March 3, 2021 Vol. LXXVI, No. 9 a weekly Aramco publication for employees
EMSR visits Khurais Prosperity Well “Lucky 7” Ithra offers new PiCon Science Communication Program in this Overcoming several major challenges, the March 4 is the anniversary of “Lucky 7” In celebration of International Pi Day, Ithra issue Khurais Central Processing Facility has won starting commercial production of oil (in launches a new science communication several national and international awards, 1938), launching Saudi Arabia on its journey program, running from March 10 to 14. showing the determination and resilience of to become the world’s largest oil producing the company and its employees. nation. see page 3 see pages 6 and 7 see page 8
Aramco leadership share new see page 5 economic map at CERAWeek
Company talks strong future see page 4
Download aramco LIFE today to stay informed, and more. March 3, 2021 the arabian sun 2 company news Al Assaf reflects on a Al-Hadrami speaks of ‘tapestry’ of a career as his pride of being he bids farewell after involved in ‘the 36 years company family’
(Photo: Ding/MPD) (Photo: Ding/MPD)
Vice president of New Business With more than 30 years of ex- a number of domestic joint ven- Development (NBD), Mohammad I. perience in the oil and gas indus- tures, including Petro Rabigh. Al Assaf, is retiring after 36 years try, Said A. Al-Hadrami is retiring with the company. as vice president of Retail and Al-Hadrami is a graduate of King Lubes Development. Fahd University of Petroleum and Al Assaf was honored by Saudi It’s a sweet spot to get Minerals, and continued his man- Aramco president and CEO Amin off the boat and allow Al-Hadrami, who was honored at agement training at Harvard Uni- Nasser and other members of cor- an event attended by Saudi Aram- versity. porate management at a recent cer- someone else to join. co president and CEO Amin Nasser emony in Dhahran. and other members of manage- The company is ment, spoke of his pride of being Retirement Prior to leading NBD, Al Assaf involved in “the company family.” On retirement, Al-Hadrami said: served as vice president of Pipe- always in a process of “It’s a boxer’s retirement — box- lines, Distribution and Terminals change and transition; “Being associated with Aramco ers hang their gloves up for a few (PD&T). is something that is big for any weeks! It’s good to end your ca- it has never been a one of us,” he said. reer on a high note and that’s Al Assaf joined Aramco in 1985 what matters to me. It’s all about after obtaining a Bachelor of Sci- cruising boat, and it Al-Hadrami further spoke of the contribution and applying what ence degree in Chemical Engineer- remarkable dedication Aramcons you learned for the past 30 years, ing from King Fahd University of will never be. show to their work and company, to your family, your communi- Petroleum and Minerals. something he said is unmatched ty, and to the Kingdom. I’m real- — Mohammad I. Al Assaf despite the numerous challenges ly looking forward to using that During the course of his career, the industry faces. knowledge for the future.” Al Assaf completed a number of leadership development programs, He plans to spend time enjoying including the Senior Executive Pro- Roles his fishing and dedicating time to gram at INSEAD. Philosophy As part of his work over the his family. He spoke of the great opportunity years, Al-Hadrami led major in- of having worked in a wide array of vestments in North America, China, Experience positions, and said he believed the Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Korea, From 2009 to 2016, until his ap- appointment as NBD vice president and Japan, working in refining pointment as the vice president of brought all of that experience to- and retail to expand the company’s PD&T, Al Assaf served in various gether. downstream portfolio, as well as leadership roles in Oil Supply Plan- developing and executing Down- ning, Corporate Planning, and the “It seems that everything was des- stream strategies that have helped Strategic Transformation initiative. tined to be this way for me, because the company succeed globally. He also led Gas and NGL Planning the jobs that I held were always It gives you a sense of and Domestic Marketing from 2006 preceded by the right experience,” Through the years, he served — a position he held for almost he said. as president and CEO of a num- pride because of its three years. ber of downstream companies, achievements. The Al Assaf was philosophical on re- both in-Kingdom and around the Al Assaf’s company experience tirement, which he called simply a globe. He has also been chairman sense of being a part of spans the Upstream and Down- destination. of the board for Aramco Overseas stream sectors, and he has served or Company, Aramco Service Compa- Aramco’s acted as a manager for a number of In retirement, Al Assaf looks to ny, and Saudi Aramco Total Retail facilities. spend quality time with family and Company, and served as a board achievements is relieve his wife from the hard work member on a number of other cor- something I am very In reflecting on a rich career, he and responsibility she has bore porations. described as a colorful tapestry, Al throughout his career. “She was my proud of. Assaf said: “This is a lifetime job true partner, and she was single- He has also participated in key that we took, so Aramco means handedly behind my success,” he negotiations, helped create or- — Said A. Al-Hadrami everything. It took me from being said, adding that he also plans to ganizations to oversee and coor- a fresh graduate from college into spend more time with his children, dinate global investments, and working life.” as well. played a key role in negotiating the arabian sun March 3, 2021 company news 3 Success in the face of adversity at Khurais Producing Executive Management Safety Review (EMSR) hears of resilience, grit and determination in the face of unprecedented challenges By Eamonn Houston
Saudi Aramco president and CEO Amin Nasser expressed his appreci- ation for the determined efforts of the Khurais Producing Department’s (KhPD) employees in the face of major challenges at an Executive Manage- ment Safety Review (EMSR) earlier this week.
The Khurais facility, alongside Abqaiq, was the scene of attacks in September 2019 and rebounded successfully with an impressive restoration program, be- fore grappling with last year’s global COVID-19 pandemic outbreak without any recorded active cases.
“After the attacks,” Nasser said, “what was achieved by the team was amazing and you made us all proud. This is a great story that needs to be shared with future generations.”
Tour Nasser was joined on a tour of KhPD by vice president of Southern Area Oil Operations (SAOO), Khaled A. Al Bu- Amin Nasser is joined by other members of management at the EMSR in Khurais earlier this week. (Photo: Hasan Al-Mubarak) raik, acting general manager of SAOO, Abdulaziz Al Saleh, manager of KhPD, Salah A. Al Juaidan, Aali M. Al Zahrani, KhPD’s commitment to the environ- and the impact was severe for the ener- “These achievements were again a vice president of Safety & Industrial Se- ment was also highlighted. gy industry.” testimony of our committed and dedi- curity, and Motaz A. Al Mashouk, exec- cated workforce in facing the challeng- utive director of Engineering Services. Mohammed Abdulmohsin, senior op- He reaffirmed Aramco’s commitment es,” Al Juaidan said. eration advisor, gave an overview of to diversifying its business and reducing In the opening presentation, Al “Safety in the Era of Digital Transfor- emissions, and spoke about the com- “These achievements reached a new Juaidan listed the major achievements mation,” noting the facility’s smart well pany’s vaccination program through its height with recognitions both nationally at the facility during testing times, completions, advanced robotics, ma- health care joint venture, Johns Hopkins and internationally last year. including the full restoration of the chine learning and SAOO’s Corporate IR Aramco Healthcare. Khurais Central Processing Facility to 4.0 Center. “Moreover, I would like to mention its original state prior to the 2019 at- Nasser urged all employees to contin- that Khurais is a homeland to different tacks; the winning of several national Khurais’ “IOT Solution for Field Safe- ue to pay attention to their well-being fauna and flora where our operations and international awards, including the ty & Optimization” was the subject of a and that of others during the COVID-19 span the breadth of the Kingdom’s envi- World Economic Forum’s IR 4.0 Light- presentation by Faris Tulbah, production pandemic. ronmental and biodiversity zones — so house designation, and the King Abdul engineer. we consider the protection and preser- Aziz Quality Award at gold level. In his closing remarks, he said the de- vation of the natural environment for Plant engineer Hatem Bajuaifer gave a ployment of digital technologies will future generations as vital to our contin- The successful completion of the poster presentation on “Safe Operations increase field operations in helping the ued success.” Khurais Increment was also highlight- with Bypassed Stabilizer,” while Abdul- company to achieve its goals and targets. ed. lah Alzahrani, plant engineer, explained the safe demolition of the facility’s OT4 “And, we would like to see the de- The BI-1506 Increment Project is Stabilizer. ployment of more and more technolo- one of the key projects at the facility gies.” and has contributed to the increase in Moaath Mahmood, environmental co- Khurais production by 300,000 barrels ordinator, explored the KhPD journey Closing the EMSR, Al Juaidan said, The completion of the per day of crude oil, despite suspension toward dropping greenhouse gas emis- “Please allow me to conclude by high- in 2016 and the COVID-19 pandemic. sions, while Yasser Alshaalan, plant en- lighting our proudest moment in exe- Increment Project to gineer, gave a demonstration of a fork- cuting the effective and safe emergency Al Juaidan also revealed that KhPD lift balancing device. response that was crucial in minimiz- increase Khurais exceeded its target for cybersecurity ing the damages of the attacks on the production by compliance by 2%. A Portable Blind Swinging Device was Khurais facility. All four fire incidents described by Bandar Alharbi, senior were extinguished within four hours. 300,000 barrels per welder, and Omar Aljalal, field engi- This reduced the magnitude of the dam- Presentations neer, gave an update on Nonmetallic age and facilitated the faster production day of crude oil during Bader Albabtain, operation fore- Deployment and Progress. restoration.” man, gave a presentation titled “When the pandemic was an Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) example of the Push the Envelope beyond Excellence.” Challenges Determination At the EMSR debriefing, Nasser said The KhPD manager told executive determination and Among the major strengths he that 2020 had been a year of challeng- management that the completion of the touched upon were KhPD’s Business es, but that employees had made the Increment Project during the pandemic resilience of the Continuity and Risk Management Sys- difference. was an example of the determination tem, material procurement and admin- and resilience of the company and its company and its istration, and localization. “2020 was one of the worst years ever, employees. employees. March 3, 2021 the arabian sun 4 company news Strong signs for the New Year after virus impact By Michael Ives needs practical and balanced energy policy,” he said. Speaking in a one-on-one conversa- tion entitled “Opportunities for Trans- He said it was critical that there was formation in a Post-COVID-19 World” plentiful, affordable energy available as part of International Petroleum for the world, and existing energy Week, senior vice president of Down- sources should not be ignored. stream, Mohammed Y. Al Qahtani, highlighted the devastating, and un- preceded, impact the pandemic had on Future looks strong global oil demand in 2020, while ex- Al Qahtani noted that Aramco’s car- pressing optimism on the future. bon intensity in oil production was one of the lowest in the world. “China has recovered significantly and countries across Asia continue to “It is the result of many years of do well, such as Japan and Korea. Some meticulous reservoir management demand challenges remain in Europe and methane leak detection and re- and the United States, but I expect the pair.” oil recovery to gain pace.” warned that risks surround worldwide Looking to the future and the ener- underinvestment in Upstream. Com- gy transformation that is underway, Al-Qahtani said that Aramco’s future pounding the potential problem was he observed that new sources of en- is expected to be very strong indeed, A note of caution that recent investments have been pre- ergy face many technical and invest- and with full integration of the Down- He added that the market was al- dominantly in brownfield and short- ment challenges. It is critical that stream, with SABIC a major part, this ready responding and that the oil and term cycles. there is plentiful and affordable en- is expected to lead to increased profit- gas industry was starting to see shrink- ergy available for the world. Accord- ability. ing inventories. “This will have consequences with an ingly we should not ignore existing oil production base getting weaker and energy sources, which must form part “I am very optimistic for this year,” he Despite his optimism, Al Qahtani weaker,” he said. of the world’s energy mix. “The world added.
Energy reimagined at Aramco’s 2021 Virtual Energy Forum By Michael Ives From investing in technology that may company is investing in reducing car- reduce emissions, extracting greater val- bon, such as investing in carbon cap- Held Feb. 22, Aramco’s Virtual En- ue from in-Kingdom resources by divert- ture, flaring reductions and investments ergy Forum saw company leadership ing a growing percentage from combus- in co-generation plants. And with the joined by specialists in the fields of tion to materials, to investing in lower technological strides the company — medicine and energy studies to discuss carbon products such as blue ammonia, and the world — is making in increasing how our industry is evolving in a new Aramco plans to make a contribution to the cleanliness of fuels, Al-Khowaiter landscape. a lower carbon future. said that we will be using liquid hydro- carbons for many decades to come. The online forum saw remarks and a question-and-answer session from Ar- Opportunities from blue In support of this prediction, he amco’s vice president of Marketing and ammonia to carbon pointed to the impressive efficiency Sales, Ahmed A. Al-Subaey, as well as its capture and beyond gains already made in engines and chief technology officer (CTO), Ahmad Al-Subaey highlighted that Aramco Citing blue ammonia, Al-Khowaiter fuels since the 1970s, noting that the O. Al-Khowaiter. is committed to environmental perfor- noted that it is a challenge to transport industry has a history of continuing to mance, with one of the lowest carbon and was still a nascent market. “How- find new ways to deliver cleaner fuels “The events of the past year demon- intensive Upstream operations in the in- ever, with the number of exciting proj- to the world. strated how resilient our industry is,” dustry. ects in this area around the world, we said Al-Subaey. “Not only did Aramco believe it has the potential to impact the Reflecting on the past year, with succeed in its day to day operations in Al-Khowaiter built on this theme, energy mix by 2030, and make dramatic the world struggling with COVID-19, 2020, it also completed one of the big- highlighting that Aramco is well posi- inroads from 2040,” he said. Al-Subaey ended on a positive note, “I gest deals in the industry, securing a tioned to seize low carbon opportuni- am an optimist, and it is human nature majority share in SABIC.” ties. The CTO highlighted areas where the to seek growth.”
Innovation crucial in a post-pandemic world By Michael Ives of the transition to net-zero and in the post-pandemic era, Al-Ghanim pointed What does the future of work look to the power of innovation, citing an ar- like? Are we going to forever be in front ticle published by MIT Sloan that noted of screens rather than in front of peo- as quality communication, transparen- ple? How do you have diversity and in- cy and honesty have increased during clusion conversations these days? COVID-19, greater emphasis needs to be placed on agility. These questions were posed by the host of the Future of Work panel held as “Technology will undoubtedly be at part of IP Week. the forefront of innovation and future workforce skills,” said Al-Ghanim, who Attended by Reem A. Al-Ghanim, Ar- further noted that as part of the W20 Gulf Region Organization for Wom- more men and organizations champi- amco’s head of HR and Support Services, communique last year, one of the key en (GROW) and its efforts in diversi- oning the cause. Chemicals Business, and five other del- measures for economic recovery is to in- ty and inclusion, and in encouraging egates from across government, aca- crease women and girls’ access to tech- more young women to join the energy Speaking about post-pandemic efforts, demia, and industry, the panel explored nology, especially in rural and remote industry and tackle more STEM class- Al-Ghanim noted that training will be a wide array of topics ranging from ca- areas. This requires building infrastruc- es. She added that there has been ev- critical, adding that at Aramco “We’ve reer advice to leadership in an era of en- ture, connectivity, and capacity for train- idence of substantial change in these been able to switch many of these pro- ergy transformation. ing. areas, as witnessed at the Annual grams to online learning” to maintain Leadership Excellence for Women and grow skills even when “face-to-face Discussing the skills required as part Al-Ghanim also spoke about the Awards and Symposium last year, with learning wasn’t an option.” the arabian sun March 3, 2021 company news 5 Aramco leadership share new economic map at CERAWeek Nasser says oil markets are tightening but highlights concern about fragile recovery
cines is cause for optimism.
“After last year’s drop in oil demand there are positive signs now that the market is improving,” Nasser said.
Aramco has followed through on and will continue to follow through on its efforts to develop cleaner energy solu- tions that help to reduce carbon emis- sions, Nasser said, including increas- ing the production of natural gas as a cleaner fuel source for domestic and international energy markets. Aram- co will see a “huge potential” for the development of hydrogen as a fuel source, Nasser said. With its ground- breaking deliveries of blue ammonia to Japan last September, Aramco has taken its carbon reduction stand to new levels, he added.
Achievements in clean fuels are By Scott Baldauf ing consumption patterns, and a grow- gence, industrial Internet of Things, and just one example of the way in which ing demand for low carbon solutions big data.” Aramco takes its role as a global in- Aramco’s top executives discussed are all changing the landscape in which dustry leader seriously. Its Environ- economic and industry trends as well as energy leaders must make decisions. Fortunately, technological innovation mental, Social, and Corporate Gover- energy transition, at one of the world’s The COVID-19 pandemic only sharpened is one of Aramco’s strong suits. In the nance (ESG) policies are designed to premier energy conferences, CERAWeek these issues, as they forced industry past year, for instance, Aramco’s Khurais have positive impacts both globally 2021.
The digital edition of the conference follows an extraordinarily difficult year in 2020, in which the global COVID-19 pandemic exerted profound impacts on the global economy and on the en- ergy industry. Yet 2020 was also a year in which Aramco made a number of achievements, completing the acquisition of a 70% stake in SABIC, reaching a his- toric peak in single day crude oil produc- tion, and continuing to deliver the ener- gy the world needs reliably and safely.
HE Yasir O. Al-Rumayyan, chairman of the Board of Saudi Aramco, and Amin Nasser, president and CEO of Saudi Ar- amco, participated in the conference, which is being held this week, March 1-5. Other participants included se- nior executives, government officials, thought leaders, academics, technology innovators, and financial leaders.
More appetite for investment In a question and answer session with IHS Markit vice chairman and CER- leaders to adapt and innovate to keep plant joined ‘Udhailiyah as a Lighthouse and in the communities where we AWeek chairman, Daniel Yergin, Al-Ru- the world’s economic engines running. of innovation for its implementation of operate. mayyan said that Aramco’s IPO in 2019 Fourth Industrial Revolution technol- may be just the beginning of the com- In a virtual panel session with Mike ogies, such as intelligent field sensors, “ESG is a big part of Aramco’s corpo- pany’s entry into global markets as a Wirth, chairman and CEO of Chev- machine learning, and remote inspec- rate strategy,” Nasser said. “Our focus publicly traded company. ron, moderated by Yergin, Nasser said tion robots. In addition, the company has always been on the stakeholders’ the COVID-19 pandemic had exposed has implemented other groundbreaking interest. “The IPO of Saudi Aramco in 2019 some “harsh realities for the world,” technologies, such as digital helmets for was the largest, and I think, still is the but that it had also “sharpened our inspectors, which allows real-time re- “We are all for ESG, but a one-size- largest of IPOs in history,” Al-Rumayyan focus on resilience, which gave us the porting from on the ground inspectors, fits-all ESG framework or too many of said. “I think once we see the economic agility to respond quickly to volatile while avoiding the risk of exposure that them won’t work. It must be stakehold- conditions improving, once we see more markets.” a larger inspection team might require. ers focused and more importantly, be appetite for investment from institutions inclusive,” Nasser added. “For example, and investors, we may consider sell- “We were faced with one of the big- our customer base is global, but almost ing more shares of Aramco. It is for the gest crisis in a century, but our industry Cause for optimism three-quarters of our customers are in government of Saudi Arabia to decide is used to challenging situations,” Nass- On the economic front, while Nasser emerging markets, and this is why a bal- that.” er said. worries about the prospects of a jobless ance is needed in developing a common recovery, he sees signs of economic ex- framework.” The conference comes at a time of dra- COVID-19 has made businesses im- pansion, with growing demand for oil matic change for the global economy, prove their ways of doing business, in China, East Asia, and India in partic- This year’s CERAWeek sessions and and for the energy industry’s place as a Nasser added. “COVID-19 also acceler- ular. The economies of Europe and the themes were inspired by Yergin’s new driver of growth. Advanced technolo- ated our plans to digitalize operations in U.S. are slower to recover, Nasser added, book “The New Map: Energy, Climate, gies, new and emerging industries, shift- deploying and utilizing artificial intelli- although the rapid deployment of vac- and the Clash of Nations.” March 3, 2021 the arabian sun the arabian sun March 3, 2021 6 company news company news 7
was feeding the fire at the rate of March 4 marks the anniversary of production at Dammam Well-7 about 8,000 barrels a day. The derrick melted and collapsed after roughly 10 minutes.
The acting resident manager quickly realized that the fire could cause the whole oil field to lose pressure and Was it full speed to prosperity channel water into the oil zone, which would be financially disastrous. It was even possible that the well could spray burning oil and destroy the whole camp, which would be even worse. after Lucky 7? But he had no specialist firefighters to Deepest drill, oil well fire, air raid reveal the tenacity of turn to. early Aramco employees Amateurs to the rescue By Stuart Burt The company called for asbestos shields and suits from its sister oper- On March 4, 1938, “Lucky ers and his ability to learn Arabic like- ation in Bahrain and organized them- wise impressed King Abdulaziz. selves into teams who, incredibly, ad- 7” started producing and vanced right up to the heart of the Saudi Arabia was launched Barger had secretly married just be- fire, with water hoses spraying over on its journey to become the fore he left America, and like any new- them, and devised a series of attempt- lywed, he wanted to share his life with ed fixes for the next seven days, each world’s largest oil producing his new wife, albeit separated by more time reducing the size of the flames. nation. Or so runs the wide- than 11,000 km. His letters home (pre- By this time, the world-famous fire- ly accepted version of his- served and published by his son) are an fighter from Texas, Myron Kinley, had amazing treasure trove of what life was announced that he was preparing to tory. But the two years after like for the earliest oil explorers. fly the Atlantic (a daring feat in those Lucky 7 were incredibly days), and make his way to Dhahran to Barger noted on Feb. 26, 1939, that “if kill the fire. A drilling crew at Abu Hadriya, 161 kilometers northwest of Dhahran, An unidentified well in Dhahran blows traces of oil in early 1938. A test difficult. The author reveals struck commercial quantities of oil in 1939 at about 3,050 meters, more of Well-7 on March 3, 1938, signaled the beginning of a new era: Saudi the [Abu Hadriya] well is a dry hole, it than twice the depth of Dammam Well-7. Arabia had joined the ranks of oil producing nations. three major events the ear- will have a tremendous adverse effect … As the professionals prepared them- ly employees had to over- it would infinitely decrease the chances selves, the amateurs in Dhahran tried come in those critical years. of finding oil in some other places.” The one last desperate ploy to fit a hot tap The 10 days of hell were over. Un- mission was to disrupt the oil supply in staff, the company had to shelve drilling team got to work. Expectations onto the bypass line, which would, if believable courage and extraordinary to the British navy in the Arabian Gulf plans to increase production. It also were raised as they reached the same successful, force mud down into the ingenuity had saved the oil field, and and their target was the Bapco oil re- closed the new Ras Tanura refinery Search for all-important depth as Lucky 7. Nothing. They remem- well. They watched anxiously as the the entire community was wildly elated finery in Bahrain. As they flew over and eventually sealed 10 of the 16 second oil field bered Max Steineke’s message when bit broke through the pipe — and the when the fire was finally extinguished. the mountains of Lebanon, one of the wells on the Dammam Dome. Con- the whole company was in despair with flames disappeared instantly. The tele- There is no doubt, however, that this planes got separated from the others, sequently, the government of King The second time is the charm Well-7 in Dammam: drill deeper. So, gram to the head office in California was a defining moment in the early his- but carried on and spotted oil flares. Abdulaziz suffered a considerable re- By October 1938, the Dammam field they drilled. War broke out in Europe in The fire at Dammam Well-12 on July 8, 1939, burned so hot that the 41-meter-high derrick was modestly to-the-point: “Fire extin- tory of our company. Every employee The plane descended and dropped duction in income, which delayed nu- was proven and formally declared to September and still they drilled. collapsed after roughly 10 minutes. guished, hole full of mud. Professional and dependent was shocked and sad- about 30 bombs … on the jebels of merous public works projects. the world. So far, so good. But for the firefighters not needed.” dened by the event. Many procedures Dhahran. Standard Oil Company of California In early 1940 the drill bit reached 3 km pipes ready for use; six pipes each of 90 the very first tanker of Saudi crude oil were overhauled and a culture of safety The sense of danger was amplified by (SOCAL), the company that had signed — more than twice the depth of Lucky feet. Then they looked at each other. had left Ras Tanura under the watch- became, and remains to this day, a vital Saudi Arabia was officially neutral; as the difficulties the head office in Cali- the Concession Agreement and went 7, and at that time, an incredible depth Without a word, they made their de- ful gaze of King Abdulaziz, morale was part of daily working life. Moreover, the was the U.S. at this point — the Japanese fornia had in shipping essential supplies on to become one of the four owners and virtually unheard of anywhere else cision and someone (never identified) high in the Dhahran camp. Saudis and sense of pioneering excitement of the attack on Pearl Harbor that brought the to Saudi Arabia. This physical isolation, of Aramco, a single oil field was never in the world. conveniently misplaced the telegram. Americans worked side-by-side, know- early years was over. U.S. into the war happened on Dec. 7, though hard to bear, did not break the going to be enough. Back in the 1930s, Before they finished using those last ing they were developing probably the 1941. Therefore, the bombing that night spirit of “the remainers.” They start- Dammam and al-Khobar were tiny fish- pipes, they struck oil. most exciting oil exploration site in the In a very real sense, Dhahran came of was, to the Dhahran residents, not only ed drilling at Abqaiq early in 1941 and ing villages with no 20th century infra- Division in the ranks world. The camp had been set up six age in July 1939. terrifying, it was also totally inexplica- discovered an oil field that looked to be structure whatever. Everything SOCAL Barger recalls senior staff having “a Barger reflected on the massive sig- years earlier and was so well organized ble. Shortly after the raid, they heard on far bigger than Dammam. They had no needed, they had to bring or build. As big argument nificance of this in his famous letter of that a significant number of American the radio that the bombing had been an resources to develop it of course, but a single oil field wasn’t going to satis- … with one fac- March 3, 1940: “The oil at Abu Hadriya wives and children had been living there Air raid on Dhahran: Terror accident by the lost plane — the crew the news of the extraordinary flow rate fy the shareholders, and to justify the tion in favor of means a great deal … now the company for two years. Hundreds of Saudis were descends from sky thought they were over Bahrain. As it at Abqaiq No. 1 (9,720 barrels per day) colossal expenditure, SOCAL needed to deepening the will start drilling another structure at a being employed and the local economy When France and the U.K. declared happened, the damage to Dhahran was convinced them that persevering was find a second oil field. hole and anoth- place called Abqaiq. This is going to be was buoyed by the enormous growth in war on Nazi Germany on Sep. 3, 1939, it minimal. worthwhile. er group saying a great oil company.” activity. Everything looked rosy. seemed to the Dhahran employees to be Flushed with success at the Dammam that the well essentially a European affair. Even when Those early employees had over- Dome, they chose Abu Hadriya, some was already at How right he was. No one knows exactly what caused Italy joined Germany on June 10, 1940, Dhahran counts the cost come three massive hurdles after Lucky 160 kilometers (km) northwest of 10,000 feet.” the explosion at Well-12. The crew it did not seem to signify very much. All The impact of the raid was con- 7: They had survived the stakeholders’ Dhahran, and started drilling there early The argument were preparing the test-perforating that was to change dramatically on the siderable. The company immediate- pressure to find a second (and indeed in 1939. One of the young geologists in was decided by Tragedy at Well-12 gun when there was an enormous night of Oct. 19, 1940. ly started to scale back operations, a third) oil field; they had extinguished the team was the multitalented Thomas the SOCAL board who sent a terse in- explosion, heard everywhere in the and within six months the number the terrible fire at Well-12; and they had A summer afternoon On May 1, 1939, a submerged pipeline delivers Barger, who rose to become Aramco’s struction to Dhahran: shut down. The camp, and moments later, flames shot crude oil from Ras Tanura to the tanker D.G. On that evening, Italian bomber of Americans was less than a quar- survived an air raid. CEO in the 1960s — his skill with a rifle drillers reluctantly acknowledged the like no other 200 feet into the air. Oil at tremendous Scofield, which is moored about one kilometer planes took off from Rhodes (the is- ter of what it had been on that fate- impressed even the finest Bedouin hunt- order and looked at the last pile of drill- On July 8, 1939, just two months after pressure, coming from a mile down, offshore. land was then owned by Italy). Their ful night. With such a large reduction Nothing could stop them now.
Dhahran, 1936. March 3, 2021 the arabian sun 8 company news
Ithra begins registration for PiCon Science
CommunicationThe King Abdulaziz Center for to enhance theProgram understanding of cus on space science and his expe- ences, including a robot barista serv- World Culture (Ithra) has opened science, and the communication of rience with the International Space ing coffee as well as the “Maestro registration for its first PiCon Science science, knowledge and innovation. Station, while Professor Brian Green Robot” playing musical instruments. Communication Program, which will will introduce some of the wonders There will also be scientific riddles run from March 10-14, 2021. The The speakers will take part virtual- of science. Diana Alsindy, a special- and tasks focused on stimulating the program is held to coincide with In- ly. Mishaal Al-Shemimry, an aviation ist in rocket propulsion systems, will audience’s interest in science and ternational Pi Day (March 14) and engineer, will talk about interplane- discuss working in the space sector. building cognitive skills. will provide an opportunity for sci- tary travel and provide participants There will also be a session contain- ence and technology enthusiasts, as with an overview of the various ing a film screening where engineer For more information, please vis- well as creative individuals. types of rockets, as well as her own Rakan Al-Shaya will discuss the posi- it: www.ithra.com. Follow Ithra experience in developing propulsion tioning of science in cinema. on social media: Facebook (King PiCon will last for five days. The systems. Abdulaziz Center for World Culture), program will feature exciting talks, PiCon will also include a series of Twitter (@Ithra) and Instagram (@ riddles, and scientific experiments Astronaut Chris Hadfield will fo- interactive presentations and experi- Ithra) #Ithra.
Your voice The importance of memories We live our lives day by day with- plicit or implicit. Explicit memories in- ollect where they were when some- out knowing what the future holds. volve facts, concepts, and events, and thing significant to them happened. We wake up every morning, follow must be recalled consciously. Implicit They used the example of the assas- a certain routine in our day, and fi- memories are sensory and automa- sination of U.S. President John F. Ken- nally, go to bed. We follow that same tized behaviors. nedy. Many people remember where cycle over and over. Every minute in they were and what they were doing this daily routine becomes a memory, In 2019, I lost a family member, and when they heard he was killed. Un- encoded and stored. At a later stage, I have been struggling with my emo- like a photographic memory, these these memories will be retrieved. tions whenever a memory of the lost “flashbulb memories” tend to occur Memories make each of us unique, one is triggered. I keep trying to shift only when the event is of particular and they give continuity to our lives. my mindset into something positive significance or very surprising, sup- Sometimes these memories won’t to continue my day without break- porting the idea that a person’s emo- have much value, but at other times ing down. If we experience traumatic tional state at the time can influence they can make us burst into tears, or events, we actually prefer to forget whether or not it is encoded as a smile with joy. them. Unfortunately, it appears to be memory (Brown and Kulik, 1977). impossible to delete memories at will. The ability to create new memo- In fact, such memories tend to be im- So, during your everyday routine, ries, store, and recall them allows us printed more strongly. When we feel enjoy every single second, don’t hold to learn and interact with the world. delight or anger, vivid recollections grudges, smile no matter what, and Consider for a moment how many are often more possible than when positively contribute as much as you times a day you rely on your memory, we feel little emotion. Our emotional can. Strive to create memories with By Sara N. Kadeeb from starting your car to logging on state at the time of an event can affect your loved ones that are linked to Dhahran to your workstation. our ability to remember it. happiness and joy because that’s the [email protected] way you want to be remembered. The three main forms of memory Studies support this idea. In 1977, storage — sensory, short-term, and researchers at Harvard University May everyone we have lost rest in long-term — are stored across dif- published a paper entitled “Flashbulb peace and may everyone we live with Your Voice reflects the thoughts and opinions of the writer, and not necessarily those of the pub- ferent, interconnected brain regions. Memories,” in which they found that be blessed with all things good. lication. Long-term memories are either ex- people were often able to vividly rec- the arabian sun March 3, 2021 company news 9 Aramco engineer wins technical innovation excellence award in Kingdom first Soliman M. Almadi, a senior engi- accompanying software, granting access The IR4.0 Center is the home of many neering consultant with the Process and to a network. new concepts. Testing of the edge com- Control Systems Department (P&CSD), puting device was conducted virtually in has won the International Society of Au- Founded in 1945, the ISA is a glob- 2020 to capitalize on the latest real-time tomation (ISA) Excellence in Technical al, nonprofit organization that sets the collaboration capabilities. Innovation Award. standard for automation. Based in North Carolina, USA, the society develops stan- “It is a great win to see IR4.0 Center The award recognizes Almadi’s contri- dards, certifies industry professionals, capabilities facilitate the testing and butions to the development of an edge and provides education and training to bridge the gap — not to mention over- computing device prototype, which ac- promote innovation. coming COVID-19 — in conducting quires and controls data from remote hardware and software development and in-plant subsystems as part of an Almadi’s win is the first awarded by tests,” said Bassam M. Al-Dossary, man- automated industrial process. the ISA Saudi Arabia Section, which was ager of P&CSD. formed in October 1980 by Aramco in- The prototype was successfully tested strumentation engineers. The device has significant potential at Aramco’s IR4.0 Center in Dhahran, for many applications in Aramco plants’ and is considered one of the leading Jamil J. Al-Bagawi, the chief engineer sensing and controlling applications, as initiatives incubated in the new facility, Soliman M. Almadi with Engineering Services, congratulat- well as in utilities, transportation, and named for the Fourth Industrial Revolu- ed Almadi on his award and praised the power systems. tion. Edge computing is performed at or work of all the company’s engineers. near a data source, reducing data vol- “The edge computing device has the The device, considered a disruptive ume and distance transportation. This “Digital transformation has inspired potential to be the foundation for smart digital transformation technology for proximity improves response times, many new concepts in the technology plants of the future,” said Bander R. Al instrumentation and industrial auto- saves bandwidth and storage costs, and domain and our engineers are the cata- Yousef, general supervisor of the Pro- mation, was based on one of Almadi’s strengthens security. An edge comput- lyst to innovate above and beyond what cess Automation Systems Division and shared U.S. patents. ing device is a piece of hardware, and its is possible,” he said. leader of the Smart Plant Track.
let’s catch a phish Hammad A. Alazmi among first to identify phishing email The urgent message of “Update to Saudi Aramco The email offered several enticing elements look- amco Recreation Facilities) Recreation Facilities” may have tricked some -em ing to lure its recipients into responding inappro- • An external tag indicating it had been sent ployees to click on a link to view the information priately and clicking on one of its links. Tipoffs that from an outside source concerning the new booking requirements, but not the email might be nefarious included: • An embedded link (Click Here) Hammad A. Alazmi. The Aramcon, working in the • An urgency indicator stating that booking will NGL Recovery Unit of the Khursaniyah Gas Plant • A suspicious domain (Community Service
thank you The Information Security Department would like to extend 1. Northern Area Oil its gratitude and appreciation to the NA Industrial Security Op- the top 3 Operations NA Industrial erations Department for their noticeable efforts in scoring 0% 2. Safety & Industrial Security negative behavior; along with the highest positive behavior positive performing Security Operations for the February test. Such efforts reflect positively on Aramco Department cybersecurity user behavior and elevates the resilience of Ar- admin areas 3. Power Systems amco’s core business.
cybersecurity tip of the month We all have a role to play in national online protection By Tarfah Al Assom around the world, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The National Cybersecurity Au- thority (NCA) was established by Royal Order and has a direct Positive behavior link to The Custodian of the Two The Custodian of the Two Holy Holy Mosques King Salman bin Mosques and HRH Prince Moham- Abdulaziz Al-Saud. med bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al- Saud made the decision to establish The NCA is a pioneering step in the NCA to transform government maintaining the security and sta- dealings in the Kingdom. The na- bility of Saudi Arabian society, en- tional economy has benefited from suring the protection of online sys- secure online transactions so that tems against cyberattacks. everyone can access services safely and securely. With the tremendous techno- logical developments in, and Information hazards have differ- our daily use of smart devic- ent types of challenges that must es and computers, the need for be considered when building and have a crucial role to play in fos- cybersecurity behavior. All these cybersecurity is more important developing equipment and sys- tering a culture of prudent online efforts lead to a safer and more se- than ever. tems. behavior. cure cyberspace, and support the Kingdom’s mission to protect elec- Increased connectivity has led to As users of cyberspace, the citi- Our role entails raising aware- tronic infrastructure and services a surge in the exchange of data zens and residents of Saudi Arabia ness and promoting positive from online threats. March 3, 2021 the arabian sun 10 community
From left to right, A bird spending the day in Al-Deffi Park. Birds can be heard tweeting among the trees. Opposite to Al-Fanateer Corniche is the downtown, which has plenty of restaurants and retail. There are amenities and parking across the different beaches. Jubail Sunny, Industrial City has a number of street sculptures. The city is located 110 km north of Sandy, Dhahran. The Al-Nakheel Corniche tends to be Scenic quieter and ideal for relaxing and picnicking.
By Musherf Alamri Al-Deffi Park has numerous Everyone knows Jubail is one of the picnic areas largest industrial cities in the world. and running What is less well-known is that the city trails has beautiful recreational areas, in- covering a cluding its beaches and parks. total area of 451,600 m2. Jubail The The city, which has a population of designers 150,000 residents, is 110 kilometers minimized (km) north of Dhahran and possesses structures to 40 km of coastline dotted with sandy allow people to beaches, walking trails, and other rec- reconnect reational facilities. with nature. (Photos by The Al-Nakheel Corniche is the first Musherf S. beach in the south of Jubail. It tends to Alamri) be quiet and is ideal for relaxing and picnicking.
The Al-Fanateer Corniche is livelier. It is opposite the downtown area and has plenty of restaurants and shops. There is always a stream of people walking and jogging here at night. Its beauty is augmented by the well- kept landscape. While certain beaches are clearly designated for swimming, this is a public area and visitors should dress appropriately. the island is pristine and calm. Access and Ras al-Khair is the Jubail Marine A 10-minute drive west of the parks, A number of beach camps and busi- is restricted to the largest island in the Wildlife Sanctuary, which covers a to- a new campus for Jubail University ness centers have been constructed on Gulf, Abu Ali Island, which is further tal of 2,410 km2, including five atolls, College is in the late stages of con- the southwest of Al-Batinah Island, north. according to the National Center for struction and will eventually accom- the second largest island in the Ara- Wildlife. The center supervises the modate up to 18,000 students. Across bian Gulf. Once across the causeway, The area between Abu Ali Island reserve, and people can apply to vis- the highway, crews are working on it via the website. Check first as visits mixed use high-rise buildings and a might be restricted due to COVID-19. tower for SABIC.
Ancient, Industrious Jubail In the aftermath of the Gulf War oil Driving gives a visitor perspective on In 1968, an archeological site with The ancient people traded with spill in 1991, studies showed the need the sheer size of the industrial accom- a pottery complex was discovered Ubaid, a civilization in South for a marine sanctuary to monitor the plishment. After going up the empty near Jubail. Mesopotamia. Some scholars argue impact of pollution and preserve the Jubail-Dhahran highway, passing by The site provided evidence of a that this relationship forms one of area’s biodiversity, according to the Jubail City, and then entering Express- thriving human civilization from the the oldest marine trading networks center’s website. Research has shown way 1, you will be surrounded by gi- late sixth to early fifth millennium in the world. a recovery in marine life. gantic factories and associated infra- B.C. It is only one of 60 sites In an article published in 2014, in structure. discovered around the Gulf. the Proceedings of the Seminar for For those wanting an inland experi- The Jubail site is important Arabian Studies, researchers found ence, there are many parks, including Jubail Industrial City is an impressive because it contains 15,000 ceramic that 80% of the materials were Al-Deffi Park and Al-Andalus Park. feat of engineering and urban plan- shards, and there is a potential for attributed to Ubaid. The remaining They are opposite to each other, and ning. It is the fruit of the leadership’s more. The shards are mostly 20% came from a different source, have numerous picnic areas and run- vision to diversify the economy beyond fragmented, but scientists were able which scholars interpret as an ning trails. The designers of Al-Def- exporting crude oil. The 1975 Royal to piece them, and the inhabitants, independent, indigenous ceramic fi Park minimized structures to allow Decree to establish the Royal Commis- together. tradition. people to reconnect with 451,600 m2 sion of Jubail and Yanbu’ was the birth of nature. of twin cities on opposite coasts.
Al-Fanateer Corniche has lovely sand beaches and running trails. It is a lively area and a stream of people walk or jog during the nighttime, and beach beauty is augmented by the well-kept landscape. the arabian sun March 3, 2021 company news 11 VAST continues winning streak Aramco’s digital industrial training program wins more awards By Jim Cook An Industrial Aramco’s Vocational Academic Training Skills Training (VAST) Program con- Center tinues to win accolades from pres- trainee tigious international organizations, interacts These wins reinforce recently garnering two prizes from with VAST content in that VAST … better the Future Workplace Awards, which classrooms recognizes organizations that con- prior to the prepares program tribute to the improvement of the COVID-19 human resources profession in the pandemic. graduates to hit the Middle East. ground running. Launched in 2018, VAST is a per- formance-based program developed — Susan Hamade van by Training and Development (T&D) der Merwe and uses custom content developed in-house that is delivered digitally to provide foundational academic, job-related, and soft skills training to the company’s industrial workforce. Workplace Awards. VAST won the Best appropriate, contextually relevant, high- VAST has won 10 awards from re- L&D Technology Implementation award Interactive and engaging ly interactive and engaging, and aligned spected Human Resources and Learn- and was recognized with a mark of ex- Susan Hamade van der Merwe, an an- with business line needs.” ing and Development (L&D) organiza- cellence in the Best Innovative L&D Ini- alyst in the Program Development and tions, including the two from the Future tiative category. Evaluation Division of T&D, said the in- The COVID-19 pandemic has shown house program is an excellent example that having strong digital delivery sys- The awards recognize the results VAST of educational best practice. tems for learning content is important VAST interactive training outcomes has obtained, including reduced attri- to learning and development organiza- include: tion and absenteeism rates; increased “These wins reinforce that VAST suc- tions, van der Merwe added. • Reduced attrition and satisfaction of stakeholders; increased cessfully attracts higher caliber candi- absenteeism rates satisfaction in apprentices’ English, cler- dates to the program, reduces program T&D continues to refine VAST and is • Increased satisfaction of ical, and soft skills by supervisors; a 70% attrition and absenteeism, and better currently exploring options to make the stakeholders reduced reliance on commercially de- prepares program graduates to hit the program platform neutral, so that it will • 70% reduction in commercial veloped training content; a drastically ground running,” she said. work with devices regardless of what content use reduced revision time for VAST courses; operating system they use. The interac- • Drastically reduced revision time and cost savings of about $400,000 per “This collection of performance-based tive content is currently only available • $400,000 cost savings each year. year. programs is designed to be culturally on iPads.
Photographic memory Tent camp near Hofuf: Early exploration field parties lived in field camps such as this one photographed in 1950 outside Hofuf.
The Arabian Sun is a North Admin Building, Room AN-1080, Publishing director: Meteb Al-Qahtani Articles and coverage can be Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi weekly publication issued C-05A, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Editors: William Bradshaw, requested through CRM. Aramco) is a joint stock company, with free of charge by the Telephone (013) 876-0374 Jamsheed Din, Todd Williams Correspondence may be addressed to certificate of registration number Corporate Communication Email: [email protected] Editorial staff: Musherf Alamri, the editor, North Admin Building, 2052101105, having its principal office Support Department for ISSN: 1319-156X Eamonn Houston, Scott Baldauf, Room AN-1080, C-05A. at P.O. Box 5000, Dhahran, Postal Code Saudi Aramco employees. Articles may be reproduced provided Dalia Darweesh, and Rawan Nasser. 31311, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and The Arabian Sun is credited. Designer: Husam Nasr. with fully paid capital of SAR 60,000,000,000. the arabian sun March 3, 2021 12 Sunny, Sandy and Scenic Jubail Al-Fanateer Corniche has lovely sand beaches and running trails. It is a lively area where people walk or jog during the nighttime. see page 10
One of many rock cut temples
Vikrant P. Ambatkar, a vibration technician in the Ju’aymah NGL Fractionation Department, captured this image of the “Kailasa Temple” (Cave #16) at the Ellora Caves site. The Kailasa Temple is the largest rock cut temple at the site. Ellora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India. Ambatkar used his Nikon D5600 to take the photograph. He has been with the company more than six years.