Inside Orpic

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Issue 26

Orpic International Scholars Programme

Sohar Refinery Improvement Project achieves majormilestones

Orpic closes USD 2.8 billion financing with a consortium of 21 Financial Institutions in Muscat

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Orpic Family Day 2014 09

Features

Contact the Editor

Inside Orpic is a bi-monthly publication dedicated to our

stories, events and articles. As you will see in this edition we have introduced a new

section “Our Talented Writers” this will feature two articles

written by our employees on topics that they feel are significant. Please feel free

to send me any comments, questions or if you wish to

submit an article, simply contact me either by phone

or email.

Yours in Communications,Steven Smith

Internal Communications Specialist

Email: steven.smith@orpic.om Tel: 968 2685 3907

CONTENTS

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esDepartment Focus: Human Resources ServicesOrpic closes USD2.8 billion financing with a consortium of 21 Financial Institutions in Muscat Orpic International Scholars ProgrammeSohar Refinery Improvement Project achieves major milestonesOrpic meets half way for Family Day! Health, Safety and Environmental update Our Talented Writers • Water, Elixir of Youth• How our Sohar Refinery worksBest near miss reportersAbove and beyond winners

Waleed Al HashmiTahir Al BarwaniAbdullah Al Saidi

• Visit of the President and members of the Al Batinah North Municipal Council to Orpic’s Sohar facilities

• Digital signage goes live in Raysut Depot• Lean Accounting Training Programme• Professional Growth Workshop• Orpic holds ‘Challenges & Opportunities’ workshop for

universities• 14th Industrialists’ Conference• Orpic security executive becomes first from Middle East

to receive industry diploma • PI Training – another milestone passed• Corporate Planning are having a laugh!• Earth Hour• LPP forges forward with FEED signing and Kick-off

meeting • IT Services launches Mobile Computing• Our Fire Fighters get put through their paces• Commencement of Trainees for On-Job Training• Sohar Air Quality Emissions goes live on Orpic’s website • Caledonian College of Engineering visits Mina Al Fahal

Refinery• Orpic career stand gets thousands of student visitors • Safety Observation Ceremony in Sohar • Agreement signed for OMR1.6 million Jusoor Drug

Rehabilitation Centre • OJT Programme for Duqm Refinery Employees• Sohar Refinery HAZOP kicks off• Annual Risk Improvement workshop• In-House English Course• Solomon’s Fuels Refinery Performance Benchmarking• Mansoor Al Batrani claims karate title• Orpic participates in “JOBEX” 2014 • Orpic Fire Fighters assist in fire at Sohar Steel• International Workers Day celebrated

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Issue 26

Inside Orpic

Editorial Team: Martin Norris, Steven Smith, Fadilha Al Ghaithiand Aida Al Shabanooti.

Dear Colleagues,

It gives me great pleasure to report back on the significant events that have happened over the past two months and to inspire us all to look ahead at the momentous growth that is occurring within Orpic. In April we had a major signing ceremony that secured a USD 2.8 billion loan from a consortium of 21 international and national financial institutions. This was a complex deal successfully put together by the finance and legal department, and is one that proves how much appetite there is for foreign investment in Orpic, and beyond that, Oman. It drives the integration of Orpic’s Sohar complex to a new level and will support the industrial development initiatives of the Government of the Sultanate of Oman.

In another signing ceremony, building blocks were laid for nine of Al Batinah North’s outstanding students to pursue their studies in some of the world’s most prestigious educational institutions. These students who have accepted Orpic International Scholarships will be exposed to a competitive and rich learning environment to prepare them to be future leaders in Oman.

As we gear up for growth, it is important for us to continue to do the basics well, like reporting unsafe incidents or potential risks, and maintaining a conscious awareness towards not only your own safety but also to look out for your colleagues. If you see an unsafe act or a colleague not wearing the correct PPE grasp the opportunity to explain, teach and share how to do it more safely and, by doing this, reduce the risk of a potential accident in the future.

Our training department have developed a great platform to learn about the various aspects of Orpic. I encourage you to complete the Re-induction Programme so that you can become ambassadors who understand the company in greater depth and capable of sharing key facts about Orpic to your family and friends.

Each day, together we are embracing challenges that result in solutions that shape Orpic; the future is built on the efforts that we put in today. Thank you to each and every one for your commitment and dedication.

Musab Al MahruqiChief Executive Officer

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Department Focus

Human Resources ServicesWe had the privilege of interviewing Nofal Al Saidi who is the General Manager for Human Resources Services (HRS).

How many employees are there in HRS?

What exciting projects does HRS have planned for the future?

HRS consists of 59 current fulltime staff, within five Departments. Recently the HRS Function received approval to increase the headcount to 76 over the next five years to allow support for the growth phase of the company, as well as allocate more resources to Staffing, Performance & Development and Trainee Management. This is critical as we prepare the company for the SRIP, LPP and MSPP Growth Projects.

The formation of various Talent Boards, the new recruitment machine, the Arriyadah Leadership Programme and the enhancement of Training Centre Services. At the same time the transfer of Pension to PASI scheme is also a key project. Also, the improvement of our SAP portal to allow HR processes to be smoother and friendlier for users. In addition to using Tawasul as the main platform, various projects are in the pipeline that will focus on empowerment of leaders and employees which will contain more detailed information, allow better improved services, as well as access to accurate data for better decision-making.

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What are the function’s key responsibilities? The HRS function’s key responsibility is to bring the potential of our people alive in term of grooming the talent and developing individuals to provide excellent services to all employees. The HRS function has seven departments attending to the following key areas:• HRS Strategy, Policy, Legal compliance and In-Country Value• Employee and Union relations• Compensation and Benefits, Payroll, Staff records and HR systems• Performance and Development, and Capability Development• Training Logistics, facility support and Trainee Management• Organization Design, Maning Plan and Staffing• HRP Customer interface and query resolution support

What motivates HRS employees? The function’s mandate is to “establish a framework that enables the business to attract, develop and retain capable employees, building a culture of personal and sustained business performance”. In this each HRS employee is driven by his/her daily performance to support this mission with a customer orientated mind-set. This strategy enables HRS to participate and engage with other functions in decision making with a focus for better customer service. Thus the empowerment of HR staff leads to them being motivated to execute their tasks. In addition they are adding value to the transformation of HR activities in a friendly work environment, while ensuring the unification of processes and procedures. The most motivating factor for HR employees is the automation of the HR procedure whichallows for a faster and more accurate process. The last motivational factor is the establishmentof HR Business Partners which brings HR and Orpic’s business closer together.

What has been HRS biggest challenge this year? HRS has various projects and servicesrunning concurrently. These projects and services place a high demand on both HRS and companyemployees. To ensure focus and forward moment are maintained it is essential tohave active HRS staff that areavailable at all times.

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Inside Orpic

Orpic closes USD2.8 billion financing with a consortium of 21 Financial Institutions in Muscat

Orpic and a consortium of 21 international and national financial institutions held a mammoth signing ceremony in Muscat on 30 April 2014, for a USD 2.8 billion loan arranged for Orpic’s projects including the Sohar Refinery Improvement Project (SRIP) which will be 65% debt financed.

The importance of the improvement project:• It will help Sohar Refinery overcome the

existing technical constraints resulting from the change in the quality of the Oman Export Blend (OEB),

• It will meet the increasing demand for refined products,

• It will support the industrial development initiatives of the Government of the Sultanate of Oman; and

• It will drive the integration of Orpic’s Sohar complex to a new level.

SRIP will be located at the Sohar Industrial Port, complimenting the existing Sohar Refinery. Orpic estimates a requirement of 500 new personnel for SRIP. The company will follow a blended resourcing strategy

hiring fresh graduates and experienced individuals as well as capitalizing on the existing company’s personnel. Orpic has been gearing up for this through its successful fresh graduate programme, which sees over 100 trainees a year entering a programme of up to 18 months.

Integrated within SRIP is a series of environmental upgrades which will meet the Omani regulations on environmental protection and pollution prevention. In addition, applicable international regulations, such as those contained in the environmental directives of European Union (EU) and environmental standards provided by United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) will be used as appropriate to ensure that the technology, equipment and operations selected for SRIP are capable of meeting national and international environmental requirements. In addition, SRIP will take into account the Guidance Notes issued by the Sohar Environmental Unit (SEU) for the management of materials and wastes, industrial safety and the EIA study for the industries within the SIPA. Orpic has also elected to meet the following international environmental standards: IFC Performance Standards on Social and Environmental Sustainability, and World Bank Group Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines.

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Orpic International Scholarships

Orpic has recently introduced an International Scholarship Programme to help Oman’s outstanding students to pursue their studies in renowned international educational institutions. As part of our commitment in developing and overcoming the obstacles and challenges that face our students from Al Batinah North Governorate, Orpic this year has offered 9 International Scholarship for Grade 11-12 students. These students have successfully completed all the selection and criteria phases. On 4 May, Orpic held a ceremony for the Orpic Scholars, who signed their contracts. The scholars will be exposed to a competitive and rich learning environment to prepare them for success in university and beyond.

The selected Orpic International Scholars are:

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Name: Abdul Razaq Ibrahim Ismail Al BalushiSchool: Masoud bin Ramadan for Boys grades 11-12

Name: Sara Talib Hamed Al AjmiSchool: Hawaa bint Yazeed for girls (Grades 11-12)

Name: Alla Harib Khamis Al IssaeiSchool: Um Salamah for girls (Grades 11-12)

Name: Mohammed Ali Hassan AlawatiSchool: Sohar International School

Name: Balqees Rashid Nasser Al QassmiSchool: Atikaa for girls (grades 11-12)

Name: Hassan Yousuf Mohammed Al BalushiSchool: Farouk School

Name: Aisha Khalfan Humaid Al GaithiSchool: Hawaa bint Yazeed for girls (Grades 11-12)

Name: Muna Rabia Salim Al JabriSchool: Hawaa bint Yazeed for girls (Grades 11-12)

Name: Sara Ahmed Ali Al AjmiSchool: Saham for girls (Grades 11-12)

The Sohar Refinery Improvement Project (SRIP) marches ahead with the start of site activities, the completion of P&ID review for all units, 30% of the model

review has already been realised, ordering of major equipment and the achievement of the financial closure for the SRIP project and it is moving towards accomplishment of its objectives. The major project objectives are:• Improve RFCC feed quality with respect to

CCR and metals• Maximize additional gasoline and diesel

production• Produce additional Naphtha for

Aromatics• Meet polymer grade Propylene demand

of Polypropylene• Bitumen production of 6,500 BPSD (local

demand)

SRIP installs the following new major process units:• Crude Distillation Unit• Vacuum Distillation Unit• Hydrocracker Unit - Chevron• Isomerisation - UOP• Delayed Coker Unit - Lummus• Bitumen Blowing UnitA 100 MW captive power plant and associated utility and offsite facilities will be built. These units, while responding to the changing quality of Omani crude, will provide us with the required operation platform to enhance our production capacity and substantially add to the product value chain by extracting more products from each barrel of crude refined, thus adding 70% to our product slate. The performance of the existing units in Sohar Refinery will also improve substantially with the RFCC unit receiving a better quality feedstock from SRIP. Significant improvements will also be achieved from the increased throughputs of the Polypropylene Plant and the increased availability of naphtha for the Aromatics plant.The project’s successful journey started

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Sohar Refinery Improvement Project achieves major milestones

from conceptualization stage and continued through the FEED (Front End Engineering and Design) and EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) tendering phases. The basic engineering package and licences were provided by Chevron Lummus for HCU, Black & Veatch for SRU, CBI Lummus for Delayed Coker, Lurgi for Hydrogen and UOP for Isomerisation.

The FEED and PMC consultant for SRIP is CBI Netherlands. The EPC contract was awarded on 25 November 2013 jointly to world renowned companies Daelim Industrial Company (South Korea) and Petrofac International (UK) for USD 2.1 billion. The 36 month contract is progressing with sustained momentum passing many project milestones ahead of schedule. All the novation agreements for four Long Lead Equipment Packages and Tripartite Agreements with all Process Licensors have been signed-off.

The overall physical progress of the project is 21 (up to April 2014) against the schedule of 20.2.Expenditure to date (April 2014) is USD 179 m against a planned expenditure of USD 198 m.

The detailed design work on various engineering disciplines are progressing well and the progress reviews are being carried out at regular intervals to ensure that planned activities are accomplished as well as meeting the quality requirements. Critical items have been identified such as Long Lead and Schedule, for which procurement is now in the advanced stages of orders placement.

SRIP has been awarded environmental clearance by MECA. The units are designed to meet the requirements of Omani Environmental Law, the European Union Integrated Pollution Protection and Control (EU IPPC) directives and the design utilises proven Best Available Technologies (BAT).

A key milestone, Financial Closure of the project, was achieved on 30 April 2014. SRIP is being financed by a group of national, regional and international banks. The signing ceremony was held in Muscat with representatives from all banks, Board of Directors, Shareholders (MOF and OOC) and MECA.The Ground Breaking Ceremony took place on June 2nd .This major investment will generate many new jobs, and contribute to the growth of Omani professional skills. The project will also create a large number of indirect jobs and provide stimulus to the SME sector of Oman during the construction and operation phases. Currently 200 Omani recruits are on board with Orpic and more are expected to join in the coming months. This team will be trained in advance to support smooth commissioning, start-up of SRIP and continuous refinery operations.

8Inside Orpic

Orpic meets half way for Family Day!

Family day was celebrated on 28 March, at the Millennium Resort in Mussannah, roughly half way between our Muscat and Sohar operations. The day saw more than 2,500 employees and their family members from both Sohar and Muscat coming to together for the first time at such an event. Different activities and crafts were organized for kids, for ladies and for gentlemen. The stage was also full of talent with a live Omani band, kids shows, happy jugglers, a fire jugging show, a dancing robot that wowed the crowd, and a lucky raffle draw for more than 100 winners with gifts such as Oman Air tickets, fuel cards, hotel stays, restaurant and shopping vouchers. It was a day full of fun and laughter as

employees mingled to share their joy.

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10Inside Orpic

Health, Safety and Environmental update As part of HSE’s commitment to keeping employees informed and up-to-date, we are featuring key milestones and activities that have been reported recently in the Orpic HSE sphere of work.

In the last four months there has been no reportable Lost Time Injury (LTI) in Orpic. Congratulations to Sohar Refinery and Polypropylene plant who completed one year of LTI free operations on 1 April.

In order to encourage employees to report incidents and potential risks, a new event took place in the Sohar complex. An award ceremony was held to celebrate the best and largest number of Safety Observations for the first quarter of 2014. Ten Orpic employees from different departments were recognized for their positive participation towards HSE with appreciation certificates and gift vouchers.

The 2014 HSE mandatory training (Hazards Identification) was launched on 23 February 2014. Hazard identification is the process used to determine all possible behaviours, situations, activities, events and circumstances that may expose people to injury, illness, disease, death or may cause environmental impact and damage/loss to assets. Based on feedback received, more sessions were conducted at the Main Control Buildings of the Aromatics Plant and Sohar Refinery.

HSE also conducted a Food Safety Campaign to raise the awareness of the various risks associated with food, and to promote consumer attention towards improving food safety practices. In addition there were two additional HSE campaigns, namely the ‘slip and trip’ hazards and the Permit to Work System; both campaigns increased employees’ awareness and identified the importance of implementing and obtaining a Permit to Work before starting any work.

There were 14 safety walk around sessions conducted in the various operational areas across Orpic plants. The recertification and surveillance audits for Mina Al Fahal Refinery and the Polypropylene Plant against ISO systems (ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001) have been successfully completed. Key lessons learned from reported incidents are: • Before any activity, observe the situation

and identify possible hazards. Apply the simple method explained in the “Hazards Identification Course”.

• Take the precautions necessary to protect yourself and your colleagues: always assume the worst scenario. Don’t do the work if you are not protected.

• Wear correct Personal Protective Equipment - use the appropriate clothes for handling chemicals and always wear full protection equipment while working in an unstable structure.

• Proper work instruction must always be followed while performing any task.

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11Inside Orpic

In the morning, the first thing I normally do is drink a glass of water. It makes me feel good, refreshed and happy. This could be because it doesn’t have a taste that I wouldn’t like so early in the morning, or simply because it’s there. I don’t think of calories or anything related to weight (a number one concern for ladies). In fact, by drinking water early in the morning and along the day, I’m actually doing myself and my health a favour.

In order for our bodies to function at the best level possible and to still go back home with energy, drinking water as much as we can is the remedy. As you work harder and move from one place to another in our Sohar Complex, for example, you lose more fluids out of your body. This could happen through perspiration and sweating which leads to dehydration if not replaced with the equivalent lost amounts of fluids if not more. The weather is getting hotter and hotter and special attention to good and healthy habits are a necessity. I’ve noticed that lots of employees at the company spend hours at their desks occupied by work and rarely drink enough water. Drinking tea (karak) or Omani coffee is actually even worse than not drinking that much water. However, if you don’t drink water but you drink juice or eat lots of fruits then that is not a big concern. Drinking coffee and tea dehydrates the fluids faster out of your body. In addition to that, you are already losing fluids because of sweating, especially for those working outdoors.

So what is it about such an ordinary commodity that is so important to us? Drinking water helps maintain the balance of fluids in our bodies as they are composed of about 60% water. You should get yourself a drink immediately when you feel thirsty: water, milk or juice. You can control calories simply by using water. Lots quantities of water and lower calorie beverages are a healthy habit which will help you lose weight as well. With physical activities, we normally lose lots of body fluids and we feel weary and exhausted. The reason behind this fatigue is that when our muscles do not have adequate fluids, they do not function and perform well. Drinking water can energize your muscles which in turn will make you

feel active and refreshed. Through the day, you might hear people telling you that you look tired or pale.

The reason might be dehydration and lack of fluids in your body which leads to dryness of your skin. Water, in this case, can help in keeping your skin looking good and moisturized along the day. Water helps your kidneys function and reduces the risk of kidney stones especially in hot climates. They play a vital role in maintaining our bodies cleaning toxins from it. By drinking enough amounts of water, you help your kidneys function well in order to keep your body clean. There are many other benefits that we can get by simply drinking more water.

Hopefully if you are reading this that means you’ve identified yourself as someone who needs to increase the amount of water they take. That’s fantastic! It means that you already on the right track. You just need few steps to encourage yourself and get started. Some people do not find it easy to drink water, preferring other beverages instead. That’s great as long as you keep taking drinks. Try to have a glass of water or any other preferred beverages with any meal or snack. I personally drink a glass of water before lunch and 30 minutes after lunch. A colleague of mine drinks good amounts of water by adding flavored powder to his bottle of water. To tell the truth, it encourages me to drink more water when I see him with that bottle filled with coloured liquid, drinking and smiling.

If you are still not happy with taking so much drinks and beverages, try to eat more fruits and vegetables, particularly the juicy ones. Keeping a bottle of water in front of you while working or at your desk, in your car or carrying one with you is definitely a good idea. Drinking water is a very easy act that will give your health benefits now and in future.

Prepared by:Aida Al ShabanootiTranslator

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Water, Elixir of YouthOur Talented Writers

Inside Orpic

How our Sohar Refinery works?Construction started on our Sohar Refinery

in 2004, and was commissioned in 2006. Our Sohar Refinery takes the long residue (crude oil residue left after atmospheric distillation) from Mina Al Fahal Refinery, mixed with more Omani crude, and then it is sent through a 250km pipeline to Sohar Refinery where it is further processed into our final products. Naphtha is sent to the Aromatics Plant and the Propylene is sent to the Polypropylene Plant, where these materials go through the third stage in the refining process.

The illustration below defines the intricate path that the crude oil follows to produce our products:

Prepared by:Abdullah Al FahdCapability Development Coach OPS

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How our Sohar Refinery works

Our Talented Writers

Inside Orpic

Best near miss reportersEvery month MAF selects one of the best near miss reports regarding high risks in the operations area.

Congratulations to:

Reporter Incident Description Department/Location

Haitham Alqouyatahi

Haitham saw a great deal of smoke in the P-8069 re-boiler pump which was due to the Mechanical Seal leak at P-8069. He immediately informed his Team Leader in that area.

Operations

AbdulNasser Al Harthy

AbdulNasser identified that there is a major blind spot in certain vehicles that could potentially cause accidents, these vehicles are located in the MAF Warehouse.

PCI - Warehouse

Hafedh Al Yaaribi

Hafedh shut off the water supply to prevent any injuries occurring during an exercise involving filling the exchanger with water. A high pressure (12 bar) water hose was connected to the nozzle, when suddenly the hose disconnected from the nozzle and uncontrollably started colliding with items in its path.

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HSE Man of the 1st Quarter for 2014Each quarter the best HSE person is selected by HSE to highlight exemplary safety culture. For the first quarter of 2014 two employees were selected.Congratulations to:Lancy D’Souza M-Maintenance - StaticLancy participated effectively in all the safety meetings and has demonstrated a proactive safety attitude, by promptly reporting any safety observations and offering suggestions.

Yousif Al Qasmi Operation Area 2Yousif identified a Hydrogen Leak in the K-8203 line that routes to the sewer. This leak was a high potential that could have resulted in an explosion. The leak was challenging to locate however Yousif found it and took the correct precautions to resolve the problem.

We encourage all employees to continue to report Near Miss incidents, so similar incidents can be prevented from happening again. If you don’t know how to report it just ask your Team Leader or your Manager for further guidance.

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beyondA

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and As part of the employee

recognition scheme, Orpic celebrates the outstanding teams and individuals who go “Above and Beyond” for the Company.

Each month, winners are selected by the Function Heads and Line Managers. These nominees can be from any part of the business and their success can be in any element of their work.

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Congratulations to the February and March 2014 winners!

February 2014

Fatma Ali Al Muqbali (SRIP)Fatma executed an excellent job in reorganizing and setting up all project related documents and bid documents in the SRIP main file room, this has significantly helped State Audit to access the files easily for audit purposes. Moreover, Fatma successfully handled all the travel arrangements for the SRIP group to Korea on time and without any delay. In addition, Fatma was of great help responding on time to State Audit inquiries and clarifications.

Samia Al Kindi (CSS)Samia has been identified asthe employee who has made the most Purchase Orders from during the period from 1 to 14 February 2014.

Sabra Al Mahroqui(SCM)Sabra achieved month-end closing of MIBO export billing on first day of the month. This helped to achieve themilestone of month end financial closing by the 5th day of the month. Sabra took on the role as Process Lead for MIBO and led her team to achieve this milestone.

Husni Mubarak Al Abri(TSD)Husni provided one solutionfor two issues, by correcting thedry slop tank and the disposal of expired chemicals. That resultedin utilizing the dry slop tank for gasoline blending and disposed of the chemicals. As well as optimizing the anti-oxidant chemical this was reduced to a minimum.

PRIDEWinner

PRIDEWinner

Inside Orpic

As monthly winners, these employees will automatically be entered into the second level of the employee recognition scheme, the quarterly “PRIDE Winners”. These are nominated from the pool of ‘Above and Beyond’ winners from each quarter.

March 2014

Ahmed Al Siyabi (SRIP/Admin)Ahmed did an excellent job in reorganizing and setting up all administration documents in SRIP. Ahmed also successfully handled all the administration jobs that were needed for the SRIP team on time and without delay. In addition he arranged and managed all the transportation requirements for various meetings and business travel.

Salim Al Muttawa (HRSS/ER)During the month of March Salim waschallenged work outside of his job description, he was tasked to facilitate the 2013 contractors bonus payments, with a timeframe of three weeks to get the job done. Salim achieved this task within two weeks. He successfully arranged to pay each individuals bonus on time, allowing 469 expatriates and 670 contractors to be paid their incentives.

Anoop Nair(TSD/POS)Anoop has been recognised for his great efforts in completing questionnaires for various technology suppliers and workingas a key team member in the Liwa Plastic Project. Anoop has also been identified as a valuable member of the POS team who demonstrates multiple skills and is willing to share his knowledge with other colleagues.

Faisal Al Balushi (MAF Operation/Area 1)One of the items that cause hot pumps to trip is the Remote Operating Valve (ROV); this valve can loosen due to continuous vibration. Faisal suggested changing the contactor from the contact switch to a spring type contact switch. He solved the issue, as if there is any vibration the connector will not lose contact and reduce distillation column disruption.

Mohammed Al Hadhrami (PP)Mohammed led an initiative to reduce glue consumptionin the palletizer machine which resulted in cost savings. He also identified safety hazards such as a non-functioning fire hose. He also added significant value in developing the maintenance reporting method so that critical parts can be followed up effectively. In addition he provided support to the ISO auditors and implemented their requirements promptly. Mohammed also evaluated packaging materials as per specification and requirement, and developed a shift team for bagging. He also played a key role in the creation of the deluge system test proposal.

Sulaiman Al Kiyumi (SR Operation)Sulaiman has shown a great deal of commitment in hisposition. He discovered a casingpinhole leak,which posed a high fire risk. He also discovered another leak in a pump during a recent RFCC start-up.

PRIDEWinner

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&A

17Inside Orpic

Tahir Al Barwani

Waleed Al Hashmi

Tell us a bit about yourself, how long you have been at Orpic and why did you decide to join the company?I have only been with Orpic for two months, the reason I decided to join the company is because I believe in its vision to aspire to become “best in class”.What is your current position at Orpic?My current position is Finance Manager, within the Finance Department. Our team handles the treasury aspects in relation to short term and long term funding of the company as well as project financing requirementsWhat is the best part of your job at Orpic?It is exciting being part of a company that has an aggressive growth plan and strives to “raise the bar” in all that it does.Name one of Orpic’s four guiding principles and what it means to you?“We bring the potential of our people alive” – this reflects Orpic’s current and future business plans as it provides opportunities for self-starters and self-motivators to challenge existing practices and come up with new ideas as well as providing employees with challenging roles.Where in the world would you most like to visit, and why? I would like to have the opportunity to go on a nature/wilderness trek in the Far East as I really like the outdoors.Who do you most admire in life, and why?I have always and will always admire my father who is an intelligent, forgiving and humble human being and is always a person whom people seek advice from. If it was your birthday, what would you like to have for dinner this evening?I love Thai food as it is not too heavy, so I would choose Tom Yum (prawn) soup and spicy beef salad.What do you do on your days off?I mainly spend time with my family doing outdoor activities, when possible I try to sneak in a round or two of golf.

Tell us a bit about yourself, how long you have been at Orpic and why did you decide to join the company?I am a self-driven individual and always enjoy challenges at work and in life. I attended the Caledonian College of Engineering where I studied Process Operation and Maintenance. I joined Orpic in 2008 as a trainee, and then moved to field Operator. Then I joined the Task Force Team (PCI) which was a wonderful challenge for me, where I was able to find ways of saving company money. What is your current position at Orpic?My current position is Engineer (Operation A). My responsibility is to ensure the availability of the plant and to provide a safe working environment. What is the best part of your job at Orpic?I enjoy working within a dynamic team especially within our department.Name one of Orpic’s four guiding principles and what it means to you?Minimizing the impact of our activities on the environment and society. Where in the world would you most like to visit, and why? I would like to visit Istanbul, Turkey because it has the combination of modernity and ancient heritage.Who do you most admire in life, and why?In general I admire my parents, family and friends. However, I admire my wife for her encouragement for my career. If it was your birthday, what would you like to have for dinner this evening?I would like to have pasta and traditional Arsia, which is mainly cooked during Eid in the early morning. What do you do on your days off?I enjoy watching movies in the cinema and spending time with my family.

Inside Orpic 18Inside Orpic

AbdullahAl Saidi

Tell us a bit about yourself, how long you have been at Orpic and why did you decide to join the company?I am a father of one daughter and three boys. I graduated from Sultan Qaboos University in 2002 and joined Orpic in 2011 with ten years of experience mostly in the oil and gas sector.What is your current position at Orpic?After playing different roles in the Finance function, I am now a Senior Accountant in the Financial Services Department. What is the best part of your job at Orpic?Orpic is a very dynamic company embracing challenges. Employees who like challenges will find it an excellent place to work. I am really proud of my achievements in the past two and half years in which I have been heavily contributing to the Orpic theme: Achieve, Enhance and Grow.Name one of Orpic’s four guiding principles and what it means to you?“Serving Oman with Pride”. I am proud to work for a company that provides such significant value to our country. We must all be proud of Orpic and extend this to our families and friends. Where in the world would you most like to visit, and why? My dream is to visit a secluded island that has a tropical forest, I would like to relax in such a beautiful setting and free my mind.Who do you most admire in life, and why?Of course Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), he is our ideal and our leader.If it was your birthday, what would you like to have for dinner this evening?I would truly enjoy any meal prepared by my dear wife and would share it with my talented children.What do you do on your days off?During the working days I am committed to Orpic, however on my days off I relax with my family.

Inside Orpic

Agreement signed for OMR1.6 million Jusoor Drug Rehabilitation Centre A milestone event took place with Jusoor, our social investment arm. At a ceremony an agreement was signed between the CEO of Jusoor, Sheikh Ali Al Hashar and H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Saif Al Hosni, undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, over the provision of an OMR 1.6 million Drug Rehabilitation Centre in Liwa. Once construction has been completed, the Ministry of Health will operate the centre in cooperation with other concerned bodies, such as the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs and the Royal Oman Police.

Visit of the President and members of the Al Batinah North Municipal Council to Orpic’s Sohar facilitiesOn 3 March 2014, Shaikh Muhanna bin Saif al Lamki, Governor of Al Batinah North and President of the Municipal Council, and members of the Municipal Council, honoured us by visiting Orpic’s Sohar Complex. The visit was the result of an invitation from the Orpic Board, with the aim of promoting and improving the council members’ knowledge of the company’s various operations, with particular reference to environmental programmes, In-Country Value initiatives, and social and community outreach programmes.

14th Industrialists’ ConferenceOur CEO Musab Al Mahruqi participated in the 14th Industrialists Conference at the Al Bustan Hotel. He contributed as a panellist in one of the opening debates of the conference. H.H. Asaad Bin Tarek Al Saeed, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos representative, opened the conference in presence of their excellencies the ministers of industry of the GCC and Yemen.

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Professional Growth WorkshopOn 10 March 2014, the first workshop of its kind was conducted at the Millennium Resort-Mussanah.TheProfessional Growth Workshop focused on career challenges and obstacles faced by women in taking up leadership roles in Orpic. The CEO and GM HRS attended the workshop, looking at areas which Orpic as an organization can support the placement of woman into leadership positions. As a result a committee will be formed which will facilitate addressing career development for women in the workplace.

Inside Orpic

Lean Accounting Training ProgramTraining Centre Services organized an in-house training programme for Finance staff on Lean Accounting on 11-12 March 2014 by Ernst & Young. This programme provided the team with concepts, principles and techniques in how to eliminate waste from the accounting system so processes can be made leaner, transactions processed in more efficient manner and information reported faster. In addition, the course taught the team how to utilize the SAP system efficiently and effectively, reduce cost per transaction, and reduce processing time for all finance transactional related activities.

Corporate Planning are having a laugh!On a lighter note, our colleague Imad ALHAMDANI, Senior Business Analyst in the CorporatePlanning function won the Oman Toastmasters International Annual Conference Speech contest. Imad’s category was “Humorous Speech’’ and he will now represent Oman in the District Toastmasters Annual Conference in May at the Al Bustan Palace Hotel, where champions from throughout the Middle East will compete. Imad Al Hamdani’s club is New Tracks Toastmasters Muscat.

PI Training – another milestone passedITS recently successfully completed training on the PI (Plant Information) system entitled “Visualization of PI System Data” for 105 Orpic users. It was conducted in co-ordination with TSD, with the objective of getting employees ready and equipped to use the PI system before the approach of the next project milestone which involves decommissioning all other data history systems in MAF, SR, PP and AP by April 2014. The training ran from the 10-20th March.

Digital signage goes live in Raysut DepotA digital signage screen was installed at Orpic’s Raysut Depot on 10 March, this installment completes phase 1 (indoor) of the digital screen programme. What you can still look forward to in phase 2 is the outdoor 1.5X2m LED screens that will be installed at the main entry gates, as well as three interactive screens in the admin buildings.

Orpic security executive becomes first from Middle East to receive industry diploma Ali Al Amri, Orpic’s Security Team Leader has broken new ground by becoming the very first from the Middle East to receive a prestigious new security management qualification. Ali was recently presented with his Level 6 CSMP Diploma Award in Reading, UK. Ali is in one of the first groups of successful certificants to receive this prestigious award.

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Inside Orpic

Solomon’s Fuels Refinery Performance BenchmarkingOrpic has been participating in the Solomon’s Fuels Refinery Performance Benchmarking biennial study since 2006. The study aims to elaborate on how reliable the facilities are, how the asset utilization compares with other refineries, care with expenditure and comparability with other groups, and how our GRM compares with our peers of similar complexity. Nasser Al Mamary (Senior Process Engineer for the Central Process Monitoring team) presented a half day training course to the key stakeholders of the study on 13 April at Sohar complex in order to achieve the abovementioned objectives.

Commencement of Trainees for On-Job Training104 Orpic trainees underwent a two day On-the-Job Training orientation that started on 6 and 7 April in Sohar Training Centre. In alignment with the Trainee’s Development Framework, the students commenced On-the-Job training from 8 April for a period of six months in Sohar in all areas/sections. The On-the-Job Training plan aims to develop trainees’ capability in alignment with Orpic’s business needs.

LPP forges forward with FEED signing and Kick-off meeting A major milestone has been achieved this month through the signing of FEED, licensers and PMC agreements, more than 5,000 pages signed and stamped by both Orpic and contractors. The contracts were endorsed by Musab Al Mahruqi (CEO) on 31 March. Therefore, 1 April became Day 1 for the main FEED contractor of a 12 month programme.

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Orpic Fire Fighters assist in fire at Sohar SteelOn 1 May our Fire Fighting team were called to assist at a fire at Sohar Steel Company, one of our neighbours in Sohar Industrial Port. There are mutual support agreements between the port companies to cope with emergencies, so the team responded immediately to join the Civil Defence and Sohar Aluminium teams in helping to control and cool the metal fire. The 21 hour fire was eventually brought under control, and we’d like to commend Hamood Al Riyami and Hilal Al Yaruubi our firefighters for the great job they did in their efforts to eliminate the fire.

Inside Orpic

Caledonian College of Engineering visits Mina Al Fahal Refinery13 Students from the Caledonian College of Engineering visited Orpic’s Mina Al Fahal Refinery, to gain insight in to how a refinery works. The students were taken on a plant tour in the refinery where the various units and processes were explained; Mohammed Al Ruwaidhi (Engineer Operation Area 3) also gave a presentation to the students where he shared an overview of Orpic’s business and the various opportunities that will emerge from the future projects.

Orpic career stand gets thousands of student visitors Over 2,500 visitors took time to visit our stand at Sohar College of Applied Sciences’ Career Fair held recently on their campus. HRS and Training Services were there to receive the visitors as well as a technical expert able to go deeper into the detail of our operations and the three major projects that will be the focus of the next four years.

Mansoor Al Batrani claims karate titleCongratuations , Mansoor Nasser Said Al Batran (Orpic Trainee) who won a gold medal in the under 67Kg weight division in the 5th open karate tournament held at the Sultan Qaboos Sport Complex.

Orpic holds ‘Challenges &Opportunities’ workshop for universitiesOn 20 March, 2014, Orpic hosted educational institutions representatives from across the regions as they attended the ‘Orpic & Universities: Challenges & Opportunities’ Workshop at Orpic’s Training Centre. The purpose was to discuss the challenges, opportunities and share ideas for future cooperation between Orpic and Sultan Qaboos University, Sohar University, Nizwa University, the College of Applied Sciences - Sohar, Nizwa & Shinas Colleges of Technology, The Higher College of Technology and The International Maritime College Oman.

Our Fire Fighters get put through their pacesIn order to ensure that our Fire Fighters are in peak condition at all times, they have to undergo fitness tests, using an accepted international format. This is not just done on a treadmill, but puts them through a series of gruelling strength and endurance tests that involve the equipment they use and the scenarios that they may come across. It looks like tough stuff, but we’re very happy to know that we have them alert, ready and fit for the job should the need ever arise.

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Inside Orpic

Annual Risk Improvement workshopOn 22 and 23 April, an Annual Risk Improvement recommendations workshop was held by Finance-Insurance in MAF. The workshop provided a platform to discuss risk improvement recommendations compiled from the last survey done in January 2013 and identify any major changes. The Finance-Insurance team met with all the technical functions in MAF, and ended off with a loss prevention seminar.

International Workers Day celebrated To mark International Workers Day, which falls on the first day of May every year, our Mina Al Fahal Refinery, in cooperation with the Trade Union, organized a small celebration for the occasion. Orpic’s participation in the global event reflects the company’s belief in the vital role employees play in production and in supporting development. Orpic aims to raise employees’ contribution to operational optimisation in our plants by enhancing Health and Safety and other initiatives, thereby improving the capabilities of staff members.

Sohar Air Quality Emissions goes live on Orpic’s website As part of Orpic’s commitment to keep the community engaged and updated, Orpic has launched a Sohar Emission Update page on its website. The emissions data displayed in the charts are based on a 24 hour rolling average format, which is updated every hour.

OJT Program for Duqm Refinery EmployeesAs part of the cooperation and coordination between Orpic and other Oil and Gas companies in Oman, the Training Center arranged an On-the-Job Training Programme for two employees from Duqm Refinery and Petrochemical Industries in the operations department. The two candidates will be training at Orpic for one month and the programme will cover the Orpic HSE mandatory programmes, refinery overview and finally field training.

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Inside Orpic

Sohar Refinery HAZOP kicks offThe Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) study kicked off in Sohar Refinery. The HAZOP study helps Orpic to increase safety and reduce risk to personnel, improve equipment protection and improve operability of the refinery. The HAZOP study involved a multi-disciplinary team from Orpic guided by the TSD Process safety team. Livio Accattatis (TSD GM) and Ralph Clim (SR Operation GM) were the guests of honour at the function and thanked and appreciated all for their great efforts.

Safety Observation Ceremony in Sohar An award ceremony was held in Sohar on 14 April to celebrate the best and largest number of safety observations made by employees for the first quarter of 2014. Ten employees from different departments who spotted potential safety issues and intervened were recognised for their positive contribution to safety with appreciation certificates and gift vouchers in the presence of the COO, Raphael De Loenen. Congratulations to the winners!

Orpic participation in “JOBEX” 2014 As part of Orpic’s commitment in creating new jobs for Omanis and becoming an employer of choice within the Oil and Gas sector, from 22 to 24 April, Orpic participated in the Omanisation and Job Opportunities Exhibition (JOBEX) 2014, which was held at the Oman International Exhibition Centre. The Orpic stand attracted a large number of students and young job-seekers. The Human Resources Team actively meet and interacted with them on various career options.

IT Services launches Mobile ComputingInformation Technology Services launched the new Wi-Fi services on 7 April. This service is the culmination of considerable hard work by IT team over the last several months. The new Wi-Fi coverage provides access for Orpic employees as well as visitors and guests, through a simple registration process.

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Earth HourOrpic joined as corporations and people around the world turned off lights and nonessential equipment during the Earth Hour. We distributed candles to all employees to celebrate it with their loved ones back home.

Inside Orpic