The Islander Issue 38, August 1

Friday, August 1, 2014Issue 38 Published by The Bahrain Petroleum Company B.S.C. (Closed)

Bapco has been recognized during a Ramadan Ghabga held recently by the Bahrain Society for Training & Development, under the patronage of HE Dr. Fatima Al Balooshi, Minister of Social Development in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The company was awarded in recognition of its support for the activities of the society in enabling different sections in the Kingdom and helping humanitarian and charity causes, through its support

to children in need and their families. The event was attended by Bapco’s Deputy Chief Executive (Refining & Marketing), Mr. Ebrahim Talib, who received the appreciation trophy on behalf of Bapco from HE Dr. Al Balooshi. Commenting on this occasion, Mr. Talib expressed Bapco’s pride in receiving the award, which reflects its continued commitment towards fostering social development efforts and serving charity and humanitarian causes in Bahrain. He further said, “Bapco’s participation in such activities is a vivid reflection of its involvement in the growth of the industrial development and its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, reflecting its role as a key supporter of development in the kingdom.” In conclusion, Mr. Talib thanked HE Dr. Al Balooshi for the sponsorship award presented to Bapco.

Bapco Recognised for Role in Helping Charity Causes

Bapco has officially launched a “Go Green” Campaign, which was announced during a recent visit by the company’s new Chief Executive, Dr. Peter Bartlett, to the company’s Sadeem office where he met with concerned officials of the Marketing Division to initiate the nationwide campaign. The new initiative reflects Bapco’s continued commitment towards protecting the environment through dedicated eco-friendly activities. As part of the campaign, expired Sadeem smart fuel cards will be collected and donated on behalf of customers to agencies concerned with collecting plastic materials for recycling purposes. The “Go Green” campaign is being held as part of

Bapco’s widespread Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) endeavours, and underlines the company’s prominent role as a key contributor towards sustainable development in the kingdom. Bapco has been an ardent supporter of environmental causes in the Kingdom of Bahrain a well as the surrounding region. For this purpose, the company has initiated various tremendous activities and has remarkably continued to take great strides towards the betterment of the environment.

“Go Green” Launch Ceremony Held

Bapco & Contractor employees achieved a new record in safety by completing one million hours without a Lost Time Injury (LTI) on Tuesday, 8 July

2014. This reflects their ongoing efforts and dedication to working safely. On this occasion, Bapco’s Deputy Chief Executive (Refining & Marketing) and Chairman of the Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) Committee, Mr. Ebrahim Talib, said: “As we congratulate ourselves on

our continuing excellent level of safety performance, we must also reinforce our vigilance and efforts in the prevention of injuries”. Mr. Talib expressed pride in Bapco’s pioneering role as a key supporter of EHS drives not only on a company level, but also throughout the entire Kingdom. “We must direct our efforts in deploying BOOST, the 4-Keys to Safety and OSOOL Bapco; and treat them as part of our daily activities. We urge everyone to remain alert in adhering to safe work procedures and practices to prevent injuries this year and to continue to strive for excellence in our journey of safety”, Mr. Talib concluded.

1 Million Hours without LTI Achieved

Bapco has recently been recognised for its co-sponsorship of the “Nasser 7” Ramadan Football Tournament, which was held from 2-22 July 2014 under the kind patronage of HH Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports & Chairman of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, who presented sponsorship trophies to sponsoring companies after the final match of the tournament had concluded. Bapco’s Deputy Chief Executive (Refining & Marketing), Mr. Ebrahim Talib received the award from HH Sheikh Nasser on behalf of the company.Commenting on this occasion, Mr. Talib said “This recognition is a great honour for all of us. Bapco is proud to co-sponsor this

event, which reflects our national role in fostering the youth and sports sector in the Kingdom. Bapco’s initiative also represents its continued commitment towards sport in Bahrain.”“’Nasser 7’ has become a major sporting event, attracting a number of promising talents in football. The continuation of this event in its 7th edition has provided Bahraini sport a great impetus which underlines its great success in enriching sporting activities in the kingdom”, he concluded.In this regard, Bapco recently received Mr. Tawfeeq Al Salehy to present its co-sponsorship cheque. At the cheque presentation were Mr. Salehy, Bapco’s Chief Executive Dr. Peter Bartlett, Acting General Manager – Human Resources & Administration Mr. Faisal Kaladari, and Acting Manager – Public Relations Mr. Ali Yacoub Al Meftah.

Bapco Underlines Pride in Co-sponsoring “Nasser 7” Football

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UoB Student Award CeremonyCo-Sponsored by Bapco

Continuing its constant efforts towards fostering the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) towards the Bahraini community, Bapco recently co-sponsored the Bahrain Health & Safety Society’s Annual Ceremony. Bapco’s Acting Manager - Public Relations, Mr. Ali Yacoub Al-Meftah received the Society’s Financial Director, Mr. Mirza Al Mesbah and Mr. Hassan Ali, Public Relations Director in Awali, in the presence of Bapco’s Manager - Fire, Health & Safety, Mr. Ahmed Khalil. During the meeting, the cheque was presented to Mr. Al Mesbah. Bapco officials hailed the leading services of the Bahrain Health &

Safety Society in promoting occupational health and safety. They expressed Bapco’s pride in its support of the activities of the Society, and said it is in line with Bapco’s ongoing efforts to support the various institutions of the Kingdom, as well as enhancing Bapco’s CSR towards the welfare of the Bahraini society. They wished the Bahrain Health & Safety Society continued success and progress in serving the aspired goals of the Kingdom. For his part, Mr. Al Mesbah thanked Bapco for its co-sponsorship, lauding its tangible achievements in boosting the social welfare of Bahrain.

Bapco Co-Sponsors Bahrain Health & Safety Society Annual Ceremony

As part of its commitment towards fostering social and sporting endeavours in the Kingdom, Bapco recently co-sponsored the Olympic Day 2014 held at the Prince Khalifa Park in Hidd under the patronage of Mr. Abdul Rahman Sadiq Askar, General Secretary of the Bahrain Olympic Committee. The event was attended by a number of representatives including diplomats and athletes. It also included exhibition stands of various concerned

societies, and amateur stands in addition to them. The function witnessed the enthusiastic participation of a large number of participants, including special needs participants. It celebrated the three Olympic pillars of “Move, Learn and Discover” and featured a variety of social and family activities and attractions including a walkathon, entertainment shows, competitions, health shows, a children’s game area, a song and dance show and more, as

well as a demonstration of sporting skills. The event also strived to celebrate Olympic values followed around the world. Bapco’s sponsorship of the Olympic Day celebrations falls in line with the company’s continued commitment and passion towards developing cultural and sporting activities in the Kingdom. Bapco was represented at the activity by Public Relations Superintendent on Special Assignment, Mr. Fahad Shamsan.

Olympic Day 2014 Celebrations Co-Sponsored

Bapco’s Card Business Unit (CBU) recently arranged an event at the Bapco Club in Awali, as part of the company’s continued commitment towards developing fuel service operations in the kingdom. The event, which was held on 29 May 2014 for private service station owners in Bahrain, was in line with the company’s concerted efforts aimed at encouraging owners in the kingdom to be a part of the expansive Sadeem network and contribute to the future expansion of the service, which has been in operation since May 2012.

Since the inception of the Sadeem service, Bapco has issued over 53,000 cards over 17 stations across the kingdom. The service is a uniquely convenient electronic method of payment for fuel, serving both corporate and individual segments. Over the years, it has garnered great popularity owing to its capability to be used as a substitute to cash payments and fuel vouchers, and has been overwhelmingly preferred by customers due to its efficiency, effectiveness, safety and convenience as a modern fuel payment service in the kingdom.

Sadeem Event Held for Private Station Owners

As part of its continued support towards enhancing the educational sector in the Kingdom, and within its corporate social responsibility (CSR) role in Bahrain, Bapco has sponsored last month the University of Bahrain (UoB) Annual Student Award Ceremony at the Chemical Engineering Department in the University premises in Isa Town. The activity was attended by officials of the university and representatives of sponsoring companies. Commenting on this occasion, Bapco’s General Manager - Human Resources and Administration, Mr. Ghassan Ali Al Muhanna said: “Bapco is proud of co-sponsoring this

ceremony which is in line with its continued commitment towards fostering the Kingdom’s educational sector and fostering its CSR role in the Kingdom.” Mr. Al-Muhanna also stressed the importance of the transition from the academic environment to a professional one, the role of interpersonal, communication and technical skills in ensuring workplace success, and Bapco’s initiatives to invest in potential contributors to the growth of Bahrain. Upon the conclusion of the ceremony, a trophy of appreciation was presented to Bapco for its sponsorship of the event.

As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) role, which aims to provide support to local institutions and make a positive difference to the well-being of citizens of the Kingdom Bahrain, Bapco has sponsored a Ghabga event of the Bahrain Deaf Society. The activity was held at the Bapco Club in Awali. Present at the event were Bapco’s Deputy Chief Executive (Refining & Marketing) Mr. Ebrahim Talib, and President of the Bahrain Deaf Society, Mr. Mahdi Al Noaimi, in addition to officials of Bapco and the Society. “Showing Bapco’s support

towards the community is an important part of our corporate social responsibility strategy and it is equally important to the core activities”, commented Mr. Talib. For his part, Mr. Al Noaimi thanked Bapco’s Management for its kind initiative, hailing the company’s key role in fostering the social development of the Kingdom. Upon the conclusion of the event, Bapco was presented with a trophy in recognition of its initiatives in support of the activities and programs of the Bahrain Deaf Society in fostering the welfare of the community.

Sponsorship for Deaf Society Ghabga Event

Bapco recently hosted a Ramadan Ghabga of the Bahrain Diabetes Society (BDS). The event was held at the Bapco Club and was attended by the Bahrain Diabetes Society Chairman HE Dr. Shaikh Mohamed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Minister of State for Defense Affairs, Bapco’s Deputy Chief Executive, Chairman - Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) Committee, Mr. Ebrahim Talib, and Dr. Mariam Al-Mulla Al-Hajeri BDS Vice Chairman. Several officials of Bapco and BDS were also present at the activity which was held to recognize the achievements of students from BDS. The event which attracted over 200 visitors also featured a Qerqaoon function for students and their families celebrating the Holy Month of Ramadan. Commenting on this occasion

Mr. Ebrahim Talib expressed Bapco’s pride in hosting this BDS activity, hailing the society’s dedicated role and efforts in raising the awareness of diabetes and promoting a healthy lifestyle in the community. He explained that Bapco’s initiative is part of its ongoing efforts to foster the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its role as a key supporter of the social welfare of the Kingdom. During the event, a number of distinguished students were then awarded, after which the Ghabga and children’s Qerqaoon function kicked off. Upon the conclusion of the event, Bapco was presented with a trophy in recognition of its continued support to BDS activities. The trophy was received by Mr. Ebrahim Talib on behalf of Bapco.

BDS Ghabga Hosted at Bapco Club

In line with its continued commitment towards fostering sporting endeavours in the kingdom, Bapco recently sponsored the Al-Bareh 21st International Sailing Championship, held at the Al Sheraa Club in Zallaq under the patronage of Sheikh Khalifa bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Maritime Sports Association. “The initiative is in line with Bapco’s ongoing efforts to boost the various institutions of the Kingdom, as well as enhancing its CSR activities towards the sports and youth activities of the Bahraini

society”, said Bapco’s General Manager - Human Resources & Administration, Mr. Ghassan Al-Muhanna. The 5-day Regatta sailing event witnessed the enthusiastic participation of over 90 sailors from 11 countries. In recognition of its role as a key sponsor of this major sporting extravaganza, Bapco was presented with a trophy of appreciation for supporting the event. Bapco’s Manager - Petroleum Products Sales – Local Marketing, Mr. Zakaria Mahmood Soliman received the trophy on behalf of the company.

Bapco Sponsors Al Bareh Sailing Championship

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establishing industry best practice on stripper internals, our in-house process design for the new trays, following our rigorous project development and execution procedures, competitive bidding, vendor tray design and our review and approval, and the planning for the maintenance work during the short catalyst changeout shutdown in January 2014. During our presentation we will share our detailed findings and experience with the Product Stripper performance, the need to improve reliability, achieve design catalyst runlength and prevent financial losses. It also covers the background to our decision to replace the top bed packing with trays, the process and mechanical challenges we faced with the internals design and the installation, and the overall logistics. The success of such a fast-track project highlights the importance of in-house knowledge, experience and expertise, teamwork and close cooperation between all engineering disciplines, the process licensor and the tray vendor.

A success story of Hydro Cracker APC implementation in Bapco

Hussain Ateyah FardanBapco, Bahrain BioPrimary Presenter: Hussain A. Fardan is a Process Control Engineer at Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO). He is a graduate in Chemical Engineering. He is a Certified Automation Professional (CAP) by the International Society of Automation (ISA). He has a wide range of experience having worked in system integration for PLCs, DCS and

SCADA. In addition he has more than fifteen years of experience in process training, control systems and APC implementation. Most recently he has been implementing APC projects and maintaining APC controls across BAPCO refinery in units like CDU,VDU, FCC/GCU, SRU, NRC, KRU and HCU.Abstract BAPCO refinery (267 KBPSD) has 13 DMCplus controllers and number of AspenIQ applications for refinery optimization. BAPCO uses AspenWatch and PID Watch to their fullest capacity for day to day troubleshooting and up-keep of the controllers and this helps to achieve online time for controllers above 90%. APC implementation in BAPCO is spread across 3 control rooms on Yokogawa DCS and APC monitoring is done by a team of control engineers utilizing PCWS. In order to capitalize on available profit opportunities and to optimize unit operations, APC was implemented on Bapco’s new Hydrocracker unit. The scope of the project (46 MVs, 131 CVs and 7 FFs) involved 2 Reactors, Feed preheat section, Stripper, Fractionator and Light Ends recovery section plus the H2 plant. The use of multivariable controls to better manage and optimise the operation was seen to provide significant benefits. This included improved reactor profile, reduction in operator work load, yield improvement and better control of H2 supply, reduction of excess O2 in heaters and reduced H2 flaring. The project contributed directly to corporate priorities in areas of profitability, efficiency and environment. The payback period was less than 3 months. As a part of continuous improvements, excellent use of Smart Step was made to remodel sections of the controller. These activities could be completed within 10 days.

Technology Transfer and Utilization on Newly Commissioned Wastewater Treatment Plant

Vicente EspinaBapco, Bahrain

BioChemical Engineer with 34-year experience in refining industryStarted his career in oil processing, few years in technical services and challenging decades on improving energy efficiencyHas been involved with the joint venture counterparts on

energy best practices sharing and technology transfer and utilizationMapped energy conservation policy that addressed on the increasing cost of the available energy due to the supply and demand Developed energy champions that have been considered the key drivers in enhancing energy saving culture Continue to fulfill the energy vision by embracing the working together works advocacy and celebrate the little successes the team has achieved

AbstractThe presentation focused on the state of the art four stage membrane bio-reactor (MBR) technology applied in the newly commissioned waste water treatment plant (WWTP) that

provides secondary biological treatment to the refinery waste water. Bapco’s waste water is considered a real treating challenge because of its high temperature, high and variable salinity and the stringent water quality regulations. It has undergone bench scale tests followed by pilot scale tests with waste water stream characterization and finally led to a full scale MBR process that treats Bapco’s saline water and spent caustic. This biological process train has both anoxic and aerobic zones with membrane separation stage. The four biological stages namely anoxic-aerobic-anoxic-aerobic are necessary to meet the stringent specifications. The biological process exploits the activity of bacteria which use the organic compound as food to obtain energy to live and carbon for new biomass growth. Removal of organic compounds is more efficient in aerobic conditions. Since the process is less than 100% efficiency, residual amount of organic compounds is always present. The process continually produces new biomass that need to be extracted, treated and disposed.The biological process can also be exploited to remove nitrogen. In waste water, organic nitrogen is rapidly hydrolyzed by bacteria enzymes forming ammonium ions. The first stage of nitrogen removal is called nitrification operated by some bacteria which transform ammonium ions to nitrates. Nitrifying bacteria operate only in aerobic condition and requires huge amount of oxygen. Nitrification produces acidity. Hence, pH shall be monitored and controlled. The biological removal of nitrates is called de-nitrification which is performed by the same bacteria which remove organic compound but in anoxic conditions. Anoxic conditions are characterized by the absence of oxygen and the presence of nitrates. Denitrifying bacteria remove the organic compound using nitrates instead of oxygen and degrading nitrates to nitrogen gas. This reaction requires easily biodegradable organic compounds. If the organic compounds in the waste water are not enough to complete the process, an external source of organic is required. The stream goes to membrane tank where biomass and treated water are separated in this system. The permeate pumps allow the treated water to filter through the membranes. The results of this treating process is called permeate. The biomass goes to sludge treatment where dewatering takes place. The sludge is stored before it is brought to land farm.There are a number of energy efficient technologies applied. These include the use of absorption chiller where the evaporator allows the refrigerant to evaporate and to be absorbed by the absorbent. Additional cost savings can be realized through the use of heat recovery, plate heat exchange instead of the usual heat and tube because of the economical option, compactness, efficiency, reliability, ease of maintenance, and low initial investment. There are also automation and devices that help optimize the energy consumption such pumps with variable frequency devices which allows energy saving , auto temperature control installed at the cooling section where speed of the fans of the cooling towers is adjusted accordingly to the waste water temperature, automatic biological aeration blower control and the automatic membrane aeration blower sequence.The thrust is to embark on utilizing the technologies that can provide the cutting edge competitive advantage for the full utilization of the existing facilities and survive. Bapco still holds on to its vision, i.e. to strive for excellence in this industry. A Comparison of First, Second and Third generationProcess Monitoring Techniques

Dr. Mark HodgkinsonBapco, Bahrain

AbstractBapco has introduced an extension to its process monitoring platform called Extended Head Quarters (XHQ) that automatically monitors over 190 critical process variables (CPV’s) against limits. This is essentially a second (2nd) generation monitoring technique which builds upon the first (1st) generation

techniques of point values compared to the previous day in OSO-Pi Excel sheets and line charts of variables in OSI-Process Book and XHQ. The CPVs and their limits were generated from best practice lists for operating units and selected to span the optimization, reliability, environmental and process safety dimensions. This presentation outlines the Process Monitoring work processes employed to leverage this 2nd generation technology, the system’s performance, its benefits and its attributes. A comparison is also made between this univariate limit based monitoring system and a third (3rd) generation multivariate process monitoring system using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). It is argued that aspects such as behaviour out of state while still within CPV limits highlights the need for a structured process monitoring regime and a paradigm shift to reducing variation rather than just solving deviations from limits.

How can corrosion lead to premature drive coupling failure on a gasoline shipping pump?

Atil GurhanBapco, Bahrain

AbstractIt would be hard to conceive that a properly sized and installed flexible drive coupling could catastrophically fail in fatigue after only 7,841 hours of operation even though it was aligned properly on installation and it was never subjected to overloading. But it happened. By using a 1,660 USGPM, 200 feet Differential Head, 1,780 RPM and 100 HP Gasoline shipping pump as an example, the

paper demonstrated how unforeseen corrosion / flaking problems in its piping supports exerted forces large enough to distort the casing of the subject pump and push it out of alignment with its driver to cause drive coupling failure.The main objective of the paper was to raise awareness on how seemingly unrelated activities around pumps (and other rotating equipment) can influence their reliability / availability if those activities are not risk assessed to identify any potential adverse effects they may have on the surrounding equipment. For instance, would it occur to you that the routine weekly performance tests on your firewater monitors could gradually reduce reliability of your gasoline shipping pumps located nearby? The paper explained the details of the problem experienced and the methodology used to determine its Physical Cause and Root Cause. Also, the paper summarized the corrective recommendations made to avoid recurrences without sacrificing frequency and effectiveness of the field performance tests carried out on the firewater monitors by modifying the existing test procedure without harming its main intent and at the same time raising awareness amongst the Operating Personnel to heighten the level of care taken on testing of firewater monitors.

Successful Predictive Maintenance Strategy

Andy DohertyBapco, Bahrain

BioAndy Doherty is the Electrical Maintenance Superintendent in Maintenance Services Department and has held this position since joining the company in 2004, when he was recruited from a six year assignment with Chevron Texaco based in Singapore. Prior to that he spent 4 years based in Thailand with Caltex on Star Refinery. Andy graduated from University of Strathclyde in Electrical and

Electronic Engineering with Honours. He has worked in the iron and steel, nuclear and oil and gas industries, with 24 years’ experience in engineering, construction, commissioning and maintenance roles based in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He holds European Engineer designation (Eur Ing), is a Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers (MIEE), is a Chartered Electrical Engineer (CEng), and a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (FIET).

AbstractAn effective asset maintenance strategy is one which is built upon proven maintenance techniques targeted to those assets most critical to the business continuity.In order for refineries and similar oil and gas facilities to remain competitive in a demanding market, production targets have to be achieved and sustained. This requires the physical assets to always be available for operations. In order to sustain optimum equipment availability, companies need to have a robust physical asset maintenance strategy in place, one that utilizes the most appropriate techniques and directs maintenance focus and attention proportionately to those assets most critical to the business.In an environment where operators are increasingly required to extend the life of their assets beyond their original design life, and where asset replacement budgets are limited, it becomes increasingly important to know the condition of these assets to ensure continuous safe operation and minimization of business interruption and lost profit opportunities (LPOs) due to asset failures. Equally, it is critical for operators to know the true condition of their assets in order to make informed repair or replacement decisions. Modern predictive maintenance techniques such as condition monitoring and remnant life assessment provide the data required to achieve this and to plan for effective, focused and prioritized remedial action. This can also be used to drive strategic investment policy and if applied correctly reduces the maintenance budget through reduction in costly repairs.Andy’s paper discussed the successful application of several techniques used in the

formation of an effective electrical asset maintenance program at Bapco. His presentation was well received by an audience of his peers and several enquiries were subsequently received from regional oil companies, which led to Andy sharing some of his successful techniques with others in Aramco and Shell to the enhancement of Bapco’s reputation both in the region and globally. Andy’s remarkably successful predictive maintenance strategy has resulted in an 85% reduction in electrical failures over the past 10 years with an estimated saving to the company of at least US$14 million.

Hydrocracker Product Stripper Revamped for Increased Reliability

Ali Kadhem, Maruti PrasadBapco, Bahrain

AbstractBapco’s Low Sulphur Diesel Production (LSDP) Complex was started up in June 2007. The heart of the complex is the No.1

Hydrocracking Unit (1HCU), which is designed to process up to 60,000 bpd of Heavy Vacuum Gas Oil (HVGO) and produce a range of high value, low sulphur products viz. naphtha, kerosene, ultra low sulphur diesel and unconverted oil which is the feed to the new Lube Base Oil Unit (LBOU).1HCU is a two-stage conversion unit with recycle of unconverted oil. The system downstream of the reactor is a conventional design with effluent cooling, high and low pressure separation, followed by the Product Stripper C7704. The Stripper overhead product flows to the Naphtha Stabiliser and the Stripper bottoms are routed to the Main Column for distillation into the final products.The Product Stripper has three packed beds of random packing and is designed to separate hydrogen sulphide (H2S), methane, ethane and unstabilised naphtha from the bottoms product. The combined feed from the cold low pressure separator (CLPS) and the hot low pressure separator (HLPS) enters the column below the top bed (#1).1HCU has gone through two complete catalyst operating cycles since startup in 2007 and is currently in the third cycle. During the first cycle in 2008, the pressure drop across the Stripper top bed suddenly increased. In addition, there was a step-wise increase in the overhead temperature. As a result the reflux flow rate increased, which further increased the pressure drop and the top temperature and the operation became unstable. We were forced to operate at low reflux and stripping steam flow rates causing more naphtha and H2S in the bottoms. The end result was flaring of light ends from the Main Column. The problem was managed for 4 months until the next catalyst changeout shutdown by reducing the reflux and the stripping steam flows. This was a serious unit reliability problem representing a significant financial loss. In accordance to normal practice, during the shutdown the column was cleaned with a chemical to neutralize iron sulphide and H2S, and then water washed. The top bed was unloaded and corrosion flakes were found which could have caused fouling of the packing. The column and packing were thoroughly cleaned and returned to service and operating problems did not occur during the second catalyst cycle. It was assumed that the high pressure drop was a one-off problem and that unit reliability had been substantially improved through cleaning only.However, during the third cycle, in March 2013, the problem recurred causing significant limitations on the operation. The unit throughput had to be decreased, which resulted in an unsustainable financial penalty. Hence the opportunity was taken during a short unplanned shutdown to chemically clean and water wash the column again. On startup at reduced throughput, the pressure drop across the top bed was near normal and the problem appeared to have been rectified. However, after one month the pressure drop started to increase again and over the next few months significantly worsened, culminating in a repeat of the costly feed rate reductions. The losses eventually became untenable and a lengthy and costly shutdown was taken to identify the root cause and fix the problems.Special shutdown and cleaning procedures were used to ensure that fouling evidence was not washed away and inert entry inspections were undertaken. The top two beds were then unloaded and cleaned. Significant quantities of corrosion flakes were found in the packing and in the feed entry zone. The observations suggested that this was due to surface corrosion only and the column wall thickness had not deteriorated in any way. We realised that the surface corrosion problems would continue due to the sour nature of the service and the fact that the column was not lined. And hence we needed different column internals which would be more tolerant of the fouling, improve stripper and unit reliability and allow the full runlength to be achieved. A fast-track project was initiated to identify and implement the best solution which consists of the replacement of the top bed with trays, the lining of the feed entry section with stainless steel and the installation of filters on the reflux return line.This is an ambitious project to be completed in just four months from conception to installation. The work has included identification of the cause of the operational problems,

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Employees’ Technical Papers from Petrotech 2014


Aziz Bucheery retired from Bapco recently and a farewell party was held for him on 26 June 2014. Aziz wrote, “My journey with Bapco ends after 38 years which equates to two-thirds of my entire life. I had the pleasure of working with many of you, and with some who are not with us

today. Over the years, Bapco remained to be generous with me; it converted me from a young rookie who joined the company in January 1976 fresh out of school to a matured professional. In return, I gave Bapco the best part of my life; I spent more time either working or in transit to and

from work than I spent with my family.” “I’ve always had the pride of being a Bapco employee and I’ll remain to be proud as a Bapco retiree” he concluded. Aziz can be contacted on 32229696/39640164, or by email on [email protected]

Aziz Bucheery Bids Farewell

Interview with Ahmed Abdul Rahman Acting Superintendent - Systems Support – PC&I By: Dinesh Ramanathan

We are in conversation with Mr. Ahmed Abdul Rahman from Bapco’s PC&I department today. Good Morning, please tell us a little about yourself.

I am Ahmed Abdul Rahman, Acting Superintendent – Systems Support in Bapco’s Process Control and Instrumentation department. Going back to my early days, I graduated from Iowa State University in 1997 with a major in Computer Science, before joining Bapco in May 1998.I began as a development trainee in Systems Support Section. The first system I was assigned to support was an old pneumatic type control system at the FCCU complex.Back then, in fact up until the turn of the millennium, our systems were not as advanced as they are today. We had to deal with various complicated tasks that lacked off the shelf solutions. In other words, we had to do a lot of development work on an in-depth level. Therefore, work back then was indeed challenging and as it turned out we actually learned the hard way.As I progressed, I got the opportunity to explore and support other advanced systems at various locations and successfully lead several investment projects. I was later promoted to Senior Engineer and eventually transitioned to my current role of Acting Superintendent in January 2014.

What are some of the major tasks that you have been occupied with during your time with PC&I?My key involvement was first, to support the Distributed Control Systems (DCS) in the 5 main units; the FCCU, LSFO, LSDP, LBOP and North Process Units. Aside from being well-versed with the DCS, I have handled multiple critical systems such as the Vibration Monitoring System, the PI System, Emergency Shutdown System, etc. Parallel to the main support functions, I have been the project leader for a number of key projects like the migration of Platformer/Unifiner DCS system and took part in the first installation at the Refinery of back then state-of-the-art Foundation Fieldbus System. Apart from leading these projects, I provided first line of prime support for other major projects such as the Instrument Modernisation Project (IMP), the LSDP Project, and the recent LBOP. As I mentioned before, I was engaged in plenty of in-house tasks such as development of a sophisticated programme for accurate calculation of refinery high process slop, one of the company’s recognized KPIs, compilation of a

programme for the outdoor LED screen we have in the Refinery, development of manual entry pogrammes for non-computerized data and Refinery Reliability Clock reset, creation of smart interfaces to transfer data across different platforms, and much more.Prior to assuming my current capacity, I was also a certified CPDEP champion assisting project managers to apply distinct CPDEP tools and practices in their respective projects. I personally feel CPDEP has three key advantages, which are; transparency of all key decisions taken; decentralised decision making process; and achieving alignment among decision makers, team members and stakeholders. These have done wonders in how much has been gained after implementing the CPDEP process especially with regard to front-end readiness prior to execution.

What are the prime roles and responsibilities of the System Support Section?The core of what we do is ensuring integrity and availability, and providing continuous support services to all automation and control systems that reside in Bapco’s operational areas; by this, I mean the Refinery, Awali, Sitra Tanks, Marketing Terminal, Wharf, and the Gas Distribution Network (GDN) which is spread over a wide geographical area - we have one in Hidd, another in Sakhir, another in Al Dur - all over, really.The main systems that we support are:-• The Distributed Control Systems (DCS) for all major plants• Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems for Gas Turbines, Khuff Gas Systems and Gas Detection Systems.• Programmable Logic Control (PLC) for various subsystems such us Speed Governor Systems and Anti-Surge Control Systems.• Tank Gauging Systems of Refinery Tanks, Sitra Tanks, and FCCU.• In-Line Blending System of Refinery Tanks.• Plant Information (PI) system (Historian of process data).• Vibration Monitoring Systems for major equipment in the Refinery.• Emergency Shutdown System of several units.• Alarm Management Systems• Marketing Terminal Automation SystemMost of the above, along with other miscellaneous systems are connected into a high speed wide area backbone network known as the Process Network. We also check the above mentioned systems on a daily basis and take regular backups when applicable. We virtually interact with all departments of the company with the aim of providing them with the required services in a timely manner. Meanwhile, system security is among our top priorities and thus we strictly ensure protection of all automation and control systems against potential threats. In addition to the support activities, we also manage a number of important investment projects with the aim of executing them in time and within allocated budgets. Furthermore, we play a significant role in fulfilling critical Key Performance Indicators of the company and often take effective parts in accomplishing Environment, Health, and Safety targets.

Please tell us more about some of the Capital Expenditure Projects handled by Systems Support.In 2014, we are proud that we are managing a record total

of $4.5 million Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) projects that have significant value either in terms of returns (cutting costs) or achieving alignment with Bapco’s Modernisation Program (BMP). Just to give you a couple of examples now; with regard to payout projects, the incorporation of HydroCom (stepless capacity control system) of LSDP makeup gas compressors should achieve substantial reduction in energy waste and improve the process control. We have successfully applied the technology on one of the three compressors (thank to Mr. Syed Ismayil for the well-executed job) and we are on course to complete the implementation on the other two compressors by the end of this year. Regarding alignment with the BMP’s objectives; we have recently commissioned the 4ACDU/5VDU DCS Migration project where we modernised the control systems of 4A CDU, 5VDU, and Kero Merox plants so that they are kept synchronised with the BMP plans of retaining these units for a number of upcoming runs.

How important is the Plant Information (PI) system in Bapco?PI is probably considered among the most popular and significant systems in the Refinery. It plays a vital role within Bapco and is used by many departments in the analysis of process data for normal and abnormal conditions. PI was initially installed in October 1992 to facilitate long term process data history and since then, the system has undergone several modernisation processes.Currently, we are proud to have 20 years of online process data comprising 55,000 tags, coming from all over Bapco’s operational units. PI is such a valuable asset that serves multiple purposes such as operational excellence, incident investigations, quality control, data sharing, predictive maintenance and more. So far, we have done an outstanding job in maintaining PI data integrity and providing the necessary support to end customers on how they can make the best use of various available PI tools and perform fruitful data mining. Our next focus is to enhance the system uptime and to accomplish this, we have embarked on a new initiative to transfer PI to a new technology level that should give us optimum system availability.

What are some of the common challenges that are faced by this section?One of the biggest challenges is that some engineers are over-utilised due to their engagement of multi-tasked activities. Under support-driven climate this is an inevitable fact that we need to deal with efficiently and effectively. You can acknowledge how many critical systems fall under our direct responsibility and the geographical area that they cover. Imagine, an engineer like Omran is busy developing a project at a crucial stage and suddenly receives an urgent request from say Hidd metering station; although a straightforward request, he still needs to commute all the way to the far destination, finish off the emergency work, and then come back and resume the work on the project task where he will be in a race trying to compensate for the hours spent on the support.Another challenge is that we have to keep up with the automation technology. As you can see, the nature of this technology is dynamic and evolving all time, so you need to keep up with its momentum or else you will be at risk of lagging behind and miss profitable opportunities.Promptly attending to emergency

callouts that take place outside normal working hours or during

holidays is another one. Sometimes, this happens in remote areas, like I said, and you need to have people (non-shift workers) ready to mobilize immediately for problem attendance and subsequent troubleshooting. Another major challenge is to prepare newcomers to be in a solid position to handle support tasks. If you consider the vast knowledge and experience we have gained over the years, how can we pass all that down to a newcomer to equip him to meet the demands of this job and these complex issues? It undoubtedly takes a lot of time, effort and patience. But all said and done, the beauty of this section is that we deal with different non-routine issues constantly, which is interesting albeit, at times, inclined to be challenging.

Despite all the highlighted challenges, Systems Support has proven to be one of the most successful teams in Bapco, what do you attribute your success to?To begin with, we are blessed to have a pool of high-calibre engineers in the section who are committed to work with maximum dedication. Take for example, Mr. Bachir Mezara who has been with Systems Support for several years and is considered to be one the section’s pillars. Bachir has demonstrated exceptional skills in being a professional contributor who consistently exceeds expectations. Being my own mentor and the person whom I have learnt the most from, I sincerely thank him for his continuous high-class professional contribution over the years that had a lot to do with the overall success of the

section.The other factor is that we tend to work with a lot of agility and that has reflected positively in our performance outputs as well as our image with asset owners. The concept here is that we eliminate all the non-value added hurdles that could hinder us from providing the required support services promptly. This approach has proven to pay a lot of dividends in terms of attaining high performance efficiency index.

Moving away from the technical talk, let’s hear about what brings happiness to your life. Do you have specific interests or hobbies which keep you going?I very much enjoy travelling and I think it’s amazing when you get the opportunity to go abroad and explore different cultures and traditions. I always travel with my family in the lovely season of spring. Most recently, we visited Japan for three weeks and it was our best trip ever. You won’t believe how family-oriented the place can be. People who visit on work may not have a chance to explore the country so much, but it is certainly a family destination. The contrasting cultures and etiquette are all things we learn, and it is so astonishing when you experience the traditional delights that each place has to offer. Just imagine how diverse and exciting it can be when you enjoy an unforgettable time at an amazing world-class theme park like Fuji-Q Highlands on one day and soak in a volcanic hot spring at a luxurious traditional inn in Hakone the other.I have also been to the UK, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore and Turkey in the past. In general, I enjoy

spending a lot of time with my wife, and my three young children, Abdulrahman, Fatima and Abdulla.

Do you have a message for your colleagues or our readers?I would like to seize this opportunity to give a token of appreciation to Bapco’s Senior Manager – Engineering Services Unit, Mr. Mohammed Hassan. In unprecedented short period of time, Mohammed remarkably managed to inject new blood to lead positions, increase energy levels and business efficiency, and above all elevate the Division, as a whole, to a new level and make it a superior professional entity.To my colleagues, I give them a lot of credit and always appreciate the work they have done and I urge them to keep up the good work and get ready for new upcoming challenges. As I said, technology is evolving, however, I can see upfront, our staff can live up to these challenges and exceed all the expectations.

A Ramadan Qerqaoon was recently held for children at the Bapco Club in Awali. The event attracted a large number of children and families and included traditional Arabic activities held during Ramadan, like songs, dances, childrens’ games and other cultural activities. Traditional sweets, nuts, chocolates etc. were also distributed to children who enjoyed the evening along with their families. Numerous types of refreshments and gift packets were also distributed to families within the spirit of Ramadan, and the evening was a fun-filled and enjoyable one for all attendees.

Children Enjoy Ramadan Qerqaoon Activities

(Cont’d on facing page)

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Bapco Sponsors Al Rahma Centre Programmes

As part of its continued initiatives to the well-being of youth with special needs and enhancing their quality of life and enabling them to be productive members of society, Bapco has announced its contribution to sponsor Al Rahma Centre, which is part of the Bahrain Association for Mental Retardation. Bapco’s Acting Manager - Public Relations, Mr. Ali Yacoub Al Meftah, met the Centre’s Board Member, Mr. Hasan Al Asfoor in Awali. During the meeting, Mr. Al Meftah presented the sponsorship cheque and stressed that Bapco’s support

is not only as seen as a tangible expression of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) philosophy, but also as a key gesture in building a healthy future for Bahrain’s youth with special needs. The Al Rahma Centre greatly contributes to enriching the lives of special needs youth in the society. It caters to more than 40 young people at a time and provides comprehensive services and programmes. The centre also provides care in the form of regular day care to children and young adults who are mentally and physically challenged.

Bapco’s Chairman, Mr. Adel Khalil

Almoayyed and Chief Executive Dr. Peter

Bartlett met and congratulated the following

upon their appointments effective 1 July,

2014. The new appointees were wished

every success in their new responsibilities.

1. Mr. Nooruddin Ebrahim – Appointed Senior Manager (seconded to BAFCO)2. Mr. Abdulla Darraj – Appointed Manager – Plant Maintenance3. Mr. Mahmood Abdulla Mohamed Bucheeri – Appointed Manager – Reliability Engineering

Managerial Appointees Congratulated on Assumption of New Roles

In the photograph are: Left to Right: CE Dr. Peter Bartlett, DCE-R&M Mr Ebrahim Talib, Mr. Nooruddin Ebrahim, Chairman of the Board Mr. Adel Almoayyed, Mr. Mahmood Bucheeri, Mr. Abdulla Darraj, GM-Maintenance Mr. Khalid E. Sabbagh, and Senior Manager ESU Mr. Mohamed Hasan.

Bapco’s Kefah Omran has recently retired from the company after a long and dedicated career with Bapco. On his retirement and looking back at his career, Kefah wrote, “As most of you know, I am retiring after 30 years of service with the company. I started working as a Contracts Administrator in the Construction Department; since 1992, I worked as

a Quantity Surveyor, and from 2009 I began working as a Contract Officer in the Procurement Department. Although it has been a long time, I feel that time has passed by very fast.” He also thanked his colleagues for their great support and added that it had indeed been a pleasure working with them over his career. He can be contacted on 39938744.

Kefah Omran Retires after Long Career

The Bapco Toastmasters Club (BMTC) has recently celebrated its 8th Installation Ceremony at the Bapco Club in Awali. The ceremony was held under the patronage of Dr. Peter Bartlett, Bapco’s Chief Executive, in the presence of Bapco’s Deputy Chief Executive (Refining & Marketing) Mr. Ebrahim Talib, members of Bapco’s top management, Toastmasters and a number of guests. Each year, the club conducts its installation ceremony to install the new Executive Committee (Ex-Com), and to recognise the efforts of the past Ex-Com. During the ceremony, a short movie produced by the BTMC members was screened to highlight the club’s achievement

in local and regional competitions. Later, outgoing-Vice President Education, TM Hussain A. Karim announced that the club received the President’s Distinguished Club Award for the third consecutive year after scoring 10 DCP points. At the end of the ceremony, Area 35 Governor Toastmaster Mahmood Mirza appointed the new Ex-com which comprises of President Waleed Othman, VP Education Arfan Nateq, VP Membership Hussain A. Karim, VP Public Relations Sarah Faqihi, Secretary Zahra Al Saffar, Treasurer Abdulla Hejazi and Sergeant at Arms Saleh Ali Saleh. The Bapco Toastmasters Club was charted in early 2007.

Toastmasters Club Celebrates 8th Installation Ceremony


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Strategic Plan - HR & Administration Division • Most of the HR initiatives are progressing as planned. • GRI sustainability reporting system: There have been few concerns from management that has delayed the progress, and a decision is yet to be made in this regard.

• Training strategy reviewed for effective leadership and managements skills• Develop Competency Framework

Both initiatives were to be conducted by PetroSkills consultants who are undertaking the project under Bapco close supervision and problems have arisen concerning the quality of the service provided by the consultants.

• E-recruitment system implemented HR & ITD departments are working strenuously to develop in-house software with better features and competitive price, while HR is exploring the readymade TALEO Oracle based software programme.

Current Market Trends in the Energy Market

Market Highlights:1. Saudi Aramco is considering two options to increase its domestic refining capacity by up to 285,000 barrels a day (b/d) at Yanbu. The first options would be the construction of a new refinery with a capacity of 285,000 b/d. The second option would be a complete rehabilitation of Aramco’s wholly-owned refinery that is already in operation in Yanbu. The refinery has been operational since 1983 and has a capacity of 225,000 b/d mainly serving the domestic market. 2. Shell officially has confirmed that it will not continue gas exploration efforts in Saudi Arabia’s Kidan sour gas field. In an emailed statement, Shell said it was “a difficult decision” to walk away but it did not give a reason for the decision. Kidan was the main focus of Shell’s efforts in the Rub al-Khali desert over the past four years. Shell becomes the latest firm to abandon exploration efforts in the kingdom, where four international joint ventures have sunk dozens of noncommercial wells. The other ventures, led by Lukoil, Eni and Repsol, and China’s state Sinopec, have announced no discoveries aside from a marginal gas and condensate field on Lukoil’s acreage.3. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) representatives have been in informal negotiations with potential buyers to market the new naphtha to be produced at the new 417,000 b/d crude distillation unit (CDU) being built by its refining arm Takreer at the existing Ruwais refinery. The new CDU will produce 7.5mn tons/yr (180,000 b/d) of three different naphtha specifications including splitter, low-sulphur and pentane grades, similar to Ruwais’ existing 400,000 b/d CDU.4. India is in talks to lease part of its planned strategic storage to UAE’s ADNOC, two government sources said.

India is building emergency storage capacity to hedge against energy security risks. According to the sources, final deal with ADNOC hinges on tax breaks - including issues such as abolishing state entry taxes - and permission to re-export cargoes.Kuwait had also shown interest in leasing part of the Indian storage space but talks with ADNOC are at an advanced stage.India had initially planned to fill the oil storage without overseas participation, but it is now drawn to deals similar to those that ADNOC struck earlier with Japan and South Korea.5. Dubai-based downstream oil company Petrixo has announced it will use Honeywell UOP’s green fuels process technology to make renewable jet fuel and diesel at its new $800 million, 1 million tons/year bio-refinery planned at Fujairah. The plant will be the first commercial-scale jet fuel production facility outside of North America and will look to exploit oils derived from algae and halophytes grown in seawater as its feedstock.6. British oil and gas services group Petrofac Ltd said it secured a $700 million contract from Kuwait Oil Co (KOC) for a gathering centre (GC29) located north of Kuwait City.The project, which includes engineering, procurement, construction, pre-commissioning and commissioning of GC29, is to be completed over three years. The gathering centre will be capable of producing about 100,000 b/d of oil, along with water and gas.7. South Korea will provide financial benefits to local refiners that import crude oil from sources other than the Middle East as part of it efforts to diversify following political uncertainties in the region, the energy ministry said last Friday. These benefits are to help refiners cut their transportation costs when they import crude far away from

the Middle East. Under the new measures, the government will provide subsidies to refiners to import crude oil from the Americas, Africa and Europe to compensate for freight differentials between the Arabian Gulf and other regions.8. The three energy watchdogs expect global oil demand to grow in 2015 as economic growth gathers pace. In their latest reports issued last week, OPEC forecast that world oil use will expand by 1.21 million bpd, up from this year’s 1.13 million bpd increase.The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecast world oil demand to grow by 1.46 million bpd, up from this year’s 1.13 million bpd growth.The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecast global oil demand to grow by 1.4 million bpd next year, up from 1.2 million bpd this year.Crude:

Benchmark crude prices averaged last week; from 7th to 11th July 2014; as follows:

Friday, August 1, 2014 Friday, August 1, 2014 1514 1514 Environment, Health & SafetyEnvironment, Health & Safety

Safety Alert

Fire at Technical Services Department (TSD)

Building

Coconut Water - the Ultimate Refresher

Bapco’s Monthly Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) Committee meeting was held on 8 July, and the following issues were discussed:• There was no Lost Time injury (LTI) during June 2014, however 1 Non Lost Time Injury and 4 First Aid injuries were reported during June 2014. It was reiterated that we must remain focused to prevent all injuries to our employees and contractors.• There were 6 road traffic accidents during June 2014 out of which 2 involved Bapco drivers and 4 contractor drivers. YTD there have been 52 road traffic accidents compared to 39 in 2013.• 20 minor Process Incidents of which 5 have been PSE tiered were recorded during June 2014. YTD there have been 205 process safety related incidents out of which 3 have been classified as Bapco significant incidents.• The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is currently 5.3 versus the target of 7. There has been a steady improvement in the EPI. Well done to all involved but we must continue with our efforts to achieve our target.• A presentation on the findings of a recent audit on

LPG bottling Plants owned and operated independently was presented to the EHSC. The audit identified a number of positive points as well as highlighting some areas of concern. In order to address the areas of concern, appropriate actions have been identified and Bapco is working closely with LPG Bottling Plant owners to implement all the audit recommendations to ensure the continued safety of these plants. A further follow up audit is also planned for October 2014. Well Done to all involved in conducting this comprehensive audit.• The EHSC reviewed the progress of 2014 EHS Objectives and Targets. Although good progress is being made, we need to ensure that we make all efforts to achieve these objectives and targets as agreed at the beginning of the year.• An update on the progress of EHS Week was presented. The final dates for holding the event are being reviewed and will be agreed soon.• Finally, I urge all to be aware of the heat stress and take necessary precautions especially during this time of the year and in the Holy Month of Ramadan. Further information on heat stress awareness is to be issued soon.

Key Issues discussed at EHSC Meeting on Tuesday, 8 July 2014

GENERAL INFORMATIONLocation: TSD, Refining Building Nature of Incident: Fire Date of Incident: 24 June 2014 INCIDENT DESCRIPTIONA smell of burning wires was noticed by TSD engineers at around 09:20 hrs, and the building was searched to identify the source. The smell became stronger, and it spread to all the offices in the west wing of the building. Fire & Safety were called on 5555 at 09:27 hrs, and while they were on the way, the source of the smell was identified to be smoke from a fluorescent light in the Manager’s Office (Room 107). The building was evacuated, and fire fighters extinguished the fire using a Carbon Dioxide (CO2) extinguisher EARLY LEARNING POINTSInitial checks showed that the fire was caused by an overheated choke coil. Although the smoke detector is only 3 feet away from the burning choke, it didn’t detect the smoke. · staying alert prevented accelerated fire. · when suspecting a fire, call 5555 immediately and activate the fire alarm. · Osool Bapco #2: Always work in a safe and controlled condition. · Osool Bapco #3: Always ensure safety devices are in place and functioning. · Osool Bapco #8: Always address abnormal conditions and never let them become accepted as normal IMMEDIATE ACTIONSReacted quickly to the smell of the burning wires, and the building was searched to identify the source. · F&S were immediately called in, the building was evacuated and the fire was put off. CORRECTIVE / PREVENTIVE ACTIONSElectrical Maintenance immediately started checking all the fluorescent lights in the building following the incident, to identify any defective/overheated choke. Checking continued on the following day to cover all the fluorescent lights in the Refining Building. Lessons learnt to be disseminated to Bapco colleagues during upcoming Safety meetings

On 10 April 2014, a heavy leak developed on Mercaptan Absorber level gauge glass. Spent Caustic got sprayed towards South West of #2Poly and followed by Butane release, and this resulted in having the Unit shutdown & secured. Fire, Health & Safety (FH&S) crew called and assisted Bapco’s Oil Processing Department (OPD) in the emergency. After containing the leak and washing the affected area, one of the Fire Crew, Hussain Al Dosseri from FH&S wore Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), climbed the column and isolated the leaking gauge glass. This was a very courageous act and helped contain the situation and prevented the incident from escalating. To recognise his commitment and the role he played in controlling the emergency, he was awarded by Manager - Oil Processing North (Hassan Bahram) in the presence of Manager FH&S Ahmed Khalil.

Employee Recognised for Timely Efforts

How to Replenish Electrolytes in your Body

Coconut water is the ultimate thirst quencher and offers a tasty alternative to water. This pure liquid is packed with nutrients that yield an array of health benefits. Here are 8 Benefits of Coconut Water that explain why it has become so popular:1. Aids in Weight-loss EffortsThe fat content in coconut water is extremely low, so generous quantities can be consumed without the fear of immediately packing on the pounds. It also suppresses the appetite and makes you feel full because of its rich nature.2. Picture-Perfect SkinFor those with acne or other blemishes on the surface

of the skin, topical application of coconut water can go a great distance as it has the ability to clear up and subsequently tone the skin. It also moisturizes the skin from within if ingested orally and eliminates large amounts of oil. This explains why products such as facial creams, shampoos, conditioners and lotions that contain traces of coconut extract are more effective.3. The Ultimate Hangover RemedyNext time you overdo it and drink more than your belly can handle, consume coconut water to settle your stomach. It will also replace those essential electrolytes that exit the body if you experience bouts of frequent urination and vomiting.4. Facilitates DigestionIf you constantly encounter difficulty during the digestion process, coconut water may provide a source of relief. Because of its high concentration of fiber, it aids in the prevention of indigestion and reduces the occurrence of acid reflux.5. Boosts HydrationThe ingredients in coconut water are way more effective at hydrating the human body than those of sports and energy drinks. During rigorous exercise or extended periods of physical activity, the human body loses mineral-rich fluids. However, coconut water serves as an excellent replacement medium with 294 mg of potassium and 5 mg of natural sugar

per glass, unlike your favorite sports drink that only contains half of the potassium content and five times the amount of processed sugar. In addition, the sodium count is only 25 mg, which is relatively low compared to the 41 and 20 mg found in sports drinks and energy drinks respectively.6. Reduces Blood PressureIn many instances, a disproportionate level of electrolytes can result in high blood pressure. Because coconut water contains an adequate supply of each, it can be used as a balancing mechanism. In some instances, it is recommended that coconut water be consumed at the start of each day to foster the balance of these electrolytes.7. Rich in NutrientsUnlike any other beverage on the market, coconut water contains five essential electrolytes that are present in the human body. These include: calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and sodium. Because of its unique composition, coconut water can be enjoyed by individuals with varying medical conditions.8. Compatible with Human BloodSince it is isotonic to human plasma, coconut water can be used in extreme emergencies to quickly rehydrate the human body if administered intravenously. It is not uncommon for the drink to be used in poorer, third-world countries to save human lives.

• Avoid any liquids that contain caffeine. While liquid intake is essential during illness, liquids such as coffee or tea can exacerbate dehydration. If drinking tea, make sure it is decaf. Try a nice, decaf herbal tea.• Sip on a sports drink. They are designed to re-hydrate and are enriched with electrolytes. This is only suggested for adults, as most pediatricians do not recommend sports drinks for sick children. Do not overdo it. The sugars in sports drinks can sometimes worsen diarrhea.• Ask a pharmacist about over-the-counter re-hydration solutions. These are liquids specially designed to safely re-hydrate and replenish the body during illness and mild dehydration. He/she may even recommend a pediatric re-hydration solution.• Steer clear of sugary liquids like fruit juices when increasing the intake of liquids. The sugars can make vomiting and diarrhea worse, and provide no beneficial amounts of

electrolytes.• Mix a packet of electrolyte solution powder with water and drink this solution. These can be useful because of their portability as well as their simple formulas that omit things like excess sugars and artificial colors.

GENERAL INFORMATIONLocation: 4A Contractor lunch room Nature of Incident: Occupational Illness Date of Incident: 18 July 2014INCIDENT DESCRIPTIONDuring the break time contractor employee came to lunch room for breakfast. Employee felt thirsty and drunk the water kept on dining table in a soft drink bottle. He felt a different taste then spit it and started minor vomiting. Immediately employee was shifted to Bapco clinic and then referred to Salmaniya Medical Complex. Employee was discharged after 2 hours of treatment and re-joined duty by mid-day.EARLY LEARNING POINTSEmployee should take permission before using things not belonging to him. · Employee needs to check the bottle before drink. · OSOOL Bapco #1: Always work within design or environmental limits. · OSOOL Bapco #4: Always follow safe work practices and procedures and insist on others doing the same IMMEDIATE ACTIONSEmployee was taken to Refinery Clinic CORRECTIVE / PREVENTIVE ACTIONSUnder NO circumstances is chemical container to be changed. · Chemical container must be kept away from lunch rooms. · Soft drink bottles must not be re used again for any purpose.

Drinking Chemical Instead of Water

Ways to Keep your Joints HealthyA joint is the c o n n e c t i o n between two bones. Joints and their surrounding structures allow you to bend your elbows and knees, move your hips freely,

bend your back, turn your head, wave your fingers and so on.Smooth tissue called cartilage and synovium and a lubricant called synovial fluid cushion the joints so bones do not rub together. But increasing age, injury -- even sitting the wrong way or carrying too much weight -- can wear and tear your cartilage. This can lead to a reaction that can damage your joints and lead to arthritis.The best way to care for your joints is to keep them and your muscles, ligaments, and bones strong and stable. Here are some tips for good joint health.Continue reading below...Watch Your Weight for Healthy JointsKeeping your weight within a healthy range is the best thing you can do for your joints. Weight-bearing joints, such as your knees, hips, and back, have to support some, if not all, of your body weight. That’s why so many overweight people have problems with these areas of the body.Exercise for Healthy JointsExercise can help you lose extra pounds and maintain a healthy weight. Some research suggests that aerobic exercise -- activities that get your heart rate up -- can reduce joint swelling. If your joints bother you, opt for exercises that won’t give your joints a pounding. Instead of step aerobics, try low-impact exercises such as swimming or bicycling. Avoiding a sedentary lifestyle is also advised.Build Muscles to Support JointsStrong muscles support your joints. If you don’t have enough muscle, your joints take a pounding, especially your spine, hips, and knees, which must support your entire body weight. Weight training exercises help build muscle and keep your muscles and surrounding ligaments strong. That way, your joints don’t have to

do all the work. Just make sure you do the exercises safely.A Strong Core helps your jointsMake sure your exercise routine includes activities that strengthen your core. That includes your chest, back, and abdomen. Stronger abdominal and back muscles help you keep your balance and prevent falls that can damage your joints.Know Your Limits for Your Joints’ SakeCertain exercises and activities might just be too tough for your joints to handle at first. Go slow. Modify exercises that cause joint pain. Ask a trainer, physical therapist, or coach to help you with modifications. You will likely feel some muscle pain after working out for a few days, especially the second and third day. Listen to your body, and learn the difference between “threatening pain” and good muscle-building pain.Perfect Your Posture for Good JointsSlouching is not good for your joints. Standing and sitting up straight protect your joints from your neck to your knees. Good posture also helps guard your hip joints and back musclesContinue reading below.... Posture is also important when lifting and carrying; use the biggest muscles in your body by bending at your knees instead of bending your back.Eating Right Nourishes JointsEating a healthy diet is good for your joints, because it helps build strong bones and muscles. Make sure you get enough calcium every day. You can do this by eating foods such as milk, yogurt, broccoli, kale, figs, and fortified foods like soy or almond milk. Also, good protein sources include lean meats, seafood, beans, legumes, soy products, and nuts. Go for a variety. You also need vitamin D to keep your bones and joints in good health. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium from the foods you eat. Dairy products, cereals, soy milk, and almond milk are fortified with vitamin D.


Makes 1 quart of Vanilla Ice CreamIngredients2 cups heavy cream1 cup whole milk2-3 cups sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 vanilla bean, scrapedDirectionsCombine cream, milk, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan and heat until the

sugar is completely dissolved.Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and stir in to the cream mixture just before removing from the heat.Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator or in an ice bath until completely cool.Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.Store in an air tight container and freeze for an additional 2 hours.

Have Some Home Made Ice Cream!

See the Resemblance?

Early Days in Awali

A selection of photographs encapsulating the early days of Awali; clockwise: Awali Riding Stables (1950), Locusts in Awali (1952), Construction in Awali (1957) and Awali Laundry (1957)Snoopy, from the “Peanuts” cartoon

Snoopy, the island

Preparations are currently underway at Bapco to launch its Children’s Summer Camp on 1 August 2014. The activity will feature a number of sports and social activities which shall be held at the Bapco Club in Awali. Over 200 employees’ children from different age groups will participate in this year’s summer camp. The camp covers 4 main activities: Taekwondo, Bowling, Swimming and Leadership seminars, which are educational sessions aimed at developing leadership skills in youth. The camp will be held under supervision of a number of specialized trainers from inside and outside Bapco to provide participants with high quality training. The camp will conclude its activities on 31st August 2014, after which a closing ceremony will be held to present awards and trophies for outstanding participants. Bapco attaches key importance to this activity as it plays a major role in channelizing the time of the youth in useful activities during summer vacations, in addition to helping them maintain good health and physical well-being. The camp also aims at devoting proper attention to children and encouraging students during summer vacations to fill their leisure time with useful activities which help them develop their abilities and skills to be the cornerstone of success in future.

Children’s Summer Camp Set to be Launched

Enjoy These Summer Releases

In Case You Missed It...

• Mark Wahlberg takes the reins in Transformers: Age of Extinction, the fourth installment in the blockbuster action series.• Bollywood legend Salman Khan and Bahrain-born Jacqueline Fernandez return to the big screen this Eid with Sajid Nadiadwala’s Kick, now showing.

Snoopy Island, named after the famous cartoon character its shape resembles, is situated in the Indian Ocean and is a popular snorkelling destination located only a few hundred metres from the shore. The reef that surrounds the island is an occasional visiting spot for various aquatic forms of life like rays, turtles and colourful, fearless fish around the waters that occasionally get rough. Sea urchins and cuttlefish can also be spotted in the area. Coming back to the snorkelling bit, avid snorkellers can hire equipment from

hotels located close by for a nominal charge, while those who prefer to use a kayak can also find them available for rent and paddle out to the beach side of the island. Fancy a quick summer getaway? Snoopy Island beckons!

The 2014 FIFA World Cup concluded at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 13 July 2014, with Germany beating Argentina 1-0 to lift the biggest prize in international football. A tightly contested affair, the match went into added time, when Germany’s attacking midfielder, 22-year old Mario Götze kept his calm and shot the only goal of the match off his chest in the 113th minute. Argentina were gracious, although rueful in defeat having wasted several opportunities to score in such a crucial game, including a free-kick by spearhead Lionel Messi. Germany maintained their determined

efforts consistently throughout the tournament, with their dominance evident particularly in their 7-1 defeat of home contenders Brazil, who also went on to lose their third-place playoff 3-0 to the Netherlands.However, Argentina fans still had something to cheer about, with Messi being awarded the Best Player honour. Top Scorer went to Colombia’s James Rodriguez for his tally of six goals in the tournament, and Germany’s Manuel Neuer won Best Goalkeeper.At the close of the World Cup, a total of 171 goals had been scored from the 64 matches played.

Friday, August 1, 2014 Friday, August 1, 201418 19Social Page

Dough: 3 cups flour 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil 1 teaspoon bread spices, (yeast, fennel, and poppy seed) Filling: 0.45 kg ground beef, or lamb 2 onions, grated 1 teaspoon black pepper, ground 1 teaspoon cumin vegetable oil for frying salt to taste Preparation Steps 1. Mix the flour with the bread spices and a pinch of salt, to prepare the dough.2. Pour in the vegetable oil slowly while kneading the dough with your hands. Add a little water to hold the dough together.

3. Cut the dough into small balls; cover and leave to rise for a minimum of one hour in a warm area.4. Mix all the ingredients in a skillet, season with salt and cook over low heat until meat is done for the filling. Set itaside to cool.5. Flatten the dough balls into thin circles. In the middle of each circle, place a tablespoon of the filling and close the dough to form half a circle. Twist the edges to give a nice shape. 6. Fry the samboosa in a pan of heated vegetableoil until golden brown from both sides. Serve hot.

Shahiya.com

Recipe - Arabic Samboosa

The legendary Volkswagen Beetle has made a comeback in 2014, with brand new styling along the classic Beetle look. Being marketed as a “masculine” car, the model is available in coupe and convertible options and is powered by a 2.5 litre, 5-cylinder engine with a six-speed automatic transmission.

It’s Back!FICTION

NON-FICTION

List of New Books at Awali Library

TITLECHESTNUT STREETMISSING YOUCAMPARI FOR BREAKFASTTHE PERFECT MATCHLITTLE EGYPTTHE FORTUNE HUNTERTHE TELLING ERRORNORTHANGER ABBEYAFTER THE BOMBING

TITLEPOEMS THAT MAKE GROWN MEN CRY

THE VALLEYTHE BLOOMSBURY COOKBOOK - Recipes for Life, Love and Art

AUTHOR Maeve BINCHYHarlan COBENSara CROWEKatie FFORDELesley GLAISTERDaisy GOODWINSophie HANNAHVal McDERMIDClare MORRALL

AUTHOR Anthony & Ben HOLDEN (Edited by)Richard BENSONJans Ondantje ROLLS

NO.753975417544756075637567757375767578

NO.7579

75847585

Embrace Change!

“To improve is to change, to be perfect is to

change often” - Winston Churchill

ALHG Conduct Reiki Evening“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched; they must be felt with the heart”. “Reiki” is one such practice that seeks to accomplish this by bestowing a healing touch to heart as well as to the soul. To be able to experience this emotion, Awali Ladies Hospitality Group (ALHG) conducted an evening at Bapco Club in Awali with Reiki Master, Dr. Zahra Haji, who is certified in Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and a renowned practitioner and trainer of Reiki. Reiki is a worldwide practice that promotes relaxation and healing. Originally developed in Japan by its founder Dr Mikao Usui (1865), “REI” means spiritual wisdom and “KI” means universal energy. Reiki uses a technique commonly called palm healing or hands-on-healing relying on an intuitive sense of hand-positions as a form of alternative therapy. The ladies were introduced to the basics of Reiki principles, the seven main chakras of the body which are the energy centres, and the basis of the human energy structure which influences our physical and emotional states. The concept of Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT was also introduced, which is a highly recommended psychological acupressure technique used by Dr. Zahra to optimize emotional health. She maintains strong views that emotional health is absolutely essential to our physical health and healing. According to her, no matter how devoted we are to a

proper diet and a healthy lifestyle, it is not possible to achieve body’s ideal healing and preventative powers if emotional barriers stand in our way. More than 20 women participated in this event with great zest and Dr. Zahra was very pleased with their enthusiastic response. She appreciated their positive spirit to try and grasp the essence of this alternative therapy. The event was headed by ALHG Chairperson, Mrs. Layla Kamal, who thanked Dr. Zahra for finding time out of her busy schedule to make this event possible. ALHG hopes to organize many such events to bring Bapco ladies together and impart useful information to them through its monthly and yearly events. During this event, Mrs. Kamal also acknowledged the hard work and sincerity of the ALHG Committee and accorded each of the members a token of appreciation from Bapco.

High Flyers - by Duaij Khalifa

Friday, August 1, 201420

• A monthly newspaper issued by The Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) • Editorial: Dinesh Ramanathan Photos: Duaij Khalifa Design: Sanjeeb Roy

Bapco’s football team participated in the recently held Nasser 7 Football Tournament, which was held at the National Stadium in Riffa and the Khalifa Sports City stadium in Isa Town from 2 to 22 July 2014, during the Holy Month of Ramadan. Bapco played three games in total, drawing their

clash with the Riffa Fort team, and coming out second best against Forever and Al Nawayef. The Bapco team’s participation was in line with their enthusiasm towards sporting activities in Bahrain and in line with their efforts towards fostering sporting spirit.

Bapco Football Team Participates in Nasser 7 Football Tournament

• England’s David Beckham going in for his trademark free-kick against Greece at the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, which catapulted him to the top of the English fans’ charts once again. Beckham scored in the third minute of added time with a signature kick that curled its way to the net, kicking off rapturous celebrations and sending England into the 2002 World Cup.

Memorable Moments

Serbian star and new world number one Novak Djokovic shredded all doubt regarding his prowess, to produce a stellar performance and capture the second Wimbledon title of his career 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-4 after runner-up Roger Federer rolled back the years to produce one of the grittiest performances of his career. However, youth prevailed at the end of five rip-roaring sets that saw the momentum shift constantly, with Djokovic outlasting the Swiss superstar in a clash that lasted four minutes short of four hours. Federer ran through five straight games with his back to the wall to close out the fourth set, but he was eventually outgunned by Djokovic’s relentlessness in the decider. Djokovic tasted the Wimbledon turf after winning the final point and the emotion was evident on both finalists’ faces.Earlier in the tournament, Aussie teen

sensation Nick Kyrgios made headlines after first saving nine match points en route to a victory against top-tier Frenchman Richard Gasquet, and then proved too hot for Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal, ousting the Spaniard with fearless perseverance and his share of on-court exuberance in a 7-6 (5), 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-3 victory. It was the third straight year that Nadal had failed to reach the second week of the Championships.

Djokovic Captures Wimbledon Crown in Epic Contest

A friendly basketball match was played between the Bapco and Alba Ladies Basketball team on Sunday, 13 July 2014 at the Alba Club. Bapco beat Alba 44 points to 38 with an enthusiastic performance of both teams. The game was held as part of Bapco’s

Ramadan tournament, and was attended by Alba management, who thanked Bapco and its management for all their support. A match against Al Najma was also scheduled to be played as part of the Ramadan basketball initiative.

Ladies Basketball Friendly Match Held

•Kyrgios en route to beating Nadal in the fourth round

The Islander Issue 38, August 1

Documents

Transcript of The Islander Issue 38, August 1