May 10, 2017
a weekly Saudi Aramco publication
vol. LXXII, No. 19
bringing wildlife back to the Empty Quarter
Shaybah — The Arabian oryx is the only large mammal species to be formally classified as extinct in the
wild by the United Nations that has subsequently recovered to a stable and sustainable population size.
The Arabian ostrich, once hunted to near extinction,
again roams the red sands of the Rub’ al-Khali, laying
dozens of eggs to propagate the species ongoing
survival.
All of this has been made possible by Saudi Aramco’s
extensive efforts in creating a massive wildlife sanctuary
in the Kingdom’s southeast.
And the sanctuary, developed by the Shaybah Producing Department in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Department, protects a number of other
species, including foxes, birds, plants, and even lizards.
As Phase 1 of the sanctuary comes to a close with the
company’s efforts to create a 637 km2 sanctuary that
was inaugurated by the company’s Board of Directors in
December, a second phase continues with the delivery
of more animals and the construction of several support
facilities.
Still, the preservation of species indigenous to the re-
see pages 7-9
2017
SPE: on transformation and innovation
OPEC
basket
five-week price trend 2017
SPE-KSA Section
2017 Annual Technical Symposium & Exhibition
Working toward Saudi Vision 2030,
the goals of developing the Kingdom’s
economy and promoting innovation in the
energy industry took center stage during
a weeklong gathering of the Society of
Petroleum Engineers KSA Section with
its Annual Technical Symposium and
Exhibition and the 2nd Drilling Ahead of
the Bit Workshop.
gion remains the crowning achievement of all the efforts.
As one Aramcon working on the project noted, to successfully re-establish any large bodied species is a rare
conservation achievement globally. To establish three
species into a desert — the harshest of environments —
is extraordinary.
$
Embracing the Vision
Towards Energy Prosperity
see pages 3 and 4
51.26
53.39
51.52
49.35
48.09
APR 7 APR 14 APR 21 APR 28 MAY 5
Saudi Aramco
by the numbers
637
square kilometers is the size of the
Shaybah wildlife sanctuary, potentially
home to as many as 18 mammal
species, 13 reptile species, and 176 bird
species.
May 10, 2017
2
company news
reaching new heights in energy management in Safaniyah
Tanajib — ISO 50001 is the international
standard that enables organizations to establish the systems and processes necessary
to improve energy performance with a focus on energy efficiency, its use and consumption.
The international standard is built upon
the “Plan-Do-Check-Act” continual improvement framework and incorporates
energy management practices in the day-to
day-business activities of the organizations.
An organization wanting to qualify for
ISO 50001 must demonstrate its commitment, planning, and implementation of an
Energy Management Program that includes
energy policy, objectives, targets, and action
plans related to its significant energy use.
An external audit assesses the aforementioned criteria for the organization to con-
form to the requirements of international
standards. Operational Excellence Process
5.3; Energy Efficiency and the Saudi Aramco Best Practice SABP-A-044; and the Plant
Energy Management Program mention ISO
50001 as a reference standard, and producing departments are encouraged to apply for this international certification.
rigorous assessment
Earlier in April, the Safaniyah Onshore
Producing Department (SONPD) was recommended for the ISO 50001:2011 certification award after a rigorous three-week assessment by an external auditor. This came
as a pleasant surprise, as the auditors did
not identify any gaps or action items to be
completed before recommendation of the
award. The whole activity went smoothly
in one shot, and SONPD became the first
oil producing facility in Saudi Aramco to be
awarded with such a coveted milestone.
“The certification is a result of hard and
dedicated work of SONPD Operations,
Mechanical, and Engineering teams who
worked on implementing a systematic approach toward improving energy performance, said SONPD manager Mansour F.
Al Dossary. “The international accreditation
also demonstrates SONPD management’s
commitment to sustainable energy initiatives and the key Operational Excellence
focus area of Efficiency. “As a pioneer in energy certification in
the corporate oil business, SONPD plans
to duplicate the success story in other OE
enabling elements and the focus areas, as
well,” he added.
FSD Business Academy and INSEAD collaborate for C-Suite Development Program
Abdullah Majrashi, a chief financial officer
candidate of the FSD Business Academy CFO/CSuite Development Program, describes a strategic
and cultural process of an INSEAD tailored activity
as part of the C-Suite development program. See
additional photo on page 10. (Photo: Mohammed
Al Shaikh/MPD)
your voice
By Billal Lyzzaik
Ras Tanura
[email protected]
Your Voice reflects the thoughts and opinions
of the writer, and not necessarily those of the
publication.
Dhahran — The Finance, Strategy, and
Development (FSD) Business Academy recently collaborated with INSEAD Business
School to cover financial, technical, soft,
and leadership-development gaps of candidates from the FSD Business Academy
C-Suite Development Program.
The INSEAD development component
was attended by 30 candidates from different business and service lines of the company, and was designed to meet specific
chief financial officer (CFO) developmental
skill sets. These competencies were articulated by well-experienced Saudi Aramco
and external CFOs.
Abdullah Al Owaid, a candidate of the
accelerated C-Suite Development Program
who is also a division head in the Joint
Venture Support and Financial Consulting
Department, attended the program. “The
partnership between the FSD Business
Academy and INSEAD through the C-Suite
Development Program equipped all of us
with a tailored development that tackled
various aspects of our soft, leadership, and
technical competencies,” Al Owaid said.
“This intervention also provided us with
the foundation required for our future engagements during the C-Suite development
journey.”
As part of his accelerated developmental
journey, Al Owaid is currently on an assignment with the multinational professional
services firm Ernst & Young (EY) in London.
Following the developmental rotation with
EY, he will then start the final international
developmental assignment with JP Morgan
(Investment Bank) in New York, and then
conclude by completing a designed financial simulation, where his readiness will be
assessed.
a tailored approach
The FSD Business Academy-INSEAD program contained four tailored modules. Two
addressed strategic thinking and financial
acumen, covering topics such as corporate
finance overview, company valuation, cost
of capital, and market equity. The other
half of the program focused on filling gaps
associated with tailored financial, soft, and
leadership skills, covering topics such as accountability, influencing, and building trust.
The four modules were condensed and
contained diverse learning methods such as
international case studies and simulations.
The content was delivered by INSEAD senior academics.
The program was well received by participants who evaluated the program.
make the choice to drive safely
Globally, nearly 1.3 million people die
in motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) every
year. Another 20 million to 50 million are
injured or disabled in such mishaps. Statistically, MVAs are the 10th leading cause of
death and account for 2.2% of all global
loss of life. With MVA rates on the rise, it’s
crucial to know why they occur and how
they can be prevented. Distracted driving is a leading cause of
MVAs worldwide. A text message, call,
or tweet can end a person’s life in a split
second. Taking your eyes off the road
threatens other drivers who have their full
attention on the wheel. Distracted drivers
often aren’t aware that the crucial second
their sight is taken away from the road to
change the radio station or adjust the air
conditioning can be fatal.
Also, answering a call or replying to a
text message dramatically lowers your focus on driving and can directly lead to accidents or near crashes. Reducing the cause
of distraction by silencing your phone or
having someone answer it for you may
end up saving your life.
Excessive speed on the highway is
known to be the second-leading cause
of global MVAs. Although many know
that driving over 160 kilometers per hour
(kph) is extremely dangerous, few know
that even an increase of just a couple of
kph can lead to disaster. When you need
to suddenly hit the brake, those increased
couple of kph increase the time in which
you can stop, causing a greater chance of
you hitting another vehicle or pedestrian.
Why do people speed? Often, people
are simply in a hurry, enjoy fast driving,
or are just bored. Think twice before you
chose to floor the pedal. Is being a couple
minutes late to a meeting or relieving your
boredom worth more than your life?
Reckless driving, driving under the influence, or just being tired, is the third-leading cause of car incidents internationally.
Careless driving can result in:
• Running a red light
• Running a stop sign
• Speeding
• Tailgating
• Driving without headlights.
Other than the fines for breaking those
laws, you can lose your life or be responsible for the death and injury of others.
Reckless driving falls under every category
of accident causes. The majority of those
are known to be teenagers between the
ages of 15 and 25 who knowingly disobey
the traffic rules. Innocent pedestrians, cyclists, and other cars are put at risk due to
such carelessness.
And even if you are not the driver, you
still have a huge responsibility when riding
in a car:
• Don’t cause a distraction
• Wear your seat belt
• Keep your phone silent
• Take the driver’s phone to answer his/
hers calls or texts.
With these tips and facts, I hope you will
make the choice to think while driving to
reduce the risk of these dangerous behaviors, if not just for your own sake, for others on the road.
the arabian sun
toward Vision 2030 transformation
Saudi Aramco pledges to help
develop ‘multiple economic engines’
by Eamonn Houston
Dammam — One year after Saudi Arabia
communicated to the world its ambitious
Vision 2030 economic road map, Saudi
Aramco senior vice president of Upstream
Mohammed Y. Al Qahtani called for a “departure from business as usual” while recognizing that oil, gas, and chemicals will
remain critical enablers for the Kingdom’s
future prosperity.
Al Qahtani was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Society of Petroleum
Engineers (SPE) KSA Section’s 2017 Annual Technical Symposium and Exhibition
(ATS&E), which was held recently at the
Dhahran Expo in Dammam.
Saudi Vision 2030
Al Qahtani told about 500 Saudi and
international delegates that the development of “multiple economic engines”
would be required to develop the nation’s
economy in line with Saudi Vision 2030’s
core plans for diversification and sustainability.
“Make no mistake, the three existing pillars of the economy — oil and gas, chemicals and mining, these pillars that have
served us so well in the past — will continue to be strengthened,” he said. “And oil
will remain vitally important to the Kingdom’s prosperity, alongside other non-energy focused economic engines that are
being developed.”
Al Qahtani stressed that the current
transformation of the global energy industry would be “long and complex” with
oil continuing to play a major role in the
world’s energy landscape for the foreseeable future.
Cleaner fuels such as gas, he noted,
would experience the fastest growth
among fossil fuels and would serve as the
“bridge fuel” to an evolving energy future.
four levers to success
Al Qahtani highlighted four “levers”
crucial to the oil and gas industry, including: the importance of cost reductions
and improved industry performance; the
deployment of “Fourth Industrial Revolution Technologies” such as big data and
artificial intelligence; the development of
human resources; and collaboration with
service providers, technology developers
and academia.
He further noted SPE should play a leadership role in pulling together the various
stakeholders of these four levers.
IKTVA
Concluding, Al Qahtani pinpointed the
importance of Saudi Aramco’s In Kingdom
Total Value Add (IKTVA) program, which
has a goal of reaching a 70% localization
target among suppliers by 2021.
“Localization is highly important to Saudi Aramco and the Kingdom, and I urge
you to step forward and undertake real
investments in both mainstream manufacturing and supply chains and deliver demonstrable results,” he said.
panel discussion
Nasir K. Al Naimi, Saudi Aramco’s vice
president of Petroleum Engineering and
Development and also chairman of the
SPE-KSA Section Board of Directors, told
the conference that the energy industry
is honing its focus on technology and the
development of human resources.
He was opening a panel discussion titled
“Leading Technology and Innovations with
Efficiency,” which was moderated by Ali
A. Al Meshari, manager of Saudi Aramco’s
EXPEC Advanced Research Center.
Panelists included Ashok Belani, executive vice president for Technology at
Schlumberger; Kishore Sundararajan, chief
technology officer and vice president of
engineering at GE Oil and Gas; Frederico
Justus, president of Regions Operations
with Weatherford; and Tadeusz Patzek, director of the Ali Al-Naimi’s Petroleum Engineering Research Center at King Abdullah
University of Science and Technology.
Reinforcing the words of Al Qahtani,
Al Naimi noted, “Our industry has a long
history of meeting challenges, but today’s
challenges are unprecedented. In the present environment, the business as usual
practices cannot stand.
“We are also living in a world transforming through an industrial revolution — the
fourth of its kind — in which new, major
advancements in technologies with a high
impact on all of our daily lives are being
developed continuously. We need to ensure that we gain the necessary speed not
only to be on the right track, but also to
have the right momentum,” he said, adding, “Momentum is velocity times mass.
The mass of this industry is huge, and
hence, we have to be swift.
Al Naimi said that the integration of
“Fourth Industrial Revolution Technologies” such as machine learning, artificial
intelligence, advanced robotics, and 3-D
printing would be key to industry efforts
to balance cost-effectiveness with safe and
reliable operations.
This level of technological integration
coupled with collaboration with academic
and research institutions would see the industry in good stead for the future.
“Beyond that, the ongoing development
of our employees is necessary to enhance
their knowledge of advances in technologies and practices. For that, we (Saudi
Aramco) established the Upstream Professional Development Center (UPDC) to
develop our own in-depth expertise across
industry disciplines,” Al Naimi added.
ATS&E ‘a cornerstone’
Speaking at the conference, Nasir K. Al Naimi noted that the integration of “Fourth Industrial
Revolution Technologies” such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, and 3-D
printing would be key to industry efforts to balance cost-effectiveness with safe and reliable operations.
Al Naimi was just one of a bevy of Aramcons that participated in and supported this year’s ATS&E.
our support to SPE
The company was one of the diamond
sponsors for the 2017 ATS&E and had a
large booth on the exhibition floor. The
ATS&E, held under the theme “Embracing the Vision toward Energy Prosperity,”
included a variety of exhibitors, lectures,
executive panel session, and courses and
workshops relevant to the field of oil and
gas.
Saudi Aramco employees comprise
a large percentage of SPE international membership. Recently, the company’s
Sami Al-Neaim was selected as the 2019
president-elect of the global organization.
The 2017 ATS&E chairman, Saudi Aramco’s Talal S. Al-Mousa, described the
ATS&E as a cornerstone for the SPE-KSA
section’s activities.
“It is regarded as a world-renowned
event for disseminating knowledge, promoting ideas, and seizing opportunities,” Al-Mousa said. “This is evident by
the ever-growing international interest in
this gathering. This year, we received a
record-breaking number of over 825 abstracts from 33 nations around the globe.
He added that there has never a better
time to “Embrace the Vision toward Energy Prosperity,” as the conference coincided
with the first anniversary since the Kingdom announced its ambitious, yet achievable, blueprint of Vision 2030.
“We truly believe that Saudi Vision 2030
echoes what the SPE-KSA section and the
ATS&E already stands for — a vision toward energy prosperity,” Al-Mousa said.
Over the three days, more than 5,500
delegates attended more than 200 technical presentations and e-posters on topics
company news
3
Mohammed Y. Al Qahtani speaks about the
four critical levers to the oil and gas industry,
including the importance of cost reductions and
improved industry performance. Al Qahtani was
the keynote speaker at the Society of Petroleum
Engineers KSA Section’s 2017 Annual Technical
Symposium and Exhibition, which was held
recently at the Dhahran Expo in Dammam. See
additional photo on page 10. (Photo: Hassan AlMubarak/MPD)
such as reservoir engineering and management, drilling and workover operations,
and improved/enhanced oil recovery, to
name a few. The exhibition hall also hosted more than 35 booths for major and
emerging oil and gas companies, in addition to the outdoor exhibition campus,
where heavy machinery, vehicles, and
technology apparatus crucial to field operations were displayed.
A series of pre-event world-class courses and workshops included AbdulHameed
Al Rushaid, Saudi Aramco’s Drilling and
Workover executive director, delivering
a keynote speech exploring the topic of
“Drilling Ahead of the Bit: The Intelligent
Way to Mitigate Uncertainty,” while Reservoir Description and Simulation Department manager Khalid Zainalabedin
addressed a workshop on “Recent Technology Advancement in Reservoir Monitoring and Surveillance.”
Azeb M. Al Qahtani, manager of the
Production and Facilities Development
Department, and AbdulRahman Al-Ghamdi, manager of the Northern Area Production Engineering and Well Services
Department, kicked off the second day
of workshops with “Upstream Facilities
Design and Optimization: Best Practices”
and “Maximizing the Value of Production
Engineering Assets through Synergy: The
Challenge of Change,” respectively.
Talal S. Al-Mousa speaks to a few of the
thousands of visitors to this year’s ATS&E. “We
truly believe that Saudi Vision 2030 echoes what
the SPE-KSA section and the ATS&E already stands
for — a vision toward energy prosperity,” he said.
May 10, 2017
4
company news
Drilling Ahead of the Bit: dealing with
uncertainties and innovation
by Jeff McCoshen
Al-Khobar — The future of drilling operations in the oil and gas industry was put under a microscope as the 2nd “Drilling Ahead
of the Bit Workshop” was held recently in
al-Khobar.
Sponsored by the Society of Petroleum
Engineers-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Section, the technical workshop titled “Drilling
Ahead of the Bit: An Intelligent Way to Mitigate Uncertainty” featured a variety of presentations and panel discussions with subject matter experts from some of the most
prominent companies in the world, including
Saudi Aramco.
Musab M. Al-Khudiri, workshop chairman,
explained that “Drilling Ahead of the Bit” is
an initiative that was started within Saudi Aramco Upstream with the challenging objective to impact drilling with smart solutions to
proactively manage drilling uncertainties and
geo-hazards in real time by using intelligent
prediction and mitigation solutions.
“To globally support this initiative, SPE
has formed the Drilling Uncertainty Prediction Technical Section (DUPTS), and this will
not only benefit Saudi Aramco but the entire global oil and gas drilling sector,” said
Al-Khudiri, who serves as DUPTS director.
the art of managing uncertainty
In delivering opening remarks, AbdulHameed A. Al Rushaid, Saudi Aramco executive
director of Drilling and Workover, said managing uncertainty on various levels has been
a factor in the oil and gas industry since the
very beginning, and that is no different today.
“Most of us are engineers, and as engineers, we don’t like to admit that we are
working on something that we cannot predict. We like to generate models, calculate
well paths, produce drilling programs, and
pride ourselves on always delivering our
wells, as planned.
“In doing so, however, we overlook one
key aspect — we are still dealing with Mother Nature. We are not drilling our wells in the
laboratory, or in clearly controlled environments.”
Al Rushaid said the geological setting of
the wells being drilled “is the result of millions of years of nature forming soil, eroding
it, submerging it, compressing it, bending,
and fracturing it. So we should not be surprised about the level of uncertainty that
we encounter as the drill bit makes its way
through the layers.”
He did say, however, it is surprising that
even with technological advancements made
over the years in the industry, “We basically
still cannot predict what is 20 and 30 feet
ahead of the bit.”
With that in mind — and despite challeng-
Musab M. Al-Khudiri describes the goal of
“Drilling Ahead of the Bit” to participants in the
two-day event held at an al-Khobar area hotel.
ing market conditions — Al Rushaid cautioned now is not the time to slow the pace
of fundamental research and development.
“It has always been during times of economic crisis that significant advances have
been made, simply out of necessity,” he said.
“So we should challenge all technology developers in our industry to push the progress
of sensor systems that will actually allow us
to see what comes 50 to 100 feet ahead of
the bit, so that we can react to it in time.”
Al Rushaid said the amount of time and
money spent responding to unexpected
events in wells is “substantial” with a majority of those disruptions due to lost circulation. While the drilling industry has seen
“evolutionary growth, it has been pretty quiet on the innovation front” in recent years,
he added.
“In the drilling sector, we might have to
get bold again and consider revolutionary
changes in how we drill our wells,” he said,
adding that a seamless and production collaboration and partnership between service
companies, drilling contractors, academia
and R&D sectors is “an essential prerequisite
for such development.”
Al Rushaid expressed confidence that Saudi Aramco’s wide network of advanced research centers will make key contributions
to much needed “disruptive and breakthrough” technologies.
“I encourage all of you to think out of the
norms, outside of the box,” he said. “We all
need to be open for all new ideas and be
willing to try them in our fields, and Saudi
Aramco is definitely ready for that.”
The remainder of the day included a series
of presentations and interactive “breakout”
sessions.
ing operations, which revealed that tool/
equipment failure (37%) and hole problems
(36%) are the leading causes of “nonfootage” time, with rig problems, human error,
and unplanned events accounting for the remainder of lost time.
He reiterated Al Rushaid’s call for innovation in the drilling industry to overcome the
challenges.
“Drilling automation is the game changer
we are all looking at, as virtually other factors at play are likely to only involve incremental changes in efficiency,” said Moellendick.
In an ensuing breakout session, attendees broke into six groups to discuss a variety
of topics, including “Drilling Engineering,”
“Drilling Operations Optimization,” “Drilling
Automation,” “Drilling Analytics and Modeling,” “Impact of Subsurface Information,”
and “Wellbore Placement/Wellbore Trajectories.”
Each of the groups was led by a subject
matter expert from various international
companies, including Saudi Aramco’s Rami
F. Saleh, Northern Area Oil Drilling Engineering Division head in the Exploration and Oil
Drilling Engineering Department, who led
the discussion on Drilling Operations Optimization. His discussion focused on lithology
identification 50 to 100 feet ahead of the
bit.
“The first thing that came up was to improve the drilling parameters ahead of
time,” said Saleh. “This allows us to gain
drilling efficiency and prolong the life of our
equipment.”
Saleh also participated in a panel discussion with the subject matter experts, where
he shared some of the other key messages
that resulted from the brainstorming session.
The session, moderated by Hermann Spoerker, superintendent of Saudi Aramco’s Drilling
and Workover, focused on investments in
drilling intelligence.
Saleh said that new methodologies in
gathering information — or “machine learning” — are required as automation and are
the key to collecting data that will allow for
a more proactive approach to predicting
‘Drilling Challenges’
Eric Moellendick, chief technologist with
the Drilling Technology Division of the EXPEC Advanced Research Center, delivered a
presentation on “Drilling Challenges in the
Current Economic Climate.”
Moellendick shared data on the leading
causes of the nonproductive time of drill-
Eric Moellendick delivers a presentation on “Drilling Challenges in the Current Economic Climate.”
”
Rami F. Saleh participates in a panel discussion with other subject matter experts that focused on investments in drilling intelligence. Saleh said that new
methodologies in gathering information is critical as collecting data will allow for a more proactive approach to predicting what is ahead of the bit.
(Photos: Mohammed Al Shaikh/MPD)
The drilling industry
has seen evolutionary
growth, but it has
been pretty quiet
on the innovation
front in recent years.
I am confident that
Saudi Aramco’s
wide network of
advanced research
centers will make key
contributions to much
needed disruptive
and breakthrough
technologies.
— AbdulHameed A. Al Rushaid
what is ahead of the bit.
“This is where we can expect a breakthrough in the next five to 10 years,” said
Saleh.
Many attendees agreed that enhanced collaboration in the oil and gas industry itself
is another potential factor that could bring
about impactful changes in drilling in the future. But all agreed that would require the
establishment of an environment to host
smart, advanced engineering models to
monitor, analyze, and interpret drilling data
in real-time analytics, and proactively predict
and mitigate potential drilling problems.
other presentations
Other presentations during the workshop
included “The Power of Big Data Technology for Drilling Uncertainty Prediction,”
“Real-Time Rig Activity-Based Models and
Drilling Analytics to Provide Early Indications
of Hole Problems,” “Anatomy of Errors, Taxonomy of Uncertainty, and the Enigma of
Drilling Prediction Ahead,” “Application of
Artificial Intelligence in Drilling Operation,
Rate of Penetration and Fluid Rheology,” and
“The Role of Machine Learning Methods in
Drilling Uncertainty Prediction.”
The combination of the topics chosen,
as well as a healthy, interactive discussion,
prompted session chairman Faisal S. Al-Sanie
to declare the daylong event a tremendous
success.
“As the industry continues to grow and
adapt more intelligent solutions, exploring
the latest technology in drilling prediction
and simulation are keys to drilling safely and
efficiently,” said Al-Sanie.
the arabian sun
company news
5
EXPEC
ARC
brainstorming
finding novel, science-based approaches to improve recovery, discovery, and efficiency
Dhahran — Only through close interaction among department employees and
our proponents can we efficiently progress
and meet our business targets ... and have a
positive impact.
Motivated by such a statement, and striving in the pursuit of knowledge sharing and
collaboration as vital factors of innovation,
the EXPEC Advanced Research Center (EXPEC ARC) conducts regular activities such as
its annual brainstorming session.
With over 150 Saudi Aramco Upstream
participants, the most recent session was an
energy filled day of lively discussions, networking, and sharing. Proponents included
representatives from several Upstream departments, including Petroleum Engineering Applications Services, Drilling Technical,
Exploration and Oil Drilling Engineering,
Southern Area Production Engineering,
Reservoir Description Simulation, Southern
Area Reservoir Management, Exploration
Resource Assessment, Unconventional Gas,
and Eastern Area Exploration.
“In today’s world, only ideas that are generated and executed by multidisciplinary
teams and a spectrum of scientific and technical skills can see the light,” said event facilitator Amr Abdel-Fattah.
the path to solutions
The full day event addressed 10 outstanding upstream challenges that were selected
following a bottom-up approach, based on
their importance and alignment with the
EXPEC ARC mission of efficient increase of
hydrocarbon discovery and recovery. Each
challenge was led by two discussion leaders
from EXPEC ARC and one or more subject
matter experts from relevant proponent organizations. Each challenge was presented in
an informal roundtable setting to 10 different multidisciplinary groups composed of 10
junior and senior EXPEC ARC scientists and
engineers. These groups provided ideas for
new and improved solutions to the challenges presented, which were captured, ranked,
and documented by the discussion leaders.
Collectively, more than 1,800 solution
ideas were captured during the event
across the 10 challenges. These ideas were
screened, and the top 10 were identified
based on their novelty, impact, and business alignment. Some of these ideas were
determined to be suitable for immediate
implementation, and some were identified
as far reaching strategic research ideas. The
collected ideas were further analyzed and
grouped into five categories: Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Reservoir Stimulation Techniques, Advanced Tools and Sensors, New Methods and Approaches, and
Numerical Methods and Modeling.
Further vigorous analysis and screening is
ongoing with the ultimate goal of isolating
the ones that have stronger science basis
and higher potential of success. The outcome will be used to identify the required
resources, skills, and collaboration among
different EXPEC ARC teams for the successful execution of the research ideas. Some
of these ideas will be developed as research
projects in-house and some will be advanced
with external partners.
the business impact
The business impact of such interactive
technical events lies within identifying new
and improved solutions to the challenges
we face now or in the future on the way
to achieve our business goals. By doing this,
we place ourselves in the forefront of bringing highly innovative, science-based solutions to real-world challenges in the oil and
gas industry.
“We have structured our organization
to ensure such multidisciplinary teams and
skills have the work environment and tools
they need to maximize collaboration and innovation,” said Ali A. Al Meshari, manager
of EXPEC ARC. “This brainstorming session
is an example of EXPEC ARC’s effort to provide opportunities to our scientists and proponent organizations to share ideas and establish strong and meaningful collaborations
around challenges of high importance to the
company’s business.”
EXPEC ARC is home for world-class scientists and engineers comprising a wide
spectrum of science disciplines and technical
skills, therefore, it is a perfect environment
for collaboration and formation of multidisciplinary teams. The informality and openness of the brainstorming setting not only
improves the participants’ knowledge of our
challenges, but also motivates them to share
their ideas.
focused on finding new approaches
This brainstorming session is part of EX-
PEC ARC’s effort to catalyze the interaction
between its scientists and experts from proponent organizations, with one core objective — finding novel, science-based approaches to improve recovery, discovery, and
efficiency.
The new effort started in early 2016 by
revising EXPEC ARC’s Technical Weekly Information Exchange program, which is a
vital communication venue for the center’s
scientists and engineers. The program was
redirected to put more emphasis on addressing important current or future anticipated
challenges and brainstorming possible far
reaching and near-term solutions. These
challenges and the solution ideas generated
are captured weekly and shared with all EXPEC ARC members to allow follow up and
provide “food” for more thought. This rich
pool of challenges and solution ideas was
the backbone of this brainstorming session.
Another strategic advantage of such
knowledge sharing and brainstorming sessions is the involvement and development
of EXPEC ARC young professionals to align
their efforts with the key Upstream technical
challenges and increase their network. Such
knowledge sharing and idea generating efforts, together with other internal and external programs at EXPEC ARC (e.g., Grand
Challenge, iQuests, Young Researcher Program, proponent workshops, etc.) form the
main pillars of EXPEC ARC’s integrated and
sustainable environment for growing the
competencies and capabilities needed to
face current and future upstream business
challenges.
Proponents from several Upstream organizations
come together during the EXPEC Advanced
Research Center brainstorming session. The
sessions are based on finding novel, science-based
approaches to improve recovery, discovery, and
efficiency.
Aramcon becomes first regional expert HR panelist
by Eamonn Houston
Dhahran — A Saudi Aramco Human Resources professional has become the only
person from the Middle East to be elected
to all of the 2017 panels for the profession’s
biggest global society.
The Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) each year selects international
Special Expertise Panels to identify topics of
importance to the HR profession.
SHRM encourages meaningful dialog and
collaboration that will pinpoint trends and
ultimately improve HR practices on a global
scale.
Saudi Aramco’s Rami Busbait works as the
head of Talent Development and is a professional development/training advisor in
Chemicals.
Busbait has been honing his skills and
knowledge over 17 years of professional experience in IT, Planning and HR. He holds a
bachelor’s degree in Management Informa-
tion Systems and a master’s degree in Information Technology.
During his past working assignments, he
was engaged in several projects such as the
creation of the Specialist Development Program Competency Maps, which will serve
as career maps for future specialists in the
company, the revision of all inspectors’ job
descriptions — then job ladders in Saudi
Aramco. He also participated in Zero Base
Manpower Studies, which helps to recognize
the right manpower allocations for different
organizations within the company.
“It is great to be recognized as one of the
experts who provide consulting services for
the biggest HR society in the world to analyze and help solve worldwide HR problems.
The HR Special Expertise Panel is one of seven expertise panels in the SHRM and each
has an average of 15 members. I’m proud to
be the only member from the Middle East,”
Busbait said.
There are five Special Expertise Panels,
which are meant to leave a mark on the HR
community by providing consultations and
feedback on certain critical situations. Panel members must have strong knowledge in
specific panel topics, a willingness to participate in media interviews in international
publications, an established professional network with strategic/operational connections,
a minimum of eight to 10 years of progressive HR expertise and good communication
skills.
Busbait also worked in the implementation
and administration of important company
programs such as the Performance Management Program and Balanced Scorecard.
He also worked as a Change Management
agent and a knowledge transfer consultant using the Knowledge Transfer program
methodology developed in-house to help in
transferring knowledge from experienced to
non-experienced employees.
Rami Busbait, who works as the head of Talent
Development and is a professional development/
training advisor in Chemicals, has become the
only person from the Middle East to be elected to
all of the 2017 panels for the Society of Human
Resources Management.
May 10, 2017
6
company news
Kingdom opens investment chances to Korean businesses
Nearly 40 Korean companies and 100
participants recently attended the “Downstream
Manufacturing Opportunities in Saudi Arabia”
forum in Seoul, South Korea, as a way to promote
investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia. Here
participants in the event ask questions about the
details on Sadara Chemical Company in Jubail.
Seoul, South Korea — Nearly 40 Korean
companies and 100 participants recently
attended the “Downstream Manufacturing Opportunities in Saudi Arabia” forum
in Seoul, South Korea, as a way to promote
investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia.
Organized by Aramco Asia-Korea (AAK)
in collaboration with Sadara Chemical
Company, the Royal Commission for Jubail
and Yanbu’ (RCJY), and the Saudi Arabian
Industrial Investments Company (SAIIC),
the forum was designed to brief Korean
industry players on the rapidly changing
business environment in the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia (KSA) and ways to capture
business opportunities in the region.
Korean petrochemical companies, smalland medium-sized enterprises related to
Sadara downstream and conversion industries, venture companies, and government
associates were among the attendees.
Speaking at the opening ceremony,
Keunsung Park, deputy managing director of New Business Planning and Coordination in AAK, introduced various roles
and activities of AAK. He hoped the forum
would offer participants insight into the
attractiveness of the Saudi market and encourage them to set up their business plan
there.
sharing diverse business
opportunities
In his presentation on the business en-
vironment in Saudi Arabia, Mohammad
A. Alazzaz, director of Sadara Chemical
Company, noted that Saudi Arabia, the
20th largest economy in the world, witnessed 3.4% growth in its gross domestic
product rate last year. Demand for petrochemical derivatives is expanding in consideration to the growing middle class in
the region. He illustrated that Saudi Arabia is experiencing evolution of its chemical industry, shifting from historical portfolio of commodity products to performance
polymers and specialty chemicals.
The presentation also provided information about various potential areas
of industry that will be major sectors in
the Kingdom by 2030, such as advanced
manufacturing, construction and petrochemical sectors.
A presentation made by Ali F. Al-Fuhid,
Investors Performance and Planning Assessment manager for the RCJY, explained
the key role the RCJY plays in developing
the industrial city. RCJY is responsible for
strategic planning, management, infrastructure development, education and
training, health services, environmental
protection, and security of the industrial parks. Al-Fuhid also explained various
benefits of starting a business in the cluster, including numerous incentive programs, accessibility to the local feedstock
and wide market presence in neighboring
countries. He concluded his presentation
by encouraging Korean manufactures to
visit the industrial city and experience the
ongoing recent development.
Thabet H. Al-Yousef, Investment Leader for Sadara, presented an overview and
the value chain of the company to give
audiences a better understanding of various products that it is producing and possible opportunities within the value chain.
He described opportunities in polyethylene, polyurethane, EO/PO, glycol ether
value chain, and many other products
that could be sourced within the Kingdom.
Another presentation made by Hussain
I. Al-Quraishi, investment leader for Sadara, explained about PlasChem Park, its
geographical advantages, industrial park
concept, and current development status. He analyzed the gap in the PlasChem
Cluster, kinds of raw materials that are
available and types of industry market
segment that can be approached.
After the presentation, a question-and-answer session was held and
participants from various industries and
organizations asked questions of the panel speakers. The session was continued
for a considerable length of time, which
showed a high level of interest by Korean
entrepreneurs.
Olaf Schirmer, executive director of
SAIIC, explained that the objective of
the organization is to establish profitable
companies that catalyze the development of industrial value chains in KSA. He
shared SAIIC’s focus area in detail, such
as power and water, maritime, aerospace,
digital, and industrial services, which
could drive increased industrial value
chain localization.
follow-up meetings with the
Korean entrepreneurs
After the forum, AAK arranged individual meetings for Sadara and RCJY and six
Korean companies that have shown initial
interest to review potential investment
opportunities within Sadara downstream
and conversion industries.
Individual one-on-one meetings covered in-depth discussions of potential investment cases by exchanging the initial
idea of potential investment plan and the
detailed information on the Sadara value
chain and infrastructure of RCJY.
The three-day session helped enhance
the awareness of the business environment and various manufacturing opportunities in PlasChem Park and the Kingdom among Korean participants. The
forum provided a solid foothold for further investment promotion for the Kingdom through identifying potential Korean
investors. AAK is committed to offering
continuous support to Korean entrepreneurs in discussing specific business cases
with each party involved, and developing
into a tangible business structure, in collaboration with Sadara and RCJY.
Aramco workshop captures Japanese children’s curiosity
Saad AlKhateib (standing, right), and Yugo
Nakamura (standing, left) of Aramco Asia-Japan
(AAJ) teach children the importance of oil and
Saudi Arabian culture at the AAJ booth during
Manabi no Fes (Festival of Learning). The booth
helped inform the students and stimulate their
curiosity.
Tokyo — More than 2,000 children and
their parents recently participated in the
“Manabi no Fes” (Festival for Learning)
held at the Science Museum in the heart
of Tokyo over spring break.
Aramco Asia-Japan (AAJ) joined 34 other companies — including Subaru, Nomura Holdings, and NYK — in this one-day
educational event, which is a component
of Aramco’s corporate social responsibility
(CSR) initiatives.
Featuring themes such as “The Importance of Oil in Daily Life” and “The Familiarization with the Culture and People of
Saudi Arabia,” AAJ amazed the audiences
at its booth with the customized interactive program “Discover Saudi Arabia and
Oil.” The program included a short presentation and lecture with a game-like quiz
to familiarize students and parents alike
with the notion of how oil has changed
their daily life, as well as the differences
and similarities between Saudi Arabia and
Japan.
“I was surprised to learn that Arabic is
one of the most widely spoken languages
in the world. It is pretty distinct that it is
written from right to left,” said one visibly
happy and excited student. “For me, every
stroke I used to write my name was really,
really interesting.”
Saudi for a day
Excitement filled the faces of all participating students when they donned traditional Saudi Arabian dress, which is very
different and rare in Japan. After learn-
ing about oil and Saudi Arabia, hands-on
experience activities for learning Arabic
greetings and writing their own names
in Arabic followed. The visitors watched
attentively when AAJ’s Saad AlKhateib
played the role of the day’s teacher for Arabic greetings and handwriting.
“What amazed me is that those kids just
went back to their seats and immediately
wrote their names after I demonstrated it
just once, and I think they did it very well.
No wonder, because Japanese kids grow
up in a culture where someone is teaching
you, then you have to listen patiently. That
is exactly what they did,” AlKhateib said
with a smile.
This semi-annual program is organized
by Mainichi, the third largest daily newspaper in Japan. It hosts a wide variety of
entertaining and educational activities that
were aimed at teaching these school kids
valuable lessons under various themes
such as “Science Experiments,” “Be a
CEO,” “Manage Your Money,” “Operating a Ferry,” “Cooking,” and much more.
This creative yet educational festival provided an enjoyable and unforgettable experience for families during the students’
spring school break.
the arabian sun
bringing
wildlife back
to the
Empty Quarter
cover story
7
by Jamsheed Din
Photos by Mohammed Al Shaikh, Moayed Al Qattan,
Jason Plews, and Jeremy Babbington
Deep in the Rub’ al-Khali — the Kingdom’s Empty Quarter — something
remarkable has happened. Three Arabian animal species, some of which were
on the brink of extinction, are once again roaming freely across their ancestral
homeland. The Arabian oryx, sand gazelle and ostrich have long been missing from this
legendary and unforgiving landscape. Once a common sight, they graced the
Rub’ al-Khali for thousands of years, but their numbers
were decimated by hunters over the past century.
Now, Saudi Aramco’s Shaybah Producing Department
(SyPD) in collaboration with the Environmental Protection
Department (EPD) has turned back the clock. The completion
of the first stage of the Shaybah Wildlife Sanctuary, inaugurated
by Saudi Aramco’s Board of Directors in December 2016, has given these
three species a new lease of life. Some may argue that oil and gas operations are at odds with environmental
management and biodiversity conservation. The sanctuary has shattered that
perception. Representing the culmination of years of hard work and dogged
determination, it again symbolizes Saudi Aramco delivering on its promise to
put environmental protection at the heart of its operations. hunted to near extinction The Arabian oryx is the stuff of legends; it is from this majestic creature that
the myth of the unicorn was born. But its revered status did little to protect it
from the deadly gaze of hunters. In modern times as the use of 4x4 vehicles
increased, poachers outpaced and hunted their desert prey with impunity.
The results were every environmentalist’s worst nightmare — the near extinction of a species. By 1972, only four Arabian oryx remained alive in the
wild. The world conservation community undertook a last gasp rescue effort to
save the species, and the last lone survivors were captured not far from Shaybah and sent to U.S. zoological facilities for safekeeping and to commence a
captive breeding program. The ostrich suffered its fate even earlier than the oryx. Excessive hunting
caused this beautiful creature to disappear from the Rub’ al-Khali about 120
years ago, with the last wild ostrich recorded in the Arabian Peninsula about
1939. Sand gazelles have also seen their numbers dwindle to alarmingly low levels
across Arabia for the same reasons. With the loss of these iconic animals, the
Rub’ al-Khali suffered a tragic and what most considered to be an irreversible
loss. It was against this backdrop that Saudi Aramco decided to intervene. An unlikely player in some people’s minds, the company plotted the return of these
species through a highly ambitious environmental project.
a new challenge is set
The efforts generated global media attention. In 1999, with royalty in attendance, Saudi Aramco inaugurated its Shaybah mega-facility — an engineering
feat with fully functional oil and gas operations in one of the most inhospitable places on Earth. In 2011, Saudi Aramco management committed to new environmental protection initiatives across all operation areas. Shaybah was on the front line
once again, but this time not for its hydrocarbon reserves. A new challenge
had been set — to restore and safeguard the unique biodiversity and ecosystem in the area.
“Even as we were developing the Shaybah field, we recognized the majestic
and special nature of the Rub’ al-Khali environment,” said SyPD acting manager Khalid H. Al Jamea. “Although the company has always gone out of its way
to protect the environment, Saudi Aramco realized there was a golden opportunity to take it one step further by committing to establish an internationally
significant wildlife sanctuary.”
Work began immediately. First up was a baseline survey in the area to map
the geographic landscape and assess the flora and fauna present. What plants,
and animals actually remained around Shaybah? How big should the sanctuary
be? Where should it be located? Answers were needed. (Continued on next page)
bringing wildlife back to the
May 10, 2017
8
cover story
Saudi Aramco’s restoration efforts highl
(Continued from previous page)
During a baseline ecological survey in Shaybah
the Cistanche Tubulosa plant species (top)
was identified. Recently, Fringed Toed Lizards
(bottom) were also discovered in the region.
The baseline ecological surveys led by the
Environmental Protection Department in
coordination with the Shaybah Producing
Department have shown the Rub’ al-Khali to have
a thriving eco-system.
Initial desert surveys and feasibility work
for the project was undertaken by the
team in 2012. The surveys revealed that
the Shaybah area was more than just
sand dunes and sabkhas. Although some
key species were missing, it still contained
a unique, important, and functioning
eco-system, including at least 11 highly
specialized desert plant species.
Armed with this knowledge, Saudi Aramco forged ahead with its unwavering
vision to protect some of the remaining
pristine desert areas around Shaybah by
accelerating the creation of a sanctuary. In 2013, Faleh Subaiei, an Operations
Engineering supervisor at SyPD, joined the
team to lead the project. “Someone was
needed to oversee the project, and I had
project management experience — but it
was in oil expansion,” said Subaiei with
a smile. “I was excited but knew nothing
about the subject. The specialists were using terms like biodiversity and floral genetics — it was like learning a new language,
a new technical vocabulary.”
Subaiei had to learn fast, but the best
subject matter experts he could hope for
were in support. Within EPD, terrestrial
ecologist Christopher Boland brought 20
years of research on endangered species
and conservation experience in his native
Australia. Meanwhile, Wayne Sweeting, a
wildlife scientist with 15 years of experience directing the development and operational management of nature reserves in
both the U.K. and the Arabian Peninsula,
joined the team. “We agreed to meet four primary goals.
The first was to restore key native species
in the Rub’ al-Khali — back to the way it
had been for thousands of years,” said
Subaiei. “The second was to set aside
and protect a significant portion of pristine Rub’ al-Khali wilderness to meet the
Equipment plows through the desert sands near Shaybah for creation of a 106 km perimeter road that
surrounds the sanctuary. The work required unrelenting determination.
company’s commitment to environmental
stewardship. “The third was to support academic research in the field of ecology and the environment, particularly in areas that will
inform and optimize management of the
sanctuary but also to advise and benefit
desert conservation projects worldwide.
And finally, the fourth was to provide a
high quality environmental education and
visitor experience.”
The project team formed an invaluable
partnership with the Saudi Wildlife Authority (SWA), which had worked diligently
over the past few decades breeding gazelle, oryx, and ostrich, and which could
provide the initial animals to stock the
sanctuary.
Additionally, teams from SyPD and EPD
traveled to wildlife reserves in neighboring
countries to better understand the scale of
the task and to ensure the sanctuary would
meet all international standards.
no shortcuts
In typical Saudi Aramco fashion, only the
best would do; no short cuts were taken
in construction of the facility, which began
in 2014. “The Rub’ al-Khali is an iconic landscape,
but to date, none of it was formally or
physically protected, so we knew creating
the sanctuary would be of national and
One of the key environmental signals the Shaybah Wildlife Sanctuary is succeeding is that of the 68 sand
gazelles there today, 14 are newborns conceived within the sanctuary. There have also been 13 newborn
Arabian oryx recorded, as well as the fact that the 11 ostriches at the sanctuary have laid a total of 70
eggs.
Christopher Boland
Wayne Sweeting
international conservation significance,” said Boland. A location was
identified, no less
than 637 km 2 in
size, making it
one of the largest
fenced nature reserves in the world
— certainly the
Khalid H. Al Jamea
largest built by an
oil and gas company, another example of
the company’s unwavering support for environmental protection. The creation was a huge undertaking.
Even the simplest of tasks can be challenging in Shaybah. For example, the building
of the new 106 km perimeter road that
surrounds the sanctuary would be a relatively straight forward task in most locations. Not in the Rub’ al-Khali. With sand dunes in the area reaching up
to 300 meters high, some of the largest
in the world, and the temperature rising
to 55 degrees Celsius in the summer, the
installation of the road network required
unrelenting determination and extensive
resources, including the use of heavy vehicles and a fleet of bulldozers. “Before we
installed the roads, it took half a day just
to travel the 12 kilometers to the sanctuary entrance. Now, with the roads in place,
we can patrol the whole 106 kilometer perimeter in three hours. Only Saudi Aramco,
with its deep desert construction expertise,
could have pulled this off,” said Sweeting. The sanctuary is enclosed by security
fencing made from a specially designed
material that uses a large gauge wired
mesh that minimizes the buildup of the
shifting Rub’ al-Khali sands along its
length. It also allows small animals to pass
in and out of the sanctuary — an import-
e Empty Quarter
the arabian sun
lighted at Shaybah sanctuary
Although the last wild ostrich in the Arabian Peninsula was recorded nearly 80 years ago, Saudi Aramco has reintroduced the massive birds to the Rub’ alKhali as part of its preservation efforts at the Shaybah Wildlife Sanctuary. The company’s efforts have garnered international attention.
ant aspect of supporting the wider ecosystem in the area. coming home
By 2016, everything was in place for the
animal’s historic return to the Rub’ al-Khali. The SWA brought the ostrich by truck
from Taif, and the gazelle and oryx from
the SWA breeding centers near Riyadh. Every care was taken to ensure a smooth
transition of the animals back into the
Rub’ al-Khali. In line with international animal welfare and conservation standards, a
three-stage reintroduction procedure was
implemented. When the animals arrived,
they were quarantined in 50 m x 50 m enclosures for one month. Here, veterinarians
monitored the animals closely to ensure
they recuperated from their long journey
and were healthy. Medications or vaccinations were administered where required,
and numbered ear tags were fitted to track
the age, parentage, medical history, and
population size of the animals in the future. Once healthy, strong, and settled, the
animals are released into a pre-release
area consisting of a fenced sabkah flatland
area of about 1 km 2, with water holes,
sun shades, and feeding stations provided.
Here the animals begin to explore and acclimatize to their new surroundings. In the last stage, the animals were released into the wider 637 km2 sanctuary,
roaming free with limited human assistance but under the watchful eye of the
sanctuary security rangers. success For the first time in decades, Arabian
oryx, Arabian sand gazelles and ostrich are
roaming around in the eastern Rub’ al-Khali. But there was always a worry — having
been away for so long, would they reacclimatize?
The results have been spectacular. Of the
68 sand gazelles today, 14 are newborns
conceived within the sanctuary. The Arabian oryx has seen its numbers reach 39,
including 13 newborns. The 11 ostriches
at the sanctuary have also laid dozens of
eggs, which are due to hatch any day now. “A key measure of success was that the
oryx and gazelles gave birth and that all
the offspring survived. This is a clear indicator that the animals are settling in well,”
noted Loay Al Azzam, conservation officer
at the sanctuary. “These are the first animals of these species born here in at least
60 years.” Al Azzam is employed by the Jordanian
Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCNJ), who are pioneers in oryx and
animal conservation. RSCNJ is contracted
to operate the sanctuary due to their vast
experience in similar conservation projects. global conservation significance “To successfully re-establish any large
bodied species is a rare conservation
achievement globally. To establish three
species into a desert — the harshest of
environments — is just extraordinary. It’s
incredibly rewarding — one of the highlights of my career,” said Boland. “Seeing
the iconic oryx once again standing proud
among the awesome sand dunes of the
Rub’ al-Khali is spectacular.”
But the sanctuary is more than just a safe
haven for the three species. A detailed scientific survey to catalog and map the entire biodiversity present inside the sanctuary is underway. Already, the results have
revealed three plant species only found
within the Rub’ al-Khali and nowhere else
on the planet. Sweeting believes that over time additional species will be discovered — some
may even be unknown to science. With
careful safeguarding it is hoped the number of rare species will increase.
The international research community is
beginning to take notice. Recently, professors from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Tottori University in
Japan, and Kings Park Botanic Gardens Authority in Australia, have visited the sanctuary with interest in initiating academic
projects. In December, Phase 1 of the Shaybah
Wildlife Sanctuary was inaugurated marking a significant milestone for all involved.
Phase 2, to be completed over the next
couple of years, will see further delivery
of animals until the optimal numbers are
achieved within the sanctuary. Additionally,
a research station, and operations building
will be constructed. This will enhance academic partnership between Saudi Aramco
and other academic institutes such as the
King Abdullah University for Science and
Technology, paving the way for future environmental-based research in the area. coming full circle
In Hail, hundreds of miles northwest of
the Rub’ al-Khali, ancient rock art dating
back thousands of years clearly depict ostrich, gazelle and oryx, highlighting the
long and special relationship between humans and these animals. Their history in
the peninsula is literally etched in stone. Now, due in no small part to the Shaybah Wildlife Sanctuary, these animals seem
sure to remain a part of the landscape for
many years to come, their future secure
under the custodianship of Saudi Aramco. For Al Jamea, the sanctuary epitomizes
Saudi Aramco’s unique approach to its operations and its care for the Kingdom.
“This project is important to us as it
meets our citizenship commitments. We
are more than an energy company — we
are stewards of the environment and we
will always strive to leave a lasting environmental benefit wherever we operate.”
cover story
9
no compromise in
environmental protection
The opening of the Shaybah Wildlife
Sanctuary is a major milestone in the
company’s continual quest to place environmental protection at the heart of its
operations.
This responsibility falls on the shoulders
of Saudi Aramco’s Environmental Protection Department (EPD), who played a
significant role in the project, particularly
when determining the ecological landscape in the Rub’ al-Khali region.
The initial baseline desert survey to determine the feasibility of the project was
undertaken in 2012 by EPD and the Shaybah Producing Department, focusing on
the eco-system that thrived in the area.
Further studies by EPD revealed that
the area potentially contained 18 mammal species — such as the desert fox,
sand cat and Rub’ al-Khali hare — 13
reptile species, and perhaps as many as
176 bird species, including
169 migratory
species that fly
over the area
while traveling
from Africa to
Asia and beyond. The project’s
success is testament to the
Omar S. Abdulhamid
company’s environmental expertise and the sanctuary
has many success stories, not least the
return of the Arabian oryx. EPD’s Christopher Boland noted that the Arabian
oryx was the only animal species that was
once formally classified as “Extinct in the
Wild” by the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature that has subsequently recovered to such a stable and
sustainable population size.
The sanctuary also received significant
support from the Saudi Wildlife Authority
who provided the team with expert advice on how to manage the three native
species of Arabian oryx, Arabian sand
gazelle, and ostrich, in the harsh desert
landscape.
“The successful creation of the Shaybah Wildlife Sanctuary represents the culmination of several years of collaborative
efforts between numerous organizations,
including the Project Management Team,
the Facilities Planning Department, and
the Saudi Wildlife Authority, working
alongside the Shaybah Producing Department and the Environmental Protection
Department,” said EPD manager Omar S.
Abdulhamid.
“The Sanctuary demonstrates that Saudi Aramco not only supplies energy to the
world — but it does so with care for the
environment.”
May 10, 2017
10 company news
SAP Day
Some of the more than 500 visitors from Saudi
Aramco and its joint ventures take in some of
the presentations and interactive showcases that
were part of SAP Knowledge Day. The event included informational and technical presentations,
demonstration showcases, and interactive one-onone sessions with the SAP experts. The day was
centered on big data, advanced analytics, cloud
adaptation, customer success stories, and more.
spotlight
pg 3
Mohammed Y. Al Qahtani, senior vice president of Upstream, center, cuts the ribbon at the opening of
the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) KSA Section’s 2017 Annual Technical Symposium and Exhibition
held recently at the Dhahran Expo. Joining Al Qahtani, from left, are: Khaled A. Al Buraik, vice president
of Southern Area Oil Operations; Talal Al-Mousa, 2017 ATS&E chairman; Janeen Judah, 2017 president
of SPE International; Dawood M. Al Dawood, vice president of Northern Area Oil Operations; Siggi
Meissner, president of Global Drilling Operations and Engineering for Nabors Industries Ltd.; and Nasir
K. Al Naimi, chairman of the SPE-KSA Board of Directors.
Saudi students, teachers,
engineers, administration
staff, and company management pose following
the recent “Team Up to
Clean Up” campaign held
in the ‘Udhailiyah area.
More than 50 students
from local schools and over
120 employees from the
three Drilling and Workover Gas Drilling departments took part in the
campaign.
pg 11
Attended by more than 30 candidates
from the various business and service
lines in the company, the Finance,
Strategy, and Development Business
Academy recently conducted a
program in collaboration with
INSEAD Business School to cover
financial, technical, soft, and
leadership-development gaps. The
INSEAD development component
was designed to meet specific CFO
developmental skill sets.
On May 2, Community Services (CS) celebrated the successful launching of the My Community Application with a ceremony held at the Dhahran Al-Mujamma’. Led by Mohammad A. Al Shammary, executive
director of CS, and Yousef A. Al Ulyan, executive director of IT, the ceremony was also attended by other
organizations that collaborated in making the CS application a success such as IT and the Public Relations Department. They were joined by managers, division heads, and employees from the various areas
to witness the launch of the application. (Photo: Ahmad El Itani/MPD)
pg 2
Sixteen employees who recently graduated from the Gas Operations Phase IIB program at the ‘Uthmaniyah Gas Plant to work in the Sulfur Recovery and Product and Refrigerant Make Up Units pose for a
photo at a ceremony with the ‘Uthmaniyah Gas Plant and HRDD teams. Among those recognized were
Ahmad Al Mutairi, Abdulaziz Al Sunaid, Khaled Al Efeas, Saad Al Jafi, Mutaz Al Saleam, Salem A. Alhattab, Saleh A. Almutiri, Amera A. Al Salah, Hussain Aljumaiah, Ahmed H. Alsaleem, Saud J. Al-Tubaili,
Nawaf A. Alrashid, Adeeb K. Alattiya, Ali A. AlJazayri, Abdullah Al Qarni, and Saleh Al Minhali.
The SAYSO Division 1 select team (15-17 year-old boys) from Saudi Aramco recently participated in the
AST Aspire Sports Tour soccer tournament in Dubai, which featured numerous teams of various age
groups from the United Kingdom, the United States, and various Arabian Gulf nations. Led by coordinator Raed Shehry and coaches Hamoud Alkhaldi and Talal Al Jarbou, the team rose to the top of their tier
to bring back the cup in their division.
the arabian sun
company news 11
years of experience + the latest equipment =
a new JHAH Cardiac Surgery Program
by Bradley Wilkinson
Dhahran — On April 17, the JHAH Cardiac Surgery Program was launched with a
coronary artery bypass, with six more bypasses and one valve replacement following over the next nine days.
“Cardiac surgery has been proven to extend life expectancy over other forms of
treatment. That is the reason that we do
it,” said Dr. Harry Parissis, JHAH cardiac and
thoracic surgeon and program head. Parissis just launched the new JHAH Cardiac
Surgery Program after spending more than
a decade conducting more than 5,000 thoracic and cardiac surgeries in the U.K. And
his team is no less experienced.
“All the surgeries went smoothly,” said
Parissis. “On schedule, the second patient
was released six days post-op, and the first,
which was a more complex case, was released on day seven. We are very pleased
with all the outcomes. Going forward, we
have the capacity to conduct three to five
procedures per week.”
expert guidance
Among those from Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM) observing the inaugural surgeries were Dr. Kenton Zehr and Dr. Dan
Berkowitz, the latter of whom is director
of a program that is part of the Partners in
Excellence program that combines the tradition of quality medical care provided by
the Saudi Aramco Medical Services Organization with the renowned education and
clinical strengths of JHM.
“I have started cardiac surgery programs
in several countries,” said Zehr. “During the
pre-op debriefing, the technical staff, phar-
macy, and all the surgical components were
spot on and ready to go right out of the
gate.”
“Cardiac surgery is very much a team
effort,” said Berkowitz. “And the team is
only as strong as its weakest link. The links
in the JHAH program are all strong. The facility is modern with good surgical instruments, and the personnel are enthusiastic,
well trained, and very importantly have
excellent interpersonal communications
skills.”
Parissis noted that with new programs,
complex cases are generally avoided. “In
our case, thanks to our partnership with
Johns Hopkins Medicine, we were confident we could tackle some challenging cases from the start,” he said. “We are equally
confident and are highly focused on building a robust, high-quality program that will
benefit JHAH patients for years to come.”
“This is another important step in the
transformation of Johns Hopkins Aramco
Healthcare” said Dr. Daniele Rigamonti,
JHAH CEO. “JHAH is launching similar programs that require a high level of utilization
to maintain the highest quality of health
care. To sustain them, such programs will
need to expand beyond our historical patient base.
“JHAH’s mission remains to benefit Saudi
Aramco’s employees and their dependents
by offering highly sought after services,”
Rigamonti said.
life-changing surgery at JHAH
Fulfilling its mandate to elevate clinical
outcomes, JHAH surgical treatments and
interventions have expanded in scope and
complexity through our clinicians’ close
collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM) specialists from a wide range
of disciplines.
JHAH has commenced programs that
enable life-changing surgery to transform
patient treatment and care, including:
• The cardiac surgery program
• An enhanced bariatric surgery program with supporting surgical rotations
from JHM
• A robotic surgery program in urology — the first surgeries in the Kingdom
Dr. Harry Parissis is assisted by Dr. Kenton Zehr
during a cardiac surgical process. The two have
been integral in the launching of the JHAH
Cardiac Surgery Program.
using the latest version of the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System
• An enhanced endovascular surgery
program using minimally invasive techniques, supported by a surgical rotation
from JHM
• The first cornea transplant surgeries
• The first bone marrow transplants.
D&WO looks to ‘Team Up to Clean Up’ near ‘Udhailiyah
by Lizette J. Yap and Ryan M. Al-Arab
‘Udhailiyah — Saudi students, teachers,
engineers, administration staff, and company management recently took advantage of
a sunny, breezy day in the heart of Ghawar
field near ‘Udhailiyah for the “Team Up to
Clean Up” campaign.
Holding a plastic bag in one hand and
picking up trash from the ground with the
other, the group of volunteers proudly wore
their T-shirt with the campaign theme on
the back.
The Drilling and Workover (D&WO) sponsored event was the first of its kind environmental campaign in the area.
The goal of the event was to emphasize
to our children, colleagues, friends, and
family that the physical environment is indispensable and that we can begin fixing
the problems that threaten it. With D&WO
executive director AbdulHameed A. AlRushaid and other members of management leading the way, the Gas Drilling team
in ‘Udhailiyah looked to promote environmental awareness in its own backyard.
environment dear to our heart
“The Saudi Aramco logo is not just a random logo — it represents the blue in the
sky, the stars, and the green in the ground.
This highlights the importance of the environment and how it is so dear to Saudi Aramco’s heart,” said Saeed A. Al-Khathami,
manager of the Gas Drilling Department,
who noted that promoting environmental
awareness is an effective way to become an
environmental steward and to participate in
creating a brighter future for our children
and generations to come.
Over 50 students from the local government school and more than 120 employees
from the three D&WO Gas Drilling departments attended the campaign in ‘Udhailiyah. The necessity of waste reduction and
the concept of recycling (reuse, reduce,
and recycle) were highlighted followed by
a cleaning activity campaign in the community.
“By this great organizing efforts, to gather the future leaders of Saudi to this honorable campaign, we highlighted the importance of conserving our environment,
taking responsibility of its future, and leading by example,” said Hussain M. Al-Haleimi, manager of the Gas D&WO Department.
Abdulrahman A. Al-Sanea, supervisor of
the Environment & Occupational Health,
Drilling Operational Excellence and Compliance Division (DOE&CD), delivered the
opening remarks, emphasizing the importance of waste reduction and caring for
the environment. The campaign was well
received by employees and the public, and
many participants described it as an excellent opportunity to reflect, appreciate, and
protect our precious environment.
A local observer commented to a participant that this clean up activity is exactly
what was needed to highlight the prevalent
waste issue affecting and deteriorating the
vicinity. The awareness generated through
this campaign is the starting point toward a
cultural change in the community.
In addition to the students from the ‘Udhailiyah Government School, other participants for this event included DOE&CD, the
Community Services Recycling Group, the
‘Udhailiyah Gardening/Sanitation Unit, ‘Udhailiyah Security Operations, and ‘Udhailiyah Emergency Medical Services.
This environmental awareness campaign
was concluded with the recognition of the
presenter, organizers, and all participating
departments that supported the delivery of
the key message, “The environment is everybody’s responsibility.”
A young volunteer fills a plastic bag with refuse
found in the ‘Udhailiyah area. He was one of
many who participated in the recent cleanup
campaign sponsored by Drilling and Workover
(D&WO). Over 50 students from the local
government school and more than 120 employees
from the three D&WO Gas Drilling departments
attended the campaign in ‘Udhailiyah. See
additional photo on page 10.
May 10, 2017
12 community news
CPP visit gives insight to economy, banks
Riyadh tours give CPP students ‘real world’ look at finance sector
observe firsthand the real world governance
of the Saudi financial sector in action.
SAMA, the central bank of Saudi Arabia,
is where Saudi monetary policies are administered and the Kingdom’s foreign exchange
reserves are managed.
learning about the economy
A College Preparatory Program (CPP) student
examines a historical display of past monetary
notes at the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority
Money Museum in Riyadh. The visit was part
of a trip taken by 30 students from the CPP to
the museum to get some firsthand learning of
governance of the Saudi financial sector.
by Rana Al-Harbi and Sarah Al-Dolaijan
Riyadh — Thirty students from the College Preparatory Program (CPP) recently visited the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority
(SAMA) in Riyadh as part of the CPP’s “Site
Visit Program.” The visit provided an opportunity for students with business majors to
During their visit, the students were introduced to the details of how the financial
system of Saudi Arabia operates and the
roles and responsibilities fulfilled by SAMA
to preserve economic stability. After a
warm welcome from SAMA management,
the students attended a lecture on the state
of the Saudi economy that highlighted its
gross domestic product, the various factors
contributing to it, and Saudi unemployment and inflation rates.
SAMA representatives presented on the
organization’s mandate and its critical role in
maintaining the stability of the Saudi Riyal.
the history of money
After attending the lecture, the students
explored the SAMA Money Museum, which
not only preserves rare artifacts dating from
the present back to the Roman and Byzan-
newcomers check out Dhahran Chess Club
Participants in a recent chess tournament hosted by the Dhahran Chess Club go head to head during
one of the rounds. The Dhahran self-directed group has seen an influx of new players join its ranks this
spring by offering lessons for beginners.
This spring has been busy for the Dhahran
Chess Club (DCC) as the club has been blessed with weekly chess games for children, as
well as chess lessons for beginners. These
events were organized by Rowena Rahman.
Recently, the DCC held a chess tournament in which Armaan Nair secured first
place, while Ethan Stewart and Moosa Syed
achieved second and third place, respectively. DCC vice president Frank Almassi awarded trophies to the top three finishers and
medals to the other participants after the
final round.
Simultaneous to the chess competitions, a
wave of new chess players have started to
play, following weekly beginners lessons.
Rahman, who has served as course instructor, formed two sets of classes to accommodate the great demand for learning chess by
children of all ages.
tine empires, but also the heritage of the
Saudi coins and bank notes over the past
century during the unification of the Kingdom.
Students found the first prints of the Saudi Riyal to be of particular interest, as well
as information on the physical process of
creating money with raw materials extracted from the “Mahd Al-Dhalab” gold mine.
The visit concluded with the showing of a
film on how to identify counterfeit currency
and the presentation of two books, one on
SAMA’s accomplishments and the other on
the history of money.
real-world learning
A key takeaway from the tour was the
need for business students to go beyond
textbook and exam learning, making sure
to expand their education through direct
contact with the “real” business world.
Students shared their appreciation for
the visit and the ability to be so close to the
policy makers of the Saudi financial market.
“Our visit was of tremendous value, especially when you see the economic theories
enacted to govern this huge and growing
market,” said CPP student Sarah Alqahtani.
Classes were kept small (10 children maximum) to ensure in-depth learning of concepts was mastered at each stage. Initially,
kids were doubtful of their abilities to learn,
but with patience and determination, they
learned the basic concepts and strategies of
chess.
Finally, all participants competed in a tworound mini tournament. DCC president Andreas Fuhrmann and Kazi Rahman supervised
the event. Hassan Siddiq, Hafsa Siddiq, and
Maahdiya Hossain tied for first place. Due to
the success of these events, the next classes
are already planned for October 2017.
The DCC is a self-directed group and
meets every Tuesday from 6-7:30 p.m. at
Building 1221-B on Ibis Ave. Chess players
of all levels are welcome. For more details,
please call Fuhrmann at 872-5451 or email
him at [email protected].
accomplishments
The Kingdom’s transformation over the past half
century are no more profound than they are in
Jazan. The photo on the left features the region
in May of 1961 with these cone-like houses
dotting the village there. Called an “aush,” these
homes were built of straw with the inside plastered and decorated with painted designs. This is
contrasted with the work going on today at the
company’s Jazan Refinery project, (right) with its
towering cranes and refinery works rising along
the horizon.