THE WORLD OF OILTANKING VOL. 23/1 APRIL 2011
connections
Sound
relationships
“
“
EDITORIAL
Remember, we all stumble,
every one of us.
That’s why it is a comfort to
go hand in hand.
Emily Kimbrough, American author
& lecturer, 1899-1989
Reciprocal relationships
Privately, people often refer to their “better half”, underlining the invaluable support,
encouragement and motivation they get from their partners at home. Also in biology we
learn about mutually beneficial relationships between two or more organisms of different
species, which is known as symbiosis. Bearing these positive sorts of relationships in
mind, the idea of establishing a professional partnership in the world of business only
seems natural and often proves fruitful.
Here at Oiltanking, not only do we embrace this principle, we live by it and can take pride
in successful partnerships with numerous joint venture partners and customers all over
the globe. However, we can also count on sound relationships both internally and externally
thanks to the steadfast dedication of our employees. And of course, they also have their
private partnerships, which give them confidence and support.
CONTENTS
Contents
ASIA
04 Best friend in education
06 Flowering business
INDIA
18 A power-packed achievement
20 Inspiring award
22 An exhibition to remember
EUROPE
08 More than simple spring cleaning
MIDDLE EAST
24 The Arabian adventure
27 Job-related training
NORTH AMERICA 28 Award-winning value innovation
30 US crude discoveries create opportunities
LATIN AMERICA
People &
Places
32 Promising Panama project
36 Aspiring APLA attendance
(Nampoo), Senior Vice President IOT
34 Coast to coast relation
38 Cultural Experiences | Bridging work
Rutger van Thiel | Managing Director
IMPRINT connections Vol. 23/1/2011 Published by Oiltanking GmbH, Corporate Center, Admiralitaetstrasse 55,
20459 Hamburg, Germany, www.oiltanking.com, Telephone +49- 40- 370 99 485, Fax +49- 40- 370 99 499
E-Mail [email protected] Coordinator Gabi Wuestenberg, Manager Communications Editor Renate Eijkholt
Design raz design Print BEISNER DRUCK GMBH & Co. KG Published Three times a year Copy Deadline vol 23/2 10.06.2011
2
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Leisure
& Fun
EXPANSION
32
PANAMA-CANAL
10 A mermaid on a mission
12 We Can, We Care … at the reception
14 Look who’s talking
23 Interview | Jathavedan Nampoothiri
Consequently, it only seemed fitting to dedicate an issue of connections to relationships. I
hope there are plenty of themes in this issue that you can relate to and enjoy reading,
06
DON'T MISS:
A lot of happy couples
and even more babies:
the latest additions to
the Oiltanking family.
and culture
40 Other relations
42 Sport | He was in!
44 Lexicon | “Pigs”
45 Sport | Bigger, longer and uncut ...
46 Number 27,814
47 Reader's Corner
48 Last but not least | Symbiotic Interlock
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3
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Marquard & Bahls
and its subsidiaries’ interest
not only lies in the organisation but also in
society at large. This credo of Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR), which applies also to Oiltanking, is
set out in stone in the company's code of conduct, aimed
at safeguarding the principles and philosophy within the
group, which has grown tremendously over the last decade.
And with great success if the most recent social activity
within the Oiltanking group is anything to go by: in January
2011 Oiltanking Merak officially launched its “Shabat
Pendidikan Oiltanking” programme, which roughly
translates as “Oiltanking: your best friend in education”.
How did this come about?
The terminal in Merak could be a potential employer for
members of the local community but, unfortunately none
of them has either the qualifications or the education
required for the available jobs. Most of these people do not
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even finish elementary school. A few of the lucky ones
might go on to secondary school, but it stops at that.
Having discussed the problem with the community leaders
and colleagues at the Merak Terminal, Oiltanking decided
to help out by providing better educational openings for
young children just across the street.
Now Oiltanking Merak provides free tutoring classes for
these children twice a week in a small building the
community had constructed in the past especially with
such classes in mind. As the standard of education provided
by the elementary schools in the area is quite inferior,
these tutoring classes help prepare the sixth-year pupils
for the state exams, which will be held in early May 2011,
and the fifth-year for the final exams in late May 2011.
Oiltanking also supplies these children with the necessary
text and work books, stationery and school uniforms,
which most of them could never afford otherwise.
Oiltanking has donated IDR 60 million (EUR 5,000) for
2011. Obviously, this amount is not enough to accomplish
what has been planned, so Oiltanking Merak invited its
employees to donate as much as they could to the
programme. After all, every little bit counts! What matters
is that they care and they want to make a difference to the
lives of these young children. The colleagues even initiated
an informal committee among themselves: some were
made treasury officers to manage the funds or are
responsible for communicating with the institution that
provides private tutors; others have to come up with
creative ideas for the programme, such as T-shirt designs,
etc. Those who contribute at least IDR 30,000 (EUR 2.50)
per month for a one-year period receive a T-shirt as a
token of appreciation.
Positive public feedback
Although the tutoring programme in Merak has just started,
the reaction from the community, not to mention from the
kids, is very encouraging. During a public hearing for
Oiltanking’s Environmental Permit in the area, the Camat
(the district head) specifically mentioned the company’s
CSR programme and expressed his thanks. In the past
many companies in the area would normally contribute to
the community by distributing items such as stationery to
the elementary schools, but never really did anything
directly for the children. Besides, there was no guarantee
that these donations would ever reach the hands of these
needy children. But now, for the first time, there is a direct
hands-on interaction with the community thanks to
Oiltanking. Its plan is to continue helping these twentyfour children and make sure they go through schooling
smoothly — i.e. at least another seven to eight years until
they finish secondary school. Oiltanking will then see
whether the children are capable of entering national
universities (state-run) or if they would be better off going
to vocational colleges. Either way, the main goal is to give
them a leg up in their careers.
“Your best friend in education” Under its Corporate Social
Responsibility programme, Oiltanking Merak provides tutoring
classes for children twice a week in Merak, Indonesia.
The selection process
According to the local community leader, the majority of
children drop out in the 5th or 6th year of elementary
school as the parents can no longer afford it. He quickly
drew up a list of twenty-four children in the 5th or 6th year
who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. In order to
verify who really deserves educational help, Christine
Manasseh, Herman Surya Atmaja and Farkhan Adi Suryo of
Oiltanking Merak personally visited the homes of all
twenty-four children and spoke to their parents.
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5
E
ASIA
f
ASIA
Flowering
It is obvious The phase 2
expansion was successfully rolled
out and so was the red carpet.
r
business
When Oiltanking’s terminal development in Daya
Bay, People’s Republic of China, was mentioned in the
connections magazine in August 2010, it was compared
to a lotus flower: gradually flowering amid various
difficulties. However, looking at the terminal now,
Oiltanking can proudly announce that the flower is in full
bloom. In phase 2, a total of 18 new carbon steel and
stainless steel product tanks with a total capacity of
66,109 cbm were added favourably in January. With this
expansion, the total capacity for chemical products at the
Daya Bay terminal will increase to 88,046 cbm. Located in
the Dayawan Petrochemical Industry Park, Huizhou City
— around 80 km north-east of Hong Kong
— Oiltanking is the exclusive provider of
independent
tank
storage
services.
Besides chemicals, the terminal also plans
to meet the needs for petroleum and
petrochemical products, and gases.
Oiltanking has successfully commissioned the
phase 2 expansion at its terminal in Daya Bay,
People’s Republic of China. It received its first
vessel at its newly constructed public jetty on
January 7, 2011.
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Inauguration The M.T. Jian Xing 32
was the first ship to be loaded with
1,500 metric tons of Methyl
Methacrylate bound for East China at
one of the two new berths at the
Oiltanking Daya Bay terminal.
The completion of phase 2 and the new jetty will
strengthen Oiltanking Daya Bay’s position in the
Petrochemical Industry Park. It also paves the way
towards developing its facilities into a world-scale
industrial terminal providing its services beyond the
tenants of the Industry Park to market participants in the
South China market, too.
Special status The Oiltanking terminal
is the exclusive provider of independent
tank storage services in the Dayawan
Petrochemical Industry Park.
In addition to the storage service,
Oiltanking is a majority shareholder in the
public pipe rack and managing partner in
the public jetty business at Huizhou Daya
Bay Oiltanking Petrochemicals public Jetty
Co. Ltd. (OTPPJ) and provides two berths
with 10,000 dwt each at the waterfront
next to the phase 2 terminal. On January
7, 2011 the first vessel, M.T. Jian Xing 32,
was loaded with 1,500 metric tons of
Methyl Methacrylate bound for East China.
CONNECTIONS
7
EUROPE
EUROPE
e
r
t
o
han
M
simple
spring
cleaning
BEFORE Spot the difference: Here
are the “Cleaning Tools” before ...
A year ago Oiltanking Copenhagen successfully
introduced the 5S programme at the terminal.
A recent spot-check shows the new standards
haven’t been gathering dust.
In retrospect, the Oiltanking terminal in Copenhagen
was a bit like a woman’s handbag (no offence!): crammed
full of things. Given the terminal’s history of over 50 years,
it’s hardly surprising that so many things had accumulated.
But it was high time for some serious spring-cleaning;
that’s where the 5S programme came in.
Efficiency Although
the Copenhagen
terminal is more than
50 years old it still fits
perfectly into the port.
Customer needs' from
the Baltic and ARA
region, Scandinavia or
anywhere else in
Europe can optimally
be catered for.
were removed and those remaining
were assigned “their” place. For this
purpose and with the help of Hugo de
Donder from Management Support,
teams of three operators each were
assigned one of four house-keeping
areas which the terminal had been divided into. All the
teams did a great job of sorting through their areas and
putting them into order. In no time, the terminal was as
good as new! Apart from the division of the terminal, two
more areas were introduced: the so-called “Red Spot
Area”, a temporary store for unneeded, clearly marked
items; and an area for objects whose fate was still
undecided. After the outer areas of the terminal were
cleared, the office building followed.
Needless to say, the housekeeping standard has improved
considerably at the terminal. But, of course, 5S is a long
process and Oiltanking Copenhagen is still in the “set in
order” phase. There are many things still to be done and
there is always room for improvement, but an important
step in the right direction has been taken. Now the challenge
is to succeed in the last “Ss” by integrating the 5S mentality
into daily working life. Only then will it be possible to keep
up the good work … and not only during springtime.
AND AFTER! You can’t
help but notice that the
Copenhagen terminal
is spotless now: more
organised, efficient and
a safer workplace thanks
to new housekeeping
standards.
The Japanese 5S method (seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu
and shitsuke), meaning sort, set, shine, standardise and
sustain respectively, describes how things are kept and
how the new orderliness can be maintained. So at the
end of April 2010, in a major exercise under the motto,
“When in doubt, sort it out”, any superfluous artefacts
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9
P eople & P laces
P eople & P laces
A mermaid
on a mission
Many tourists visiting Copenhagen, Denmark, may
have been disappointed in recent months. While
they had made the long trip to see the city’s most
famous landmark, the statue of the little mermaid,
she was on a journey with a mission: to strengthen
her country’s relations with the rest of world.
The statue of the little mermaid is Copenhagen’s main
tourist attraction, without which the city would be unthinkable.
The Danes are very fond of this little figure, too. Nonetheless,
they had to do without her while she was away in her new role
as ambassador. From May to November 2010 the little
mermaid swapped her home by the Langelinie Pier in
Copenhagen for the centre of the Danish Pavilion
“Welfairytales” at the EXPO 2010 in Shanghai. It
was the first time ever that the statue had left
Copenhagen Harbour since it was unveiled in 1913.
Created after Hans Christians Andersen’s children’s story
“The Little Mermaid”, the statue was a gift to the city
from Carl Jacobsen, the founder of Carlsberg, the famous
Danish brewery. He had seen a ballet of the fairytale and
was fascinated by the prima ballerina, whom he suggested
as a model. However, she refused to pose nude, so only
her head was copied. Luckily, the sculptor Edvard Eriksen
was able to convince his wife to model for the body. The
first original statue is kept in an undisclosed location by
Eriksen’s heirs while the mermaid sitting in the harbour
is the second original. However, she is truly international
as several copies exist all around the world, including the
USA, Romania, China and Brazil. During the past 97
years, Copenhagen’s little mermaid has been through
some rough times. Not only has she lost her head and
right arm on several occasions; she has also been
“beautified” with many different colours and outfits.
put on to see her off: two dancers dressed as a dragon
and a mermaid performed together, and children from
both nations sang songs in their native languages, all
symbolising the tight bonds between the two countries.
The mermaid’s journey was a controversial topic in her
homeland, but most Danes reacted positively. And they
did not have to do without her completely: during her
stay abroad, a screen was put up near the spot she
usually sits on, showing a live stream from Shanghai and
creating a constant link between the two places.
Now that she’s back, the fruits of her labour are being
reaped: the number of Chinese tourists in Denmark shot
up by 28 percent in 2010, the highest increase of all
countries. Many make a short stop in Copenhagen while
travelling around Europe to pay the mermaid a visit — as
she did them. Finally, there is just one thing left to say:
well done, little mermaid. Mission accomplished!
During her adventure in China, around 5.5 million people
admired the statue at the world exhibition — almost
equal to the current population of Denmark! Her mission
started even before her arrival in China. A big show was
Big business trip The little mermaid at
the world exhibition Shanghai Expo 2010.
There she was presented for the Danish
Pavilion based on the Welfairytales
concept by the architect called BIG.
Back for good After
having been “out for
a swim” in China,
the little mermaid is
resting at her home pier
in Copenhagen, Denmark.
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11
P eople & P laces
P eople & P laces
We Can, We Care
Up-front Cheerful
and obliging Gudrun
Ramseger (left)
and Susan Condron
deal with all kinds
of concerns for
both colleagues
and Oiltanking’s
customers at the
head office.
‘You never get a second chance to make a
first impression’ — a true saying which
Oiltanking has incorporated into its receptions,
the single points of contact where incoming
calls are answered before being connected to
the specific departments or where visitors are
welcomed. At Oiltanking’s head office in
Hamburg, two colleagues in particular have
devoted themselves to representing Oiltanking
at its best: while Gudrun Ramseger manages
the Oiltanking reception from 8 a.m. until 1
p.m., Susan Condron works for the departments
that are busy with 'weboffice' and 'economics'
and takes over the reception from 1 p.m. to 5
p.m. You can rest assure that working at the
reception on the ground floor in 2003. However, once
Oiltanking visitors have been through the main reception,
they are once again received at Oiltanking’s own reception
desk on the third floor. While the number of incoming
telephone calls might be fewer, the stream of visitors is the
same. They are always pleased to see their visitors and
with many of them — especially colleagues from external
offices — Susan and Gudrun have established a close
relationship over the years. Some even bring tasty
An open ear for everyone
for all kinds of concerns
… at the
reception
The Oiltanking organization consist of various departments, each and
every one of which is crucial for a smooth, sweet and satisfactory work
process. Today, we take a closer look at what goes on at the reception.
Representing the 71 international Oiltanking terminals, we call in at the
head office reception in Hamburg, Germany.
12
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reception is more than just saying a polite
‘hello’. Or, as Gudrun explains with a wink, ‘We
are in charge of all 1000 delicacies — organising
the office and office stationary, contacting
suppliers,
preparing
meetings,
checking
invoices, helping other colleagues with all kinds
of matters, etc.’
Gudrun still remembers back to the days when
Oiltanking GmbH, located on the third floor of
the Marquard & Bahls AG building, had a
separate reception. In order to facilitate
visitors’ orientation, as well as for security
reasons, it was decided to bundle incoming
telephone calls and greet all visitors to the
Marquard & Bahls’s companies at one main
specialties from their home country as a token of their
appreciation for the two ladies. Nonetheless, knowing
these two women, you can be certain they will proudly
present these treats at the reception counter and share
them with whoever wants to sample them.
Asked to describe their typical day, Gudrun and Susan
unanimously say that no two days are ever quite the same
and they have learned to be prepared for the unexpected.
Of course the copier is never working when a colleague
needs a lot of copies ‘yesterday’, or the coffee machine
goes on the brink just when they have to prepare for an
important meeting … just to name some ‘minor’ issues. In
order to handle the daily challenges, the two receptionists
need to be flexible and have a lot of organisational skills
(not to mention a certain ability to pull off miracles!).
Sociability and a love of dealing with people, a bit of
humour thrown in, and some foreign language skills
(English being an absolute must) help to juggle all the
tasks. And with their positive blue-sky thinking and warm
smiles, who would not like to be greeted by them?
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13
P eople & P laces
P eople & P laces
K
2
1
Look
who’s
4
3
5
talking
Some Oiltanking terminals might
not have a separate reception at
their terminal. But no matter which
terminal you call or visit, you’ll
always be greeted by colleagues
ready to answer your query. You
might not have had the opportunity
to meet them in person but here’s
the chance to put a face to the first
voice you’ll probably hear if you
call Oiltanking.
EUROPE
7
6
9
8
11
13
10
12
1) Eda Kabel in Tallinn, Estonia 2) Karin
Napierski in Hamburg, Germany 3) Annette de
Bruyn & Lief Mulkens in Antwerp, Belgium 4)
When all lines at the reception and in the
controllroom are busy in Copenhagen, Denmark,
Maja Rasborg (left) and Anita Hocke, will
step in 5) Joe Bezzina in Birzebbugia, Malta 6)
Gudrun Ramseger & Susan Condron in
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Hamburg, Germany 7) Radoslava Koleva in
Varna, Bulgaria 8-9) Ellen Van den Berghe,
Bea Van de Kerckhove, Fi Cayir & Lies
Smagghe (either part-time or on special days) in
Ghent, Belgium 10-11) Chantal Buzeijn & Cindy
van Geersaem in Terneuzen, The Netherlands 12)
Gijs Meerleveldt in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
13) Nina Kreander in Kotka, Finland
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15
P eople & P laces
P eople & P laces
1
3
2
NORTH
AMERICA
4
2
1
MIDDLE
EAST
5
1) Talal Al Balushi & Hussain Al Ajmi
in Sohar, Oman 2) Rolla Kassem
Shakra in Jebel Ali, Dubai, United Arab
1) Tammy Kerr in Texas City, Texas, USA 2) Angela Moore
in Beaumont, Texas, USA 3) Debbie Watson in Houston,
Texas, USA 4) Adrienne Conaway in Joliet, Illinois, USA 5)
Chessa Duncan in Port Neches, Texas, USA
3
1
Emirates 3) Leslie Garcia in Jebel Ali,
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2
3
3
2
1
ASIA
4
LATIN
AMERICA
4
7
5
6
5
1) Luciana Carrega & Verena Comesaña
in Buenos Aires, Argentina 2) Sabrina
Fonseca in Vitoria, Brazil 3) Gina
Jones in Panama City, Panama 4) Cecilia
16
1) Amanda Tan in
Singapore, Singapore
2) Zhang Jie in Daya
Bay, China 3) Nazlah
Aini
in
Jakarta,
Indonesia 4) Sandra
Rodrigues in Mumbai,
India 5) Hu Ning in
Nanjing, China
CONNECTIONS
Blando & Erica Romero in Puerto
Rosales, Argentina 5) Nelly de León in
Bogota, Colombia 6-7) Miriam Wilson
& Mercedes Flor in Lima, Peru
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17
INDIA
INDIA
A view of the boilers
set up by IOTEP for Tata
Power in Mundra. IOTEP's
project for NTPC involves
constructing suspended
boilers with a total capacity
of 1.15 lakh tons, making
the project one of a kind.
They do say that excellence is a
way of life; IOT Engineering
Projects proved this by getting
its biggest order ever in December
2010 on the back of its exceptional
track record while implementing
similar power sector orders on a
smaller scale.
Barh, a small district in the state of Bihar, India, is
seeing a lot of movement of people and machinery for the
National Thermal Power Corporation's (NTPC) power
generation plant currently under construction. The plant
is significant for IOT, too, because IOT Engineering
Projects (IOTEP) will be erecting three 660-MW boilers
with a total tonnage of 115,000 tons over a period of 42
months in the first phase of the project. With a contract
value of approximately EUR 54 million (Rs. 3.42 billion),
this is the single largest order for the construction of a
boiler at a company in India.
In September 2010 Technoprom, a Russian energy
company, received an order from the NTPC to construct
the first phase of this 1980-MW power plant. Almost
Pleased with the feedback, Technoprom approached
IOTEP with a proposal to build the boilers in late November
2010. However, the biggest hurdle was yet to come: all
agencies selected needed to be approved of by the NTPC,
which has very stringent selection criteria. Especially for
IOTEP this was a huge challenge as its lack of experience
could go against it. That is when Mr MA Pathan, Chairman
IOTEP and former chairman of IOC and IOT, talked to the
NTPC's chairman to vouch for IOT and its subsidiary
IOTEP. It took a lot of convincing, but finally the NTPC
agreed to send a 11-member team of experts to Mundra
to vet the company's work for Tata Power.
A crane at IOTEP's project (left)
for Tata Power at Mundra. IOTEP's
project for the NTPC will require
additional cranes to put up the boilers
because they weigh more and will
have to be assembled in modules.
The erection work (right)
carried out by IOTEP for Tata Power
in Mundra. For its project with NTPC
in Bihar, IOTEP has mobilised a
workforce of 3,000 men with 300
engineers overseeing the operations
on the site.
A
powerpacked
achievement
18
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immediately, it began looking for an Indian company to
construct the boilers for this phase. Unaware of
Technoprom's search at that stage, IOTEP was
collaborating with the Korean company Doosan to put up
two 800-MW boilers for Tata Power in Mundra, Rajasthan,
India. Technoprom got wind of the project and contacted
both Doosan and Tata Power for a background check on
IOTEP — a company that was barely three years old.
Experience the key factor
Technoprom was keen to know why Doosan had chosen
IOTEP for the project despite its lack of experience. They
were not bargaining on the answer they got from the
Korean company, that said it was not the company’s
experience but rather the people that mattered. And in
this regard, they said IOTEP was as good as it gets in
business. A second opinion expressed by Tata Power
revealed that, although IOTEP might well be a small, new
company, in no way did it have insufficient expertise and
best practices, many of which were better than those to
be found among the more established players.
The team scrutinised the engineering work, quality
control and HSSE practices carried out by IOTEP. Satisfied
with its capabilities, the NTPC approved of the order.
Next came a round of discussions with Technoprom on
pricing issues. The negotiations, which continued until
late into the night, were finally brought to a close 45
days after Technoprom first spoke to IOTEP.
This project, which was won by IOTEP over more
established players, will not only propel the company into
the big league of contractors for power plants; it will also
give IOT, which recently set up a power division within
the EPC business unit, a firm entry into the booming
Indian power sector. IOTEP's outstanding success and the
formal acceptance of the IOT group by the NTPC and
BHEL for such contracts bode well for the new division for
such contracts in the future.
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19
I ndia
I ndia
Inspiring
award
Safety matters are in good hands
at IOT as the accolade shows.
In November 2010 the Silver Safety Award
was presented to IOT by the Indian National
Safety Council — a much deserved recognition
of its Health, Safety, Security & Environment
(HSSE) performance in a project that was
both prestigious and complex.
An award-winning performance
Getting a workforce of over 6,000 people to observe
safety practices is a challenging task, but the IOT team
was well-prepared with an HSSE implementation plan as
soon as the project began. They first met with the
contractors on site to address key HSSE issues, including
the supply of personal protective equipment. This was
followed up by induction training for all employees and
contract workers before commencement of the project.
Safety training was also provided for visitors and vendors
before they entered the construction site area.
The teams prepared a Site Safety Plan that was approved
of by the Project Management Consultant and IOC (the
client). A lot of work during the project was carried out at
great heights, and to ensure the safety of the workers at
such times, IOT provided the most sophisticated
equipment and tools, such as fall arrestors, welding
booths and safety nets. These measures also enabled the
site to obtain an OHSAS 18001:2007 Safety
Management systems certification from DNV.
An inclusive approach
The Silver Safety Award is a special accolade for IOT
as it is given by India's foremost health and safety
organisation: the National Safety Council (NSC). The
award formally recognised the Group's completion of
22.26 million man-hours without any Lost Time Injury
(absence from work over 24 hours) and other outstanding
HSSE achievements for the IOC Panipat Refinery's
Naphtha Cracker Project, EPCC-8. The fact that the
project did not just conform to safety practices, but also
had a positive and inclusive approach towards instilling a
culture of safety among its workers on the project site led
the 16-member jury headed by NSC's Director General,
VB Sant, to choose IOT for the award.
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A prestigious project
A project costing approximately 186 million euros (Rs.
11.76 billion), the EPCC-8 project was a prestigious yet
complex one including works such as the construction of
storage tanks and spheres, overground and underground
piping, approach and operating platforms in the tank farm,
126 equipment platforms, a fire water network, air
compressors, air vessels and 93 pumps. The project also
involved laying electrical cables, instrumentation and a
fair amount of civil work.
Taking into account that 6,800 workers from different
professional backgrounds were working on the site during
peak time, IOT's project and HSSE teams had their work
well and truly cut out for them. From sub-contractor
management to the provision of welfare facilities for
workers, the teams had to ensure that adhering to safety
practices, systems and processes became second nature
for each and everyone on the site.
Training site workers and getting
them to adhere to safety practices
was a testing task due to the
coming and going of staff. So,
rather than draw up a list of
dos and don'ts, the teams
took a positive and inclusive
approach to get the workers
involved in and abide by IOT's
safety practices. The team
encouraged them to provide
input on hazard identification
and hand in risk assessment
sheets at the end of the
working day. The worker
who
gave
the
most
feedback was rewarded.
Site workers, many of
whom have limited formal
education,
were
also
rewarded after their safety training
programmes based on the level of awareness
they generated among their peers. Around 200 people,
including supervisors and engineers were recognised for
their safety performance in their respective jobs. One
person in each group of workers was also identified as a
safety steward and the best among them given safety
awards. Apart from the training and monthly programmes,
the team held three motivational camps involving almost
the entire workforce to encourage positive safety
behaviour.
True meaning of the award
In late September IOT was informed that it had won the
coveted trophy and certificate. It was a proud moment
for IOT when managing director, Jayanta Bhuyan, led the
team, represented by Laxman Sharma (head of the
project site team) and Pradeep Bhatt (head of HSSE), to
receive the award from Mallikarjun Kharge, Honorable
Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Government
of India at a glittering ceremony in November 2010. The
award was presented in the presence of Anand Mahindra,
one of India's leading industrialists and the Chairman of
the NSC.
The Silver Safety Award is one of the most
esteemed accolades IOT has received for
its HSSE performance. And while it is
always satisfying to win awards, the real
achievement for IOT is its commitment
across the organisation towards
continuously and systematically
improving its HSSE performance
with
active
support
and
inspiration from the Marquard &
Bahls Group Corporate HSSE
Head and his team.
Pillars of success
For its safety first
philosophy and
performance IOT was
rewarded with a special
accolade.
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21
INTERVIEW
I ndia
An exhibition to remember
In October 2010 IOT participated in the 9th Petrotech International Oil & Gas
Conference & Exhibition that brings together the world's leading oil and gas companies.
With all the businesses putting their best foot forward, Petrotech brought IOT’s
strengths to the fore.
Like all good ideas, this one started out small — on the
initiative of one business unit, Upstream Services. But like
all good ideas, it caught on fast and soon all of IOT's
businesses were looking forward to taking part in Petrotech
2010 — a biennial event that gets some of the world's
leading companies from the oil and gas sector under one
roof in New Delhi, India.
The idea was to position IOT as an organisation with
complementary businesses that can be integrated to
provide end-to-end solutions. The idea was also to gain
visibility within the oil and gas arena globally and in India,
which is experiencing a boom in the sector thanks to the
government's NELP program (NELP = New Exploration
Licensing Policy). With EPC (Engineering, Procurement,
Construction), terminalling, upstream services and
renewable energy businesses joining under one umbrella,
competitors and clients were able to get an idea of the
range of services IOT provides for the oil and gas sector.
Well positioned The exhibition gave Jayanta
Bhuyan, Managing Director IOT (right) an excellent
forum to present the range of IOT's services.
They do say that hard work pays off, and along with the
team's efforts, which continued up until the wee hours on
the inaugural day the exhibit area was in “apple-pie order”
by October 31 — the opening day of the exhibition.
IOT not only made its presence
felt among the 350 exhibitors
from India and abroad, but the
visitors to this premier event felt
its presence, too. The strategically
located exhibition area was visited
by top delegates from the oil and
gas industry. With over 1400
people visiting the IOT display
area over the three-day event,
IOT’s people got the opportunity
In good shape The perfect presentation of IOT was topped off
with a rounded stand.
to identify and explore new areas
for cooperation and technology
However, there was just one hitch: IOT barely had a month
transfer. The event also provided an opening for the IOT
to confirm its participation and get ready for the exhibition.
Human Resource’s team to scout for potential talent.
It was literally a race against time. But with the active
Since some of India's and world's leaders from the oil and
support from all the business heads and senior management,
gas sector visited the IOT display area and left favourable
marketing collaterals like panels in place, and brochures
comments in the guestbook, the idea of positioning the
and gifts designed in-house for guests, things did come off
company amongst its peers was an absolute hit. Petrotech
well. The team decided that 25 8X8 panels would form the
not only brought IOT's business synergies to the fore, but
showcase for the display area, which were then prepared
it was also an invaluable learning experience for the
and shipped to the venue in New Delhi in record time.
team, which participated in an exhibition of this magnitude
for the first time.
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Introducing …
… Jathavedan Nampoothiri
(Nampoo),
Senior
Vice
President
(Terminalling)
IOT Infrastructure & Energy
Services Limited — another
colleague whose face can
be seen in Oiltanking’s
international
advertising
campaign, “We Can, We
Care.”
What did you want to be when you
grew up? I wanted to be many things:
bus driver, police officer, doctor, singer
… How did you find out about IOT?
I knew IOT as a joint venture between
Indian Oil Corporation and Oiltanking.
However, I read more about Oiltanking
on its website when an opportunity to
work for IOT came up. What attracted
you? How long have you been
working for IOT? IOT’s growth potential
and the professional excitement of
being part of its growth are what
attracted me. The new experience of
being globally networked with the
Oiltanking
people
was
another
important factor. I’ve been working for
IOT for more than four years now.
What is your profession? I’m
responsible
for
IOT’s
terminalling
business. What do you like about
your job? The potential to contribute in
a comprehensive general management
role. What inspires you? The opening
to make a difference. How do you
recharge your battery? Sleeping,
listening to music and being with my family. What do
you do in your spare time? Tidy up the house
(although my wife might beg to differ on that one!)
Three things you like? Good humour, Indian music
and travel. Three things you dislike? Being woken
up early on holiday, snobbery, traffic jams. What makes
you laugh? So many funny situations in daily life.
What makes you angry? Dishonesty, unfair treatment,
not communicating clearly. What could you not live
without? My family. What would you do if you had
three months’ off? Spend a month with my father
and mother at my parent’s home; the next month at a
Himalayan mountain resort with lots of walking, reading
and music; and the third month working with an
organisation on a social cause.
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23
M iddle E ast
M iddle E ast
The Arabian
adventure
Since it commenced operations in 2006 the Oiltanking Odfjell terminal in Oman has
set a course towards continuous expansion. Having almost reached the 1.3 million
cbm capacity this April, it’s about high time we reviewed this achievement.
Sohar, in the north of the Sultanate of Oman, is not
just the legendary birthplace of Sinbad the Sailor, but also
the place where one of Oiltanking’s terminals is experiencing
a fairy-tale development. What began as a management
project for two jetties dedicated to products from the
adjacent refinery in 2006 soon blossomed into a 912,650
cbm terminal with five jetties and 39 tanks where a variety
of products can be handled: clean petroleum products,
LPG, bulk chemicals like benzene and paraxylene, and
specialty chemicals like MDI (methylene diphenyl
diisocyanate) and LAB (linear alkyl benzene). The whole
process took less than three years from start to finish and
was conducted in three phases, all completed and
commissioned on schedule and well within the budget. As
of March 2011 the terminal will see the addition of fifteen
tanks, bringing the overall capacity to almost 1.3 million
cbm, and another jetty, increasing the total number to six.
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Being the first and only independent oil terminal in Oman,
it was not always plain sailing for Oiltanking Odfjell’s
activities, so it was more of an adventure than anything
else. The company had to assume the responsibility for
developing vendors, systems and infrastructure where
none existed. This involved getting the right gas testers,
teaching local welding shops to repair pump strainers and
last but not least dealing with harsh temperatures of over
50 degrees centigrade in the summertime. Sourcing spares
is one challenge tackled daily by the Maintenance
Department, which performs approx. 90 percent of
preventive maintenance in-house.
Looking into the past
The commissioning of phase 1 started in August and was
completed at the end of December 2008 (587,370 cbm);
Safety first Contractors put in 4.3 million
working hours without any LTI (lost time injury)
in January 2011. During peak time, more than
1,150 people were working in the various
locations of the terminal.
the next phases followed seamlessly. In September 2009
the construction of phases four and five got underway.
Over the past fifteen months, business has developed
differently than originally planned. However, Oiltanking
Odfjell Oman and its contractors have displayed an ability
throughout to react to changing customer demands within
the budget and on schedule. Initially, the two new phases
were not connected but interchangeability and different
connections were provided for during the detail design and
various optimisations. This included working on live
systems within operational areas. In total, more than 100
‘tie-ins’ had to be accommodated.
Apart from new facilities being built within fully operational
areas and pipelines interconnected with live lines, another
major challenge was the planning and realisation of the
three additional jetty lines as these had to be placed into a
narrow corridor with access from the two ends only.
Significant logistical problems had to be solved in order to
position the massive reinforced concrete supports (socalled sleepers) in this restricted area. Another complicated
exercise was the extension of the power supply from the
existing consumer substations to the new substation as
these activities had to be done in a live system without
interrupting the ongoing terminal operations and power
supply.
Last but not least, the control, tank-farm monitoring and
emergency shut-down systems had to be integrated in
the running systems. This was only possible with a
three-week shut-down of the existing systems, so the
terminal was fully under manual operation and control
with field instrumentation and additional operational
safeguards. In order to safely and efficiently conduct
this huge project — in a live terminal with a throughput
in excess of 6.5 million tons in 2010 for instance — a
stringent permit-to-work system as well as
continuous Management of Change (MoC) were
pursued. All activities and hot works in particular
were coordinated by HSSE between the Oiltanking Odfjell
Engineering and Operations Department, Customer
Services and the contractors. Short lines of communication
as well as an overall understanding and respect of each
others’ expectations made these diverse tasks possible and
are a great example of team work.
Although Oiltanking Odfjell had already implemented high
HSSE standards, a need was felt to evaluate its own
systems with respect to fire prevention and emergency
preparedness after the fire incident in Jaipur, India in 2009.
Thanks to an extensive report by experts from Germany,
capabilities were outlined and improvement areas
identified, which consequently led to an overall improvement
programme. This and further efforts paid off: in January
2011 Oiltanking Odfjell Oman was awarded the Permanent
Environment Permit after going through a BAT (Best
Available Techniques) GAP analysis benchmarked against
the European IPPC (Integrated Pollution Prevention and
Control) standard. The process leading to this permit
involved several audits of the facility and systems by
experts from the local environment unit, the Ministry of
Environment and Climate Affairs and DCMR Rotterdam
Icing on the cake Representatives
of the local environmental unit
presented the terminal with a cake as
Oiltanking Odfjell was the first to be
awarded the Permanent Environment
Permit in the Port of Sohar.
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25
M iddle E ast
M iddle E ast
Job-related training
Training is a continuous process at Oiltanking Odfjell Oman. In this respect,
November 9, 2010, was a special day: three more colleagues successfully
completed their one-year on-the-job training course.
Under constant scrutiny Through the
joint efforts of the departments of Engineering, HSSE,
Operations and the contractors, operations have seen an
improvement programme with an achievement rate of
82 percent so far. Here are some of the various tasks:
Fire drill Just one of many actions
taken to ensure that the staff and
terminal equipment are prepared for
any possible emergency situations.
(Dienstcentrale Milieudienst Rijnmond). Obtaining this
certificate certainly wasn’t a piece of cake — so the
colleagues from Oiltanking Odfjell’s were all the more
pleasantly surprised when the representatives of the local
environmental unit presented the terminal with … a cake!
After all, the terminal is the first and as yet only one to get
such a certificate in the Port of Sohar.
Implementing a vibration monitoring survey to detect early imbalances of rotational equipment
Triggered by a question within the Oiltanking
Operations Excellence Group, the terminal is testing a
tank gauging down to the sump level with Rosemount in
order to avoid the dry running of tank stripping pumps
Due to increasing corrosion problems in the fire water
system (run on sea water), a flushing system for tank
cooling rings and monitor headers with a mobile diesel
driven pump using fresh water from a water-truck has
been introduced
Looking to the Future
Up to now all activities have gone smoothly and ahead of
schedule. At this rate, the first product into the new tanks
will be received well ahead of schedule, i.e. March 2011.
Soon the terminal will see the start of the construction of a
further twelve chemical tanks (ranging from 2,000 to 3,000
cbm each, phase 6). With a dedicated crew on board, the
recently successfully audited Integrated Management
System (IMS), the Permanent Environmental Permit and a
positive outlook for future business, Oiltanking Odfjell
Oman is well prepared for any adventure.
Due to the printing deadline the content
of this article is effective February 2011.
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To avoid the corrosion of tank bottoms, tank-pad
foundations have been redesigned and currently a sealstrip bridging the gap between the tank and bitumen is
being tested; this system is already used at Oiltanking
Terneuzen and is working well in the European
temperature range. It is now to be verified at
temperatures of more than 50 degrees centigrade in the
summer
For the de-aeration of the 2.5 km piggable jetty line
(i.e. releasing of 1,000 cbm of air during the packing of
the line), the terminal is working on continuous vent
valves with Protego from Germany, avoiding any liquid
spill while venting the line and thus reducing the time for
packing the line and making pigging towards tanks safer.
Reason to celebrate Zeger J.J.
van Asch van Wijck (right) presented
colleagues their certificates.
As the first and only independent oil terminal in
Oman, Oiltanking Odfjell wanted to make sure from the
very beginning that its company philosophy and standards
were well implemented. Guaranteeing its world-class
service and quality is one of many factors. As the majority
of the company is operated and maintained by local
Omanis, the company pays a lot of attention to training
them. Its Omani “trainees” come from all over the country
and are diploma holders in operational, electrical and
mechanical technology/engineering from academies such
as National Maritime College, Nizwa College of Technology,
Shinas College of Technology and Higher College of
Technology, Muscat. They undergo a specialised training
course for a period of one year until they become fully
competent to bear the responsibility
entrusted upon them regarding the
company's specifications and requirements.
The training is quite challenging and
involves classes, field work, fire drills and
first aid, not to mention specialist training.
Crown Plaza Hotel, which was attended by the
company's management and employees. Speaking at
the event, Zeger J.J. van Asch van Wijck, CEO of
Oiltanking Odfjell Oman, stated that the company
would spare no efforts to train its employees to
enable them to bear responsibility in each of their
fields.
He
also
referred
to
the
continuous
encouragement the company gives to all the
employees to raise the company's name to high
levels. Right after the first batch of specialised
maintenance
trainees
became
maintenance
technicians, the company hired another three trainees
to reinforce the maintenance team. In parallel, a
team of ten operations trainees are undergoing onthe-job training to be inducted as operators by April
2011. The company is currently trying to team up
with other companies in the port/industrial zone to
provide further in-depth practical training.
Since 2006 about four batches totalling 40 Omani
engineers have been trained and recruited for jobs in
both the operations and maintenance departments.
Oiltanking Odfjell’s overall “Omanisation” level is
currently 70 percent, with the field staff even recording
an impressive 97 percent and thus well exceeding the
quota of local staff set by the Omani government.
Due to the printing deadline the content
of this article is effective February 2011.
On November 9, 2010, Oiltanking Odfjell had
another
reason
to
celebrate:
three
electrical, instrumentation and mechanical
“trainees” from the Technical Department
(Maintenance)
successfully
completed
their one-year on-the-job training course.
To mark the occasion, the company
organised a celebration for them at the
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27
N orth A merica
N orth A merica
Award-winning
value innovation
In November 2010 Oiltanking Houston received two prestigious awards for its Value
Innovation Program. The Public Relations Total PR Program Award and the Print
Newsletter Award are not just an acknowledgement of important achievements but also
motivation for our colleagues to keep up the good work.
“
“
No one is in a better position to improve our
processes and procedures than the colleagues
who do the work day in and day out.
28
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Marsha Watkins
“Thinking outside the box − yes, please!” In a
nutshell, that’s what the management group of Oiltanking
had in mind when they introduced the “Value Innovation
Project” in September 2008. The concept was to start a
process to establish a culture within Oiltanking that
motivates employees and management to generate and
implement innovative ideas with value creation and/or
enhancing potential. Members of this management group
were each responsible for the implementation of the
program in their respective regions.
In charge of its implementation in North America, Bo
McCall, Vice President of Marketing, asked Marsha
Watkins, Value Innovation and Quality Assurance
Coordinator, to put the program together. They soon
came up with many ideas to include in the program but
realized they could use the expertise of a
consultant.
And
in
Bob
Lamons,
Industribrand, they found just the man. The
plan was to create a platform that every
employee could use to submit ideas about
how to make Oiltanking better and increase
efficiency.
It took several months to develop the program
and implement the intranet site. Soon, the
most ingenious ideas started, and still keep,
floating in − be they about new processes,
going green, safety issues or healthier food.
Once submitted, a steering committee
reviews the ideas and plans are discussed for
implementation. Sorted by locations, the
status and the ranking on the internal
“scorecard” are visible and accessible to all
colleagues. To date, the program has received
76 entries. 12 of them have been implemented,
resulting in additional revenue and/or cost
savings of over US $ 884,000 in 2010. Some of these
ideas have a recurring financial impact year after year!
These achievements are not only obvious to Oiltanking
but also caught the eye of the judges at BMA Houston
(The Houston Chapter of the Business Marketing
Association), Houston/Texas – one of BMA National’s 25
chapters with 3000 members that promote networking
and professional development for business-to-business
marketers in a local environment. The Lantern Awards of
Texas were created more than two decades ago with the
sole purpose of highlighting top-quality creative and
strategic business-to-business communications. At last
year’s gala on 16 November 2010, Oiltanking Houston
was one of the winners − big time! The Value Innovation
Program received the Public Relations – Total PR Program
(Internal Audience) Award and Pipe Up!, the newsletter
accompanying the Value Innovation Program, was
honoured with the Print Newsletter (Internal Audience)
Award. The judges appreciated the compelling message
of the newsletter and that the voice of the staff can
clearly be heard. It goes without saying that the
colleagues in Texas will do their very best to meet the
judges AIDA criteria again for the award in 2011:
Attention, Interest, Desire and Action!
At the banquet Marsha Watkins and Bob
Lamons receiving the Lantern Awards. It is a
great compliment to the efforts of colleagues
from Oiltanking North America.
What’s in a name?
The newsletter for the Value Innovation Program is
called Pipe Up! How come? In the United States, you
might hear the term “pipe down”, meaning be quiet.
Since the focus of the program is to get Oiltankers
to speak up, however, Pipe Up! was born. It also has
a double meaning since everything Oiltanking
handles goes through some form of pipe. The
newsletter was published four times in 2010 and
featured extensive information on the Value
Innovation Program and current projects.
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29
N orth A merica
N orth A merica
Abundant New research
shows that shale in the
US could supply billions
of barrels of domestically
produced oil.
US crude discoveries
create opportunities
An agreement with its first
Canadian-based client Nexen
Energy Marketing signed in July
2010 shows that Oiltanking
Houston is poised to play an
important role in the current
drastic change in crude oil
logistics in North America.
picture: courtesy U.S. Geological Survey Photographic Library
Crude oil logistics have essentially remained
unchanged in recent years: foreign crude enters the US
through various ports and is distributed throughout the
country via numerous pipe systems established to supply
the US refineries. Although domestic crude has been
available to US refiners, most have upgraded refinery
systems to handle medium to heavy sour crude, allowing
refiners the flexibility to purchase cheaper foreign crude.
However, recent crude field discoveries and pipeline
projects designed to deliver Canadian and domestic based
shale crude oil to the US Gulf Coast are drastically
changing the focus of crude oil logistics.
Oil obtained from shale may be the most significant
new development in the US energy picture
The recent buzz among oil market players such as
producers, refiners and traders is the development of oil-
30
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bearing shale. Shale oil is produced from tight shale
formations. Hydraulic fracturing is generally used to
break the rock unit, releasing the oil and providing the
porosity needed for production.
About Nexen
Nexen Inc. is an independent, Canadian-based global
energy company, listed on the Toronto and New York
stock exchanges under the symbol NXY. It is focused on
three growth strategies: oil sands and unconventional
gas in Western Canada and conventional exploration
and development primarily in the North Sea, offshore
West Africa and deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Nexen Inc.
add value for shareholders through successful, fullcycle oil and gas exploration and development, and
leadership in ethics, integrity, governance and
environmental stewardship.
The largest “drillable” US shale oil production field is the
Bakken Formation, located in North Dakota, Montana and
Canada. Although its existence has been known since
1951, new technology has triggered a boom in production.
The amount of oil in the Bakken Formation may exceed 4
billion recoverable barrels, according to a study conducted
by the Geographical Survey (USGS). In addition, there is
also oil in the Barnett Shale or “Barnett Combo” near Ft.
Worth, Texas, and the Eagle Ford Shale south of San
Antonio, Texas.
Oiltanking’s first Canadian-based customer, the path is
paved for many other Canadian, Bakken and Eagle Ford
shale producers looking for a reliable Gulf Coast
terminalling and/or service-provider to handle and/or
distribute their barrels of crude oil.
picture: courtesy U.S. Geological Survey Photographic Library
Canada’s share of the cake
In addition to the new discoveries of shale oil, America’s
neighbour Canada has significant reserves of oil in the
form of oil sands. These deposits consist of bitumen, or
extremely heavy crude oil, located in Alberta. The
production of these oil sands consists of large-scale
surface mining and in-situ technology. Canadian oil sand
reserves are estimated at 1.7 trillion barrels of bitumen.
Third-party pipeline projects that are currently in the
development stages will facilitate the delivery of Canadian
crude oil to the US Gulf Coast. One of the major Canadian
crude oil production and marketing companies is Nexen
Energy Marketing. In July 2010 Oiltanking Houston
entered into a long-term service agreement with Nexen,
and the construction of new tanks is underway. As the US
Gulf Coast is literally teeming with storage facilities and
with many competitors capable of providing crude oil
storage, Nexen could have selected any service provider
to partner up with. Due to its location, connectivity and
solid reputation, however, Nexen considered the
Oiltanking Houston terminal as a strategic asset to its
operation. The ability to market equity crude to Gulf
Coast consumers provides a necessary outlet for Nexen’s
crude production.
Natural size specimen Oil shale is actually a
marlstone - the darker the colour the higher the
shale oil content.
The future will show if shale oil and oil sands are as
promising as they sound. But as the domestic and
Canadian crude fields develop and permanent pipelines
are put in place to distribute the new crude sources,
Oiltanking Houston is well positioned to play an important
role as one of the largest independent services providers
in the US. And through the partnership with Nexen,
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31
L atin A merica
L atin A merica
Tactical trade flow The Panama
Canal currently serves more than
144 different transportation routes
from nearly every corner of the
globe, connecting the world’s major
trade arteries.
Promising
Panama project
On December 29, 2010, Oiltanking Colon S.A., a Panamanian
company, purchased 100 percent of the shares in Colon Oil
and Services S.A. and Colon Port Terminal S.A. The facilities
related to these companies are Oiltanking’s doorway
between North and South America.
Panamanians proudly
call the narrow strip of
prosperity
along
the
Panama Canal the “Latin
American Singapore” —
and understandably so,
judging by Panama’s flow
of international commerce
and its claim of having the
world’s biggest shipping
registry. At Cocosolo Bay,
right
within
the
breakwaters at the Atlantic
entrance to the Panama
Canal, Oiltanking will soon
be part of one of the
world’s
major
trade
arteries.
Oiltanking already opened its representative office in
Panama City in July 2008 and interesting projects have
been pursued ever since. With the purchase of a
100-percent stake in Colon Oil and Services S.A.
(COASSA) and Colon Port Terminal S.A. (CPT), Oiltanking
Colon S.A., a full subsidiary of Oiltanking GmbH, however,
a footprint has been made in Central America. The assets
of the deal consist of a 300,000 barrel terminal along with
an exclusive 260 m jetty. Once the jetty has been dredged,
it will be 12.5 m deep, allowing it to receive PANAMAX
vessels. The jetty also has two barge positions. The
terminal is expected to be fully operational by the third
quarter of 2011. The aim is to attend to the increasing
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demand of marine fuels
using
the
vessels
transiting
the
Panama
Canal and those calling at
the ports in the area.
It is a wise decision in
respect
to
Panama’s
development.
In
the
national
economy,
the
Panamanian
maritime
industry represents 20
percent
of
the
Gross
Domestic Product and is
the fastest growing sector.
The privatised ports of
Panama move containers
with world-class efficiency
and
in
increasing
quantities. Panama is well on its way to becoming the
container trans shipping centre of Latin America and the
Caribbean. Panama City serves as the hub of the Americas,
connecting millions of passengers and cargo consignments
to and from destinations in North and South America.
Dozens of banks serving many nations worldwide are also
located here. Thousands of companies are attracted by
the country’s favourable tax treatment of offshore
businesses. The Colón Free Zone (on the Atlantic side) is
a re-export centre and the second-largest free-trade zone
in the world after Hong Kong.
Focus on the future
In addition to the terminal purchased, Oiltanking Colon
S.A. is already working on the first expansion of the
terminal by adding 450,000 barrels of capacity as well as
a truck loading rack with two positions. The construction
is scheduled to be ready in 2012. And still there is room
to grow as the terminal has the potential and the land to
expand at least to a capacity of one million barrels. Given
the prospects of Panama’s industry and the fact that the
Panama Canal is being expanded (due for completion in
2014), Oiltanking Colon S.A. will be more than ready to
support the country on its way to becoming the
transportation and logistics hub of the Americas.
CONNECTIONS
33
P eople & P laces
P eople & P laces
Canal is a neutral
Trade artery The Panama
roximately 82 km
international waterway app
ships are raised/
re
whe
th
(51 miles) in leng
s with two chambers
lowered by a series of lock
te two-way traffic.
oda
omm
to acc
Coast to
coast relation
Two stages The Panama Canal construction
was first carried out by the French (1881-1888)
to be completed by Americans (1904-1914).
Although
the
Panama
Canal
can
only
accommodate vessels carrying a maximum of
65,000 tons of cargo (the so-called Panamax),
the waterway handles more traffic than was
ever imagined: in 2009 over 14,000 ships
travelled through, carrying 299.1 million tons of
cargo. As the demand is rising and modern
shipping calls for bigger ships, an enlargement
scheme was approved of in 2006. It is due for
completion in 2014 and will allow ships double
the current Panamax.
The Panama Canal is set to remain a tremendous
trade route in the future and be of global
commercial value to merchants. But it also has
an enormous economic value as it is an important
employer for Panamanians and migrant workers.
And last but not least, it is an inspirational
architectural construction.
The first thing most people think of when they hear Panama
is the Panama Canal. Not surprisingly, though, as the impact of the
canal construction is often likened to shifting the nations on the map.
What would Vasco
Nuñez de Balboa say if
he could see the Atlantic
Ocean actually linked to
the Pacific via a canal now?
He was the first person to
come up with the idea of
connecting the two bodies
of water way back in 1513.
However, it took more than 400 years before the dream
was realised. Initiated in the 1880s by the Frenchman
Ferdinand Marie de Lesseps (he constructed the Suez
Canal in 1859), the Panama Canal was successfully
completed by the Americans between 1904 and 1914.
In order to sail from the East to the West coast, the new
waterway shortened the former dangerous and
34
CONNECTIONS
expensive route either via the Strait of Magellan or
Cape Horn by 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km).
While a voyage from New York to San Francisco had
previously taken over sixty days, the distance was
thus halved.
It takes some nine to fifteen hours (often with long
waits due to the heavy traffic) to traverse the 82 km
(51 miles) long Panama Canal. Ships are raised up to
a total of 26 m (85 feet) and then lowered back to the
Ocean by a series of locks with two chambers to
accommodate two-way traffic. While the ships are guided
to the entrance of the first set of locks by tugboats, they
are connected up to engines called “mules” when entering
into the lower chamber to safeguard the course of the
ships at all times.
Panama City is a
polyglott and modern
city that has always
thrived in commerce.
Republic of Panama
Location: Northern South America — on the Caribbean
Sea and the Pacific Ocean, and bordering Colombia and
Costa Rica
Government: Constitutional democracy; independent
from Colombia since November 3, 1903; independent
from Spain since November 28, 1821
Capital: Panama
Population: 3,410,676 (est. July 2010)
Language: Spanish (official), English 14 percent; many
are bilingual
Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mixed Amerindian and
Caucasian): 70 percent; West Indian: 14 percent;
Caucasian: 10 percent; Amerindian: 6 percent
Climate: tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy;
prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry
season (January to May)
Natural resources: copper, mahogany forests, shrimp,
hydropower
Currency: balboa (PAB); US dollar (USD); (100 PAB =
100 US $/73 Euro)
GDP: purchasing power parity — $20.57 billion (est. 2004)
CONNECTIONS
35
L atin A merica
L atin A merica
Aspiring APLA attendance
Table talks
Oiltankers among
each others enjoying
a little break.
Open for talks The Oiltanking
delegation welcomed each and
every client and visitor individually
during the APLA conference.
At the end of 2010 Oiltanking participated once again in the annual congress of
APLA (Petrochemical Association of Latin America), proving its reputation as a
professional service provider on the Latin American markets.
Attendees who came to see Oiltanking’s meeting
room at the latest APLA conference on November 6-9,
2010, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and who were engaged in
discussions received an apt souvenir: the popular and
famous Brazilian flip-flops with the Oiltanking logo on
them. The name of this footwear with a band between the
big toe and the other toes might have the word “flop” in
it, but Oiltanking was able to walk away from the
conference light-footed and with its head held high.
36
CONNECTIONS
Oiltanking is a regular participant in the APLA conference
and at the last four it even had a small but powerful
booth. Given the importance of the conference, Oiltanking
decided to have its own meeting room in 2010 on the
main floor of the hotel Sofitel Rio de Janeiro Copacabana
where the conference took place. While an ostensive
maquette of the terminal in Vitoria, Brazil, adorned the
80 square metres, the room was a stage for all of
Oiltanking’s Latin American terminals and its eight
representatives: Julio Tellechea, Latin America President,
Holger Donath, Managing Director of Oiltanking Terminais
Ltd Brazil, Dario Di Luca ,Managing Director of Oiltanking
Ebytem, Lo Vanhaelen, Managing Director of Oiltanking
Colombia S.A., Bruno Sad da Silva, Commercial Manager
of Oiltanking Terminais Ltd
Brazil, Rolando Balsamello,
Operation
Manager
of
Oiltanking Ebytem, Gabrielle
Martins, Administration &
Marketing Specialist Assistant
of Oiltanking Terminais Ltd
Brazil and Jamille Moraes,
Commercial Engineering Oil
& Gas Trainee of Oiltanking
Terminais Brazil.
The conference was attended by 823 delegates from 262
companies from 29 different countries, and Oiltanking’s
stream of visitors was also more than satisfactory. During
these four days, they welcomed many delegates and had
a great opportunity to chat with old customers, meet new
ones and get a sense of the current market needs.
Needless to say, the team will also be seizing up the next
opening to generate business and promote contacts. See
you back in Rio in November 2011!
Attraction Not
only the maquette of
the Vitoria terminal
was ostensive.
APLA not only stands for Latin American Petrochemical
and Chemical Association (asociación petroquímica de
latino américa), but it also units the most important
chemical and petrochemical companies of each country.
The purpose of its annual conference is to bring the
industry up to speed on the latest market developments
and trends. It is also a chance for most of the industry’s
petrochemical and chemical producers, buyers and
service providers to get together.
CONNECTIONS
37
C ulture E xperience
C ulture E xperience
Impressive connection
The Øresund Bridge is 7.8
km long, roughly half the
distance between Sweden
and Denmark.
Bridging
work
and
culture
both pictures: courtesy of www.visitdenmark.com, Jørgen Schytte
On his daily commute to work, the sea is literally at
Claus Lindemann’s feet: he uses the famous Øresund
Bridge, the longest road and rail bridge-tunnel in Europe
which, at 490 m, also has one of the longest cable-stayed
main spans of the world (the highest pillar towers 204
m). The bridge crosses the Øresund strait, which
separates Denmark from Sweden and is one of the busiest
waterways in the world, connecting the Baltic Sea to the
North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
When the bridge was inaugurated in August 2000, Claus,
born in Denmark and a Danish citizen, also opened a new
chapter in his life: he decided to move to Sweden.
However, for him it was not such a hard choice to make
as most of his family is from Sweden anyway, so he
already knew the language and was also quite familiar
with the Swedish culture. “While the Danish are more
outspoken, the Swedish are softer and more withdrawn”,
he explains.
Our Danish colleague Claus Lindemann works at the Oiltanking
terminal in Copenhagen, Denmark, but resides in Sweden. There
are several reasons why he has chosen to do so.
picture: courtesy of www.visitdenmark.com, Jørgen Schytte
38
CONNECTIONS
Claus, who works for Oiltanking Copenhagen as an
operator, does not shy away from the 77 km drive (one
way) from his home near Eslöv to the office in Copenhagen.
The monthly toll for the bridge in the region of 400 euros
is tax deductible. Yet there is another plus that sweetens
his 45 to 50-minute journey (depending on the time of
the day): almost everything is cheaper in Sweden, from
groceries to property prices, while the pay cheque is
higher in Denmark — not surprisingly, one reason why a
lot of Danish people moved to Sweden when the bridge
opened. At the same time many Swedes, sought work in
Copenhagen as unemployment is lower in Denmark.
Although in the beginning the volume of traffic was lower
than expected, it began to pick up steadily. It is said that
in the first decade more than 50 million cars used the
bridge, while train and bus travel recorded approximately
37 million passengers.
Copenhagen A city that moves constantly
forward but also appreciates its past.
Not only does the bridge offer new possibilities for exploiting
economical potential, an advantage in accessibility and a
gain in time (it takes 35 minutes to get from Malmö to
Copenhagen as opposed to one hour by ferry); it also
connects cultures and has created a new region, the socalled Øresund Region of 3.7 million inhabitants on both the
Swedish and the Danish sides. With the birth of the Øresund
Region the Port Authorities on both sides of the bridge
teamed up to form Copenhagen Malmoe Port (CMP). CMP
owns the land and the jetties on which Oiltanking
Copenhagen operates, and there is a close relationship
between CMP and Oiltanking Copenhagen. In addition, the
Øresund Bridge is an eye-catcher. In 2003 the Øresund
Bridge project won the IABSE (International Association for
Bridge and Structural Engineering) Outstanding Structure
Award for innovative planning and construction management
techniques, and environmental considerations. “At first, of
course, I admired the construction of the bridge,” admits
Claus, “but now it’s just a motorway to me — however one
that gives me the opening to leave the big city and move to
the beautiful countryside.”
PORTRAIT
Claus Lindemann joined Oiltanking Copenhagen on
15.02.2010. Today he is part of the OTC Operators
team, which consist of 12 operators in total. He
drives 77 km each way every day.
CONNECTIONS
39
L eisure & F un
L eisure & F un
Mindful of the dog William
Wegman, an American artist who
also taught at the University at
Wisconsin, is famous — among other
things — for his fruitful collaboration
with his Weimeraner dogs, which
became central figures in his
paintings, videos and photographs,
such as in his calendars called
“Man’s best friend”.
r
e
h
Ot
relations
The relationship between humans and dogs
has an intriguing history. While the Ancient
Greeks and Romans and the Chinese Emperors
owned dogs as companions and revered them,
“My name is …
… C-3PO, human-cyborg
relations”. This friendly
character, which appears in
all six of the Star Wars
feature
films,
is
a
golden protocol droid
designed by the young
Anakin
Skywalker.
His
function is to serve human
beings and help out with issues
such as etiquette, customs and translation issues so
that encounters with different cultures run smoothly.
Star Wars™ & © 2011 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights
reserved. COURTESY OF LUCASFILM LTD.
Can you do me a favour?
Chinese culture is unthinkable without one
traditional and very important concept: Guanxi,
which literally translates as “relationships”. It is a
network of social relationships built up through
mutual dealings, connections and feelings that
exist among various parties who support each
other and cooperate together. It also stands for
the obligation one person develops towards
another over the years through the mutual
exchange of favours. So keep this in mind when
you’re about to begin a relationship with a Chinese
individual, group or company: it is most
appropriate to be introduced by a mutual party
who can vouch for you.
during the Middle Ages people who kept pets
were accused of witchcraft. Later on, the
simple utilitarian attitude towards dogs for
the purpose of hunting and guarding changed
thanks to the Victorians. Today, dogs are not
just cherished companions for comfort; they
are also recognised and appreciated for
their courage and ability to enhance human
health — an attribute that is generally credited to humananimal relationships.
Doing maths
price
If you aren’t too keen on mathematics, you could say you’re
relationship with it is negative. But actually a “negative” (or
m
an
inverse) relationship means a mathematical relationship
d
where one variable increases while another one decreases,
e.g. when the price for a product soars, the demand for it
normally falls.
de
p2
p1
p3
q2
Sweet
success
While the honeyguide bird can find a beehive but can’t
open it, the honey badger can open a hive but doesn’t
know how to find one! The solution? The two animals
just team up and live in a so-called symbiosis, a close
relationship that occurs between animals, plants, fungi or
any combination thereof. In this case, the bird flies over the
grasslands, looking for hives. When it spots one, it swoops down making a noise that
tells the honey badger where dinner will soon be served. The honey badger then uses
its sharp claws to tear apart the hive so that both animals can enjoy the sweet discovery.
40
CONNECTIONS
picture: cour
tesy of William
Wegman "Che
mistry" 1996
Man’s best friend
We’re surrounded by many different kinds of relationships
each and every day, which can be quite demanding. Find
out what the ultimate test of a relationship is.
q1
q3
quantity
demanded
… but no?!
According to Alexandra Penney, an American author
who has been credited as one of the creators and
popularisers of the pink ribbon as a symbol of breast
cancer, “The ultimate test of a relationship is to
disagree but hold hands.” Do you agree?
CONNECTIONS
41
S port
Just do it! Fernando Graña,
inspired by his experience in 2010,
is set to run the New York Marathon
several more times in the future.
He was in!
picture: courtesy of Victah/Nw York Road Runners
SPORT
NY City Marathon The world's greatest road race
draws more than 100,000 applicants annually.
On November 7, 2010, Fernando Graña, Assistant to the
General Manager at Oiltanking Consorcio Terminales Peru,
participated in the New York City Marathon for the first time
and finished with a spectacular time: within four hours.
3:56:04
“I’m in! We’re
in!” is the slogan of
the New York City
Marathon, a longdistance run of about
42 km (26.2 miles)
and one of the most popular marathons in the world.
2010 saw a record number of participants. Chosen
primarily on the back of a lottery system, Fernando
Graña, Oiltanking Consorcio Terminales Peru, was among
the 44,000 people lucky enough “to be in”.
Without knowing if he would actually be allowed to take
part, he started his rigid training programme six months
in advance: running and working out for about 1.5 hours
starting at 5 am, five times a week, which meant running
some 70 km a week. So well-prepared, he entered his
first marathon (he’d finished two half-marathons in the
previous twelve months in Peru) with excellent weather
conditions for running: a sunny day with temperatures
varying from 2–8 degrees Celsius.
Cheered on by more than two million excited spectators
and supported all the time by his wife, he had a smooth
42
CONNECTIONS
run and everything
seemed to be under
control — until mile
23, that is! “From
then
on,
running
proved to be hard
work. I got cramps and started feeling tired. But that’s
when the mind starts to do its job and you find out that
anything can be accomplished if you give it your best”,
recollects Fernando. So he gritted his teeth, kept on
running and eventually reached the finish line in fewer
than four hours — 3:56:04 to be precise — accomplishing
the goal he had set himself. “Running with 44,000 people
through dozens of culturally and ethnically diverse
neighbourhoods right in the centre of New York is just
amazing and can’t be described. It’s an experience I’d
recommend to everyone!” said the enthusiastic Fernando
after the race.
That’s quite a statement for someone who played tennis
and football and actually used to think running was
tedious stuff! He hasn’t made up his mind whether to go
in for the New York Marathon again in November 2011 but
he knows one thing for sure and that is he’ll be running
the Lima Marathon in May 2011, (“You have to run your
own city’s marathon!” Fernando says), followed by
another marathon in the autumn. He’ll have plenty to
choose from: Chicago, Buenos Aires, or … New York? We’ll
have to wait and see!
picture: courtesy of Victah/Nw York Road Runners
The New York Marathon
Since the first New York City Marathon in 1970, which
was just a simple four-plus lap of Central Park, it has
been held every year and has become one of the
world’s main marathons leading through the streets
of New York’s five boroughs, Staten Island, Brooklyn,
Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan. Held on the first
Sunday of November, it attracts professionals as well
as amateurs from all over the world. Although the
marathon has become commercialised and might
attract some because of the prize money that awaits
the winner, there’s more to it than that; it’s also about
community spirit, promoting health and fitness and,
last but not least, is also a symbol of hope and a “cando attitude”. The next New York Marathon will be held
on November 6, 2011.
They made it! Be it professional runners
or running enthusiasts - the joy of reaching
the finish line is dazzling for all.
CONNECTIONS
43
L exicon
SPORT
“Pigs”
g?
snowboardin
is
Skiiing or
ts
n
u
co
d - what
Never min
the snow.
together in
n
fu
g
in
hav
For the 9th time in a row, Oiltankers from around the world met for the socalled Oiltanking Snowjam at end of January 2011. Read more about this year’s
event in Sölden.
Pigs make a squealing noise and, contrary to what
people might think, are actually quite clean and very
smart. At the Oiltanking terminals, cleaning devices are
used that do not just share their name with the pinkish
animals: these scrapers are pushed through the inside of
pipelines and, as they travel through them, they make a
sound like a pig squealing — hence the acronym PIG
(pipeline inspection gauge). There are four main uses for
(terminal) pigs:
 physical separation between different products being
transported in the same pipelines
internal cleaning of pipelines
 inspection of the condition (thickness) of pipeline walls
capturing and recording geometric information relating
to pipelines (e.g. size, position)
44
CONNECTIONS
During the maintenance process, the product flow in the
pipeline should remain undisturbed. This can be achieved
by inserting a pig into a funnel-shaped Y section of the
pipeline (“pig launcher”). Once closed, the pressure of
the product in the pipeline is used to push it along the
pipeline until it reaches the receiving trap (“pig catcher”).
Pigging has been used for many years to clean largediameter pipelines in the oil industry. Today, pigs have
become quite sophisticated gadgets which vary in terms
of technology and complexity. The "intelligent pigs" are
basically smart computers; some even use ultrasonics.
By using a pig, there is no need for extensive flushing
after a product transfer as it is possible to clear the entire
line with a pig. This results in product savings and a more
rapid and reliable product changeover. Therefore, pigs
are not just a smart, clean and economical solution; they
are also environmentally friendly.
On 22-30 January Oiltankers from all over the world
teamed up to battle against the forces of Mother Nature
in the dramatic landscape of the Austrian Alps. With
temperatures varying from minus 8 degrees Celsius in
the valley to 25 below on the glacier, it was a tough
match but, of course, the Oiltankers prevailed.
The organisers of this year’s Snowjam put all their
organisational talent to good use to create a mindblowing programme: the group visited a concert by the
world’s number one DJ Armin van Buuren, saw a
magnificent ski show with fireworks at a staggering
altitude of 2,200 meters above sea level, created its
own karaoke bar
at the hotel
including a special
“flying peanut act”;
participated
in
“acrobatic bowling”,
sometimes even
using a human
bowling ball; and
enjoyed a real
Austrian
BBQ
followed by a fantastic sledging course. With all these
activities, it was easy to forget what it was really all
about: skiing (and snowboarding)! With plenty of snow,
state-of-the-art skiing facilities and genuine Austrian
hospitality, Sölden truly delivered.
What
unquestionably
made
this
Snowjam
an
unforgettable experience was the diversity of its
participants. With 19 colleagues and 10 different
nationalities (Argentinean, Belgium, British, Dutch,
Estonian, German, Indonesian, Iranian, Portuguese and
Russian) it does not get any more international than
that! A great group representing the true and unique
global identity of Oiltanking. This should inspire other
colleagues to sign up for next year’s event, which
will be organised by Philippe Geeraerts and
Ricardo Diogo. And as snowboarders they are
sure to get this project on the right piste!
See you all
next year in … !?
CONNECTIONS
45
734094545239523082
403479234802340823
840238042480524805
248602486024680246
NUMBER
802468024473462345
784025072358249502
935802357023758245
Total number of ships handled
by Oiltanking in 2010
823507235087230750
582375235976956892
734094545239523082
403479234802340823
840238042480524805
248602486024680246
802468024473462345
784025072358249502
L eisure & F un
27,814
,
Ship, boat, vessel, container
… More than 90 percent of the
international trade in goods is
transported by sea. Of the total
7.8 billion tons of cargo loaded
in 2009, 22 percent was crude
oil.
The 71 Oiltanking terminals
worldwide offer — besides
transport by land — access to
national and/or international
markets by water, either by
barge or seagoing vessels.
46
CONNECTIONS
In 2010 a total of 27,814 ships
were handled by Oiltanking
meaning that compared to the
previous year the company saw
an increase in maritime traffic at
its jetties. For 2011 one has to
find out how the wind blows but
up to now the prospects looks
good.
READER'S CORNER
... and action!
Try to solve our riddle and don't miss the chance to win! Please send
your entries to: [email protected], or contact us by
post:Oiltanking GmbH, connections Team, Admiralitaetstrasse 55,
20459 Hamburg, Germany or by fax: +49(0)40 370 99 499.
CONGRATULATIONS
Quiz solution
The way to go! The solutions to our “Seven
League Boots” quiz came in at a fair lick: the
couple walked 24 km in total and reached the
top of the mountain at 6.30 p.m., although 6.20
p.m. or 6.15 p.m. is also correct depending on how you
calculated how far away the mountain was.
But before we take a hike, here are the fit details:
The total time is 6 hours (from 3 to 9 p.m.) and the couple walked at 4 different
speeds (flat = 4 km/h, uphill = 3 km/h, downhill = 6 km/h, and flat again =
4 km/h. If they spent 1.5 hours walking along the flat road (return trip = 3
hours), then 3 hours would remain. Seeing as the climbing time is double the
time it takes to descend, they would need 2 hours to reach the top and only 1
hour to reach the bottom.
Our congratulations go to Eduardo
Martinez, Oiltanking Panamá, S.A.,
who was in top form and can walk
away with a 4GB USB Pen with a laser
pointer!
part
speed (s)
flat
4 km/h
climbing
3 km/h
descending 6 km/h
flat
4 km/h
Total
time (t)
1.5 hours
2.0 hours
1.0 hours
1.5 hours
6.0 hours
distance (d = s•t)
6 km
6 km
6 km
6 km
24 km
N E W QU I Z
Let’s have it!
No prizes for guessing that the question for the new quiz is
related to this issue’s theme, “relationships”. But be careful!
It’s not what it might seem: where does the expression “loving
whisper” come from? The one who can softly speak the right
answer into our ear could be the lucky winner of a travel adapter.
Good luck! Closing date for entries: June 10, 2011.
?
…
y
a
aw
d
n
a
Up
This time it’s up to you! For the next issue we invite you to spill ink
about your funniest, most amazing or most breathtaking holiday trip.
Or maybe a different cultural experience you had while on vacation.
The best three stories (approx. one to two pages long) — chosen by
an independent jury of Oiltankers — will win a surprise and, of course,
be published in connections! We look forward to your inspiring entries!
(deadline: June 10, 2011).
CONNECTIONS
47
People having a special relationship with a city is nothing
new. There can also be a symbiosis between a city and its
inhabitants and that is what Daekwon Park’s entry for the
eVolo Skyscraper Competition in 2008 visualised
impressively. His “Symbiotic Interlock” skyscraper is
supposed “to reunite the isolated city blocks and insert a
multi-layer network of public space, green space and
nodes for the city”. It comprises a system of stackable
modules which are designed to add an extra layer of
infrastructure to existing buildings via sky docks and
bridges, vertical gardens, cultural spaces, and energyproducing wind turbines. Although the design did not win
the first prize, the jury gave it a “special mention”. “eVolo
— an architecture and design magazine for the 21st
century” organises the annual skyscraper architecture
competition that asked young talents to rethink skyscraper
architecture for the first time in 2006. The “only” entry
requirements: designs have to be technologically feasible
and environmentally responsible.
P i c t u r e : “ S y m b i o t i c I n t e r l o c k ”, c o u r t e s y o f D a e k w o n P a r k
Symbiotic
Interlock
L ast but not L east