J a p a n C o o p e ra t i o n C e n t e r, P e t r o l e u m

NEWS
No.

110 2011 September

Connected by technology, person-to-person

TopicsN The 29th JCCP International Symposium
N Executive Meeting in UAE
N Executive Meetings in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Thailand
N Establishment of a Cooperative Relationship with OAPECN Visit by the President & CEO of SUDAPETJCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

Table of Contents
Message from the Executive Director of JCCP: Fiscal 2011 JCCP Activities ...................................................................... 3

TopicsThe 29th JCCP International Symposium ........................................................................................................................... 4
Keynote Speeches:
H.E. Mr. Arne Walther, Ambassador, Royal Norwegian Embassy ........................................................................... 9
H.E. Mr. Ahmed A. A. Al-Shamma, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Oil-Iraq ............................................................. 11
Executive Meeting: Visit to UAE .................................................................................................................................... 14
Executive Meetings: Visits to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Thailand ................................................................................. 16
Formal Agreement on the Establishment of a Cooperative Relationship with OAPEC ................................................... 19
VIP Invitation Program: Invitation to the President & CEO of SUDAPET ......................................................................... 21

Personnel Exchange Programs
Toward the Renewal of JCCP Training Courses................................................................................................................ 22
Participation in the HR Conference and HRD Seminar in Kazakhstan ............................................................................. 25
CPO Seminar on “Safety Management” Held at Saudi Aramco’s Jeddah Reﬁnery ......................................................... 28
CPO Seminar on “Reﬁnery Maintenance Management” Held in UAE ............................................................................. 30
CPJ Seminar on “Japan’s Oil Industry” Held for Saudi Aramco ....................................................................................... 32
Report on the Training Cooperation Program: Saudi Aramco ......................................................................................... 34
Report on the Training Cooperation Program: UAE and Qatar ........................................................................................ 38
Report on the Training Cooperation Program: Kuwait and Oman ................................................................................... 40
Report on the Training Cooperation Program: China (SINOPEC) ..................................................................................... 43
Report on the Training Cooperation Program: Vietnam .................................................................................................. 46
Revised Annual Program for Fiscal Year 2011 ................................................................................................................. 50
JCCP Regular Courses Completed in February 2011 ........................................................................................................ 51

Technical Cooperation
Commencement of Technical Cooperation with the Ministry of Oil-Iraq ........................................................................ 52
Completion of Phase I of the Technical Cooperation Project on Enhancement of FCC Catalyst Evaluationin Saudi Arabia ................................................................................................................................................................. 54
Treatment and Utilization of the Oilﬁeld-produced Water in Oman ............................................................................... 56
Study for Process and Operational Improvement in Mina Al Fahal Reﬁnery of Oman .................................................... 58
Improvement of Reactor Efﬁciency at the Esfahan Reﬁnery in Iran ................................................................................ 60

Announcements
20th World Petroleum Congress ...................................................................................................................................... 62
Please Help Us Update Our Roster ................................................................................................................................... 62
Personnel Changes ........................................................................................................................................................... 63

Cover photo:
Minoru Horike(Technical Cooperation Dept.)

Fiscal 2011 JCCP Activities
Masataka Sase
Executive Director,
Japan Cooperation Center, Petroleum (JCCP)

First of all, I with to offer my deepest condolences
to each and every person affected by the March 11
earthquake.
We at JCCP Headquarters in Ikebukuro, Tokyo also
felt the tremors that caused our high-rise building tosway considerably. Luckily we suffered little damage,but the elevators in our building did stop and create aminor commotion, so it was fortunate that our fiscal
2010 training programs had finished the previous week
and there were no participants at JCCP.
However, in consideration of the occasional aftershocks
we had been experiencing in Tokyo and the possible
confusion that planned power outages could cause, wecanceled or postponed some of the fiscal 2011 programs
that were scheduled to be implemented in Japan. We aresorry for the inconvenience we caused everyone who wasplanning on participating in those training programs, andhope you will accept our apology. We will do our best
to place our training programs back on track as quickly
as possible, but we are happy to say that our overseas
programs (customized programs-overseas; CPO) andtechnical cooperation projects are being implemented
as scheduled.
After the earthquake, we received heartwarming
messages of support and encouragement from the
management of our counterpart institutions abroad, as
well as from people who participated in a JCCP regularcourse in the past. Their praise of the Japanese people’s
resilience in the face of disaster both humbled us andreminded us anew that “the world is one.”
We will celebrate JCCP’s 30th anniversary thisautumn. In the wake of two oil crises, JCCP wasestablished in 1981 through public-private cooperation
to mitigate the insecurity of crude oil supplies thatare essential to our country’s economy. Oil-producing
countries had been remote presences to Japan until then,but toward fulfilling the objective of our organization,
we have made steady efforts to establish friendly
relationships with oil-producing countries by promoting
opportunities for interaction among people in the sameoil industry.
When looking at the achievements of training
programs alone, we see that there are more than 20,000“JCCP graduates” in 55 countries around the world.
Our network with universities and research institutions
mainly in the Middle East and GCC countries is also
expanding through the implementation of technicalcooperation projects.
However, partly owing to our lack of effort and partly
due to remarkable economic growth in oil-producing
countries and the growth of Asian countries, we arefinding that our conventional framework of activities
is not wholly sufficient to respond to newly emerging
needs. Taking this situation seriously, we came to theawareness that what we foremost need to do is to refine
and keep on refining our sensitivity to current trends
and circumstances.
As long as petroleum continues to be indispensable
to our lives, JCCP will remain committed to promoting
smooth personnel exchanges with oil-producing
countries. On behalf of JCCP, I wish to ask for your warm
support, as we embark on our next ten years.

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 20113

Topics

The 29th JCCP International Symposium“Sustainable Development of Oil Downstream Industry:
For Energy Supply Security”
The 29th JCCP International Symposium was heldon January 26 and 27, 2011 under the auspices of the
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). Some
400 people from METI, oil-producing countries, foreignembassies in Japan, government offices, domestic
firms, and organizations filled the room reserved for the
symposium in Hotel Okura, Tokyo.

1. Theme and Objective
The theme of this year’s symposium was “Sustainable
Development of Oil Downstream Industry: For Energy
Supply Security.” Worldwide population is on therise, and oil consumption is increasing particularly inemerging countries such as China and India. To save
precious oil resources for the next generation, companies
and organizations working in the oil downstream sector
must strive to use oil efficiently by constantly improving
technologies and management.
Based on this common awareness, leading authorities
from oil-producing and consuming countries exchanged
views on the sustainable development of the oil
downstream industry in this year’s symposium.

2. Overview(1) First Day (January 26): Opening Ceremony
The symposium began at 2:00 p.m. on January 26
with an opening ceremony. Mr. Yaichi Kimura, Presidentof JCCP, delivered an opening address, followed by agreeting from the guest of honor, Mr. Hisayoshi Ando,
Director-General of the Natural Resources and Fuel
Department, METI.
In his speech, Mr. Kimura reiterated the theme ofthis year’s symposium and presented a perspective on
the issue. He said that the world population is continuing
to grow, and petroleum is becoming an increasingly
important resource to support the daily lives of thisgrowing number of people. Amid this trend, he said thatthose of us who work in the oil downstream sector must
work hard to develop relevant technologies that would

4• Topics •Mr. Hisayoshi Ando, Director-Generalof the Natural Resources and Fuel Department, METI,
giving a speech as the guest of honor

allow even more efficient use of petroleum so that the
future generations of people can also enjoy the wealthproduced by oil and lead affluent lifestyles. Mr. Kimura
then emphasized that managers in the oil downstream
sector have a critical responsibility to do two things—tomeet the technological challenges presented in theindustry and to develop human resources who will leadour endeavors in the future.
Mr. Ando from METI took the podium next. He said
that the long-standing friendship between oil-producing
countries and Japan has been instrumental to Japan’s
oil security, and expressed his gratitude to all oilproducing countries for their cooperation. He also said
that the global oil situation is undergoing major changes
and is necessitating prompt and precise responses tosuch issues as the global economic slowdown, global
warming, and changes in the supply-demand situation.
Given this situation, he expressed his expectations
that relevant parties from both oil-producing and oilconsuming countries will engage in active discussions
in this symposium to deepen mutual understanding andrelationships, and thereby contribute to ensuring global
oil security.
(2) Keynote Speeches
Keynote speeches were given by two speakers.
H.E. Mr. Arne Walther, Ambassador, Royal Norwegian

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

Dr. Fereidun Fesharaki,
Chairman, FACTS Global
Energy Inc.

Ms. Huda M. Al-Ghoson,
General Manager,
Training and Development,
Saudi Aramco

Embassy, spoke on “Global Energy Dialogue”; and H.E.
Mr. Ahmed A. A. Al-Shamma, Deputy Minister, Ministryof Oil-Iraq, gave a presentation entitled “Refining in
Iraq—Present and Future.”
Mr. Walther spoke from his experience as the first
Secretary General of the International Energy Forum(IEF), and said that deepening mutual understanding
through formal and informal dialogues among producers
and consumers of oil is an important key to maintaining
a stable energy balance in the future. Mr. Al-Shamma
shared Iraq’s future vision of constructing refineriescapable of producing Euro-IV compatible oil products
through advanced catalytic cracking and establishinga domestic and international supply framework.
Summaries of the two keynote speeches are provided
on pages 9 to 13 in this issue of JCCP NEWS.
(3) Special Lectures
The keynote speeches were followed by four special
lectures. Dr. Fereidun Fesharaki, Chairman, FACTS
Global Energy Inc., gave a lecture entitled “Futureof the Refining Industry in the East of Suez,” anddescribed the future supply-demand balance of crude
oil and oil products in the Middle East and Asia-Pacificregions. Mr. Abdulaziz Alattar, Head of Office, KPC
Houston, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, gave a lecture
entitled “Future Prospects of Oil Balance in Asia andInternational Cooperation for the Best Energy Supply
Mix of the Future.” He described Kuwait’s commitment
to expanding oil supply capacities in the future and its
efforts toward achieving the best energy supply mixof the future based on initiatives that address global
environmental issues and future prospects of renewableenergy sources. Ms. Huda M. Al-Ghoson, General

Mr. Abdulaziz Alattar,
Head of Office,KPC Houston, Kuwait
Petroleum Corporation

Mr. Masakazu Toyoda,
Chairman and CEO,The Institute of Energy
Economics, Japan

Manager, Training and Development, Saudi Aramco,
gave a lecture entitled “Leadership Development in
Saudi Aramco—An Enduring Legacy,” in which sheemphasized that human resource development is an
important strategic issue that has direct bearing on
Saudi Aramco’s development, and that Saudi Aramco
will invest generously in discovering and developing
outstanding personnel. Lastly, Mr. Masakazu Toyoda,
Chairman and CEO, The Institute of Energy Economics,
Japan, gave a lecture entitled “Global Energy Outlook
and the Importance of Petroleum from the Perspectiveof Global Warming and Energy Security.” He said thatoil will continue to be the most important source ofenergy in the future, and emphasized that potential risks
must be minimized to maintain a stable supply-demandbalance through cooperation between oil-producing
and -consuming countries, particularly in addressing
global warming countermeasures and energy safety andsecurity measures.
(4) Second Day (January 27): Discussion Sessions
The second day featured Discussion Session 1 in themorning, chaired by Mr. Misao Hamamoto, Executive
Officer, Manufacturing Division, Showa Shell Sekiyu
K.K.; and Discussion Session 2 in the afternoon, chairedby Mr. Shogo Shibuya, Managing Executive Officer,
Technology & Engineering, Chiyoda Corporation.
Session 1 panelists each gave a presentation on thetheme of “Leadership Development.” Dr. Luis Miguel
Rodríguez Otal (Assistant Manager, Process Engineering
Division, PEMEX Refinación) spoke about “Managing
and Leading a Sustainable Refining Company”; Ms.
Juniwati Rahmat Hussin (Vice President, Human
Resource Management Division, Petroliam Nasional

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Topics •5

Session 1

Session 2

Berhad (PETRONAS)) about “Talent Development—the
PETRONAS Experience”; Mr. Andrew Laah Yakubu(Managing Director, Warri Refining and Petrochemical
Company (WRPC)) about “Future Vision of NNPC
for Comprehensive Hydrocarbon Industry”; Mr. Fahed
Fahhad Al-Ajmi (Deputy Managing Director for
Finance and Administration, Kuwait National Petroleum
Company) about “Structured On-Job Training (S-OJT)
Program at KNPC”; and Mr. Yoshitaka Furumatsu(Manager, Training & Business Efficiency Promotion(Group), TOA OIL Co., Ltd.) about “Corporate
Innovation and Development of Leaders.”
As chairman of the session, Mr. Hamamotosummarized the panelists’ presentations as follows: Allcountries are facing severe international competition in
the oil downstream sector. Unless efforts are made toinnovate technology and management toward creatingcompetitive companies, the oil downstream sector cannot
fulfill its social responsibility of providing stable oil
supplies. The key to building a strong company lies inhuman resources and their development. In other words,
only by developing human resources can companies
achieve growth.
Session 2 panelists each gave a presentation on thetheme, “Technical Management.” Dr. Nguyen Anh Duc(Deputy General Director, Vietnam Petroleum InstitutePetrovietnam) spoke about “Current Status and Future
Vision of the Petroleum Refining and Petrochemical
Industry of Vietnam”; Dr. Sahel N. Abduljauwad(Professor of Civil Engineering and Vice Rector for
Research, King Fahd University of Petroleum andMinerals (KFUPM)) about “Saudi Arabia’s Strategy
in Higher Education and R&D for the Future of
Hydrocarbon Processing Industry”; and Mr. Kazuo
Matsuda (General Manager, Energy Frontier Business
Development Office, Strategic Business Development
Division, Chiyoda Corporation) about “Energy Saving
by Pinch Technology—From Single Site to Multiple
Sites.”As chairman of Session 2, Mr. Shibuya gave asummary of the presentations as follows: Oil-producing
countries are currently striving to convert heavy oil into
petrochemical feedstock. They are also actively promoting
the production of bio-fuels. To allow humanity to enjoy
the benefits of Earth’s limited resources for as long as
possible, oil-producing countries and Japan are pursuing
technical innovations in oil refining and petrochemical
processes. Despite the differences between oil-producing

Plenary session of the 29th JCCP International Symposium

6• Topics •JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

and -consuming countries, they nevertheless share acommon commitment to utilize oil and natural gas in evenmore advanced and effective ways. By sharing experienceand technologies, all countries should come together toreform the oil downstream sector.

3. Summary
Mr. Masataka Sase, Executive Director of JCCP,
closed the symposium with a message saying that theoil industry is undergoing a major transformation and isin urgent need of leaders who will lead the change. He
said that we must draw out the full potential of humanresources and make outstanding leaders of them to usher
in a new era for the oil industry.
In the symposium, speakers and panelists fromoil-producing countries and Japan gave insightfulpresentations about technical innovations and humanresource development, and laid the foundation for
active exchanges of views. Through such forums as
this symposium, JCCP hopes to continue promoting
mutual understanding between oil-producing countries
and Japan.
Please also visit JCCP’s website (http://www.jccp.
or.jp) to view the presentation materials prepared by the
speakers and panelists.
<by Hisayoshi Tanda, Administration Dept.>

The 29th JCCP International Symposium Program“Sustainable Development of Oil Downstream Industry: For Energy Supply Security”
Date

Time

Jan. 26 (Wed)14:00 – 15:20

Proceedings
Opening ceremony
Opening address:
Mr. Yaichi Kimura, President of JCCP
Guest-of-honor speech:
Mr. Hisayoshi Ando, Director-General, Natural Resources andFuel Department, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, METI
Keynote speeches:
H.E. Mr. Arne Walther, Ambassador, Royal Norwegian Embassy
H.E. Mr. Ahmed A. A. Al-Shamma, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Oil-Iraq

15:35 – 17:40

Special lectures(1) Dr. Fereidun Fesharaki, Chairman, FACTS Global Energy Inc.
(2) Mr. Abdulaziz Alattar, Head of Office, KPC (WH) Houston, Kuwait
Petroleum Corporation (WH)
(3) Ms. Huda M. Al-Ghoson, General Manager, Training and Development,
Saudi Aramco(4) Mr. Masakazu Toyoda, Chairman and CEO, The Institute of Energy
Economics, Japan

Jan. 27 (Thu)

18:00 – 20:00

Reception

9:30 – 12:00

Session 1 “Leadership Development”

13:30 – 16:00

Session 2 “Technical Development”

16:00 – 16:10

Closing address: Mr. Masataka Sase, Executive Director of JCCP

Keynote Speeches
Country

Speaker

Speech Title

NorwayH.E. Mr. Arne WaltherAmbassador, Royal Norwegian Embassy

Global Energy Dialogue

Saudi Arabia

H.E. Mr. Ahmed A. A. Al-Shamma
Deputy Minister, Ministry of Oil-Iraq

Refining in Iraq—Present and Future

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Topics •7

Special Lectures
Country

Speaker

Speech Title

United States

Dr. Fereidun Fesharaki
Chairman, FACTS Global Energy Inc.

Future of the Refining Industry in the East of
Suez

KuwaitMr. Abdulaziz Alattar
Head of Office, KPC (WH) Houston,
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (WH)
Ms. Huda M. Al-Ghoson
General Manager, Training and Development,
Saudi Aramco
Mr. Masakazu Toyoda
Chairman and CEO, The Institute of Energy
Economics, Japan

Future Prospects of Oil Balance in Asia andInternational Cooperation for the Best Energy
Supply Mix of the Future
Leadership Development in Saudi Aramco—An Enduring Legacy

Saudi Arabia

Japan

Global Energy Outlook and the Importanceof Petroleum from the Perspective of Global
Warming and Energy Security

Session 1: Leadership Development
Chairman: Mr. Misao Hamamoto, Executive Ofﬁcer, Manufacturing Division, Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K.
Country
MexicoMalaysia

Nigeria

KuwaitJapan

SpeakerDr. Luis Miguel Rodríguez Otal
Assistant Manager, Process Engineering Division,
PEMEX Refinación
Ms. Juniwati Rahmat Hussin
Vice President, HRM Division, Petroliam Nasional
Berhad (PETRONAS)
Mr. Andrew Laah Yakubu
Managing Director, Warri Refining andPetrochemical Company (WRPC)
Mr. Fahed Fahhad Al-Ajmi
Deputy Managing Director for Finance andAdministration, Kuwait National Petroleum
Company
Mr. Yoshitaka FurumatsuManager, Training & Business Efficiency
Promotion (Group), TOA OIL Co., Ltd.

Speech Title
Managing and Leading a Sustainable Refining
Company
Talent Development—The PETRONAS Experience

Future Vision of NNPC for Comprehensive
Hydrocarbon Industry
Structured On-Job Training (S-OJT) Program at
KNPC

Corporate Innovation and Development of
Leaders

Session 2: Technical Development
Chairman: Mr. Shogo Shibuya, Managing Executive Ofﬁcer, Technology & Engineering,
Chiyoda Corporation
Country
UAE

SpeakerMr. Salem Obaid Al Dhaheri
Engineering & Technical Support Division
Manager, Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company(TAKREER)

Speech Title
Business Development at Abu Dhabi Oil Refining
Co. (TAKREER) —The Ruwais Refinery Expansion(RRE) Project* Mr. Al Dhaheri could not make it to the symposium, but his presentation material has been posted on the JCCP website.

Vietnam

Saudi Arabia

Japan

8

• Topics •Dr. Nguyen Anh Duc
Deputy General Director, Vietnam Petroleum
Institute – Petrovietnam
Dr. Sahel N. Abduljauwad
Professor of Civil Engineering and Vice Rector for
Research, King Fahd University of Petroleum andMinerals (KFUPM)
Mr. Kazuo Matsuda
General Manager, Energy Frontier Business
Development Office, Strategic Business
Development Division, Chiyoda Corporation

Current Status and Future Vision of thePetroleum Refining and Petrochemical Industryof Vietnam
Saudi Arabia’s Strategy in Higher Education and
R&D for the Future of Hydrocarbon Processing
Industry
Energy Saving by Pinch Technology—From Single Site to Multiple Sites

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

Keynote Speech

Global Energy Dialogue

H.E. Mr. Arne WaltherAmbassador, Royal Norwegian Embassy

1. Global Energy Situation and Energy
Dialogue
Global energy demand will grow, the IEA says, by
36% between 2008 and 2035, and oil and other fossil
fuels will remain paramount in the global energy mix
for quite some time.
To boost energy security, global dialogue on energy
is essential. It raises our awareness of common longterm interests and helps us avoid misunderstandings
and mistrust. It increases transparency and can help us
mitigate excessive market volatility and to seize win-win
opportunity.
Oil is an important industry in Norway, and as
an industrialized, oil-exporting country, Norway
takes active part in international energy dialogue andcooperation. We have important interests in common andgood relations with petroleum producers in and outsideof OPEC, and also cooperate with Japan and otherindustrialized petroleum-importing countries. Norway
is a member of the International Energy Agency (IEA),
and has also participated in establishing the International
Energy Forum (IEF). I personally had the honour of
being elected the first Secretary General of the IEF.

2. An Evolving Energy Reality
Environmental and climate change concern will growand impact energy policy decision-making, and increasing
attention will be paid to renewable alternatives, such as
solar, wind, tide and bio-fuels. Rising energy demand
will also increase the need to conserve energy and to
improve efficiency in energy production, transport andconsumption. Therefore, we need to develop smarter andmore cost-efficient technologies. We will need, among
other things, large-scale commercialization of cleaner
fossil fuel technologies, such as carbon capture andstorage, to reduce the global carbon footprint. As the twin
challenges of energy security and climate change are
increasingly interlinked, measures to meet the climatechange challenge should not jeopardize energy security,
nor should policies and measures for energy security
exacerbate climate change.
Additionally, more predictable and equitable
investment conditions should be facilitated, as failure
to invest when oil prices are low inevitably leads toprice spikes when demand picks up. Global energy
investments of some USD 25 trillion are needed up to
year 2030 to satisfy growing energy demand.
We must also consider vulnerability of energy
production and supply to politically motivated disruption,
terrorist intention and attack, technical mishap, andto forces of nature, and expect to see an increase incompetition for oil, as well as competition from otherenergy resources

3. Energy Dialogue and International
Cooperation
New sets of cooperative relationships between national
and international oil companies are in the making. It also
has geopolitical implications that governments and theirnational oil companies now control some 90% of provenoil reserves, and it is expected that national oil companies
will account for all of the increase in global production
from now up to year 2035. The IEF has therefore set up a
NOC-IOC Forum to facilitate dialogue between the twogroups of oil companies: national oil companies (NOC)and international oil companies (IOC).
New patterns of bilateral and regional cooperation
among nations are also emerging. For example, China,
the world’s largest consumer of energy, and others
are offering great infrastructure packages to countries
on other continents in return for secure access to oil.

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Topics •9

However, energy poverty must be dealt with forcefully,
in international solidarity and cooperation. It is unfair
and a geopolitical time-bomb that one and a half billion
people lack access to electricity.
New patterns of energy cooperation can shape
new geopolitical realities. Likewise, new geopoliticalrealities that replace, merge or clash with longstanding
ones will have their impact on energy, and establishedgeopolitical realities may raise stumbling blocks for wise
and sustainable new patterns of energy cooperation.
Amid increasing energy uncertainties andvulnerabilities, however, let me offer a fundamental
certainty. That is that the world will need more andcleaner energy, used in a more efficient way, accessible
and affordable to a larger share of the world’s population.
Toward this end, producer-consumer dialogue canbuild confidence and help us to better seize winwin cooperative opportunity in our globalizing andincreasingly interdependent world. Dialogue canpreempt and correct misunderstandings and mistrustthat otherwise could lead to conflict.

4. History of Energy Dialogue
Global political-level dialogue on energy, as we know
it today, did not have an easy start. Mutual suspicion
between producers and consumers ran high. When oil
prices were high, the oil-exporting countries were happy,
and the oil-importing countries complained and wanted
dialogue. When prices were low, the importing countries
were happy, and the exporting countries complained andwanted dialogue.
A quarter of a century ago, the United Nations
Commission on Environment and Development, chairedby former Prime Minister of Norway Dr. Brundtland,
highlighted in its report “Our Common Future” theimportance of oil prices and the importance of energy
for the environment and sustainable development. It
recommended that new mechanisms for dialogue be
explored.
At the same time, Norway was advocating a “global
energy policy interrelationship.” As a petroleumexporting industrialized country, Norway saw herself
in a bridge-building position between the oil-importing
countries and the oil-exporting countries.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos in 1989,
Prime Minister Brundtland followed up the Norwegian
initiative by proposing a “workshop” of government
leaders at political level. The objective was to raise

10 • Topics •the awareness of long-term common interests, to avoid
excessive oil market volatility and promote the stability
and predictability that would benefit long-term economicplanning.
Oil-producing and -exporting countries greeted theinitiative with enthusiasm, and many oil-importing
countries were willing to try. The first workshop was heldin Paris in the wake of the first Gulf War between 1990
and 1991, and this eventually led to the establishmentof the IEF.
Through political-level dialogue in the IEF, Ministers
in the IEF came to uphold the mantra that security ofenergy supply and security of energy demand are twosides of the same energy security coin, and that energy
security is a shared producer-consumer responsibility.
When energy is traded from one country to anotherthrough a third country, transit countries have theirinterests and importance within the wider shared
responsibility as well.

5. From Asia to the Arctic
The center of global economic gravity is on the move
eastwards to Asia, and emerging economies led by China
and India will increasingly influence our global energy
future. Reflecting this increasing importance of Asia andrecognizing the importance also of regional dialogues,“Roundtables of Asian Energy Ministers” are taking
place under the global umbrella of the IEF.
The Arctic is another region of potentially great
importance for global security of oil and gas supply.
It is where the continents of Asia, North America andEurope meet and where more than a fifth of the yet-tobe-discovered reserves of oil and natural gas in the world
could be found. State-of-the-art technology is called forin this challenging and high-cost environment. Norway
is already producing and exporting oil and natural gas
from her part of the Arctic.
The Arctic stands out as a politically stable andpeaceful region with large petroleum promise. For
Norway, our High North and Arctic is a most importantarea of strategic focus in the years ahead. Our policy is
one of dialogue with the states that have interests in theregion, because we take our responsibility for managing
vast areas in the Arctic very seriously in light not only of
petroleum interests, but also in light of an alert awarenessof concerns related to the environment and ecologicalbalance in the area.

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

6. Global Energy Governance
There is today no global, intergovernmental
institution with supranational decision-making power
to deal comprehensively with all forms of energy in
our multi-polar energy world. Given the strategic
importance of energy to the national interests of each andevery country, it hardly seems realistic to expect one in
any near future. What we more realistically can do, andare doing, is to constantly improve our “global energy
policy interrelationship”—that comprehensive networkof inter-governmental energy institutions and cooperative
contacts among countries at political and technical levels,on bilateral, regional and global bases.
Addressing security of oil supply and demand also

requires consideration of the impact and potential ofother forms of energy. A comprehensive dialogue onenergy must integrate environmental and climate change
perspectives, and that within the even wider frameworkof global political and economic developments.
In this wider global picture there is, I believe, every
reason to be confident that oil produced, transported andused effectively in the best possible environmental way
will continue to fuel our energy security for many years
to come. Oil and its downstream sector will continue
to be a forceful engine for the global economic growthneeded to fulfill both the political and social ambitions ofindividual nations and the UN Millennium Development
Goals in a sustainable world order.

Keynote Speech

Refining in Iraq
—Present and Future
H.E. Mr. Ahmed A. A. Al-Shamma
Deputy Minister, Ministry of Oil-Iraq

1. History of Reﬁneries in Iraq
There are three major refineries in Iraq. The Daura
Refinery was built in the 1950s with a capacity of 70
kbl/d, which was later increased to 140 kbl/d. The Basra
Refinery was built in the 1970s with a capacity of 140
kbl/d. The Baiji Refinery was built partly in the 1970s
and partly in the 1980s, with a capacity of 290 kbl/d andincreased to 310 kbl/d by adding two 10-kbl/d units. All
these refineries were designed to produce white products
not exceeding 50% to 55% of the barrel.
The refineries sustained severe damage during the1991 Gulf War. They were restored and continued to be
operated, but not in a healthy state. Furthermore, after
the war came a long period of UN sanctions. The country
was cut off from all parts supplies from the outside world,
and the refineries fell into a state of disrepair so severethat it was almost a miracle that they even continued tooperate.

After the fall of the dictatorship in 2003, the refineries
were the first victims of insurgent and terrorist acts thattook place particularly in the years from 2005 to 2007.
The attacks targeted crude oil lines and product pipelines,
which caused loss of refining capacity. Refineries
stopped operations, either because of lack of crude oil,or because they could not ship the products throughthe pipelines. Things finally began to normalize at the
beginning of 2008, and refining capacity has started toincrease, albeit gradually.

2. Present Status(1) Daura Refinery
The Daura Refinery now has an installed capacity of
140 kbl/d. It has two CDUs with a capacity of 70 kbl/deach, both of which have commenced operations after
a construction period of three years.
A new 10-kbl/d hydrotreater reformer unit is slated

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Topics • 11

to be constructed soon. It is presently in the procurement
phase. There is also a plan to construct a 10-kbl/d
isomerization unit. It is presently in the equipment
procurement and civil works phase.
In Iraq, there are frequent energy disruptions due
to inadequacy of the electricity network. To overcome
this inconvenience, we will be constructing a power
generation plant within the refinery to secure stableelectricity supply. It will have two new boilers witha 150-tonne/hour capacity, of which one has been
completed and other is under construction. A new RFCC
unit will have a capacity of 40 kbl/d, and has just been
awarded a FEED Package.
Still, Daura faces a problem of how to get rid ofheavy fuel, which amounts to about 100 kbl/d. There are
power stations nearby, but they have either reached theircapacity or are not operating to their capacity. We are
therefore planning to run a pipeline to a large new power
station that is being built not far away from Daura, to try
to get rid of the excess fuel oil and operate the refineryat maximum capacity.
As part of our future plans, we are also working
to improve the flare system to reduce emissions andimprove the environment around the refinery. We will also
complete the renovation of our lube oil plants, possiblywith some changes in the process of some of the units,
to eliminate the use of chemicals such as CFCs that havebecome environmentally prohibited. Finally, we havedesigned and are now tendering for a new hydrotreater
unit to produce gas oil with low sulfur content.
(2) Baiji Refinery
The Baiji Refinery is the largest refinery complex in
Iraq, with a capacity of 310 kbl/d. A new isomerization
unit will soon be commissioned as the first to beinstalled in an Iraqi refinery. Six new boilers areunder construction, a power generation plant has been
contracted, and a contract is now being concluded for a
new LPG unit for the North Refinery.
At Baiji, 51 storage tanks were destroyed in the 1991
war. We have yet to complete their reconstruction, anduntil we do, the refinery must operate with virtually no
storage tanks. The hydrocracker unit works on and off,due to design problems. The war had started soon after
it was commissioned, and there was no time for proper
repair. We are presently seeking how we can rehabilitate
the unit and put it into full operation once again. Thereis a lube oil plant composed of two trains. One train wascompletely destroyed during the 1991 war; the second

12 • Topics •train is in operation but also requires rehabilitation. Two
new crude distillation units are being installed to provide
fuel oil to a nearby power station, which is also underconstruction. A feasibility study was carried out by aJapanese company for a new FCC unit (50 kbl/d).
(3) Basra Refinery
The Basra Refinery has a capacity of 140 kbl/d. We
are building a new unit with a capacity of 70 kbl/d,which will bring the total capacity of the refinery to
210 kbl/d.
We are building a new hydrotreater platformer unit
and a new LPG unit to replace one that has been used
as a spare, and the plan for a new isomerization unit
is in the phase of awaiting the delivery of equipment.
New boilers and new utility packages are also underconstruction. Since the wastewater treatment unit at
the Basra Refinery was damaged in the war in 1991,
there has been an overflow of wastewater, but we plan
to address this problem by building a new wastewater
treatment unit. A gas oil hydrotreatment unit has also
been designed and is in the phase of receiving tenders.

3. Production Status
The actual refining capacity of the refineries has
been declining since 2004, through 2005 and 2006, to
2007, its lowest figure. This is a result of the refineries
having to shut down frequently due to lack of security,
terrorist acts, and electricity failures. The figures started
improving in 2008, and we are confident that by the endof 2011, we will have much higher figures compared
to 2010.
Due to the low refining capacities, we needed toimport products. Production has begun to recover now,
but we still import gasoline, because a large number ofcars are coming into the country and creating a large
demand for cars. Before 2003, the most modern cars on
the road were models built before 1985, but now people
are vying to acquire the latest models.

4. Construction of New Reﬁneries
The Ministry of Oil-Iraq has plans to construct four
new refineries and commence their operations sometime
between 2014 and 2015.
(1) Karbala RefineryWe have completed the FEED Package for the

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

Karbala Refinery, and are talking with companies whoare interested in investing in the refinery. However, evenif we do not receive investment, we still need to build
the refinery, because it should have already been built
three decades ago to compensate for the lack of supplies.
As soon as it is built and completed, all its products will
immediately be consumed. It will only substitute forsome of the products we are importing now, but it will
be designed to Euro-IV specifications, with less than
15% fuel oil production.

the port. The project is in the FEED stage, and licensing
has already been decided. The refinery will have its own
power station, and will produce products according toEuro-IV specifications.

(2) Maissan Refinery
The Maissan Refinery will be constructed near theoil fields of Maissan, and will have a refining capacityof 150 kbl/d. We have contracted and signed the license
service for the various units, and the refinery is now in the
FEED stage. There are many units here because we will
be dealing with heavy crude, such as Bazargan Crude,
which requires much more treatment. Again, productquality will be designed to Euro-IV specifications.

By building these four refineries, we hope to provide
for the needs of Iraq at least for the next two decades.

(3) Al-Nassiriya Refinery
The Al-Nassiriya Refinery will have a capacity of
300 kbl/d, and will be the largest among the newer
refineries. It will be oriented for export, and willcommence operations to coincide with the building of
the new port of Fao. We have already included in thedesign of that port the necessary jetties for export ofthe various products, and will be running pipelines forgasoline, gas oil, kerosene, and ATK to this facility at(4) Kirkuk Refinery
The Kirkuk Refinery will be constructed in the
Kirkuk Oil Field where crude oil is available. It will
be similar to the Maissan Refinery, but will use lighter
crude oil for production.

5. Reﬁnery Construction Investment
A law was enacted in 2007 to allow investment inrefineries by private investors. Under this law, crude oilwill be sold to investors and products will be bought
at international prices. Investors would receive a 1%
discount on the crude oil, which may be increased to
3% if parliament moves to amend the law*.
There is still much work to be done to restore
the production of oil products in Iraq. As there is a
lot of work for contractors, engineering companies,
and investors alike, we welcome and appreciate thecooperation of our Japanese partners.
* Note: The Ministry of Oil-Iraq announced on April 27, 2011that it will increase the discount rate on crude oil to 5%.

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Topics • 13

Topics

Executive Meeting
Visit to UAE
1. Objective
Mr. Masataka Sase, Executive Director of JCCP,
visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from February
20 to 25, 2011 to request UAE’s cooperation in
implementing the 20th Joint GCC-Japan Environment
Symposium and to hold policy dialogues about JCCP
operations with the leaders of Abu Dhabi National Oil
Company (ADNOC), Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company(TAKREER), UAE University, and the Embassy of Japanin UAE. Mr. Sase was accompanied by A. Yamanaka,
General Manager of the Operations Department, and S.
Yagi, General Manager of the Middle East Office.

2. Visit to the Head Ofﬁce of TAKREER

effort in providing the necessary cooperation.
Mr. Al-Sayegh took the opportunity of the meeting
to express his expectations regarding the training of
UAE personnel and their receiving JCCP training in
the maintenance and operational management of FCC,
RFCC, and alkylation units, in light of the expansion of the
Ruwais Refinery, which is slated for completion in 2013.
Mr. Sase also took the occasion to give a detailed view ofthe political situation and the oil industry in Japan, as wellas the importance of the Middle East countries to Japan.

3. Visit to the Marketing & Reﬁning
Directorate of ADNOCIn the morning on Monday, February 21, Mr. Sase
visited TAKREER and met with Mr. Jasem Ali AlSayegh, General Manager.
Firstly, Mr. Sase expressed his appreciation to Mr. AlSayegh for TAKREER’s cooperation in JCCP activities
through the years. In turn, Mr. Al-Sayegh thanked
Mr. Sase for JCCP’s ongoing training of TAKREER
engineers and for its support through technicalcooperation projects, briefly mentioning the projects
for flare gas recovery, operational support of TAKREER
Research Center, and refinery wastewater treatment.
Then, in response to Mr. Sase’s request for TAKREER’scooperation in the 20th Joint GCC-Japan Environment
Symposium scheduled to be held in UAE this year, Mr.
Al-Sayegh readily consented, with a promise to spare no

In the afternoon on Monday, February 21, Mr.
Sase visited the head office of ADNOC to meetwith Mr. Hashem Y. Al Refaei, Marketing Research& Administration Division Manager, Marketing &Refining Directorate, and Mr. Mubarak S. Al Ketbi,
Manager, Crude & Condensate Division.
Messrs. Refaei and Al Ketbi, who both participatedin the FY2009 JCCP International Symposium, thanked
Mr. Sase for their invitation to the symposium, sayingthat it gave them an invaluable opportunity to expand
their business connections.
Mr. Sase explained the objective of his visit to UAE
and acquired valuable views and opinions about the
Joint GCC-Japan Environment Symposium. In their
discussion, Mr. Refaei expressed his preference thatthe symposium be held in Abu Dhabi and not in Al Ain,to facilitate participation by ADNOC personnel. He

Mr. Jasem Ali Al-Sayegh, General Manager of TAKREER(third from right)

Mr. Hashem Y. Al Refaei, Marketing Research &Administration Division Manager, Marketing & Refining
Directorate (left), and Mr. Mubarak S. Al Ketbi, Manager,
Crude & Condensate Division (second from right)

14 • Topics •JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

also provided input regarding the selection of speakers,
and informed the JCCP members that the Abu Dhabi
government is taking strong interest in the symposium
as an event of major significance.

4. Dialogue with the CEO of ADNOCIn the morning on Tuesday, February 22, Mr. Sase
visited the head office of ADNOC once again, this time
to meet with H.E. Mr. Yousef Omair Bin Yousef, Chief
Executive Officer.
After being ushered into the CEO’s office, Mr. Sase
paid his greetings to H.E. Mr. Yousef Omair Bin Yousef,
expressing his appreciation of the ADNOC Group’s
cooperation in JCCP activities and assuring renewed
efforts to strengthen their cooperative relationship byaccurately grasping future needs and implementing
CPO/CPJ courses and information exchange programsfor young engineers. H.E. Mr. Yousef Omair Bin Yousef
responded by thanking Mr. Sase for JCCP’s many yearsof training ADNOC Group personnel, and articulated his
expectations of further support from JCCP in the future.
Mr. Sase also requested the ADNOC Group’s cooperationin the Joint GCC-Japan Environment Symposium scheduled
to be held in UAE this fiscal year, and received assuranceof full cooperation from the CEO.

H.E. Mr. Yousef Omair Bin Yousef,
Chief Executive Officer of ADNOC (left)

also expressed his assessment and appreciation of UAE
University’s cooperative relationship with JCCP for morethan ten years. He then gave his word for the university’s
cooperation in the Environment Symposium, and asked
about the dates on which it will be held. Mr. Sase said hewould like to discuss details of the symposium again at
a later time with an eye to its implementation sometime
before or after the World Petroleum Congress, which will
be held from December 4 to 8 in Doha. After the meeting,
the JCCP members toured the university campus.

Dr. Abdullah Al-Khanbashi,
Vice Chancellor of UAE University (left)

6. Embassy of Japan in UAE
In the afternoon on Tuesday, February 22, Mr.
Sase paid a call on the H.E. Mr. Tatsuro Watanabe,
Ambassador, at the Embassy of Japan in UAE.
Mr. Sase explained that the main objective of his
visit was to request the cooperation of relevant parties
in the Joint GCC-Japan Environment Symposium
scheduled to be held in UAE this year, and requested theAmbassador’s presence at the symposium. In response toa question from Ambassador Watanabe concerning theparticipants of the symposium, Mr. Sase recounted lastyear’s symposium in Oman, in which a professor fromWaseda University served as leader of the Japanese sideand the opening ceremony was attended by ministeriallevel leaders from oil-producing countries.
<by Akio Yamanaka, Operations Dept.>

5. Visit to UAE University
In the afternoon on Wednesday, February 23, Mr. Sase
visited Dr. Abdullah Al-Khanbashi, Vice Chancellor of
UAE University in Al Ain.
In the Vice Chancellor’s office, Mr. Sase firstly thanked
UAE University for its role in JCCP technical cooperation
projects that have been implemented in UAE to date, andrequested the university’s cooperation in this year’s JointGCC-Japan Environment Symposium. Mr. Al-Khanbashi

H.E. Mr. Tatsuro Watanabe, Ambassador of Japan to UAE (right)

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Topics • 15

Topics

Executive Meetings
Visits to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Thailand
Mr. Masataka Sase, Executive Director of JCCP,
and H. Tanda, General Manager of Planning and
Coordination, made a round of visits to Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait, and Thailand from May 14 to 21, 2011, to explain
the schedule of JCCP training courses in the aftermath of
the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11.
Placing priority on participants’ safety, JCCP has
postponed the implementation of all regular courses
between April and July, but plans to reorganize andresume the courses in September. The recent visits were
therefore made to obtain the understanding of JCCP
counterparts in oil-producing countries about JCCP’ssafety measures for participants and to personally urge
them to send participants to regular courses in theknowledge that they will be safe.
K. Nita, General Manager of the Riyadh Office,accompanied Mr. Sase in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

1. King Fahd University of Petroleum &Minerals (KFUPM)
On May 16, the JCCP delegation paid a call on
H.E. Dr. Khaled S. Al-Sultan, Rector of KFUPM; andDr. Sahel Abduljauwad, Vice Rector for Research at
KFUPM, and held a meeting in the rector’s office.
Before proceeding to the main topic of the meeting,
Mr. Sase thanked the two leaders for the many messagesof sympathy and support JCCP received from KFUPM
in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake. He also
thanked Dr. Abduljauwad for giving a presentation at the

JCCP International Symposium this past January.
Dr. Al-Sultan said he was struck by the Japanesepeople’s patience and tolerance in their struggles toward
recovery from the disaster, and that he holds them in thehighest respect and admiration. He also said that therelationship between JCCP and KFUPM is not just aword, but a reality built on past achievements, and that
he wishes to see further development of the relationshipin the future.

2. Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura Reﬁnery
On May 16, the JCCP delegation visited Saudi Aramco’s
Ras Tanura Refinery to pay a call on Mr. Abdulhakim A.
Al-Gouhi, General Manager of the refinery.
Mr. Al-Gouhi expressed his appreciation of JCCP’s
support, while noting that Saudi Arabians have great
respect for Japanese culture and always associate theword “Japan” with a positive value. The JCCP side
explained that all regular courses scheduled between
April and July have been postponed in considerationof participants’ safety and health, but asked for Mr.
Al-Gouhi’s cooperation in sending participants to thecourses if and when they resume in September.

At Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura Refinery:
Mr. Abdulhakim A. Al-Gouhi, General Manager (right)

3. Saudi Aramco HQ
At KFUPM:
H.E. Dr. Khaled S. Al-Sultan, Rector (left)

16 • Topics •On May 17, the JCCP delegation called on Ms. Huda
M. Al-Ghoson, General Manager of Training and Career

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

Development, at Saudi Aramco Headquarters.
After thanking Ms. Al-Ghoson for her participationin the JCCP International Symposium this past January,
Mr. Sase explained that JCCP regular courses between
April and July have been postponed due to the impactof the March earthquake, but that JCCP is planning toresume the courses in September, and requested Ms.
Al-Ghoson’s help in urging the participation of Saudi
Aramco personnel.
Ms. Al-Ghoson sincerely explained that many
employees from Saudi Aramco, not to mention Saudi
Arabia as a whole, receive training in Japan, and said she
has found that they all wish to continue their training inJapan despite the recent earthquake. She was also kindenough to say the Saudi Arabian people have strong
feelings of trust in Japan, and that everyone is confident
that the hardworking people of Japan will progresssteadily along the road to recovery.

JCCP delegation, saying human resource development
is a long-term process, which requires continuous andpersistent efforts on the part of JCCP.

At the Japanese Embassy in Kuwait:
H.E. Mr. Yasuyoshi Komizo, Ambassador (second from left)

5. Kuwait National Petroleum Company(KNPC)At Saudi Aramco Headquarters:(From the left) H. Tanda; Mr. Mutlaq A. Al-Subaey,
Superintendent; Mr. Masataka Sase; Ms. Huda M. Al-Ghoson,
General Manager of Training and Career Development;
and Mr. K. Nita

On May 19, the JCCP delegation visited KNPC
to meet with Mr. Asaad Ahmed E. Al-Saad, Deputy
Chairman, Mr. Fahed Fahhad Al-Ajmi, Deputy Managing
Director; and Mr. Ahmad S. Al-Jemaz, Deputy Managing
Director of the Shuaiba Refinery.
At the outset of the meeting, Mr. Sase articulated his
deep appreciation for the many heartfelt messages JCCP
received from KNPC after the recent earthquake. He thenwent on to explain that all regular courses scheduled up
to this summer have been postponed, but as JCCP is

4. Japanese Embassy in Kuwait
On May 18, the JCCP delegation visited the Japanese
Embassy in Kuwait to pay a courtesy call on H.E. Mr.
Yasuyoshi Komizo, Ambassador.
Ambassador Komizo noted that the Kuwaiti government
donated five million barrels of petroleum to Japan in thewake of the recent earthquake, and shared his understandingthat Japan’s contribution to human resource developmentin Kuwait since the mid-1970s was well recognized byleading figures in Kuwait’s oil industry and was the decisive
factor behind the generous donation of unprecedented
scale. He also offered words of encouragement to the

At KNPC:(From the second from left) Mr. Waleed Al-Hamad,
Assistant Manager of HR Department;
Mr. Fahed Fahhad Al-Ajmi, Deputy Managing Director;
and Mr. Asaad Ahmed E. Al-Saad, Deputy Chairman

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Topics • 17

planning to resume them following the establishmentof strict safety measures, he asked KNPC to encourage
the participation of its employees.
The KNPC leaders offered warm words of condolence
for the recent earthquake and expressed their deep
conviction that the Japanese people’s strength andresilience will help them overcome the disaster andrebuild an even stronger nation than before. They alsoemphasized that the strong relationship of trust that JCCP
and KNPC have steadily established over the years will
never be severed.

At KNPC:
Mr. Ahmad S. Al-Jemaz, Deputy Managing Director of the
Shuaiba Refinery (second from right)

between April and July have been postponed after theearthquake in consideration of the safety of participants,
but as they are being readied to resume in September,he asked for the active participation of the company’s
employees. Mr. Tepartimargorn firstly praised theJapanese people for their perseverance and prayed forthe country’s swift recovery. He then said that, due tolack of information about the earthquake in Thailand, he
had not been sure whether he should send participants to
JCCP regular courses, but he is glad to hear that JCCP
is moving forward, and appreciates the JCCP delegation
making the long trip to provide reassurance.

At PTT Public Company:
Mr. Pitipan Tepartimargorn, Senior Executive
Vice President (fourth from left); and
Ms. Papinya Tansamrit, Vice President (third from right)

6. PTT Public Company Limited
On May 20, Mr. Sase visited PTT Public Company
Limited as the final destination of the series of followup meetings, to meet with Mr. Pitipan Tepartimargorn,
Senior Executive Vice President, Human Resources andOrganization Excellence; and Ms. Papinya Tansamrit,
Vice President, Learning and Development Center
Department.
Mr. Sase explained that all regular courses scheduled

At all destinations of the recent follow-up meetings,
the JCCP members were deeply touched by everyone’s
expressions of sympathy and encouragement for recovery
from the Great East Japan Earthquake, as well as for theirwarm patience and support of JCCP courses. To respondto their expectations, we at JCCP have strengthened ourresolve to resume the courses as quickly as possible andto continue striving to strengthen our relationships with
oil-producing countries.
<by Hisayoshi Tanda, Administration Department>

18 • Topics •JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

Topics

Formal Agreementon the Establishment of a Cooperative
Relationship with OAPECOn March 9, 2011, the Organization of ArabPetroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) and JCCP
formally agreed to enter into a cooperative relationshipbased primarily on the joint organization of technicalseminars and joint implementation of technical studies
in the oil downstream sector.

1. Background
In May 2010, the OAPEC Secretariat, which had
been seeking to establish a cooperative tie with an
extra-regional institution, approached JCCP with an
enquiry about a possible scheme of mutual cooperation.
After a series of discussions, the two sides reached abasic agreement for the joint organization of technicalseminars and the joint implementation of technicalstudies in the oil downstream sector. As verification of
their intent to establish a cooperative relationship, thetwo organizations signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) on
December 10, 2010 in Tunis and publicly announced
their intent on the following day at the Second JapanArab Economic Forum.
Thereafter, the agreement to build a cooperative
relationship with JCCP was formally approved by the
OAPEC Ministerial Council meeting that was held on
December 25, 2010 in Cairo.

Greeting by H.E. Mr. Abbas Naqi, Secretary General of OAPEC

2. Signing Ceremony
After receiving the formal approval of the OAPEC
Ministerial Council, a Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) signing ceremony was held on March 9, 2011,at the head office of OAPEC in Kuwait.
The ceremony opened with speeches by H.E. Mr.
Yasuyoshi Komizo, Japanese Ambassador to Kuwait;
H.E. Mr. Abbas Naqi, Secretary General of OAPEC;
and Mr. Morihiro Yoshida, Managing Director of JCCP.
After the speeches, H.E. Mr. Naqi and Mr. Yoshidasigned the MOU.
Others members of the OAPEC Secretariat also
attended the ceremony, which included a presentationof JCCP activities.

3. Future Activities

Greeting by H.E. Mr. Yasuyoshi Komizo,
Ambassador to Kuwait

As OAPEC is a multilateral organization representing
oil-exporting countries in the Arab region, establishing acooperative relationship with OAPEC means establishingeven more multi-tiered relationships with these oilproducing countries. JCCP therefore hopes to maintainclose ties with the OAPEC Secretariat through the joint
implementation of technical seminars and studies, andto forge new connections with relevant counterparts in
OAPEC member countries.

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Topics • 19

Signing of the LOI by H.E. Mr. Abbas Naqi, Secretary Generalof OAPEC, and Mr. Morihiro Yoshida, Managing Director of
JCCP (witnessed by Ambassador Komizo)

As a specific activity in the area of technical seminars,
a presentation on such topics as heavy oil processing
technologies, control technologies for refining facilities,
and effective utilization of hydrogen is considered being
given at the OAPEC Conference. This year’s conference
will be held from November 28 to 30 in Cairo, Egypt, and
JCCP members will also take part in the presentation.
In the area of technical studies, JCCP will begin
translating technical documents on equipment corrosion
into English in the immediate future, and once it isfinished, the OAPEC Secretariat will translate theminto Arabic and distribute them to OAPEC member
countries.
We hope to implement many more joint technicalseminars and studies with OAPEC, also with support
from our member companies.
<by Hiroshi Iida, Technical Cooperation Dept.>

Group photo of the signing ceremony

20 • Topics •JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

Topics

VIP Invitation Program
Invitation to the President & CEO of SUDAPET
JCCP invited a delegation from the Sudan National
Petroleum Corporation (SUDAPET)—Mr. Salah
Hassan Wahbi, President and CEO; Mr. Hisham Galal
Lufti, Executive Office Manager, President Office;and Mr. Sami Suliman Mudathir, Manager, Facilities
Management Department—to Japan for a three-day visit,from February 7 to 9, 2011.

1. Background
Sudan began developing petroleum resources in the
country in the early 1990s, and began exporting crude
oil by the late 1990s. In 2010, it boasted a production
capacity of roughly 500,000 b/d, corresponding to 0.6%
of global oil production. To Japan, which imported some
2.53 million kiloliters of crude oil from Sudan in fiscal
2010 (1.2% of Japan’s total petroleum imports), Sudan
is one of its most important suppliers of crude oil.
Based on the above understanding, JCCP extended
the scope of its activities to include Sudan in March 2010
and began receiving participants to its regular courses.
JCCP members also conducted a comprehensive surveyof technical cooperation needs to identify issues for
future technical cooperation.
In the light of these developments, Mr. Masataka
Sase, Executive Director of JCCP, made a courtesy visit
to Sudan in July last year, and extended an invitation to
Mr. Wahbi and members of SUDAPET’s management
to visit Japan in February of this year.

Courtesy visit to JCCP (Feb. 7):
Mr. Salah Hassan Wahbi, President and CEO of SUDAPET(third from left in the front row)

2. Content of the Visit

that the oil industry is important to Sudan. He said
that the development of human resources capable ofsupporting the oil industry and technical modernization
are priority issues for development in the country andJapan’s cooperation would be deeply appreciated.
The JCCP side responded by promising to support thedevelopment of Sudan’s oil industry through humanresource development and technical cooperation, notingthat JCCP has already received 18 participants to its
regular courses since JCCP’s relationship with Sudan
began in March last year. The JCCP members alsomentioned that a customized program-overseas (CPO)on maintenance management has been held in Khartoum
this past January, and that a comprehensive survey oftechnical cooperation needs has been conducted toward
the implementation of future seminars.

Accepting Mr. Sase’s invitation, Mr. Wahbi visited
Japan and paid a call on JCCP on February 7, 2011. He
met with Mr. Sase, Mr. Morihiro Yoshida, Managing
Director, and other executive officers and generalmanagers in the executive reception room, and gave apresentation on the oil situation in Sudan in the JCCP
Conference Room.
In his meeting with the board members andexecutive officers of JCCP, Mr. Wahbi emphasized

During the rest of their stay until their return to
Sudan on February 9, Mr. Wahbi and the delegation fromSUDAPET visited oil-related institutions in Japan andheld intense exchanges of views about the possibilityof cooperation between the oil industries in Sudan andJapan. While the three-day agenda may have been short,
it proved to be a meaningful opportunity for SUDAPET
and JCCP to further their understanding of each other’scountries.
<by Hisayoshi Tanda, Administration Department>

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Topics • 21

Personnel
Exchange

Toward the Renewal of JCCP Training Courses
The diversifying needs in oil-producing countries
today are calling for JCCP training programs tograsp issues faced by each country and provide as
much content as possible that could lead to possible
solutions to those issues. Based on this awareness, wehave devised an additional scheme to our conventional
survey activities, whereby lecturers of training
courses personally meet with members of counterpart
organizations in oil-producing countries to investigate
their requests and proposals concerning JCCP training
programs. The survey allows us to confirm the direction
and appropriateness of our improvement measures
toward offering practical training, and to examine how
JCCP’s cooperation might be maximized in response to
specific issues faced by oil-producing countries and theirrequests of JCCP. We will also formulate a medium-term
action plan for renewing the content of JCCP training
courses, to ensure steady application of the PDCA cycle
to training programs based on the results of the survey.

1. Surveyed Regions and Survey Team
Members(1) GCC Region A (Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia) /Tetsuji Kubota, Fumihiro Tone
(2) GCC Region B (UAE, Kuwait, Iraq) / Akio
Yamanaka, Shigeyoshi Takahashi, Kazuko
Takayama(3) Central Asia (Kazakhstan) / Akio Hoshino(4) North Africa (Sudan, Libya) / Shigeyoshi
Takahashi

2. Surveyed Companies and Departments(1) Qatar
1) Qatar Petroleum• Corporate Training (CT) Department• Gas Operations Department• Mesaieed Refinery(2) Oman1) Oman Refineries and Petrochemicals Company(ORPC)(3) Saudi Arabia
1) Saudi Aramco Refining & NGL FractionationArea
22 • Personnel Exchange Programs •• Administration Division of Refining & NGL
Fractionation• Ras Tanura Refinery• Jeddah Refinery• Yanbu Refinery, NGL Fractionation
Department• Riyadh Refinery
2) Saudi Aramco Northern Oil Operations Area
3) Saudi Aramco Southern Oil Operations Area
4) Saudi Aramco, Professional Engineering
Development Division (PEDD), Engineering
Service Department
5) Saudi Aramco Head Office, Training &Development Department, Professional
Development Department, etc.
(4) UAE
1) Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)
Head Office2) Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company (TAKREER)
Head Office(5) Kuwait
1) Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) Head
Office2) Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC)
Head Office3) KNPC Mina Abdulla Refinery(6) Iraq1) Ministry of Oil(7) Kazakhstan
1) Samruk Kazyna Corporate University
2) KazMunaiGas, Human Resource Development
Department(8) Sudan
1) Khartoum Refinery Company (KRC),
Khartoum Refinery

3. Survey Items(1) How are JCCP training programs evaluated?
• Expectations of JCCP courses• Purpose and expectations of sending participants
to JCCP courses• Utilization of the results of training by participants
upon their return to their regular duties(2) What types of courses and programs are sought?

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

•
•
•

•

Regular courses
Customized programs
Evaluation and future expectations of countries
that have participated in a JCCP course orprogram in the past
Themes and topics sought by countries that havenever participated in a JCCP course or programin the past

4. Survey Results(1) Evaluation of JCCP courses
On the whole, the surveyed countries gave JCCP
training courses a satisfactory rating. However, the GCC
countries requested an enhancement of regular courses
by providing more professional knowledge insteadof general knowledge. Saudi Aramco departments, inparticular, questioned what the “benefits” are of JCCP
training. This made us realize that there is a large gap in
the understanding of the benefits of JCCP training among
those who have participated and those who have neverparticipated in JCCP training. We must work on bridging
that gap by more widely promoting participation in our
programs.
(2) What types of courses and programs aresought?
The following is a summary of requests from thecountries we surveyed.
1) Short-term issues
With respect to existing regular courses, there wererequests for more practical hands-on training at offsite
facilities, in addition to lectures at JCCP Headquarters.
This issue involves elements that need to be consideredfrom a medium-term perspective, as discussed below.
Many countries also requested that each course be

Meeting with Saudi Aramco’s Southern Oil Operations Areataught not only by the lecturer in charge of the course,
but also by engineers who have direct relevance to thetechnologies and topics covered in the course, so thatparticipants have sufficient opportunities to directly
exchange and discuss views with engineers.
Furthermore, there were strong requests regardingcase study discussions, in which participants eachpresent an issue and exchange views among themselves.
Many countries were of the view that the scope of thesecase studies is too broad and shallow, and only allows
discussions at a superficial level. They requested thatparticipants be required to give a presentation on a
specific issue that is relevant to the course title, andthat engineers of JCCP member companies who areexperts regarding the course topic also participate in thecase study discussions. We will consider this proposal,
as it could also help improve the effect of case study
discussions that are held at offsite facilities.
2) Medium-term issues and new courses
Raising the level of current training programs that are
centered on classroom lectures was not the only common
request regarding JCCP courses among the countries
surveyed. Another common request was for on-the-job
training (OJT) and hands-on training by mentors at offsite
facilities, especially in regular maintenance management
processes. There were also requests for new courses, as
described below. We will take them into consideration
to design and propose specific new courses.
• Kaizen course
Under the present program, Kaizen is taken up as alecture topic in the course on HRM, but there wererequests for a dedicated course on Kaizen, as theconcept is extremely effective in improving employee
awareness.
• Leadership course for senior managers
Given that the content of regular courses is leveled off
to accommodate participants from various levels of
position, there were requests for a course specificallyintended for senior managers.
• Financial course
Many countries noted that they wish to give financial
department employees the opportunity to participate
in a JCCP course, but since there are no relevant
courses, they wish JCCP would organize a new course.
In answer to this request, we will consider organizing
a course on financial management, in addition tocourses on personnel management and marketing andphysical distribution in the oil industry.

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 23

Meeting with the training and human resource development
departments in Saudi Aramco’s Head Office

Meeting with KNPC head office members• Course on technical tradition (passing down
technologies from veteran to young engineers)
In oil-producing countries, the early retirement
system is creating a shortage of engineers who
can pass on the necessary technologies to young
engineers, and the small number of skilled engineers
is not enough to provide sufficient guidance. At thesame time, the younger engineers have their hands
full with on-the-job training and cannot afford thetime to receive outside training, making it difficult
for them to participate in JCCP training programs.
Against this background, there were many requests
to learn how the tradition of skills is passed downin Japan, and the effectiveness and promotionalframework of that system.
• Practical inspection course
In addition to the general course that is presently offeredon an overview of inspections, there were requests
for a course that provides systematic knowledge ofinspections at a more professional level.

a regular program, given the high level of interest in all
countries. This program was implemented on a trial basis
in fiscal 2010 for young engineers at Saudi Aramco.
When we presented the results of the program to othercountries, UAE and Kuwait desired a similar programfor administrative employees. Additionally, Oman,
UAE, and Kuwait requested a technical program not
only for employees of a single country, but for a numberof countries together. These countries wish to see theprogram implemented within fiscal 2011, but since thatwould be difficult under the present situation, we will
explore the possibility of its implementation at a later date.
We will also maintain discussions with relevant countries,
to continue the program on a continuous basis.

3) Interaction program for young engineers in oilproducing countries and Japan
We will consider establishing the informationexchange and training program for young engineers as

We will give due consideration to the above resultsin organizing future training programs, and will strive
to incorporate countermeasures to the short-term issues
in fiscal 2011 courses. With respect to the medium-term
issues, we will establish a study group for the renewal of
training programs within the Training Department, andwill formulate a medium-term plan (proposal), to ensurethat the results of the survey are appropriately applied
to future JCCP training programs, as well as to ensure
continuous improvements.
<by Fumihiro Tone, Training Dept.>

24 • Personnel Exchange Programs •JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

Personnel
Exchange

Participation in the HR Conferenceand HRD Seminar in Kazakhstan
On March 10 and 11, 2011, JCCP members
participated in and gave a presentation at the Sixth
HR Conference that was held in Astana, the capitalof Kazakhstan, for personnel department employees
in state-run companies in Kazakhstan. Following theconference, the members held a Customized ProgramOverseas (CPO) on human resource development (HRD)over a period of three days from March 14 to 16, at
Samruk Kazyna Corporate University (hereinafter, SKC
University), also located in Astana.

1. Background

Commemorative photo taken after the closing ceremony

In July 2010, when JCCP implemented a program
seminar (TCJ-1-10) for JCCP counterpart managers in
oil-producing countries, two participants—Ms. Gulmira
Raissova, Director of SKC University; and Ms. Sholpan
Yerzhigitova, General Manager of HR at KazMunaiGas(hereinafter, KMG)—invited JCCP to participate in
the Sixth HR Conference for personnel managers fromstate-run companies, and also requested a CPO on humanresources on the same occasion.
SKC University, the sponsor of the conference, isan affiliate of Samruk Kazyna, a holding company thatowns a group of some 400 state-run companies including
KMG. It serves as a comprehensive coordinator oftraining programs for all Samruk Kazyna subsidiaries.
Lecturers dispatched from Japan:
Akio Hoshino (JCCP Training Dept.)
Prof. Hiromasa Tanaka (School of Humanities and Social
Sciences, Meisei University)
Mr. Yuichiro Katagiri (HR Dept., JGC Corporation)

2. Participation in the HR Conference
The HR Conference is an annual two-day event
intended for employees in the personnel departmentsof state-run companies throughout Kazakhstan. It issponsored by SKC University, and was held for the sixth
time this year.
After the presentation of keynote speeches in a plenary
session attended by 300 to 400 participants, separate

working sessions were held concurrently in different
conference rooms, attended by participants at their own
choice. Four large conference rooms at the hotel were
each set up with a booth for simultaneous interpretation
to provide English and Russian interpretation throughreceivers, as is usually done at JCCP International
Symposiums.
Keynote speeches were given not only by speakers
representing Kazakh companies, but also by highlevel academics, including an associate professor from
Harvard University and a professor from Massachusetts
Institute of Technology.
2-1. Main Keynote Speeches(1) “The Role of IT for Better HR” (by SAP Deutschland
AG & Co. KG)(2) “HR Strategy in British Gas” (by Lead HR Manager
in BG Group for Europe and Central Asia)(3) “The art and practice of the learning organization”(by Dr. Peter Senge, Professor at MIT)(4) “Understand why change is so hard and unlock yourleadership potential” (by Dr. Lisa Lahey, Associate
Professor at Harvard University Graduate School)
2-2. Working Sessions(Session 1)“HR strategies”: 5 speakers(Session 2)“Performance management, personnel motivation
and remuneration systems”: 4 speakers

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 25

(Session 3)“Personnel training and development: Work withthe talent pool”: 5 speakers(Session 4)“Leadership”: 5 speakers
2-3. Business Labs
(Lab 1)“Managing HR of different generations: Whatawaits us in the future”: 4 speakers(Lab 2)“Managing HR of different generations: In
companies with shareholders of different cultures”:
4 speakers
JCCP had its turn at delivering a presentation in
Business Lab 2. JCCP Lecturer A. Hoshino gave a
20-minute presentation titled “Transition & Status-quo
of Japanese Style HRM” to an audience of around 70
people. After the presentation, Hoshino and Prof. Tanaka
shared in the task of responding to the many questions
from the audience and moderator.

3. CPO Implementation
Topic: Human resource development(HRD)
3-1. Overview of the Seminar
We generally design a customized program on
HRD to span a period of at least five days. However, in
response to a request from SKC University to abbreviate
the program to three days, we designed the program sothat each day featured a different lecturer.
The seminar took place using a classroom at SKC
University, with Russian-English interpretation, andwas attended by around 11 to 13 participants, mainlycomposed of women and one man.
3-2. Seminar Details[Day 1] “Japanese-style HRM” and “General Overview
of Kaizen” (Hoshino, JCCP)In the case of regular courses and CPO, generallectures usually take up two days of the program, but thistime we were afforded only a single day to give theselectures for the reason mentioned above. Judging that asingle day’s lecture on an overview of HRD would notprovide the intended effect, the focus of the lecture wasinstead placed on a general overview of Kaizen.
The first half of the lecture provided a cultural

26 • Personnel Exchange Programs •Lecture by Akio Hoshino, JCCP lecturer

background to the Japanese people’s success in achieving
rapid economic growth after the second world war, bydiscussing the unique teamwork spirit of the Japanesepeople and Japanese-style HRM practices, which include
the lifetime employment and seniority systems.
The latter three hours of the lecture focused on a
general overview of Kaizen, and aimed to promoteknowledge of the Kaizen concept and the “Kaizen mind”
of the Japanese people. After explaining the processof introducing Kaizen activities, the 5S approach, andthe Toyota Way as a result of implementing Kaizen,
the lecture discussed how the Kaizen mind could be
ingrained in the workplace.
[Day 2] “General Studies in Training Program Planning”(Prof. Tanaka, Meisei University)
This lecture is usually given over two days in theregular course on HRD. It comprehensively discusses theknowledge necessary for implementing education andtraining programs by introducing methods of surveying
educational needs, designing educational programs,
and evaluating the results of training. The workshopthat is usually incorporated in the lecture was omitted
this time due to the time constraint, but Prof. Tanaka

Lecture by Prof. Hiromasa Tanaka

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

Lecture by Mr. Yuichiro Katagiri, JGC Corporation

3-3. Summary of the Seminar
The seminar was attended by more than ten
employees from SKC University, the HR Department in
KMG, subsidiaries of KMG, and other organizations of
the Samruk-Kazyna group. As mentioned earlier, they
were all young women with the exception of one man.
By offering three days of lectures as a single package anddesigning the program so that participants can obtain the
maximum effect by attending all three lectures, we also
provided an invaluable off-the-job training opportunity
where participants were able to concentrate solely on
the seminar.

4. Conclusion
was basically able to cover the usual two days’ worthof content, because questions and answers required ashorter time than expected.
[Day 3] “Recruitment and Human Resource Development
in an Engineering Company” (Mr. Katagiri, HR
Department, JGC Corporation)
Following an introduction of JGC Corporation, Mr.
Katagiri spent three hours explaining the company’s
recruitment process, the training of new recruits, and thecareer paths of employees in an engineering company.
Due to limited time, the lecture highlighted HRD issues
and omitted issues related to the personnel system, suchas employee salaries and the evaluation and ranking
systems.
The seminar closed with a final speech by Ms. Shanar
Baizhumanova, Deputy Director, and a presentationof completion certificates from A. Hoshino to allparticipants.

News of the Great East Japan Earthquake reached
us just as we were preparing to give our presentation at
the HR Conference. Needless to say, we were simply
dumbstruck. Considering the three-hour time difference
between Japan and Astana, we had heard of the disastertwo and a half hours after it occurred (around 5:30 p.m.
Japan time). When we returned to our hotel that day,
BBC News was all about the earthquake and tsunami,with the exclusive coverage continuing for the next fourdays. We were also able to watch NHK, TBS, and Fuji
TV news live via the Internet. At the same time that
we were surprised by the enormity of the devastation,
we were also amazed with the speed and spread of
information that would have been inconceivable just a
few years ago.
We offer our deepest sympathy to all who wereaffected by the disaster and our heartfelt condolences
to all who lost their loved ones.
<by Akio Hoshino, Training Dept.>

JCCP Presentation at the HR Conference

Plenary session of the HR Conference

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 27

Personnel
Exchange

CPO Seminar on“Safety Management” Held at
Saudi Aramco’s Jeddah Refinery
1. Background and Overview of the
Seminar
As Saudi Arabia is one of the most important crude
oil suppliers to Japan, JCCP regularly surveys thetraining needs of oil-producing countries in the Middle
East. In 2008, we received a request from Saudi Aramco
for a Customized Program-Overseas (CPO) on safety
management in the refinery, and implemented the seminaron two separate occasions. The first seminar was held at
the Ras Tanura Refinery in December 2008, and the second
was held at the Yanbu Refinery in February 2010.
Following the first two seminars, Saudi Aramco’s
Jeddah Refinery offered to host the third convening of
the seminar, and thus it was held in a seminar room at
the refinery’s training center over a period of four days,
from February 27 to March 2, 2011. The members of
the Japanese team dispatched to implement the seminarin Saudi Arabia included Mr. Hideto Hamada from JGC
Corporation, Mr. Susumu Adachi from NKSJ Risk
Management, Inc., and JCCP lecturers Yoshiaki Ueno
and Fumihiro Tone.
The participants were a group of employees carefully
nominated and selected by their superiors in organizations
relevant to the refinery. Therefore, they seemed to attend
the seminar with a conscious awareness that they were
each a representative of their respective workplace. The
large majority of 21 participants were from different
departments in the Jeddah Refinery, but there were also
two participants from the Riyadh Refinery and three
from the NGL Department.

2. Seminar Content
On the first day, following self-introductions by theparticipants and an introductory DVD presentation of
JCCP, Y. Ueno lectured on “Theories and Practices in
Safety Management in the Refinery,” with discussions on
the occupational health and safety management systemstandard (OHSAS 18001), the reformation of safety
culture, and safety awareness-building. By showing avideo of danger prediction activities and finger-pointing
28 • Personnel Exchange Programs •Participants of the seminarconfirmation activities, particular emphasis was placedon introducing safety activities and systems and smallgroup activities that have been established through theyears in Japanese companies and society. After the firstday of the seminar, the four lecturers toured the refinerysite in preparation for the next day’s lectures.
On the second day, F. Tone gave a lecture on “Safety
Management Activities in Japanese Refineries,” coveringsuch topics as specific case examples of accidents in
the refinery, safety management systems, and TPM
activities, which captured the participants’ interest andwere well received. Following this lecture, Mr. Hamada
from JGC Corporation gave a lecture titled “Safety
Design Technology and Risk Management in Plants.”
He introduced technical issues in equipment design
and risk assessment in detail from the perspective of anengineering company, and also discussed methods andconcepts that are considered effective in the operational
management of existing plants. The overall structure of
the lecture was as follows, with items 4 and 5 coveredin the morning of the third day of the seminar throughactual examples and practical training.
(1) HSE risk management(2) HSE risk assessment(3) Plant safety design from the HSE perspective(4) Introduction of safety risk assessment systems(HAZOP, LOPA, OHR)
(5) HAZOP & LOPA study methods and training
From the latter half of the third day to the first half ofthe fourth day, Mr. Adachi from NKSJ Risk Management
gave a detailed introduction of risk evaluation and

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

Lecture by Yoshiaki Ueno,
JCCP Lecturer

Lecture by Mr. Susumu
Adachi (NKSJ Risk
Management)

assessment in refineries from the perspective of a nonlife
insurance company. His lecture specifically focused on:
the reality of risk management in Japan; accident trends
and risk analysis in Japanese refineries and petrochemicalplants; critical elements of risk evaluation in oil refineries
and petrochemical plants; risk evaluation methods;
the perspective of an underwriter; and rate calculation
methods. Many participants showed particularly strong
interest in learning about risk evaluation methods.
After the lecture, the lecturers and participants
reviewed the program and lectures and engaged inquestions and answers. The lecture on the 5S activities
and other small-group activities for building a safety
culture, in particular, seemed to create a strong
impression on most of the participants, and promoted anunderstanding of the significance of these activities.
In the closing ceremony, JCCP thanked everyone
for their role in the successful implementation of
the seminar, expressed their future expectations, andencouraged each participant to take a step forward inbuilding a culture of safety.

3. Evaluation and Impressions of the
Seminar

Lecture by Mr. Hideto Hamada (JGC Corporation)

small-group activities is gaining greater recognition anddissemination in the oil industry.
Saudi Aramco enjoys a relatively strong positionin terms of human resources, organizational power,
and technological capability, and has been stringent in
its requests and demands of JCCP. We implemented
CPO seminars on safety management in the refinery
twice in the past, and received high praise for our
implementation of the first seminar at the Ras Tanura
Refinery in December 2008. We agreed to maintain thesame content for seminars in other refineries as requestedby the Saudi Aramco side, and thus came to implement
this third seminar.
One of the major themes of this seminar was tointroduce the activities and methods that have been adopted
by Japanese companies to establish a safety culture and asafe working environment. The other major theme was toprovide detailed knowledge of risk management systems
from the perspective of process safety design. Under these
themes, most of the participants said they acquired an
extremely broad range of knowledge even within a shortfour days. Therefore, we believe this seminar was just as
successful as the previous ones had been.
<by Fumihiro Tone, Training Dept.>

Practically all participants said the seminar wasmeaningful, and that the knowledge they acquired will
benefit their current jobs. Given this response, we believethat the seminar precisely matched the participants’ levelof understanding. In response to a question about theirimpressions of Japanese-style small-group activities,
such as the 5S activities, KYK (danger prediction)
activities, near-miss prevention activities, and fingerpointing confirmation activities, and their effectivenessin creating a safety culture, many participants agreed thatthe 5S, finger-pointing, and KYK activities are effective
practices. We take this to mean that the necessity ofPresentation of the completion certificate

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 29

Personnel
Exchange

CPO Seminar on“Refinery Maintenance Management”
Held in UAE
1. Background and Overview of the
Seminar
UAE is the second-largest supplier of crude oil toJapan after Saudi Arabia, contributing 21% of Japan’s
crude oil imports, and is important to Japan in terms of
securing a stable supply of crude oil.
UAE and JCCP held the first Refinery MaintenanceManagement Seminar in 2008 and agreed to holdthe seminar every three years after that. The second
seminar took place just recently, with four Japanese
lecturers from the Maintenance Group in JCCP’s
Training Department—Shintaro Miyawaki, Kenji Saito,
Hiromitsu Saito, and Fumihiro Tone—each covering a
specific theme.
A total of 16 engineers participated in the seminarfrom Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company (TAKREER)’s
Abu Dhabi and Ruwais Refineries and Head Office.
Owing to exemplary preparation by Mr. Anwar
Mahmoud Ghalib Al Mutawa, Senior Training Officer,
Training & Career Development Dept., HR&A Division,
the seminar proceeded smoothly according to plan andprovided fruitful training.

2. Seminar Content
This four-day seminar was designed to introduce
various maintenance management issues andPreliminary meeting on the day before the seminar

30 • Personnel Exchange Programs •Participants of the seminar

countermeasure examples in Japanese refineries
experienced by the JCCP lecturers.
An opening ceremony kicked off the seminar on
the first day. Although the ceremony coincided with aconference co-sponsored by TAKREER (Middle East
Downstream Week, May 8-11, 2011), Dr. Jafarulla
Packeer Mohamed, Human Resource & Administration
Div., took the time to deliver a welcome greeting on behalfof TAKREER. On the JCCP side, S. Miyawaki gave an
opening speech, in which he also presented an outlineof JCCP activities and an account of the aftermath of
the recent earthquake and tsunami disaster. The audience
listened with calm attention, even when he mentioned thenuclear crisis at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station.
Mr. Miyawaki then segued into a description of thechanges and regulations in the oil industry in Japan and a
discussion on activities toward breaking free of externalpressures such as the rising price of crude oil. He also
gave a lecture entitled “Maintenance Management ofRotary Equipment in Japanese Refineries,” in which hepresented various failure cases of rotary equipment andtheir countermeasures.
On the second day, K. Saito gave a lecture on“Refinery Maintenance Management.” After explaining
the reasons why maintenance is necessary, he drilled it
into the minds of the participants that HSSE (health,safety, security, and environmental conservation) is
the cornerstone of maintenance management in therefinery, through carefully organized steps that allowed
the participants to follow with clear understanding. Mr.
Saito also discussed the purpose and basic flow of TPM

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

Lecture scenes(Total Productive Maintenance/Management) activities
using various case examples, and completed his lecturewith a brief outline of risk management.
On the third day, F. Tone gave a lecture on “Refinery
Safety Management.” He presented case examples ofserious accidents that have occurred in oil complexes inJapan, and explained that they were caused by design
flaws, poor use of precedent cases, and inadequate
management of modifications. As another cause, healso mentioned the deterioration of safety culture, whichbecomes evident in the lax attitudes toward compliancewith basic management instructions and procedures
among work process managers and subcontractors,
and in their falling into an unthinking routine. Most
refinery accidents are initially caused by human error ora defect in the management system, he said, and could be
prevented if everyone, from employees to managementlevel officers, take part in TPM activities.
On the fourth day, H. Saito gave a lecture entitled“Damage Cases of Static Equipment and TheirCountermeasures.” After giving a systematic explanationof the relationship between static equipment andMr. Ahmed Mohamed Al Gattan, Manager,
Training & Career Development Dept. (third from left);and Mr. Anwar Mahmoud Ghalib Al Mutawa,
Senior Training Officer, Training & Career Development Dept.
(third from right)

materials, he provided a simple overview of corrosion andother defects that are related to material characteristics,
and explained how to select appropriate materials.
Furthermore, Saito introduced five representative
accidents that occurred from insufficient knowledgeof material characteristics and mistaken usage, toemphasize the importance of performing operations
based on proper knowledge of materials. We believe
the lecture as a whole provided invaluable reference toparticipants in charge of maintenance.
The closing ceremony was held with the attendanceof Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Al Gattan, Manager, Training& Career Development Dept., and closed withthe presentation of completion certificates to allparticipants.

3. Evaluation and Impressions of the
SeminarThroughout the seminar and in participant evaluation
forms, the participants exhibited a strong desire to
apply what they have acquired in the seminar to theirown workplaces to contribute to future improvements
in TAKREER’s refineries. They also made various
suggestions that indicated their expectations for further
enhancement and development of JCCP training
programs. To answer to their expectations, we reaffirmed
the need to make further efforts to create programs
that meet counterpart needs by sending an abstract oflecture materials in advance and engaging in sufficient
preliminary discussions with the counterpart. We also
realized the need to contemplate in more detail how we
may effectively communicate the difference between
theory and reality, and how we may offer even morepractical training.

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011<by Fumihiro Tone, Training Dept.>• Personnel Exchange Programs • 31

Personnel
Exchange

CPJ Seminar on “Japan’s Oil Industry”
Held for Saudi Aramco
1. Background
In January 2009, JCCP received a request for a
training program in Japan from the Tokyo Office ofAramco Overseas Company B.V. (AOC), a subsidiarythat provides services and materials to Saudi Aramco.
After a series of discussions, AOC Tokyo and JCCP
agreed on the implementation of a program that would
allow participants to comprehensively study Japan’s oil
industry from the perspective of materials procurement,
as well as learn about the commercial practices ofJapanese companies, their system of procuring materials,
and their business operation methods and principles. Thisagreement was formally endorsed by Saudi Aramco and
JCCP in December 2010, and came to be implemented asa Customized Program-Japan (CPJ) in February 2011.

2. Program Overview
As decided in preliminary discussions, the CPJ was
held from February 22 to March 1, 2011, with twodays given to lectures at JCCP Headquarters ((1) The
oil industry and oil marketing and physical distribution
in Japan; and (2) General overview of Kaizen and the
Toyota Way) and three days to practical offsite training((1) Toyota Motor Corporation, Motomachi Plant; (2)JFE Steel Corporation, West Japan Works; and (3) Showa
Shell Sekiyu K.K., Head Office).
The program was attended by a total of ten supervisorclass participants—nine from the Materials Procurement
Department in the Head Office and one from AOC
Shanghai. Their average age was 36.

(2) General overview of Kaizen and the Toyota Way
This lecture was organized to provide preliminary
knowledge before visiting a Toyota plant in the latter partof the program. The first half of the lecture discussed
the concept of Kaizen and its introduction to industrial
processes. The second half focused on Toyota Motors’
Kaizen-oriented management system as a representative
style of Japanese management.
Offsite training(1) Toyota Motor Corporation, Motomachi Plant
Toyota Motor offers guided tours of its entire
automobile production line at the Motomachi Plant,
where visitors can see how automotive parts are welded
and assembled using robots. Moreover, the tours areprovided not only in Japanese but also in English. With
the plant located some distance from the nearest city of
Nagoya, we realized that the tour would take an entire
day, but we nevertheless included it in the program,because we believed a tour of the state-of-the-art plant
would be worth the time, and also because we had strong
approval from AOC Tokyo.
After the plant tour, the participants stepped inside
the Toyota Kaikan Museum, where they feasted theireyes and shot pictures of the latest hybrid cars, fuel-cellvehicles, and cutaway models.
(2) JFE Steel Corporation, West Japan WorksJFE Steel provided high-level lectures on pipe
structures and manufacturing and the installation andmaintenance management of pipelines. As procurement

3. Program Content
Training at JCCP
(1) The oil industry and oil marketing and physicaldistribution in Japan
This lecture emphasized the importance of stable oil
supplies to Japan, and discussed the flow of oil in Japanin terms of oil marketing and physical distribution, inlight of the recent decline in demand for oil in Japan’s
oil industry.

32 • Personnel Exchange Programs •At JFE Steel Corporation, West Japan Works

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

experts, the participants asked many technical questions
about pipelines.
After the lectures, the participants toured thecompany’s world-class steel plant and specifically therolling mill and pipe manufacturing facility that were in
operation. They focused strong attention on the tour, as
it had direct relevance to their procurement activities,
and expressed amazement at the sheer impact and scaleof the plant. Coincidentally, the participants spotteda large stack of pipes earmarked for export to Saudi
Aramco and, with great delight, took group pictures infront of the pipes.
The lectures by pipeline experts at JFE Steel and thespecial tour of the plant seemed to be highly appreciatedby all participants.
(3) Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K., Head OfficeFirst, members of the Sales Planning Department
in Showa Shell Sekiyu’s head office gave a corporate
overview of the foreign-affiliated oil company and themarketing environment in Japan as a whole. Then, theRetail Sales Department gave a lecture on gasoline
sales policies and service station operations, which isthe core business of the company, and the Distribution
Department gave a lecture on the company’s physicaldistribution system and the rationalization of physicaldistribution.
The content of the lectures and English teachingmaterials provided deep knowledge befitting the worldrenowned Shell Group of companies.

4. Summary
Initially, we failed to have a clear grasp of AOC
Tokyo’s needs, and mistakenly thought it would fully
suffice to design a typical one-week program in Japanthat covers such topics as Japanese culture and history
and Japanese-style business practices, intended for

employees of AOC. However, when we signed theconfirmation document with AOC on December 1, 2010
and received a nomination list, we saw that participants
were carefully selected from among Saudi Aramco’s
Procurement Department, and understood that wewere expected to provide specialized training related to
procurement. The participants indicated a broad range
of interests, and expressed a particular desire to learn
about the excellent supply chain in Japan. Taking this
into consideration, we included a lecture on Kaizen andthe Toyota Way on the premise of taking a plant tour at
Toyota Motor, to respond to the participants’ wishes asmuch as possible.
For practical offsite training, we asked JFE
Engineering Corporation to give a technical lecture on
pipelines, and to change the scope of the plant tour froma general tour to one that focuses on the rolling mill andpipe manufacturing facility. We furthermore asked Showa
Shell Sekiyu to not only give a general presentation of
its operations, but to also discuss the supply chain ofoil within the overall flow of oil, with a focus on themarketing and physical distribution aspects.
In the evaluation forms filled in at the end of the
program, the participants gave straightforward opinions
about the good and bad points of the program befitting
their occupation as specialists in Saudi Aramco’s
Procurement Department, and indicated their desire
for specialized, in-depth training instead of general
overviews. Taking into consideration the many opinions
and suggestions for future training programs we received
from the participants, we realize that, when we again
have the opportunity to implement a CPJ for Saudi
Aramco’s Head Office Procurement Department, we
will be expected to design an advanced program within ashort timeframe centered on the supply chain in Japan.
The participants were a group of outstanding
employees with all-around skills. Moreover, we were
impressed by the way they looked after each other andspontaneously acted as a team under the strong leadershipof the group leader. They also exhibited impeccablemanners while thoroughly enjoying their time together
in the program, sharing ideas and exchanging views.
The program being the first attempt of its kind, wefaced some uncertainties prior to its implementation, butwere able to successfully complete the program thanks
to the generous cooperation of all relevant companies
and by being blessed with wonderful participants.

Lecture at Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K., Head Office

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011<by Kazuo Kojima, Training Dept.>• Personnel Exchange Programs • 33

Personnel
Exchange

Report on the Training Cooperation
Program—Saudi Aramco—
A JCCP delegation paid visits to eight departments in
Saudi Aramco to inquire about their needs for customized
programs and to exchange views regarding training on
two separate occasions, from February 22 to March 5,2011 (including five days spent on implementing a CPO(customized program-overseas) on safety management at
Jeddah Refinery), and from May 13 to 19, 2011. Amongthe meetings, that with the Professional Engineering
Development Division (PEDD) yielded further progressin the agreement to incorporate a CPO in Saudi Aramco’s
Professional Engineering Development Program, as has
been proposed by the Refining & NGL Fractionation
Area and JCCP.

time after December due to the lingering impact of therecent earthquake disaster. JCCP will hereafter make thenecessary preparations and adjustments with relevant
departments through a counterpart office designated by
the Saudi Aramco side.

2. Meeting with the New Director of theRas Tanura Reﬁnery

The JCCP members met with Mr. Sami A. Iskandrani,
Assistant to the Vice President; and Mr. Lloydie Johnson,
Former Assistant to the Vice President.
The Refining and NGL Fractionation Department
expressed its wish to implement the Information Exchange
and Training Program for Young Engineers again in
fiscal 2011, following its successful implementation in
fiscal 2010. It seems the department was thinking along
the lines of implementing it from late May to the endof June as with last year’s program, but they readily
approved the JCCP side’s request to implement it someThrough the good offices of Mr. Iskandrani in the
Refining and NGL Fractionation Department, the JCCP
delegation met with Mr. Abdulhakim A. Al-Gouhi, who
newly assumed the post of General Manager of Ras
Tanura Refinery in January 2011. The JCCP members
gave an overview of JCCP and noted JCCP’s contribution
to training Saudi Aramco employees by showing Mr.
Al-Gouhi a list of Saudi Aramco participants to JCCP
courses since 1982. Mr. Al-Gouhi questioned themeaning of JCCP going so far as to shoulder 75% of theexpenses to implement the courses, but expressed his
understanding when the JCCP members explained thatJapan is more than 98% dependent on foreign countries
for oil, and that JCCP activities are aimed at promoting
mutual understanding with oil-producing countries. He
then responded agreeably to the JCCP side’s request forthe participation of Ras Tanura Refinery employees in
JCCP courses. The JCCP members felt it is important to

Mr. Sami A. Iskandrani, Assistant to the Vice President (left);and Mr. Lloydie Johnson, Former Assistant to theVice President (right)(From the left) K. Saito, JCCP Lecturer; Mr. Iskandrani;
F. Tone, JCCP Lecturer; and Mr. Abdulhakim A. Al-Gouhi,
General Manager of the Ras Tanura Refinery

1. Reﬁning & NGL Fractionation Area

34 • Personnel Exchange Programs •JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

maintain and deepen ties with Mr. Al-Gouhi by making
regular visits and also by inviting Mr. Al-Gouhi to visit
Japan.

3. Yanbu Reﬁnery
The JCCP delegation visited the Yanbu Refineryand met with Mr. Abdulsalam A. Ashi, MaintenanceSuperintendent, Yanbu Refinery Department. In aprior meeting, Mr. Ashi and members of the training
department at Yanbu requested guidance on a hands-on
approach to maintenance activities that would encouragerefinery operators to strengthen their sense of ownershipof their machines and plant. They said that promoting
visualization, for example, might help operators change
the attitude that they are in charge of operations only,
and maintenance is the job of maintenance engineers. In
response, the JCCP members took the occasion of thismeeting to propose a training program and to exchange
views with the refinery members. As the first part ofthe proposed training program, they suggested theimplementation of a training course for supervisors andassistant supervisors in the operations, maintenance, andengineering departments, and as the second part, they
proposed a training course on visualization activities forinterested operators (or operators designated by theirsuperiors). Mr. Ashi approved of this two-stage proposal,
but he noted that the Yanbu Refinery has six divisions,and hence a large number of supervisor-class employees.
Gathering them together in one training course would
detract from the focused approach of the course, so hesaid he would like to implement the course several times
with the participation of one or two supervisors, assistantsupervisors, and key persons from each division. He
said he would give consideration to the operator course
after implementing the supervisor course. Mr. Ashi also

expressed his wish for practical training in a successful
Japanese refinery sometime after implementation of the
CPO, so that the participants can seal the knowledge
they acquire in the CPO and apply it to future activities.
JCCP will strive to realize these requests.

4. Jeddah Reﬁnery
The JCCP delegation next met with Mr. Mazin A. AlNajjar, Supervisor Training Unit; Mr. Ahmad A. Rajab,
Senior Supervisor of Maintenance, Service MaintenanceDiv.; and other refinery officers. After mentioning thatmany employees from the Jeddah Refinery’s Engineering
Department would be participating in the upcoming CPO
on TPM, the refinery side voiced its specific preference
for practical field training rather than desk studies. The
JCCP members proposed a program for initial cleanup
and visualization of the refinery, whereby a model zone
would be created in the refinery as a center for developing
a sense of ownership of the plant among the employees.
They also proposed a preliminary TPM course forsupervisors before implementing it on a larger scale,because TPM activities could fail to deliver the intended
result if the management class does not have proper
knowledge of TPM. Mr. Rajab, on the other hand, said
he would like to have shift supervisors take part in thecourse, so it was agreed that the specific content and dateof implementation would be discussed with members of
the training department at the Jeddah Refinery.

Mr. Mazin A. Al-Najjar, Supervisor Training Unit (left);and Mr. Ahmad A. Rajab, Senior Supervisor of Maintenance(second from right)

5. Southern Oil Operations Area, Training
CenterMr. Abdulsalam A. Ashi, Maintenance Superintendent (right)

The Training Center is responsible for training all new
operators assigned to the Southern Oil Operations Area,

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 35

which manages the extensive area that includes the South
Ghawar Oil Field. The meeting held here with the JCCP
delegation was attended by Mr. Mutlaq A. Al-Subaey,
Superintendent, Industrial Training Department/Southern
Area Industrial Training Division, and 11 supervisorsin charge or training in each division. Mr. Al-Subaey
strongly requested the continued implementation of the
TPM-based maintenance management course that JCCP
and Saudi Aramco are initiating, as well as the regular
implementation of a safety management course. The
JCCP side agreed to hold discussions toward the regular
implementation of these courses.

hands-on leadership skills. Furthermore, in relation
to Saudi Aramco’s expansion of operations from oil
refining to petrochemical operations, Mr. Al-Rabeh also
noted that he would like to consider a training programin Japan for management-class employees in chargeof petrochemical operations. The JCCP side agreed tocreate a draft program to discuss details of the course
hereafter.

Mr. Raed H. Al-Rabeh, Director, Professional Development
Department (second from left);
Ms. Huda M. Al-Ghoson, General Manager,
Training & Development (right); andMr. Mutlaq A. Al-Subaey, Superintendent, Industrial Training
Department/Southern Area Industrial Training Division (left)

Discussion scene

6. Head Ofﬁce in Dhahran, Training &Development Department
The JCCP delegation exchanged views on the renewalof JCCP training programs with Ms. Huda M. Al-Ghoson,
General Manager, Training & Development; Mr. Raed
H. Al-Rabeh, Director, Professional Development
Department (chief executive of professional training for
all Saudi Aramco employees); and Mr. Al-Subaey fromSouthern Oil Operations Area.
The JCCP delegation found that the implementationof JCCP training programs is documented in Saudi
Aramco’s record of employee development, andinterpreted this to mean that JCCP training is accepted
as part of the overall training system at Saudi Aramco.
Ms. Al-Ghoson said that, to her understanding, JCCP
training programs are mostly geared toward “hard”
technical skills, but she expressed her desire forprograms on enhancing “soft” administrative skills
as well, with specific reference to skills relating toleadership, finance, business, and IT. Mr. Al-Rabehrequested JCCP’s guidance for capacity building ofyoung employees and in the implementation of training
programs for developing team leader attributes and36 • Personnel Exchange Programs •7. Professional Engineering Development
Department (PEDD), Engineering
Service Department
PEDD develops and implements internal training
programs with the objective of enhancing the skills ofprofessional engineers in all operations at Saudi Aramco.
With the participation of Dr. Awadh O. Al-Oadah,
Division Head; Dr. Dahham M. Al-Anazi, Engineering
Curriculum Design & Control; and eight staff members,
the JCCP delegation discussed the feasibility ofincorporating JCCP training programs into PEDD’s
training curriculum. Actually, this meeting took place
as an extension of a discussion begun last year on thecontent of three CPOs (maintenance management, safety
management, TPM-based maintenance management)that have been implemented at Saudi Aramco since2008. In this meeting, the teaching materials and theimplementation dates were discussed in detail toward
implementation of the three courses that are underconsideration, again by the end of this year. The course
on TPM-based maintenance management, in particular,

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

is being promoted for its effectiveness in developing a
sense of ownership and bringing a change in awarenessamong engineers. It was agreed that PEDD would
continue to review the respective lecture materials andprovide feedback on areas that need improvement. At
the same time, PEDD has begun to explore potential
program contents toward addressing its future aim ofproviding hands-on training in utility maintenance assought by the Refinery Department, and has asked JCCP
to consider whether there are any areas in which it could
extend its cooperation.

Council, a lateral organization composed of maintenancemanagers from all departments in Saudi Aramco, andis responsible for creating the syllabus of maintenancetraining programs implemented by PEDD. Mr. Nezar
Al-Shammasi, Director, Corporate Maintenance Support,
Saudi Aramco Maintenance Council, who met with
the JCCP delegation along with seven staff members,
explained that his division is seeking to incorporate
JCCP’s maintenance courses and programs into PEDD’s
curriculum. Toward that end, he requested JCCP tocompress its 18-day regular course on maintenance to fivedays, and said he would like to contact JCCP again after
his staff members extract the key items of the course.

9. Summary

Dr. Awadh O. Al-Oadah, Division Head (left); and Dr. Dahham
M. Al-Anazi, Engineering Curriculum Design & Control (right)

8. Corporate Maintenance Support
Division, Maintenance Council
The Corporate Maintenance Support Division acts
as a supportive administrative arm of the MaintenanceMembers of the meeting and Mr. Nezar Al-Shammasi,
Director, Corporate Maintenance Support (third from right)

JCCP activities are designed for the oil downstream
sector. In recent years, however, JCCP’s relationshipwith Saudi Aramco has gone beyond its refineries
and related departments to include cooperation withpreprocessing departments that handle operations thatensue after crude oil and gas drilling, as well as withdiverse other departments. JCCP training has thus
entered the phase of promoting company-wide activities
at Saudi Aramco, with the exclusion of activities carriedout by the crude oil and gas production departments.
The recent visits to Saudi Aramco’s departments haveyielded progress in many areas. Of particular note is
the formal incorporation of three CPOs into PEDD’s
training program for professional engineers across thecompany, beginning from this fiscal year. The JCCP
delegation sees this development as the result of JCCP’s
30-year history of receiving participants to its training
programs since 1982. It can also be interpreted as amanifestation of the strong desire of past participants,
who have assumed important positions in their respective
departments, to provide their younger employees withthe opportunity to participate in a JCCP training programto acquire knowledge of Japanese-style management
practices that are based on technologies and experience
deeply rooted in Japanese culture. Hereafter, JCCP will
engage in discussions regarding the various requests thedelegation received in the recent meetings with relevant
counterparts, and devise appropriate schemes for theirrealization.
<by Fumihiro Tone, Training Dept.>

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 37

Personnel
Exchange

Report on the Training Cooperation
Program—UAE and Qatar—

On June 5, the JCCP members visited Abu Dhabi Oil
Refining Company (TAKREER) and held a meeting with
Mr. Ahmed Herzallah, Head of the Career Development
Section, HR & Administration Division; Mr. Anwar
Mahmoud Ghalib Al Mutawa, Head of the Training
Section, Training & Career Development Dept., HR &Administration Division; and other staff members.

Mr. Herzallah not only thanked JCCP for its support
through training programs and technical cooperation
projects, but also expressed his appreciation to the JCCP
members for making the visit and providing the latest
information of the situation in Japan and the situation
surrounding JCCP after the earthquake. He said he willconsider TAKREER’s participation in regular courses
in September and beyond when he feels the situation isright, but he strongly requested the implementation of a
Customized Program-Overseas (CPO) on maintenance,
as was recently implemented in Abu Dhabi. He also
had a request for a Customized Program-Japan (CPJ)that could provide onsite operators with hands-on
training in topics related to electricity, machinery, andinstrumentation.
After visiting TAKREER, the JCCP members visited
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and helda meeting with Mr. Mahmood Al Mulla, Administration
Coordinator, Marketing Research & Administration
Division, Marketing & Refining Directorate; andMr. Ahmed Al Nuwais, Head of Training & Career
Development Department.
After expressing his appreciation for JCCP training
programs and technical cooperation projects, Mr.
Al Mulla expressed deep respect for how calm andresolute the Japanese people have been in the face of theearthquake disaster, hailing their reaction as an example

At the TAKREER Head Office

At the ADNOC Head Office

Two JCCP members—Masayuki Jimbo and Kazuo
Kojima, Lecturers of the Training Department visited
UAE and Qatar from June 3 to 9, 2011 under theTraining Cooperation Program. The main objectives ofthe visits were to introduce and promote the FY2011
JCCP regular course program, explain and discuss indetail the implementation of customized programs (CPO
& CPJ), and exchange views with JCCP counterpartsin oil-producing countries. In addition to the main
objectives, there were also other special reasons: toexpress JCCP’s appreciation for the messages of supportand encouragement it received from various companies
and organizations in the wake of the Great East Japan
Earthquake, to explain the cancellation/postponementof courses scheduled in the first half of the year, and toannounce that the September and October courses will
be held in western Japan, centering on Osaka.

UAE

38 • Personnel Exchange Programs •JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

At the QP Head Office

At the TASWEEQ Head Office: Mr. Anton Bray,
Executive Director, Marketing & Shipping (center)for the world. In regard to JCCP regular courses scheduled
in September and beyond, he said he would actively
encourage the participation of ADNOC employees whenvarious on-going issues have been resolved and safety
can be assured. Yet in regard to customized programs,
Mr. Al Mulla requested the implementation of programs
that address marketing issues, with one program focusing
on negotiations leading up to the signing of a contract,and another focusing on the transactions and deliveryof products after signing the contract. On a new note,
Mr. Al Mulla also said he would like JCCP to organizea customized program on finance that covers accounts
receivable management and budget management.

on maintenance management for the employees of QP
and its subsidiaries.
After QP, the JCCP members visited Qatar
International Petroleum Marketing Company Ltd.
(TASWEEQ), a wholly state-owned company that ismainly responsible for the export and marketing of oil
products. Here, they held a meeting with Mr. Anton Bray,
Executive Director, Marketing & Shipping, and his staff,
in JCCP’s second visit to the company following a visit
made last year also under the Cooperation with Training
Centers Program.
Mr. Bray said he deeply appreciates the CPO proposal
from JCCP and wishes to enter detailed discussions
toward its implementation during this fiscal year,
especially since TASWEEQ is currently aiming to
implement a more vigorous training system to increase
the quality of its operations to world-class level. He also
responded positively to the implementation of a CPJ,
saying he intends to select outstanding employees fromamong participants of the upcoming CPO to participate
in the program in Japan.

Qatar
On June 7, the JCCP delegation visited Qatar
Petroleum (QP) and held a meeting with Mr. Mohamed
Normarzuki Bin Yaacob, Senior Supervisor, Short Tech,
Corporate Training, and other staff members.
Mr. Yaacob thanked the JCCP members for JCCP’s
training programs and technical cooperation projects,
and also acknowledged JCCP’s judicious decision tocancel/postpone the regular courses that were scheduled
for the first half of the year as a result of placing
priority on the safety and security of participants inthe aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake. In
regard to regular courses scheduled in September andbeyond, he noted that holding the courses in Osaka andother areas in western Japan is certainly reassuring, andasked to be sent a copy of the course program when it
becomes available. Mr. Yaacob also requested a CPO

Through their visits to UAE and Qatar, the two JCCP
members were greatly heartened and encouraged by thefact that JCCP counterparts in all companies they visitedwere sufficiently understanding of the significance of
JCCP training programs. They also felt keenly that
direct face-to-face communication with counterparts in
oil-producing countries is indispensable for addressing
issues in a prompt and specific manner. This awareness,too, is the product of the achievements and trust JCCP
has established over its 30-year history.
<by Kazuo Kojima, Training Dept.>

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 39

Personnel
Exchange

Report on the Training Cooperation
Program—Kuwait and Oman—
From May 30 to June 6, 2011, JCCP Lecturers Tetsuji
Kubota and Tetsuo Arii visited Kuwait and Oman under
the Training Cooperation Program for the following threemain purposes:(1) To discuss the implementation of a new Customized
Program-Overseas (CPO) in response to emerging
needs in Kuwait and Oman for training in the
reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in
the oil industry;(2) To seek advice from relevant people in JCCP
counterpart countries about the new training
program that the JCCP Training Renewal Committee
is currently formulating toward a renewal of training
programs; and(3) To explain to the JCCP counterpart in eachorganization about the changes that have been madeto this fiscal year’s JCCP training program due tothe Great East Japan Earthquake.
In Kuwait, visits were made to Kuwait Petroleum
Corporation (KPC) and Kuwait National Petroleum
Company (KNPC). In Oman, visits were made to the
Ministry of Oil and Gas, the Ministry of Environment
and Climatic Affairs, and Oman Refineries andPetrochemicals Company (ORPC).
Oil companies in both Kuwait and Oman are striving
to reduce GHG emissions, and expressed strong interestin a new training program on this theme, so JCCP agreed
to commence working-level discussions toward its
implementation. Relevant personnel in both countries
also showed high interest in JCCP’s renewal of training
programs, and not only offered constructive advice, butalso agreed to discuss this issue on a continuing basis.

Kuwait
1. KPC Head Office
At the KPC head office, the JCCP members met with
Dr. Rasha Abbas Maarafi, Team Leader, International
Relations Department; Dr. Fatima Al Shatti, Team
Leader, Waste Management, Environment & Oil Spill
Response Department; and other personnel.

40 • Personnel Exchange Programs •At the KNPC Head Office:Dr. Rasha Abbas Maarafi, Team Leader,International Relations Department (left); andDr. Fatima Al Shatti, Team Leader,
Waste Management, Environment & Oil Spill Response
Department (fourth from left)

Subsidiaries of the KPC Group of companies are
currently directing their efforts to reducing greenhousegases in the upstream and downstream sectors. To further
promote these efforts, KPC made it clear that it intends
to actively cooperate in regard to JCCP’s proposed
seminar program on greenhouse gases (GHG). The
JCCP members and the KPC side therefore discussed
the content and preparation method of the program.
The KPC side made a specific request to include
a technical session for project development (Japan’s
energy-saving technologies, GHG reduction technologies,
underground storage technologies, etc.) and lectureson project development (carbon financing, financial
planning, etc.). It also requested a sufficient amountof time to hold a practical workshop that would allow
participants to develop practical skills. Moreover, theKPC side offered its active cooperation by proposing
to take charge of part of the lecture.
The two sides agreed to implement the program
during this fiscal year, and to hereafter engage in detailed
discussions toward its implementation.
2. KNPC Head Office
At KNPC, the JCCP members met with Mr. FadhelMirza Abdulla, Team Leader, Employee Development,

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

Human Resource Department, and other relevant
personnel to discuss the JCCP training program for thisfiscal year. Expressing strong concern regarding thesituation in Japan after the Great East Japan Earthquake,
the KNPC side said that KNPC intends to consider
sending its employees to JCCP courses based on JCCP’slatest training plans, and would be waiting for active
communication of information from JCCP.
Like KPC, KNPC also expressed strong interest incooperating and participating in a training program on
greenhouse gas reduction, but since the issue is relevantto the entire KPC Group, it was agreed that discussions
toward implementation of the program would be heldwith KPC as the counterpart.
JCCP has established a dedicated committee thatis currently making concentrated efforts to renew andimprove JCCP training programs. In addition to a newprogram for GHG reduction, some other new programs
under consideration (environmental management, thelatest oil technologies, maintenance, instrumentation,etc.) were explained to the KNPC side. In response,
the KNPC side, also with the attendance of experts inrefining technologies, offered the following views andadvice.
– KNPC provides training for its employees according
to various position levels, and wishes JCCP to also
implement level-based training (especially forsenior and middle-level managers).
– JCCP training programs should give consideration
not only to their technical content, but also to theoccupations of the participants (process, maintenance,
instrumentation, electrical engineering, etc.).
– It would be preferable to allocate more time to

At the KNPC Head Office:Mr. Fadhel Mirza Abdulla, Team Leader,
Employee Development, Human Resource Department(second from left)

workshops, case studies, hands-on training, andother such practical training. It would be especiallyeffective to associate the training with projects thatare being undertaken by the participants.
– A more practical approach would be to provide
customized programs (CPO, CPJ) that focus on a
topic relevant to the needs of each department at
KNPC, instead of general programs geared to all
departments.
– KNPC seeks training programs that spotlight
uniquely Japanese practices such as Kaizen, in eachtraining field.
JCCP will take the above views and advice into
consideration and gradually implement renewed
programs in the form of customized programs as thefirst step. Continuous discussions will also be held withnational oil companies in oil-producing countries in theregion, to achieve an even more effective renewal of
training programs.

Oman
1. Ministry of Environment and Climatic Affairs(MECA)The JCCP members visited the Ministry ofEnvironment and Climatic Affairs for the first time
based on the understanding that the ministry is
promoting environmental conservation, and particularly
the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. They met
with Mr. Ibrahim Ahmed Al Ajmi, Director General of
Climate Affairs, and discussed the implementation of a
Customized Program-Overseas (CPO) on that theme.
Mr. Al Ajmi explained that Oman has steadily
established a framework for reducing greenhouse gas
emissions in the country, and expressed his expectations
that JCCP activities would contribute to greenhouse gas
reduction in the oil industry, where large reductions
are anticipated. He added that the timing is perfect toimplement a training program particularly on relevantJapanese technologies. Although the CPO would address
the oil industry and would therefore fall under the controlof the Ministry of Oil and Gas, Mr. Al Ajmi neverthelessoffered his ministry’s cooperation such as by providing a
lecturer for the program. It was agreed that the ministry
and JCCP would continue to exchange information
toward preparation of the program.
2. Ministry of Oil and Gas (MOG)
This was JCCP’s first visit to the Ministry of Oil

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 41

CPO on greenhouse gas reduction. As its input to JCCP’srenewal of training programs, the ORPC side requested
practical workshop-style training, senior-level training,and special programs that feature a specific theme. The
ORPC side would also provide feedback from experts
in various fields at ORPC.

Summary

Omani Ministry of Oil and Gas:
Mr. Sultan Mohammed Al Hilali,
Director of Regulating Oil Production (third from left)

and Gas, which governs the upstream and downstream
sectors of the oil and gas industries in Oman and theiroperations. Mr. Sultan Mohammed Al Hilali, Directorof Regulating Oil Production, welcomed the JCCP
members and expressed keen interest in the new CPO
program on greenhouse gas reduction in the oil industry,
as it would also help improve operational efficiency inthe oil and gas industries in Oman. The MOG side and
the JCCP members agreed to exchange a letter of intent
soon thereafter.
In regard to the content of the training program, theMOG side requested the program to include lectureson the effective utilization of gas, energy conservation,
renewable energy sources and other related technologies,
and project development and financing. The JCCP
members agreed to thereafter discuss specific details for
implementation of the program with the ministry.
3. ORPC
The JCCP members visited ORPC and met with Mr.
Said Suleiman Al Aufi, Head, Professional Development,
Human Resource, which is JCCP’s counterpart in ORPC.
At the end of June soon after JCCP’s visit, ORPC
became a new joint venture company established by
the integration of ORPC’s Oman Refinery and Sohar
Refinery with Aromatics Oman LLC (AOL) and Oman
Polypropylene (OPP).
In the meeting with the JCCP members, the ORPC
side articulated its intention to encourage as many ORPC
staff members as possible to participate in the proposed

The visits to Kuwait and Oman allowed JCCP to
confirm strong expectations for the recommencementof JCCP training programs in the two countries despite
the lingering impacts of the recent earthquake in Japan,
and to also confirm the foundation of the relationships oftrust and cooperation that JCCP has established with oilcompanies in oil-producing countries through the steady
accumulation of achievements over the years.
In regard to the CPO on environmental issues andparticularly the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,the organizations that JCCP visited in the two countries
showed strong interest in its implementation, particularly
because GHG reduction is being addressed as animportant issue in the GCC countries, and commenced
discussions with JCCP toward its preparation.
Key figures in the two countries also articulated
their expectations for the renewal of JCCP training
programs and proposals for new programs that would
be of interest to oil-producing countries. In recent years,
the diversification of needs in oil-producing countries
has illuminated the importance of identifying training
needs through personal meetings with human resource
departments and other operational departments in oilproducing countries.
Moreover, the human resource training departmentsin oil companies in oil-producing countries havedeveloped in-house training programs to the point where
their expectations of JCCP have begun to change. There
are greater needs now for new programs intended forprospective senior management of oil companies andother such level-based training.
It is becoming increasingly important to grasp
the changing needs in oil-producing countries and topromptly respond to these changes in order to deepen
cooperative relationships in the future.
<by Tetsuo Arii, Training Dept.>

42 • Personnel Exchange Programs •JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

Personnel
Exchange

Report on the Training Cooperation
Program—China (SINOPEC)—On May 16, the JCCP delegation paid a courtesy callon Mr. Tang Suxin, Director General, Foreign Affairs
Bureau. On the next day, they held a detailed discussion on

training issues with five SINOPEC personnel—Mr. Zhang
Zheng, Deputy Director General; Mr. Rong Qi, Head
Office Director; Ms. Li Bingie, Asia & Africa Division(and Japanese translator); Mr. Kang Baohui, SeniorEngineer, Coordination Manager Division, Production
Management Department; and Mr. Ren Gang, SeniorEngineer, Equipment Division Refinery Department.
As SINOPEC has many refineries under its wing,
JCCP was requested to implement CPO programs twice
during this fiscal year. Taking various information into
consideration, such that the Maoming Refinery has been
voicing an especially strong desire for a CPO, and that a
CPO for upstream departments is already scheduled to
be implemented in early August, it was suggested thatthe first CPO be held in late August or early September
at the Tianjin or Jinan Refinery, and the second CPO inlate February 2012 at the Maoming Refinery.
The head office side said it would select a venue thatprovides good transportation access to all participants
and that offers a favorable seminar environment.
The CPO content discussed was as follows:
1) Energy conservation: promotion framework, thenumber of managers and engineers, energy-saving
cases2) Maintenance: promotion framework, the number ofmanagers and engineers, the frequency, planning, andframework of turnaround maintenance, selection ofcontractors, and cost reduction cases

Members on the SINOPEC side in the meeting withSINOPEC’s Foreign Affairs Bureau

All members of the meeting withSINOPEC’s Foreign Affairs Bureau

JCCP Lecturers Shintaro Miyawaki and Tetsuji
Kubota, and Mr. Hiroshi Sano from Idemitsu Kosan
K.K. visited China’s SINOPEC from May 16 to 20,
2011 under the Training Cooperation Program. The main
objectives of the visit were to discuss the implementationof a Customized Program-Overseas (CPO) that was
requested by SINOPEC this fiscal year, and to tour the
Hainan Refinery, which is SINOPEC’s newest refineryand one of the candidate CPO sites recommended by
the SINOPEC head office. Just as importantly, the visit
was made to personally thank SINOPEC for its warm
support and encouragement in the wake of the Great
East Japan Earthquake, and to explain to the managers
of SINOPEC’s training department the new schedule for2011 that has been revised after the disaster.
Recognizing that refinery efficiency improvement
and energy conservation are some of the major issuesof importance in the framework of mutual cooperation
between SINOPEC and JCCP, the SINOPEC side and
the JCCP delegation discussed the details, dates, andvenue of a CPO that would cover such themes as energy
conservation, maintenance, and TPM.

1. SINOPEC Head Ofﬁce

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 43

The head office members were highly motivatedin regard to the CPO, and communicated requests
concerning further details that had been examined inadvance by a working group within SINOPEC. The
JCCP side, for its part, proposed a workshop style oftraining instead of one-way lectures, in which bothsides would give presentations on a common themeand exchange views. The SINOPEC side approved ofthis proposal.
The discussion ended with an agreement that
SINOPEC’s Foreign Affairs Bureau would make thenecessary arrangements with the Tianjin Refinery, thescheduled site of the first CPO, and convey the results
to JCCP at a later date. JCCP also agreed to contact
SINOPEC upon preparing a detailed outline of the
program.
Mr. Rong acted as JCCP’s counterpart for many
years in the capacity of Head Office Director of the Asia
& Africa Division, but was reassigned to the America& Oceania Division this year and absolved from his
responsibility as JCCP’s counterpart. Nevertheless,by virtue of his past performance, and to the greatreassurance of the JCCP delegation, Mr. Rong was
instructed to take charge of this CPO by Mr. Tang.
In the discussion about JCCP’s training program
for this fiscal year, Mr. Rong expressed his concern
about the situation in Japan after the Great East Japan
Earthquake, and said he will consider sending SINOPEC
employees to JCCP courses based on the latest JCCP
training schedule and would therefore be awaiting active
communication of information from JCCP.

2. Hainan Reﬁnery
On May 18, the JCCP delegation traveled to Hainan,
accompanied by Mr. Rong and Ms. Li. Located fourhours to the south of Beijing by air, Hainan was thevenue of the Forum of Asia annual conference in 2009,
where leaders from Asian countries gathered to promoteeconomic and financial cooperation and called formutual support for the construction of an East Asian
Community and the development of Asia.
The Hainan Refinery is one of SINOPEC’s newest
refineries, and commenced operations in 2006 with aprocessing capacity of 160 MBSD. Outfitted with ahydrocracker and a residue FCC unit, it is a state-ofthe-art refinery that also has plans for the installation of
petrochemical units in the future. From its design to its
construction and operation, the refinery fully incorporates

44 • Personnel Exchange Programs •At the Hainan Refinery:
Mr. Han Jianmin, Vice President (center)

SINOPEC’s original technologies and adopts domestic
technologies in the residue desulfurization andhydrocracking processes, reactors, and catalysts. It
imports crude oil from the Middle East and uses Hainan
crude to produce Euro-IV compliant products.
Four years of continuous operations have beenachieved so far with a small number of employees
selected from among experienced refinery operators
affiliated with SINOPEC. It was explained that even
employees from the Dung Quat Refinery in Vietnam
have previously visited the Hainan Refinery to receive
training.
The refinery already boasts some of the highest
levels of technology and profit of all refineries insideand outside of China, but is presently undergoingfurther expansion. Operations are stringently regulated
by rigid environmental standards for air, wastewater
and waste, because the refinery is located adjacent toa tourist site.
On May 19, the JCCP delegation met with Mr. Han
Jianmin, Vice President of Hainan Refinery. Having

All members of the meeting at the Hainan Refinery

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

been in Japan on March 2, only a week before the Great
East Japan Earthquake, to participate in a JCCP course
as part of a 27-member study group that also included
Mr. Rong and Ms. Li, Mr. Han was stunned and shocked
by the news of the earthquake, and offered heartfelt
words of condolence immediately upon welcoming the
JCCP delegation. He appeared truly heartbroken thatthe refinery he visited for offsite training had sufferedextensive damage in the disaster.
In the meeting with the JCCP delegation, Mr. Han said
that opportunities to learn about Japanese technologies
are coveted, because the Hainan Refinery is still a newrefinery with little experience. He especially approvedof JCCP courses, as they allow participants to learn
not only about Japanese technologies but also about
Japanese culture, and to interact with participants of vast
experience from other countries. He said that participants
gain invaluable experience from JCCP courses andacquire a precious asset by exchanging information
with other participants. Noting the importance of
SINOPEC’s Foreign Affairs Bureau and JCCP to the
Hainan Refinery, Mr. Han expressed his expectations offurther cooperation between the two organizations.

3. Summary
At each destination, the JCCP delegation received
sincere words of condolence regarding the Great East
Japan Earthquake, as well as high praise regarding theJapanese people’s capacity for endurance and strong
sense of decorum. Many people said they are convincedthat this diligent nature of the Japanese people will leadthe country to an early recovery.
At the same time, there were also words of expectation
for the planning and management of this fiscal year’s
JCCP training programs. This renewed the JCCP
members’ awareness that JCCP must resume its training
courses as quickly as possible to maintain the relationshipsof trust and cooperation that have been established with
oil-producing countries based on steady achievements.
The JCCP members were furthermore made keenly
aware of the need to create a relationship of mutual
discussion and learning with SINOPEC, instead of a
relationship of one-way training. With SINOPEC owning
the world-class Hainan Refinery, JCCP will continue tohold direct meetings with SINOPEC to survey its needs
and to strengthen friendly ties through exchanges oftechnology and information.
<by Tetsuji Kubota, Training Dept.>

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 45

Personnel
Exchange

Report on the Training Cooperation
Program—Vietnam—
1. Background
Among East Asian countries, Vietnam is the now
the second-largest supplier of crude oil to Japan afterIndonesia. Vietnam crude is extremely important toJapan’s access to stable supplies of crude oil, particularly
because it has good quality, a low sulfur content, and asmall environmental footprint, and also because it is oneof the few crude oil supplies that do not pass throughthe Strait of Hormuz, which is considered risky waters
for tankers. Based on this awareness, a JCCP delegation
visited Vietnam under the Training Cooperation Programfrom May 29 to June 4, for the first time in three years
since the last visit in fiscal 2008. One of the main
objectives of the visit was to inform relevant Vietnamese
institutions about a special assistance program for oilproducing countries that JCCP will be implementing thisfiscal year for Vietnam, to support the development of theoil downstream sector in the country.

2. Overview
The members of the JCCP delegation included Akio
Yamanaka (Operations Dept.), Minoru Horike (TechnicalCooperation Dept.), Shintaro Miyawaki (Training Dept.)
and Kazuhiro Suzuki (Training Dept.).
They visited Petrovietnam and its subsidiaries,
Vietnam National Petroleum Corporation (Petrolimex),
the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam, and the JETRO Ho
Chi Minh Office with the following agenda.
(1) To convey JCCP’s appreciation for the messagesof condolence it received from Vietnam after the
March earthquake, and to explain about the current
status of JCCP training programs and about therecommencement of regular courses in September(2) To explain and discuss the special assistanceprogram for Vietnam
1) Background, proceedings, requests
2) Training: Proposals and discussion on specificcustomized courses (CPO/CPJ) and assessmentof training needs

46 • Personnel Exchange Programs •Proposal 1: CPJ on instrumentation (slated to
begin in August)
Proposal 2: C P O o n m a i n t e n a n c e a n d
instrumentation (planned to be
implemented in July)
Proposal 3: CPJ on marketing (slated to begin in
January 2012)
Proposal 4: CPO on upgrading (planned to be
implemented in September)
Proposal 5: Other new programs
3) Technical cooperation: Explanation of programs,
designation of counterpart departments, assessmentof needs(3) Request for cooperation from the Japanese
Embassy and JETRO

3. Details(1) Petrovietnam, Head OfficeFirst, the JCCP members thanked Petrovietnam for its
message of support and encouragement after the Great
East Japan Earthquake. They explained that the extent ofdamage in the Tokyo area was not as severe as what the
Tohoku-Pacific Coast area suffered, and that JCCP has
been operating as usual but postponed all regular courses
scheduled up to July as a precaution against potential

At the Petrovietnam Head Office:Mr. Nguyen Le Binh, Deputy General Manager,
Training & HRD Division (second from right)

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

aftershocks. They then informed the Petrovietnam sidethat regular courses will resume in September, andexplained that they are planned on being implemented
in Osaka and other cities in the Kansai area to provide
reassurance of participants’ safety.
After listening intently to JCCP’s present situation
regarding training programs, Mr. Nguyen Le Binh,
Deputy General Manager, Training & HRD Division, said
JCCP’s proposals are of strong interest to Petrovietnam,
and he is eager to begin internal discussions toward theirimplementation. He also suggested that it would be best
to promptly proceed to the actual planning stage and to
mutually exchange the necessary information to workout the details.
(2) Vietnam Petroleum Institute (VPI), Hanoi Head
OfficeVPI is a research institute affiliated with Petrovietnam,
and engages in a wide range of studies, from petroleum
processing to market analysis. In response to the JCCP
members’ summary of JCCP activities and initiatives
including the special assistance program for Vietnam,
Mr. Nguyen Hong Minh, Deputy General Director,
expressed his hope that this meeting will mark the
beginning of ongoing exchanges of views between VPI
and JCCP.

Mr. Takahiro Shimomura, Secretary, informed the
JCCP delegation that a Cabinet reorganization is slated
to take place soon in Vietnam and a new minister for oil
is also slated to be appointed in mid-July, but reassured
them that the friendly relationship between Petrovietnam
and JCCP would be maintained. Before closing themeeting, the JCCP members said that the embassy’s
continued cooperation in JCCP activities, including
the special assistance program for Vietnam, would begreatly appreciated.
(4) Vietnam National Petroleum Corporation(Petrolimex), Hanoi Head Office
Petrolimex is one of the leading importers anddomestic distributors of gasoline and other oil products
in Vietnam, with a domestic sales share of more than
50%. It said it has plans to build Vietnam’s fourthrefinery (with government approval), and therefore hasstrong interest in future JCCP training programs. JCCP
has received participants from Petrolimex in the past,
but this was the first time for JCCP to make a visit to
the company.
The JCCP members gave an overview of JCCP
activities and explained about the special assistanceprogram for Vietnam, as they did at Petrovietnam. The
Petrolimex side responded by noting that the company
indeed has extremely strong needs for JCCP training,and said they would like to hold internal discussions andproceed to making the necessary arrangements as quickly
as possible. They also asked if larger numbers of people
could participate in JCCP training programs, to which
the JCCP members replied in the affirmative, explainingthat the participation of a larger number of people would
be possible by implementing CPOs/CPJs under theframework of the special assistance program.

At the VPI Head Office in Hanoi:
Mr. Nguyen Hong Minh, Deputy General Director (center)(3) Japanese Embassy in Vietnam
The JCCP members explained that the purpose of
their visit to Vietnam was to notify relevant Vietnamese
institutions that a budget has been approved for the
implementation of a special assistance program in Vietnam
and Iraq this fiscal year, and also to work out the details of
the program with relevant managers in charge of humanresource development and technical cooperation.

At the Petrolimex Head Office:Mr. Vuong Thai Dzung, Deputy General Director (center)

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 47

(5) Vietnam Petroleum Institute (VPI), R&D
Center
The JCCP members first thanked Mr. Nguyen AnhDuc, PhD, Deputy General Director, for his participationin the JCCP International Symposium held this past
January, and Mr. Nguyen replied that it was a highlymeaningful and valuable experience and thanked JCCP
in return. As this was JCCP’s first visit to the R&D
Center in roughly ten years, the members gave the latest
updates on JCCP activities and explained about the
special assistance program as they did at the VPI Head
Office in Hanoi. It was confirmed that Petrovietnam’s
Human Resource Development Department would act
as JCCP’s counterpart for both VPI’s head office andR&D Center.

At VPI’s R&D Center (Ho Chi Minh City):
Mr. Nguyen Anh Duc, PhD, Deputy General Director(second from left)(6) Petrovietnam, Nhon Trach Power Plant
Nhon Trach Power Plant is one of a number of
power plants affiliated with Petrovietnam, and is locatedsoutheast of Ho Chi Minh City. Its two gas turbines (150
MW each) and a heat recovery steam turbine (150 MW)
provide a total power generation capacity of 450 MW.

At the Nhon Trach Power Plant:
Mr. Ho Quyet Thang, Deputy General Director (center)48 • Personnel Exchange Programs •The plant was completed only four years ago, and isequipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including thelatest analyzer for controlling the boiler. It also satisfies
the required water quality standards.
Mr. Ho Quyet Thang, Deputy General Director, Nhon
Trach Power Plant, who participated in a JCCP regularcourse (IT-1-09) in the past, said he wishes to send
his employees to regular courses on an ongoing basis.
Thus, Mr. Ho and the JCCP members shared common
expectations for further development of the cooperative
relationship between Petrovietnam subsidiaries and
JCCP through JCCP activities.
(7) Petrovietnam Manpower Training College(PVMTC)PVMTC is a training center for employees in all
sectors, companies, and departments affiliated withPetrovietnam, with a focus on providing training fortechnician to engineer-level employees. In addition
to the state-of-the-art training center (completed six
months ago) that the JCCP delegation visited, PVMTC
has a number of campuses inside and outside Vung Tau
City.
The PVMTC side first introduced the operations of
the college, noting that it is currently undergoing its firstmajor organizational expansion since its establishment
in 1975. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that PVMTC
trains more than 15,000 employees per year, receiving
some 1,000 participants from the Dung Quat Refinery,
which is a major plant that will forge the future of
Petrovietnam, and several hundreds of participants fromother power plants throughout the country.
After the meeting, the JCCP members were shown
the training facility floor inside the new training centerbuilding and were given an explanation of various
analysis instruments and measuring devices for oil

At PVMTC’s newest training center (in Vung Tau)

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

development of offshore oilfields and gas fields, theenhancement of Phumy Thermal Power Plant, theconstruction of oil refining plants, and the review ofplans to introduce nuclear power generation. Membersof the JETRO Ho Chi Minh Office said that, on thewhole, the relationship between Vietnam and Japanis characterized by Vietnam’s strong expectations forinvestment from Japan, and offered access to JETRO’s
materials on technical cooperation projects implemented
between the two countries and other details of suchinitiatives as reference for future JCCP activities.
Training facility recently installed in PVMTC(completed six months ago)

products. The training room where the measurement
devices were installed was also equipped with the latest
measuring equipment, and appeared to be staffed mostly
by female instructors.
(8) JETRO Ho Chi Minh Office
JETRO has two offices in Vietnam: in Ho Chi Minh
City and Hanoi. The JCCP delegation visited the Ho Chi
Minh Office (Director: Sakae Yoshida), which oversees
the southern Vietnam region, and gained an overview
of the status of Vietnam’s economic growth and recent
examples of economic cooperation between Vietnam
and Japan seen in various sectors mainly around Ho Chi
Minh City (southern region). In contrast to the capital
city of Hanoi, which is a political center, Ho Chi Minh
City is an economic center. The area centering on Vung
Tau is a major oil production center with a per capita
GDP roughly three times greater than Hanoi. Moreover,various large projects related to the energy industry
are concentrated in the southern region, including the

4. Summary
The visits to the head office of Petrovietnam andsubsidiaries of the Petrovietnam Group took the JCCP
delegation across the country from north to south, throughHanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Vung Tau, as meetings
were held with relevant companies and institutions
as planned. Not only were the objectives of the visitsfulfilled, but also Petrovietnam and its subsidiaries’
positive response and strong interest in JCCP programs
and particularly in the proposal concerning the special
assistance program for Vietnam provided perspective anddirection to JCCP’s future activities in the country.
Members of the JCCP delegation were contented
with the opportunity to personally verify the status of
JCCP activities in Vietnam, and were encouraged by
the understanding that the Petrovietnam head office andother institutions showed in regard to the significanceof JCCP training.
JCCP extends its deepest gratitude to everyone
in all relevant departments for their guidance andcooperation in the planning and coordination of thisvisit to Vietnam.
<by Shintaro Miyawaki, Training Dept.>

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 49

Revised Annual Program for Fiscal Year 2011
(April 1, 2011 – March 31, 2012)
JCCP training courses have been temporarily canceled after the March 11 earthquake, but they will resume in
September, as shown in the chart below. Please note that TR-4 and TR-9 have been postponed to a later date. We aresorry for any inconvenience this may cause, but we appreciate your understanding and continued cooperation.

CourseNo.

Course Title

Duration

Registration
Deadline

Apr. 5 – 22, 2011

Jan. 31, 2011

Apr. 5 – 22, 2011

Jan. 31, 2011

Apr. 5 – 22, 2011

Jan. 31, 2011

May 10 – 27, 2011

Mar. 7, 2011

May 10 – 27, 2011

Mar. 7, 2011

TR-1

Petroleum MarketingTR-2

Upgrading Processes of Heavy Oil

TR-3

DCS Fundamentals and Applications

TR-4

Human Resource Management (HRM)

TR-5

Essential Petroleum Refining for Process Engineers

TR-6

Refinery Management

May 31 – Jun. 14, 2011

Mar. 28, 2011

TR-7

Diagnostic Techniques and Maintenance for Rotary < canceled
MachineryMay 31 – Jun. 17, 2011

Mar. 28, 2011

TR-8

Safety Management for Refineries

Jun. 21 – Jul. 8, 2011

Apr. 18, 2011

TR-9

Maintenance Management

Jun. 21 – Jul. 8, 2011

Apr. 18, 2011

TR-10

Environmental Management for Refineries

Sep. 20 – Oct. 7, 2011

Jul. 18, 2011

TR-11

Project Management for Mechanical Engineers

Sep. 20 – Oct. 7, 2011

Jul. 18, 2011

TR-12

Petroleum Marketing and Oil Terminal

Oct. 11 – 28, 2011

Aug. 8, 2011

TR-13

Advanced Field Devices and Control

Oct. 11 – 28, 2011

Aug. 8, 2011

TR-14

Gas Processing for LNG

Nov. 1 – 18, 2011

Aug. 22, 2011

TR-15

Material Problems and Their Countermeasures

Nov. 1 – 18, 2011

Aug. 22, 2011

IT-1

Turnaround and Inspection (T&I)

Nov. 21 – Dec. 2, 2011

Sep. 19, 2011

TR-9

Maintenance Management

Nov. 21 – Dec. 2, 2011

Sep. 19, 2011

TR-16

Human Resource Development (HRD)

Nov. 22 – Dec. 9, 2011

Sep. 19, 2011

TR-17

Information and Control Systems Utilized in Refineries

Nov. 22 – Dec. 9, 2011

Sep. 19, 2011

IT-2

Petroleum Marketing and Physical Distribution

Jan. 10 – 20, 2012

Nov. 7, 2011

TR-18

Energy Saving for Profitability Improvement

Jan. 17 – Feb. 3, 2012

Nov. 7, 2011

TR-19

Inspection and Reliability Evaluation

Jan. 17 – Feb. 3, 2012

Nov. 7, 2011

TR-4

Human Resource Management (HRM)

Jan. 17 – Feb. 3, 2012

Nov. 7, 2011

TR-20

Quality Management of Refinery Products

Feb. 7 – 24, 2012

Dec. 5, 2011

TR-21

Advanced Process Control on DCS

Feb. 7 – 24, 2012

Dec. 5, 201150 • Personnel Exchange Programs •< canceled< postponed< postponed< change invenue toOsaka

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

JCCP Regular Courses Completed in February 2011
TR-19-10

Quality Management of Refinery Products
February 8 – February 25, 2011

Content:

Quality Management; Quality Control in Japan;
Environmental Strategy of Japanese Oil Companies;
QC in Refinery; ISO-9000; Clean Fuel in Japan;
Product Planning by LP Model

Site visits:

Yokogawa Electric Corporation;
DKK TOA Corporation;
Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. (Tokuyama Refinery);
Shimadzu Corporation;
JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation (Negishi Refinery);Tanaka Scientific Limited

Country ofparticipants:

Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico,
Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam

Lecturer: Takaaki Yuasa<11 countries / 15 participants>

TR-20-10

Inspection and Reliability Evaluation
February 8 – February 25, 2011

Lecturer: Hiromitsu Saito

Content:

Petroleum Industry in Japan; Material Problem of Static
Equipment; Maintenance Management in JapaneseReﬁnery; Corrosion and Fouling Control and Inhibitors;
Reliability Evaluation of Pressure Vessel; MaintenanceManagement of Static Equipment; Typical Problems andCountermeasures; Material Characteristics of Pressure
Vessels and Quality Control; Steel Piping Manufacturing
Process & Its Quality Control; Lecture & Practice on
Newly Developed NDT; Reliability Activities in a Reﬁnery;
Typical Problems and Countermeasures; Maintenanceand Repair Technologies of Plants & Tanks; Corrosion andDeterioration of Material in Reﬁnery Equipment

Site visits:

Cosmo Oil Co., Ltd. (Sakaide Refinery); Kobe Steel, Ltd. (Takasago Equipment Plant);
Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd. (Kansai Steel Div.); Non-Destructive Inspection Co., Ltd.
(Headquarters); Showa Yokkaichi Sekiyu K.K. (Yokkaichi Refinery);
Shinko Plantech Co., Ltd. (Isogo Factory); Chiyoda Corporation (Head Office)Country ofparticipants:

Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sudan,
Thailand, Vietnam, Yemen<9 countries / 15 participants>

TR-21-10

Advanced Process Control on DCS
February 8 – February 25, 2011

Content:

Basic Process Control Theories with Practice Using
Computer Simulator and Miniature Plant with DCS
Application: Advanced Process Control Theories with
Practice; Engineering Practice of Control Design;
Controller Drawing and Operation Support System
Using DCS; Latest DCS-related Technologies; Application
Examples of Advanced Process Control in Japanese
Refineries; Modernization of Latest Instrumentation

Site visits:

Yokogawa Electric Corp. (Headquarters);
JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corp. (Marifu Refinery);
Seibu Oil Co., Ltd. (Yamaguchi Refinery)Country ofparticipants:

India, Iraq, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria,
Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Thailand, Vietnam

Lecturer: Teruhiko Sasaki<10 countries / 15 participants>

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 51

TechnicalCooperation

Commencement of Technical Cooperation
with the Ministry of Oil-Iraq(Overview of the FY2010 Technical Cooperation Survey in Iraq)
1. Special Assistance Programfor Iraq
JCCP has provided training to Iraqi
participants and has dispatched Japaneseexperts to conduct training programs in
Iraq either as JCCP-initiative programs or
member company programs over the years
since its establishment, although there
were some interruptions due to two wars.
With respect to technical cooperation
projects, the “Feasibility Study on
Emergency Restoration of LPG BottlingGroup photo taken after the reporting meeting:(The four central men, from left to right) Mr. Jasim M. Hameed, Manager,
Plant in Iraq” and “Comprehensive
Technical Department, Training and Development Directorate;
Study for Restoration Assistance” were
Dr. Kareem A. Alwan, Manager of PRDC;
Mr. Morihiro Yoshida, Managing Director of JCCP; andimplemented in 2003 in support ofMr. Minoru Horike, General Manager, JCCP Technical Cooperation Dept.
reconstruction efforts in the country.
In December 2009, JCCP extended aninvitation to Mr. Iqdam M. R. Hashim Al-Shadeedi, forward by implementing technical conferences in athen Deputy Director General, Ministry of Oil-Iraq, to neighboring country and holding an interim progress
visit Japan, and took the occasion of the visit to sign a meeting in Tokyo in December 2010. An overview ofmemorandum of understanding (MOU) that verified the projects is provided below.
their desire to deepen mutual understanding through
JCCP training programs and technical cooperation (1) Study on Technical Support of Introduction of
Produced Water Treatment for SOC in Iraq
projects and resume exchanges.
Oilfield-produced water, which is produced in the
In accordance with the MOU, oil refining companies
affiliated with the Ministry of Oil-Iraq and JCCP have process of crude oil production, is extremely highlaunched technical cooperation projects in fiscal 2010, in oil content, suspended solids, and salinity. Since
it cannot be discharged to rivers without adversely
as follows.
impacting the environment, at present it is discharged
and evaporated in an evaporation pond. However, any
2. FY2010 Technical Cooperation Projects
discharging of produced water to evaporation ponds willMore than ten technical issues were identified among be prohibited under a new government policy effective
those that the Ministry of Oil-Iraq faces and needs to from 2014. Additionally, river water is currently usedaddress. After ranking these issues in order of priority, for injection to the crude oil well in Iraq, but river flows
the implementation of two projects was decided: (1) are decreasing, and there will come a time in the future
Study on Technical Support of Introduction of Produced when river water will no longer be available, either.
Water Treatment for South Oil Co. (SOC) in Iraq, and As a countermeasure to these issues, SOC is strongly(2) Study on Development of Asphalt Industry and seeking to re-use produced water as injection water, andFinding New Applications in Iraq. In consideration of JCCP is offering technical assistance in applying Japan’s
the domestic situation in Iraq, the projects were carried wastewater treatment technologies to the treatment of

52 • Technical Cooperation •JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

oilfield-produced water in Iraq.
[Overview of the project]
1) Implementation period: August 1, 2010 – March 31,
20132) Counterpart: South Oil Company
3) Participating companies: Water Reuse Promotion
Center; Swing Corporation
4) Project goal: To establish a water treatment system foroilfield-produced water and propose a basic design
for a commercial treatment facility
In fiscal 2010, samples of oilfield-produced water
were obtained, their properties were analyzed, andspecifications required for its utilization as injection water
were assessed. Then, after an examination of treatment
methods using the samples, an appropriate oilfieldproduced water treatment system was established. The
system would satisfy the specifications of injection
water by employing a combination of various treatment
processes, including oil removal, oxidation, coagulation,
filtration, and sterilization.
(2) Study on Development of Asphalt Industry andFinding New Applications in Iraq
In Iraq, asphalt is currently produced in the north,
mid, and south refineries, by blending the bottom oilfrom the propane deasphalting unit (PDA) that is used
for lube oil production with residue oil in the vacuum
distillation unit (VDU). Because asphalt quality conforms
to the same standard all over the country regardless ofthe season, the frequent occurrence of pavement defects
throughout the country, such as rutting, wear, cracking,and longitudinal unevenness, is becoming a social
problem. To remedy this problem, the project aims totransfer to Iraq the asphalt manufacturing, modifying,and paving technologies that Japan has cultivatedthrough the years.
[Overview of the project]
1) Implementation period: August 1, 2010 – March 31,
20132) Counterpart: Iraq National Oil Company
3) Participating companies: JX Nippon ResearchInstitute Ltd.; JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation;
Green Consultant Co., Ltd.
4) Project goal: To transfer Japan’s asphalt
manufacturing, modifying, and paving technologies

Heated discussions among engineers(in the spotlight: Mr. Zaydoun K. Kreamid)

to the manufacturing of pavement asphalt using crude
oil in Iraq, and improve the quality of pavement asphalt
in Iraq
In fiscal 2010, samples of Iraqi asphalt were obtained,
their properties were analyzed through laboratory tests,
and specific quality flaws were examined based on
indicators of their properties. Additionally, as a result of
manufacturing modified asphalt using the samples andevaluating the modified asphalt, it was determined that
quality asphalt could be manufactured in Iraq.

3. Summary of the FY2010 Special
Assistance Program for Iraq
A reporting meeting for FY2010 study results was heldon March 6, 2011 in Istanbul, with the attendance of Dr.
Kareem A. Alwan, Manager of PRDC, and Mr. Morihiro
Yoshida, Managing Director of JCCP. The Iraqi ministryside reported on various issues and problems in Iraq, andthe Japanese side reported on the results of a survey ofthose issues. Based on this information, the two sides
asked and answered questions and engaged in an active
exchange of views on activity plans and procedures forthe next fiscal year. The meeting closed on a successfulnote with Dr. Kareem expressing his appreciation forJapan’s technical assistance regarding the issues Iraq
faces. Plans for fiscal 2011 include the installation of asmall pilot plant and the implementation of a full-fledged
study based on the results of the FY2010 survey.
JCCP hopes to deepen mutual understanding andfriendship between Iraq and Japan through these special
assistance programs for Iraq.
<by Takeyoshi Haishima, Technical Cooperation Dept.>

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Technical Cooperation • 53

TechnicalCooperation

Completion of Phase I of
the Technical Cooperation Projecton Enhancement of FCC Catalyst Evaluationin Saudi Arabia
A JCCP Technical Cooperation Project on“Enhancement of FCC Catalyst Evaluation in Saudi
Arabia” was jointly implemented with King Fahd
University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) over athree-year period beginning in fiscal 2008, in response
to a strong request by Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s
state-owned oil company. The goal of the project was
to develop KFUPM’s capacity for evaluation anddevelopment of catalysts that could be used in fluid
catalytic cracking units (FCCs) that many countries in
the Middle East have begun to construct as a central
equipment in their refineries.
All activities that were initially planned (Phase I)
have been completed as summarized below, and the
project has entered Phase II.

1. Background to the Project
An FCC unit is an equipment in which powderedcatalyst reacts with heavy oil at high temperatures by
fluid reaction and breaks the heavy oil feedstock into
light fractions to produce more valuable LPG, gasoline,
and middle distillates. It is a cracking unit that is widely
acknowledged by the oil industry and considered a coreequipment in many refineries. In fact, Saudi Aramcohas built a high olefin fluid catalytic cracking unit
(HOFC) at Rabigh in response to the recent increasein demand for petroleum and petrochemical products,
and is also planning or otherwise already building FCC
units in some of its export-oriented refineries. Under
this situation, Saudi Aramco recognized the urgent needfor its refineries to acquire FCC catalyst evaluation anddevelopment technologies, and requested KFUPM toplay a role in their acquisition. Against this background,
JCCP launched a technical cooperation project in fiscal
2008 to develop the capacity for FCC catalyst evaluationand development in KFUPM.

54 • Technical Cooperation •2. Overview
1) Implementation period: April 1, 2008 – March 31,
2011 (three years)2) Counterpart: KFUPM
3) Participating companies: JX Nippon ResearchInstitute Ltd., JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation,
JGC Catalysts and Chemicals Ltd.
4) Activities: The following activities were implemented
toward the development of FCC catalyst evaluationand development technologies at KFUPM.
(1) Introduce an advanced cracking evaluation(ACE) unit, the newest type of FCC catalyst
evaluation unit available, to KFUPM.
(2) Provide training in the operation of the ACE
unit and guidance for the analysis of operating
data acquired from the ACE unit, as means oftransferring FCC catalyst evaluation technology
to KFUPM(3) Provide lectures and seminars to KFUPM
researchers, and invite engineers to Japan forhands-on training in the procedures and methodsof FCC catalyst development
The ACE unit was manufactured in fiscal 2008
and delivered and installed in KFUPM in fiscal 2009.
The series of technical assistance activities thereafter
consisted of the following.
It is worth noting that, after introduction of the
ACE unit to KFUPM, KFUPM researchers have begun
engaging in the evaluation of catalysts by operating theACE unit themselves.
(1) Prior to introducing the ACE unit to KFUPM,KFUPM researchers were invited to the Researchand Development Institute of JX Nippon Oil &Energy Corporation to receive training in theoperation and function of the ACE unit using the unit
installed in the research institute, as well as training
in the evaluation and analysis of FCC catalysts.

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

ACE training at the Research and Development Instituteof JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation:(from the right) Mr. Rahat, Mr. Ramzi, Mr. Yoshihara(2) Explanations and instructions were given regarding
the pseudo deactivation of FCC catalysts, which isnecessary for the evaluation of fresh FCC catalysts,
using technology that can accurately simulate
the pseudo deactivation of FCC catalysts in thelaboratory.
(3) KFUPM researchers were invited to the Kitakyushu
Operation Center of JGC Catalysts and Chemicals
Ltd. to study the basic properties of zeolite catalysts
and the effect of additives on catalysts throughactual examples, and to receive technical training.
(4) In fiscal 2010, an X-ray diffraction (XRD) unit was
installed to allow for structural analysis of zeolitethat is necessary for catalyst development, andtechnical guidance was provided for the structural
analysis of zeolite and other technologies relevant
to FCC catalyst development.
Through introduction of the ACE unit and XRD unit,
operational training of the units, and technical guidance
for analyzing data acquired from the evaluation unit,

Article and picture of the project featured in Al-Yaum,a local newspaper

as discussed above, the foundation for FCC catalyst
evaluation and development has begun to take shape at
KFUPM.
At a project achievement meeting held at KFUPM
on February 1, 2011, the KFUPM side gave a report on
two studies on the status of FCC unit introduction in the
Middle East countries and on FCC catalyst evaluationand structural analysis using the ACE and XRD units.
The Japanese side presented the results of an economic
assessment of feeding the light cycle oil that is producedin the FCC unit back to the FCC unit.
At the end of the meeting, Dr. Sulaiman S. Al-Khattaf,
Director of KFUPM and the responsible authority ofthe project on the KFUPM side, thanked JCCP for its
support and assistance in the project.

3. Observations
As mentioned earlier, this project aimed to establish
an R&D system for FCC catalysts within KFUPM byproviding technical guidance to KFUPM researchers
on the evaluation and development of FCC catalysts
to be used in FCC units. The initial goal of the project
was considered achieved when KFUPM researchersacquired the necessary technologies for the operationand data analysis of the ACE unit. The unit has quickly
become a standard FCC catalyst evaluation unit in manyrefineries, but when it was introduced for the first timein this project in the Middle East, the local newspaper
carried an article about it, and the project garnered strong
attention from many relevant institutions.
The project will be ultimately reviewed and evaluatedby an Ex-post Evaluation Committee composed ofexternal experts.
As an increase in future demand for polypropylene isanticipated in the coming years, a study on “Developmentof High Olefin Yield FCC Catalysts” has been launchedin fiscal 2010 as Phase II of the project, with the aim ofdeveloping a new catalyst that can provide a high yieldof olefin from the FCC unit.
Through joint cooperation projects with KFUPM
such as this particular project, JCCP hopes and expects
to further strengthen and expand ties between Saudi
Arabia and Japan.
<by Takeyoshi Haishima, Technical Cooperation Dept.>

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Technical Cooperation • 55

TechnicalCooperation

Treatment and Utilizationof the Oilfield-produced Water in Oman
The Treatment and Utilization of theOilfield-produced Water in Oman was
implemented over a period of four years, from2007 to fiscal 2010, with the cooperation of
Shimizu Corporation.

1. BackgroundOilfield-produced water accounts forthe largest volume of waste produced in theprocess of crude oil production. Particularly
in Oman, where three to six times moreproduced water is pumped up from theoilfields compared to the actual volume ofoil that is produced, it is one of the country’s
Commemorative photo taken at the opening ceremony for the pilot plantmost serious environmental concerns.
The southern oilfields in Oman produce
Based on surveys of possible water treatment
as much as 300,000 tons of produced water per day. Thiswater is relatively low in salinity, so it could be re-used methods carried out from 2007 to 2009, a coagulation
as irrigation water if its oil content could be reduced. and pressurized flotation method that uses microbubbles
300,000 tons/day of produced water is an enormous was proposed as an optimum low-cost, high-efficiency
amount of water, corresponding to 1.5 times the volume wastewater treatment method, and the system wasof water used daily in the capital city of Muscat. Securing optimized and simplified for the treatment of oilfieldand protecting water resources is critical to Oman’s produced water in Oman.
However, other surveys that were carried out at thegrowth, as the country is 99% dependent on groundwaterand one of the most groundwater-dependent among the same time showed that a number of different issues
Gulf countries, but the continuous use of groundwater related to wastewater treatment exist in Oman according
to region and oil field. Therefore, a compact, containerat the current rate could deplete the resource.
Under this situation, the said project was launched sized mobile pilot treatment plant was designed sowith the goal of establishing high-efficiency technologies that it could be utilized to conduct tests at different oilfor the treatment of produced water in Oman andconducting a pilot test on the reutilization of the treatedwater as irrigation water. The effective utilization of
produced water would not only help solve the waste issue
that accompanies oilfield development, but it would also
contribute to Oman’s vision of achieving sustainable
development, by creating new sources of water.

2. Technical Development
Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), the sole national
university in Oman, was JCCP’s counterpart in the
project.
56 • Technical Cooperation •Conceptual image of the utilization of oilfield-produced water

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

fields. A test run of the pilot plant was conducted after
it was installed in the Mina Al Fahal (MAF) Refineryof Petroleum Development Oman (PDO).

3. Observations
The pilot plant was officially launched at an opening
ceremony attended by guests of honor Dr. Mohammed
Hamed Saif Al-Rumhi, Minister of Oil & Gas; Mr. Seiji
Morimoto, Japanese Ambassador to Oman; Dr. Ali bin
Saud Al-Bemani, Vice Chancellor of Sultan Qaboos
University; and Mr. Raoul M. Restucci, Managing Directorof Petroleum Development Oman LLC, each of whom alsodelivered a congratulatory speech. Local television andradio broadcasts introduced news of the launching of thepilot plant on the day of the ceremony, and six newspapers
in Oman (three English-language and three Arabic) carried
articles about it on the following day. Japanese televisionand newspaper media also covered the event.
The project also produced the following results.
(1) The operation of the pilot plant at the MAF site
demonstrated that oil separation is definitely
possible.
(2) As palm dates are cheap agricultural waste that isavailable in abundance in Oman, a carbonization
and activation test was conducted using an activatedcarbon manufacturing device installed in SQU,
to enhance the performance of activated carbons
made from dates. Additionally, many date-derived
activated carbons were manufactured on a test basis
to obtain high-performance activated carbons, andtheir properties and carbonizing conditions were
evaluated and analyzed. As a result, it was foundthat activated carbons made from the trunks of datetrees have a two to three-times greater oil adsorption
property compared to commercially available
activated carbons.
(3) A test on the effects of salt and boron content inproduced water on the growth of feed crops was
conducted jointly with the Omani Ministry ofAgriculture & Fisheries, and confirmed that whilehigh salinity has an adverse impact on plant growth,boron has no particular impact.
As there are many oilfields in Oman, demonstration
tests will hereafter continue to be conducted using themobile pilot plant in Phase II of the project to help solve
the specific issues confronting each oil field.
<by Kenji Ikushima, Technical Cooperation Dept.>

Full view of the mobile pilot plant

Activated carbons made from the trunksof date trees

The trunk of a date tree

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Technical Cooperation • 57

TechnicalCooperation

Study for Process and Operational
Improvement in Mina Al Fahal Refineryof Oman
The Study for Process and Operational Improvementin Mina Al Fahal Refinery of Oman was implemented
over a period of four years, from 2007 to fiscal 2010, as a
JCCP technical cooperation project with the cooperationof Cosmo Research Institute.

1. Background
Oman is the seventh-largest crude oil supplier toJapan. Situated on the outside of the Strait of Hormuz,
it is little affected by conflicts in the Gulf region, andplays an important role in Japan’s energy security.
Domestically, there has been an increase in demandfor oil products accompanying economic growth, andthe expansion of crude oil processing capacities has
become a pressing issue. At the same time, it is also

becoming increasingly important to take appropriate
measures to ensure safe and stable operations, addressenvironmental issues, and improve efficiency. Under
this situation, Oman Refineries and Petrochemicals
Company (ORPC)*, the sole oil refining company inOman, requested JCCP’s cooperation in the transfer ofoil refining technologies to Oman, and thus JCCP and
ORPC came to implement the Study for Process andOperational Improvement in Mina Al Fahal Refineryof Oman.
* The company now operates under the name of Oman Oil
Refineries and Petroleum Industries Co. (Orpic). It wasestablished by the integration of three companies—Oman
Refineries and Petrochemicals Co. (ORPC), Aromatics Oman
LLC (AOL), and Oman Polypropylene (OPP).

Chart 1: Improvement guidance record
Theme

2007

Study of low-load operation of the sour water stripper and its
energy-saving effect
Shortening of the startup operation of the diesel oilhydrodesulfurization unit
Study of issues regarding the increase of gasoline production
Shortening of the startup operation of the naphtha catalytic reformer
Operational improvement of the amine-washing unit
Operational improvement of the sulfur recovery unit
Reduction of excessive combustion air in the furnace
Reduction of benzene content in gasoline
Improvement of the instrument and utility air supply system
Waste heat recovery from the furnace flue gas
Capacity increase by the replacement of the trays in the CDU distillation
columnOperational improvement of the diesel fuel hydrodesulfurization unit
Operational improvement of the rundown section in the diesel fuelhydrodesulfurization unit
Improvement of corrosion and scaling in the sour water stripper andamine treatment unit
Improvement of the CDU feed train and corrosion control in the CDU
overhead system

58 • Technical Cooperation •JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

2008

2009

2010

Meeting with ORPC

2. Overview
The study was implemented by creating an activity
plan for each relevant theme by fiscal year throughdetailed discussions with the ORPC side and by
conducting onsite tasks, such as collecting operating
data, confirming the operating status of each unit, andinterviewing people in charge, together with ORPC
personnel respectively assigned to each theme. Such amethod was adopted so that the project would not end up
simply providing Japan’s refining technologies, but so it
would draw out the potential of ORPC employees andenable them to address and solve issues on their own in
the future through hands-on experience in investigating
and solving the root causes of issues.
Process and operational improvement guidance wasprovided for various main plants, such as the CDU (crudedistillation unit), catalytic reformer, and diesel fuelhydrodesulfurization unit, and also included guidance forincreasing capacity and operational efficiency throughimprovement of the operating procedures of each unit.
Proposals were also made for the capacity increase of
the refinery as a whole through the new construction andexpansion of units (see Chart 1: Improvement guidance
record).
For instance, in the “Study of low-load operation of
the sour water stripper and its energy-saving effect,” allunits considered sources of sour water were investigated,
and the result was used to examine measures forconserving energy by reducing the production of sourwater and subsequent measures for achieving stablelow-load operation of the sour water stripper. Actual
operations today incorporate these measures.
In “Capacity increase through revamping of the

CDU column trays,” a simulation was performed using
actual operating data of a CDU to study the feasibilityof increasing crude oil processing capacity by replacing
the CDU column trays to high-performance trays, and abasic design for revamping was proposed. ORPC plans
to continue using Chart 1 as a basis for making further
considerations.

3. Observations
ORPC showed strong interest in this study ateach important juncture. For example, Dr. Adil bin
Abdulaziz Al Kindy, CEO, lent his presence to the
MOA signing ceremony held prior to launching thestudy, and the refinery director attended the study
meetings and reporting meetings held each fiscal year.
Upon completion of the study, the refinery director evenpresented a letter of appreciation to the Japanese side.
The study received high praise from ORPC, with strong
requests for its continuation.
The study was of high interest to Japan as well, as
indicated by the attendance of the Japanese ambassador
to Oman at the MOA signing ceremony.
As per a strong request from ORPC, a new technicalcooperation project entitled “Study for Environmental
Improvement of Equipment and Operations in Mina Al
Fahal Refinery of Oman” is slated to be implemented
over a period of three years from fiscal 2011 as acontinuation of the study that has just been completed.
JCCP will continue to play its part in such technicalcooperation projects in Oman with expectations thatits cooperation will further strengthen the friendly
relationship between Oman and Japan.
<by Toshifumi Amemiya, Technical Cooperation Dept.>

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Technical Cooperation • 59

TechnicalCooperation

Improvement of Reactor Efficiency
at the Esfahan Refinery in IranA technical cooperation project on improving reactor
efficiency was implemented at Esfahan Oil Refining
Company (EORC), a subsidiary of National Iranian
Oil Refining & Distribution Company (NIORDC), in
fiscal 2008 with the cooperation of Nichiyo Engineering
Corporation and JX Nippon Research Institute Ltd., andcame to completion at the end of fiscal 2010. It was
begun with a survey on the feasibility of increasing theefficiency of a reactor for a hydrocracking unit, andentailed the introduction of Japanese technologies for
improvement of the distributor (liquid separator) in
the reactor and technologies for the dense loading ofregenerated catalysts.

1. Technical Issues Facing Iran’s Reﬁneries
Amid trends toward natural gas fuels and cleaner
fuel oils, refineries in Iran have been seeking advanced
refining technologies such as hydrodesulfurization andhydrocracking technologies to process the surplus ofheavy oil they obtain from crude oil produced in the
country, and have requested technical cooperationfrom Japan, particularly with respect to increasing theoperational efficiency of existing hydrocracker reactors,
which are central to upgrading heavy oil.
Prior to launching the project, a project-finding survey
was conducted in fiscal 2007 to assess the condition of
the hydrocracker reactor, and discussions were held with
the Iranian side on candidate refineries for carrying out

the necessary activities, such as re-designing the relevant
facilities, loading catalysts, performing a demonstration
operation, and evaluating performance. As a result, theEsfahan Refinery was selected as the counterpart fromamong six refineries in Iran that have hydrocracker units.
The Esfahan Refinery is a large-scale refinery outfittedwith two hydrocracker units.

2. Approaches to the Issues
At the Esfahan Refinery, hydrocracking catalysts areregenerated and reloaded into the hydrocracker during
regular maintenance every three years. The regenerated
catalysts are regenerated once more before they arecompletely replaced with fresh catalysts. In Iran, thedense loading method is a proven method for loading
fresh catalysts, but because regenerated catalysts drop
slightly in hardness and tend to crack or be pulverized
when using the dense loader, the sock loading method
is manually employed. Yet, to increase hydrocracker
processing capacity and yield, there has been astrong desire to employ the dense loading method forregenerated catalysts as well.
As Japan’s dense loading technology is carefully
designed to prevent catalyst pulverization when loading
and is also suitable for loading regenerated catalysts, theproject proposed to transfer the technology to Iran. At thesame time, to prevent creating an uneven catalyst surface
in the reactor, it proposed to improve the distributor in
the reactor by applying Japan’s latest technologies.
In fiscal 2008, engineers from the Esfahan Refinery
were invited to Japan, and two drums of regenerated
catalysts were transported from Iran, to conduct acatalyst-loading test in Japan using a dense loader.
Additionally, the distributor and chimney tray were
designed to allow a comparison between the existingparts and the newly designed parts using a cold-flow
test unit.

3. Achievements

Catalyst dense loading (inside the reactor)

60 • Technical Cooperation •In April 2010, the final year of the project, twoloading machines and six engineers were dispatched to

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

the Esfahan Refinery during the regular maintenanceof the Isomax-1 hydrocrackers, and performed roundthe-clock dense loading of regenerated catalysts to threereactors in the refinery, from April 19 to 23. The Japaneseengineers and Iranian engineers took on their respectiveroles, and the loading task proceeded smoothly owing
to their coordinated cooperation.
As a result, the catalyst dense loading test at Esfahan
cleared the target flatness of the catalyst surface andfully satisfied the desired performance specifications.
After the start-up, a performance verification operation
was carried out, and a visit to Iran was scheduled in
September 2010 to jointly evaluate the dense loading
performance, but due to various reasons, the yield dataand other data needed for performance evaluation were
not able to be obtained. For this reason, operational
performance could not be sufficiently evaluated, but thereactors have been operating continuously, and as noproblems have emerged to date after roughly six monthsof recommencing operations since loading the catalysts,

Engineers who took part in the catalyst dense loading work
(Loading Gr. Room)

it is assumed that catalyst dense loading is effectively
contributing to increasing diesel fuel production at theEsfahan Refinery.
<by Kenji Ikushima, Technical Cooperation Dept.>

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Technical Cooperation • 61

Announcement

20th World Petroleum Congress
The 20th World Petroleum Congress will be held this year on December 4, in Doha. Nine Japanese companies
and organizations will participate in the event, including JCCP. As part of our publicity activities, we will have abooth, albeit a small one, to introduce JCCP’s activities to people who will be attending the event from various
oil-producing countries.
The main theme of our exhibition will be, “Deepen the bond with JCCP graduates.”
In addition to introducing JCCP’s activities, we hope to take the opportunity of this occasion to share andexchange information and views with former JCCP participants at our booth.
If you are planning on attending the World Petroleum Congress, please come visit the JCCP booth. You canfind the location of our booth on the WPC website (www.20wpc.com).
We look forward to seeing you again.

Announcement

Please Help Us Update Our Roster
Thank you for reading JCCP NEWS as always.
JCCP will reach a significant milestone in its history this autumn.
We will be celebrating JCCP’s 30 years of operations, during which more than 20,000 participants have attended
JCCP training programs.
In commemorating this achievement, we extend our deepest appreciation to you all for your support andcooperation in our activities.
All of you who have participated in a JCCP training program in the past (graduates) are a precious asset to
JCCP. We therefore wish to take this occasion to confirm your current addresses and update our roster of former
participants so that we may reconnect and maintain contact with you into the future.
Our current roster mostly shows information that you provided at the time you participated in a JCCP training
program, and could be outdated by now. If there have been any changes in your affiliation (position), email address,
or any other contact information, we ask that you provide the latest information on the attached registration form andreturn the form to JCCP’s Planning & Public Relations Group. Those of you who return the form to us are entitled
to receive the latest issues of JCCP NEWS and announcements and invitations to exhibitions and reunions.
Also, if you know of anyone who is a former participant but is not receiving copies of JCCP NEWS, or anyone
who wishes to update his/her contact information, we would appreciate it if you would forward this message andthe attached form to that person.
Thank you for your cooperation.

Hisayoshi Tanda
General Manager, Planning & Coordination
Masumi Kitahara (Ms.)
Manager, Planning & Public Relations

62 • Announcements •JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

Personnel Changes
Outgoing Personnel

Incoming Personnel

Training
Department

Shigeyoshi TAKAHASHI

Yasuo TABEI

Tetsuo ARII

Yoshiaki UENO

Masayuki JIMBO

Outgoing Personnel

Incoming Personnel

Ayumu MAEKAWA

Hideki NOMURA

Technical
Cooperation
Department

Nobuyuki SUYAMA

Masahiko SHIBATA

Hironao NAGANUMA

Haruhiko OOSIMA

Jun NISHIMURA

Sadao WADA

JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011

• Announcements • 63

Japan Cooperation Center, Petroleum (JCCP)
Headquarters
Sunshine 60 Building 58F, 3-1-1 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-6058, Japan• Administration Department• Operations Department• Training Department• Technical Cooperation Department

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JCCP NEWS No. 110 September 2011