The Magic of Khurais

KHURAIS, October 14, 2009 -- Members of executive management on Oct. 12 toured the company’s latest mega-success — Khurais, which was completed ahead of schedule and with an impressive safety record.

It was the first Executive Management Safety Review for the facility, which went online in late May. It has the capacity to produce 1.2 million barrels of Arabian Light crude per day, making it the company’s largest crude increment program. With only two lost-time injuries in the past year, it was accomplished with a near-perfect safety record.

“Words fail to express how proud we are of these accomplishments,” president and CEO Khalid A. Al-Falih said.

He credited the success to the planning and dedication of the Khurais team. “They anticipate what could go wrong, plan very meticulously for the unexpected and are always alert.”

The planning started at the drawing board, where the plant’s oil and gas trains were designed as independent units. That meant maintenance could be done on one train without interrupting the others. It also allowed for safe sequential startup.

The team effort of other organizations also brought Khurais where it is today. “When we talk about Khurais, we talk about the other supporting organizations. … It required the execution and delivery of others,” he said. “We cannot do anything in this company without the support we receive.”

Al-Falih also said the project was a monument to the company’s greatest asset: its people. “The secret is the leadership and the human spirit within this organization,” he said. “They are gelled together as a cohesive team.”

The team includes more than 400 apprentices who joined the program in its pre-commissioning phase and learned the tools of the trade as they were developing the plant. “It’s really reassuring to see young engineers being given such challenging jobs and developing a real sense of confidence,” he said. “We have to hone their skills and prepare them for the long-term. … These engineers will be the brains of the company.”

Although their achievements were many, Al-Falih warned employees against becoming complacent. “What happens after such a high?” he said. “There’s a climax, and then we get busy. We need to protect against becoming relaxed about this.

He also emphasized the need to improve on contractor safety and bridging the gap between safety attitudes both on the job and off.

Nevertheless, the Khurais experience was one that he felt other company organizations could — and should — benefit from. “Everything we see here could obviously be applied elsewhere,” Al-Falih said. “We are a learning organization.”