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.

114

2013 January

Connected by technology, person-to-person

TopicsN Special Message from H.H. Dr. Turki Saud Mohammed Al-Saud, Vice President of KACSTN Visit by Dr. Ali bin Saud Al-Bemani, Vice Chancellor of SQU
N Visit by Mr. Fuad Al Zayer from the IEF

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

Table of Contents
TopicsSpecial Message from H.H. Dr. Turki Saud Mohammed Al-Saud, Vice President of KACST .............................................. 3
JCCP Receives a Visit by Dr. Ali bin Saud Al-Bemani, Vice Chancellor of SQU (Oman) ...................................................... 4
JCCP Receives a Visit by Mr. Fuad Al Zayer from the IEF ................................................................................................... 5

Personnel Exchange Programs
Regular Course on Essential Petroleum Technologies in the Future ................................................................................. 6
Implementation of a Long Course: Practical Training for Young Instrumentation and Control Engineers ..................... 10
Regular Course on Safety Management for Reﬁneries .................................................................................................... 13
FY2012 JCCP Program Seminar ........................................................................................................................................ 16
CPO Seminar on Energy Efﬁciency in the Oil Industry Held in UAE ................................................................................. 18
Brieﬁng Report: CPO Seminar on Human Resource Development Held at KISR .............................................................. 22
JCCP Regular Courses Completed ................................................................................................................................... 23
FY2013 JCCP Course Schedule ......................................................................................................................................... 26

Technical Cooperation
Signing Ceremony for the Study on Fuel Cell and New Energy Technology Application in UAE ..................................... 27
Update of the Asphalt Project in Iraq with the Iraqi Ministry of Oil: Development into Road Paving Technology ........ 30
Study on Corrosion Assessment & Mitigation Technology in Kuwait .............................................................................. 32
JCCP Receives a Visit by Two Researchers from Saudi Arabia ......................................................................................... 35
Interim Report Meeting on the Study and Application of the Possible Photovoltaic (PV) System in UAE ...................... 37
Technical Cooperation Evaluation Subcommittee for Projects Completed in FY2011 .................................................... 38

Tidings from the Middle East
“Assigned to Saudi Arabia for the Second Time” (Junichi Kasuya, General Manager, Riyadh Ofﬁce) ............................ 41“Miraculous Abu Dhabi” (Jun Nishimura, General Manager, Middle East Ofﬁce) .......................................................... 42

Graduates’ Voices................................................................................................................................................. 44

Announcements
The 31st JCCP International Symposium .......................................................................................................................... 45
The 21st Joint GCC-Japan Environment Symposium ........................................................................................................ 45
Please Help Us Update Our Roster ................................................................................................................................... 46
Please Send Us a Message as Alumni............................................................................................................................... 46
Personnel Changes ........................................................................................................................................................... 47
Editorial Postscript ........................................................................................................................................................... 47

Cover photo
Taken by: Minoru Horike, Training Dept.
Location: Ura-Bandai
Date: Late February 2012

Topics

Special Message
H.H. Dr. Turki Saud Mohammed Al-SaudVice President for Research Institutes
King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST)
H.H. Dr. Turki was born to the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He
has served as Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of the National Scienceand Technology Plan and other important posts, and plays a central role inthe development of science and technology in Saudi Arabia. Possessing a deep
understanding of Japan, Dr. Turki has also supported JCCP activities in Saudi
Arabia over many years. On occasion of JCCP’s 30th anniversary, His Highness
has graciously complied with our request to receive a commemorative message
from him, as presented below.

I am honored to be invited to write a message on the 30th anniversary of Japan Cooperation Center,
Petroleum (JCCP). In June of 2008 I had the privilege to visit Japan and the JCCP headquarters on theinvitation of the JCCP. During my stay in Japan, the JCCP arranged for me a visit to the Petroleum
Refining Research & Technology Center at Japan Energy Corporation; the Earth Remote Sensing Data
Analysis Center (ERSDAC); Toyota Motor Corporation; and the national Institute of Advanced Industrial
Science and Technology (AIST). I was delighted by the fruitful discussions that I had and impressed bytechnology that I saw.
During my visit we also discussed the cooperation between KACST and JCCP, resulting in a project,
started in 2006, to utilize the Interferometry Synthetic Radar (InSAR) to map surface deformation in Saudi
Arabia. I am glad to say that the Saudi researchers got some training on InSAR data analysis in Tokyo. By
the end of 2008 the InSAR project was completed and we started another endeavor to map three dimensional
deformation below the earth surface utilizing Accurately Controlled, Routinely Operated, Signal System(ACROSS). Its aim was to complement the first project and to develop a complete system for monitoring
surface and subsurface deformation. In 2012 KACST and JCCP jointly organized an international workshop
and invited local, regional and international speakers to jointly present their scientific achievements on
surface and subsurface monitoring. Participant were invited to visit the ACROSS field site and they wereamazed by the achievements.
Looking back I believe that the cooperation between KACST and JCCP has been very fruitful and will
have an impact on future surface and subsurface monitoring technologies. I also believe the results willserve Japan and Saudi Arabia and strengthen our cooperation ties.

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

• Topics •3

Topics

JCCP Receives a Visit by Dr. Al-Bemani,
Vice Chancellor of SQU (Oman)
On October 17, 2012, JCCP received a visit by H.E.
Dr. Ali bin Saud Al-Bemani, Vice Chancellor of Sultan
Qaboos University (SQU), H.E. Mr. Khalid Al-Muslahi,
Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman, and Mr. Khalifa
Bin Hamoud Al-Tobi, Director of the President’s Officeat SQU. The Chancellor of SQU is H.M. Sultan Qaboos
Bin Said, the absolute ruler of the Sultanate, but Vice
Chancellor Al-Bemani is essentially the head of theuniversity. At JCCP, the distinguished visitors were
warmly welcomed by Mr. Morihiro Yoshida, Managing
Director, as well as Mr. Hideki Nomura, General
Manager, and Mr. Yukiteru Watanabe, Deputy General
Manager, both of the Technical Cooperation Department,
and staff members.
Dr. Al-Bemani has played a central role in theimplementation of JCCP technical cooperation projects
at SQU over the years, to the extent that the university
has become JCCP’s major counterpart in Oman. He hasotherwise contributed enormously to the cooperative
relationship between SQU and JCCP. In particular,
the joint technical cooperation project with SQU on“Treatment & Utilization of the Oilfield Produced Water
in Oman (Phase I),” which was completed last year, hasreceived acclaim in Oman, and was featured by a numberof local media, as well as by NHK in Japan.
Dr. Al-Bemani has also been instrumental in
implementing the annual Joint GCC-Japan Environment
Symposium. In the three times that the symposium
has been held in Oman, he has taken time from hisbusy schedule to provide his full cooperation, from theDr. Al-Bemani (center); H.E. Mr. Khalid Al-Muslahi,
Ambassador of Oman (second from right); and Mr. Khalifa
Bin Hamoud Al-Tobi, Director, President’s Ofﬁce, SQU (right)

4• Topics •Tour of training facilities at JCCP

preparation to the actual running of the symposium,and has brought the events to a successful close. Dr. AlBemani also contributed as a speaker to the successful
implementation of the symposiums held in Oman in
February 2000 and in UAE in February 2001.
The main purpose of Dr. Al-Bemani’s recent visit toJapan was to give a lecture at the Special Grand Lecture
Meeting at the 40th Anniversary of the Establishment of
Diplomatic Relations between the Sultanate of Oman andJapan. Despite his busy agenda during his short stay inJapan, Dr. Al-Bemani’s visit to JCCP was realized by hisstrong desire to do so. In his meeting with Mr. Yoshida, hethanked JCCP for the technical cooperation projects thathave been implemented in Oman to date, and expressed hiswish to further develop the friendly relationship between
SQU and JCCP through technical cooperation projects,
stressing the significance of JCCP activities to SQU. Dr.
Al-Bemani also took a tour of the training facilities at
JCCP Headquarters, including the process simulatorsthat are used for hands-on training, and deepened his
understanding of JCCP training programs.
Among the Arab countries, Oman is said to be theone with the least time difference from Japan, and theclosest one to Japan in terms of straight-line distanceby sea or air. Moreover, common to both countries istheir love of flowers and the fact that they are both safe,
peaceful nations. JCCP wishes to contribute in any way
it can to promote further technical exchanges and deepen
the friendly bond between the two countries.
<by Mieko Onai, Technical Cooperation Dept.>

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

Topics

JCCP Receives a Visit by Mr. Fuad Al Zayer
from the IEF
On September 18, 2012, JCCP received a visit
from Mr. Fuad Al Zayer, Coordinator, Energy Data
Transparency, International Energy Forum (IEF), during
his visit to Japan to attend the LNG Producer-Consumer
Conference, sponsored by the Ministry of Economy,
Trade and Industry and the Asia Pacific Energy ResearchCentre, on September 19. At JCCP he was warmly
welcomed by Mr. Masataka Sase, Executive Director,
Mr. Morihiro Yoshida, Managing Director, and Mr.
Mitsuyoshi Saito, Counselor.
The IEF was established in 1991 as an international
institution that aims to promote mutual dialogue
and understanding between energy-producing andconsuming countries. Its secretariat is based in Riyadh.
The Forum consists of 89 member countries at present,
which together account for 90% of the world’s oil and gas
production and consumption. This means IEF practicallycomprises almost all countries that are directly related to
the global supply and demand of oil and gas.
Among its main activities, the IEF convenes abiennial gathering of energy ministers from its member
countries to discuss energy issues of concern to the global
community, as well as a biennial gathering of CEO-level
leaders to promote dialogue among energy companies
in member countries. It also gathers basic information
on key energy indicators such as oil demand, supply andinventories from its member countries and disseminates

the information on the JODI (Joint Organization Data
Initiative) website (http://www.jodidata.org) to provide
global access to accurate information and promote proper
judgment of energy situations. The IEF’s consistentactivities have helped deepen mutual understanding
among oil-producing and consuming countries, and havegreatly contributed to the stabilization of energy supply
and demand over the past 20 years.
JCCP visited the IEF Secretariat for the first timein November 2011, and thereafter slowly but steadily
nurtured its relationship with the Forum. On the occasionof Mr. Al Zayer’s recent visit to Japan, JCCP members
explained JCCP’s functions and achievements usinga DVD and PowerPoint slides, and provided a tour of
the training facilities at JCCP Headquarters. As his
visit coincided with the commencement of two regularcourses, which included four participants from Saudi
Arabia, Mr. Al Zayer took some time to exchange a few
words with the participants. As a whole, Mr. Al Zayer’s
visit provided an ideal opportunity to promote greater
understanding of JCCP’s functions and achievements
by the IEF.
As both the IEF and JCCP are organizations that aim
to foster greater mutual understanding between oil andgas consumers and producers, JCCP hopes to continue
holding exchanges with the IEF into the future.
<by Hisayoshi Tanda, Administration Dept.>

Mr. Fuad Al Zayer, Coordinator, Energy Data Transparency,
IEF (center)

Exchanging words with regular course participantsfrom Saudi Arabia

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

• Topics •5

Personnel
Exchange

Regular Course on Essential Petroleum
Technologies in the Future
A regular course on Essential Petroleum Technologies
in the Future was held from May 8 to 25, 2012.

1. Background and Intention
As part of JCCP’s effort to refine the content ofregular courses as a whole, lecturers of the Training
Department have been exploring and discussing newthemes for regular courses that have never been offered
before. This particular course was based on the existing
Essential Petroleum Technology course, but was refinedby incorporating several years of participant feedback,as well as the results of an analysis of technical fields
of interest among participants of courses provided by
the Process Group. The renewal aimed to introduce thestatus of Japan’s initiatives related to three key topics thatare expected to become increasingly significant in the
future—heavy oil treatment, biofuels and hydrogen—and to present a technical direction toward which theglobal oil industry ought to proceed as one in the future.
To clarify this perspective, the word “future” was added
to the previous title, and the content was reviewed
as appropriate to the new title, “Essential Petroleum
Technologies in the Future.”
Several new topics were added to the course,
including hydrogen energy, fuel cell vehicles, bioethanol, and heavy oil treatment (Eureka Process®). New
approaches were also introduced to practical training,
and included a tour of the Advanced Technology andResearch Institute of the Japan Petroleum Energy Centerin Toke, Chiba Prefecture and various hydrogen station
facilities and test-driving of fuel cell cars.

3. Training at JCCP
(1) Japan’s Oil Industry
This lecture introduced the characteristics of Japan’s
oil industry and provided an understanding of the market
potential of Japan as an export destination of oil. The
concept of maintaining competitiveness in line withmarket principles seemed new to the participants fromoil-producing countries, where most oil companies arerun by the government. They also showed strong interestin the high quality of oil products in Japan and in theJapanese oil industry’s efficient response to the shrinking
heavy oil fraction market.
(2) World’s Energy Situation and the Present
Status of New Energies(Lecturer: Mr. Mitsuyuki Maeda)
This lecture served an important function indeveloping a shared perspective among the participants
as the starting point of the course. Participants from
Saudi Arabia strengthened their awareness of theircountry being a leading oil producer, and deepened
their concern foremost about the future energy supply
situation.
(3) Reﬁnery Proﬁtability Improvement Simulation<Practical training using JCCP’s training
simulator>
The previous course provided simulator training on
the startup of an FCC unit, but this was not necessarily
completely relevant to all participants in terms of their

2. Participants
The 15 participants of the course consisted of six
participants from the Middle East (five from Saudi
Arabia and one from Kuwait), two from Africa (oneeach from Libya and Nigeria), and seven from Asia (twofrom Indonesia and one each from Myanmar, Pakistan,Thailand and Vietnam).
Simulator training on the optimization of reﬁnery equipment
conﬁguration

6• Personnel Exchange Programs •JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

positions and posts. Therefore, changes were made toprovide a simulation of how profitability is improved
through the process of gradually adding a heavy oil
cracker to a grassroots refinery.
This simulator training session was highly wellreceived by the participants, who proposed numerous
other case examples for simulation besides those thatwere prepared in advance by the lecturer.

as Japan cannot afford to do. Based on this awareness,studies are being conducted on the production of secondgeneration bioethanol from algae, grain straws and woody
materials. Among these materials, this lecture focused on
the production of bioethanol from woody materials, aswell as examined the production of fuel oil (isobutanol)and chemical products according to a chemical synthetic
procedure using biomass as starting material.

(4) Transportation of Hydrogen as an Organic
Compound(Lecturer: Dr. Yoshimi Okada,Chiyoda Corporation)
The means for transporting hydrogen will become amajor issue in building a hydrogen energy society in the
future. This lecture therefore provided an understandingof the advantages of handling hydrogen in liquid form
and the benefits of hydrogen as a new, exportable energy
source to take the place of crude oil.

(7) Building Hydrogen Infrastructures(Lecturer: Mr. Kazuhiro Kikuchi, Japan Petroleum
Energy Center)
This lecture discussed scenarios for the constructionof hydrogen infrastructures toward the dissemination offuel cell vehicles, regulations on the handling and safetyof hydrogen, and the supply of high-purity hydrogen forfuel cell vehicles.

(5) Life Cycle Assessment of Biofuel(Lecturer: Dr. Masayuki Sagisaka,
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Scienceand Technology)
The introduction of biofuel is predicated on the
carbon neutrality concept. However, the process ofcommercializing biofuel actually requires the use of asignificant amount of energy, such as for the cultivation,
harvesting and processing of raw materials (irrigationwater, fertilizer), as well as for the delivery of the final
product. Thus, this lecture emphasized that an optimal
utilization of bioresources can only be achieved bygaining proper understanding of this disadvantage in
addition to their advantages as an alternative to fossil
fuels and as a means for strengthening energy security.
It also discussed bioresources in relation to otherimportant issues, such as the acquisition of agriculturalland and competition with food production, and provided
an important awareness that biofuel is not necessarily
without disadvantages.
(6) Bioethanol Production from Wood Materials(Lecturer: Dr. Daisuke Taneda, JGC Corporation)
Bio-reﬁnery Concept(Lecturer: Mr. Makoto Ikeou, JGC Corporation)
Bioethanol is produced by a fermentation method using
mainly corn or sugar cane. With this type of first-generation
bioethanol, increasing fuel production means decreasing
food supply, which food resource-poor countries such(8) Development Trend and Future Outlook of Fuel
Cell Vehicles(Lecturer: Mr. Katsuhiko Hirose, Toyota Motor
Corporation)
Mr. Hirose, who works at the forefront of technicaldevelopment at Toyota Motor Corporation, gave a highly
impressive presentation on the development trend andfuture outlook of fuel cell vehicles in Japan based on
the participants’ onsite experience in test-riding in a fuelcell vehicle at Kyushu University and in a fuel cell bus
at Meitetsu Bus Co., Ltd. As the leading expert in thedevelopment of hybrid vehicles at Toyota Motor, Mr.
Hirose also emphasized that the fuel cell vehicle could
not have been realized without the development of thehybrid technology, and impressed upon the participants
the importance of technical development.
(9) Presentations by the participants
To engage the participants in interactive discussion,
each participant was asked to prepare and give a
presentation on an energy-related topic for mutual
discussion among the entire group.
The topics varied according to the country of theparticipant, but it was apparent that the majority ofcountries have strong interest in renewable energies suchas solar power generation, wind power generation andbioethanol. There were also countries that aim to achieveadvanced technologies such as for desulfurization ofsupercritical water, and as a whole, the presentations
provided highly meaningful references for selecting
future training themes.

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

• Personnel Exchange Programs •7

4. Offsite Training(2) Fuji Oil Company, Ltd., Sodegaura Reﬁnery
Fuji Oil’s Sodegaura Refinery was added to theprogram this year as a new training destination. The
refinery is famous for its development and commercial
operation of the Eureka Process®, a type of coker processthat keeps the pitch in liquid state for easy handling andallows it to be sold as refinery boiler fuel or as a cokebinder when cooled and solidified. Fuji Oil is the only
company in the world that operates this process.
The refinery also takes measures to conserve energy
through pinch energy analysis, and has introduced a
4000kW Kalina-cycle power plant (uses ammonia asa working fluid), the largest of its kind in the world, tomake effective use of low-temperature waste heat thathas had little use up to now.

(4) Kyushu University, Itoshima Hydrogen Town
At Kyushu University, the participants were given
test rides in a fuel cell car to experience the potential ofhydrogen fuel as a power source. Knowledge was also
provided of hydrogen container materials. In Japan,
container materials are severely restricted by the High
Pressure Gas Safety Act (formerly called High Pressure
Gas Control Act). As the restrictions pose an obstacle
to making fuel cells lighter and reducing cost, theuniversity is conducting research on low-cost materials
evaluation for greater economic efficiency of fuel cells.
In particular, the research focuses on the use of hydrogenobtained from water electrolysis and converting energy
to hydrogen in order to absorb the fluctuations of naturalenergies (such as solar power and wind power generation,
which produce a large difference in energy generation asa result of changes in natural conditions).
At Itoshima Hydrogen Town (formerly known as
Maebaru Hydrogen Town), the participants examined
the actual operation of a solid-oxide fuel cell installedin each residence. Here, hydrogen is produced using a
concentrated supply of propane gas from Saibugas Co.,
Ltd. and equipping each fuel cell power generator with ahydrogen manufacturing unit . Waste heat is recovered in
the form of hot water in a small cogeneration system.
Fukuoka Prefecture is involved in the selectionof research themes at Kyushu University and in theoperation of a hydrogen town project in a numberof locations in the Kyushu region, and is aiming to
attract researchers and manufacturing industries in thehydrogen sector as part of its challenge to develop new(3) Japan Petroleum Energy Center, Advanced
Technology and Research Institute (ATRI)ATRI was also added to the program this year as
a new training site. Japanese oil companies competewith each other, but also work together as an industry inaddressing issues that are too complex for each company
to tackle on its own. Among these issues, ATRI provided
knowledge of the practical evaluation of biofuels(gasoline, diesel fuel) and petroleomics (examinationof heavy oil upgrading based on detailed evaluationof heavy oil composition). The laboratory facility
employing a chassis dynamometer perhaps appeared new
to the participants, as probably no such facility exists inoil companies in the Middle East and Asia.

Participants listening to an explanation of mechanisms under
the hood of a fuel cell car at Kyushu University(1) Cosmo Oil Co., Ltd., Research andDevelopment Center
Training on the development of heavy oil catalysts
has conventionally been the main feature of training at
Cosmo Oil’s Research and Development Center, butthree new themes have been added this year, including
the BTL technology (biomass-to-liquid technology:
technology for producing liquid fuel from biofuel
through chemical synthesis), bioethanol production
by fermentation, and advancement into new sectors(agricultural chemicals). The tour of the laboratory
elicited highly active discussions and was strongly
appreciated by all participants.

8• Personnel Exchange Programs •JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

industries. It thus offered its cooperation in this offsite
practical training program through the New Industries
and Technologies Division in the Fukuoka Prefectural
Government.
(5) Kitakyushu Hydrogen Town
At Kitakyushu Hydrogen Town, hydrogen is supplied
to each facility by obtaining by-product hydrogen froma steel mill, refining it in a hydrogen station (PSA unit),
and distributing it through high-pressure gas pipes. A
manager from JX Nippon Oil and Energy Corporation,
the company that actually runs the facilities at thehydrogen station, provided invaluable information about
the safety and daily management of the facilities.

At a hydrogen station in Central Japan International Airport

destinations. The hydrogen station there produceshydrogen in an on-site type of hydrogen manufacturing
equipment (operation of a small hydrogen production
unit located adjacent to the hydrogen station) using
city gas supplied by Toho Gas Co., Ltd. This hydrogenstation was selected as a potential business model of anoil company that produces hydrogen.

5. Observations
At a hydrogen station in Kitakyushu City:
The car behind the participants on the left is a fuel cell car
used for business by Fukuoka Prefecture.

(6) Meitetsu Bus Co., Ltd. (fuel cell bus)
Meitetsu Bus offered a test ride in a fuel cell bus
and provided an understanding of how the practicalapplication of fuel cells is expanding from the compact
passenger car sector to the public transportation
sector as well. Prior to the test ride, a manager fromToyota Motor Corporation, the development company,
provided training on the environmental performance andmaintenance of fuel cell buses using an actual fuel cellbus in standby at a Meitetsu Bus service office.
(7) Central Japan International Airport (Centrair)
Hydrogen Station
To provide practical training at hydrogen stations thatuse different hydrogen supply methods, a visit to thehydrogen station at Central Japan International Airport
was selected as one of this course’s offsite training

This course was designed by making major changes
to the previous course based on the views of the training
program renewal committee in the Training Department.
As emphasis was placed on selecting diverse offsite
training destinations, the participants had to keep up
with a busy schedule, but gained a good understandingof technical development in Japan.
In an evaluation form they were asked to complete
after the end of the course, a large majority of theparticipants rated five specific themes as bearing highimportance: (1) alternative fuels, (2) heavy oil upgrading,(3) energy conservation, (4) quality control, and (5)desulfurization and FCC technologies for clean fuelproduction. Participants from a number of countries
also expressed a request for training on solar and wind
power generation.
We will continue to keep our ears open to the needs
and requests of oil-producing countries and examine
themes in a flexible manner.
<by Bunsuke Kariya, Training Dept.>

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

• Personnel Exchange Programs •9Personnel
Exchange

Implementation of a Long Course:
Practical Training for Young
Instrumentation and Control Engineers
The long course on Practical Training for Young
Instrumentation and Control Engineers was newly
offered two years ago and again last year, both times
as a customized program for specified countries. It was
implemented again this year, but as a regular course,
as the course has become well established through theprevious two times it was implemented.
Intended for young instrumentation and control
engineers, the course aimed to provide a wide range of
instrumentation and control technologies, from basic
technologies to practical engineering technologies,
mainly through hands-on training. Instrumentationand control are generally considered different fields,
but they are essentially closely related to each other.
Based on this awareness, this course was designed toenable participants from diverse fields to gain a broad
perspective and benefit their future.
To improve the course this year, the content of thepast two times the course was offered was reviewed, andnew programs were added. As a result, the course was
extended by seven days compared to last year, and washeld over a period of 39 days. Where the course spanneda total of 32 days last year, it ran for 39 days (29 workingdays) this year, from June 5 to July 13, 2012.

of their age and qualifications, 16 participants from
14 countries were selected. The course was long induration and included brief trips to many offsite training
destinations, but the participants remained in good
health and actively fulfilled all activities on the agenda.
They also demonstrated strong enthusiasm in acquiring
technologies, and rigorously applied themselves to theirtraining with curious and inquisitive minds.

1.1 Participants
A total of 27 applications from 18 countries werereceived for the 12 openings of the course offered
for the first time as a regular course. In consideration

1.2 Course Content
The course placed emphasis not only on lectures,
but also on demonstrations and hands-on practice,
and was designed to provide knowledge of basic toapplied technologies, roughly equally divided between
instrumentation topics and control topics. The following
programs were also examined and implemented as newfeatures of the course this year.
• Offsite training on the control system of a power
generation facility (only a lecture was provided lastyear)
• Hands-on practice on the procedure for computerbased instrument design from the perspectiveof a contractor, for acquisition of wide-ranging
technologies (not implemented last year)• Discussion on the maintenance of instrument devices(only partially implemented last year)(1) In the instrument section, participants engaged inpractical training on the basics of instrumentation,from the measurement of flow rate, fluid level,temperature and pressure, to the selection of control
valves. Then, as applied issues, they received

Practical training held in the CAI room

No. 6 simulator training

1. Course Overview

10 • Personnel Exchange Programs •JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

Practical training on the overhaul of a ﬂuid level meter

Practical training on the overhaul of a ﬂow meter

practical training in equipment maintenance andthe series of activities from basic design to onsite
installation work, in addition to lectures on advanced
field bus technology and wireless instrument.
(2) In the control section, exercises in control theories
provided an understanding of the latest control
technologies, including model predictive control,
refinery information systems, DCS topics, safety
instrument systems, and the control of power
generation facilities.
(3) The following demonstrations and practical training
were also implemented to provide an understandingof control theories and practice.
1) Hands-on practice using computers and a DCS
systemHands-on practice in control theory / handson practice of an operation support system/ demonstration of multivariable predictive
control
2) Hands-on practice using an actual machine
equipped with a safety instrumentation system
3) Hands-on practice of instrumentationengineering using a computer4) Hands-on practice of DCS logic creation

5) Demonstration of the overhaul of instrumentation
devices (fluid level meter, flow meter, control
valve)(4) Training at JCCP, training by external lecturers,
and offsite training were provided as follows.
1) Training at JCCP (June 7, 8 & 20; July 12)
Process control theory and practice / processcontrol practice / discussion on the maintenanceof instrumentation devices
2) Training by external lecturers (7 companies)• Osaka Systems Planning, Inc. (June 11)
Overview of a refinery information system• Yokogawa Electric Corporation (June 12)
Overview and practice of an operation support
system• Invensys Process Systems Japan, Inc.
(June 19)
Overview and practice of safety
instrumentation systems• JGC Corporation (June 26)
Overview of model predictive control andsimulator practice• Toyo Engineering Corporation (June 27 & 28)
Overview of instrumentation engineering
design• Chiyoda Corporation (July 6 & 9)
Instrument engineering practice• JGC Corporation (July 10 & 11)
Instrument engineering practice using acomputer3) Offsite Training (9 companies, 11 locations)• Yokogawa Electric Corporation, Mitaka
Headquarters (June 12 & 13)
Overview and practice of the latest DCS
system and software• Yokogawa Electric Corporation, Kofu Plant(June 14)

Practical training on the overhaul of a control valve

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 11

Training in the control roomof a power plant

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

No. 5 simulator training

Maintenance of an instrument device(oscillator)
Endress+Hauser Yamanashi Co., Ltd. (June15)
Maintenance of an instrument device (fluid
level meter)
Emerson Japan, Ltd., Mizushima Solutions
Center (June 21)
Overview of the latest DCS and wireless
instrument
Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., Tokuyama
Refinery (June 22)
Refinery information and control systems
Shimadzu Corporation, Head Office andSanjo Works (June 25)
Overview of the latest analyzers
Oval Corporation, Yokohama Operation
Center (June 29)
Maintenance of an instrument device (flowmeter)
Kyushu Electric Power Co., Ltd., Omuta
Power Station (July 2)
Control systems for power generation
facilities <1>(incl. lecture on control systems by Yokogawa
Electric Corporation)
Tobata Co-operative Thermal Power
Company, Inc. (July 3)
Control systems for power generation
facilities <2>
Azbil Corporation, Fujisawa Technology
Center (July 4)
Practical training on DCS and safety
instrument engineering
Azbil Corporation, Shonan Factory (July 5)
Overview of instrument devices and practical
maintenance training (control valves)

12 • Personnel Exchange Programs •DCS system conﬁguration practice

2. Observations
The course not only covered a lengthy 39 days, italso introduced the participants to various places in
the Kanto, Chugoku and Kyushu regions, and featured
lectures and practical training on a wide range of topics
related to instrumentation and control. It was completed
successfully owing to the sincere cooperation of all
offsite training destinations and external lecturers, aswell as to the outstanding qualities and determinationof each participant. Particularly impressive were theparticipants’ proactive efforts to acquire technologies
and their ability to fit into Japanese society.
When asked their opinion of the course, theparticipants expressed a fair degree of satisfaction, but
in the course review, some suggested changes in the total
duration of the course and its content.

3. Future Issues
While the course will again be implemented as aregular course next year and onward, we will fully
review the course content based on post-evaluation andparticipants’ suggestions, and implement an even morepractical training in the future.
<by Shigeru Matsui, Training Dept.>

Training at a model plant at a reﬁnery

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

Personnel
Exchange

Regular Course on Safety Managementfor Refineries
1. Background and Aim
Safety Management for Refineries was offered forthe first time in fiscal 2006 in response to rising needs
for training on the subject, and has since become one of
the most popular regular courses at JCCP. Intended forrefinery engineers, the course aims to foster engineers
with diverse skills by widely introducing the actual
state of safety management in Japanese refineries andproviding various perspectives on safety management
techniques that support refinery operations. The safety
management techniques discussed in the course included
the latest plant safety design method, techniques related
to risk assessment and risk management, organizations
and frameworks for safety management and disasterprevention, safety education, laws and regulations related
to safety and security, and maintenance management.
Additionally, a visit was made to a major insurancecompany in Japan to more specifically introduce andprovide greater knowledge of technologies related torisk assessment and risk management also with regard
to various risks including that of earthquakes.

2. Course Content
2.1 Training at JCCP
(1) Outline of Safety Management
This lecture provided knowledge of various mattersthat need to be understood to ensure safety management
in refineries, such as the basic concept of safety
management, the OHSAS 18001 standard, principal
safety-related laws and regulations in Japan, various
safety activities in refineries, and risk management, in
relation to the organization of the entire course.
Many questions were raised by the participants
regarding the meaning and effects of 5S and KYK
activities, the practice of finger-pointing confirmation,and other such activities for building a safety culture.
(2) Plant Maintenance and Safety Management
This lecture covered a wide range of topics on plantmaintenance and safety management, such as caseexamples and an analysis of causes and countermeasures
to refinery facility problems, maintenance styles andmanagement of refineries, TPM activities, and voluntary
maintenance activities. Topics that particularly captured
the interest of the participants as engineers in a position
to ensure safety management included the following:
the history and development of the maintenancemanagement concept in Japan, which steadily evolved
from breakdown maintenance (BM) to quality control(QC), preventive maintenance (PM), total productive
maintenance (TPM), reliability-centered maintenance(RCM) and risk-based inspection (RBI); important
perspectives on maintenance management; specificmethods for reliability evaluation of facilities and RBI;
and an introduction of an HDS reactor accident andother major disasters and accidents that have occurredin refineries in the past. Overall, the lecture was highly
rated by all participants.
(3) Environmental Management
This lecture discussed environmental management inJapan with references to the history and background to
Japan’s pollution prevention efforts, an overview of laws
for prevention of air and water pollution, and various
processes involved in these initiatives for pollution
prevention.
Environmental issues are one of the priority areas ofglobal concern, as is apparent in worldwide initiatives
to prevent global warming. As they are also issues thatboth directly and indirectly concern everyone, the lecture
garnered strong interest from all participants.
(4) Japanese Laws and Regulations Related to
Safety, Action-related Accident Prevention and
Safety Education(Lecturer: Mr. Hirotoshi Goto, Japan Associationof Safety and Health Consultants)
This lecture provided an understanding of theobjective and content of the Labor Standards Law and theIndustrial Safety and Health Law, government policies,
responsibilities of labor and management, guidelines,

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 13

and the role of the Labor Standards Inspection Office.
The participants listened with strong interest to thedetails of Japan’s initiatives for accident prevention
and improvement of labor conditions through publicprivate cooperation as part of the effort to promote rapid
economic growth.
The Japan Association of Safety and Health
Consultants is an organization of experts who engage
in various activities for promotion of industrial safety
and health. It is also closely connected with the Japan
Industrial Safety & Health Association, and is active inproviding a wide range of services, including technicalsupport, surveys and research, zero-disaster promotion
activities, health and safety education, and international
cooperation.
(5) Plant Safety Design and Risk Management(Lecturer: Mr. Masatoshi Kano, HSE Systems
Department, Engineering Division,JGC Corporation)
As with the lecture provided last year, one and ahalf days were spent discussing the concept of plantsafety design, the definition of risk, and specific risk
management and risk assessment methods from theperspective of an engineering company.
The lecture captured the participants’ attention by
providing views from the standpoint of an engineer incharge of actual plant design and construction based on
the latest technologies, and carried persuasive weight,
coming from an engineering company operating diverse
businesses around the world. With a workshop also
providing practical training in the safety design of an
actual plant, this lecture was as highly appreciated by
the participants as it was last year.
(6) Presentations by the participants (case studies)
Two days before completion of the course, eachparticipant gave a presentation for mutual discussions.
Participants from Kuwait, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia andVietnam gave presentations on specific cases related tosafety, such as fire accidents, as well as their causes andcountermeasures. They were high-level presentations
that not only introduced case examples of accidents
and problems, but also examined whether improvement
measures have been taken and whether a safety
management system has been established in response tosuch accidents. Active discussions also took place after
each presentation.

2.2 Offsite Training(1) Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., Tokuyama Reﬁnery
The training program at the Tokuyama Refinery
provided detailed knowledge of the refinery’s safety
management system, with particular focus on thecompany-wide network that disseminates trouble/accident
information, countermeasures, and troubleshooting
examples. In the instrument room, even more specificexplanations were given of safety activities in therefinery, and captured the participants’ strong interest
and attention.

At Idemitsu Kosan’s Tokuyama Reﬁnery(2) JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation,
Negishi Reﬁnery
The Negishi Refinery gave a detailed overview of its
refinery, safety management system, activities related
to safety, earthquake response procedures, and disasterprevention system and initiatives. A lecture on the role ofthe joint disaster prevention center at times of large-scale
fires and an introduction to the refinery’s state-of-the-art
fire extinguishing car for high locations were also wellreceived by the participants.
Basic issues in safety management, such as factorsthat lead to trouble and accidents, readiness to avoid

At JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation’s Negishi Reﬁnery

14 • Personnel Exchange Programs •JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

such incidents, and work efficiency, were explained inan easy-to-understand fashion through questions andanswers. The active participation of the participants
produced many questions, and made for a meaningful
and beneficial program.
(3) Yokogawa Electric Corporation,
Mitaka Head Ofﬁce
The training program at the Mitaka Head Officeprovided knowledge of the latest DCS control system(DCS Centum CS3000) with a focus on its configuration,functions and technical background, and of the latest
technologies for reliability improvement and redundancy,
which elicited various questions from the participants
regarding the usage conditions and actual performanceof the system.
The latest technologies for reliability improvement
and redundancy, such as the ProSafe-RS and New
SIL3 System, are highly technical and sophisticated,but reliable control systems are indispensable to stablerefinery operations and emergency response. This
program proved to be extremely valuable and beneficial
to the participants as it provided an understanding of thisimportant point.

of system alarms, the training on alarm management
systems captured their strong interest.
(5) NKSJ Risk Management, Inc.,
Risk Engineering Department
The lecture by the Risk Engineering Department firstprovided knowledge of the meaning of risk evaluation to
an insurance company, the history of risk management
up to the present, and the development of the BCM(business continuity management) practice, thendiscussed in detail the risk hazards facing companies
today and technical issues on how to mitigate or provide
financing against such hazards.
Explanations were also given of the factors andformulas used for evaluation risks in refineries andpetrochemical units, and the methods of risk evaluationand simulation with respect to earthquake disasters.
Most participants seemed unfamiliar with the fieldof risk engineering, but the lecture provided a highly
valuable understanding of the concepts and specificaspects of risk assessment and risk management, andelicited many questions from the participants.

At the head ofﬁce of NKSJ Risk Management, Inc.

At Yokogawa Electric Corporation’s Mitaka Head Ofﬁce(4) Azbil Corporation, Fujisawa Technology Center
There has been a recent trend toward the standardizationof alarms and particularly of DCS and process alarm
management mainly in Europe and the United States,
based on their experience of large plant disasters. The
training program at the Fujisawa Technology Center
first explained the background to the need for alarm
management and an overview of the present stage in thestandardization process (guidelines), and then introduced
examples of alarm management using the functions ofa newly installed DCS (Harmonas-DEO). As verified
by the participants’ many questions about the handling

3. Summary
Due to the increasing interest in safety management,
we are working hard to provide diverse responses, suchas through offsite training at an insurance company.
This training, in particular, has been highly appreciatedevery year, and seems to lend impact to the course. The
course content is also reviewed every year, and in a postevaluation of the course, many participants requested
training in environment and safety technologies, such as
for the treatment of contaminated water and water safety
management. We will therefore take this specific request
into consideration when next implementing the course.

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013<by Takaaki Yuasa, Training Dept.>• Personnel Exchange Programs • 15

Personnel
Exchange

FY2012 JCCP Program Seminar

Seminar participants and JCCP staff

The fiscal 2012 Program Seminar was held overan eight-day period, from July 4 to 11, 2012, as partof JCCP’s training program. The seminar invited toJapan managers of human resource departments fromoil companies in oil-producing countries who act as
JCCP counterparts, to personally experience the training
program that JCCP regular course participants attend,
and to individually discuss and exchange views about
JCCP activities with JCCP staff for improvement of
future training programs.

1. ParticipantsThis time, the seminar was offered to countries fromwhich there have been a small number of participants
to regular courses, such as countries in Southeast Asia,
Central and South America, the CIS region, and Africa,
and was attended by a total of 10 members from nineorganizations in eight countries. They included one
each from Indonesia (Pertamina), Malaysia (Petronas),
Venezuela (PDVSA), Yemen (PetroMasila), Kazakhstan(KMG) and Uzbekistan (UNG), and two each from
Myanmar (MOE & MPE) and Libya (NOC). A list of
the participants is provided below.

16 • Personnel Exchange Programs •2. Seminar Content(1) JCCP regular course experience
As JCCP counterparts do not usually have the chance
to participate in a JCCP regular course themselves,the seminar provided an opportunity for them toexperience the general flow of a regular course and gaina perspective on how their employees actually receive
training at JCCP. For example, it provided the orientation
session, opening ceremony, administrative guidance,
lectures at JCCP, offsite training, fieldtrips and closing
ceremony in the same manner as they are implemented
in an actual course.
(2) Comprehension of Japanese-style management
methods (Kaizen, Total Productive Management(TPM), etc.)
Management methods that were originally developedin Japan, such as Kaizen, TPM and small-group
activities, are garnering strong interest in oil-producing
countries today. Therefore, JCCP lecturers gave a lecture
to provide deeper understanding of these subjects andelicit training requests, and also implemented part of an
actual program for the experience.

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

The participants also experienced offsite training byvisiting Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.’s Tokuyama Refineryand observing a small-group activity being implemented
at the refinery.
(3) Presentations by the participants and requests
for future courses
The participants each gave a presentation on
the reality of human resource development in theirrespective countries and what they expect of JCCP,
and mutually exchanged views on the presented topics.
The presentations provided an understanding of humanresource development in each country, as well as drew
forth general requests for future JCCP courses.

3. Summary
As mentioned above, this Program Seminar was held
for JCCP counterparts from countries from which there
have been a small number of participants to regularcourses. As a result, even participants who were notvery familiar with JCCP regular courses were able tofully appreciate the seminar and specifically discuss
the possibilities of future cooperation and the content of
future regular courses with JCCP staff. JCCP benefited

Tour of JCCP facilities

as well from being able to exchange views directlywith JCCP counterparts and lay the foundation forsmoother communication in future exchanges about
JCCP activities. Taking the occasion of this seminar,
JCCP hopes to further strengthen its approaches to saidcountries and encourage their participation in future
regular courses.
Lastly, we wish to extend our special thanks toeveryone at Idemitsu Kosan’s Tokuyama Refinery andTechnical Training Center for sparing their precious time
to cooperate in implementing this seminar.
<by Koichi Io, Operations Dept.>

Organization & Country
PERTAMINA
Indonesia
KazMunayGas National Co. (KMG)
Kazakhstan
National Oil Corp. (NOC)
Libya
National Oil Corp. (NOC)
Libya
PETRONAS
Malaysia
Ministry of Energy
Myanmar
Myanmar Petrochemical Enterprise
MyanmarUZBEKNEFTEGAZ
Uzbekistan
PDVSA
Venezuela
Masila Petroleum Exploration and
Production Company
Yemen

Name
Mr. Renaldi M. Nur Fattah
Ms. Assel Bekimova
Mr. Ibrahim Mansour Ahmed Jebril
Mr. Mosbah Salem Elkanuni
Ms. Nor Ainun Binti Junid
Mr. Tin Htut
Mr. Than Lwin
Mr. Ziyodulla Fayziev
Ms. Rosa Radr Paredes
Mr. Nasser Mohammed Saeed
Mudaiheg

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

Position
HSE Training Center Manager,
Pertamina Learning Center
Chief Manager of HR Administration
Training Programs Analyst Specialist,
Training & Development Dept.
Technical & Managerial Development
Center Manager
Senior Manager, Skill GroupManagement
Director, Energy Planning Department
Deputy Director, Myanmar
Petrochemical Enterprise
Senior Specialist of Human Resource
Department
Human Resources Strategic PlanningManager
HRD Manager• Personnel Exchange Programs • 17

Personnel
Exchange

CPO Seminar on Energy Efficiency
in the Oil Industry Held in UAE
1. Background
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)
Group and JCCP jointly held a Customized ProgramOverseas (CPO) Seminar on Energy Efficiency in the
Oil Industry from October 1 – 3, 2012 in Abu Dhabi,
UAE.
Recognizing UAE as an important crude oil supplier
to Japan, JCCP has consistently promoted training
programs and technical cooperation projects in the
country over the years. Last year, as part of the initiative
to renew JCCP training programs, JCCP held a meetingwith the ADNOC Environment Subcommittee for the
first time through an introduction from ADNOC’s
Supreme Petroleum Council. The ADNOC Environment
Subcommittee governs all environment-related mattersof ADNOC Group companies. Therefore, with theobjective of providing programs that accurately respondto needs in oil-producing countries and of acquiring thecooperation of new counterpart organizations, JCCP
discussed the possibility of implementing a customized
program with the Subcommittee, and at a later datereceived a formal request from the Subcommittee to cosponsor a CPO on energy efficiency in the oil industry.
To deliver a program that would respond to theindividual needs of ADNOC Group companies, the
ADNOC Environment Subcommittee organized apreparatory team within the Group and carefully planned
lecture topics in consultation with JCCP. JCCP has
heretofore implemented training programs with single
state-run oil companies in each country, but this was thefirst time it conducted a program in cooperation with across-sectional organization of a state-run oil company.
Also as a first attempt of its kind, JCCP took theoccasion of the seminar to introduce JCCP technicalcooperation projects that are being implemented in
UAE, and communicated an overall picture of JCCP
activities.
In oil-producing countries, recent increases indomestic energy consumption have strengthened interestin technologies and initiatives related to improving
energy efficiency. Amid this trend, companies of the
ADNOC Group have also begun to implement various
promotional activities in the environment and energy
areas, as encouraged by the Environment Subcommittee.
Their strong focus is also being directed to the latest
technologies and initiatives for project development.
Meanwhile, Japanese companies possess advanced
technologies for efficient energy use, effective utilizationof CO2, and utilization of renewable energies, and haveexpressed interest in introducing and applying thesetechnologies to GCC oil-producing countries. Thus,
the recent seminar came to be held as a JCCP training
program with the participation of expert members fromADNOC Group companies. This time, in particular,
the details and results of the seminar were reported tomembers of the Group’s HSE Steering Committee after
completion of the seminar.

2. Seminar Content

Seminar lecturers and Mr. Hazem Abuahmed of ADNOC(far left)

18 • Personnel Exchange Programs •In order to ensure a practical seminar as requestedby the ADNOC Group, the number of participants
was limited to 30 to 40 participants. The selected
members included a good representation of energyand environment-related experts from the ADNOCGroup’s 12 affiliated companies, and researchers fromUAE University who specifically requested to attend
the seminar.

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

The duration of the seminar was set for three days.
The first and second days mainly featured lectures, witha focus on Japan’s advanced technologies related toenergy efficiency, and the third day to presentations by
ADNOC Group members and an interactive workshopthat included group discussions.
Owing to careful designing in consultation with
the ADNOC Environment Subcommittee as thecounterpart, the seminar was attended by a good balanceof participants from each ADNOC Group company,
and was carried out effectively. In close considerationof the Group’s subjects of interest, it introduced energy
efficiency technologies developed by the Japanese
oil industry and private companies, and discussed thepossibility of their application to the ADNOC Group.
Lecturers on the Japanese side were from JCCP
(Arii), JOGMEC (Mr. Miyake), Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries Ltd. (Mr. Yagita), JGC Corporation (Mr.
Aoyama), Chiyoda Corporation (Mr. Matsuda),
Yokogawa Electric Corporation (Mr. Naito), and Solar
Frontier K.K. (Mr. Uemura). They were joined by Prof.
Abbas (UAE University) and Mr. Yamazaki (Kawasaki
Heavy Industries, Ltd.) as experts from UAE .
The first day of the seminar opened with a speech
by Mr. Abdul Qader Al Kamali, GASCO, VP, HSE. As
chairman of the ADNOC Environment Subcommittee,
Mr. Al Kamali stressed the ADNOC Group’s strong
commitment to achieving environmental and energy
efficiency, and explained the Group’s initiatives andpolicies.
(1) Session 1: Energy Efﬁciency Measures in the
Oil Industry
On the Japanese side, lecturer Mr. Arii from JCCP
first gave a status report on comprehensive initiatives
for energy efficiency in Japan’s oil downstream sector,
and introduced Japan’s advanced technologies forenergy efficiency and their achievements. Mr. Miyake
from JOGMEC then gave a general introduction ofenergy efficiency technologies in the oil upstream
sector, with particular focus on technologies for flaregas reduction and effective gas utilization. These two
lectures provided a comprehensive perspective of energy
and environmental initiatives in the oil industry that isessential for managing seeds of element technologies.
Moreover, roughly classifying element technologies
for promoting energy efficiency into process technologies
and utility technologies, Mr. Aoyama from JGC
Corporation gave an introduction based on new process

Mr. Abdul Qader Al Kamali, Chairmanof the ADNOC Environment Subcommittee

technologies, and Mr. Yagita from Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries gave an introduction of energy efficiency
technologies related to utilities (boilers and turbines).
The participants acquired knowledge of the latest
technologies in the two categories and learned about
improving energy efficiency from both the engineeringand equipment aspects.
This part of the session elicited many questions fromthe floor, and was well received for providing different
approaches and perspectives for achievement of energy
efficiency.
(2) Session 2: Latest Energy Efﬁciency
Technologies
This session provided an understanding of the
expanding development of technologies that could
be applied to improving energy efficiency in the oil
industry, by introducing the diverse initiatives of

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

Seminar scene• Personnel Exchange Programs • 19

Japanese companies. First, Mr. Yamazaki from Kawasaki
Heavy Industries introduced the latest advancements
in regional air-conditioning and absorption coolingtechnologies, engine technologies, and others, followed
by Mr. Uemura from Solar Frontier, who introduced thelatest photovoltaic technologies and JCCP technicalcooperation projects implemented in UAE. Prof. Abbas
from UAE University then introduced the JCCP technicalcooperation project on utilization of fuel cell technology,
and Mr. Naito from Yokogawa Electric lectured on theapproach and economic efficiency of achieving energy
efficiency through the use of advanced process control
technologies.
JCCP technical cooperation projects were introduced
in a training program for the first time, but the broad
range of initiatives implemented by JCCP and member
companies and the possibility of introducing thoseinitiatives to UAE garnered the participants’ avid
interest.
Active questions were also raised regarding individual
technologies, demonstrating the ADNOC Group
companies’ strong interest and wish to increase energy
efficiency. The seminar also captured the attention of
the media, and received coverage from a Japanese TV
station.
(3) Session 3: Pinch Technology and Its Practical
Application
The second day’s program provided training inpinch technology, an important analysis technology
for promoting energy efficiency in the oil industry.
The basic structure of the technology was studied in atheoretical lecture followed by hands-on training. First,
Mr. Aoyama from JGC Corporation lectured on the pinch
technology’s mechanism of analyzing processes andutilities and discussed its application to future business
operations. Mr. Matsuda from Chiyoda Corporation
then introduced Japan’s initiatives for realizing a wider
scope of applications, such as for energy integration in
refineries and chemical plants.
(4) Session 4: Latest Energy Efﬁciency Devices
In this session, a lecture was given on the technicaladvancement of the latest devices that are essential for
realizing energy efficiency in boilers and turbines, heatexchangers, and control technologies. A discussion also
took place in preparation for the next day’s workshop.
The session, including the Q&A portion, was honoredwith the participation of the chairman of the ADNOC

20 • Personnel Exchange Programs •Group discussion

HSE Steering Committee, who expressed strong interestin this seminar. As advised by the chairman, the seminarmembers were asked to brief member companies of the
ADNOC HSE Steering Committee the next day on asummary of the seminar.
(5) Session 5: Energy Efﬁciency Workshop
An interactive training session was provided on thethird day. The ADNOC side introduced case examples
and presented case studies as an introduction to thesubsequent group discussion. Each of the participants
then created an action plan for improving energy
efficiency. For the group discussion, they were divided
into three groups, each assigned with a different theme—
effective gas utilization, process efficiency and utility
efficiency—and engaged in active discussion with expert
lecturers assigned to their group.

3. Summary
This seminar incorporated the following new
initiatives with successful results.
(1) Cross-organizational training activities with
ADNOC Group companies
Training programs are conventionally implemented
with regard to an individual company or department of astate-run oil company group. However, as a new attempt,
this seminar was intended for 12 companies under the
ADNOC Group, and was held with the participation ofmembers from each of those companies. This made it
possible to introduce Japan’s technologies to a numberof ADNOC Group companies at once. Furthermore,
the opportunity for participants from different ADNOCGroup companies to engage in mutual discussion laid

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

the foundation for an emergent training program.
(2) Preparation in cooperation with a new
counterpart organization of a state-run oil
company
This seminar came to be implemented through the
ADNOC Supreme Petroleum Council’s introduction of
the ADNOC Environment Subcommittee to JCCP, andwas prepared in cooperation with the subcommittee forthe first time. Although this was the first co-hosting of aseminar, it turned out to be a meaningful and productive
one, thanks in large part to the dedicated efforts ofthe subcommittee members. Meticulous planning andconsultation between the Environment Subcommittee
and JCCP ensured an effective program that met theneeds of the counterpart country in terms of the selectionof lecturers, lecture content and participants.
This cooperative preparation process also had theeffect of deepening understanding of technical needsin the counterpart country, as well as of technical seeds
in Japan. Ultimately, in addition to disseminating an
overview of this seminar within ADNOC, the two parties

agreed to cooperate in implementing another seminar ona different theme next fiscal year.
(3) Introduction of JCCP technical cooperation
projects
As a new endeavor, JCCP technical cooperation
projects were introduced in the seminar with thecooperation of JCCP’s Technical Cooperation Department,
UAE University and affiliated Japanese companies in theregion. In addition to disseminating knowledge of JCCP
activities to ADNOC Group companies, the initiative was
effective in providing an opportunity for the participants
to acquire a broad range of advanced technologies.
The cooperation of Japanese companies also promoted
awareness of the potential of JCCP training programs as
a forum for extensive exchange of information.
In response to the steady stream of specific requests
from GCC countries for environment-related training,
JCCP will aim to deliver effective training programs
that meet the expectations of oil-producing countries
by making careful preparations in line with the needs of
relevant business departments in those countries.
<by Tetsuo Arii, Training Dept.>

Participants and lecturers of the seminar

Interview with executives from companies underthe ADNOC Group

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 21

Personnel
Exchange

Briefing Report
CPO Seminar on Human Resource
Development Held at KISRA Customized Program-Overseas (CPO) on humanresource development was recently held at the headquartersof Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR). JCCP
had received a request for a CPO seminar on humanresource management and human resource developmentfrom KISR in 2010, but the program was postponedin the wake of the March 2011 earthquake in Japan.
Reconsideration was given to implementing the programin Kuwait on the occasion of the participation of Mr.
Ahmad Al-Failakawi, Principle Training HRD, in a regularcourse on human resource development last year.
The seminar was arranged to be held in Kuwait, andwas designed to run for five days. Two days were allotted
for a general discussion on the state of human resource
management (HRM) and human resource development(HRD) in Kuwait, a day for an introduction of caseexamples of corporate HRM/HRD practices, and two days
for a lecture on HRD theories by a university professor.
1. Course Name
Customized Program-Overseas on Human Resource
Development (HRD)
2. Dates of Implementation
March 11 – 15, 2012 (5 days)
3. Counterpart Organization
Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR)
4. Participants
15 participants from the personnel affairs, education& training and career support departments
5. Lecturers
Prof. Hiromasa Tanaka (Meisei University), Mr. Takuya
Saito (JGC Corporation), Akio Hoshino (JCCP)

Training session

22 • Personnel Exchange Programs •Participants of the seminar(in the lobby of KISR headquarters)

6. Program(1) Japanese-style HRM and HRD(2) Transitions and Current Situation of Japanese-style
HRM Practices(3) Kaizen—Overview and Case Examples of Kaizen
Initiatives(4) Actual State of HRM and Evaluation Systems andInternal Training in a Major Engineering Company
in Japan (JGC Corporation)(5) Essential Knowledge for Implementation of
Education & Training (Meisei University)

Presentation of the completion certiﬁcate
to Mr. Al Awadi (right)

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

Lecturers of the seminar

JCCP Regular Courses Completed

TR-8-12
Content:

Practical Training for Younger Instrument and Control Engineers
June 5 – July 13, 2012
Theoretical and Practical Training in Process
Control;
Latest DCS and Software;
Practice Building Control System;
Safety Instrument System;
Wireless Instrument System;
Information and Control System in Refinery;
Latest Analyzer;
Model Predictive Control;
Instrument Engineering Design;
Training and Practice of Field Instrument(transmitter, level meter, flow meter, control valve);
Control System in Power Plant;
Discussion about the Maintenance of Instrument

Lecturer: Shigeru Matsui<14 countries / 16 participants>

Site visits:

Yokogawa Electric Corporation (Mitaka Headquarters & Kofu Factory); Endress+Hauser Japan
Co., Ltd. (Kofu Factory); Emerson Japan, Ltd. (Mizushima Solutions Center); Idemitsu Kosan Co.,
Ltd. (Tokuyama Refinery); Shimadzu Corporation (Kyoto Headquarters & Sanjo Factory);
Oval Corporation (Yokohama Operation Center); Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc. (Omuta
Power Plant); Tobata Co-Operative Thermal Power Company, Inc.; Azbil Corporation (Fujisawa
Technology Center & Shonan Factory)

Countries:

Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan,
Timor-Leste, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

TR-9-12

Safety Management for Refineries
June 19 – July 6, 2012

Content:

Safety Management for the Reﬁnery;
Environmental Control;
Safety Regulations and Disaster Prevention;
Safety Consideration for Plant Design and Risk
Management;
Safety Management for Plant Maintenance;
Case Study and Discussion

Site visits:

JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation (Negishi
Refinery);Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. (Tokuyama Refinery);
Sompo Japan Risk Management Inc. (Shinjuku
Head Office);
Yokogawa Electric Corporation (Mitaka
Headquarters);
Azbil Corporation (Fujisawa Technology Center)

Countries:

Lecturer: Takaaki Yuasa<9 countries / 16 participants>

China, Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Yemen

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 23

TR-10-12
Content:

Diagnostic Techniques and Maintenance for Rotary Machinery
June 19 – July 6, 2012
Outline of Petroleum Industry in Japan;
Diagnostic Techniques and Maintenance for Rotary
Machinery;Vibration Measurement and Control System;
Various Technologies for Combined Cycle
Generators and Boiler Systems;
Reﬁnery Practices for Maintenance of Rotary
Machinery;
Various Technologies for Gas Turbine Systems;
Operational Practices and Maintenance ofGovernors;
Latest Technologies for Steam Turbines;
Operational Practices and Maintenance ofCompressors and Transmission Gears;
Operational Practices and Maintenance of Mechanical Seals;
Vibration Analysis Technologies for Rotary Machine Bearings

Lecturer: Shintaro Miyawaki<14 countries / 19 participants>

Site visits:

Shinkawa Sensor Technology, Inc. (Hiroshima Factory); Babcock-Hitachi K.K. (Kure Works);
JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation (Mizushima Refinery); Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
(Takasago Machinery Works); Woods Corporation (Head Office); Hitachi Ltd. Power Systems
Company (Hitachi Works); Hitachi Plant Technologies, Ltd. (Tsuchiura Works);
Eagle Burgmann Japan Co., Ltd. (Gosen Factory)

Countries:

Bahrain, Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan,
Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Vietnam, Yemen

TR-11-12

Human Resource Management
October 9 – October 26, 2012

Lecturer: Eiji Okuyama

Content:

Overview of Japanese Oil Industry;
Japanese-style Human Resource Management;
Training & Career Development System and Total
Productive Management;
Manpower Outsourcing and HRM System;
Safety Education and HRM System;
Personnel Course, Qualification System, Evaluation
System;HRM System and Small Group Activities;
Rational Thought and Team Consensus Building

Site visits:

Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. (Chiba Refinery);<16 countries / 19 participants>
JGC Corporation (Head Office); Uyeno Kosan, Ltd.,
Uyeno Yuso Ltd. (Head Office);
JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation (Mizushima
Refinery); Cosmo Oil Co., Ltd. (Sakaide Refinery); JGC Catalysts and Chemicals Ltd. (Kitakyushu
Operation Center)

Countries:

Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Oman, Qatar, Russia,
Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Timor-Leste, UAE, Uzbekistan, Vietnam

24 • Personnel Exchange Programs •JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

TR-12-12
Content:

Environmental Management
September 18 – October 5, 2012
Petroleum Industry in Japan; Environmental
Management; Wastewater Treatment;
Air Pollution Control; Oil Industry’s Contribution toEnvironment Protection;
Wastewater Treatment Using Ferrous Particles;
Carbon Capture and Storage;
Environment Protection and High Efficiency
Turbine; Environmental Management in Refinery;
CO2 Reduction and Introduction of New Energy;
Industrial Waste Treatment and Soil Remediation;
Global Warming Countermeasures;
Case Study and Discussion

Lecturer: Bunsuke Kariya<13 countries / 16 participants>

Site visits:

JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation (Head Office);
Hitachi Plant Technology; Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth;
Kawasaki Heavy Industries; JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation (Marifu Refinery);
Nippo Corporation (Head Office & Sodegaura Plant)

Countries:

Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Libya, Malaysia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines,
Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

TR-13-12

Project Management for Mechanical Engineers
September 18 – October 5, 2012

Content:

Project Management Activities in Oil Refineries inJapan; Project Cost Management;
Project Engineering for EPC Project by Utilizing IT;
Project Risk Management and Project Contracts

Site visits:

Non-Destructive Inspection Co., Ltd.
(Headquarters); Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
(Takasago Works); JGC Corporation (Yokohama
World Operation Center);
The Japan Steel Works, Ltd. (Muroran Plant);
Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. (Hokkaido Refinery);
Hokkaido Joint Oil Stockpiling Co., Ltd. (Hokkaido
Office)Countries:

Colombia, Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya,
Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan,
Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

TR-14-12

Advanced Field Devices and Control
October 9 – October 26, 2012

Lecturer: Fumihiro Tone

<13 countries / 17 participants>

Lecturer: Shigeru Matsui

Content:

Training of Instrumentation Engineering;
Theoretical and Practical Training in Process
Control; Training in the Latest Control System andSoftware; Training of Control Valve Engineering;
Training of Emergency Shutdown System; Training
in Vibration Measurements and Diagnosis;
Training in Control System and Instrumentation
Maintenance in Refinery; Training of the Latest
Control System & Training and Practice in Control
Valve; Training of Control Loop Design in Refinery

Site visits:

Yokogawa Electric Corporation (Mitaka<14 countries / 15 participants>
Headquarters); Shinkawa Sensor Technology,
Inc. (Hiroshima Factory); Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.
(Chiba Refinery); Oval Corporation (Yokohama Operation Center); Azbil Corporation (Fujisawa
Technology Center & Shonan Factory)

Countries:

Ecuador, India, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Libya, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria, Russia, Sudan, UAE,
Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 25

FY2013 JCCP Course Schedule
In FY2013, JCCP will offer 26 courses, including 23 regular courses (TR) and 3 intensive courses (IT), as
shown below.

Course No.

Course Title

PeriodTR-1-13

Petroleum Marketing

Apr. 8 – 25, 2013

TR-2-13

Future Advanced Technology for Petroleum Industry

TR-3-13DCS Fundamentals and Applications

Apr. 8 – 25, 2013

TR-4-13

Human Resource Management (HRM)

May 7 – 24, 2013

TR-5-13Upgrading Processes of Heavy Oil

May 7 – 24, 2013

TR-6-13

Petroleum Distribution

May 28 – Jun. 14, 2013

TR-7-13

Maintenance Management

May 28 – Jun. 14, 2013

TR-8-13

Reﬁnery Management

May 29 – Jun. 12, 2013

TR-9-13

Practical Training for Younger Instrument and Control Engineers

May 28 – Jul. 5, 2013

TR-10-13

Safety Management for Reﬁneries

Jun. 18 – Jul. 5, 2013

TR-11-13

Diagnostic Techniques and Maintenance for Rotary Machinery

Jun. 18 – Jul. 5, 2013

TR-12-13

Advanced Technology and Control System of Power Generation Facilities

TR-13-13

Environmental Management

Sep. 17 – Oct. 4, 2013

TR-14-13

Project Management for Mechanical and Chemical Engineers

Sep. 17 – Oct. 4, 2013

TR-15-13

Energy Management for Petroleum Industry

TR-16-13

Advanced Field Devices and Control

TR-17-13

Gas Processing for LNG

Oct. 29 – Nov. 15, 2013

TR-18-13

Material Problems and Their Countermeasures

Oct. 29 – Nov. 15, 2013

TR-19-13

Human Resource Development (HRD)

Nov. 19 – Dec. 6, 2013

TR-20-13

Information and Control Systems Utilized in Reﬁneries

Nov. 19 – Dec. 6, 2013

IT-1-13Turnaround and Inspection

Nov. 25 – Dec. 6, 2013

TR-21-13

Inspection and Reliability Evaluation

Jan. 14 – 31, 2014

IT-2-13

Finance and Accounting Management

Jan. 20 – 29, 2014

TR-22-13

Quality Management of Reﬁnery Products

Feb. 4 – 21, 2014

TR-23-13

Advanced Process Control on DCS

Feb. 4 – 21, 2014

IT-3-13

TPM Activities for Reﬁnery Maintenance Management

NEW

NEW

Apr. 8 – 25, 2013

Aug. 27 – Sep. 13, 2013

NEW

Oct. 8 – 23, 2013
Oct. 8 – 25, 2013

NEW

Feb. 10 – 21, 2014

Marketing, Distribution, HRM, FinanceReﬁning Process, LNG

Maintenance, Inspection,
Project Management

Control, Instrumentation

26 • Personnel Exchange Programs •JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

TechnicalCooperation

Signing Ceremony
for the Study on Fuel Cell and New Energy
Technology Application in UAE
JCCP launched the study on “Fuel Cell and New
Energy Technology Application in UAE” this fiscal year,
and held a ceremony on June 18, 2012 for signing theMemorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the United
Arab Emirates University (UAEU) as its counterpart.

1. Background and Technical Development
Overview
UAE is currently experiencing remarkable economic
growth driven mainly by the oil and gas industries, andhas become the world’s second-largest per capita emitterof CO2. From a sense of crisis stemming from thisregrettable status, recent years have seen a heightenedinterest in issues related to environmental pollution,
introduction of renewable energies, and improvementof energy usage efficiency. UAE has set a nationaltarget to increase its ratio of renewable energies to 7%
by 2020, but renewable energies do not even accountfor 1% at present. In fiscal 2011, a preliminary study
was conducted to examine the feasibility of introducing
highly energy-efficient fuel cells to increase energy
usage efficiency in UAE, and based on the results, astudy on the application of a new fuel cell energy system
was launched in fiscal 2012 as a joint undertaking with
UAEU. The main activities of the study include thefollowing.

Dr. Abudullah Al Khanbashi, Vice-Chancellor of UAEU

Signing ceremony

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

Introduction of a real-scale fuel cell; Training inJapan; Basic experiment in UAE
Installation and operation of a fuel cell for the firsttime in UAE
Establishment of fuel cell safety standards;
Collection of onsite operation data
Modification of the fuel cell as appropriate to UAE
and evaluation of its performance
Systematic linkage of the fuel cell with other power
supplies
Installation of the fuel cell at a commercial
experiment site and its operation

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

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

• Technical Cooperation • 27

2. Signing Ceremony
In a signing ceremony held at UAEU, Dr. Abudullah
Al Khanbashi, Vice-Chancellor of UAEU, and Mr.
Morihiro Yoshida, Managing Director of JCCP, signed
the MOA, and speeches were delivered by Dr. Al
Khanbashi, H.E. Mr. Tatsuro Watanabe, Ambassador ofJapan to UAE, and Mr. Makoto Kuramochi, President of
JX Nippon Research Institute, Ltd. In his speech, Dr. Al
Khanbashi said that as UAEU is focusing its efforts onengineering new energy technologies, he is extremely
grateful for the opportunity to study leading-edge fuelcell technology jointly with Japanese parties. He also
expressed his wish to acquire good results, and said hewould appreciate continued cooperation from JCCP
and other relevant organizations in Japan. Ambassador
Watanabe said that Japan, as a worldwide leader in fuelcell technology, looks forward to commencing the joint
study with UAEU on the feasibility of applying the fuelcell technology to the Middle East region as a highlymeaningful project to both countries, and that he hashigh expectations of the project’s results. Mr. Yoshida,
after touching on the long history of cooperation between
JCCP and UAE, expressed his hopes that by operating
and accumulating data from the fuel cell system in
UAE’s severe environment, Japan’s technology would
be transferred to UAE through this project. After the
speeches, the leaders signed the MOA and brought theceremony to a close.

3. About the Fuel Cell Pilot Unit
After the ceremony, the parties to the project visited
the site where the fuel cell system is being operated ona test basis, and confirmed that the system has been
installed in the housing and placed in trial operation.
Since commencing trial operation in fiscal 2012 andcollecting data, the following three findings have beenmade. Measures to address these findings will be taken
hereafter.
1) In temperatures exceeding 50°C during afternoon
hours when direct sunlight intensifies, thetemperature control interlock functioned andautomatically shut down the fuel cell so that thepilot unit could not continue operating.
2) There were cases where temperatures above 50°C
caused so much natural discharge of the lead battery
inside the fuel cell that the voltage dropped and thepilot unit could not be started up.
3) Hydrogen was purchased in cylinders, but since
they are expensive in UAE, the installation of areforming unit that uses LPG, gas, naphtha andother such petroleum-based hydrocarbons will beconsidered.

4. About the Fuel Cell
In a fuel cell, the chemical reaction of hydrogen andoxygen is used to generate electricity and water. As shownin Fig. 1, power generation in a fuel cell characteristicallylacks the heat energy and kinetic energy conversion
process, so energy loss is minimized.
In consideration of operating the pilot unit inenvironmental temperatures exceeding 50°C in UAE,a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) was selected forthis project, as it has a proven performance record andalso allows flexible responses.

Fuel cell housing structure

28 • Technical Cooperation •Hydrogen cylinder room

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

Lighting test using the fuel cell

5. Summary
The signing ceremony, including the tour of the pilot
unit to inspect its status of trial operation, was attended
by many parties, and represented the culmination ofcareful preparation by UAEU and a manifestation of its
strong interest in the project. JCCP hopes the successful
completion of this project through cooperation between
UAE and Japan will serve as a catalyst in strengthening
the friendly relationship between the two countries.
<by Masatoshi Yokotsuka, Technical Cooperation Dept.>

Electricity (heat)

Power generation
by a generator

Thermal engine
rotation

Clean

Efficient

Quiet

Power generation system

Oxygen (O2)

Fuel cellcharacteristics

Electric energy

Water (H2O)

Kinetic energy

Fuel cell power
generation

Fuel cell

Hydrogen (H2)

BoilerOxygen (O2)

Chemical energy of fuel2

Water (H2O)

Conventional
power generation

Electricity Hydrogen (H )Fuel cell
power generation

Electrolysis of water

Thermal energy

Versatile

Electrochemical reaction
Fig. 1 Overview of the fuel cell

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

• Technical Cooperation • 29

TechnicalCooperation

Update of the Asphalt Project in Iraq
with the Iraqi Ministry of Oil:
Development into Road Paving Technology
JCCP commenced two joint technical cooperation
projects with Iraq in fiscal 2011 with the participationof Japanese oil companies and other relevant companies.
They are being implemented as part of the Special
Cooperation Program for Iraq under the Japanese
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s subsidy
for projects to support oil-refining technologies andprojects in oil-producing countries. The current statusof the projects, the “Study on Development of Asphalt
Industry and Finding New Applications in Iraq,” isoutlined below.

1. Overview
Implementation period:
April 1, 2011 – March 31, 2013 (two years)
Counterpart:
Petroleum Research & Development Center (PRDC)
of the Iraqi Ministry of Oil
Iraq National Oil Company
Participating companies:
JX Nippon Research Institute Ltd.
JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation
Green Consultant Co., Ltd.

Pilot plant from Japan that was installed and is now being
used at the Petroleum Research & Development Center (PRDC)

30 • Technical Cooperation •In Iraq, asphalt is currently produced in refineries in
the northern, central and southern parts of the country
under a uniform nationwide standard, by blending
bottom oil from the propane deasphalting unit (PDA)
that is used for lube oil production with residue oilfrom the vacuum distillation unit (VDU). However,asphalt pavement defects such as rutting and cracking
are occurring throughout the country.
The project being implemented aims to remedy thisproblem by transferring Japan’s asphalt production,
modification and paving technologies to Iraq. It began
as a preliminary assistance study in fiscal 2010 and
was upgraded to a joint technical cooperation projectin fiscal 2011.
On October 5, 2011, the Iraqi Ministry of Oil
and JCCP signed and exchanged an agreement for
implementation of this project and the other project, ina signing ceremony held in Tokyo.

2. Progress and Update
In fiscal 2011 and 2012, samples of straight asphalt
were obtained from Iraq and evaluated in Japan. The
results indicated that the quality of straight asphalt
produced in Iraq is at a level similar to that produced
in Japan.

Wheel tracking device that was sent from Japan and installedin PRDC: Mr. Maher B. Antwan, Senior Chief Engineer at
PRDC and leader of the project on the Iraqi side (left)

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

It was also found that straight asphalt produced in
Iraq has the potential to deliver high performance withproper modification. However, evaluation technologies
are needed to produce steady-quality asphalt, and thematerial and structure of the modified asphalt need to be
designed with due consideration to the severe weather
conditions and load conditions that road pavements
in Iraq are subject to. Based on the results of various
tests, the following technologies are currently beingtransferred to the Iraqi side.
(1) Straight asphalt evaluation technology• Technical transfer of evaluation methods thatuse indicators such as the penetration index (PI)(FY2010)(2) Modified asphalt production and evaluation
technologies• Installation of a pilot plant in Iraq for conducting
a modification test by the Iraqi side (FY2011)• Providing training in Japan to engineers fromthe Iraqi Ministry of Oil (FY2011 & FY2012)• Installation of an asphalt evaluation facility in
Iraq (FY2011: assembly in Japan; FY2012:transportation to Iraq)• Design of an industrial-scale plant (FY2012)• Technical support for conducting asphalt
modification tests using the pilot plant in Iraq,
and support for standardizing test procedures(FY2012)(3) Road-paving technology
In order to minimize pavement problems,
it is necessary not only to introduce the above
production technologies, but to also upgrade
road-paving technology in Iraq, which requires
collaboration between asphalt suppliers (under the
charge of the Ministry of Oil (MoO)) and users(under the charge of the Ministry of Constructionand Housing (MoCH)).
Recognizing the significance of this JCCP

technical cooperation project, engineers of MoCH
came to join the project’s technical conferencesfrom the latter half of FY2011 and have contributed
to making the discussions more specific. New
requests have also emerged from the Iraqi side,
such as for JCCP’s cooperation in test-paving asegment of a highway (Route 6) under construction
in Iraq and conducting a technical evaluation of theresults. Consideration is being given to responding
to this request by having the Iraqi side undertakethe paving work and the testing and observationof the trial pavement, and JCCP taking charge ofthe planning and designing of the trial pavement,
evaluating the test results and providing advice.
The following road-paving technologies arebeing transferred to the Iraqi side:• Providing training in Japan to civil engineersfrom MoCH (FY2012)• Support and evaluation of the trial pavement
along a segment of Route 6 in Iraq (presently
in the planning stage)• Summary of the essential points of designing,
constructing, inspecting and repairing roadpavements, etc. (present in the planning stage)
The project is proceeding smoothly based on a firm
relationship of mutual cooperation between the Iraqi sideand JCCP. As road network development is indispensable
to Iraq’s reconstruction, we hope to provide technicaltransfer to a level that would ultimately enable the Iraqi
side to produce and evaluate asphalt and to design andconstruct road pavements on its own.
The other technical cooperation project being
implemented by the Iraqi Ministry of Oil and JCCP, the“Study on Technical Support of Introduction of Produced
Water Treatment for SOC in Iraq” (participatingcompanies: Water Reuse Promotion Center, Swing
Corporation), is also well under way.
<by Hironao Naganuma, Technical Cooperation Dept.>

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

• Technical Cooperation • 31

TechnicalCooperation

Study on Corrosion Assessment &Mitigation Technology in Kuwait(Front row, from the second from left)
Dr. Shigeo Tsujikawa, Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo;
Dr. Abdulhameed Al-Hashem, Director, PRSC;
Dr. Hamdy Shalaby, Manager, Corrosion Assessment & Mitigation
Technology Program;
Dr. Koichiro Osozawa, Director, Corrosion Center

JCCP and Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research(KISR) have recently launched the TechnicalCollaboration Project for Newly Planned Corrosion
Assessment and Mitigation Technology Program thatis scheduled to run from fiscal 2012 to 2015.

1. Background
Plants in the oil industry in Japan and in many
countries around the world are aging, and their safety
and security have become a social issue today. Accidents
occur frequently in oil-related facilities in Kuwait aswell, the majority of which are said to be caused bydeterioration and corrosion of plant materials
To address this problem, KISR, as a national research
institute, established the Corrosion Assessment &Mitigation Technology Program in 2011 and commenced
the program with 13 experienced researchers and experts.
However, as there had been some concerns that while
all members have made dedicated efforts in fundamental
research they have not accumulated much experience in

32 • Technical Cooperation •actually applying corrosion countermeasures on site ina refinery, JCCP’s cooperation was sought in acquiring
the assistance of skillful Japanese researchers over thelong term.
JCCP initially explored the possibility of sending
experienced corrosion engineers to Kuwait under the
JCCP High-Level Researcher Dispatching Program, butthere were unfortunately no candidates who assented toa long-term dispatch. JCCP therefore consulted with theJapan Society of Corrosion Engineering (JSCE; then apublic utility association but now a general incorporated
association), and judged that the Society’s participation
in a joint project would be highly meaningful inaddressing corrosion countermeasures in diverse fields.
In August 2011, an expert from the Society was sent to
Kuwait to conduct a basic study under JCCP’s TechnicalCooperation scheme, and as a result of discussions withmembers from KISR and Kuwait National Petroleum
Company (KNPC), an agreement was reached to
implement a project on corrosion assessment andmitigation technology.

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

2. Overview
The organization that is actually participating in the
project on the Japanese side is the Corrosion Center of
JSCE. The Corrosion Center was established 20 years
ago with the objective of widely applying to the world theadvanced technical potentials possessed by members of
the Society. This project is the first overseas undertaking
in the Corrosion Center’s history, and also coincides withits 20th anniversary. As a landmark project, the Center isfocusing its efforts on the project by launching a KISR
Project Committee and enlisting experts from diverse
fields as members.
JCCP’s counterpart in Kuwait is KISR, but KNPC
and Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) are also participating in
the project as observers. Principal corrosion issues havealready been identified and shared among all parties in a
meeting held in May. Plans hereafter include educating
field engineers about corrosion and conducting an onsite
examination of corrosion mitigation measures.
The project is being implemented with regard to thefollowing seven themes.
(1) Synergistic effects of hydrogen sulfide and chloride
on stress corrosion cracking of stabilized austenitic
stainless steels(2) The effect of excess chlorine on corrosion of carbon
steel in cooling water service(3) Corrosion behavior of high-performance heatexchange alloys in severe process conditions(4) Failure investigations(5) Application limits of carbon steel in sea water(6) Application of electrochemical noise technique forrefinery corrosion monitoring(7) Application of RBI (risk-based inspection)

Training in electrochemical noise technique <1>

These themes will be addressed in a flexible mannerfrom those with higher priority, in response to the needsof KNPC and KOC. Major activities for this fiscal
year are being implemented as shown in the following
schedule.
April:
Kickoff meeting at KISR (verification ofthemes for FY2012)
May:
Agreement signing ceremony, onsite
inspection by KNPC and KOC, firsttraining session
September: Invitation of KISR researchers to Japan(training in Japan, progress meeting,technology exchange meeting, JSCE
annual meeting)
October:Introduction of test equipment to KISR
November: Progress meeting at KISR and second
training session
January:
Progress meeting at KISR andannouncement of project results in a
symposium
At the present stage, particular efforts are being
directed to addressing the sixth theme, application ofelectrochemical noise technique, as introduced below.
The electrochemical noise technique was developedby a member of the Corrosion Center’s KISR
Project, and is a proven method for identifying theelectrochemical corrosion properties of materials fromtheir polarization characteristics. Later this fiscal year,
KISR researchers will be invited to Japan to receive
training on this electrochemical technique, and therelevant electrochemical device will be introduced to
KISR to conduct basic tests. The tests will simulate
the conditions of KNPC’s refining facilities to identify

Training in electrochemical noise technique <2>

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

• Technical Cooperation • 33

Site tour of the installation of the electrochemical noise device
in Japancorrosion properties and propose corrosion mitigation
measures.
In mid-September, two KISR researchers received
training in Japan over a period of five days at a technicalcenter of a private company. Using the same device asthat slated for introduction to KISR, practical training
was provided on methods for its operation, results
analysis and maintenance. Thanks to the Corrosion
Center’s kind consideration of the Kuwaiti researchers’cultural customs and diet, the two members were able
to concentrate on their training program.
Upon completion of the above researcher training
program, Dr. Abdulhameed Al-Hashem, Director, andDr. Hamdy Shalaby, Manager, Corrosion Assessment& Mitigation Technology Program, both from thePetroleum Research & Studies Center (PRSC) of KISR,

were invited to Japan to attend a project progress meetingat JCCP Headquarters. After the progress meeting, they
visited Japanese companies to hold technology exchange
meetings. The progress meeting at JCCP was attended
by four members from KISR, Dr. Koichiro Osozawa,
Director of the Corrosion Center, and eight membersof the KISR Project, including Dr. Shigeo Tsujikawa,
Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo, andprovided the opportunity to verify the progress of the
project and discuss future plans. At the beginning of themeeting, Dr. Al-Hashem expressed his appreciation for
implementation of this project and also conveyed KNPC
and KOC’s expectations of the project in achieving safety
and security in their plants.

3. Future Plans
During fiscal 2012, the themes of the project will
be addressed, and two presentations on the results ofelectrochemical noise technique and other achievements
are slated to be presented at the 14th Kuwait-Japan Joint
Symposium, scheduled to be held in January. In fiscal
2013, an electrochemical device will be introduced to a
KNPC refinery to demonstrate the applicability of theelectrochemical noise technique to an actual plant.
JCCP expects this project to play a significant rolein transferring Japan’s advanced corrosion mitigation
technology to Kuwait and preventing corrosion-related
accidents, and hopes its successful completion willcontribute to strengthening friendly ties between thetwo countries.
<by Hiroaki Hara, Technical Cooperation Dept.>

34 • Technical Cooperation •JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

TechnicalCooperation

JCCP Receives a Visit by Two Researchers
from Saudi Arabia
1. Dr. Mohammad Shamsuzzoha
King Fahd University of Petroleum andMinerals (KFUPM)
Date of visit: July 26, 2012
Dr. Shamsuzzoha from KFUPM came to Japan
at the beginning of June under the FY2012 Research
Invitation Program and engaged in research on “designand optimization of a divided-wall distillation column(DWC)” until the end of July under the guidance of Dr.
Hiroya Seki, Associate Professor, Chemical Resources
Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology. DWC is abreakthrough technology that simultaneously realizes
energy conservation and reduced construction cost,and in recent years is being constructed or renovated
at rapid speed in countries abroad. The very concept of
DWC was originally proposed by Dr. Richard Wrightin 1949, but because a reliable design method had yet
to be established and there were uncertainties about
its ability to control reactions inside the column, theconcept did not catch on. Thereafter, however, theexperience of the two oil crises in the 1970s prompted
the development of DWC technology in the 1980s. Ever
since the construction of the world’s first commercial
DWC by the chemical company BASF in 1985, morethan 100 DWCs have been built and are now in operation
around the world.
A DWC has dividing walls inside the column that

Presentation by Dr. Mohammad Shamsuzzoha

make it possible to separate three or more fractions
in a single column, where two or more columns have
conventionally been needed. This technology reduces
the cost of constructing and operating the distillation
column, as well as shortens construction time.
According to Dr. Shamsuzzoha, the advantages of a
DWC are that it delivers (1) a high purity and (2) highyield of intermediate fractions with (3) relatively uniform
volatility. However, a disadvantage lies in its difficulty incontrolling pressure and temperature inside the column.
Extreme interior pressure and temperature fluctuations
have prevented the widespread introduction of DWCs.
In his research, Dr. Shamsuzzoha simulated four
different designs (extreme design, optimal design, etc.)of the most basic DWC having three dividing walls
by changing tray numbers and positions, and studied
the yields of benzene, toluene and xylene and energy
efficiency of each design. As a result, he found thecolumn design that uses the Fenske-Underwood equation
to be valid.
Dr. Shamsuzzoha said his recent research was madepossible by JCCP cooperation, and expressed his deep
gratitude to JCCP.

2. Mr. Mohammed Laffai M. Alotaibi
King Abdulaziz City for Science andTechnology (KACST)
Date of visit: July 17, 2012
Mr. Alotaibi from KACST came to Japan in mid-Juneunder the FY2012 Research Invitation Program and, until
mid-July, engaged in research under Dr. Shukuji Asakura,
Professor Emeritus at Yokohama National University andPresident of Venture Academia Co., Ltd.
KACST is a scientific research organization thatreports directly to the Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia.
There, Mr. Alotaibi engages in research in the corrosion
and corrosion protection of metal materials.
Venture Academia is a venture business affiliatedwith Yokohama National University. It was foundedin 2004 with the Asakura Laboratory in the Faculty ofEngineering as its parent organization. Its main objective
is to advance and support research on independent

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

• Technical Cooperation • 35

test methods such as through re-enactment of special
environments, in addition to conducting corrosion tests
and electrochemical tests based on industrial standards
such as JIS, ASTM and NACE. The venture company
therefore closely coincided with Mr. Alotaibi’s research
theme.
Mr. Alotaibi visited JCCP Headquarters and said
that his recent opportunity to study in Japan has greatly
benefitted his second year of research at KACST as amilestone toward achieving his goal.
JCCP holds great expectations of future accomplishments
by both researchers.

Mr. Mohammed Laffai M. Alotaibi (left)<by Sadao Wada, Technical Cooperation Dept.>

36 • Technical Cooperation •JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

TechnicalCooperation

Interim Report Meetingon the Study and Application of the
Possible Photovoltaic (PV) System in UAE
An interim report meeting was held this past
September 4th in Abu Dhabi on the “Study andApplication of the Possible PV System Introduction in
Petroleum Company Related Facilities in UAE,” which
was jointly launched in fiscal 2011 by JCCP, Showa
Shell Sekiyu K.K. as the participating company on theJapanese side, and Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company(TAKREER) as JCCP’s counterpart in UAE. The study
members presented the results of the first seven monthsof the study based on experimental data to Mr. Jasem
Ali Al Sayegh, CEO of TAKREER, and other leaders at
TAKREER, and reported on the potential effectivenessof operating a photovoltaic (PV) system under theenvironmental conditions in Abu Dhabi.

1. Background and Technical Development
Overview
After conducting a study from fiscal 2009 to 2010 on
the feasibility of introducing a PV system to oil refining
facilities in UAE, it was found that TAKREER, which
promotes a “Green Refinery Concept,” is extremely
proactive toward introducing a PV system to its refinery
facility. A project was thus launched in fiscal 2011 with
the Showa Shell Sekiyu Group as the participating
member on the Japanese side. The Showa Shell Sekiyu
Group is ideal for the role, as it manufactures solar
panels and installs and operates PV systems in addition
to operating refineries. As a result of conducting a study
and discussing issues concerning the utilization of a PV
system in TAKREER’s refinery and ancillary facilities,
it was agreed that PV facilities producing a combined
total of 36.4kW of power would be installed on the roof
and three other locations at BeAAT (waste treatment
facility; literally meaning “environment” in Arabic) on
a trial basis.
A demonstration test of the facilities was begun in
January 2012 to collect data, and a completion ceremony
was held in May with the attendance of relevant parties,
including H.E. Mr. Tatsuo Watanabe, Ambassador ofJapan to UAE.

2. Purpose of the Demonstration Test andOverview of Results
PV systems generally do not require a rotary device
or other such drive instrument. Therefore, they can be
operated at low maintenance cost even in locations
subject to fine sandstorms, such as a desert. Compared toJapan, weather conditions in Abu Dhabi are advantageous
to power-generating capacity, in that the strong intensity
and large amount of sunlight can generate more
electrical power. At the same time, however, they are
disadvantageous in that high temperatures, low rainfall
and the large amount of desert dust might contaminate
the solar panels over time, and high surface temperatures
might undermine power-generating capacity.
The Showa Shell Sekiyu Group’s CIS (copperindium-selenium) thin-film solar cell modules for PV
systems exhibit better temperature properties comparedto crystalline Si (silicon) cells, and characteristicallyminimize any drop in conversion efficiency even when
exposed to high temperatures. The purpose of the test is totherefore bring together the above-mentioned advantages
and disadvantages and demonstrate the comprehensive
power-generating capacity and efficiency of the proposedsystem. Toward this end, the performance characteristicsof the system were examined by installing solar panels
in four different environmental conditions and operating
the system to examine the effect of installation heighton the environment and the effect of regular cleaning or
the lack thereof on the panel surface.
The result of seven months of test operation showedthat the effect of dust on power-generating efficiency is adrop in efficiency of around 3%, which is smaller than theinitial estimate of 5% (comparison between solar panels
that are cleaned and not cleaned), and that the effects ofsunlight intensity and amount more than cancel out theeffect of dust. When compared with Japan, it was foundthat approximately 40% more power could be generated.
Hereafter, the demonstration of the test facilities at
BeAAT will be continued, and proposals and discussions
will focus on seeking refinery-related locations for
installing the second PV system in fiscal 2013.
<by Hideki Nomura, Technical Cooperation Dept.>

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

• Technical Cooperation • 37

TechnicalCooperation

Technical Cooperation
Evaluation Subcommittee
for Projects Completed in FY2011
1. Overview
Since fiscal 2006, JCCP’s Technical Cooperation
Department has been evaluating projects upon theircompletion. Multiple-year projects are comprehensively
evaluated in terms of their initial planning, management,
adjustment in response to the rate of progress andchanges in the external environment, and degree ofachievement, including the beneficiary country’s levelof satisfaction, and the results and advice extracted
from this comprehensive evaluation are fed back into
subsequent projects to constantly enhance the generalefficiency and effectiveness of the technical cooperation
program. This fiscal year, the name of the evaluationcommittee was changed from “Ex-post Evaluation
Committee” to “Technical Cooperation Evaluation
Subcommittee.”This fiscal year’s Technical Cooperation Evaluation
Subcommittee held its first meeting on June 22
and its second meeting on August 1. The fourmember committee headed by Dr. Noritaka Mizuno,
Professor, Department of Applied Chemistry, Schoolof Engineering, The University of Tokyo, included
Dr. Yoshiki Ogawa, Professor, Faculty of Economics,
Toyo University; Dr. Keiichi Tomishige, Professor,
Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate Schoolof Engineering, Tohoku University; and Dr. Atsushi
Satsuma, Professor, Department of Molecular Design
and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering,
Nagoya University.

2. Evaluated Projects
The Evaluation Subcommittee evaluated six projects
that were completed this year. Each project was evaluatedas shown below from the four perspectives of “project
goal and status,” “project management,” “degreeof achievement of the project goal,” and “practicalapplication and spin-off effects of the project.”38 • Technical Cooperation •(1) Study on Mild Hydro-cracking of LCO &Evaluation of Gas Oil HDS Catalysts(Saudi Arabia)
1) Objective
This project aimed to lay the basic groundwork fordevelopment of mild hydro-cracking technology toward
the effective utilization of light cycle oil (LCO) that is
expected to be in surplus in Saudi Arabia in the future,and to develop an evaluation technology for catalysts
to be used in the production of ultra-low-sulfur diesel
fuel that complies with future laws and regulations in
the country.
2) Evaluation
All in all, the Subcommittee judged that the project
was implemented with favorable results. In addition toachieving the R&D goal of attaining a 50% or moreconversion yield of alkyl benzene from LCO, the project
was evaluated for its contribution to transferring therelevant technology to Saudi Arabia and increasing
recognition of JCCP activities by presenting its resultsin papers submitted to five academic publications.
(2) Study on Hydrogen Pilot Unit Demonstration(HyPUD) for Integration to H2 Station(Saudi Arabia)
1) Objective
This project provided support for the construction,
operation and study of a hydrogen production
demonstration unit that uses an oil-reforming catalyst
developed by Saudi Aramco, and was designed toprovide the first step toward the demonstration operationof a hydrogen station that would produce hydrogen fuelfrom oil and dispense the fuel to fuel cell vehicles.
2) Evaluation
The project was initially planned to be implemented
over a maximum period of three years. However, theSaudi Arabian side decided not to go through with theentire plan, and the project was therefore brought to aclose after the first year, at the end of fiscal 2011. The

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

premature cancellation was unfortunate, but the project
was nevertheless evaluated for being implemented
with proper results. The construction cost of thedemonstration unit was examined, a study was conductedto minimize the scope of construction, and relevant data
and materials were provided to the Saudi Arabian side
as planned, for their consideration of whether or not toproceed to the next stage of the project. JCCP believes
that the issue of hydrogen stations might again becomea matter of interest as further advancements are madetoward the development of a hydrogen society, andexpects the results of this project to play an importantrole at that time.
(3) Project on Kuwait Heavy Crude Oil
Upgrading—Feasibility of Thermal Cracking(Kuwait)1) Objective
This project studied the thermal cracking process asa means for lightening and reducing the sulfur content
of heavy crude oil, which is an issue of major concern inKuwait, and examined the feasibility of commercializing
the process by creating a conceptual design of the process
and assessing its economic efficiency.
2) Evaluation
Due to a delay in Kuwait’s heavy oil production
plan, which was the driving factor of the project, anagreement was not reached regarding the construction ofa demonstration plant that was envisioned as the next stepin the project, but the project was nevertheless evaluatedas having been implemented with good results. For
example, the advantages of Eureka, a thermal cracking
process licensed by a Japanese company, were verified;technologies for testing, evaluating and analyzing thethermal cracking process were transferred to Kuwait;
and a guideline report for commercializing the process
was distributed to oil-related parties in Kuwait inpreparation for resumption of the plan to increase crude
oil production.
(4) Application Study of Sulfur Concrete
Technology (UAE)1) Objective
This project aimed to verify the applicability ofmodified sulfur concrete to UAE through a demonstration
test of its use in a marine application (fish reef) andwastewater treatment application (sewerage system).

The sulfur concrete was developed by Japan to makeeffective use of surplus sulfur in UAE, and was designed
to deliver high salt and acid resistance.
2) Evaluation
The demonstration test of the sulfur concrete’s
application as a fish reef and wastewater treatment
application was evaluated as having been implemented
as planned with favorable results. In regard to its use
in a marine application, the demonstration verified theconcrete’s effectiveness as an artificial fish reef, so thefeasibility of its commercialization in UAE will be
examined as a new study in fiscal 2012. In regard to theconcrete’s use in a wastewater treatment application,
the demonstration test was instrumental in extracting
technical issues specific to an environment that differsfrom that in Japan and helped establish guidelines for
future improvement. The project was also evaluatedfor the measures taken to promote awareness of its
implementation in UAE through project reporting
meetings and forums such as the Joint GCC-Japan
Environment Symposium.

Schools of ﬁsh observed around the artiﬁcial ﬁsh reef(modiﬁed sulfur concrete)(5) Technical Support on Energy Efﬁciency
Improvement and Corrosion/Fouling Problem
at QP Reﬁnery (Qatar)
1) Objective
This project aimed to provide technical support for
improvement of energy efficiency and corrosion/foulingproblems in response to a strong request from Qatar
Petroleum (QP)’s Mesaieed Refinery, which has been
struggling with low energy usage efficiency.
2) Evaluation
The project was evaluated as having been implemented
with good results. As the proposed change in amine

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

• Technical Cooperation • 39

solution was verified to have a large improvement
effect on energy efficiency, there are expectationsof its future application to the Mesaieed Refinery.
The corrosion/fouling problem of refinery units wasaddressed by providing improvement measures basedon the knowledge of Japanese refineries, with plans for
future application of their results by the refinery.
(6) Survey of Practical Use of Sand-Asphalt(Egypt)1) Objective
In Egypt, crude oil that has been left abandoned inoil fields since the early development period has mixed
with desert sand, lost its volatile content over time, andturned into sand-asphalt. In response to the country’s
struggles to process this sand, this project aimed to
examine whether it could be used as raw material for
producing an asphalt paving compound.
2) Evaluation
A significant change occurred in the external
environment during this project. That is, the ArabSpring prompted anti-government protests in Egypt
as in other Arab countries, and President Hosni
Mubarak’s prolonged administration collapsed in
February 2011. In the aftermath of this revolution, theproject was terminated even before an agreement for
its implementation could be signed by JCCP and thecounterpart in Egypt, and the planned demonstration
test could not be conducted. Although the project could
not be implemented due to the counterpart’s situation, it
was evaluated in terms of the fact that JCCP was able tostrengthen its relationship with the counterpart throughcontinued negotiations, and that offers for cooperation
were received after contacting other relevant parties in
the oil industry. JCCP believes Egypt has strong needs
for this project, and that it may once again request its
implementation when circumstances improve.

3. Summary
In addition to the above project evaluations, theEvaluation Subcommittee also provided views andproposals for future projects. For example, with respect
to projects that address issues that Middle East oilproducing countries have in common, it provided theview that such projects should be widely applied toother relevant countries as well. JCCP will give due
consideration to the guidance and counsel provided
by the Evaluation Subcommittee and incorporate themin the implementation of future technical cooperation
projects.
<by Michio Fujitani, Technical Cooperation Dept.>

40 • Technical Cooperation •JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

Tidings from
Middle East

Assigned to Saudi Arabia
for the Second Time
Junichi Kasuya, General Manager, Riyadh Ofﬁce

As of February 1, 2012, I was temporarily transferredfrom my parent company Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. to
JCCP, and have been residing in Riyadh, the capital of
Saudi Arabia, from March. I am the fourth representativeof the JCCP Riyadh Office since it was establishedin 2003, but this is actually my second assignment in
Saudi Arabia. The first time, I was stationed in Jeddah
as a representative of the Idemitsu Jeddah Office fromimmediately after the Gulf War in 1991 to June 1993.
There are presently a little over 700 Japanese people
living in Saudi Arabia, of which around 230 live in
Riyadh, and there are 20 Japanese companies andorganizations including the Embassy of Japan.
Saudi Arabia is roughly 5.7 times larger than Japan,
and the largest country on the Arabian Peninsula. It is
well known as a dominant power in terms of the Islam
religion and the world’s largest producer of crude oil.
The country’s population, which was around 16 million
during my stay in Jeddah, has grown to approximately
26 million today, achieving a more than 60% growth injust 20 years. The population in the capital city of Riyadh
has also grown considerably from around 1.8 million 20
years ago to more than 5 million, and now surpasses eventhe total population of UAE, a country made famous by
the riches of Dubai. The cityscape of Riyadh is marked
today by luxury brand shops and fast-food chains thatare also popular and well known in Japan.
With the dissemination of cell phones, satellite
broadcasts and Internet access, which did not exist 20
years ago, and a host of new technologies that are too
numerous to name, Saudi Arabia has become a materiallyaffluent and advanced country. It has also become more
open and free, allowing Saudi Arabian women to appear
on mass media and issuing business visas to women,
freedoms that were unheard of in the past. There are still
many inconveniences compared to Japan and the West,but the country is steadily advancing.

At the same time, however, the above-mentioned
population increase has brought various issues thatwere never envisioned 20 years ago. Among them,
unemployment and the sharp increase in energy demand
are particularly serious issues. The latest unemployment
rate was reported at around 11% as a whole, with up to
30% of youths and more than 50% of women said to be
unemployed. Given this situation, there is urgent needto create new workplaces and build vocational facilities
where people can acquire the necessary knowledge
and skills. Demands for water, electricity and fuel havealso surged to the point of affecting the supply of fuel,feedstock natural gas and crude oil to power plants,
desalination facilities, the petrochemical industry, andother industries.
Over the past few years, the government has
employed various initiatives for addressing these issues,
such as by establishing unemployment countermeasuresand promoting energy conservation and efficient energyuse.
The changes taking place in Saudi Arabia are changes
that are also taking place in other Middle East oilproducing countries as well.
Meanwhile, Japan’s dependency on the Middle Eastfor oil imports is around 90% at present, and has notchanged much since 20 years ago. This means the Middle
East oil-producing countries are as important to Japan’s
energy security today as they were back then. Basedon this understanding, JCCP’s mission to strengthen
relationships with oil-producing countries stands firm,and JCCP’s role remains as important as ever.
The Riyadh Office oversees JCCP activities not
only in Saudi Arabia but also in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait
and Egypt. Along with the JCCP Middle East Officein Abu Dhabi, it stands at the forefront of facilitating
communications with these oil-producing countries.
Close to 10 months have already passed since I took

JCCP NEWS No. 105 October 2009

• Tidings from the Middle East • 41

up my present post at the Riyadh Office. I will makecontinued efforts to maintain and strengthen JCCP’srelationships with oil-producing countries by expanding
personal connections with relevant parties and searchingfor seeds of new projects.
Changing the subject, I live alone in Riyadh. Without
my family here, without any movie theaters though
I love to watch movies, and with a limited selectionof entertainment, playing golf on the weekends has
become one of my favorite pastimes. In Riyadh, there
are two beautifully green golf courses that are simply

stunning. As I am the only Japanese person on staff at
the Riyadh Office and usually have few opportunities
to speak Japanese, playing a round of golf with otherJapanese members is a refreshing respite. Having said
this, however, playing golf frequently becomes morea source of frustration than relaxation, since I am notnecessarily good at the sport.
If anyone reading this has an opportunity to come to
Saudi Arabia on business, please feel free to drop me aline. I will look forward to your visit.

Tidings from
Middle East

Miraculous Abu Dhabi
Jun Nishimura, General Manager, Middle East Ofﬁce

With the staff of the Middle East Ofﬁce

More than two months have already passed since
I came to Abu Dhabi as Director of the JCCP Middle
East Office. I have lived here twice in the past on abusiness assignment for a total of about eight years,
but the miraculous growth of this country never fails toamaze me.
In recent years, high-rise buildings that are up to 60
stories high, hotels, offices, and apartment complexes are
particularly prominent features of the cityscape. They
resemble cut bamboo stalks, and almost appear to havesprouted like bamboo shoots after a rain.
I believe the country’s steady growth and miraculous
achievements in nation-building based mainly on oilmoney acquired from its production of 2.5 bbl/d ofcrude oil is largely attributable to H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin
Sultan Al Nahyan, the former president who is widely
recognized as the “Father of the Nation.”In the early 1960s until crude oil production began
in Abu Dhabi, there were no hospitals, and schools were
open-air facilities that simply taught the Quran under
the shade of palm trees. The only livelihoods to speakof were collecting a modicum of pearls, fishing andnomadic herding. This year marks the 50th anniversaryof Abu Dhabi Marine Operation Company (ADMA; an
42 • Tidings from the Middle East •oil company based on Das Island that produces crude
oil offshore of Abu Dhabi), but back when the company
was first established, local workers were employed at low
wages by Western oil development companies.
With respect to this situation, Sheikh Zayed madea courageous decision. He embarked on a review ofagreements with Western oil companies, instructed Abu
Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to take controlof the resources of the entire oil industry, and establisheda system for management of oil riches. Through these
initiatives, he built a nation on the country’s vast
income earned from oil. Furthermore, he parceled out
residential land and land to build a commercial building
or warehouse to all citizens of Abu Dhabi so that evenpeople who had only ever engaged in fishing or camelherding could earn a living from the real estate or rental
business. He also established a system that requires allcompanies in UAE to be sponsored by a UAE citizen inorder to do business in the country. Under this system,
powerful citizens have come to sponsor as many as 10
or more companies, and are now well protected by apreferential treatment that gives them the right to receive
part of the companies’ profits and sponsorship fees.
Diverse other benefits are provided to such citizens,

JCCP NEWS No. 105 October 2009

including subsidies for education and medical expenses
and pension funds. These changes have allowed people
who had been making a living from nomadic herding
and fishing 50 years ago to enjoy affluent lifestyles on
the wealth gained from oil.
It was also Sheikh Zayed who organized Dubai
and the northern emirates and formed the United ArabEmirates, and who contributed one trillion yen to support
the country’s economy in the wake of the 2009 Dubai
debt crisis. I have nothing but respect for the late Sheikhof the leading emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Amid such national development, Sheikh Zayed’s
final accomplishment was the smooth transfer of power
to his successor. Ultimately, after his death in 2004,
Sheikh Khalifa, his son from his first wife, became thenew emir and president of UAE, and Sheikh Mohammed,
his son from his third wife, became the next Sheikh
leader. The fact that there were no arguments regarding
inheritance is also an attestation to the former president.
Sheikh Mohammed is presently 51 years old, and has
made significant achievements as is evident in Abu
Dhabi’s remarkable growth.
It is miraculous, in a sense, that Abu Dhabi and therest of UAE have maintained a peaceful quiet amid theturmoil in neighboring countries, including the ArabSpring, the Syrian civil war, and nuclear development
in Iran. As a country that upholds neutrality, Japan sees
Abu Dhabi as a partner with whom it can establish aclose and steady cooperative relationship, and an optimal
stage for JCCP activities.
On another note, I would like to introduce life in
Abu Dhabi.
Previously, when I worked at Abu Dhabi Oil
Company, meals were never a problem as I dined in thecompany mess room. However, since being assigned to
the JCCP Middle East Office in August, I began cooking
for myself. This made me more conscious of food prices,and opened my eyes to the extremely low prices of staple
foods and vegetables in Abu Dhabi.
A package of six butter rolls costs 1Dhs (23 yen),a high-quality croissant costs 0.75Dhs (17 yen), anddiverse types of rice are available at an average price ofabout 100-300 yen/kg. As long as I do not eat lavishly
in a hotel, living in Abu Dhabi is friendly on the walletand comfortable. It is even said that the government
subsidizes living expenses.
One of my favorite books, From Rags to Riches,
provides a good description of the history and present
state of Abu Dhabi. Written by Mohammed Al Fahim,
a former aide to Sheikh Zayed, the book has beentranslated into many languages around the world.
Abu Dhabi Report by Haruo Yamagami is also a goodreference book among more recent publications. It
provides good reading if you are interested.
Al Salam Alaykum, as they say here in Abu Dhabi.
Peace be upon you.

JCCP NEWS No. 105 October 2009

• Tidings from the Middle East • 43

Graduates’ Voices
Mr. Mutlaq A. Al-Subaey
Superintendent, Southern Area Industrial Training Division,
Saudi Aramco
Graduate of regular courses on Human Resource Management (May 2010) andTraining Management (October 2004)

I am delighted to contribute to JCCP NEWS as a JCCP
graduate.
I am a superintendent at the Southern Area Industrial
Training Division of Saudi Aramco in the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia. The Southern Area Industrial Training
Division is a training organization under the Training &Development/Industrial Training Department at Saudi
Aramco, mandated to train the future workforce of ourcompany.
As a result of my participation in two JCCP regularcourses on Human Resource Management (2010) andTraining Management (2004), the training we deliver
has been guided by the principles I have acquired in thecourses. We strive to offer courses that pertain to the realneeds or requirements of our customers, place top priority
on the quality of our training and graduates rather than onquantity, consistently improve the skills and knowledgeof our instructional employees in response to changing

demands for technologies, and provide a pleasant training
environment to our trainees.
My participation in the two JCCP courses was amemorable experience from which I acquired general andup-do-date knowledge about human resource development
and training management. However, what I found mostinteresting was learning about Japanese styles andperspectives for improving management skills for humanresources and training. Fields trips to successful businessinstitutions in Japan were also highly meaningful, as they
provided an opportunity to witness actual HRD practices
and training in action and receive detailed explanations
about the process of achieving success based on HRD
and training management principles. Moreover, holding
intercultural exchanges with participants from different
countries through day-to-day training activities was aparticularly invaluable experience.
I wish JCCP continued success and prosperity.

Mr. Jamal Mohamed Agrien
Supervisor of Automatic Control System, Instrumentation Division,
Ras Lanuf Oil and Gas Processing Co. (RASCO), Libya
Graduate of a regular course on Advanced Field Devices & Control (October 2009)

I participated in a regular course on Advanced Field
Devices & Control (TR-13-09) in FY2009.
One of the greatest benefits of having participatedin a JCCP regular course is that I acquired insight into
understanding the Japanese people. The course took us tovarious cities in Japan to visit industrial companies suchas Yokogawa Electric Corporation, Yamatake Corporation(now known as Azbil Corporation), Idemitsu Kosan Co.,
Ltd., and Shinkawa Electric Co., Ltd. These trips exposed
us to Japanese society in action, and not only helped us
understand Japanese people’s way of thinking, but also
provided a glimpse into the secret of how the Japanese
became such hardworking people. Even now after returning

44 • Graduates’ Voices •to my country, I wish to visit the great country of Japan
once more and learn more about Japanese culture.
By participating in a JCCP course, I was able toimprove myself in my position at work, and as the course
covered practical aspects of control systems, I came toundertake more duties and responsibilities as a supervisorof automatic control systems.
I hope to return to Japan someday to participate ina regular course on advanced process control or model
predictive control. I am convinced that my participation inanother JCCP course would be greatly beneficial not only
to me, personally, but also to future cooperation between
RASCO and JCCP.

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

Announcement

The 31st JCCP International Symposium
JCCP invites oil experts from oil-producing countries to Japan every year and hosts an international symposium
to promote dialogue and cooperation between oil-producing countries and Japan. The symposium will be held
again this year, as shown below.
N Date & Time:

January 30, 2013 (Day 1)
14:00 – 17:20 Opening ceremony, Keynote speech, Guest speeches
18:00 – 20:00 Reception
January 31, 2013 (Day 2)
9:30 – 12:00
Session I
13:30 – 16:00 Session II
N Venue:
Hotel Okura Tokyo (http://www.hotelokura.co.jp/tokyo/)
Orchid Room (annex 2nd ﬂoor)
N Main theme:
Communication and Cooperation: For Sustainable Future of Oil Industry
N Session themes:(Session 1) Change of Business Environment in Oil Downstream and Human
Resources Development(Session 2) Change of Business Environment in Oil Downstream and Innovationof Technology
N Program and Panelists: Please see JCCP’s website (http://www.jccp.or.jp)
N Contact:
International Symposium Secretariat
Mr. Koji Io, Operations Dept.
Phone: (+81)-3-5396-6000 / Fax: (+81)-3-5396-6006 /Email: symposium@jccp.or.jp

Announcement

The 21st Joint GCC-Japan Environment Symposium
The Joint GCC-Japan Environment Symposium brings together environmental experts from the GCC countries
and Japan to promote shared awareness of environmental improvement and conservation measures through mutual
discussions and information exchanges. It is held in a different GCC country every year, and will be held again
this fiscal year, as shown below.
N Dates:

February 5 – 6, 2013
February 5 (Day 1) Opening ceremony, Symposium session
February 6 (Day 2) Symposium session, Forum session, Closing ceremony
N Country:
Doha, Qatar
N Venue:
Sharq Village Hotel (http://www.sharqvillage.com/)
N Co-organizer:
Qatar Petroleum
N Main theme:
Sustainable Environment, Climate Change and Renewable Energy for Oil and Gas Industry
N Presenters (planned): Japan – 1 keynote speaker, 5 – 6 speakers
GCC countries – 18 speakers (from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Oman)
N Contact:
Environment Symposium Secretariat
Mr. Yukiteru Watanabe or Ms. Mieko Onai, Technical Cooperation Dept.
Phone: (+81)-3-5396-8021 / Fax: (+81)-3-5396-8015
Email: environment-sympo@jccp.or.jp

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

• Announcements • 45

Announcement

Please Help Us Update Our Roster
Thank you for reading JCCP NEWS as always.
JCCP has reached a significant milestone in its history and celebrated 30 years of operations last November.
In commemorating this achievement, we extended 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 form and return theform 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.

Please Send Us a Message as Alumni
Future issues of JCCP NEWS will feature a new section for messages from alumni. Please send us the latest
news about what you are up to or photos that you wish to share with others. The Planning & Public Relations Group
looks forward to hearing from you.

Thank you for your cooperation.
Yoshi Tanda, General Manager, Planning & Coordination
Masumi Kitahara (Ms.), Manager, Planning & Public Relations46 • Announcements •JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

Personnel Changes
Outgoing Personnel
Middle East
OfficeShoichiro YAGITransfer Personnel
Technical
Cooperation
Department↓
Middle East
OfficeJun NISHIMURA

Editorial Postscript
H.H. Dr. Turki Saud Mohammed Al-Saud, Vice President for Research Institutes at KACST (Saudi Arabia),
kindly contributed a message to this issue of JCCP NEWS. We are delighted with His Highness’s heartwarming
message, which expresses his strong wish to strengthen bonds between Saudi Arabia and Japan through JCCP
activities.
We also received an update report from two JCCP course graduates. They say they have acquired much experienceand knowledge from JCCP training, as well as from Japanese culture and customs, and are effectively applying
what they have learned in Japan to their present work. We hope to publish update reports from other graduatesagain in the next issue of JCCP NEWS.
This year, the general managers of the JCCP Riyadh and Abu Dhabi Offices have changed, as introduced in thesection on “Tidings from the Middle East” in this newsletter. As both new general managers have resided in the
Middle East a number of times, their messages reflect their fondness for their country of residence in the Middle
East. When visiting Abu Dhabi or Riyadh, please pay a visit to the JCCP Office in those cities.
Masumi Kitahara
JCCP News Editor
Planning & Public Relations Group

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013

• Announcements • 47

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

TEL. +81-3-5396-6000
TEL. +81-3-5396-6001
TEL. +81-3-5396-6909
TEL. +81-3-5396-8021

FAX. +81-3-5396-6006
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Overseas Ofﬁces• Middle East Ofﬁce#904, Al-Ghaith Ofﬁce Tower, Hamdan St.,
P.O. Box 51828, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.
TEL. +971-2-627-4410 FAX. +971-2-626-2166

URL: http://www.jccp.or.jp

48• Riyadh Ofﬁce
Al Oula Building, 5th Floor, Flat No.508
Al Mohamadiya, King Fahd Road
P.O. Box 61356, Riyadh 11565, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
TEL. +966-1-207-9540 FAX. +966-1-207-9539

E-mail: webmaster@jccp.or.jp

JCCP NEWS No. 114 January 2013