The monthly newsletter for Petroleum Development Oman staff and its contractors

Issue - 436 June 2015

PDO Day
02 Staff In The Spotlight
04 Well Placed

12 Earth-Shattering Discovery

www.pdo.co.om

Ramadan
Mubarak

Phone: 246 73977

Email: editors@pdo.co.om

First Word

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Dear Colleagues,

Initially, please contact

the editor. Submission of
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PHOTOGRAPHY
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Welcome to the first edition of a new look, redesigned Al Fahal, which we hope you will
find enjoyable to read.
Its a bumper edition which also has a special supplement marking the second PDO
Day, held in honour of His Majestys historic visit to our BMF headquarters. The
event itself was a wonderful occasion which saw just some of our many famous and
distinguished alumni return as special guests, as well as the launch of a new book,
The Excellence Academy, charting the success stories of some of those who laid the
foundations of their career at PDO.
The theme for the day was, of course, Lean, which is helping to transform the Company
into a sharper, smarter organisation and there were some great examples on show of
how it is driving efficiencies throughout the business, something which is especially
important in the current volatile oil price environment.
This magazine has two more pages to give you even more content to read, including
an occasional new column from the Young Professional Network, this time describing
its new Big Brother/Big Sister mentoring scheme for new joiners a great example
of the caring, friendly, helpful spirit which is one of PDOs hallmarks. This was also
demonstrated by the launch of the Baader volunteer scheme which has paved the
way for our staff to share their expertise and time with eight non-governmental
organisations.
Al Fahal carries an important interview with the new Well Engineering Director
Mohammed Al Rashdi, who speaks of his plans and thoughts on the challenges and
opportunities ahead, with a strong focus on health, safety and environment, Lean, InCountry Value and talent development.
We have seen some marked progress on the project front recently, and the signing
of a very significant contract to advance the Karim Small Fields and the start of the
commissioning of Marmul Polymer Phase II are both covered in depth.

COPY RIGHT
Please note that no part of
Al Fahal may be reproduced
without the written permission
of PDO. Organisations wishing
to reproduce articles contained
within this issue should contact
the editor.

Finally, as you know, the face of our Coastal operation is changing to ensure staff are
able to work in modern and comfortable offices and these pages feature just one more
example of this: the opening of the new Bait Al Bushra complex, Omans largest light
gauge steel office which was built in just nine months a tremendous achievement by
our Corporate Real Estate Department and contractors.
Regards,
Raoul Restucci
Managing Director

Editors:
David Brown
Tel: 24673977

PHOTOGRAPHY:
Mohammed Al Abri
Tel: 246 76648

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Contents
01 - Helping The Community
02 - Staff In The Spotlight
03 - Water Boost For Fahud
03 - Tech Talk
04 - Well Placed
05 - Marmul Polymer Phase II On
Stream
05 - The YPN Big Brother Big
Sister Scheme
06 - US$600 Million Karim Deal
06 - Zumba Zeal
07 - One in a Million!

07 - Outward and Upward

08 - A Model Of Innovation
09 - Best of All
09 - PDO Airports Re-Certified
10 - Cyber Crime Awareness
11 - Leaders In Their Field
11 - PDO Backs Community
Education Drive
12 - Earth-Shattering
Discovery
13 - LGS Building Breaks New
Ground

02

05

06

07
10

PDO People

Helping The Community

A new initiative has been launched enabling staff to

volunteer to help community groups

Proud volunteers meet NGO leaders

Within 30 minutes of a company-wide

message announcing the scheme, 250
employees had stepped forward to participate.

a monthly progress report on volunteer

participation and the support that has been
provided.

The first 80 have already been assigned to

eight Omani non-governmental organisations
(NGOs).

Pipeline Infrastructure Project Engineer

Said Bait Shaq, who will be helping the
Early Intervention Association, said: It is a
humanitarian thing to help and I just wanted to
help.

The initiative, called Baader (which in Arabic

means take the initiative, begin a good
deed), enables staff to help by devoting
their time and expertise for free in areas
such as IT, HR and administration, PR and
marketing, communications, archiving, finance,
accounting, training, translation and event
management.
External Affairs Director Abdul-Amir Al Ajmi
paid tribute to Managing Director Raoul
Restucci for suggesting the idea, and said:
PDO has a vast pool of skill and capability in
many disciplines and we believe we should
put some of this at the countrys disposal in
line with our obligations as a good corporate
citizen.
This is part of PDOs continuous support for
creating a better world. All of us need support
and help. We live in a collaborative society.
The NGOs involved in the scheme are the
Oman Cancer Association (OCA), Dar Al
Atta, Early Intervention Association, Oman
Association for Disabled Children, Down
Syndrome Association, Oman Association for
the Disabled, Environment Society of Oman
(ESO), and Al Noor Association for the Blind.
The selected volunteers will be granted up to
seven working days (intermittent or continuous)
off work per calendar year to engage in helping
organisations in need, with the agreement of
their line managers. The NGOs will provide

Al Fahal | June 2015

EcOman Centre Curator Said Al Saqri, who is

volunteering for ESO, said: This initiative is a
platform to bring all the volunteers together.
There is so much experience in so many
different fields in PDO to support these NGOs.
At the end of the day, they have a little voice
and they need help.
Yuthar Al Rawahi, President of OCA, said the
group needed help across a range of areas
including social media, marketing, auditing and
assistance in its Dar Al Hanan initiative, which
offers a home to child cancer patients and their
families while they are undergoing treatment in
Muscat.
She said: I am thrilled that PDO is taking this
up.
Fatma Al Barwani, Treasurer of the Down
Syndrome Association, said the groups aim
was to support the development of children
through various ways including speech,
physiotherapy, sign language and teaching
similar to classroom methods.
She added: As we are in the initial stages
of setting up a fully operational centre, this
volunteer initiative will work greatly in having
external individuals such as those who dont
have children with Down Syndrome or those
have not been previously involved with the
association - bring new ideas on how we can

develop and move forward with our vision.

The volunteers also have varied experiences
and skills in different areas like IT, strategy
implementation and so on, and this can assist
us in revising our website and planning any
new developments we strive to set up.
And Sultan Al Sahabi, Vice President of the Al
Noor board, said: PDO is always the first in
taking initiatives like this to help and support
our aspirations.
Learning and Development Centre Manager
Hamed Al Hadhrami said: PDOs staff
initiative to participate voluntarily to support
the NGOs is an indication of their eagerness to
improve the lives of those who need support.
It is also an opportunity to share their expertise
and knowledge with other organisations. This
initiative is an excellent example of the work
environment in PDO where both Omanis
and non-Omanis work hand-in-hand to build
capabilities and improve services outside
PDO.
Raoul said: I am delighted we have lift-off
on this key initiative that will raise pride and
reputation for PDO and create so much value
for everyone we support.

If you know of a good subject for Staff In the Spotlight,

please contact editors@pdo.co.om

PDO People

Staff In The Spotlight

Steve Holyoak (Production Seismologist)
Production Seismologist Steve Holyoak has
become a world champion after an incredible
feat of non-stop endurance running.
Steve, 50, captained the Great Britain mens
team to a gold medal in the Ultra Running
World Championships in Turin, Italy, where the
top three athletes from each countrys team
run as far as they can in 24 hours.
Team GB recorded a combined total of
770.78km, with Steve himself clocking up
an astonishing 252.8km of running around
a 2km track, and finishing 11th out of 302
international starters from 42 countries. The
achievement was the most successful Team
GB performance in the event of all time.
Steve joined the Amal Thermal Cluster
team last August and is primarily involved in
reservoir characterisation/surveillance and well
delivery. However, he successfully juggles his
demanding job by running around 36km a day.
In preparation for the world championships, he
was rising at 5.00am every day, completing an
18km training run in time for work at around
7am, and then finishing the day with another
18km run in the evening.
Here, he talks to Al Fahal about his remarkable
show of stamina and dedication.
Describe your running regime
Up until my mid 40s Id been competing in
races up to marathon distance. However, it
was during my previous posting in Norway that
I became more serious about so-called ultradistance running. In Oman, when peaking
for the World Championships, I was running
around 36 km per day. The coastal roads
and paths between PDO and the embassies
provide an excellent training area, but after
Norway it was a bit of a challenge to get used
to the heat. On Fridays I would typically be
doing a run of 40 50km, for example, from
Ras Al Hamra down to the airport and back,
making a weekly total of up to 220km. I always
have one day off running per week usually
Saturday.
How does running help with work as a
production seismologist?
Its a very interesting role, and Iwork with
a great bunch of friendly, competent and
dedicated people. The work can sometimes
be quite intense though, and it also entails
sitting at my desk using a PC for large parts
of the day. Running is therefore a great
counterbalance, both physically and mentally.

Steve pounds the track on the way to gold

What was it like competing at the ultrarunning event?

Ive competed for Team GB in two previous
world championships which have been very
rewarding. This time around I was honoured
to be selected as Team GB captain, and, with
the work we have put into building experience
and injecting new talent, felt that if everything
went right on the day we would be serious
contenders for at least European bronze (the
World and European championships are held
in parallel).

unassailable. However, it only really sank in

when we stood at the podium in front of a
cheering audience with our national anthem
being played. That was a big moment for the
team, not just the runners but also the critical
management, physiotherapy and support
elements that make it all possible.
Have you won any other international
running events?
As an individual Ive won a few marathons,
ultra-marathons and trail races (including a
recent 50km event at Wadi Bih in Musandam).
However, nothing anywhere near the level of
the world championships, either on a team or
individual basis. This meant that winning the
team gold medals had an even greater impact
for me.
What other hobbies do you have?

On the world stage we are competing against

extremely strong opposition from the likes of
Japan, USA and Russia so we tend to go into
the events with a balance between ambition
and realism. When it dawned on us towards
the closing stages that we were in with a very
real chance of not just European gold but also
World gold it was initially a feeling of disbelief.
We had to keep level heads and managed
to extend our lead to the point where it was

Im also a scuba diving instructor and really

enjoy cross-country mountain biking. Oman
is, of course, very well suited to both of these
activities unfortunately they tend to take a
back seat if I have a big running event coming
up. Im looking forward to scaling down the
running for a little while and indulging some
of my other hobbies, and also spending a bit
more time with my long-suffering (but very
supportive) wife. I may even get some of the
overdue household chores ticked off the list!

Al Fahal |June 2015

PDO Projects

Water Boost For Fahud

A reverse osmosis (RO) plant for potable water
has been commissioned at Fahud.
The facility was previously used as part of the
steam plant and is designed to produce a total
of 2,600m3 a day.
The plant is producing potable water which will
then be used for drinking, cooking, washing
and for drilling operations.

process unit where a pressurised membrane

produces relatively pure water after filtering out
substances such as oils, pyrogens and salts.
North Operations Manager Dr Khamis Al
Busaidi said: The plant will provide a big relief
for the entire North and Fahud will act as a
hub of water distribution point to cover the

shortage and will support our colleagues in the

drilling and other associated project teams.
Fahud Delivery Team Leader Abdullah Al
Kindy commented: We feel proud of this
achievement for the commissioning of the
2,600m3/day plant which is a big relief for the
water issue facing the entire North.

Contract Holder Said Al Riyami expressed his

happiness at the new solution to meet the
demand for water in the North. The plant will
support not only the Fahud community but
other locations, including the Yibal GGL and
Kazzan projects, rigs, frac units and other
upcoming projects such as Khulud and Yibal
Khuff.
The Royal Oman Police new training camp
at Fahud will also benefit from this operation,
including the future camp expansion which is
expected to cater for around 1,000 people.
The RO system works by pumping raw
feed water from bore wells (from a depth of
around 200m) to storage tanks and then to a

material and compacting it is costly and does

not produce roads of acceptable quality, and
the surface tends to deteriorate rapidly with
time.

Tech Talk
PDOs operating costs have risen continuously
for the past 10 years, and are forecast
to continue increasing. One of the major
contributors to this rise is road maintenance
which is costing the Company around US$10
million per year.
The conventional method of re-sheeting a
graded road surface by replacing it with new

This deterioration causes a significant increase

in journey time and in the wear-and-tear cost
to the vehicles using the road. Some critical
routes in PDO, such as the 65km BahjaZauliyah link, require re-sheeting three or four
times a year on certain sections.
PDO has embarked on a mission to upgrade
its graded road network within the oil fields
by employing a new technology to reduce
cost and provide an alternative to road
maintenance that is of much higher quality.
This new method stabilises and imparts
enhanced structural properties to the road
base using foamed bitumen and cement by
using highly specialised equipment developed

and manufactured by the Wirtgen Group of

Germany. The stabilised layer is protected by
a wearing course of a single or double layer of
surface dressing to create a paved surface with
a much longer lifespan than graded roads.
This technology has a relatively long history
and is well proven worldwide. It has been
employed in two pilot studies in PDO. The first
was implemented in March 2013 on 52 km of
stabilised and surfaced dressed road between
Bahja and Zauliya and the second on 19 km
of stabilised road surfaced with asphalt from
Bahja to Suwaihat.
The pilot was successfully completed in PDO in
March 2014 and should achieve up to a 100%
cost saving after the third year. In addition,
there are other indirect savings which have also
contributed to the success of this technology.
For example, driving time has been cut by 50%
given the improved road condition.
Due to the major success of the pilot, PDO
is in the process of deploying this technology
across its oilfields as it has the potential to
replace asphalting for PDOs most critical and
heavily used roads. Deployment will not only
achieve significant savings in the operating
cost, but will also support the organisation in
delivering its core business efficiently, given
the significant reduction in driving time and
enhanced road safety standards. Furthermore,
it will open new job opportunities for Omanis.

Al Fahal | June 2015

PDO People

Well Placed
upcoming challenges. Applications of the latest
technologies, various efficiency drivers and
tools are also critical to our business to ensure
sustained performance. Lean implementation is
also a huge opportunity to remove waste and
be more efficient.
How do you intend to address the above?

On HSE, we will maintain the focus on the five

must-win areas: Hands and Fingers, DROPS,
road safety, lifting and slinging and Process
Safety. Also, we will continue implementing
ongoing HSE initiatives such as Behaviour
Based Safety (BBS) and the Risk Champion
Programme. Additionally, we continually
evaluate and map out the areas with high HSE
exposure through adopting the risk-based
allocation of additional resources to coach and
support.
Mohammed Al Rashdi was recently appointed
as Well Engineering and Logistics Director.
Mohammed joined PDO in 1991 as an
assistant driller. After steadily working his way
up the ranks, he become Operations Team
Leader for deep drilling activities before being
promoted to Wells Function Discipline Leader,
until 2012. He then moved to become Well
Engineering Contract Manager, a position
he held until the end of last year, before he
took over as head of the Well Operations
Department.

pressure, higher temperature (HPHT), tight oil

and unconventional gas with high hydrogen
sulphide content.

What is your first impression of the UWD

role?

The directorate has created competition

by bringing in new Omani start-ups and
developing local companies. This presents a
high HSE exposure which is also magnified by
the high growth in our activities (19% additional
units during 2014/2015). In addition, we are
in the process of in-sourcing our own hoists
and rigs, and this requires a strong focus and
continuous management attention.

In terms of programme delivery we have seen

huge growth year on year. The diverse portfolio
ranges from frontier exploration wells to factory
drilling activities and from in-sourcing project
management to commercial, business planning
and logistics. There is much excitement all
around and my main challenge is to keep the
momentum going and to continue improving
business performance while safeguarding HSE.
Can you describe your average working
day?

I am an early starter. Usually I start my day after

Al Fajer prayers around 5:30am. The first thing
I do when I arrive at my office is to go through
my emails and operation summary until around
7:15am. After that I drink a cup of tea and then
meet different teams in their offices to be close
to the action. At 8am I return to my office
and follow my calendar for that particular day.
Around 4pm I catch up with my emails and
check my calendar for the next day.
What are the immediate challenges?

The future is going to be very different,

because the dynamics of the business
are changing. We will see a larger shift
in our portfolio from conventional wells
towards more demanding projects, such
as enhanced oil recovery, deeper, higher

Due to existing ageing assets we also expect

an increase in complexity and in the work
volume going forward, particularly in the
arena of completion and well intervention.
This requires higher material specifications
and different skill sets. As an operator, we are
now in the high-cost business so we cannot
continue as if it were business as usual. We
need a step change.

PDO is the
backbone of the
countrys economy

What are the opportunities?

Any organisation is as good as its people.

The talents we have in wells, the people
commitments and their determination to
overcome any challenges and be the best in
class, are our biggest asset.
Therefore, talent development is the main focus
area. The young people joining are committed
and enthusiastic. We just have to equip them
with the required competencies to be ready for

In terms of strengthening our capability

development, we are providing our staff
with the required technical and leadership
exposures. We continually look for shortand longer-term technical assignment
opportunities. Refining our integrated
development programme and field coaching
for young professionals is key to secure our
future.
On the other fronts, focusing on continuous
performance benchmarking, Lean
implementation, maturing Knowledge &
Information Management and capitalising
on our previous experience are also key to
generate more value and make a step change.
What is your view of the present state of
PDO?
PDO is the backbone of the countrys
economy. Due to business dynamics, we
currently face a formidable set of challenges,
such as the execution of EOR projects,
the expansion of gas production and the
implementation of new ways of working.
However, PDO, because of its people, will
remain at the forefront of the regions oil and
gas business.

What is your advice for young engineers?

In UWD we have an exciting long-term
portfolio with diverse challenges. We
almost do everything: engineering, project
management, contracting, logistics and
operations. We are constantly testing and
adopting new technology and exploring new
ways of working. This is an incredibly exciting
environment.
My advice to young engineers is to see
challenges as opportunities for improvement,
grasp opportunities to learn, be careful not to
be deterred by frustrated or spiritless people
and focus on giving your best to serve Oman
proudly.

Al Fahal |June 2015

PDO Projects

Marmul Polymer
Phase II On Stream
The YPN Big Brother
Big Sister Scheme

Abdullah Al Mamari, YPN Vice President

Further progress has been made on PDOs

chemical enhanced oil recovery journey with
the commissioning of 19 pumps as part of
the planned expansion of the Marmul polymer
plant. The additional pumps augment the
existing 26 that were introduced in 2010 as
part of the Phase I deployment.
Polymer injection in the Marmul field goes
back to the mid-1980s. The first pilot, started
in 1985 in the south eastern part of the field
with a 200m well spacing, was followed by a
second trial in 1989 with a spacing of 600m.
Both pilots achieved technical success, but it
was decided that field-wide implementation
would be commercially unviable at that time.
The process was reintroduced in 2010 through
the conversion of 26 water injectors to polymer.
That deployment ushered in the start of the
chemical flooding of Al Khlata reservoir in the
Marmul field that has continued to the present.
However, to facilitate polymer injection,
dedicated polymer and water treatment plants
had to be constructed.
Since 2010, incremental oil realised from this
project averaged 950m3/d or 19% of the total
production from Al Khlata reservoir on a daily
basis. The additional 19 pumps, part of Phase
II, will increase that incremental oil gain by
another 300 m3/d by the end of 2016.
Hilal Al Busaidi, the South Petroleum
Engineering Manager, said: This is an
important milestone for the Oil South
Directorate in general and the Marmul cluster in
particular.
Phase II commissioning will contribute to the
Souths future production growth which has
averaged 5% since 2007.

Al Fahal | June 2015

Hisham Al Siyabi, Marmul-RTQ Cluster Leader,

said: The deployment of these 19 pumps
utilises the full capacity of the plant for polymer
injection and will enable us to expand polymer
flooding to a bigger portion of the field through
45 dedicated injectors.
Jasim Al Ajmi, Marmul/Chemical Engineering
Team Leader, added: To achieve this
milestone, we had to overcome a number of
challenges.
A key success factor was the teamwork
environment during the execution phase of the
project between the project team, operations,
and contactors.
The Phase II deployment is not the end of the
journey. Phase lll is currently being progressed,
and this will involve infill drilling of the field at
a closer well spacing. Additionally, polymer
flooding will be deployed at the full field scale
by rotating the polymer injection capacity over
time.

Phase ll
commissioning
will contribute to
the Souths future
production growth

One of the major activities on the Young

Professional Networks plate this year is
the Big Brother/Big Sister (BB/BS) scheme.
With the initiative being conceptualised by
young professionals themselves, the scheme is
designed to guide new joiners through PDOs
systems, in addition to directing them on
how to develop their technical and soft skills.
Being close to a vast number of YPs and new
graduate recruits, the YPN steering committee
understood the struggle faced by people
coming from different academic backgrounds
to start their career and settle in a professional
working environment like PDO. It was decided
that a system which did not focus on technical
coaching and mainly addressed this struggle
could be a helpful and valuable initiative.
We believe that the BB/BS scheme will
definitely compliment the role of a formal
coach rather than eliminating it entirely. There
are benefits on both sides. The formal coach
will be relieved from the high load of providing
day-to-day assistance while the Big Brother or
Sister will learn and acquire the required skill
set of coaching.
The first trial of the scheme has already been
launched. Big Brothers and Big Sisters have
been selected across different directorates,
a structured plan was communicated and a
carefully designed checklist has been provided
and explained as a guideline for them to follow.
Additionally, a team has been formed to assist
Big Brothers and Big Sisters, obtain regular
feedback and follow up on progress. Finally,
it is worth noting, that while the scheme is
still evolving, improvements will be made as
it matures by obtaining feedback from the
participants.
The success of the scheme will be measured
by evaluating the continuous feedback
and once fully launched, key performance
indicators will also be identified to clearly
identify success.
Please visit our Young Professional Network
website on the PDO intranet for more
information and updates on the scheme.

PDO Projects

US$600 Million Karim Deal

bin Hamad Al Rumhy, Minister of Oil and Gas
and Chairman of the PDO Board of Directors.
The event was attended by His Excellency
Sukanto, Ambassador of the Republic of
Indonesia in Oman, His Excellency Dr Alawi
Shihab, Advisor to MedcoEnergi International
and special Middle East and North Africa
envoy for Indonesia, and eminent members of
the Indonesian Parliament, as well as leading
members of the MedcoEnergi executive team
and the companys partners.

The purpose of this contract is to maximise,

in a safe and sustainable way, production
from the KSF cluster, using the resources of
MedcoEnergi.

PDO has signed a US$600 million contract

with the Indonesian oil and gas company
MedcoEnergi to continue developing the Karim
Small Fields (KSF) project in southern Oman.
The deal runs until 2040 and builds on an
existing contract from 2006.
PDO has been working in partnership with
MedcoEnergi on KSF to maximise production
from a series of 18 depleting small and
marginal fields. The project throws up a series
of tough challenges, not least the viscosity
of the oil and the high oil-water ratio in the
reservoirs. However, the combined efforts have
so far generated revenues of close to US$4
billion for the Sultanate.
The sum of US$600 million covers the first five
years from 2016-2021 when it is expected
around 100 new wells will be drilled - but
should then increase by US$80-130 million
per year depending on variables such as the
production target and budget.
Managing Director Raoul Restucci said: This
signing represents a new way of working
between PDO and MedcoEnergi, with our
current agreement being amended to create
a true business alliance. What we are doing is
leveraging the fundamental strengths of both
parties and moving towards a deeper, stronger
partnership to deliver long-term value for PDO
and Oman.

In the current tough volatile oil price

environment, MedcoEnergi has shown itself
to be fully committed to continue delivering
value in an efficient way with the guarantee of
significant investment, further support for InCountry Value (ICV) and without compromising
on our overarching priority of safety.

MedcoEnergi Chief Executive Officer Mr

Lukman Mahfoedz said: We are very pleased
to have the KSF contract amended and
restated with a lot of improved terms. We
believe that this additional 25-year contract
period demonstrates our success in the last
nine years of diligent and successful effort in
doubling the production.
We are looking forward to working together
with the Government of Oman and PDO in the
next 25 years with the objective of increasing
production, executing exploration programmes
successfully and maintaining safe operations.

PDO hopes that the renewal of the partnership

will help to increase KSF production from the
current 17,500 barrels of oil per day to at least
20,000 bpd over the next few years through
secondary recovery, such as water flood, full
field application of cyclic steam, enhanced oil
recovery, re-instatement of unconnected fields
and more exploration and appraisal.
Raoul paid tribute to the way MedcoEnergi
had embedded ICV in its operation to give job
and training opportunities to Omanis. There are
currently 160 Omanis working at KSF out of a
total workforce of 188 an Omanisation rate
of 85%. A number of Omanis have also been
posted to the Indonesian capital of Jakharta to
gain the experience of working to international
standards and training as drilling engineers
and subsurface and liquefied natural gas (LNG)
specialists.
In addition, MedcoEnergi has contributed
significantly to the development of Local
Community Contractors (LCCs), spending over
US$25 million to date with them. It is currently
working with a total of 23 LCCs, providing
an opportunity to grow and gain valuable
experience in the oil and gas business.
The extension of the production sharing
service agreement contract was signed at an
official ceremony at Mina Al Fahal, under the
auspices of His Excellency Dr Mohammed

Ibtisam Al Riyami

Zumba Zeal

The Ras Al Hamra Fitness Club has held the

first Zumbathon in Oman at the Sports Centre.
The event was led by licensed Zumba
instructors and supported by the RAH Fitness
Committee.
It was inaugurated by Ibtisam Al Riyami,
People and Change Director and a
Change4Life representative and was attended
by guests and members.
The event ran for over three hours as part of
the Change4Life campaign which helps to
promote health awareness and wellbeing for
the community. Funds raised by the campaign
go towards the purchase of subsidised testing
strips for diabetics who come from low-income
backgrounds.

Al Fahal |June 2015

PDO Places

One In A Million!
PDOs Knowledge World attraction has received
more than one million visitors from home and abroad
The Muscat complex, consisting of the Oil
and Gas Exhibition Centre, Planetarium
and EcOman Centre, offers information and
education on the hydrocarbon sector, the
environment and astronomy.
As well as giving guided tours and shows to
families, students and tourists, it also provides
a range of other services including workshops,
lectures and exhibitions.
A total of 425,000 people have visited the Oil
and Gas Exhibition Centre since it opened in
1979, with 280,000 going to the Planetarium
since 2000 and 32,000 to the EcOman since
2011. In addition, a further 270,000 have used
the facilities for meetings, conferences and
events.

and we noticed a marked increase

in foreign visitor numbers after the
Ministry of Tourism kindly began
publicising the attraction on its
website.
The Knowledge World offers a
fascinating experience to visitors,
as well as excellent facilities for
exhibitions, conferences and events.
We aim to offer a warm welcome to
our guests and the staff are pleased
to see so many schoolchildren
70% of our visitors come through
our doors who are eager to learn
more about earth science, ecology
and the solar system.

External Affairs Director Abdul-Amir Al Ajmi

said: We are delighted that so many people
have visited the Knowledge World over
the years to learn more about oil and gas
exploration and production and other important
PDO focus areas such as environmental
stewardship and sustainable energy.

We have a number of appealing

interactive models and exhibits,
which explain things in a clear,
interesting and fun way and our
Planetarium offers visitors a fantastic multimedia experience of the wonders of the
universe.

Both Omanis and international travellers to

the Sultanate have enjoyed their time with us

The Oil and Gas Exhibition Centre, the

Planetarium and EcOman Centre were donated

Outward and Upward

by PDO as Gifts to the Nation, something

which is done to mark every five years of His
Majestys reign. Last year, PDO announced
that the latest Gift would be a public aquarium
in Seeb to commemorate the 45th anniversary.

The renewal of the partnership underlines

the Companys commitment to building the
capacity of young Omanis across the Sultanate
through a range of tools and methods. These
include practical training, small and medium
enterprise support, female empowerment
programmes, internships and scholarships.
His Highness said: We are grateful for PDOs
continued support and welcome its volunteer
mentors to our unique educational experience
where they can interact directly with the
youth and Omani wilderness for a memorable
experience.

PDO has renewed its partnership with Outward

Bound Oman (OBO) to provide support to
the organisation in its mission to equip Omani
youths with practical life skills.
The Company agreed a three-year
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which
was signed by the His Highness Sayyid Faisal
Bin Turki Al Said, Patron of Outward Bound
and Managing Director Raoul Restucci.
Under the terms of the agreement PDO will
provide funding and volunteers for OBO
activities.

Al Fahal | June 2015

Over 200 students from across the Sultanate

benefitted from adventure trips into the desert
or the Omani Jebels in the first three years of
the partnership. These expeditions enabled
them to experience the countrys beautiful
landscape whilst developing skills such as
communication, leadership, teamwork and
discourse.
The trips stretch the youngsters both mentally
and physically, and they are put in situations
where they can develop an appreciation of
risk, reward and responsibility for themselves,
others and the environment.

Raoul said: It is imperative to acknowledge

that a nations future lies in its youth. As part
of our social responsibility efforts, we seek to
empower Omani youths by providing them with
unconventional and transformational learning
opportunities. Outward Bound Oman provides
them with a unique platform to innovate, and
create opportunities for themselves to lead the
way.

PDO News

A Model Of Innovation

The Study Centre has launched a ground-breaking technique to

determine the target recovery factor for fields being developed under
water-flood or enhanced oil recovery

The Study Centre project team

The PDO Tubes Model tool, which is based

on an innovative approach developed in the
centre, describes the total Recovery Factor as
the net result of macroscopic and microscopic
displacement efficiency.
This tool provides a quick method for the
screening and ranking of different recovery
mechanisms, and will therefore help in the
identification of reservoirs which require a more
ambitious development plan or a different
recovery methodology.
In addition, it improves the effort of determining
what the top-quartile recovery should be by
incorporating geological and fluid/rock-based
information in the assessment. This patentpending technique has been presented at
numerous external and internal forums and is
considered an industry first when it comes to
calculating recovery factors based on analytical
techniques.
Development of the tool started as part of
the water-flood thematic study in 2012 in
the Reservoir Solutions and Sub-Surface
Consultancy (USR) team. The initial
development was followed by rigorous
validation on both analytical and numerical
terms in 2013 and then came vetting and
approval from experts within and outside the
organisation.
Since 2014, the tool has been actively used in

contingent resource workshops as a means

of identifying the gap volume for the field
or prospect being discussed. A web-based
version was subsequently developed in the
latter half of 2014 and released for general use
in February.
The tool was the result of multi-disciplinary
team efforts in the Study Centre from both the
USR and EOR (USE) teams, involving mainly
reservoir engineers and production geologists.
This was then followed by close collaboration
with the Information Management and
Technology Department (UIIB, UIID and UIIE) to
release the web-based version.
USR Team Leader Salim Al Mahruqi said:
This neat and time-saving tool is in line
with Lean initiatives in PDO and it is a clear
demonstration that PDO, once again, is leading
the way when it comes to innovative thinking,

PDOs Tubes Model

is an innovative
method and tool

developing and harnessing cutting-edge

technology.
Since the team published their first results
in Shell TechXplorer in 2013, it generated
considerable interest from other Shell operating
units. Indeed, to produce such a tool all the
way from concept to reality, took teamwork,
dedication, and innovative thinking of both
petroleum engineers and IT specialists.
Study Centre Manager Sultan Al Shidhani said:
PDOs Tubes Model is an innovative method
and tool that not only provides better estimates
of potential oil recovery levels, but most
importantly enables the development of an
in-depth understanding of recovery processes
at macroscopic and microscopic displacement
levels.
Such understanding is a key enabler for
unlocking the significant potentials in PDOs
hydrocarbon resource base. The tool and the
techniques underpinning it are examples of
innovations in PDO, reflecting the continuous
drive for advancing technologies and
developing novel solutions for addressing
technical and developmental challenges,
achieved through expert and collaborative
work.

Al Fahal |June 2015

PDO News

Best of All

Staff put PDO firmly on the map at the 8th Middle

East Artificial Lift Forum (MEALF) in Qatar

MEALF is a bi-annual regional event attended

by Gulf Co-operating Council operating
companies, service firms and academia, and
PDO has been an active participant since its
creation.

The conference and exhibition focuses on the

increasing use of artificial lift (AL) technologies
in oil production operations throughout the
region and offers a chance for dialogue and
discussion among new and existing users
by sharing best practices, experiences, case
histories and methods.
The 12-strong PDO team won the prestigious
award for the best exhibitor booth and also
participated in two panel sessions and gave
two technical paper presentations.
PDO delegates also outlined the full range
of AL mechanisms used by the Company,
including electric submersible pumps (ESPs)
progressive cavity pumps (PCPs), sucker
rods and gas lift technology and some of the
challenges faced in the field, such as extending
run life.
ESP Subject Matter Expert (SME) Atika Bimani
addressed the issue of attracting the AL
experts of tomorrow by taking part in a panel
discussion titled Where Will The Supply Of
Future Talent Come From?
Summing up PDOs involvement in the event,
Atika, a committee member for the forum and
lead organiser for PDOs booth, said: There
were two main objectives to share our best
practice and to learn best practice from others.
We think we achieved both while at the same
time conveying the message of what PDO

PDO Airports
Re-Certified

After a thorough audit process which ran for

over two months, the Public Authority of Civil
Aviation (PACA) has formally re-certified all
the airports owned, maintained, and operated
by PDO. This means that all of the airports
operate fully to standards as specified by the

was doing in terms of talent development in

this important area of our operations, with the
example of ESP on-the-job-training.
Adi Naamani, Production Programming Team
Leader North, took part in the second
panel session examining where the innovative
AL technologies to tackle the challenges of
national oil companies would come from.
Meanwhile, Production Technologist Abdullah
Al Awaid and Production Programmer Hamed
Al Abri presented papers on ESPs and PCPs.
Company Site Representative Moosa Al Rahbi
said: It was my first conference in PDO and it
was a great experience to be able to enhance
my technical knowledge in artificial lifts, see
what all the other companies and professionals
are doing and learn from practical experience.
It was a great networking opportunity and
made me more motivated to work harder.
And Production Technologist Ahmed Al Hinai

ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation).

The certificate has been issued for two years
ending March 2017.
The re-certification process comprised the
following major steps:

Submission of the expression-of-interest

for re-certification by PDO to PACA

PACA assessment of the application along

with the aerodrome manual inspection

PACA assessment / audit of the

aerodrome facilities and equipment

said: I was looking at dual ESP technologies

running one and having a back-up - talking to
the vendors and meeting other oil companies
and learning from their experience to see if
there was anything we could replicate in PDO.
The Company booth showcased the range
of AL technologies used by PDO as well as
the in-house real-time well surveillance tools
Nibras 3.0 and LOWIS (Life Of Well Information
System) and showcased the new PDO gas
book titled Omans Invisible Energy.
The two-day event featured an exhibition on
related technology and services and forum
discussion sessions. It was held under the
patronage of His Excellency Dr Mohammed bin
Saleh Al Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry
for the State of Qatar, and attracted a range of
leading oil operators and service companies,
including the Kuwait Oil Company, Occidental,
Schlumberger, Weatherford and Halliburton.

Final re-certification or refusal based on

the audit findings.

In order to ensure audit and re-certification

readiness, teams across all PDO airports at
Fahud, Qarn Alam, and Marmul had to ensure
compliance in 24 different domains such as
safety, aerodrome manuals, checklists, runway
friction testing and inspection records.
The teams, led by Suhail Al Sheibany, the
process holder for Passenger and Quality
Control Management, worked diligently to
ensure that all the necessary steps were taken
to ensure that the audit and re-certification
process went smoothly.
Logistics Manager Sulaiman Al Shaqsi said:
I am proud of the teams that worked on this
exercise so tirelessly and the results speak for
themselves. It is a moment of great honour that
our airports have the same level of certification
as some of the best airports in the world. I
would like to congratulate all the individuals
who played a part in this re-certification
process and I hope we can maintain the same
level of compliance at our airports.

Al Fahal | June 2015

PDO News

The Saih Rawl Depletion Compression-2 plant at night (Picture by Civil Construction Engineer Haitham Al Kalbani)

Cyber Crime Awareness

A top Royal Oman Police officer has warned
staff to be on their guard against cyber
criminals who are making a fortune by preying
on people online.

the proceeds of, their crimes, co-ordinating

their activities across international frontiers, and
making it very challenging for the authorities to
detect and catch them.

Lieutenant-Colonel AbdulRahman Al Kiyumi,

head of the ROPs Anti-Economic Crimes
Department, said the public sometimes
underestimated the impact of computer crime.

Lt. Col. Al Kiyumi urged the public not to

respond to any suspicious phone calls or
email messages and added: People ought
to be very careful when conducting financial
transactions and using electronic means
online.

Speaking at an awareness session at the

BMF building organised by the Information
Management and Technology Information
Security (UIIC1) team, he said: When people
hear about cyber crimes they dont usually
fathom the seriousness of those crimes like
they do when hearing of burglary or the
physical theft of items, although the financial
loss and complexity of cyber crimes are way
greater.
He explained that cyber criminals employ hightech methods in conducting, and concealing

Last year, the losses from internet scams

and cyber crimes in the Sultanate came
close to RO 1 million. On unauthorised online
purchases alone, the loss was RO 365,000,
while the losses from breaching and hacking
online accounts ran to RO 489,622.
The most common types of cyber crime in
Oman are: fraudulent commercial websites,
phishing emails tricking people into providing
sensitive information, and scam lottery wins.

Lt. Col. AbdulRahman Al Kiyumi

The Anti-Economic Crimes Department

investigates various types of economic crimes
in Oman, such as human trafficking, money
laundering, currency forgery, fraud, and
organised attacks targeting Automated Teller
Machines (ATMs).
The session included a video of a real-life
operation of the surveillance and arrest of
internationally known criminals in Oman. The
crooks used an advanced method of installing
malware on ATMs which then enabled them to
send an SMS command to the ATMs software
to dispense cash.
This seminar was part of an overall Information
security awareness programme (iSecure) which
the UIIC1 team is championing. UIIC1 aims
to organise similar events in the future. Those
who would like more information can contact
iSecure@pdo.co.om.

Al Fahal |June 2015

10

PDO News

Leaders In Their Field

PDOs digital oilfield expertise has been hailed
at a major conference as a beacon of best
practice for others to follow.
Seven Company engineers participated in the
Process Automation, Control, and Optimisation
(PACO) Global Learning Conference in
Bangalore, India to share their knowledge,
learn best practice and discuss future
challenges and innovations.
The sessions were highly interactive with
active participation from all the Shell business
units and joint ventures. Participants were
exposed to the entire automation landscape,
from instrumentation to systems, process
control, modelling and optimisation and people
matters.
Delegates from across the world took part in
the summit under the banner of One PACO
- Delivering Value, indicating how automated
processes were delivering greater efficiency
and productivity.
Company experts contributed significantly
to the gathering, giving three presentations:
Process Control & Optimisation in PDO,
Process Control Operation Support within
PDO and MDPro in PDO. These showed
how the Company has managed to embed
process control within day-to-day operations
and in major projects and demonstrated the
huge subsequent benefits.
John Hofland, Principal Automation Engineer
at Shell Global Solutions International,
said: The PDO contribution to the PACO
learning conference was very valuable to

the participants. PDO demonstrated its

leadership in Process Control Optimisation in
presentations covering the organisation and
work processes, the supporting software and
applications and business impact. There was
high interest from the audiences, who have
a shared aspiration but are at the start of the
journey to generate business improvement with
upstream process control optimisation.
His colleague Rohit Paranjape, Regional
Manager PACO at Shell India Markets Private
Ltd, added: There is a huge potential for other
sites learning from PDOs best practices.
PDO Process Control and Optimisation
(PCO) Support Salim Al Mawali said: PDOs
contribution was very well acknowledged
within the wider Shell PACO community.
There are many upstream sites that want to
learn from PDO in terms of the PCO discipline

organisation set-up, and the way our PCO

discipline brings value to the business. It was
widely acknowledged that PDO is one of the
most matured Shell EP sites in the world, and
everyone wants to learn from it.
One very important benefit was to see how
we compare with other companies within
Shell. From networking with other attendees
it was clear that we are much more advanced
in some areas such as real-time operations
and process control than most of the Shell
upstream companies.
The event also offered a learning opportunity
for the team in terms of understanding PACO
tools and processes, Lean initiatives, and
new developments such as leak detection
methodology, drilling automation and the
application of real-time optimisation in
upstream activities.

PDO Backs Community Education Drive

PDO has signed an agreement with the
Ministry of Education to create a cadre of
education professionals from its concession
area.

general diploma certificate to get a scholarship

in the field of education in order to prepare
teachers from the people of the concession
area to help stabilise and localise the teaching
profession in the area.

A task force from the two sides will look

at allocating a number of PDO-sponsored
scholarships to students from the Block 6
concession area to train as teachers so they
can work there.
Among other joint plans is the use of Block
6 schools in the evenings for social, cultural
and sports activities. The task force will
also oversee the preparation of educational
programmes for school support staff in the
concession to improve their efficiency and
prepare awareness and guidance programmes
on health, safety and environment for students
and their parents in elementary and secondary
schools.
His Excellency Dr Hamood bin Khalfan Al

11

Al Fahal | June 2015

Raoul said: We are pleased to be able to

work even more closely with the Ministry
of Education to support the schools in
our concession area and maximise the
opportunities they provide educationally,
vocationally and socially.
Harthi, Undersecretary for Education and
Curricula at the Ministry, and Managing
Director Raoul Restucci signed the agreement
committing to greater co-operation and coordination.
His Excellency said: The agreement will
provide opportunities for graduates of the

We will join forces on a number of

programmes which will raise standards for
both pupils and teachers. Our mantra is: We
only succeed if the communities in which we
operate succeed and this agreement is further
evidence of our aim to serve Oman beyond the
safe and efficient delivery of oil and gas and to
be a good corporate citizen.

PDO News

Earth-Shattering Discovery
Principal Geophysicist Ren Frijhoff has
discovered a huge impact crater made by a
meteorite around 250 million years ago near
the Hazar oil field.
Ren was mapping a 3D seismic reflection
survey over the field in the Bahja Rima cluster
when he noticed a striking circular feature
almost three kilometres underground.
He said: The crater is 125m deep and has a
diameter of 2.4km, so it is larger than the Ras
Al Hamra camp!
The crater has the characteristic central
peak and raised rim around it of a so-called
complex impact crater. A second wider
ring with a diameter of 3.6km can also be
observed. Based on the dimensions of the
crater it is estimated that the impacting
meteorite had a diameter of more than 30m.
The crater is currently buried at a depth of
about 2,900m below ground. It must have
been quite a dramatic explosion, sending
tonnes of rock into the air.
Oman would have been very different when
this happened the surface would have been
covered in rivers.
Over the years, as sea levels rose over
the landscape, the crater got covered with
carbonate platform deposits burying it to
its current depth of almost 3km under the
ground.

3D view of the Hazar crater. The wells of the Hazar oil field are shown in the background 24 km away

Meteoroids are pieces of rocky and/or metallic

debris from asteroids and comets flying
through outer space. Occasionally they hit
planets and moons creating large craters
upon impact and those that hit the Earth are
known as meteorites.

2, was recently drilled at a distance of 9 km.

The Hazar oil field is 24 km away from the

crater and an exploration well, Fawarra North

The worlds best preserved meteorite impact

site can be found in northern Arizona, USA.

However, Ren explained: Currently, there are

no exploration prospects above or under the
feature, so unfortunately, we will probably never
sample it with a well.

Barringer crater in Arizona, USA. The crater is about 1.6km in diameter and 150m deep and exhibits a raised rim.
The impact is estimated to have occurred 50,000 years ago with a velocity of more than 40,000 km/h

Al Fahal |June 2015

12

PDO News
LGS Building
Breaks New
Ground
PDO has completed construction of Omans largest light gauge steel
(LGS) office building in just nine months.
Bait Al Bushra (House of Good News) was named in honour of His
Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Saids glorious homecoming in March.
The office complex project at Mina Al Fahal was awarded and built
in just a year and has space for 612 staff, with full access for the
physically challenged across the ground floor. Initially, it will house staff
from the Corporate Security and Electrical Engineering Departments
and from the State Audit Institution.
The 9,600m2 two-storey structure is made from 450 tonnes of steel
and has over 600 workstations arranged in an open office style, 62
rooms, six break-out areas, 20 collaborative areas and a cafeteria
serving healthy food, including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free
options.
Built on sustainable lines, both the air conditioning and heating costs
are significantly less than a standard building. At US$16 million, it cost
a third of the amount of a conventional building the same size. At its
peak, 600 workers were involved in the construction but the project
was completed in budget, on time and recorded more than 338,000
Lost-Time-Injury-free manhours.
The contract was the biggest executed for PDO by Integrated
Facilities Management (IFM) contractor Carillion Alawi and subcontractors Blizzard Brothers, ALEMCO and Fahmy. All of the steel
production was done in Oman and the furniture, soft furnishings and
glass were locally sourced.
At the red carpet opening, attended by Managing Director Raoul
Restucci, Infrastructure Director Sami Baqi paid tribute to the
contractors and sub-contractors and added: We broke ground on
29 July 2014 and built this LGS office within nine months.Amazingly
fast!
Thanks go to the Corporate Real Estate (UIB) team, particularly the
Project Engineer Chris Sowerby, for his passion and dedication.
Chris said: The building addresses the requirements for quality
office space and is a quick, sustainable and adaptable solution to
suit our needs. It is officially classed as a temporary structure but is
guaranteed for 35 years.
The look and feel are in line with our open office principles and
consistent with the continuing development of workplace standards
going back to the construction of the BMF building. We have
maximised value with a sustainable solution.
The project team departed from PDOs standard long-build
specifications, which are geared towards oil and gas facilities, to
speed up the construction of the non-hydrocarbon facility.
Chris said: A lot of departments in PDO have challenged themselves
to get this building finished and it has shown that we can do things
more efficiently and effectively if we ask ourselves: Why do we
have to do it this way, just because we have done it that way for 30
years?
Real Estate Operations Excellence Team Leader and Real Estate
Corporate Function Discipline Head Mohammed Al Riyamy said: This
building is a showcase where PDO standards have been challenged
to such an extent to deliver value both in terms of cost and time. This
challenge will pave the way for delivering real estate standards and
we expect the first set of standards by the end of the year.

13

Al Fahal | June05

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13 | 2015