Khursaniyah Team Thanked for Hard Work

KHURSANIYAH, July 01, 2009 - Saudi Aramco held a recognition ceremony recently in honor of all the employees, departments, divisions and units involved in the successful and safe startup of the Abu Hadriyah, Fadhili and Khursaniyah Producing facilities.

“If I had to summarize the story of Khursaniyah in one word, I would say perseverance. You persisted against all odds, you worked together. You united, and you kept going when the going was tough,” said Khalid A. Al-Falih, president and CEO, who attended the event on June 17 along with several members of executive management. The event was organized by Northern Area Oil Operations (NAOO).

The visit began with a short tour of the facilities, giving several of the employees working there a chance to meet with Al-Falih and discuss plant operations and current status.

Afterward, Zaid M. Al-Hazmi, manager of Ras Tanura Producing, gave a brief overview on the success story that is the Khursaniyah Program, highlighting its emphasis on safety, early planning and using young personnel to run the project.

“A total of 140 apprentices were hired for the project, which represent 70 percent of the operation and maintenance work force,” said Al-Hazmi. By using experienced employees to train the young work force, partnering with other NAOO departments to provide specialized on-the-job training and continuously focusing on giving the young engineers everything they needed in their development, the project had a successful start-up and one of the most skilled young work forces around.

Al-Hazmi expressed his thanks to those whose team spirit, hard work and synergy since the beginning of the project resulted in a safe start-up. He added that throughout the program, quality was among the top priorities, and the Project Quality Index stood at 92 percent, all within the approved budget.

Two of these young employees talked about their own perspectives on the project.

“We are proud to be part of such a success at the beginning of our careers,” said Ali H. Al-Faraj, an engineer who joined the Khursaniyah Project in March 2007 under the Northern Area Technical Support Department. “When we pass by any area for any reason and we remember where we were and where we are now and the tremendous work that was done, we can feel the spirit of each engineer who participated in this project.”

Crude producing facility operator Abdallah Al-Harbi spoke for all of Khursaniyah’s young operators and technicians when he said, “I regard myself as one of the lucky young people who joined Khursaniyah. We are proud not only because we are able to start and maintain the plant, but also because we became part of well-trained work force to this great company.”

At the end of the ceremony, Al-Falih and other management presented certificates of appreciation to the departments, divisions and units that were involved in the start-up of one of Saudi Aramco’s most ambitious projects.

“I cannot stress enough,” said Al-Falih, “how thankful, grateful and proud are the rest of my colleagues, the management team, the board members including HE Ali I. Al-Naimi, every employee in the company, every citizen in Saudi Arabia and, indeed, every customer that relies on our energy for the stability of their economies. All of these people are thankful to each and every one of you and each and every one of your colleagues who have been part of a magnificent story that will go down in history as one of the most memorable chapters in the company’s history.

“Congratulations for helping Saudi Aramco on its journey not only to reach a certain production target but to reach its ultimate and most important objective: creating the best, most reliable and safest plant.”

(Article by Ahmad Dialdin)