jabal Qidr, the only
stratovolcano (conical volcano) in the Harrats.
We make camp in a sheltered bay of sand and rock beside
black cliffs that face the powder-white volcano we will ascend
before night falls. Tents up, we all set out on the steep road
right up onto the crater rim track.
We are up on top now, with 1,000 meter drops on both sides,
and wild views in all directions. The crew sets up the first position for the robot head that facilitates the camera’s panoramic,
time-lapse photography. Jan and Daniel will stay up all night as
we begin the first of 20 time-lapse sessions.
A Land Cruiser’s battery is powering the filming operation, and we park it as far away as the power cables’
length will allow, about 40 meters. We wrap the camera and weigh it down, then do a set of final checks.
Already the wind is gusting at this altitude, and the
temperature is dropping fast.
Leaving Jan and Daniel, the rest of us descend and
relax a little before searching for our second location: a
Mars-like rockscape that includes both volcanoes and a
sandy, flat valley with camels grazing. We set the second
camera with another vehicle, as Sasha and Mark prepare to work through the night, running the engine as
required to keep batteries charged for the camera gear
and continuously checking everything.
The rest of us head back to the camp.
In my tent, I can feel that the ground is very hard,
and soon the night becomes cold and damp. It is freezing, or very close to it, as light starts to color the sandy
sides of the volcano.
At 5:30 a.m. I light the fire, boil water and wonder how
the guys are after the first night just beyond the limits
of walkie-talkie range. Coffee: instant. What a novelty!
Sun’s up and heating fast.
Filming goes on until dusk, which marks 24 hours. We
move the second camera to a position on the black lava and
start up for another 24 hours.
Night descends and stars and clouds appear, which is great
for the time-lapse stills as perfectly clear skies are monotonous.
19
The most intense concentration of work for the camera operators
is during dusk and dawn, as they alternately open up and close
down the aperture to keep the exposure transitions smooth.
Transit day. We pack up camp and pick up the camera crews.
We are all tired, as we have slept maybe two to three hours in
the cold, in hopes of getting the best footage in as many sites as
possible. When in nature, time is of the essence.
We find two camel skeletons, and salvage one skull. The
brain cavity is intact and full of sand. The skull is broken, but
will do well as a memory of these remarkable desert creatures.
The saying goes, whenever you see a camel, the owner is not
far away. This, apart from those abandoned carcasses, proves
to be true the further out we travel.
We are on the way to Al-‘Ula Desert, and the plain, wide
road stretches out beside a new highway under construction
— something I always find sad. Grey-green Neoproterozoic
greenstone rock gives way to red sandstone as we descend
from the mountain plateau and into the many valleys of the
Al-‘Ula area.
Al-‘Ula oasis is located in the verdant Wadi Al-Qura, or
“Valley of Villages,” approximately 110 km southwest of the
modern city of Tayma, and 380 km north of Medina.
Al-‘Ula City is known for its fertile land, abundance of
water resources and farming. Sandy mountains surround it
to the east and west. The Al-‘Ula Mountains are considered
a natural extension of the Asawarat chain that extends more
than 2,500 km north to south in Saudi Arabia. Al-‘Ula and
the historic site of Madain Saleh lie over a large underground
water reservoir, which is known in geological terms as Al-‘Ula
Basin. According to historical and archaeological studies, its
history dates back to the 6th century BCE. Al-‘Ula is noted in
ancient manuscripts and works of the Dedan Kingdom.
The carved sandstone cliff faces of Madain Saleh are just 20
km away. Madain Saleh has duly earned the title “The Capital of
Monuments” among Saudi Arabia’s 4,000 archaeological sites.
We find a superb position, with dramatic cliff rock faces on
two sides, desert dunes and plains on the other sides. The full
moon is due, so this will produce a superb night-lit landscape.
We set one camera in the valley and the other up on a cliff,
with high, narrow views to capture all angles.
We have cable trouble, and must drive all over the place to
get replacements. As a result, car lights will flash in the footage
tonight, much to the retouch technician’s agitation. We need
the cables to transfer the relentless stream of data from each
exposure: one 360 degree exposure per second during the day
and one every 5 seconds at night. We hide the cables and sweep
the desert free of tracks.
Day 2 of the Al-‘Ula shooting. As you can imagine, almost nothing stirs during the day, but at night the animals come out to
feed, hunt and play. Each morning I look for tracks around our
campsite and always find the beautiful choreography of multiple
legs dancing across the sand. Scorpions and snakes are easily the
most expressive, with their sideways signatures.
We leave Al-‘Ula on another smooth, quiet highway. About 200 km
later, we start to descend, curving down into rocky desert plains. We
stop at a small town to refuel, making an essential visit to the
general store, which contains all that is available for miles.
Photo of Al-‘Ula valley.
20
TOP A close up of the Star Dunes Rub’ al-Khali.
BOTTOM Longitudinal patterns caused by the wind at the
Star Dunes in the Rub’ al-Khali.
The rocky desert gives way to valley and then streambed. Water with tall reeds and green foliage lines the road. Birdsong echoes
off the red sandstone walls, which are so soft that they have been
carved into expressive surfaces by the wind and occasional rain.
We find a quiet location amid palms in the dry streambed, surrounded by monumental valley walls. Hundreds of
flies land on our salty skin. We set the time-lapse robot head
cameras up for 24 hours and relax in the fertile river valley.
Nearby, herds of goats and juvenile camels are guarded by a
dog that barks all night long.
We find a vivid green scorpion, Buthacus yotvatensis — a
highly poisonous species found in deserts and other arid, sandy
areas. It is characteristically slight in build, with long, slender
appendages, fairly small pincers and a tail that is relatively
thick compared to its body size. I also collect black beetles.
They use their long legs to lift their bodies well clear of the hot
ground, and increase the clearance as the temperature rises.
We arrange an insect shoot that will be stitched into the
film later. I find insects under rocks and slowly wake them
for their curtain calls.
At the Saudi Aramco airport in Dammam, we haul
in the all the gear and bags, and watch the surprised
faces of the check-in staff. Soon we are airborne, on
the way to Shaybah in the vast Rub’ al-Khali for the
last leg of our journey.
The Shaybah oil field is a super-giant Saudi Arabian oil field, located at the northern edge of the
Rub’ al-Khali.
We pack the four-wheel drive vehicles with
water, fuel and such desert gear as multiple spare
tires, in order to safely make this 850 to 900 km leg
to the star dunes. We stock up at what looks like
the last gas station on earth. It looks like a scene
out of Mad Max.
Off we go into the late afternoon following Paul
on the Kidar rig road into the great nowhere. Long
plumes of fine dust engulf the trailing vehicles.
In a superb display of navigation, Paul drives us
off the road for many, many miles in the star dune
area in complete darkness, using his GPS and desert
knowledge. The drive is quiet and calm, and Paul is
unflappable. He often tells the others to slow down
because after all, we are way beyond any help —
apart from a satellite call for a helicopter rescue.
There is no moon. The night is utterly black
apart from the night sky with millions of stars. We
stand in awe of the beauty of the space scene.
We camp in a hollow and wake to the utterly
magnificent scenery. High star dunes surround
us on both flanks. We perch on the edge of a vast flat salt
plain. The salt deserts — sabkhas — are the bleached floors
of long-gone lakes and seas, thick mud covered in a glaring
crust of salt. These are notoriously harsh and treacherous
environments, supporting little or no life. Silence surrounds
us. There is no wind at all, no scent, and we feel better as
the sun rises after the cool night.
The day gets hotter and hotter, and at midday we relieve
the crews and replace batteries and cables where required.
The light is so harsh by noon that my eyes feel like they are
bleeding. Shade is essential, and the vehicles are our life support as we await the coming of the cool and breezy evening.
We stay one more night in the same area, and filming
continues around the clock. Our final day arrives and we continue the time-lapse filming until late morning.
We drive out of the salt plain and then back on the rig
road. On the way back to our return flight back to Dhahran,
we pause for a break and relax, watching the sun set over a
train of camels as they move off into the distance.
For more information about the future museum in the King
Abdulaziz Center go to: http://en.kingabdulazizcenter.com
21
SAUDI ARAMCO
JOHNS HOPKINS
MEDICINE
PA R T N E R T O S T R E N G T H E N H E A LT H C A R E
SERVICES IN SAUDI ARABIA
By Salam A. Al-Jishi
Wi t h t h e Ju n e 2 3 , 2 0 1 3 , a g r e e m e n t s i g n e d b y
t h e m a n a g e m e n t o f S a u d i A r a m c o a n d Jo h n s
Ho p k i n s Me d i c i n e ( J H M ) , a h i s t o r i c j o i n t
v e n t u r e , Jo h n s Ho p k i n s A r a m c o He a l t h c a r e
( J H A H ) , w a s b o r n . Th e p r o m i s e o f t h a t n e w
institution, as an agile organization raising
the standard of health care in the Kingdom,
i s a l r e a d y b e i n g f e l t i n t h e e xc i t e m e n t a n d
enthusiasm of employees and in the broader
community that JHAH serves.
“O
ver the last 80 years,
Saudi Aramco doctors
and nurses have served
the medical needs of employees
and family members. Now, with
Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM)
as a joint venture partner, we will
set an even higher standard for
future generations," said Abdulaziz
F. Al-Khayyal, former senior vice
president of Industrial Relations,
during the Joint Venture Agreement signing. “This is a logical step
in our company’s transformation
and demonstrates our ongoing
22
commitment to our people.” The
agreement was signed on June 23,
2013, in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, by
Al-Khayyal and Paul B. Rothman,
M.D., dean of the medical faculty
and CEO of JHM.
As part of Saudi Aramco’s
2020 Strategic Intent and the
Accelerated Transformation
Program, Saudi Aramco’s goal is
to become an agile organization
that is one of the most respected
employers globally. Health care
is an important factor in achieving that goal.
Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare board members during the gala dinner
celebration on January 27, 2014. Photo by Ali Al-Ahsaei
"
Together, we will be greater than the sum of our parts, because this joint
venture combines Saudi Aramco’s existing health system with the transformative
science, clinical care and education that Johns Hopkins is known for.
"
— Dr. Paul B. Rothman, dean of the medical faculty and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM)
Saudi Aramco Health Care Achievements
nered with the Harvard School of Public Health in efforts
that significantly reduced trachoma in the country.
Since its founding as the Standard Oil Co. of California (Socal)
The company also launched nurse training programs at its
in 1931, the company now known as Saudi Aramco has been
Dhahran Health Center in the early 1950s that offered nursing
dedicated to the health and well-being of not only its employdiplomas. Moreover, it also provided scholarships for some of its
ees and their dependents, but also the people of the Kingdom
graduates to pursue advanced studies at the American University
of Saudi Arabia.
of Beirut and in other
In the 1940s,
accredited institutions.
the renamed AraOver the years,
bian American
This partnership will result in a comprehensive
Saudi Aramco, often
Oil Company
in partnership with
transformation to further enhance our health
(Aramco), the prethe government, adcare standards, and marks the beginning of a new
decessor to Saudi
vanced the quality
Aramco, worked
level of care with new lines of treatment, new and
of health care in the
to educate people
Kingdom. Programs
enhanced specialties and subspecialties. It will
on how malaria is
included enrolling
also enable new forays into research and medical
transmitted and
Saudis in prominent
how to use insecU.S. medical schools,
education as well as create opportunities for
ticides to reduce
conducting youth
education and training of medical staff.
its spread. At
health awareness and
— Abdulaziz F. Al-Khayyal, former senior vice president
the time, malaria
education programs,
was one of the
acquiring internaof Industrial Relations at Saudi Aramco
Kingdom’s largest
tional health care
health challenges.
accreditation and
The anti-malaria campaign proved a success, and was
supporting community health initiatives.
handed over to the government, which extended the cam“Saudi Aramco, a company whose principal pursuit
paign across the Kingdom. As a result, malaria was virtually
is not health care, has built a great foundation in health
eradicated in Saudi Arabia by the end of the 1950s.
care. To couple that with the intellect and expertise from
Another serious health issue that confronted the Kingdom Johns Hopkins to build a great health care system is a very
at that time was trachoma, a bacterial infection of the eyes
unique opportunity,” said Keith Vander Kolk, CEO, Johns
that can lead to blindness. In the 1950s, the company partHopkins Aramco Healthcare.
"
"
23
SAUDI ARAMCO HEALTH CARE MILESTONES
(1936-1964)
4 1936: T.C. Alexander, M.D., hired
4 1956: Saudi government takes
4 1941: Anti-malaria campaign
4 1956 – 1957: Aramco builds a
in Dhahran as first physician.
First clinicin the region opened.
begins.
4 1942: Start of medical program.
4 1944: Ras Tanura Refinery
opens, followed by the
opening of the Ras
Tanura Clinic.
4 1948: Opening of Aramco
operated clinics, infirmaries, a
pharmacy and hospitals (205
total bed capacity).
4 Early 1950s: Nurse training
JHAH physiotherapist
assisting a patient with
a broken leg. Photo by
Hatim Oweida
programs begin. Graduates
earn nursing diplomas.
4 1955: Aramco Medical
Department and Harvard
School of Public Health
partner to study trachoma.
over malaria control program
in the Eastern Province.
263-bed hospital in Dhahran
and 32-bed hospitals in
Abqaiq and Ras Tanura.
Department hires its first
industrial hygienist.
4 Late 1950s: Malaria is
virtually eradicated.
Department hires its first
occupational health physician.
4 1964: Najat Husseini, first
professional Saudi woman
employee, is hired. Husseini
worked initially as a health
educator.
ABOUT JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICINE
Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, Johns Hopkins
Medicine (JHM) is a $6.7 billion integrated global health
enterprise and one of the leading academic health care
systems in the United States. JHM unites physicians and
scientists of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
with the organizations, health professionals and facilities of
The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System.
JHM’s vision, “Together, we will deliver the promise of
medicine,” is supported by its mission to improve the health
of
the community and the world by setting the standard
The front of the Dhahran Health
of
excellence in medical education, research and clinical
Center after the unveiling of the
care. Diverse and inclusive, JHM educates medical students,
Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare
scientists, health care professionals and the public; conducts
(JHAH) logo. Photo by Hatim Oweida
biomedical research; and provides patient-centered
medicine to prevent, diagnose and treat human illness.
JHM operates six academic and community hospitals, four suburban health care and surgery
centers, and more than 35 Johns Hopkins Community Physicians sites. The Johns Hopkins
Hospital, opened in 1889, was ranked No. 1 in the nation for 21 years in a row by U.S. News &
World Report. For more information about JHM, its research, education and clinical programs,
and for the latest health, science and research news, visit www.hopkinsmedicine.org.
24
JHAH’s primary objective is to raise
the quality of patient care. This will
be accomplished through Performance
Elevation Programs, specialized training
and knowledge transfer programs,
and increased operational efficiency.
These improvements will allow JHAH to
expand its company operated facilities
operations to bring in more Saudi
Aramco eligible medical recipients from
contracted medical facilities.
JHAH Inauguration
On January 28, 2014, Saudi Aramco and JHM inaugurated JHAH in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. At the
inaugural dinner, Khalid A. Al-Falih, president and
CEO, Saudi Aramco, called JHAH “a significant
milestone in the transformation of medicine and
health care in the Kingdom.”
Saudi Aramco and JHM each have an indirect
ownership interest in the Saudi registered company.
The health care joint venture brings together Saudi
Aramco’s long established health care delivery system and its approximately 350,000 beneficiaries
and the world-renowned clinical, education and
research expertise of JHM. “The pride that we take
in the historic achievements of Saudi Aramco’s
Medical Services Organization is matched only by
our excitement about the pioneering potential of
Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, and the confidence that we all have that this organization will
be transforming the future, just as its parents transformed the past,” said Al-Falih.
JHAH will fuel clinical innovation, serve as a
model of health care in the Kingdom and contribute to the development of the country’s health care
in alignment with Saudi Aramco’s commitment to
enabling growth, opportunities and diversification
within the Kingdom’s economy. “This partnership
will result in a comprehensive transformation to
further enhance our health care standards, and
marks the beginning of a new level of care with
new lines of treatment, new and enhanced specialties and
subspecialties. It will also enable new forays into research
and medical education as well as create opportunities for
education and training of medical staff,” said Al-Khayyal.
Khalid A. Al-Falih, president and CEO of
Saudi Aramco, speaks during the gala
dinner celebration on January 27, 2014.
Photo by Ali Al-Ahsaei
25
Keith Vander Kolk, CEO of Johns
Hopkins Aramco Healthcare (JHAH).
A respiratory therapist provides treatment
to a patient at JHAH. Photo by Yara Ziyad
ABOUT KEITH VANDER KOLK,
CEO, JHAH
Keith Vander Kolk brings a breadth of health
care leadership experience — including hospital administration, population health, and
building startups — to the joint venture. He
has led operations at Pender Community
Hospital, Siouxland Regional Cancer Center
and Sierra Military Health Services (SMHS),
a health care company that operates in a
13-state region in the U.S. Since 2009, he has
served as vice president of employer health
programs for Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM),
where he has been responsible for the overall
management of self-funded employee health
plans across all Johns Hopkins’ entities.
“It is invigorating to stand here knowing that
together we will write the next exciting chapters. It may seem like a subtle difference, but
you are now part of a company dedicated
exclusively to health and wellness. Now, our
focus from top to bottom is providing innovative, integrated and patient-centered care to
Saudi Aramco’s employees and health care
beneficiaries. We will achieve this by implementing the enhancement of clinical and
quality care programs and will ensure sustainability through training and education.”
— Keith Vander Kolk, CEO, JHAH, during the
inauguration ceremony on January 28, 2014.
26
JHAH hires expert professionals from all
around the world. Photo by Hatim Oweida
“Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare will become
an incubator for clinical and scientific progress and
will address some of the region’s most pressing health
challenges, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes
and other chronic conditions, which are on the rise
worldwide,” said Rothman.
In 2017, JHAH will expand and open an
80-bed hospital and specialized clinics in
Al-Hasa, which will bring the health care
of approximately 26,000 eligible medical
recipients back from medical designated
facility hospitals to JHAH facilities.
“It is a privilege for us to collaborate with Saudi
Aramco to carry forth its commitment to improving the
health of its employees,” says Steven J. Thompson, CEO
of Johns Hopkins Medicine International. “Doing so
will be mile one on a long journey to enhance the wellbeing of the entire community, and represents a nextgeneration approach to global collaborative health care.”
The Future
Over the coming years, this global collaboration will contribute significantly to health and well-being in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. JHAH will evolve into a center of
excellence that provides enhanced services, research and
education that address some of the most significant health
care challenges in the region.
“Together, we will be greater than the sum of our parts, because this joint venture combines Saudi Aramco’s existing health
system with the transformative science, clinical care and
education that Johns Hopkins is known for,” said Rothman.
JHAH operates 48+ Remote Area Clinics,
staffed by a third-party contractor, providing
around the clock emergency medical support to
all Saudi Aramco employees in remote areas.
Epic at JHAH: An ambitious
program takes its first step
JHAH has taken the first step toward implementing Epic,
an Electronic Health Care Record system, which is widely regarded as an industry best practice. Implementing
Epic is an ambitious program that will be executed over
three to four years. Epic organizes patient information,
provides suggested actions and guidance to caregivers
and coordinates care across multiple specialty settings. It
connects all caregivers to a single record for each patient
so informed medical decisions based on the most up-todate information can be made.
Partner Contribution
Agreement Programs (PCAs)
JHAH strives to prevent and control
the spread of infectious diseases.
Photo by Mahdi Alali
A SIGNIFICANT
CONTRIBUTION TO
CONTROLLING MERS-COV
JHAH collaborated to support the efforts to prevent and control the spread of MERS-CoV. JHAH
teams were on-site to make recommendations
at hospitals in Jiddah, Riyadh and Makkah.
As part of JHAH’s involvement, members of a
multidisciplinary team from JHM served in a
scientific advisory capacity to the Kingdom’s
Ministry of Health to engage with the international scientific community to orchestrate
MERS-CoV research.
Partner Contribution Agreements (PCAs) are 16 programs that will be actioned in the next three years.
Abdulaziz F. Al-Khayyal (left), former senior vice
president of Industrial Relations at Saudi Aramco,
and Dr. Paul B. Rothman, dean of the medical faculty
and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine, applaud as they
watch the new Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare
banner unveiled during the inauguration ceremony on
January 28, 2014. Photo by Yara Ziyad
These programs are underway and represent the synergy of
Saudi Aramco’s existing strong health care system with Johns
Hopkins’ transformative science and clinical care. Working
with JHAH staff, Johns Hopkins is contributing expertise
to achieve the enhancement of clinical and quality care programs with training and education to ensure sustainability.
If you are interested in a career opportunity with JHAH,
send your CV to: Careers@JHAH.com.
27
abbrev.
Saudi Aramco news in brief
Shaybah wows
international delegation
SHAYBAH, SAUDI ARABIA — All that
you have read or may read about Shaybah, the Desert Rose in red sand sea,
will not give you an experience similar
or even close to being physically in
Shaybah. It is true what they say: “Seeing is believing.”
This was the feeling of more than 90
diplomats from around the world who
were welcomed by Saudi Aramco at the
Diplomats and their wives take time out from their tour of the Shaybah facility and
surrounding area to pose for a photo on one of the famous red dunes in the Rub’ al-Khali.
The short visit to Shaybah, which lasted
the international children’s medical char-
for a few hours, was enriching and included
ity “Operation Smile” during their three
a number of presentations from some of
week Operation Smile Read-a-thon.
Saudi Aramco’s young employees.
First started in February 2012, the
The ambassadors then were given the
annual read-a-thon is a service learning
opportunity to have a close look at some
project open for all third-graders at the
of Shaybah’s facilities. Finally, they climbed
Hills School. The charity that the children
the sands with their formations and pictur-
raised money for Operation Smile is one
esque colors at the sunset, concluding a
of the world’s leading children’s charities.
memorable day.
Operation Smile
Working in more than 60 countries,
they mobilize medical professionals and
volunteers to provide safe, effective
reconstructive surgery and related medi-
Shaybah field as they glanced upon its
distinguished dunes, fascinating sands
DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA — Dhahran Hills
cal care for children born with cleft lips,
and colorful waves of the Rub’ al-Khali
School third-graders recently raised the
cleft palate and other facial deformi-
(Empty Quarter).
staggering sum of SR52,500 ($14,000) for
ties. This year’s third-grade class raised
28
Dhahran Hills third-graders enthusiastically participated in the Operation Smile
Read-a-thon. Through their efforts, the students raised SR52,500 ($14,000) that went
toward providing medical care for youngsters born with cleft palates, cleft lips and
other facial deformities.
Saudi Aramco by saying “the invaluable
support from the Kingdom will help our
enough money to fund 56 life changing
surgeries for children in need.
Combining the Saudi Aramco Expatri-
On May 29, Shiroishi City in Miyagi,
supplying energy and warm foods in
of the stations by inviting an Aramco Asia-
case of natural disasters in the future.”
ate School system’s emphasis on civic
Japan team headed by Ahmed Alkhunaini
duty and literacy, the Operation Smile
as special guest of Mayor Koujo Kazama.
Read-a-thon is a unique project that
During the ceremony at the newly built
allows children to improve their reading
Disaster Control Center where the LPG
skills while making a positive impact on
Station is installed, Kazama expressed the
the world.
city’s appreciation to Saudi Arabia and
Aramco Asia-Japan
builds emergency LP
gas supply stations
TOKYO, JAPAN — The Japanese
government and the LPG industry
completed the Saudi Emergency LP Gas
Relief Program earlier this year after
extending support to about 50,000
families affected by the earthquake/
tsunami disaster of March 2011.
township ensure immediate actions of
Tohoku inaugurated the completion of one
Koujo Kazama, mayor of Shiroishi City, right,
and Ahmed Alkhunaini, representative
director of Aramco Asia-Japan, pose in front
of the newly installed LP Gas Emergency
bulk storage. Designed to assist in the case
of a catastrophic emergency, Alkhunaini
said, “I sincerely hope that we never need
to activate this emergency station.”
Workshop focuses on
drilling ahead of bit
AL-KHOBAR, SAUDI ARABIA — “Drilling Ahead of Bit” was the theme of
an intensive, one-day workshop held
recently in al-Khobar that brought
together more than 50 subject matter
experts from oil and gas operations, service companies, academic institutes and
advanced IT solution providers.
Co-sponsored by Saudi Aramco’s
Drilling and Workover and the Petroleum
Engineering Application Services Department, in conjunction with the Society
of Petroleum Engineers-Saudi Arabia
Section (SPE-SAS), the workshop’s main
objective was to discuss ahead of bit
The Japanese side, in coordination
prediction challenges, techniques and
with Aramco Asia-Japan, is building up
best practices with experts in the busi-
emergency LP gas supply stations in 24
ness of drilling optimization.
townships in affected areas as Phase II of
Drilling ahead of bit includes the
the Saudi supported program in prepara-
establishment of a set of solutions that
tion for potential disasters in the future.
allow drilling engineers to forecast
A standard unit consists of a 300 kg
drilling operation behavior in advance.
propane bulk storage tank along with
The new “smart” initiative has been pro-
LPG driven cookers, heaters, power
posed and approved by Saudi Aramco’s
generators and illuminators.
Upstream business line.
29
make a difference in the outcome and
will dictate where the child moves on the
ASD spectrum.”
The campaign created an opportunity
for parents with autistic children to engage
medical professionals and health care
specialists and discuss medical treatment
options and to learn where support is
available. It allowed others to learn about
this often misunderstood disorder.
Participants in the Drilling Ahead of Bit Workshop discuss solutions to potential problems
during one of the sessions.
The main objective of the initiative is to
children is important,” said one attendee,
empower drilling engineers by providing
“and knowing who to turn to for support
them with the required environment and
and help is even more important.” This
Remote-sensing
breakthrough aids
in tracking spills
tools, such as drilling operation simula-
event was designed to help the nearly 400
TANAJIB, SAUDI ARABIA — Saudi
tors, plan adjustment/optimization while
people who attended to learn about both.
Aramco has achieved a breakthrough by
drilling, trouble prediction and mitigation, and real-time advisory systems.
Experts and attendees spent the
day discussing several drilling ahead of
According to the Centers for Disease
applying an advanced combination of
Control and Prevention, about 1 in 68
remote-sensing technologies to develop
children in the world are identified with an
a cost-effective solution for detecting,
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This rate
monitoring and verifying.
bit challenges, such as drilling trouble
is an alarming 30 percent higher than the
symptoms and techniques to reach the
previous estimate reported in 2012. “With
Department, the eMap Division from
optimum drilling parameter boundaries. These questions were discussed
and answered within subgroups led by
discussion leaders. Then, each group
presented and shared their answers and
ideas with all participants.
The remainder of the workshop was
a series of questions followed by group
discussion, with some of the questions
based on the participant’s vision of the
drilling ahead of bit concept, a list of
potential obstacles and challenges they
expected to face, and determining how
to make this concept a reality.
Campaign helps raise
awareness of autism
DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA —
Autism Awareness month recently
ended. What did you learn?
If you had attended the Medical Services’ “A Better World for Autism” event
held in May at Al-Midra Building, you
would have come away well informed.
“Knowing how to deal with autistic
30
Based on a request from the Marine
the accelerating rate of autism among
Information Technology (IT) performed
children all over the world, we need to
a pilot project for early detection and
work harder and smarter,” said Dr. Amel
monitoring of offshore oil spills.
Al-Awami, pediatrician.
An autism diagnosis affects not only the
The analysis can classify the reported
oil spills into two confidence levels of
child; it affects the entire family. “Early
high and low, to support the Marine
recognition of the signs of autism that leads
Department’s assessment and oil spill
to early diagnosis and early intervention is
recovery procedures.
the main goal of any awareness campaign,”
added Al-Awami. “Early intervention can
“This technology will help Saudi
Aramco fulfill its obligation with respect
Saudi Aramco employees ask questions of various Medical Services staff during the “A Better
World for Autism” held May 1 at the Al-Midra Building complex in Dhahran.
Members of the eMap Division from Information Technology (IT), together with members
from the Marine and Aviation departments and specialists from the King Abdulaziz City of
Science and Technology, gathered recently at Tanajib to perform a pilot project for early
detection and monitoring offshore oil spills in the Safaniyah area.
three-week course at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT).
The course, “Fundamentals of Reservoir Simulation,” sought to introduce
upstream mathematical simulation
challenges to select students and
strengthen the research partnership
Saudi Aramco has established with
MIT. It was the second course Dogru
delivered since his selection as an MIT
visiting professor in July 2012.
His course attracted over 40 students
from various MIT departments, most
of whom were graduate students from
to oil spill response preparedness and
avoiding waste is among the company’s
protecting marine environment as it
initiatives designed to boost the Kingdom’s
engineering along with some postdoctoral
economy, but the challenge is apparent.
fellows. The course was organized by the
operates in the Arabian Gulf and Red
Sea,” said Marine Department manager
Bader Ghouth.
The CEO further emphasized that energy
preservation is a long journey that starts
university’s Computational Design Laboratory of Aerospace Engineering Department.
with small steps, but that Saudi Aramco,
Exhibit illuminates
an improved path to
energy conservation
through its various efforts, has made
several giant steps on this road as the
numerous awareness campaigns conducted
inside and outside the company have made
significant contributions. Starting with
DHAHRAN, SAUDI ARABIA — With
itself, the company replaced all light bulbs
the participation of 14 international
in its community with energy saving LEDs.
companies that specialize in energy
conservation solutions, the 1st Saudi
Aramco Lighting Efficiency Exhibit was
held earlier this year in the company’s
Core Area in Dhahran.
Khalid A. Al-Falih, president and CEO,
Fellow Ali Dogru teaches
reservoir simulation
course at MIT
inaugurated the event. “This might be
BOSTON, MA, U.S.A. — Saudi Aramco’s
a small step on the energy conserva-
first Fellow, Dr. Ali Dogru, chief technolo-
tion road, but it is a major step toward
gist of Computational Modeling Technol-
changing the society’s prevailing culture
ogy at the Exploration and Petroleum
toward one of preserving its resources.”
Engineering Center – Advanced Research
Al-Falih said preserving energy and
Center (EXPEC ARC), recently instructed a
Ali Dogru lectures to students at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
during his “Fundamentals of Reservoir
Simulation” course.
“Typically, we were expecting about
10 graduate students, but we were
pleasantly surprised by the larger
Khalid A. Al-Falih tours the various booths with Abdulrahman F. Al-Wuhaib, senior vice
president of Downstream, and other members of management and employees after inaugurating the 1st Saudi Aramco Lighting Exhibit held in the company’s Core Area in Dhahran.
turnout,” said Dogru. “We had
graduate students from a wide spectrum
of disciplines, including civil and
environmental engineering, aerospace
engineering, chemical engineering,
mechanical engineering, applied
mathematics and two from the Earth
Sciences Department.”
Students attended lectures two hours
daily, four days a week, with programming homework assignments.
31
Raising R&D’s
profile in Detroit
DETROIT, MI, U.S.A. — Participation
in this year’s Society of Automotive
Engineers (SAE) World Congress &
Exhibition in Detroit, Michigan, was
a first for Saudi Aramco and its U.S.
subsidiary Aramco Services Co. (ASC)
as the company raises its profile in the
areas of engine and fuel technologies,
and looking closely at their interface.
This conference, held in the historic
heart of the American automotive industry, brings together the best talent to
discuss a broad range of issues impacting industry and shaping its future.
Exhibitors are carefully selected from an
application process requiring a technol-
Researchers from Aramco Research Center-Detroit and Saudi Aramco’s Research and
Development Center share information about their program with SAE attendees from various
segments of the automotive industry.
The Detroit center is one of three research
booth at the Saudi Arabian General
centers in the U.S. designed to complement
Investment Authority (SAGIA) exhibi-
the expanding global research network and
tion that was held in Tokyo and Osaka
capability of Saudi Aramco.
recently. The theme of the exhibition
was “Invest Saudi,” where AAJ detailed
Aramco Asia-Japan
supports company
business events
the commodities currently available for
localization and presented the incentives
that investors would enjoy if they operate as local manufacturers.
ogy profile highlighting the innovation
and solutions the exhibitor brings to the
TOKYO, JAPAN — Saudi and Japanese
industry and end-users of transportation.
businessmen gathered recently at the 18th
Researchers from the Saudi Aramco’s
Saudi-Japanese Business Council event in
Research and Development Center and
Tokyo that was supported by Aramco Asia-
Aramco Research Center-Detroit shared
Japan (AAJ).
with attendees their program and focus
The Saudi Aramco Entrepreneurship Cen-
on engine technologies, fuel design and
ter Company Ltd. (Wa’ed), a wholly owned
strategic transport research.
subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, delivered a pre-
“Saudi Aramco’s fuels research strategy
sentation to the more than 200 businessmen
is designed to position oil-based fuels as
present at the event. Einas Al Ashgar, Energy
competitive enablers for future transport
SME Development Group Leader of Wa’ed,
solutions through treating the fuel and
delivered an overview presentation about the
the engine as one system to be optimized
organization and its programs for supporting
synergistically,” said Amer Amer, chief
entrepreneurs and small- and medium-sized
technologist of Fuels Technology. “This
enterprises (SMEs) in Saudi Arabia — an area
strategy is currently being implemented
valued as a key contributing engine for job
at four geographic locations: Dhahran,
creation within Saudi Arabia.
Thuwal, Paris and Detroit.”
Khalid A. Al-Falih (right), appearing
alongside Total CEO Christophe de Margerie (far left) at the 15th International
Oil Summit in Paris, spoke about building
a world-leading downstream business
through “new platforms” that require
four key factors to ensure success.
AAJ also organized the Saudi Aramco
Downstream’s ‘new
platforms’ highlighted
Members of Wa’ed and AAJ pose at Saudi Aramco’s booth at the exhibition “Invest Saudi” in Tokyo.
PARIS, FRANCE — Saudi Aramco’s ambitious downstream expansion came into
focus at the 15th International Oil Summit
in Paris where president and CEO Khalid
A. Al-Falih addressed a packed audience
alongside Christophe de Margerie, CEO of
French energy major Total.
Leaders from across the global oil
industry, as well as the world’s media,
listened as Al-Falih underlined Saudi
Aramco’s credentials beyond upstream.
32
The Harley-Davidson Owners Group
(Dhahran Chapter), Jubail and Safwa
Bikers group were also in attendance,
displaying and demonstrating their super
motorcycles with fancy accessories and
oversized noisy exhausts.
Saudi Aramco
takes center stage
at U.K. Careers Fair
LONDON, U.K. — Saudi Aramco, supported by affiliate Aramco Overseas Co.
Local motorcycle and car enthusiasts pose for a photo at the Ras Tanura Car Show held
recently in Ras Tanura.
“We are in the process of building a
world-leading downstream business that
is both vertically integrated across the
value chain and horizontally integrated
across suitable geographies. Our goal is
to add greater value to our hydrocarbon
supplies, while building a more robust
and resilient portfolio that can better
withstand market turbulence,” he said.
“We’re doing that through what I would
call ‘new platforms’ for downstream business success, which I strongly believe represents the new model and way forward
for this sector of our industry.”
Al-Falih explained how Saudi Aramco
Revving up in RT
RAS TANURA, SAUDI ARABIA — “Amazing”
was the word that was frequently expressed
to sum up the car show held earlier this year
in Ras Tanura.
The community’s first car show was
(AOC), made a strong impression during its
inaugural participation at the annual U.K.
Careers Fair. The Fair, which has run for
a number of years, is designed for Saudi
students who are nearing the completion
of their studies at U.K. institutions.
Held during the last weekend of March,
about 3,500 students attended over the
two days, visiting the 80 or so companies
exhibiting. It was Saudi Aramco’s stand,
under the branding of the company’s
conducted by the RT Recreation Services Unit
“Dream Big” recruitment campaign,
in association with the “East Coast Corvette
which proved the most popular.
Club.” Held at the Almond Street Parking
Lot, the show featured plenty of bouncy
castles for children, prizes, refreshments, an
array of cars on red carpets and motorcycles.
About 1,000 people attended throughout
“Saudi Aramco remains a premier choice
for employment,” said Saud Gadran,
administrator of Staffing Services at Saudi
Aramco. “Through this event, we are trying
to be proactive, meeting with candidates
was strengthening its R&D program with a
the event, and in addition to the latest and
even before they graduate. Also, this is the
technology agenda that incorporates both
greatest cars from the East Coast Corvette
first time we have officially partaken in a
upstream and downstream. He made
Club, there were also vintage cars from Al
job fair in the U.K. and the first time AOC
mention of the company’s research into
Mozouk and community members’ specialty
has been involved with this. From what
advanced integrated fuel engine systems.
cars on display.
I’ve seen, they’re doing a great job.”
DeMargerie, who spoke immediately
after Al-Falih, said that technology would
be the key to unlocking the potential of
The Saudi Aramco presence at the U.K. Careers Fair attracted significant interest among potential
job seekers.
unconventional resources, which would
“extend the oil and gas horizon.” Total’s
chief also said the industry would have
to move as one if it wanted to realize its
efficiency and profitability targets.
In keeping with the rest of the summit,
both CEOs ended with a Q&A session in
which Al-Falih stated that Saudi Aramco
would maintain a daily crude oil production
capacity of 12 million barrels and reiterated its commitment to unconventionals
through $3 billion worth of investments.
33

Dimensions International Fall 2014

Transcription

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