Aegean News€¦ · 12 INTERVIEW Captain Mousa Murad, General Manager Port of Fujairah ......

The New Port of Fujairah

Global Oil Hub

Interview Captain

Mousa MuradGeneral Manager, Port of Fujairah

Marine Lubricants

Aegean - Gulf OilSea Lub Alliance

RetailThe Crete

Market

PlusAegean Update

Flows & Currents

Aegean NewsSPRING 2009

T H E Q U A R T E R L Y M A G A Z I N E O F A E G E A N

As the global financial crisis continues to dominate our attention, there are signs that measures taken to date by the G20 and other countries are protecting markets, preventing a more acute downturn, and sta-bilizing national economies.

Although high-growth economies such as China and India are moving ahead at slower rates, they are nevertheless growing at 4-6 %, an attractive position

compared with other nations, including the U.S. and the Eurozone.The slowdown in growth is deeply affecting global trade, the cornerstone of

the international shipping industry. At the same time, companies with a strong vision for growth, a prudent and calculated strategy, are able to position them-selves and be fully prepared for “the day after,’ when an increase in demand will translate to greater fuel needs.

Aegean is pursuing a strategy of calculated growth that anticipates a more healthy global economy. By being proactive today, it is setting the foundation to take on increased challenges and be at the forefront of tomorrow’s markets.

Aegean Oil Terminal Corporation’s planned investments in the Port of Fu-jairah are indicative of the strategy for a strong presence in important centers of global shipping. The establishment of stations, by Aegean Marine Petroleum, in Trinidad and Tobago, complementing the stations in Jamaica, are creating a strategically important stronghold in the Caribbean.

Just a short time ago, ALFA Marine Lubricants entered the market. Today ALFA Marine Lubricants are being sold at 450 points around the globe.

Domestically, Aegean’s retail market share continues to advance and the network of gas stations being established in Crete, already commanding a 3% market share, indicates how the public responds to a company that puts the customer first, offering consistently good service, quality fuel, and the most competitive prices in the market.

In every crisis lies an opportunity. Aegean is committed to taking advantage of every opportunity and to place its customers at the core of its growth strategy.

editorial

Raymond mateRaPublisher

RetailàAEGEANOILhasestablishedagassta-

tions network throughout Greece, and

isoneofthefastestgrowingcompanies

intheretailmarket.AEGEAN’Sgasoline

marketshareinGreeceis9.3%.

ShippingàAEGEANSHIPPINGmanagesafleetof

tankers,rangingfrom3,500DWTto

100,000DWT,thattransfersanddelivers

oiltoourclientsthroughouttheworld.All

shipsmeetISMstandards.

BunkeringàInPiraeus,Gibraltar,Kingston,OchoRios,

MontegoBay,Antwerp,PortlandUK,Te-

mainGhana,UnitedArabEmirates,Sin-

gapore,MontrealandVancouver,AEGEAN

MARINEPETROLEUMisaleaderinprovid-

ingthebestbunkeringservicesavailable.

InPiraeus,AEGEANMARINEPETROLEUM

isthemarketleaderinbunkering.

Agency Servicesà ShipsfromaroundtheworldrelyonAEGE-

ANAGENCYservicesatPiraeus,Gibraltar,

andJamaica,fromloadinganddischarg-

ing,tosparepartsandsupplies.

Lubricantsà AEGEANOILproducesandmarketshigh

performancelubricantsforvehiclesand

industrialuse,undertheAEGEANbrand

andAEGEANMARINEPETROLEUMtrades

andsupplieslubricantsforthemarine

marketundertheALFAbrand.

AegeanCore activities

SPRInG 2009 AEGEAN NEWS

SPRInG 2009 AEGEAN NEWS �

4 AEGEANUPDATE

8 NATIONALMERCHANTMARINEACADEMYOFHYDRA

10 FLOWSANDCURRENTSTrendsandNewsintheOilandEnergyFields

12 INTERVIEWCaptainMousaMurad,GeneralManager

PortofFujairah

14 SHIPPINGNewShipsJointheFleet

16 BUNKERINGGibraltarFlaginNewShips

17 RETAILAegeanintheFourthPlaceofTotalFuelSales

18 RETAILTheCretanMarket

20 STATIONSOFTHEMONTH❚DouroudakisIoannis—Didimotiho

❚SergianidisP.&PagalosX.—Eliki,Egion

22 RETAILAegeanLubricants:TheArtofQualityControl

24 LUBRICANTSAegean-GulfOil:SeaLubAlliance

27 HISTORYOFAUTOMOBILEModernEra

28 ENVIRONMENTChildrenandtheEnvironment

30 ROOTSExpressionswithaPast

31 AEGEANIMAGEProductsThatSay“We’reDifferent”

10 NationalMerchantMarineAcademystudentsduringtheirvisittoAegean’sheadquarters12 CaptainMousaMurad,GeneralManager

ofthePortofFujairah,talkstoAegean NewsaboutthestrategicimportanceofthePortinbunkeringandshipping

24 TheallianceinthemarinelubricantssectorbetweenAegeanMarinePetroleumandGulfOilMarineisofstrategicimportance

Spring 2009Aegean Newsis published quarterly by aeGean

Publisher & Managing editor Raymond matera

Contributing editor J. Georgana

design Snack

Printing and binding Korifi Publications Sa

owner aegean 42 Hatzikyriakou Street 185 38, Piraeus, Greece tel: +30 210 458 6000 Fax: +30 210 458 6241 e-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.aegeanoil.gr, www.ampni.com

Commentsandsuggestionsarewelcome.

Aegean News isfreeofchargeandisavailable,subjecttoavailability,toanyinterestedpersonororganization.

Code: 5169

PleaseRecycle

contents

� AEGEAN NEWS SPRInG 2009

A e g e A n U p d A t e

Mr.DimitrisMelissanidis,accompaniedbyMr.

Spyros Fokas and Aegean executives, trav-

elledwithAegean’s jet toLondon,Jamaica,

Trinidad,NewYork,CanadaandGibraltar to

visitcompanystations,tomeetpersonneland

associates,and tounderscorepositive rela-

tionswiththelocalgovernmentalauthorities.

ThejourneybeganFebruary18,withthefirst

stop inJamaica,where theAegeandelega-

tion had meetings with the Prime Minister,

Mr. Bruce Golding, the Minister for Energy,

Mr.CliveMullingsandPetrojamexecutives.

TrinidadandTobagowerethenextdestina-

tions,andmeetingswereheldwiththeMinis-

terforEnergyMr.ConradEnill,towhomMr.

Melissanidis officially presented Aegean’s

worldwide activities, the company’s future

development plans, and proposals that the

companycandevelopintheshippingindus-

tryofthecountry.

Subsequently, the Aegean delegation met

withthePresidentofPetrotrinandmembers

of the executive team and Mr. Melissanidis

discussed the commercial cooperation

between the two companies and the com-

mencement of Aegean’s business activities

inTrinidadandTobago.

InGibraltar,Mr.Melissanidishadameeting

with thePrimeMinister,Mr.PeterCaruana,

and the Minister of Trade, Transport and

Telecommunications, Mr. Joe Holiday and

discussed, among other things, Aegean’s

presenceinGibraltar.

Aegean Management Visits Stations Abroad

Mr.D.Melissanidis,CaptainK.Maragoudakis,Mr.S.FokasandMr.MeteyarrivingatGibraltarairport

Inthephotosfromleft:Mr.D.MellisanidiswithTrinidadEnergyMinisterMr.ConradEnillandJamaicaEnergyMinisterMr.CliveMullings

Mr.D.MelissanidisandMr.S.FokasatGoosebayAirportinCanada

SPRInG 2009 AEGEAN NEWS �

New Stations in Aegean’s Retail NetworkΤhe Aegean network is growing throughout thecountry.Listedbeloware thestationsthat have started displaying the AegeanLogoduringthepastthreemonths.

129, ELEYTHERIOU VENIZELOU-N.SMYRNIaSImaKoPoULoS GeoRGe

2ND KM N.R. LIVADIA-DELFI, LIVADIAmanoUSKoS S. IoannIS

1�7 AG.MELETIOU, ATHENSFLeRIS eP. antonIoS

OREOI EVIA, EVIAKoLaRoS nIKoLaoS

�0, MEG. ALEXANDROU, EGALEOGaLanIS n. IoannIS

29� KIFISIAS AVE. , KIFISIAPAPPAS Ι. & CO.

ELIKA NEAPOLIS BOIA, LACONIAmaRaVeLIaS IoannIS

12 ATHENS-SOUNION RD , KERATEAANTONIOU IOANNA & CO

GONIA RETHYMNON, CRETEdaSKaLomaRKaKIS GeoRGe

TYLISOS HERAKLION, CRETEKoUVIdoU Pan. eLenI

� KM KARDITSA-ATHENS, KARDITSAFIna oIL S.a

VALTERO IRAKLIAS, SERRES PREFECTUREnatSIoS IoannIS

CHRYSOHORAFA IRAKLIAS, SERRES PREFECTURE tyLLIoU PetRoULa

ERATINO CHRYSOUPOLIS, KAVALA PREFECTUREtZemaLIS andReaS

Ν. PETRITSI, ΠΕΤΡΙΤΣΙ, SERRES PREFECTURE ΝΟΥLIS PETROS

REG.RD ARRIANON-N.SANTAS, RODOPI PREFECTUREΝΙΖΑΜ GIOULIZAR

KOUFOVOUNO, DIDIMOTIHORIZOUDIS Ι. GEORGE

I.B.I.A (International Bunkering Industry Association) Event

On the occasion of the International Petroleum Week, which took place this year in London from February 16 to 19, I.B.I.A, the International Bunker In-dustry Association, held their annual dinner, which took place at The Hilton on the evening of February 16.Aegean, once again, sponsored the event and its guests had the opportunity to meet friends and associates and discuss, in a relaxing and pleasant atmosphere, developments in the bunkering and shipping industry.


Marine Chronicle Awards “Shipping Personalities of 2008”

Each year, Marine Chronicle (Naf-tika Chronika) magazine honors shipping personalities who have left their mark in the industry during the previous year, through their actions, their positions, and their proposals. In the past, the selection committee consisted of the magazine’s columnists; this year the selection was made for the first time from a team com-prised of 10 university professors with a knowledge of shipping and five shipping journalists. Notably, the 10 shipping personalities and the five politicians were selected unanimously. Aegean’s founder, Mr. Dimitris Melissanidis, was voted one of the shipping person-alities of 2008. The other personal-ities who stood out in the shipping environment were Mr. Ioannis Aggeliskousis, Mr. Nikos Varvates, Mr. Yiannis Vardinoyiannis, Mr. Kostas Grammenos, Ms. Eleni Thanopoulou, Mr. Alkis Korres, Mr. Yiannis Koustas, Mr. Vais-lis Konstantakopoulos, Captain Panayiotis Tsakos, Mr. Anastasios Aliferis, Mr. Stavros Dimas, and Ms. Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou.

New Aegean PersonnelThe following employees have joined the

Aegean work force

AEGEANOILBitzilou EleniChrisostomidou EfrosiniDelisavvas Panayiotis Papadakis KonstantinosSkalas Konstantinos

ΑEGEAN MARINE PETROLEUMGikas Filotas Kapetanaki IoannaKontraros DimitriosLekodimitris StavrosTheodorou Panayiota

AEGEANBUNKERINGSERVICESLouvaris IoannisTsaxirli Soumela

HELLENICENVIRONMENTALCENTERAndronikos KonstantinosBalayianni EleniManias Dimitrios Topalidis Alexandros Triandou Vasiliki

AGENCYApostolidou Katerina


Aegean Participates in Tree PlantingAtthebeginningofthisyearmorethan30,000

civiliansparticipatedinatreeplantingprogram

at Mt. Pentelikon and, according to estimates,

more than40,000small treeswereplanted in

anefforttoturnthemountaingreenagain.

Onceagainexpressing itsenvironmental sensi-

tivities, Αegean was present, through the par-

ticipationofcolleagueGeorgeGeroyiannisfrom

theITdepartment.

Mr.D.MelissanidisandMrs.MariaLekakou;AssistantProfessorofShippingandBusinessServicesattheUniversityofAegean

Logging OnCustomersandassociatesofAegean

mayvisitthecompany’swebsite,www.

aegeanoil.gr,tolearnaboutthecom-

pany’sactivities.Bunkeringcustomers

mayregisteronlinetoconductbusiness

andmaintaincontactwiththebunkering

departmentatwww.ampni.com.

SPRInG 2009 AEGEAN NEWS 7

On Thursday, February 5, the official awarding of the PERS (Port Environmental Review System) certificate to Piraeus Port Authority (OLP) took place, at the Port Authority headquarters in Piraeus.The certification PERS is awarded to European Ports (to date 32 European ports have been certified) and offers a series of economic and operational benefits to ports that become certified. At the same time, it is a valuable tool in the recognition of issues entailing environmental risk and liability, which may affect, in a negative way, the operation of Ports. Present at the event were the General Secretary of Ports and Port Policy Mr. G. Vlahos and Mercantile Marine Ministry officials, Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki Professor Mr. A.

Nanopoulos and Piraeus University Professor B. Tselendis, officials from the distinguished Port Bodies of the European Union, ECOPORTS and ESPO, and CEOs of most of the country’s Port Authorities.HEC, present, as always, at every effort of the Greek Ports in their development at the environmental level (it is thanks to HECs activities that OLP achieved this honored distinction), was represented by its CEO Mr. P. Stamatoyiannis and Research and Development Manager Mr. M. Psaromihelakis, who, as EUROSHORE President, greeted the audience on behalf of the European Companies active as Reception Facilities in Europe’s Ports, and answered questions and concerns of those present.

Mr. M. Psaromihelakis of HEC Addresses Piraeus Port Authority Event

Fromleft:Mr.DionysiosBehrakis,OLPBoardPresident;Mr.FilipposKondaxis,PresidentPortAuthorityofRafina;Mr.PanagiotisStamatoyiannis,HEC;Mr.MinasKapetanakis,CEOPortAuthorityofHeraklion;Mr.SotirisMamasis,CEOPortAuthorityofPatras

Mr.M.Psaromihelakisduringhisspeech

Fromleft:Mr.G.Vlahos,GeneralSecretaryofPortsandPortPolicy;Mr.FilipposKondaxis;Mr.P.Stamatoyiannis



FutureCaptainsVisitAegeanHeadquartersBYGOUNELASPANAYIOTIS|MARINESUPERINTENDENTABS

OnMarch27thesecond-yearclassofCaptainsoftheNationalMerchantMarineAcademyof

HydrapaidaneducationalvisittoAegean’soffices.

The 24 Captains-to be were ac-companied by the Commander of the Academy and Captain of

the Coast Guard Mr. Ioannis Fotopou-los; the Dean of studies and Merchant Marine Captain Mr. Vasilios Dafoulis; and Deputy Dean of Studies Mr. Vasi-lios Stavropoulos. As the cadets arrived at Aegean’s offices they were greeted by

company representatives. Mr. Konst-antellos, Personnel Manager; Captain Kyriakos Maragoudakis and Captain Panayiotis Gounelas, Marine Super-intendent ABS, welcomed them. Fol-lowing coffee and snacks, the students visited the company’s audio-video area and were given an overview of the Aegean Group as well as a special pre-

sentation prepared especially for the occasion. After the presentation the students were given a tour of Aegean’s departments and were briefed by the manager of each division.

Following the company tour the students gathered in the VIP room and received commemorative objects as gifts from Aegean.


TheNationalMerchantMarineAcademyisthefirstMarineAcad-emyinGreeceandatangibleexpressionoftheHellenicmari-timetradition.TheAcademybeganoperationin1749,atfirstasaschoolwiththename"SaintNikolaos"andin1800itbeganoperationastheMerchantMarineAcademyofHydra,aninitiativeoftheisland’sElders.IntheyearspriortotheGreekWarofIndependence,foreignteachers,primarilyfromPortugalandItaly,taughtnavaltheoryandforeignlanguagesattheAcademy.In1927,undertheauspicesoftheNavalSocietyofHydra,aprivateNavalCollegebeganoperation.In1930,theStateestablishedtheNationalMerchantMarineAcademyasweknowittoday.Since1930theAcademyhasbeenhousedintheManorthat

wasonceownedbylocalshipmastersAnastasiosTsamadosandAthanasiosKoulouras,whichhadbeenbestowedtotheStateexclusivelyfortheoperationoftheAcademy.DuringtheSecondWorldWaranduntil1948theAcademyoperatedinAthensandPiraeus(Kastela).ThefirsteducationalshipoftheAcademywasthe"SaintGeorge"oftheshipmasterTsigaris,thesecondwasthe"Electra"andthethird"EugeneEugenidis".Since1989thesystemofalternatetraininghasbeeninprac-tice.Accordingtothissystemstudentsbetweenthe1stand2ndand4thand5thsemesterstravelonboardmerchantshipsfor5-6and6-7monthperiodsrespectively,applyinginpracticethetheorytheyhavelearnedattheAcademy.StudiesattheAcademyarespreadoverfouryears.Todate,2,800captainshavegraduatedfromtheAcademy.

TheNationalMerchantMarineAcademyofHydra

10 AEGEAN NEWS SPRInG 2009

F l o w s & C U r r e n t s

Τhe “Green” Island of Ai StratisAi Stratis will be the first “green” island in an experimental program in Greece meant to cover all the island’s energy needs exclusively from the sun and the wind.The primary reason for choosing this little island of the 260 inhabitants is its very small size, 42 square kilometers, which means that the investment will be relatively small. The other reason is that some preparation had taken place a few years back. Specifically, the Community Administration of the island, together with the Prefecture of Lesvos and the university of Aegean. had con-ducted a technico-economic study, aiming to duplicate the successful model of the Danish island Samso, which covers all its energy needs from Renew-able Energy Sources.According to Ministry of Development sources. the investment will reach three million Euros and will concentrate on wind generators and photovolta-ics. The first tenders are expected to be announced this fall. Upon completion of the project, Ai Stratis will be the only island in the world which will not be connected to the national electricity grid and which will cover its needs exclusively from the sun and the wind.

Increased Oil Production from PrinosIt isexpectedthatbytheendoftheyearthedynamicsofthenewoilextractioninthesea

regionnorthofKavala,willreach5000barrelsperday,comparedwiththe1300barrelspro-

ducedtoday.TheprojecthasbeenundertakenbyAegeanEnergyCompany,whichhasbeen

thenewmajorshareholderofKavalaOilsinceDecember2007.Theforecastisfor10,000

barrelsperdayoutputby2010.Theinvestmentiscloseto200milliondollarsandthefirst

extractionistakingplaceattheNorthernPrinosdepositatadepthof3,200meters.

ThestoryofextractioninthePrinosareagoesbackto1974withthediscoveryofthefirst

oildeposit.Obama Announces Scheme for Environment Friendly VehiclesTheDepartmentofEnergyintheUnited

Stateswilldedicate2.4billiondollars

forthedevelopmentofhybridand

electricvehicleswhichwillmakethe

Statesapioneerinnewtransportation

technologies.

“Wecanlettomorrow’sjobsbecreated

abroadorcreatethemhereinAmerica

andsetthefoundationsforlongterm

prosperity”statedthePresidentofthe

UnitedStatesBarakObama.Themoney

willgotothedevelopmentofnew

generationelectrichybridvehiclesand

advancedbatteriesforthevehiclesof

thefuture.Thescheme,thePresident

promised,willcreatethousandsofnew

jobsandinlongtermwilldecreasethe

country’sdependencyonforeignoil.

By2015,onemillionenvironment

friendlyvehiclesareexpectedto

circulateonAmericanroads,announced

Mr/Obama.Toachievethistarget,the

incentiveforthepurchaseofelectric

hybridvehicleswillbeintheformofa

taxexemptionreaching7,500dollars.

“Thecountryleadingthewayinthe

sectorofenergywillbethecountry

leadingtheworldinthe21century”

statedthePresident.

Clean Energy from the World’s Most Powerful Laser System

CaliforniascientistsattheNationalIgnitionFacility

(NIF)willattempttoproducecleanenergyusingthe

World’sMostPowerfulLaserSystem.Theexperiment

istocommencesoonandwilllastforthreeyears.

Thescientistswillfire192separatelaserbeams,

capableofgenerating500trillionwatts,whichfor

one-trillionthofasecondwillbe2,000timesmore

powerfulthanallthepowerplantsintheUnitedStates.

Theenergypulsewillconcentrateonatinypelletofhydrogen,tomimicthereactionsthat

takeplaceinsidethesun.

Overthenextyearthescientistswilltrytorefinetheprocessuntiltheytriggeranuclear

reactioncapableofproducinglargeamountsofenergy.

Thelasersystemisinstalledina10floorbuildingthesizeofthreefootballcourts.


Fish to Fight Pollution

Britishresearchersannouncedthatnext

yearautonomousroboticfishequipped

withchemicalsensorsandWi-Fitrans-

mitterswillbereleasedintheAtlantic

Ocean,northofSpain,tomeasurepol-

lutionlevels.

ThecompanyBMT,whichdeveloped

therobotsincooperationwiththe

UniversityofEssex,hopesthatifthe

experimentprovessuccessful,troops

offishcouldbeusedonaperma-

nentbasistomeasurethequalityof

waterinrivers,lakesandoceans.The

firstfiverobots,intheshapeofcat

fish,oneandahalfmeterslong,cost

21,000Euroseach.

Theyaredesignedtomimicthemove-

mentoflivefish,whichismuchmore

effectivethanthatofcommonmini

submarines.

“Webasedthisonadesignwhich

resultedafterhundredsofmillionsof

yearsofevolution,whichisextremely

effectiveintheuseofenergy”said

RoryDoyle,BMTresearcher.The

robot’sbatterylastsforeighthours

ofcontinuoususe.

Revolutionary Energy Scheme in SicilySicily, Italy, has been chosen as the venue for the application of a revolution-ary scheme to utilize Renewable Energy Sources, in a cooperation of the local government with Jeremy Rifkin, American economist and advisor to the European Committee on energy matters. The basic concept is that every consumer of electric energy will at the same time become a producer of electric energy through the new buildings that will use RES. The buildings will produce electric energy using photovoltaic systems, small wind genera-tors and biomass. They will cover their needs with this energy and they will “sell” the surplus to the central system, where it will be stored to be used either to cover other needs or to be sold throughout Italy and abroad. The scheme will require an investment of 5 billion dollars for the next 5 years, to be provided mainly by the European Union.

F l o w s & C U r r e n t s

Google in the Battle Against Global WarmingGoogle Inc. issoontorolloutfreesoftware

whichallowsconsumerstotracktheirhome

electricityuseandimproveenergyefficiency

inabidtohelpmitigateglobalwarming.

Dan Reicher, Director for Climate Change

and Energy Initiatives Google, told report-

ers itwas in talkswithutilitiescompanies

in the United Sates, Europe and Asia to

maketheproductavailableshortlytogen-

eralconsumers.

Aspartofitseffortstoreducegreenhouse

gas emissions, Google said in February it

would use its software skills for the pro-

gramthatwillshowhomeenergyconsump-

tioninrealtimeonauser'scomputerora

telephone.

"It will get rolled out very soon to regular

energyconsumers,"Mr.Reichersaid.

"WhenIbegangettinginformationaboutmy

ownhome,IdiscoveredthatIhada35-year

electric motor running for my heating sys-

tem.Thatwasusinghugeamountofelectric-

ity.Ididnotrealisethat'sthechangeIneed

tomakeinmyhome."

Thecompanycitedstudiesshowingthatac-

cess to home energy information typically

savesbetween5percentand15percenton

monthlyelectricitybills.


Fujairahhasestablished itselfasa topbunkeringport in the

world.Howhassuchanimpressivesuccessbeenestablished?

Our bunkering operation is mainly centered on the Fujairah Anchorage. The Anchorage first became established during the Iraq/Iran War in the 1980’s when it became necessary to marshal convoys to enter the Straits of Hormuz. Happily those days are behind us now but from this temporary ne-cessity grew a permanent commercial operation where ship owners recognized the convenience of the Fujairah Anchor-age and the services, beyond bunkering, that were needed and could be made available. True, the major growth took place in the last decade. For example, in 1993 the Fujairah Anchorage handled 2,397 vessel calls. In 2008 there were 10,800 calls. I think we would prefer to be termed, alongside Singapore and Rotterdam, as one of the top three Bunker-ing points in the world. Perhaps at this stage I should also add that Trading as well as Bunkering is an important and growing factor of our status as an international Oil hub.

WhatisthestrategicimportanceofFujairahinaworldwhere

so many people depend on efficient transportation and

logisticsservices?

We are outside the Straits of Hormuz and on international Trade Routes. We are a convenient stopping point which in-volves little or no deviation. Our waters are safe and secure. Vessels waiting orders, or with time on hand before their next call, make use of the Anchorage to carry out essential vessel maintenance programs, from refueling to repair. To-day you will find that many vessels have a Fujairah Anchor-age call written in as a standard part of their schedule.

Theporthasareputationasaone-stop-shopservicefacility.

Howwouldyoudescribethiskindofoperationandwhatvalue

addeddoesitcontribute?

First, I think it is necessary to stress that this has been a two way process – Ship owners requiring services and companies, professional and proven companies, ready to supply them. Our task as Port and Government has been to control the overall operation, create, within international

legal and safety standards, a proper and vibrant commer-cial climate, and ensure high levels of service.

The service range, as you know, is wide and comprehen-sive, provisions, spare parts, repair, crew change , bunker-ing and many more.

Let me give you perhaps two examples where policy has shaped service.

Somewhere in the range of 3,000 plus personnel join or leave ships at the Anchorage through the Port on a monthly basis. There are well established and proven UAE Federal Government procedures for this, which meet all international and national security requirements. Bureau-cracy is kept to a minimum, which is far from the case in many areas of the world.

Also, in many marine locations it is relatively easy to obtain a license to carry out Bunkering Operations. You will note only 9 major companies have licenses to operate in Fujairah. This policy has ensured not only that major companies are fully committed to the operation but also, that collectively, they en-sure that high levels of quality and supply are maintained.

It appears that you have placed service at the forefront of

theoperations.Doyouattributethefocusongoodcustomer

serviceasthecauseofsuccess?

Undoubtedly this is, and has to be, the case. But I think I have made the point throughout that our concerns are not only with the services provided but also with the commer-cial and operational conditions in which the major providers of those services operate. There is no monopoly in Fujairah. Professional and committed companies are very welcome.

The Ports own facilities and growing services are com-prehensive. Rates are kept competitive.

Weunderstandthattheporthasbegunanambitiousexpansion

plantotransformFujairahintothepremierefacilityglobally?

Whataresomeofthecharacteristicsthatwilldefinetheport

whenthismajorprojectiscomplete?

I think you are perhaps slightly overreaching when you refer to “the premier facility globally.” There are certainly

I n t e r v I e w

CaptainMousaMuradCaptainMousaMurad,GeneralManagerofthePortofFujairah,talkstoAegean Newsabout

thestrategicimportanceofthePortinbunkeringandshipping,anditsdevelopmentintoan

internationaloilhub.

SPRInG 2009 AEGEAN NEWS 1�

many factors which point toward our significant expan-sion, particularly in the oil sector but we are already an important and internationally recognized location.

It has never been our policy to make any wild lurch for growth.

Our current investments and buildings are based on a considered evaluation of the market and its requirements.

The current Southern Breakwater Berth Project will provide 900 meters of General Cargo Berth which will meet current and growing demand. Currently under construction, and scheduled for completion by mid 2010, are 1500 meters of Oil Tanker Berths. This facility will meet the requirements of new tank storage buildings, including your own.

Beyond this our future planning has, obviously, trigger points, assessments of what the market will require and when it will require it. Designs and detailed planning are in place. These are of course subject to regular review.

Thereareplanstobuildapipelinedirectlytotheportaswell

as a refinery. How will these developments affect both the

performanceandtheattractivenessofFujairah?

This is the ADCOP (Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline Project) which is currently under construction. The first phase will include a crude oil pipeline from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah, tank storage facilities and SPMs to the North of the Port.

Scheduled for completion by the second half of 2010, this will cater to a significant proportion of the UAE’s crude oil exports and mean that for a large number of tank-ers it will no longer be necessary to enter the Gulf.

The Refinery Project planned to produce 500,000 bar-rels of refined product per day is a second stage. Both these projects illustrate the significant importance of Fujairah’s strategic position and how this is being translated into commercial reality.

In addition, Fujairah is beginning an impressive initiative to

becomeanewtourismdestination.Whatwillbesomeof the

definingcharacteristicsofthetourismfacilities?

Tourism, in Fujairah, particularly in Al Aqah to the North of the Emirate, has been very firmly established over the past five years with the opening of 4 “5 Star” Hotels all of which have experienced high occupancy levels.

Other major resort facilities are under construction in the area.

Fujairah’s coastline, with its dramatic Hajar Mountain back-drop, is regarded by many as the most beautiful in the U.A.E.

Certainly hotels in the area report many return visitors which is testimony to the lasting affection people hold for the area.

Additionally, Fujairah is now an established Port of Call in the itinerary of cruise vessels in the region. Over the next five months over 70 vessel calls are scheduled.

We believe it is only a matter of time before charter flights to Fujairah International Airport will also become an established pattern.

Aegeanhasbeen inFujairahforseveralyearsandhasgrown

alongwiththePort. Infact,AegeanOilTerminalCorporation

has recently completed an agreement to lease a 100,000

square meter parcel of land for a storage terminal. Do you

viewAegean’spresenceconstructivelyandisAegeanastrong

synergisticpartnerforthePort?

Of course, Aegean has an excellent reputation as a profes-sional and internationally recognized operator. Your pres-ence and investment in Fujairah is most welcome and we look forward to many years of cooperation.

CaptainMousaMuradhasmorethan30yearsofexperienceinmarinerelatedactivitiesandmanagement,andholdsapostgraduatediplomainPortOperationsManagementfromHumbersideCollegeofHigherTechnology,UK.In1998hewasappointedGeneralManagerinthePortofFujairah.

1� AEGEAN NEWS SPRInG 2009

NewShipsJointheAegeanFleet

Aegean’srapidbusinessdevelopmentdemandstheacquisitionofmoreandmorevessels,

concurrentlywiththeextensivenewbuildingprogram.Mostrecentnewcomersaretwo

newbuildings,asecond-handbunkeringvessel,plusalargefloatingstorageunit.

s h I p p I n g


M/TKALYMNOSM/T Kalymnos was delivered success-fully on February 20, 2009, from Qingd-ao Huyndai Shipbuilding. After a short stop at Singapore for replenishment of stores and equipment, she sailed to Aegean’s new station at Trinidad.

Intended for a round-the-clock service to our customers, she will be delivering a full range of quality marine fuels, with modern cargo han-dling systems and environmental-safe conditions in accordance with Aegean practice and philosophy.

The vessel has two sets of twin screw type pumps with 750 m3/h and

one screw type cargo pump with 300 m3/h, each driven by an independent diesel engine.

Her total carrying capacity is 7026 m3, distributed in five pairs of cargo oil tanks and a pair of slop tanks.

M/T–RO/ROOSTRIA*—NewwindblowsinAegeanOstria, sistership of the successful Mais-tros, was delivered to Aegean on Feb-ruary 23, 2009. The Romanian-built vessel is a modern Fuel Distribution Tanker, with six fully segregated grades and a large garage for accommodating up to six fully loaded road tankers.

Exclusively designed to support Aegean’s retail network in any port on the Greek mainland or islands, it is equipped with an extraordinary vapour emissions control system,

overfill protection, cross over truck loading and inerting arrangements, which secure safety of operations and protection of the environment during loading, discharging of cargo, or fill-ing of road tankers.

May the new ship always sail in calm seas. *SoutherlywindinGreek

M/TAEGEANACEThis Korean built vessel is double hull, with LOA 74.25m, breadth 11.2m and a deadweight of 1680t.

After her arrival at Piraeus, she is undertaking upgrading work to meet Aegean standards. Upon the work’s completion, she will enter into ser-vice, adding 1469 m3 of cargo capacity with two pumps delivering 700 t/h each to the local station.


M/T Mykonos raised the Gi-braltar Flag on December 5, 2008 and M/T Amorgos

raised the Gibraltar Flag on Decem-ber 7, 2008.

M/T Mykonos carried out bunkers supply to the Pipe–Laying Platform SAIPEM 7000 in November 2008 in Gibraltar, after having previously car-ried out a similar supply to the same platform in the port of Almeria.

That Aegean has repeatedly been

entrusted the supply of a platform with these unique characteristics demonstrates the flexibility and op-erational standards which Aegean is constantly achieving, and which are contributing to the company’s contin-ued growth.

In the picture shown, SAIPEM 7000 can be seen in the Gibraltar An-chorage receiving bunkers from M/T Mykonos.

M/T Santorini, the latest arrival

to Gibraltar as part of Aegean’s New-Build barge program, raised the Gi-braltar Flag on Friday, March 20, 2009.

With this latest addition to the Gibraltar Flag fleet, all the bunker barges in the Gibraltar Station are now proud to be flying the Gibraltar Flag. This is a further indication of the continued support from Aegean to Gibraltar, and serves to demon-strate the strength of the links be-tween Aegean and Gibraltar.

B U n k e r I n g

RenewedAegeanFleetUnderGibraltarFlagBYSPYROSMALTEzOS|STATIONMANAGER

Aspartofthecontinuedsupportforlocalflagsatourbunkeringstations,twoofthe

newbuildingsalreadystationedatGibraltarhavebeenre-flaggedundertheGibraltarFlag.

TheGibraltarFlagRegistry(orGMAasitisalsoknown)wasestablishedinitspresentformat

asaRegistryofShipsin1997.TheGMAwasaccreditedtoISO9001:2000qualitystandards

andhasobtained'WhiteList'statusundertheParisMoUonPortStateControl.


COMPANY UNLEADED95

PERCENTAGE%

UNLEADED100

PERCENTAGE%

SUPERL.R.P.

PERCENTAGE%

DIESELheating

PERCENTAGE%

DIESELengine

PERCENTAGE%

TOTALFUEL

PERCENTAGE%

1. EKO-ELDA 556935 15.9 43585 15.6 40729 16.0 472574 15.2 572304 18.7 1686127 16.52. BP 518229 14.8 78614 28.1 42316 16.7 377758 12.1 426201 13.9 1443118 14.1

3. SHELL 590604 16.8 46606 16.7 18153 7.2 326663 10.5 379584 12.4 1361610 13.34. AEGEAN 330115 9.4 22888 8.2 21333 8.4 245329 7.9 220819 7.2 840484 8.25. AVIN 237340 6.8 15352 5.5 19653 7.7 277194 8.9 284531 9.3 834070 8.26. JETOIL 215883 6.1 12740 4.6 19437 7.7 279015 9.0 278721 9.1 805796 7.9

7. ELIN 188861 5.4 13565 4.8 16017 6.3 200541 6.4 225171 7.3 644155 6.38. REVOIL 192890 5.5 10516 3.8 17680 7.0 186517 6.0 159380 5.2 566983 5.59. ETEKA 185472 5.3 11371 4.1 12088 4.8 139200 4.5 84862 2.8 432993 4.210. SILKOIL 110368 3.1 4397 1.6 13768 5.4 112270 3.6 97946 3.2 338749 3.311. CYCLON 86946 2.5 6486 2.3 6382 2.5 101652 3.3 77520 2.5 278986 2.712. DRACOIL 48356 1.4 2217 0.8 3900 1.5 107172 3.4 55678 1.8 217323 2.113. KAOIL 50126 1.4 2493 0.9 5157 2.0 99850 3.2 56899 1.9 214525 2.114. ELPETROL 76549 2.2 3378 1.2 5358 2.1 49647 1.6 44921 1.5 179853 1.815. SUNOIL 37395 1.1 1601 0.6 3944 1.6 48705 1.6 35012 1.1 126657 1.216. KMOIL 30194 0.9 1230 0.4 3592 1.4 24333 0.8 23663 0.8 83012 0.817. GALLON 23717 0.7 1315 0.5 1210 0.5 36377 1.2 14025 0.5 76644 0.718. ARGO 19108 0.5 866 0.3 1960 0.8 18352 0.6 18962 0.6 59248 0.619. MEDOIL 11263 0.3 413 0.1 1025 0.4 10783 0.3 7695 0.3 31179 0.320. BITOUMINA 2587 0.1 109 0.0 134 0.1 3553 0.1 1523 0.0 7906 0.1

TOTAL 3512938 100.0 279742 100.0 253836 100.0 3117485 100.0 3065417 100.0 10229418 100.0

hellenIC envIronmentAl Center

For the fuel market, 2008 was a year characterized by a wide f luctuation in the price of

crude oil and consequently in its by products.

This wide price fluctuation contrib-uted to the significant increase in the price of products during the first se-mester, and to a significant decrease, mainly during the second semester,

thus creating a period of instability with negative consequences.

According to Ministry of Devel-opment data, during the past year a 2.59% decline in the domestic market fuel consumption was registered com-pared with 2007.

During the same period, and de-spite the negative climate, Aegean reg-istered an increase in total fuel sales

by 2.37% (Table Ι), while in automo-tive fuels the increase came to 8.85%, whereas the corresponding increase of the total market came to 2.09%.

Furthermore, Aegean, at the end of 2008, reached the fourth position in total fuel sales among the twenty trad-ing companies (Table Ι), while it maintains the fourth position in total gasoline sales (Table II).

AegeaninFourthPositioninTotalFuelSalesBYKONSTANTINOSPOURSANIDIS|GENERALMANAGER

All quantities are expressed in metric tons

TABLE I SourcE: MINISTry of DEvELopMENT

r e t A I l

TotalFuelMarketSharesYear2008

COMPANY UNLEADED95

PERCENTAGE%

UNLEADED100

PERCENTAGE%

SUPERL.R.P.

PERCENTAGE%

TOTALGAZOLINE

PERCENTAGE%

1. EKO-ELDA 556935 15.9 43585 15.6 40729 16.0 655.363 16.22. BP 518229 14.8 78614 28.1 42316 16.7 641249 15.8

3. SHELL 590604 16.8 46606 16.7 18153 7.2 639159 15.84. AEGEAN 330115 9.4 22888 8.2 21333 8.4 374336 9.35. AVIN 237340 6.8 15352 5.5 19653 7.7 272345 6.76. JETOIL 215883 6.1 12740 4.6 19437 7.7 248060 6.1

7. ELIN 188861 5.4 13565 4.8 16017 6.3 221086 5.58. REVOIL 192890 5.5 10516 3.8 17680 7.0 218443 5.49. ETEKA 185472 5.3 11371 4.1 12088 4.8 208931 5.210. SILKOIL 110368 3.1 4397 1.6 13768 5.4 128533 3.211. CYCLON 86946 2.5 6486 2.3 6382 2.5 99814 2.512. DRACOIL 48356 1.4 2217 0.8 3900 1.5 85285 2.113. KAOIL 50126 1.4 2493 0.9 5157 2.0 57776 1.414. ELPETROL 76549 2.2 3378 1.2 5358 2.1 54473 1.315. SUNOIL 37395 1.1 1601 0.6 3944 1.6 42940 1.116. KMOIL 30194 0.9 1230 0.4 3592 1.4 35016 0.917. GALLON 23717 0.7 1315 0.5 1210 0.5 26242 0.618. ARGO 19108 0.5 866 0.3 1960 0.8 21934 0.519. MEDOIL 11263 0.3 413 0.1 1025 0.4 12701 0.320. BITOUMINA 2587 0.1 109 0.0 134 0.1 2830 0.1

TOTAL 3512938 100.0 279742 100.0 253836 100.0 4046516 100.0

GazolineMarketSharesYear2008

All quantities are expressed in metric tons

TABLE II SourcE: MINISTry of DEvELopMENT


Crete, in the southeastern part of the Mediterranean, is a market with a high standard of living

and whose inhabitants’ main activities are tourism and agriculture. On the basis of these activities, Crete has de-veloped a very significant economy in many sectors and, as such, natural liquid fuel is the driving force.

One of the most significant prob-lems Crete is facing today is the high price of fuel, an issue that affects and burdens all productive and commercial activities, with an impact on the island’s total economy. In an effort to overcome this problem, Aegean built the Ro-Ro Tanker Maistros, which is a modern and safe Floating Fuel Storage Installa-tion, with which the company transfers, under almost all weather conditions, inexpensive and quality fuel to the is-land and then, with road trucks (which

r e t A I l

TheCreteMarketBYNIKOLAOSPERAMATzIS|GASSTATIONNETWORKMANAGER

ThedevelopmentofthegasstationsnetworkonthebeautifulislandofCrete,withthe

introductionofinexpensive,qualityfuel,isAegean’sstrategicgoalforthisyear.


travel with Maistros), distributes the fuel to its gas stations network.

Aegean started the development of its Crete gas station network in Sep-tember 2008, after the introduction of Ro-Ro Tanker Maistros, and we already have achieved a market share higher than 3% of the total market. What is more impressive is the way the market has reacted, which is something we have not seen before. There is huge enthusiasm, and although we had been very optimistic about results, we did not anticipate such a superb response. Usually, after the strategic planning for the development of the network, every company needs a long period to attract gas stations, during which time it presents its profile and brand. It is also usual for some reser-vations to exist for a certain period, during which you introduce yourself,

you explain, and you are evaluated by the whole market. Usually, the en-try of a fuel trading company into a new market presupposes a ‘buy out’ of volumes, gas stations, customers. And usually, whatever differentiation exists is based mainly on economic criteria. Usually, a lot of ‘usually’—the same for most companies.

For Aegean, however, what takes place is beyond the usual. Aegean is growing very fast, the market embraces Aegean, as if it were its own to protect, to guide. With Aegean it is a completely different “story.” In its relations with the market, with its associates, there is something alive, an unprecedented

feeling. The market itself, the associ-ates, the consumers, take on to them-selves the responsibility of the “game.” They become fanatics, they become ac-tive, and in reality ‘push’ Aegean to grow and they develop it better them-selves. A market where the gas station development team is the gas station owners themselves. They guide, they manage. It is on the basis of this model that Aegean develops, moves ahead, progresses. Because Aegean is what its associates experience, what its associ-ates perceive. The company which, first, foremost, and above all else, plac-es the interests of its associates and of end consumers first.

Aegean is the company which, first, foremost, and above all else, places the interests of its associates and of end consumers first


Aegean’sgasstationownersdonotfitaspecificprofile.Theymaybeveryexperienced

peopleinthesector,withalongandsuccessfulcourseinthefuelbusiness.Theymaybe

matureinage,oryoungpeople,juststartingtheirprofessionalendeavors.Theymayalsobe

peoplewhohavenothadtheslightestexperienceinoperatingagasstation.

GiannisDouroudakis—DidimotihoABreathofFreshAirforanOldEstablishment

s t A t I o n s o F t h e m o n t h

There is, however, a prerequi-site that is absolutely essen-tial: They must all be honest

people, with a desire to work hard, and ready to serve, in the best way possible, the customers who reach their station.

Giannis and Soula Douroudakis ful-ly comply with this basic prerequisite.

It proved impossible to talk to Mr. Giannis Douroudakis. As his wife ex-plained, he is on the run all day long. However, she was more than willing to talk to us herself, as both of them have been working in the gas station for the past three years.

The gas station on Orestiados street began to operate in the 1970s by Mrs. Douroudaki’s father. "The gas station is an old family busi-ness and both my parents worked here together, she explains. When my father died my mother took on the business."

Andlateronyoudecidedtogetinvolved?

No. My husband and I decided to leave for Germany, to work there. We leased the gas station to a third party.

So,howisityouareheretoday?

We came back to Greece a few years ago

and, although we had no experience in this business, we decided to give it a try. It was a rather bold decision, not only because we had nothing to do with the fuel sector but because the gas station was in very bad condition. The people who had rented it had completely aban-

doned it. Our family and friends ex-pressed great reservations as to whether we could do something about it and change the image consumers had about this particular establishment.

But what do you know! We started three years ago, and although custom-ers were really hesitant at the begin-ning, they soon realized they could trust us. We were really determined to work hard and change things around and working together with Aegean to make this gas station different from what it was up to then.

Do you believe that you have achieved

thisgoal?

We are very pleased. We work hard, but everything is going extremely well. Our gas station has completely changed, the customers got to know us and trust us and Aegean is standing by us and supports us. All is well!

We were determined to work hard and together with

Aegean to make this gas station different from what

it was up to then


PanagiotisSergianidesandXenophonPagalos—Eliki,EgionProfessionalRelationshipswithaHumanDimension

Our talk took place with Mr. Panagiotis Sergianides, a man with great enthusiasm

when he talks about his business and even more enthusiastic when he talks about his business relationship with Aegean.

Mr.Sergianides,forhowmanyyearshas

thisgasstationbeenoperatinghere?

Many, almost 28 years. In this same place, under exactly the same name. Sergianides and Pagalos. You see, our fathers were the ones who set it up and worked together here.

In reality then you grew up in this station. When was it exactly that you started to get involved more actively?

I cannot say because I cannot re-member myself doing something else than being here. The same goes for my partner. This is were our fathers were, this is where we were. The gas station very gradually passed into our own hands.

AndwhendidyourcooperationwithAe-

geanstart?

Approximately two years ago.

What are the reasons for you seeking

this cooperation? Surely you worked

withsomeothercompanybefore.

Indeed. But things were not going well, especially at the end. Lack of un-derstanding, lack of communication.

WhydidyouchooseAegean?

Naturally, I had heard about the company and all the information was positive. But I want to be very hon-est with you. My decision was greatly influenced by two people I knew well and respected enormously—Mr. Nikos Peramatzis and Yiannis Papa-dopoulos. They had both moved to Aegean from a big name of the sector, they were friends, and I had complete confidence in their opinion. This does not mean I did not negotiate with other companies. And now I can say that the main reason for doing that was to convince myself, to have an excuse that “I did look elsewhere.” I finally made the choice I wished to make from the beginning.

Wereyouafraidofthewayyourcustom-

erswouldreact?

I was afraid, but my fears proved groundless. Xenophon and I are a personal guarantee to our customers. They know us, they trust us, and con-sequently they trust our choices.

Doyoubelievethatyoufoundtheunder-

standing and communication you were

lookingforinthiscooperation?

More than what we expected. During

the first year we face certain problems, and Aegean gave us all the support we needed as new associates, although we were not new in the market. This is very important. We have a sense of security, we know that we will have Aegean by our side whenever we need assistance and support. But what is more important is this: I personally always sought to find the face behind the typical business voice, either dur-ing a meeting or over the phone, the human dimension of a business rela-tionship. And I found it!

We have a sense of security, we know that we will have Aegean by our side whenever we need assistance and support

Mr.SergianidesandMr.Pagalosarebusinesspartners.Reasonablyyoung,closeto40,they

arecontinuingalongtraditionwithhealthyroots.

r e t A I l

AegeanLubricantsTheArtofQualityControlBYPAULzERVOGIANNIS|ASPROPYRGOSINSTALLATIONSMANAGER

Oneofthemostsignificantandvitalissuesregardingtheproductionoflubricantsisthe

methodologyusedforcontrollingthequalityofproductsduringallthestagesoftheir

productionprocess.

Equally important is also the after-sale service provided to customers through procedures

of used lubricants quality control.Aegean lubricants are manufac-

tured to meet the latest and most strict specifications of engine and machinery manufacturers and have the highest qualitative characteristics, which are being controlled during the preliminary production stages and also during the stage of blending and packaging.

There are two basic components of ready lubricants: ❚ Basic Oils (mineral oils or synthet-

ics), which constitute the basis of the lubricants, and

❚ Additives, which are the chemical combinations which achieve the special characteristics required per type and category of lubricant. At Aegean’s Aspropyrgos plant the

identity of the products’ quality is traced, checked, improved and regis-tered as part of a series of procedures which includes the following stages:❚ Basic Oils Quality Control, when the

oils enter the plant and on a daily basis, through sampling, during storage. During these inspections all the physical-chemical characteris-tics of basic oils (viscosity, humidity, density) are specified to ensure that

they fully comply with the specifica-tions for their use.

❚ Additives Quality Control, when the additives enter the plant, and on a daily basis for those stored unpacked, and during their use for those used packaged. (Products are stored in barrels and a sample is taken when the barrel is opened for use.)In the Additives Quality Control,

laboratory tests aim to detect the characteristic metals and chemical substances which constitute the “ac-tive substances” of additives, which ‘armor’ the additive for its partial use. The ready lubricants carry on their packing a characteristic batch num-ber, which is used to fully identify the specific ready product and to trace all the quality tests that have been per-formed for its production, from raw materials up to its packing. Every end user (customer) may ask information on the ‘history’ of the quality of the lubricant he or she is using by simply stating its batch number.❚ At Aegean’s lubricants producing

plant in Aspropyrgos, samples of lubricants productions are being stored, which constitute “a living” proof of the quality of products that have been distributed to customers. Excellent quality is the basic aim of production at all its stages.

Of course, quality is also deter-mined by the choice of raw materials, which includes the top qualitative solutions in the sector of Basic Oils as much as in the sector of Additives.

All production processes are speci-fied, in absolute detail, for every operation level of Aegean’s lubricants plant and are part of the Integrated Management System and Production Quality Control. Quality control pro-cesses include:❚ Inspection of incoming and stored

Basic Oils❚ Inspection of incoming and stored

Additives❚ Inspection of incoming packing

materials❚ Inspection of blending products❚ Inspection of ready lubricants

(stored and for use)❚ Inspection of ready to be packed

lubricants❚ Inspection of packed lubricants

The Art of Quality Control is the most important component of the production process, as it ensures that consumers purchase an excellent product. At the same time, the Quality Control Department provides techni-cal support, as an after sales service, to Aegean’s customers, by analyzing used lubricants, and informing the client about the condition of his equipment.

22 AEGEAN NEWS ΑΝΟΙΞΗ 2009


KinematicViscosityViscosityistheindicationofthelubricantsliquidity.Itismea-suredinatemperatureof100degreesCinenginelubricantsandin40degreesinindustriallubricantswiththemeasurementunitcSt(mm2/sec).Thelowertheviscosityofalubricantatarefer-encetemperature(110Cand40Crespectively),themoreliquidthelubricantis.Theuseofalubricantisrelatedtoitsviscosityandisappropriateforthecorrespondingconditions(temperature,speciallubricationconditions,etc.)accordingtothemanufactur-ers’recommendations.

ThecorrespondenceoftheclassificationperSAEwiththeKine-maticviscosityispresentedinthetablebelow.

SAE 10 W 20W-20 30 40 50cSt100oC min4.1 5.6-9.3 9.3-12.5 12.5-16.3 16.3-21.9

Duringitsusethelubricantisgettingmoreviscous(itskinematicviscositygetshigher)duetooxidationprocessesandparticulateandinsolublematterbuildup.However,therearecasessuchasfuelcontaminationorlubricantsmixup,wherethekinematicvis-cositygetslower.

ViscosityIndexThisindicatestheabilityofalubricanttomaintainstableitsvis-cositywithtemperature.Theviscosityindexisapurenumber,notametricunit,andiscalculatedonthebasisofthelubricant’sviscosityat40οCandat100οC.

FlashPointThisisthetemperatureatwhichalubricantbecomesignitedinthepresenceofflame.Itallowsustocalculatethelubricant’sper-centageofcontaminationbyfuel,whenforexamplewehavetodowith used lubricants. If the Flash point is lower than 190ο C in a usedlubricant,theimmediatereplacementoflubricantisrequiredforsafetyreasons.

TotalBaseNumberTBN–mgKOH/grThismeasurestheconcentrationofthebaseconstituentsofthe

additives,whichreactwiththeoxidesthatbuildupduringthe

combustionprocess.Thepresenceofbasematterinthelubeis

criticalfortheprotectionofthemetalpartsoftheenginefrom

oxidation/corrosion.

Thisparameteriscrucialinmarinelubricantsandcharacterizes

thequalityoftheengineprotectionbythelubricantduringitsuse.

The lower the ΤΒΝ during the lubricant use, the more unprotected

istheengine.ThedegreeofTBNdecreasedependson:

❚Thequalityoffuel(highsulphurcontent,higherdecrease)

❚Thequalityofcombustion(status,engineadjustmentortuning)

❚Lengthofoperation

WaterContentReadylubricantsareinspectedsothattheyhavenowater/moisture

atall,somethingwhichwouldaffecttheirquality.Nevertheless,dur-

ingthelubricantuse,contaminationwithwaterisdetectedfromthe

liquefactionofvaporsintheairandalsofromleaksoftheradiator

ortheflange.Thepresenceofwaterisunavoidableduringuseupto

apercentageof0,2%.Itisnotacceptableabovethislimitandthe

lubricantmustbereplacedimmediately.

ConcentrationofMetalsandSpecificElementsDuringthestageofthelubricant’sproductiontheadditiveswhich

becomeincorporatedwithblendinginthereadyproductcontain

specificquantitiesofmetalsandothercharacteristiccombina-

tionsandelementswhichcharacterizeeachadditiveandmake

itunique.Theplant’squalitycontroldepartmentinspectseach

batchthoroughlyanddefineswithabsoluteprecisionthepercent-

ageofthesecharacteristiccombinationsandelementstoensure

thatthelubricanthasbeenproducedaccordingtheapprovedpro-

cedure,meetingallthespecificationsforitsuse.

Themainphysical-chemicaldatacharacterizingthequalityofalubricant


The basic prerequisites for a new supplier to become active successfully is the establishment of an international supply network and the existence of a stable and certified technology in its lubricants, together with the

capacity to offer full technical support to clients.Equally important is the ‘size’ of the supplier, which will ensure it strength in

the markets and in the management of raw materials, in order to be able to offer competitive prices to clients/shipowners.

A dramatically innovative approach began in the marine lubricants market in 2008 with the creation of the Sea Lub Alliance.

This alliance is in reality the strategic cooperation of some of the biggest independent suppliers of marine lubricants, with a common lubricants technol-ogy, for the establishment of a solid supply network, where the strength and knowledge of each one of the suppliers in the ports of his country ensure excel-lent service and the best prices for the alliance and its clients.

Aegean’s dynamic course in marine lubricants, its weapons being the know-how in products as much as of the marine market, combined with the startling increase in sales, the development of its network, and a common vision, led to the strategic alliance between Aegean Marine Petroleum and Gulf Oil Marine

l U B r I C A n t s

Aegean–GulfOilSeaLubAllianceBYPAULIOANNIDIS|MARINELUBRICANTSMANAGER

Aswehavenotedinthepast,itisafactthattheglobalmarinelubricantsmarketistraditionally

dominatedbymultinationalcompanies.

Aegean is already in a position to supply its

customers in more than ��0 ports all over the

world, covering the most important marine lubricants

destinations


Aegean is keeping up with all the latest scientific developments in marine lubricant technology in its effort to have technical perfection and supremacy of its products

(founder of the alliance), which was officially signed in the beginning of 2009. As a result, Aegean is, already, in a position to supply its customers in more

than 450 ports all over the world, covering the most important marine lubri-cants destinations, including:❚ Greece

❚ Northern Europe (Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, N.France)

❚ Singapore IPL & OPL bulk

❚ China

❚ Fujairah Anchorage

❚ Gibraltar

❚ Durban / Cape Town

❚ US Gulf (Houston , New Orleans)

❚ South America

As this impressive network keeps expanding (soon to include Panama, South Korea and Japan), to go well beyond the ports listed, benefits include highly competitive prices, the offering of full technical services, with analyses of used lubricants, visits by technicians on board a ship upon request of the shipowner, and technical seminars organized by Sea Lub Alliance all over the world. (Dubai 12/08, Singapore 4/09).

It must be pointed out that Aegean / Gulf Oil lubricants are certified by en-gine manufacturers with Full Approval.

Furthermore, Aegean, through the close cooperation with top chemical addi-tives suppliers, has a wide range of special products and lubricants, such as cyl-inder oil for low sulphur fuel Alfacylo 540 LS. At the same time is in a position to keep up with all the latest scientific developments in marine lubricants tech-nology, in its effort to achieve and maintain technical perfection and supremacy of its products.

Forrequests,information,ortoorderlubricants,[email protected]Τel.: +30 210 458 6000

Fortechnicalsupport:[email protected]


hellenIC envIronmentAl Centerh I s t o r y o F A U t o m o B I l e

Themoderneraintheindustryofautomobilemanufacturinghasbeenoneofincreasing

standardization,platformsharingandasharedsetofcomponentscommontoanumberof

differentautomobiles,andcomputer-aideddesign.

TheModernEra

Some particularly significant developments in modern times are the wide spread use of

front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, the adoption of the V6 engine con-figuration, and the ubiquity of fuel injection. Although all these devel-opments were originally attempted in earlier times, they still dominate the market today, even though their significance is often overlooked. Al-most all modern passenger cars are front wheel drive unibody designs, with transversely-mounted engines. Body styles have also changed in the modern era. Three types dominate the market. The hatchback, the mini-van and the sport utility vehicle. The hatchback describes an automobile design consisting of a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, ac-cessed from behind the vehicle by a flip-up window. The vehicle must have at least two rows of seats, with the rear set able to fold down to in-crease cargo space.

The minivan, multi-purpose ve-hicle (abreviated MPV, or MUV multi-utility vehicle), is a type of au-tomobile similar in shape to a van that is designed for personal use. Minivans are taller than a sedan, hatchback or a station wagon, and are designed for maximum interior room.

The sport utility vehicle, or SUV, is a passenger vehicle which combines the towing capacity of a pickup truck

with the passenger-carrying space of a minivan or station wagon, together with on or off road ability..

It is known in some countries as "four-wheel drive,” often abbreviated a 4WD or 4x4. However, not all SUVs have four-wheel drive capabilities (Mazda Tribute, for example), and not all 4WD passenger vehicles are SUVs ( for example, Subaru Impreza).

All three types originally empha-sized practicality but have been trans-

formed into today's high-powered luxury crossover SUV and sports wagon. The rise in popularity of pickup trucks in the United States and SUVs worldwide has changed the face of motoring, with these "trucks" com-ing to command more than half of the world automobile market.

The modern era has also seen rap-idly rising fuel efficiencyand engine output. Once the automobile emis-sions concerns of 1970s were con-quered with computerized engine management systems, power began to rise rapidly. In the 1980s, a powerful sports car might have produced 200 hp, just 20 years later average passen-ger cars have engines that powerful, and some performance models offer three times that much power.

ExemplaryModernCars1974–present VW Golf1983–present Chrysler minivans1986–present Ford Taurus 1992–2005 Chrysler Concorde, Dodge Intrepid, Eagle Vision1975–present BMW 3-Series1993–present Jeep Grand Cherokee

I Protect the Environment—I Safeguard my Future

If we wan to contribute to the protection of the planet we must, first of all, make sure we understand the importance the natural wealth of the earth has for its survival. By understanding the role of natural resources, we can act more effectively.

ChIldren And the envIronment


So,letustalkaboutforests

The danger of deforestation is a reality all over the globe and

has been recognized as such for many years. The United Nations,

in the Earth Summit organized in 1992, warned the world of this

danger and established an Inter-governmental panel on Forests

to monitor the introduction of Forest Policies. All countries must

participate in preserving the planet’s forest and in tree planting. All

countries must manage forests in such a way that will meet the social,

economic, ecological, cultural and spiritual needs of present and future

generations. Financial support should be available to developing

countries to help them protect their forests.

In our country, forests have been destroyed by catastrophic fires in

recent years. This is an even more important reason why, as a nation,

we have the great obligation to protect our remaining forests and help

replant the ones that have burned down.


Reforestation

Natural ReforestationForests have the ability to be reborn just two years after a fire.

Plants have developed special mechanisms that ensure the pres-

ervation of their reproductive systems. Pine trees have seeds with

very hard skin, which are not burned while they remain inside the

pine cones. Some bushes hide their seeds a few centimeters below

the ground surface and they are not destroyed by fire. When the rain

season begins the seeds start to grow and, as a result, prevent soil

erosion. Ash is not dead material, but contains all those elements

and nutritional materials from burned trees, becoming in essence

the fertilizer for the new growths. When a burned forest is naturally

reborn it must not be artificially replanted, because this prevents

the natural development of the vegetation. Especially during the first

two years after a fire, he new growths must remain undisturbed by

human activities.

Artificial Reforestation When a forest has been burned more than once during a five-year

period, and its ecosystem has been seriously harmed due to the ero-

sion of the soil or excessive grazing, then artificial reforestation is

necessary, as the forest has lost its natural ability for rejuvenation.

This decision must always be made by specialized scientists

who will have the responsibility for this project and will also decide

which type of trees are the right ones to be planted according to the

special conditions of the area.

The proper season for reforestation is October-November until

April, the period with considerable rainfall, so that the new trees will

get strong roots to absorb all the necessary nutrients from the soil.

I BECOME INFORMED— I INFORM OTHERS—I ACT

The Role of ForestsForests☺ Provide home to the majority of animals, birds and plants

☺ Maintain and conserve the soil

☺ Help regulate climate conditions

☺ Regulate hydrological cycles and ensure a continuous water supply

☺ Provide timber

☺ Enable agricultural activities

☺ Provide ingredients for the production of medicines

☺ Facilitate employment—a great number of professions depend

on forests

The destruction of forests has catastrophic consequences☺ Floods, droughts, erosion of soil, desertification

☺ Changes of climate conditions leading to global warming

☺ Loss of plants and animals

☺ Famine and poverty

☺ Loss of jobs

☺ Conflicts over fertile lands

What can we do?☺ Reduce our consumption of paper and wood

☺ Use paper from recycled products

☺ Use the back of a used sheet of paper when possible

☺ Be prepared to give up some comforts to reduce unnecessary

use of paper. For example, convince your mother to give up the

use of paper in the cleaning of the house and use cloth that can

be used again. Window panes can be easily cleaned with an old

newspaper, vinegar, and water. This will have an additional benefit

since you will not have to use window cleaning detergents that

contain chemicals.

☺ We learn about reforestation. We then inform our relatives and

friends and participate in constructive activities.

�0 AEGEAN NEWS SPRInG 2009

r o o t s

He (she, they) fried fish on my lips This is an expression we often use when someone has given us a really

hard time. How did it come about? During the Byzantine period, it was

a very strict rule for people to fast during Lent. Obviously, this rule

was even stricter in monasteries. However, sometimes monks had dif-

ficulty in keeping this rule and ate something forbidden and if this was

revealed the punishment was very harsh, even deadly. So, legend has it

that a monk was caught frying fish in a cave near the monastery where

he lived. His act was considered a terrible sin, and his punishment was

even more terrible. His punishers placed live charcoal into his mouth

and placed on top of it a raw piece of fish, to fry. The poor soul died, but

the expression remained ever since.

You (he, she, they…) bloated my liver We use this expression when someone has upset us seriously. It is by

now acknowledged by doctors that stress enlarges the liver, but it is

believed that the expression has its roots in antiquity. Ancient Greeks

often fed their animals with figs—a fruit they adored themselves.

However, when this was overdone and the animal ate too many figs,

their liver became bloated.

You will do it and sing a song as wellWe usually use this expression to someone who objects in doing some-

thing we ask of him. It is believed that this originated in old feasts, when

someone, who had drunk a lot, persisted that his companion does the

same. The companion refused and his friend continued to insist by

saying “come on, you must drink one more, come on, drink and you

will sing a song.”

Your brains and one poundWe usually address someone with this expression when we consider him,

or his sayings, foolish. It is said that during the Turkish occupation there

was an enormous Albanian in Athens, who, at regular intervals, passed by

the homes of the Athenians to collect the tax the Turks imposed on them.

This giant held a huge club in his hands and threatened to break the head

of anyone refusing to give him one pound or two gold coins (florins). But

he was so dim-witted that he could not distinguish the various coins and as

a result some Athenians who did not have the money to pay him, polished

some bronze pennies and handed them over to him as golden coins.

I (you, he, she …) paid the hair of my head During the Turkish occupation period, again, the Greeks had to pay a

multitude of taxes. Among them, there was one tax that was imposed

on Greeks who had long hair. This is how the expression came about to

signify the excessive price paid for something.

Hair grew on my tongueWhen we have spoken too much, usually to persuade someone about some-

thing, we use this expression. It is believed that it goes back to the Byzantine

period, when those who spoke too much, meaning those who revealed things

that should not have been said, were punished. The usual punishment was

for the violators to chew on a particular weed until it became pulp. This weed

was hard, with an acrid taste, and during the chewing the mouth would bloat,

and the tongue would bleed and get full of fibres that looked like hair.

Just a few examples, but indicative of the power they hold to have

survived through the years. Expressions with a past, and, as proven by

their endurance, with a future!

Inourdailylives,oncertainoccasions,weoftenuseexpressionswhichseempeculiarand

appeartobewithoutmeaning.Itisnotso.Theyareexpressionswithalongcoursethrough

theyears.Expressionswithapast!

Expressionswitha…Past

SPRInG 2009 AEGEAN NEWS �1

Aegeanisproudofthecontemporaryimageofitspetrol

stations.Stationpersonnelenhancethe“AegeanLook”

throughclothingandproductsthatreflecta

commitmenttoqualityandcustomerservice.

Productsthatsay

“We‘redifferent”

t h e A e g e A n I m A g e

�1SPRInG 2009 AEGEAN NEWS

�2 AEGEAN NEWS SPRInG 2009

Aegean’s websiteswww.aegeanoil.grwww.ampni.com

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Aegean News€¦ · 12 INTERVIEW Captain Mousa Murad, General Manager Port of Fujairah ......

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