Vol 29 ● Issue No-2 ● March/April 2011

- Earth Hour 2011- It’s time to go beyond the hour- ADCO Completes First “Long” Horizontal Well and Breaks World Record for DTS Installation- Multiphase Pumping in ADCO- Labourers’ welfare promoted- New Book on ADCO- Farewell, Kamal- ADNOC CEO & ADCO CEO Visit SE FFD Projects- ADNOC Deputy CEO visit to Asab FFD- Shareholders’ visit to South East / 10 million MHRS LTI Free- Bab Water Flood Health Check- Learning by Doing - Bab staff visit Schlumberger’s Middle East Learning Centre- Awarding an ADCO female engineer- CITD announces the Delivery of The eWell Delivery Process Phase 1 and eWellFile- Watch out for the coming events- Sharing Success: A Step in the Path of Knowledge Sharing- R&D General Management Committee Meeting- Young UAE firefighters start their careers- ADCO Promotes Emiratisation in the Fire And Rescue Service Department- Environment Day- Hoist project workshop held- Natural Gas Vehicles (NGV) for Sustainable Future- The 16th Abu Dhabi Terry Fox Run- ND-34 begins a New Era in Shah Field- Cheetahs in the UAE- Bu Hasa remembers 2010 Welfare and Sports events- “The BIG Green Help” Initiative- Ahmed Ally Retires- Mabrook- Congratulations, Mohamed- Congratulations, Laila- Congratulations, Mahdi- Recipes from our Falcon Club Chef- FIND THE WORDS- SUDOKU

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coordinated the provision of 200 chairs for the Dubai Drumming Community who performed at the Corniche for the event, as well as the provision of 100 lanterns for the Echo chichi walk that inaugurated the event. Furthermore, a gazebo was set at Al Sahel Court at the Corniche, along with others, where giveaways such as T-shirts, pens. coloring books, brochures, glow sticks and balloons were much appreciated by the public.

This attracted many visitors who came to enjoy different types of entertainment like Henna tattoos and clowns. Through the stand, ADCO sought to promote its image and its role on environmental issues and within society through sharing details of ADCO’s Sustainability Report for 2009.

Go beyond the Hour, Make your commitment

Earth Hour is not just about one night; it is about highlighting the possibilities for change and encouraging long term actions that will reduce the carbon footprints of individuals, groups, companies, governments, and nations, on both the date of Earth Hour and on a continuing, permanent basis.

Listed below are some of the commitments you can make and practice on a permanent basis: - Keep the A/C at 24 degrees and turn it off when you leave the house

Take advantage of the cool weather and open -the windows. But remember to close them when you leave, in case there is a sandstorm Open the blinds to use natural light and turn off -electric lights Replace all your light bulbs with energy efficient -bulbs. These use a quarter of the energy, saving money on your electricity bills. Time to buy a new pair of shoes? Unplug all appliances when not in use; did you -know that appliances use a lot of energy, even when they are not switched on ? Turn on the water heater half an hour before -you need the shower, there is no need to heat water 24/7 When leaving your home, switch off all lights, -TVs and air-conditioners Hang out your clothes to dry. Why use a dryer -when you have the sun? Put your computer in ‘sleep’ mode when you go -for meetings or lunch Only do the washing when you have a full load -Get a really cool solar powered mobile phone -charger Eat less meat to reduce your ecological -footprint Never waste food! -Refill your water bottle instead of taking another -plastic bottle that you know won’t be recycled anyway Bye-bye hose! Wash the car with a bucket. Did -you know desalinated water is really energy intensive Water the garden at night. During the day, most -water evaporates, anyway Buy energy efficient appliances for your house. -Arrange your social gatherings outside when -the weather is nice. Guests love picnics on the beach or in the park Unplug the lap-top computer when it is fully -charged. This saves energy and it is good for the computer too Re-use stuff when possible -Cook with lids on: it uses less energy and the -food still tastes good.

To get more details on Earth Hour, please visit: http://www.uae.panda.org/earth_hour/.

ADCO employees and their familiesparticipating in the walk

ADCO stand

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About Earth Hour

Earth Hour is a global event organised by WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and is held on the last Saturday of March annually, asking households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights and other electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change.

Earth Hour began as a single-city initiative – in Sydney, Australia – in 2007 and has since grown into a global movement with hundreds of millions of people from more than 4,500 cities and towns in 128 countries across every continent switching off their lights for Earth Hour 2010.

Earth Hour Time line for 2011

Earth Hour 2011 took place on March 26, 2011 from 8:30p.m. to 9:30p.m., at local time in each country.

Why get involved ?

The UAE has one of the highest ecological footprints per capita, so our role in addressing

what is unequivocally the greatest threat to the planet today is absolutely vital.

The world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa, the resting place of the UAE’s founding father, the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque and other iconic UAE landmarks (Emirates Palace, Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Aldar Head Quarters, Yas Marina Circuit and others) joined for Earth Hour 2011 and ‘flicked the switch’ on their signature landmarks, marking their dedication to sustainable development and joining other citizens in adopting low-carbon practices by switching off the lights in a decisive display of climate action.

ADCO was proud to support the Earth Hour and was committed to partnering in initiatives that promote environmental awareness and sustainability. ADCO Tower and its compound participated in Earth Hour 2011 while staff and customers were encouraged to join in.

General Relations Division’s Public Affairs, in liaison with Health, Safety and Environment Division and General Services Division had

By Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy (HSED).

ADCO Building before and during Earth Hour

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horizontal well. The potential benefits were:

to improve injectivity and areal sweep efficiency •in the field, hence increasing the amount of oil that could be extracted from the reservoir; to deploy a fibre optic Distributed Temperature •Sensing (DTS) system to continuously monitor the water injection profile, in other words, to continuously determine where the water was going and whether it was functioning as intended; to minimise the number of injection wells in •the field, reducing costs, surface hook ups and overall field footprint;to reduce rig times and hence reduce HSE •risks.

There were multiple challenges in delivering a 10,000ft, horizontal well in the precise location required in the reservoir along with all of the complicated completion hardware. Imagine trying to insert a 6” piece of rigid pipe 10,000ft into the ground and then pushing it a further 10,000ft horizontally to exactly the right place in the reservoir. To give you an idea of scale, the far end of the Emirates Palace grounds are about 10,000ft from the ADCO Tower in Abu Dhabi!

In order to minimise operational risks, a phased approach was adopted, whereby the lessons learnt from this well would be incorporated into the subsequent wells. The purpose of this record-breaking well was to design, drill and complete an injector well of 10,000ft with a DTS system to test the relevant completion technology, as shown below. This DTS technology is exciting as

it is cheaper than running conventional production logging tools (PLTs). It is also safer as fewer well interventions are required.

One of the multiple challenges facing ADCO was that no-one had ever run a DTS string this far into a barefoot horizontal well before. The previous record was less than 7,000ft!

However, due to the excellent teamwork and planning, the well was executed almost perfectly. The well trajectory was exactly on plan. The completion was run into the well without any problems and we are now looking forward to hooking it up and benefiting from the results.

As Chris Kuyken, VP of Drilling, commented, “It really was a truly integrated effort by the whole team, including the excellent support we had from our main service providers, Baker, K&M and Tendeka, that has resulted in a truly world class drilling performance. ‘Fariq Wahid’ demonstrated once again by ADCO !”

The main beneficiary of this first well will be the SE Asset, of course, but the learning will be applicable to a number of other reservoirs across ADCO’s Assets. This is fully recognised by Salem Al Bakr, VP Development (SE), who says “I am so proud of the team and really look forward to seeing the results of this exciting combination of technologies. If successful, it could have a huge impact on the way we develop our tight reservoirs across ADCO and I am convinced it will add huge value to us all. Thanks again to the whole team.”

Several billion barrels of oil are present in ADCO’s low permeability reservoirs. Drilling longer horizontal wells has the potential to reduce well numbers, hence reducing field development costs and also increasing oil recovery. Initial attempts

at pursuing this prize have been targeted at the Thamama A in Asab.

An integrated subsurface / drilling approach was essential for delivery of a successful long

By Mark Laws (TC-D&D)

pressure required, it was necessary to install two pumps in series. This was the first time that two multiphase pumps had been installed in series. Phase II development involved two rotodynamic pumps also operating in series.

Another application of multiphase pumps has been in the Bab Field where another type of pump, known as the Ram pump, was used successfully in flowing wells with low wellhead flowing pressure in the oil rim. In order to allow the pump to be used for different wells, it was decided to make the pump mobile. Thus, the Ram multiphase pump unit, its driver and associated equipment were all mounted on a flat bed truck. Once again, this was an industry first.

Although multiphase pumping is a relatively new technology, it has come of age and is now considered in many oil-producing areas of the world as state-of-the-art and best practice

New developments are routinely screened for potential use for multiphase pumping. For example, for the 1.8 MMOPD project, multiphase pumping was considered for both Qusahwira and Bida Qemzan. The studies indicated that while it is feasible for Bida Qemzan, it is not suitable for Qusahwira. Hence, the current Beda Qemzan development project is based on multiphase pumping. The project is now being implemented and will be ready for commissioning in 2012.

Another type of multiphase pumps currently being investigated are multiphase jet pumps. This type of pump does not need a power source, but requires a motive fluid, which could come from a high pressure oil well, gas lift or a gas injection well. Under the right conditions, multiphase jet pumps have the potential to produce some of the inactive wells.

ADCO had gained considerable experience with the various technologies used in multiphase pumping. Over the last decade or so, many Divisions across the Company have been involved in these technologies such as EUFR, Huwaila / Bu Hasa Reservoir & Operations, Bab Reservoir & Operations as well as Operation Support and Engineering Projects.

We are very fortunate to have an active SPE Section here in Abu Dhabi. The Section regularly arranges meetings on a wide range of topics which are of interest to the professional community in the oil industry, these being organised by the members of the Section committee, who do the hard work on a voluntary basis.

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Over 100 members of the Society of Petroleum Engineers attended the SPE Distinguished Lecture delivered by Hisham Saadawi, VP – TC (Eng), to the Abu Dhabi Section of the SPE on the 16th of March. The topic of his presentation was “Multiphase Pumping; Should This be Your First Choice?”

In his talk, Hisham gave an overview of state-of-the-art multiphase pumping, which is a relatively young technology. In this technology, a single machine (multiphase pump) is used to boost the pressure of the combined fluid stream: oil, gas and water. The fluids can then be transferred, separated and processed in the central facilities. Multiphase pumping can offer numerous advantages in terms of HSE, operability, capital and operating costs as well as improved recovery.

There are several types of multiphase pumps, using diverse technologies. Each type has its own operating envelope and application domain. There is no one solution that will be suitable for all applications. The first type of multiphase pump to be developed was the rotodynamic type. The pioneering work for this type was carried out by the Institute Francais du Petrole (IFP) as part of a joint industry project, known as the Poseidon project. The first field test of the prototype pump was carried out in an oil field in Tunisia in 1991.

Hisham also highlighted ADCO accomplishments in this area. ADCO began investigating the use of multiphase pumps in the 1990s and the Huwaila Field was developed almost entirely using multiphase pumps. Phase I was developed using twin screw multiphase pumps. Because of the high

By Hisham Saadawi (TC - Eng)

Kamal Morsi, Manager, Production & Facilities Engineering (ADNOC), has recently retired after nearly 32 years of dedicated service to ADCO and to ADNOC. A farewell party was held for him at the Falcon Club on 30th January attended by the Executive Team and other members of the

Public Affairs are planning to publish a new book on the history, current developments and future of ADCO later this year. This will use material from the earlier book ‘Under Desert Sands’, which took the ADCO story up to 2003, and will then look at the events and changes of the last eight years as well as future plans. The story of ADCO is, obviously, also the story of its employees, and Public Affairs would like to invite all employees, whether with many years of service or recently joined, to submit any

memories they may have about their careers in the Company. Please let us have them as quickly as possible and, in any event, by the end of May 2011. All materials should be sent to alwaha@adco.ae

Extended Management Team. Kamal returned to Egypt on 10th February.

We wish him and his family a happy retirement and good luck in their future endeavours.

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ADCO has re-affirmed its commitment to the terms of the UAE Labour Law for exercising strict supervision over compliance by contractors with ADNOC’s codes of practices and contractual standards relating to safeguarding workers’ rights, payment of agreed wages, living conditions and overall workers’ welfare.

One of Supply Chain Management Division’s objectives is to ensure that ADCO’s reputation as a caring company is maintained by applying the highest standards in health, safety and environment as well as the rights of workers.

In line with directives from our Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Abdul Munim Al Kindy, on the issue, a committee led by Aref Al Sayed, Vice President (Supply Chain Management) and comprised of Ahmed Tolba, Legal Adviser, and Santosh Kumar, Head of the Business Conduct Compliance Unit and Reda Morsi, Team Leader Contracts (Process), was established to develop a document which consolidates all of ADCO’s requirements with regards to labour welfare, in line with the UAE Labour Law and ADNOC directives as well as other applicable standards and regulations.

Following several meetings, the committee developed a draft document, entitled ‘Labour

Conditions’, which was then reviewed by the CEO. Following the incorporation of his comments, this was then submitted for final approval, which was completed at the end of January for implementation.

This document will be updated through subsequent revisions to include any changes to labour welfare.

Supply Chain Management Division are now including this document in each new tender invitation package to ensure that the drafting of ADCO’s contracts addresses all of ADCO’s labour welfare requirements and leaves no room for interpretation. The document covers key labour welfare issues, such as payment to contractor’s personnel, working schedules, overtime, leaves, off days, medical treatment, transportation, camp facilities, end of service benefit, Emirates Identity Card and others.

Based on the above, the Contract Administrator assigned by ADCO for each contract will develop an appropriate audit plan, in coordination with the Business Conduct Compliance Unit, to check if any violations result from a lack of compliance by contractors.

On 25th January 2011, H.E. Eng. Abdulla Nasser Al Suwaidi, H.E. Mohamed Al Qubaisi and Mr. Omar Suwaina from ADNOC visited the SE Fields to oversee the progress with respect to South East Full Field Development projects, to tour the site and get an update on the recent construction activities. The visiting team was received by Mr. Abdul Munim Saif Al Kindy, ADCO CEO, Mr. Ahmed Al Hammadi, SVP-SE Asset, Mr. Saleh al Wahedi, SVP-E&P, Ahmed Najeeb, VPO-SE, Sharif Al Olama, VP-E&P (SE) and, from the Project Management Team, Adnan Al Shebli, Senior Project Manager (Asab), Abdulla Al Zaabi, Project Manager (Asab), and Omar Al Naseri, Project Manager (Sahil/Shah). The programme started with an opening presentation from our CEO, followed by a detailed presentation by Sharif Al Olama, Vice President SE E&P. The CEO welcomed the visit and explained the key activities under way in the SE Fields as well as recent achievements by the Engineering & Projects functions in ADCO. He assured the ADNOC delegates that ADCO is taking every step to deliver the projects on time and within budget in the best interests of ADCO and its shareholders.

H.E. Eng. Abdulla Nasser Al Suwaidi commended ADCO on its achievements and progress, also emphasising the importance of the development of UAE nationals and integrating them into the projects, so that they can obtain hands-on experience. In response, our CEO pointed out that ADCO is a leader in the development of UAE nationals. He also noted that the ADCO E&P training programmes prepare young engineers to be internationally certified and accredited by reputable international Engineering Bodies. The visit concluded with a tour around the construction sites at both Asab and Shah.

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As part of ADNOC’s commitment to the fulfillment of Government directions and in order to follow up on existing Major Projects and ongoing operations activities in South East Fields, the ADNOC CEO, H.E. Yousef Omair bin Yousef paid a site visit to SE FFD Projects locations on 9th February 2011. ADCO Operations and Project Management Teams from South East Fields, led by the ADCO CEO, welcomed the ADNOC CEO and presented the status and progress of ongoing activities and projects. On behalf of SVP-E&P Mr. Saleh Al Wahedi, the VP – EP (SE), Sharif Al Olama, took the lead in presenting all the ongoing projects and

their respective progress, assuring the ADNOC CEO that ADCO will spare no efforts to achieve its target and that it was fully committed to meeting instructions from Government and ADNOC with respect to boosting production target rates while fully complying with the ADNOC Corporate HSE Objectives.

The ADNOC CEO emphasised the importance of integrating UAE nationals in all aspects related to the ongoing projects. Both the VP-E&P (SE) & the VPO (SE) confirmed ADCO’s commitment to this objective, giving a number of examples of UAE nationals being given leading roles with respect to the current SE projects.

After the presentation, the party then visited construction activities at the Sahil CDS, before going on to visit Asab, to inspect the installation of equipment and other current construction work.

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achievement, attended by all Project members and held on 7th February 2011 at the Asab FFD Construction Site. Mr. Ahmad Al Hammadi, Senior Vice President, SE, attended on behalf of the CEO together with the accompanying Shell Representatives Mr. Mark Milford Power – Vice President, Shell Middle East and Dr. John Barry – Country Chair, Shell Abu Dhabi who were on a tour of the South East Fields. Petrofac, the Asab FFD EPC Contractor, took the lead in the celebration and ensured that an expression of appreciation on the achievement was disseminated to all the workers for their efforts in maintaining a safe working environment. Petrofac’s target is to ensure that the people behind the achievement are rewarded by all means.

ADCO Senior Management and Shareholders commended all the involved parties (Project Management team, Operations and Contractors) for their efforts towards this achievement. It was also noted that an effective system was in place with respect to co-ordination with Operations, led by Vice President Operations. Ahmad Najeeb, and Ibrahim Moosa, Operations Manager FFD.

“We are very proud to reach the 10 Million man-hours without LTI and will work hard to keep it that way, we appreciate all efforts by every single man at work who contributed to this achievement and believe that the prevailing team work spirit at site is what has led us to this success”, Adnan Al Shebli, Senior Project Manager (Asab), commented.

Adnan Al Shebli, Abdulla Al Zaabi and Serag Bebars then took the visitors on a site tour around the new Central Degassing Station. The Shell Representatives expressed their appreciation of all the efforts and the work activities on site, the Safety measures being implemented and the role of ADCO’s Construction team in managing the work.

The Asab Full Field Development (FFD) Project, ADCO’s largest project to date, is pleased to announce that it has achieved the 10M MHR LTI Free milestone and has completed 26% of construction activities. There are currently around 7,500 people working on the project, with a fully-fledged Project Management team. The achievement of 10 Million Man-hours without LTI is a result of their hard work, dedication, honesty, team spirit and their pursuit of a single goal: “Working Safely”.

On behalf of SVP Engineering & Projects, Mr. Saleh Al Wahedi, Sharif Al Olama, Vice President E&P – South East, and the ASAB FFD Project management team invited ADCO Management and Shareholders to attend a celebration of this

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against critical activities. Besides processes and modelling tools, the health check also reviews the potential application of existing, evolving and future technologies to enhance asset performance.

The health check delivers a prioritised plan that specifies actions and how to follow these up. It also provides a base line for future reference that enables performance improvement monitoring.

Health Check Results - Baseline Assessment

For the baseline assessment of the Bab water flood (Figure.3), a radar plot was used to serve as a reference for performance monitoring and improvement.

Each of the spokes of the radar plot represent

a specific performance measure. Most of these measures are fairly self-explanatory. “Lean” however may be an unfamiliar term to most of us. This is the systematic identification and removal of waste from a process which was spearheaded by the automotive industry (Toyota) and was adopted by the oil industry, in the first instance by Aera Energy in California, which is regarded as one of the most efficient oil companies in the world.

The scores displayed in the radar plot range from 1 being the lowest to 5 being the highest. A score of 3 is considered the minimum standard at which a successful water flood project should operate. A score of 0 means the metric is not applicable. It is important to note that the assessment for Bab is calibrated against future water flood requirements, i.e. against the requirements for produced water re-injection. The results are considered normal for water flood operations at the early stage and would compare well with the initial assessment results in PDO water flood fields.

Summary

The Bab health check has concluded that water flood management in the Bab Field has been perfectly adequate until now. However, with more and more wells cutting water, and with the introduction of PWRI, water flooding in Bab enters a new era as the volumes of water to be handled will greatly increase. Understanding injection and production conformance and areal and vertical sweep will become essential in order to maximise oil recovery.

It is recommended that the water flood health check results should be used to address the identified issues and to develop a comprehensive water flood management plan. Follow-up health checks at regular intervals, initially once a year, should be an integral part of it. Indeed, like all sensible patients, the Bab team has already planned another check up in November 2011 to assess the progress that has been made with following up the actions from the baseline check.The results from the Bab health check have been shared throughout ADCO. It is highly recommended that other Assets pursue the same sort of initiative.

Figure 3. Bab Water Flood Health Check -

Baseline Assessment Radar Plot

Produced water volumes are predicted to increase significantly in ADCO as our fields begin to mature. There are already signs that water cuts are beginning to increase in the larger assets like Bab, Bu Hasa and Asab and this trend is expected to continue over the coming years, as shown in Figure 1.

By Medhat Abdou (Bab)

Being an environmentally conscious operator, ADCO has a strategy in place to re-use all of this water by pumping it back into the reservoirs from where it came, to assist with pressure maintenance and sweeping oil to the producing wells, hence significantly increasing the amount of oil we eventually extract from our fields. This is no easy task so a number of pilot projects have been ongoing to demonstrate that this approach can be effectively managed and sustained.

In order to ensure they are prepared for the future, the Bab team was pro-active and started discussions with neighbouring Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), who are recognised as one of the most experienced operators of high water cut fields in the region. Many of the fields in Oman, which have a wide variety of reservoir conditions, have been undergoing water flooding operations for almost 50 years so PDO are regarded as experts in managing these sorts of field.

These discussions culminated in the Bab team carrying out a water flood “health check” in November last year to assess the status of their current water flood operations. Based on their extensive use of this process, PDO/Shell were used as technical advisers for this exercise. It was done with the aim of developing an action plan to optimise water flood performance, especially in view of the required change from aquifer water injection, which is the current norm, to produced water re-injection.

What is a Water Flood Health Check?

A water flood health check is a two day exercise that takes a multi-disciplinary Asset team through all aspects of their water flood, addressing reservoir, wells and facilities to ensure that all key development issues are covered in their plans.

To manage the evaluation of all aspects of waterflood performance, Shell has developed a web-based tool. Different modules of this tool are available to address an asset’s life cycle either at the screening, develop or operate phase. The methodology follows the product flow from the water source and injection, through the reservoir, to production and processing. The health check delivers an overview of the status of the water flood

Figure 1. Forecasted Water Production in ADCO

Figure 2. Water Flood System Analysis

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Mrs. Ghaniya Bin-Dhaeer Al-Yafei, one of ADCO’s female engineers, has been chosen by Middle East Excellence Awards Institute affiliate Datamatix as the winner of the Technology and Engineering award in the 10th annual Middle East, section of the Global Women Leadership Awards in Technology and Engineering, sponsored by ADCO.

The awards ceremony was held at the Burj Al-Arab in Dubai on 8th March, International Women’s Day, and also included many other categories, including academia, business and the media.

Announcing their selection, the organisers said that Ghaniya was “way ahead of other competitors in her category.”

Seven other ADCO female engineers were nominated by their Line Managers.

Ghaniya, the first Emirati female reservoir engineer in the UAE, is an ADNOC Secondee who joined ADCO in early 2008 after having worked in ADNOC for over 17 years as a reservoir engineer and then a reservoir engineering specialist.

She has a BSc. and an MSc. in Chemistry from the UK’s Oxford University and an MA in Energy Economics from Webster University of St. Louis-Missouri (Vienna-Austria Campus), in the United States.

She was awarded the prize, not only because she is technically qualified, but also because she is a great advocate of the progress of women in the oil industry. She has taken it upon herself to be a ‘Role Model’ - to guide young women engineers to gain confidence, to develop the will to excel and to forge ahead for peak performance.

In 2008 she organised a ‘Women in the Oil and Gas Industry workshop’ with SPE, and ADIPEC, which was attended by over 150 women from throughout the region. It was inaugurated by H.E. Sheikha Lubna Al Qassimi.

As the first female Chairman of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Abu Dhabi Chapter in 2009-2010, she increased the number of young women SPE Chapter board members from 1 to 6, out of a total membership of 20, and continues to monitor their progress so that they may contribute effectively to the chapter’s work.

Ghaniya also frequently gives talks on leadership and mentoring to the Arzanah College for women at the Petroleum Institute and has now been asked to talk to the male students as well.

Her objective in doing this is, in part, to help to prepare the young engineers for a smooth transition into their working careers in the industry, a task with which she has also been assigned by ADNOC.

Ghaniya has represented ADCO in many international workshops and conferences, both as a steering committee member and as a speaker on her current subject of interest.Carbon Management as Mitigation of Climate Change and for Enhancing Oil Recovery (CCS-EOR). She took part in a panel on the topic at last year’s ADIPEC and also in the World Future Energy Summit, held in Abu Dhabi earlier this year.

She is currently the Chairman of the Regional SPE Awards Committee and is an active member of the International Society of Core Analysts.

Dr. Hanif Hassan, Minister of Health,presenting the award to Mrs. Al-Yafei

Staff from both Bab Field and Bab Development recently visited Schlumberger’s Middle East Learning Centre (MLC) in Shamkha. The guided tour of the facilities was arranged by Medhat Abdou, VPD-Bab, with the aim of exploring potential opportunities to enhance ADCO’s use of these facilities for training of its own staff. The tour was executed over a period of 3 separate days in order to be able to accommodate as many Bab staff as possible. We were greeted warmly by Amir Habib (Clients Training & Universities Relations Manager), and members of his team from Schlumberger and, after a safety briefing, were escorted around the facilities.

The facilities themselves are quite impressive and mostly life-sized, covering the spectrum of E&P activities from drilling, logging, testing and completions to field operations and even seismic acquisition. We were taken around a life-sized drilling rig and witnessed students making “real time” decisions based on simulated drilling results being fed back by the rig’s computer. We felt as though we were witnessing actual drilling from the comfort of our lecture theatre chairs. Further on, we were guided through a logging unit, a Coiled Tubing unit, the seismic acquisition facilities (including a large pool for simulating marine seismic acquisition) as well as the field production operations facilities. ADCO Senior Geophysicist Antonio Vizamora seized the opportunity at one point while standing next to the seismic vibrator truck to explain some of the principles involved in seismic acquisition.

We saw first hand the learning in action and the overall experience had the look and feel of real operations in the field. The emphasis at the MLC is very much on learning by doing and there was real energy in the atmosphere that you could sense from both the students and staff.

After lunch all of the participants gathered together with MLC experts to discuss in more detail potential opportunities for cooperation. Amir Habib indicated that although the facilities catered for around 800 training days for members of the ADNOC Group in 2010, there was no set upper limit. Training programmes could be created to suit ADCO requirements. One particular area of potential is the possible using the facilities for on-boarding of new staff, in particular field and production engineers. Although the MLC facilities focus considerable attention on operations in the field, integrated life-cycle sub-surface field development planning and hands-on training (from reservoir modelling and simulation through well planning) is also possible. Other opportunities discussed range from CAMS through to even late career development programmes. In short, it is felt that there is significant potential to use these facilities to further enhance ADCO’s staff development programmes. More discussion is still required, both internally and with Schlumberger, but the future looks bright.

By Medhat Abdou (Bab)

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the adjustments in the total value. They can spread cost evenly and ensure that contract values are not exceeded.

A major new feature was the development of the new rig move optimisation application which integrates the DWS and the new ADCO mapping capability e-MAP. This is a completely new application which can calculate the shortest path a rig or rigs have to follow, automatically taking into consideration natural and man-made obstacles and buffer zones to ensure selected wells are drilled.

The optimisation also takes into consideration the location of the rig to the wells and the drilling period when calculating the best scenario. Another key feature of the eWDP is that of data integration, be it from source systems like FINDER, EDM or PIES or data and information added by users. eWDP will eventually link to the new eWellFile application allowing users access to records and documents about a well.

The major benefits to be gained from the eWDP can be viewed from a number of perspectives and include: the automation of a manual process;

enhancements to existing applications, like DWS; a reduction in time in data gathering, validation and control, leading to improved data quality; integration of existing applications; the development of the rig move optimisation application; major cost savings in terms of man-days saved, material and stock utilisation, reduction in rig movement time (a major cost saving), production of timely reports to make informed decisions; improvements in business process management through workflow management with automated notifications, the sharing of data and information; importantly from a technology view, one base platform from which future phases of the eWDP and other workflows can be developed.

eWellFile a single point of truth

In his opening address, the VP(CIT) said:

“An electronic solution to manage the well file documents has been an ADCO dream for many years. Finally in January 2011, CITD makes this dream become a reality with eWellFile, a corporate document management system that enables Asset/Drilling teams to scan or upload, classify, and search for their well documents based on corporate business and security rules. We thank all the business focal points for their dedication and contributions to achieve this important ADCO milestone.”

eWellFile is the first result of a long-term ADCO Business and CITD strategy and plan to deliver a uniform Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) capability across ADCO. eWellFile is a web application that enables easy access to the current and historical sub-surface documents.

In a ceremony held on 20th January 2011, attended by the ADCO Executive Team, two new IT Solutions were launched, the first phase of the new ADCO eWell Delivery Process (eWDP) and eWellFile Application, developed by Corporate Information Technology Division in conjunction with ADCO Business Units.

The launch was presided over by Mr. Mohamed Akoum, VP (CIT), and included presentations on the systems as well as live demonstrations of the two new systems which were made by the CITD Project Managers, Y. Muwakki for eWellFile and A. Kablawi for the eWDP.

The eWDP live system demonstration was ably supported by Tawfik Dayazada from Technical Services Function and Samer Ashour from Bu Hasa Asset with Ayman Abu Nimry, CITD – GIS, also demonstrating the new Rig Move Optimisation application, a web-based GIS tool used within the eWDP.

In his opening address, the VP(CIT) said:

“eWDP is one of the important automation initiatives for ADCO. For many of our colleagues and information workers, this has been a dream for quite a long time. Many have been waiting to see this vision turn into reality and the synergy between CITD and the business experts from the various business units has made this happen.”

The achievements are a testament to the commitment and drive of ADCO’s CITD to develop strategic, business-driven product offerings that meet the core business needs of the whole of ADCO, delivering fit-for-purpose solutions on standard platforms that meet not only today’s business requirements but also set the foundations for future ones.

eWDP is not just a process

eWDP is more than just a process; it is an entire business cycle and way of work for many professional staff and engineers here in ADCO. The vision, back in 2009, was to bring together five main Drilling processes and improve their delivery though the use of an automated solution. When defining the workflow and vision, the opportunity was taken to incorporate, whenever possible, the numerous smaller manual processes associated with Well Planning and to utilise the capabilities of the new ADCO GIS to add a mapping analysis and rig move optimisation module; all integrated and automate in one common and logical sequence. eWDP involves five key processes, Drilling and Workover Schedule; Drilling Material Forecasting; Tie-In; e-Prognosis and e-Drilling Programme.

eWDP also incorporates data integrations e.g. stock control checks for Drilling and tie-in materials and enables business analytics to be performed to provide the optimum drilling schedules to be calculated.

One benefit of the Logging Services Management module is that it enables contract administrators to assign / allocate different types of logging services against existing contracts and automatically see

The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre will hold the following events in May and June 2011:

May:- 4th May 2011 World Robot Olympiad UAE

- 6th May ADCO Family Day (Halls, 5,6&7) from 3:00 PM to 9:30 PM

- 9th - 11th May Global Space & Satellite Forum 2011

- 9th - 11th May Interiors UAE 2011

-16th - 18th MayMiddle East Communications 2011

- 17th - 18th MayCards Middle East 2011

- 27th MayUstad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Concert 2011

- 30th - 31st MayThe Financial Technology Market (MEFTEC 2011)

June:- 2nd - 11th JuneShams Festival 2011

- 6th - 9th JuneBeauty Secrets Show 2011

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The documents can be used for research and analysis to optimise field development and sub-surface production operations and to create a collaborative environment for better and quick decision making. The solution provides a corporate standard Well File structure for all Asset teams to store, index and retrieve all forms of content e.g. reports, programmes, surveys, studies, records, documents, maps, drawings, photographs in any format, MS Office, PDF, etc.

eWellFile has powerful, yet simple, GOOGLE-like search features that enable users to have instant access to their documents. A user can search using different criteria e.g. a document type search for SCAL reports within a given field or well can be undertaken; all problematic well reports produced in 2010 could be found. Full text searching is also possible so, for example, documents containing the term ‘porosity’ may be found.

In addition, eWellFile is linked to ADCO eMAP. Within eMAP, users can search for well-related documents in eWellFile based on Geographic data like offset wells.

eWellFile is now being populated and will require all trained sub-surface engineers to contribute to it to make it of value. eWellFile can be accessed from eServices on ADCONet.

Summary of Benefits of the eWellFile System:

Protect critical and expensive document assets 1. from being destroyed or lost Allow sub-surface engineers to make informed 2. and accurate decisions by referring to one version of the truth Improve work force productivity by searching 3. and retrieving documents within seconds Improve work force productivity through cross-4. Asset information sharing and collaboration Decrease the demand and cost for additional 5.

physical and electronic storage space and paper consumption Improve compliance with the corporate 6. governance and standards through strict document classification, control and security.Automate the tracking, distribution, and approval 7. of documents through an electronic document review and approval workflow

What’s Coming Next?

eWellFileeWellFile is being gradually rolled out to the remaining Assets in Q1 & Q2, 2011.For historical paper well documents (backlog files), CITD has initiated a new project in 2011 to scan, de-duplicate and classify all well files for all Assets.

eWDP-Phase TwoAs Phase One covers most of the planning modules, Phase Two of the project will deliver a set of applications related to the well programme like well prognosis, drilling programme, drilling cost sheet, and additional business reports and supporting processes.The project team is determined to continue with their momentum and will maintain the same collaborative spirit to complete this huge project effectively and efficiently.

The inauguration concluded with the SVP(TS), the SVP(CS), the VP(DD) and the VP(BS) expressing their thanks to CITD for delivering what are seen as key business enablers for ADCO to achieve its Vision 2020. The SVP(SS) thanked everyone involved in the development work and to the business for supporting and helping CITD deliver two truly world class applications.

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The 13th R&D General Management Committee Meeting took place on 10th February, 2011 in ADGAS. The semi-annual meeting, which rotates between the operating companies, was attended by the OPCOs CEOs, in addition to ADNOC senior management. During the meeting both Mr. Fareed Abdulla, the Oil-Sub Committee Chairman, and Mr. Abdullah Al Minhali, the Gas Sub-Committee Chairman, presented the progress in ongoing R&D projects and received feedback and input on the present and future directions of research. Marwan

Haggag also presented an outline of efforts being made by the Oil Sub-Committee in integrating the research projects outcomes and knowledge in the work of the ADNOC OPCOs. He stressed that R&D knowledge sharing and integration is a crucial element and an integral part of the Oil Sub-Committee strategy and process. The General Management Committee expressed their support for and appreciation of the efforts from both committees.

Group photograph with the Vice President, Jebel Dhanna Terminal

Having successfully completed the first phase of their training programme, which began in October 2010, 33 UAE trainee firefighters formally signed their employment contracts with ADCO on 5th January, 2011. In a speech to mark the occasion,

the Vice President, Jebel Dhanna Terminal, Mairza Al Hendi, congratulated the new staff and welcomed them to ADCO family, telling them not now to rest on their oars, as their journey of training and work had not come to an end, but had only just begun.

He encouraged them to continue their good work and promised them that ADCO was committed to support them to any extent, as long as they show a strong desire to succeed in their careers.

The Human Resources representative, Ibrahim Al Qubaisi, explained all the clauses in their employment contract and also answered questions from the new employees.

In line with its commitment to share R&D knowledge among the OPCOs, the R&D Oil Sub-Committee held a workshop on 20th January 2011 to present the Wettability Characterisation R&D project to ADNOC and OPCOs experts to present the project’s developed methodology and findings. The workshop took place in ZADCO’s offices with participation from ADNOC, ADCO, ADMA-OPCO, ZADCO and the Petroleum Institute, PI.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Fareed Abdulla,the Oil Sub-Committee Chairman and ADCO’s SVP, welcomed the ZADCO CEO and the workshop participants. He then outlined some of the achievements of the Sub-Committee and encouraged the OPCOs to take advantage and make use of the outcomes of the various R&D projects.

Dr. Shawket Ghedan then presented the research project’s developed methodology and findings. He also noted the involvement of Petroleum Institute students in carrying out the research.

The workshop’s success was evident by the high level of attendance, the discussions that followed the presentation and the feedback received after the event.

In his closing remarks, the Oil Sub-Committee Programmes Coordinator, Marwan Haggag, said that the success of the project was evident from the interest it had triggered and because of its potential impact on the industry if further research is undertaken. He noted that such research projects present an excellent opportunity for closer collaboration between the OPCOs and PI.

For more details, please have a look at the workshop presentations on the R&D website (http://adnocresearch) which is accessible from within all the OPCOs.

By: Marwan Haggag (Bab)

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On the occasion of the National Environment Day, a beach cleaning campaign was held on 26th January 2011 at Jebel Dhanna, Walid Ben Zeglam, Senior Environment Protection Engineer, reports.

The area chosen was the beach between the DAS contractor’s camp and the sewage treatment plant, outside the JD Terminal fence.

A number of employees from ADCO and contractors, as well as from the CNIA, took part.

During the clean-up, a young turtle was found on the beach, entangled in seagrass and plastic fibres. These were removed, and the animal was then returned safely to the sea.

By Walid Ben Zeglam (Jebel Dhanna)

Firefighter-trainees on parade

As part of its focused commitment to the Emiratisation policy and its support for local society, ADCO has recruited forty young Emirates into its vibrant Fire and Rescue Service Department. These young firefighters have begun six months of rigorous training which combines English Language skills with practical firefighting drills and parades.

In an address to the new intake at Jebel Dhanna fire station, the Senior Vice President, Terminal and Pipeline Operations (SVP-TPO), Mr. Ateeq Belal Al Qemzi, welcomed the trainees and informed them of their roles and responsibilities to their fatherland. He urged them to put in their best and to excel in their training activities. The SVP (TPO) encouraged them to uphold the good name of their country and avoid any act that is against company policy. In his own speech, the Vice President, Jebel Dhanna Terminal, Mairza Ahmed Al Hendi, encouraged the participants to view

their training programme as a great opportunity to enhance their career growth and to look to the future. He stressed that they should follow all the instructions given by the trainers and that they should always demonstrate a high sense of discipline. He reminded them of the consequence of any act of indiscipline or breach of company policy. Both the SVP and VPT encouraged them to abide by ADCO’s HSE policy and procedures at all times.

Thanking members of the senior management team for their visit, the Chief Fire Officer (JD) Azeez Ola-Ojetola, assured ADCO Management of their commitment to providing the new recruits with the highest level of professional training in line with international standards and best practices. He noted that the training is being delivered by a certified Fire Training Specialist, Mr. Abel Delport, with the support of other competent Senior Fire Officers.

By Ebrahim Baglar (Jebel Dhanna)

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A high potential impact on the number of new •Rigs required during 2013-2015 & in the future.Use Hoist to achieve 2% inactive string •(as per Shareholder & senior management instructions).Using Hoist to manage any increase in work-•over operations.

The Hoist is an approved global technology, which is used around the world, mainly for maintenance and work-over wells. It can be used for a variety of types of work as required.

At the beginning of 2010, following instructions from senior management to look for cheaper technology, the Hoist Team from Drilling Division visited PDO (Oman) to examine using Hoist in work-overs operation and other activities. The team spent 7 days in a PDO field (Jibal) focusing on Safety, the scope of work, and the organisation of the Hoist unit.

PDO has been using Hoist units since 1993 for work-over and selected re-entry operations. Beginning with three units, the company is now using 26, replacing rigs which are more expensive and slower to move. Use of Hoist is increasing, and now accounts for 70 per cent of relevant operations, compared to 30 per cent for conventional drilling rigs.

There is considered to be considerable potential for the use of Hoist technology in ADCO as the number of work-over operations increases, rising to 30 per cent of the total relevant activities,

A presentation on Hoist was given to the Executive Team on 22nd September 2010, resulting in approval being given to launch it as soon as possible. This was endorsed at a presentation to Shareholders on 5th and 6th October 2010.

The tendering process got under way in February this year.

ADCO’s Hoist project coordinator, Yousef Al-Hammadi, addressed a workshop on 2nd February to present Drilling Division’s strategy and way forward with respect to implementing the new Hoist project. A Hoist unit is a work-over unit used for repairs and light work-over of production wells. It is often fitted with a telescopic or folding mast, allowing it to work on wells which have no production derrick. The workshop, held in the ADCO auditorium, was attended by the SVP (TS), the VPs of the Asset teams and employees from Technical Support and outlined the status of the project, implementation features for this year and the Top 11 ‘must-do’s’.

He was introduced by Chris Kuyken, VP-DD, who explained the benefits of using the Hoist & the importance of using it in our environment.

Andrew Parkinson, the Project Manager, then spoke about the relevance of the Main Tender

Board to the project and about ways in which Hoise can be used within the ADCO environment.

Mr. Brad Kerr, Senior Vice President (Technical Services), then summarised the importance of using Hoist, asking all participants to collaborate in ensuring the success of the project.

The following tangible benefits to ADCO’s business have been identified for the project.

Potential savings through using Hoist instead of •a rig in maintenance wells (approximately US $20 million, using only one Hoist for the next 5 years).Less time required for moves; either between •locations in the same field or between fields.The area required for Hoist is half of that required •for a rig.Compensating for any delay in the arrival of new •rigs from China in 2011-2012.

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Abu Dhabi Government cars converted to run on CNG by January 2012. To meet the Abu Dhabi Government commitment, ADNOC set up 16 NGV filling stations in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and 4 in Sharjah. ADNOC for Distribution, ADNOC-FOD, is also operating 9 vehicle conversion workshops for the conversion of existing petrol vehicles to run on natural gas.

NGV conversion facilities are initially offered to fleet vehicles, taxi companies, public utilities companies and governmental agencies. Upon building additional filling stations and conversions centers, NGV conversion will be offered to the general public.

4.0 CNG Conversion kit

Converting petrol-driven vehicles into natural gas is a simple process which involves installation of a few additional components such as a gas storage cylinder, a multi-point injection system and electronics to take account of the different ignition properties of petrol and natural gas. This conversion is completed in half a day at conversion centers. Further, the conversion kits are inspected and certified by third party in accordance with international standard.

5.0 Benefits of NGV cars

a) Fewer emissions: Compared with vehicles fuelled with conventional diesel and gasoline, natural gas vehicles produce significantly lower amounts of harmful emissions.

b) Lower operational and maintenance costs: The fuel cost for NGV vehicles for the same distance is around 30 percent cheaper than petrol vehicles to refuel. Further as natural gas burns so cleanly due to high octane rate of about 120, it will result in less wear and tear on the engine. c) Natural Gas Vehicles Safety: Natural gas being lighter than air, in the event of an accident, natural gas simply dissipates into the air, instead of forming a dangerous flammable pool on the ground like other liquid fuels.

d) Duel fuel vehicle: Once converted to operate on Natural Gas the vehicle will be dual fuel as the petrol fuel system also remains in operation. With two fuels on board, a vehicle can go double the distance. A switch inside converted cars allows drivers to switch from gas to petrol and vice-versa.

6.0 ADCO initiatives on NGV The use of natural gas in vehicles presents an opportunity to minimise the impact on the environment through the reduction of emissions and demonstrates ADCO’s efforts to implement the Government of Abu Dhabi commitment to diversify into other alternative fuels for sustainability.

ADCO has converted 25 Saloon cars so far into CNG in its Abu Dhabi transport fleet. As Four Wheel Drive (4WD) cars constitute the majority of the light vehicle fleet, ADCO is planning to conduct joint pilot tests with ADNOC for Distribution to assess the CNG cars operability and effectiveness in desert terrain conditions.

1.0 Vehicular pollution - a cause of concern

Vehicles are one of the major sources of air emissions and various pollutants emitted from vehicle exhausts lead to adverse health effects. While emissions from an individual vehicle may be minimal, the cumulative emissions from a fleet of vehicles will have a serious impact on air quality.

2.0 Why Natural Gas Vehicles (NGV)?

In order to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, several alternate fuels such as natural gas, ethanol and bio-diesel have been used. As bio-diesel and ethanol are currently expensive and are competing with food sources, their usage is limited. Among all, natural gas being the cleanest burning fuel has become popular alternative to petrol and diesel.

Natural gas is odourless, colourless and non-corrosive and lighter than air. Comprised mostly of Methane, Natural Gas is second only to hydrogen in emitting very low levels of carbon dioxide when burned and also it contains no particulate matter.

Natural Gas is a fossil fuel which is found naturally in the underground environment. Abu Dhabi is fortunate to possess the world’s 5th largest reserves of natural gas - currently estimated as 5.8 billion cubic metres. The use of local natural resources available will present a sustainable fuel solution for the transportation sector. 3.0 Abu Dhabi efforts towards alternate fuels

As a part of its Alternative Fuel Strategy, Abu Dhabi Executive Council set a goal of having 20% of the

(NGV is fuel efficient, environmentally friendly and offer relatively low cost of ownership).

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The organisation along the 8.5 km route (a 4.25 km outward journey and a 4.25 km return journey) was fabulous, with plenty of water distribution points, ambulances parked in lay-bys to assist those with blisters, and the happy banter of those around you keeping you entertained. I was also impressed by the cross-section of Abu Dhabi’s community that was participating, bringing together the city’s diverse population of all ages.

Those who finished the course (and this was the vast majority) were awarded a certificate from ‘The Terry Fox Foundation’. This was the culmination of a fun and rewarding occasion, leaving participants with a lasting sense of achievement.

But let us not forget the main purpose of the day, which was to raise money for cancer research. Since the first Terry Fox Run in Abu Dhabi, in 1995, the event has raised a total of Dh 7.7 million. This money has supported 35 research projects carried out by UAE University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences in Tawam Hospital, Al-Ain. The event has also raised awareness of cancer, and helped de-stigmatise this terrible disease

Of the money raised by the Terry Fox Run this year, in addition to the personal donations made by participating ADCO employees, ADCO management approved a donation of Dh 30,000.

What impressed me most about the 16th Abu Dhabi Terry Fox Run was that rather than it being a day of sadness at a young man being snatched away at such an early age, it was a celebration of one

human being’s courage. So let Terry Fox be an example to us all of how an ordinary person can become extraordinary in the face of adversity.

Who was Terry Fox?

Terry Fox was Canadian. In 1977 doctors discovered a malignant tumour in his right leg and amputated the limb just above the knee. He was just 18.

Two years later, fitted with a prosthetic leg, Terry began his ‘Marathon of Hope’ to raise money for cancer research. He ran a marathon distance every day and hoped to run coast-to-coast across Canada. However, after 143 days the cancer returned.

Terry died in June, 1981, but his legacy, the Terry Fox Run, lives on as an international fund-raising event for cancer research.

The largest community-oriented event in the Abu Dhabi calendar is the annual Terry Fox Run for Cancer Research. The run, now in its 16th year, took place on 18th February 2011, attracting more than 15,000 participants of all ages and from all walks of life.

Volunteers organising the run began turning up around five o’clock on a chilly Friday morning at the restaurant quarter of the Corniche, opposite ADCO headquarters. At seven o’clock, participants started arriving and registration opened.

A carnival atmosphere soon developed, with a DJ playing popular music and the Abu Dhabi Police Band entertaining the crowds. Most participants bought a distinctive blue ‘Terry Fox–30’ T-shirt (reminding us that it was thirty years since the cancer activist’s untimely death) and the DJ led those of us taking part in a pre-run warm up to music.

Shortly after ten o’clock, the 16th Terry Fox Run got under way and the blue-shirted participants streamed past the start line. I must point out, however, that the word ‘Run’ is used merely as a convenient label for the event. As the posters informed us, we could ‘run, walk, stroll, (or) jog’. This non-competitiveness is in keeping with Terry Fox’s wishes. When the idea of a run was first suggested to him, he insisted there should be no winners or losers, but that those participating could run, walk or ride. This non-competitive aspect of the Terry Fox Run is a major contributing factor to the event’s enormous popularity.

Along the Corniche - bathed in the gentle warmth of the February sun - the more serious athletes amongst us ran. Yet the vast majority of participants walked, whilst some rollerbladed and a few even ‘ran’ the course in wheelchairs. An enduring memory will be a father gliding along on rollerblades, pushing his son before him in a pushchair.

By Paul A. Freeman (Bu Hasa)

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During the whole process, there were no reports of first aid being required, of objects being dropped, of vehicle incidents or of HIPOs, despite the fact that it was the first rig move in which many of those taking part had been involved.

Smith, was present on site to assist the NDC Rig Manager and the ADCO Drilling Supervisor in managing all HSE issues. Other ADCO personnel involved included ADCO DOM, SE, Abdel Nasser Abu Aishah, Mohammed Sarhan from Civil Equipment Services and the Shah Field Services Staff.

ND-34 was released from Bab 873 on 11th December 2010 and began to be completely disassembled for its move to the Shah field to begin a three well programme for the Abu Dhabi Gas Development Company. This took nearly twelve days, with the rig move commencing on 4th January 2011. Overall, a distance of 176 kilometres over sand tracks was covered on its way to the new location, requiring the use of 9 D-8 caterpillars and 10 heavy duty KW transport trucks. Rig up operations began on 25th January, with the Sy-501 well being spudded on 12th February.

Overall, a total of 21,120 kilometres were driven by the heavy equipment during the rig move, with each load carried averaging around 20 tonnes. The sub base of the rig, weighing 365 tonnes, was also moved. Planning meetings were held every morning to plan the day’s assignments and to ensure that safety issues were fully explained and understood.

Drilling rig ND-34, owned by the National Drilling Company, NDC, has moved from the Bab field to begin working with the Abu Dhabi Gas Development Company on the Shah Deep Gas Development in the Shah Field. The project is expected to last for around three years, with an expected production of 50 billion mmscf of gas per day upon completion in 2013. The gas itself has a high H2S component, of up to 26 per cent, presenting a major safety risk not just to personnel directly involved but also to field project construction teams working near the drilling of these planned wells and to the environment. At

the same time, however, the work will make a major contribution to the country’s future energy needs. ADCO’s Drilling Division played a major role in planning for the rig move, along with personnel from NDC, the Abu Dhabi Gas Development team and contractors, from the dismantling of the rig in Bab through to its re-assembly at the Sy-501 well.

During rig up, rig acceptance and the spud of SY-501, a senior HSE Adviser from ADCO, Don

By Don Smith (Drilling Division)

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still exists in Iran. This population has recently been studied intensively by scientists.

Recently, however, cheetahs have once again been roaming in Abu Dhabi, in specific on the island of Sir Bani Yas, where the Tourism Development and Investment Company, TDIC, have released several animals into a large enclosure in the centre of the island, where they are living successfully. Indeed, four cubs have so far been born.

This is a fantastic achievement for TDIC and its team who are in charge of Conservation and Agriculture on Sir Bani Yas. It is thought that only about 10,000 animals are today found in the wild and captive breeding is very difficult to achieve.

This success is a significant milestone for Marius Prinsloo and his team of scientists. Marius is a leading expert on re-wilding of large mammals. Re-wilding means that these cubs will be raised as if they were in the wild. Human contact is kept very limited and the scientists use the cubs’ natural instincts as far as possible in every facet of their lives. This is a long and difficult process and there is no guarantee of success. However, this team are among the leading experts on re-wilding and everyone hopes for a successful outcome. If the experiment continued to be successful, some animals may later be released into the wild. One possible area could be the Umm Az-Zamul National Park, in south-eastern Abu Dhabi, not far from ADCO’s Qusaihwira oilfield which contains some of the best preserved natural desert habitat in the entire country. It has recently been the location of the very successful Arabian Oryx (Oryx leucoryx) re-location project. The re-introduction of Cheetahs there would help

restore the balance of the natural ecosystem. Cheetahs’ natural prey species include many species of gazelles and smaller prey, such as the Arabian Hare (Lepus capensis). There are healthy populations of both within the National Park. The recently re-introduced population of Arabian Oryx are in no danger from this fleet-footed predator, since they are too large for Cheetahs to prey on them.

The Cheetah can live in a wide variety of open habitats, including deserts, mountain plateaus and the more traditional savannah landscapes of East Africa. Although they were long thought to have become extinct in the vast deserts of North Africa, recent research has proved that small populations still survive in the wilderness of western Egypt and northern Niger. Further study may indeed reveal the Cheetah to be more widespread in this region than previously thought.

Within the next few years, it may be possible, to see Cheetahs once again, roaming the wild, desert landscapes of the UAE. And what a sight that would be!

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The beautiful Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is an unusual member of the cat family. Its former range was over most of Africa, through the Middle East, including the Arabian peninsula, and across to India & Pakistan. Within the last fifty years, it has declined markedly across much of its range. A combination of hunting, human population expansion and decrease in populations of their main prey species are to blame. The Cheetah is an unusual cat, in many respects:

it is easily tamed and was popular as a pet in the • Middle East and on the Indian Subcontinent. it is the fastest land animal. It has been recorded • as reaching speeds of up to 120kmph over short distances.

even though at least six races are currently • recognised, this species has unusually low genetic variability.Cheetahs have semi-retractable claws, • presumably very useful when running at high speed.whilst running, they use their long tails like a • rudder (on a boat) to keep their balance.

Proof of Cheetahs existing in the UAE is sketchy, but all kinds of secondary evidence point to it having once been present. The last known Arabian cheetah was shot in Saudi Arabia in 1950, though they may have hung on in Oman until around 1970. It is now thought to be extinct on the Indian sub-continent, although recently they have been unconfirmed sightings in Baluchistan Province of western Pakistan. Intriguingly, a small population

By Stephen L. James (HSED)

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Dubai Mall / Burj Khalifa / Dhow Cruise Dinner • JAL Fujairah Resort & Spa • Mubazzara Resort • Dreamland Aqua-park • The Egyptian-European-Russian Circus • A dinner on the yacht ‘Shuja’ • Hilton Ramadan Iftar • Atlantis Aqua-park & The Lost Chambers • Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi • Hotel Trips• Trip to Atlantis / Wild Wadi in Dubai•

A survey to measure the performance of the Social & External Trips Club, produced the following results:

Among participants’ comments were:

The events were perfectly organised and there • were no confusions and we enjoyed it very much.Good coordination and dedication shown by the • organisers. External trips and competitions are more useful and enjoyable.Well organised and high quality places. Getting • together with the employees and family outside ADCO.Building good relations with colleagues. • Spending enjoyable time with family in fun events.Field-based employees need to have break • from the desert. It is appreciated if it is with a pleasure trip and it is amazing when it is with family. The arrangements made by BWSC were wonderful.Excellent experience and helped us display • social and community relationships.

Best wishes to Bu Hasa Welfare & Sports • Committee and their team members. Hope they will arrange good trips during 2011.Thanks to BWSC and Bu Hasa management.•

Everyone was delighted by the activities, filled with fun and entertainment, and of course, the

opportunity to enjoy the lovely scenery and outings all over the UAE.

Bu Hasa employees thank the SVP, VPO and Divisional Managers for their support. In particular, Ebrahim Al Salemi, Chairman of the BWSC 2010, and Lutfi Kadora and Mohammed Younis, the Committee’s representatives for the External Activities & Trips Club, are thanked for their efforts in arranging and organising the events.

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2010 is over. However, we still remember the pleasant memories shared by Bu Hasa employees and their families and colleagues as a result of the varied activities organised by the Bu Hasa Welfare & Sports Committee.

As part of its efforts to promote social activities and to enhance the quality and well-being of both short-cycle and long-cycle employees, the BWSC organised numerous outings and trips in 2010 to keep them active while enjoying their rest days with their family members.

There were a large number of participants in all events. In total, about 300 employees, plus family members, enjoyed more than 10 trips last year. These included a variety of games and entertainment activities for all age groups. The excursions arranged during the year included the following trips.

Congratulations to:

Aymen Helmy Ali, E&P (TC) Quality Department, -on the birth of his daughter, Malak, on 26th February 2011.

Jamal M. Salman, Technical Centre (Operations), -on the occasion of the wedding of his daughter, Dr. Leena, on 11th March 2011.

Mohamed Fawzy Abou El Azm, E&P (TC) Quality -Department, on the birth of his son, Ali, on 15th March 2011.

Hamza Bazaraa, HRD, on the wedding of his -son, Mohamed on 14th April 2011.

Reda Nabulsi, General Services Division, on -the birth of his first baby boy, Mohamed, on 21st April 2011.

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To Mohamed Jamal Salman, Document Controller (PMC)Engineering & Projects (BAB), for completing his Bachelor of Business Administration (Accounting) from Al Hosn University, Abu Dhabi.

To Laila Khaled Aoudi, Solution Quality Analyst, (CITD), for completing her Master’s degree in Business Administration with honours from Abu Dhabi University.

Mahdi Hassan Al Khaja, Accountant, Bab & Gas Operations, was awarded a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Abu Dhabi University in early 2011.

Waste – When you eat out, eat in!The volume of waste generated by household packaging has risen by 5 times, and by as much as 50 times in the case of certain materials such as plastic in the last 30 years. During the 1970s, the appearance of containers made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) allowed the production of ‘disposable’ items, to be thrown out after a single use only. The trend towards the use of such items has intensified over the past few years, and is now closely connected to the recent fashion among consumers for eating on the move.

Your Big Green HelpAt work, when taking your lunch break or while dining outside, avoid buying take-away meals, which produce large quantities of waste, especially non-recyclable plastic. Take the time to sit down and enjoy your food on the premises instead.

By: Hanan Khattab (HSED)

Ahmed Mohammed Ally retired in February 2011, after more than 30 years of service. Ahmed joined ADCO in 1980 and worked in various capacities, finally as Senior Warehouse Supervisor in Warehouse & Logistics Management department (SCMD) at Bab13.

Masoud Al Kathiri, Warehouse & Logistics Manager, hosted a lunch on behalf of Ahmed which was attended by all employees in Bab13 and also a number of guests. In a speech given on the occasion, the W & L Manager spoke of the contributions that Ahmed had made to the Company, such as the planning and organisation of storage facilities, the training and mentoring of new recruits, especially UAE nationals, maintaining excellent customer relationships and practicing safe work practices, these being key factors in the overall development of warehouse management during the three decades of his service.

In return, Ahmed expressed his thanks, noting that he had spent almost half of his life in Bab13, giving him the opportunity to work with people of various nationalities and to gain a lot of knowledge and experience. He also expressed his gratitude for the cooperation and support that he had received from ADCO Management and employees, including contractors, which, he said, would remain in his memories for ever.

On behalf of all, Masoud Al Kathiri then wished Ahmed a very happy retirement and presented him with a gift as a token of appreciation.

By Abdul Jabbar (SCMD)

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ISSUE 2 4140

Ingredients:150 grams (3/4 cup) long rice, washed -and boiled1 green pepper cut into small cubes -1 red pepper cut into small cubes -3 bananas peeled and sliced -2 tomatoes peeled and chopped -300 grams (two cups) canned sweet -corn strained1 tablespoon lemon juice -4 tablespoons olive oil -Salt and pepper -50 grams (half cup) unsalted peanuts -

100 grams boiled and peeled shrimps -

Preparation:Mix lemon juice with olive oil, salt and pepper. Put the sauce aside.Crush the peanuts coarsely and set aside. Mix the rice with bell peppers, bananas, tomatoes, sweet corn and shrimp in a bowl. Moisten with the sauce mixture and then mix carefully and sprinkle the peanuts and the parsley leaves over them.Serve the salad after cooling in the

refrigerator.

Chef Abdessamad Dfaria (Falcon Club)

Ingredients:tomatoes, peeled and chopped -1 tablespoon olive oil -1 chopped onion -1 chopped garlic clove -1/2 chopped carrot, -1 teaspoon oregano -Salt and pepper (to taste) -

5 cups chicken broth -

Preparation:Fry onion, garlic, and carrots with a little olive oil, add the tomatoes and stir the mixture. Add the chicken broth, oregano, salt and pepper Leave the soup on the fire till the carrots are cooked. Mix the soup in a blender and serve warm.

Ingredients:1 kg beef cut into cubes -4 onions sliced -3 tablespoons oil -400 ml (one and a quarter cup) beef -broth4 teaspoons sweet paprika (bell -peppers)2 teaspoons corn starch -100 ml (½ cup) cream -Juice of one lemon -

Salt and pepper -

Preparation:Heat the oil in a casserole and fry the onions until they are golden brown. Add meat cubes and fry on all sides. Add the

beef broth and pepper and then mix, heating until it boils.

In the meantime, mix in a bowl the tomato paste, corn starch and paprika. Add enough water to prepare paste. Stir the paste into the casserole.

Reduce gas heat and cook the mixture for about one hour or until the meat softens. Sample seasoning and add, according to your taste.

Mix the cream with the lemon juice in a bowl and put on the meat. Then serve

immediately.

Ingredients:500 grams (two cups) rice, washed -and drained500 ml (two cups) water -3 tablespoons oil or ghee -½ tablespoon saffron -salt -

Preparation:Heat oil or ghee in a pot and fry the rice with saffron for a few minutes until it is golden in colour.

Add the water and salt and cover the pot, boil the mixture until the rice absorbs the water.

Put the pot on low gas heat and leave to simmer until the rice becomes light. The rice will have a beautiful yellow colour

when cooked.