JCCP NEWS
Newsletter of Japan Cooperation Center, Petroleum

TopicsNo. 103
February 2009

H.E. Dr. Maitha Al-Shamsi,
UAE Minister of State,
Visits Japan

In this issue:
Topics
H.E. Dr. Maitha Al-Shamsi
Visits Japan

1

Visits to SE Asia and the
Middle East by Mr. Sase

5

Signing Ceremony with QP

11“Maintenance & Safety
Management” for Saudi Aramco 13
JCCP Participants Surpass 18,000 18
Personnel Exchange Programs
CPJ on “Refinery
Computerization” (CDB OGI)19

CPJ on “Energy Saving” (LUKOIL) 22
CPO on “Upgrading Process of
Heavy Oil” in Colombia andTC Program in Brazil

26

CPO on “HRM” for Kuwait &UAE

29

TC Program in Russia &Azerbaijan

35

TC Program in Iran, Kuwait,
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain

38

Participant’s Voice

42

JCCP Regular Courses Completed
October – December 200844
Technical Cooperation
18th Saudi-Japan Joint
Symposium

46

Project on In-SAR Technology
Application in Saudi Arabia

48

Study on Improving Reactor
Efficiency in Iran50

SQU-Japan Projects Introduced in
SQU’s Newsletter
51
Announcement
Personnel Changes

52

Dr. Al-Shamsi at JCCP, with Mr. Masataka Sase, Executive Director of JCCP

As part of the FY2008 JCCP VIP Invitation Program, JCCP has
invited H.E. Dr. Maitha Al-Shamsi, UAE Minister of State, to Japan,
from November 15 to 21, 2008.
Before being appointed to Minister of State and Research Advisor at
UAE University in February 2008, Dr. Al-Shamsi has held prominent
positions at the university. She assumed the positions of Deputy Vice
Chancellor in 1990, Vice Chancellor in 2000, and Assistant Provost
for Research in 2004. In these capacities, she actively promoted thedevelopment of higher education in UAE and has made a significant
number of achievements in that area. In addition to her current position
as Minister of State, Dr. Al-Shamsi holds various other important posts,
JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Topics •1

including Managing Director of the Dubai Women’s
Establishment and President of the Marriage Fund,and plays a central role in the development ofscience, technology and education, and women’sissues, in particular, in UAE.
UAE and Japan enjoy a close relationship basedon crude oil and natural gas, as well as engage inactive cooperation issues. The two countries began
implementing technical cooperation projects in
FY2001, and UAE University, in particular, hasbeen, and continues to be, an active participant inthese joint research projects. To discuss the progressof ongoing activities, JCCP and UAE University
hold a scientific council meeting biannually, with
Dr. Al-Shamsi heading the UAE University side.
In addition to attending the 7th Scientific Council
Meeting in Japan, Dr. Al-Shamsi also used theopportunity of her visit to Japan to call on oil-related
research institutes and governmental institutions inJapan.

1. At JCCP Headquarters(November 17)
Upon receiving Dr. Al-Shamsi at JCCP
Headquarters, Mr. Masataka Sase, Executive
Director of JCCP, congratulated Dr. Al-Shamsi on
her appointment as Minister of State. He and Mr.
Katsuo Yokoyama, Managing Director of JCCP,
then exchanged views with Dr. Al-Shamsi on oilrelated issues and JCCP activities in general.

gas industry, that are being implemented as part of
the FY2008 program.

Scientific Council Meeting in session

3. Visit to Nippon Oil Corporation(November 18)
At the Central Technical Research Laboratory,
Dr. Al-Shamsi was warmly welcomed by Mr. Hajime
Okazaki, General Manager, senior researchers of
the laboratory, and Mr. Takahiko Yamaji, Presidentof Nippon Oil Research Institute. After receiving
warm words of welcome from Mr. Okazaki and ageneral overview of the laboratory, Dr. Al-Shamsi
toured the facilities where research is being
conducted on RECOSUL, a type of modifiedsulfur concrete developed to make effective useof sulfur, which is currently being applied to ademonstration study in UAE. She toured other parts

2. Scientific Council Meeting(November 17)
Members from UAE University, the JCCP
Technical Cooperation Department, Nippon Oil
Research Institute, a corporate participant in the
joint research projects with UAE University, and Dr.
Masaaki Teramoto of Kyoto Institute of Technology
gathered at JCCP Headquarters to take part in the
7th Scientific Council Meeting. The members held
active discussions on the progress of activities inthe study on wastewater treatment in UAE refineries
and the study on acid gas treatment in UAE’s natural2• Topics •Dr. Al-Shamsi touring the research facilities

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

of the laboratory as well, while listening avidly totechnical explanations of various studies, including
those relating to catalyst assessment bench plants
and new developments in fuel cells, and at one point,
appeared particularly impressed with the knowledge
and eloquent explanations given by young female
researchers. Dr. Al-Shamsi was also invited to testride a fuel-cell vehicle, and showed strong interest
in its development.
A lively discussion session with all members
concerned concluded Dr. Al-Shamsi’s visit to thelaboratory.
Meeting with Ms. Sanae Takaichi, Vice Minister of
Economy, Trade and Industry

Dr. Al-Shamsi receiving an explanation fromfemale researchers of the laboratory

4. Courtesy Call on the Vice Ministerof Economy, Trade and Industry(November 19)
Vice Minister Takaichi warmly welcomed
Dr. Al-Shamsi on her first visit to Japan after
being appointed Minister of State, expressing herappreciation of Dr. Al-Shamsi’s role in promoting
friendly relations between UAE and Japan overmany years, as well as her pleasure in meeting Dr.
Al-Shamsi in person.
Ms. Takaichi emphasized the two country’s
relationship of mutual trust and cooperation,
mentioning that UAE and Japan have formed strong
bonds of cooperation through development projects
in the oil upstream sector, as well as in a wide rangeof other sectors, including personal exchanges anddevelopment not only in relation to crude oil trade,but also through educational and inter-university
exchange programs.
Dr. Al-Shamsi noted that JCCP and UAE havebeen implementing technical cooperation projects
for 7 years now, and a number of university-based
cooperation programs have emerged from them. As
many of these programs have largely benefited fromknowledge obtained from Japan, Dr. Al-Shamsi
expressed her strong wish that the two countries
continue to cooperate in performing joint technicalprojects in the future.
The two women also shared their views on theimportance of family and home, and agreed that
this meeting presented a good opportunity to further
strengthen the friendly relationship between UAE
and Japan.

5. Visit to the Japan Institute ofWorkers’ Evolution(November 19)
The Japan Institute of Workers’ Evolution aims to
improve the welfare of female workers by initiating
activities for promoting child-rearing education
among female workers and improving employment
management practices. As it is one of the areas inwhich Dr. Al-Shamsi has particularly strong interest,
she had been looking forward to this meeting with

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Topics •3

Ms. Nobuko Matsubara.
The meeting began with Ms. Matsubara
expressing her immense pleasure in meeting Dr.
Al-Shamsi. As key figures in women’s issues in
UAE and Japan, Dr. Al-Shamsi and Ms. Matsubara
exchanged in-depth views on women’s educationand marriage issues in both countries.

With the ambassadors of Middle East countries in Japan

Meeting with Ms. Nobuko Matsubara,
Chairperson of Japan Institute of Workers’ Evolution

6. Visit to the Embassy of UAE
in Japan(November 19)
On the final day of Dr. Al-Shamsi’s stay in Japan,
H.E. Ambassador Saeed Alnouais kindly hosted abanquet for Dr. Al-Shamsi at the Embassy of UAE
in Japan, inviting Ms. Yuriko Koike, member ofthe House of Representatives, executives from theJapanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry,

the presidents of JCCP member companies,
ambassadors of eight Middle East countries, and
JCCP board members.
We believe that this invitation program hasoffered Dr. Al-Shamsi a good opportunity to gain
first-hand experience in Japan’s latest technologies
while deepening her understanding of oil and energy
trends in Japan. Furthermore, we feel there wassignificant meaning in having such an important
person as Dr. Al-Shamsi, who plays a central rolein promoting science and technology in UAE, gaina better understanding and appreciation of Japanby establishing close ties with Japanese leaders invarious fields.
JCCP extends its profound appreciation to
everyone at the Embassy of UAE in Japan, theMinistry of Economy, Trade and Industry, theMinistry of Foreign Affairs, the Japan Institute ofWorkers’ Evolution, Nippon Oil Corporation, andNippon Oil Research Institute, for their generous
support and cooperation in the invitation program.
<by Kenji Ikushima, Technical Cooperation Dept.>

4• Topics •JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

Topics

Visits to Southeast Asia and the Middle East
by Mr. Sase, Executive Director of JCCP
Marking the occasion of his appointment inJuly 2008 as the new Executive Director of JCCP,
Mr. Masataka Sase made visits to oil-producing
countries in Southeast Asia in September 2008
following the summer holidays, and to oil-producing
countries in the Middle East in October 2008, after
the end of Ramadan. In addition to paying calls on
counterpart organizations to introduce himself andto thank them for their participation in JCCP training
activities and technical cooperation programs, Mr.
Sase held frank exchanges of views with the leadersof those organizations on a wide range of topics,
including today’s rapidly changing situation in the
global oil market, future business prospects in oilproducing countries, and areas for improvement in
JCCP activities. As Mr. Sase was not able to visit
all JCCP counterpart countries in the two regions
during his first trip, he wishes to make additional
visits to those countries he has not yet visited at his
earliest opportunity and strengthen relationships
across the board.

I. Southeast Asia Oil-Producing Countries
1. Indonesia(1) PERTAMINA
Mr. Sase visited PERTAMINA Headquarters
on September 22 (Mon.), and met with Mr. Ari G.
Soemarno, President Director & CEO.
In response to increasing demands for oil products
accompanying economic growth, PERTAMINA
has launched large-scale investment projects for
expanding its refineries, creating a pipeline networkfor oil products, and increasing the capacities of oil
depots, with its greatest priority in bringing theseprojects to a successful completion. Another priority
issue is the development of new employees who
have been recruited in large numbers to replace theolder generation that will soon reach retirement age.
To achieve its future goals, Mr. Soemarno stressedthat further cooperation from JCCP is essential
to PERTAMINA. Mr. Sase promised continued
cooperation to the company, stating that Indonesia
is an important counterpart country to JCCP, andparticularly to JCCP regular courses, which havereceived more than 1,400 participants from Indonesia
over the 27 years since JCCP’s founding.

Mr. Ari Soemarno, President Director & CEO (center),Mr. Waluyo, Corporate Senior Vice President (right),
Ms. Nina Nurlina Pramono, (then) Vice President of
PERTAMINA Learning Center (second from right)(2) PERTAMINA Learning Center
At the PERTAMINA Learning Center, Mr. Sase
received a warm welcome from Ms. Nina Nurlina
Pramono, (then) Vice President, and members of
the staff.
PERTAMINA is initiating internal reforms,
as it strives to achieve “global-level corporate
management,” as set forth in its corporate principles.
In 2006, it formulated a new management plan,

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Topics •5based on the awareness that human resource
development is key to realizing these corporate
principles. In the meeting held at the Learning
Center, Ms. Pramono explained in detail thesignificance of PERTAMINA’s policies, systems,
and programs. She also explained that JCCP
regular courses rank high among numerous training
programs adopted by PERTAMINA, and requested
JCCP’s continued cooperation in receiving
participants from PERTAMINA to its regularcourses, as human resource development is poised to
become an even more important issue in the future,
toward the realization of PERTAMINA’s corporate
policies. JCCP will strive to meet PERTAMINA’s
expectations to the greatest extent possible.

Japan in that area. JCCP will examine potential
means of cooperation in relation to these newtechnologies, including cooperation schemes inpartnership with other relevant institutions.

2. Thailand(3) Directorate of Oil and Gas (MIGAS),
Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources
In the afternoon of September 22 (Mon.), Mr.
Sase visited MIGAS, and met with Dr.-Ing. Evita H.
Legowo, Director General, Mr. A. Edy Hermantoro,
Director, and Mr. I. Gusti Suarnaya Sidemen,
Deputy Director for Program Development.
MIGAS considers the development of alternative
automotive fuels to petroleum as a priority
management strategy, and is directing its efforts
to developing technologies for promoting biofuels
and DME and GTL fuels. Acknowledging Japan’sabundant experience in alternative fuel technologies,
the members on the MIGAS side expressed theirhopes of receiving continued cooperation from

(1) The Bangchak Petroleum Public Company
Ltd. (BCP)
On September 24 (Wed.), Mr. Sase visited BCP’s
Bangchak Refinery, where he was welcomed by
Mr. Kiatchai Maitriwong, Senior Vice President,
Planning and Logistics, and a large group of senior
executives.
As in Indonesia, the development of alternative
automotive fuels is also a major issue in Thailand.
BCP began researching biodiesel fuel production
technologies more than 15 years ago, keeping pacewith trends in Japanese technical developments, andhas already begun selling ethanol-blended gasoline
and biodiesel fuel. It maintains a strong interest in
new technologies, and wishes to expand its networkof contacts with refineries in other countries andshare information through JCCP. JCCP courses are
significant and ideal in this respect, as they allow
participants from different countries to get to knoweach other and make new connections with people
in the same field. JCCP is proud of the role it plays
in bringing people together, and will continue todedicate its efforts to promoting personal exchanges
among participants from different countries.

Dr.-Ing. Evita H. Legowo,
Director General of MIGAS (left)

Mr. Kiatchai Maitriwong, Senior Vice President,
Planning and Logistics, BCP (left)

6• Topics •JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

(2) PTT Public Company Limited (PTT)
In the afternoon of September 24 (Wed.), Mr. Sase
visited PTT, to meet with Mr. Songwut Chinnawat,
Senior Executive Vice President, Corporate
Support, Mr. Pitipan Tepartimargorn, Executive
Vice President, Corporate Human Resources, andexecutives of the personnel department.

of PTT personnel. Mr. Sase promised JCCP’scontinued cooperation in the future.

3. Vietnam

Mr. Songwut Chinnawat,
Senior Executive Vice President, PTT (right)

On September 26 (Fri.), Mr. Sase visited
Petrovietnam (PV), and met with Mr. Tran Van Hoa,
MSc, General Manager, Training & HRD Division.
Petrovietnam is preparing to commence
operations at its Zung Quat Refinery in February
2009, and is currently implementing the final stageof its construction. As there is mounting pressure
to bring the country’s first large-scale refinery
to a proper start, Mr. Sase promised JCCP’s
utmost cooperation in support of the successfulcommencement of operations. Mr. Hoa thanked
Mr. Sase, recounting that, as of the end of FY2007,
JCCP had received a total of 930 Vietnameseparticipants to its regular courses since 1995, andhas been of tremendous support in the developmentof Vietnam’s oil industry.

PTT plays a central role in responding toincreasing energy demands in Thailand, expanding
the country’s natural gas operations, and promoting
the production of biofuels. Based on the awarenessthat developing outstanding human resources iscritical to addressing these priority issues, it is
now directing greater efforts to human resources
development, as it strives to become a world-leading
company. JCCP has received more than 1,300
participants from PTT since its founding, and isconsidered a vital institution in the development

Mr. Tran Van Hoa, MSc, General Manager,
Training & HRD Division, PV (far left)

II. Middle East Oil-Producing Countries
1. UAE(1) Abu Dhabi National Oil Company(ADNOC)On October 16 (Thu.), Mr. Sase visited ADNOC,
and met with Mr. Mubarak S. Al Keti, Manager,
Crude and Condensate Division.
UAE is Japan’s second-largest supplier of crudeoil, following Saudi Arabia, supplying one-fourth of
the total amount of oil consumed in Japan, and to
UAE, Japan is an important importer of crude oil.
The two countries have maintained a cooperative
relationship since the formal establishment of UAE
in 1971.
Mr. Sase was not able to meet directly with H.E.
Mr. Yousef Omair Bin Yousef, CEO, for an urgent

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Topics •7

meeting during this visit to ADNOC, but received amessage from the CEO through Mr. Al Keti, statingthat Japan is important to ADNOC, as a country
playing a central role in the global oil business,and expressing his wish to continue strengthening
ADNOC’s friendly ties with JCCP and promoting
personal exchanges.
(2) Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company(TAKREER)
In the afternoon of October 16 (Thu.), Mr. Sase
visited TAKREER Headquarters, and met with Mr.
Ahmed O. Abdulla, Assistant General Manager,
Operations, and Mr. Ismail Al Mulla, Human
Resources and Administration Manager.
TAKREER was established in 1999, to take over
the responsibility of refining operations previously
undertaken by ADNOC. Including the period
during which it was a refining division under the
management of ADNOC, its relationship with JCCP
goes back 27 years.
Mr. Sase received warm words of appreciationfrom Mr. Abdulla, for his role in providing numerous
young officer candidates with a meaningful forum
for learning about Japanese corporate management
through JCCP courses, and for the invaluable
opportunity to meet people from many different oilproducing countries not only in the Middle East, butfrom Asia, Africa, and South America as well, andto establish an extensive network of professionals
in the oil industry.

2. Oman(1) H.E. Dr. Mohammed Hamed Saif Al-Rumhy
On October 18 (Sat.), Mr. Sase paid a courtesy
call on H.E. Dr. Mohammed Hamed Saif Al-Rumhy,
Minister of Oil and Gas.
This year, state-run Oman Refinery Company(ORC) is celebrating its 23rd anniversary since
the commencement of operations in 1985. JCCP
has been supporting ORC since the beginning,particularly in the development of staff members.
Hereafter, the company must prepare for an
inevitable shift of power to the next generation,
as seasoned employees reach retirement age, as
well as upgrade its refineries by introducing largescale cracking units and integrating refinery andpetrochemical operations. Developing outstanding
engineers capable of addressing such major businesschallenges is a management issue that begs close
attention in the near future, and one that Minister
Al-Rumhy believes will greatly benefit from further
cooperation with JCCP.

H.E. Dr. Mohammed Hamed Saif Al-Rumhy,
Minister of Oil and Gas (right)

Mr. Ahmed O. Abdulla, Assistant General Manager,
Operations (third from left), and
Mr. Ismail Al Mulla, Human Resources andAdministration Manager (second from right)

8• Topics •(2) Oman Refineries and Petrochemicals
Company (ORPC)
After paying a call on H.E. Dr. Al-Rumhy, Mr.
Sase visited ORPC, and met with Mr. Adel Al

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

Kindy, CEO, and Mr. Masoud Al Msalmy, GM,
Corporate Support.
Oman is currently planning the constructionof a new refinery at Duqm, which would be thecountry’s third refinery following the Mina al-Fahal
and Sohar Refineries. It is to be a state-of-the-art
refinery equipped with a residue cracking unit andan integrated petrochemical complex, in order toincrease the value of Oman’s oil.
Increasing the value of oil is a priority issue inboth oil-producing and oil-consuming countries.
“The creation of new oil industries is for thecommon benefit of oil-producing and oil-consuming
countries,” stated Mr. Al Kindy, who also expressed
his hopes that JCCP will continue to act as a catalyst
in promoting mutual exchanges of information
while contributing to the development of the oil
downstream sector.

3. Iran(1) National Iranian Oil Refining andDistribution Company (NIORDC),
Refinery Affairs Division
On October 20 (Sat.), Mr. Sase visited NIORDC
to meet with Mr. A. Eskandari, Director, Refinery
Affairs, and Mr. S. Mahjoubi, Technical Studies
Manager.
In Iran today, demand for oil products, andparticularly gasoline, is increasing at a rapid rate, and

Mr. A. Eskandari, Director, Refinery Affairs,
NIORDC (center)oil companies are hard-pressed to expand refinery
capacities and increase gasoline production. Given
this situation, NIORDC is considering expanding
the capacities of its nine existing refineries andbuilding seven new refineries, thereby doublingits current refining capacity. It is also working toincrease the value of its refineries by introducing a
residue cracking unit and other facilities.
Mr. Eskandari noted that the development ofoutstanding personnel is key to bringing these large
projects to successful fruition, and expressed his
expectations of receiving continued cooperationfrom JCCP through regular courses and technicalcooperation projects.
(2) NIORDC Human Resources Division
In the afternoon of October 20 (Sat.), Mr. Sase
visited NIORDC’s Human Resource Division, andmet with Mr. H. Ghorbani, Director of Human
Resources.
NIORDC is planning to sequentially separate
its refineries and cede them to the private sector.
In preparation for this move, the Human Resource
Division is busy promoting the developmentof human resources and improving employee
productivity. Having himself participated in a tailormade program on human resource development
held in Japan last February, Mr. Ghorbani is keen
to have many more staff members study Japanesestyle human resource development through JCCP,
and requested JCCP to continue providing such
pertinent training programs for Iran in the future.
(3) Iranian Ministry of Oil
After visiting NIORDC’s Human Resource
Division, Mr. Sase visited the Iranian Ministry of
Oil to pay a call on Mr. Y. Javadinia, GM, Petroleum
Ministry Office.
Mr. Javadinia has participated in a JCCP regularcourse twice in the past. Based on what he haslearned, he has created a textbook on Japanese-stylehuman resource development, and personally gives
lectures on the topic to young executive candidates.
He emphasized that it is important that Japan and
Iran share learning experiences through JCCP

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Topics •9

courses, and expressed his gratitude to JCCP for
its cooperation.

4. Qatar(1) Qatar Petroleum (QP), Refining Directorate
In the morning of October 22 (Wed.), Mr.
Sase visited QP, and met with Mr. Hussain M.
Al-Ishaq, Director Refining, Refining Directorate,
who assumes leadership on the Qatar side in the
JCCP technical cooperation project on “Efficiency
Improvement in the Mesaieed Refinery in Qatar.”
Thirty years ago in 1978, Japan and Qatar
established a joint venture company called Qatar
Steel Corporation (QACSO) through which, Mr.
Al-Ishaq noted, Qatar has learned many thingsfrom Japan. Even today, large-scale projects areunderway in Qatar, for the construction of oil,
LNG, and petrochemical plants that utilize thecountry’s abundant reserves of oil and natural gas.
Because Qatar has a small population, the successof these large-scale projects hinges on enhancing

Mr. Hussain M. Al-Ishaq, Director Refining, QP (right)

the capacity of each and every individual involved.
Based on this awareness, Mr. Al-Ishaq expressed
his strong wish that JCCP continue to extend its
cooperation to Qatar, as a central player in thetransfer of Japan’s refinery management expertiseand refinery technologies to Qatar.
(2) QP Qatarization Steering Committee
In the morning of October 23 (Thu.), Mr. Sase
visited with Mr. Essa Rashed Al Kaabi, Chairman
of QP’s Qatarization Steering Committee.
Qatar is moving forward with the development of
its oil and natural gas resources on a large scale, andis launching a number of major projects, including
the export of LNG overseas via pipeline from its
refineries. The Qatarization Committee has a large
responsibility in this grand design, to foster Qataripersonnel.
Mr. Al Kaabi, acknowledging that JCCP regularcourses are unique programs that offer the opportunity
to learn about various aspects of the oil industry
directly from Japanese oil companies, asked JCCP
to continue providing regular courses through which
Qatari citizens may acquire hands-on experience inJapanese-style corporate management.
Mr. Sase’s recent visits to oil-producing countries
in Southeast Asia and the Middle East have allowed
him to personally meet key figures in thosecountries, reconfirm friendly relations between
JCCP and its counterpart organizations, and obtain
invaluable views on future JCCP activities. Basedon the relationships of trust JCCP has cultivatedwith oil-producing countries around the world
over the 27 years since its founding, we shall makecontinuous efforts to further enhance our training
and technical cooperation programs.
<Southeast Asia: Katsuo Kirita, Training Dept.><Middle East: Hisayoshi Tanda, Administration Dept.>

10 • Topics •JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

Topics

Signing Ceremony at
the Mesaieed Refinery in Qatar“Operational and Safety Aspects”
On November 5, 2008, JCCP and Qatar Petroleum(QP) held a signing ceremony in the Al Dana Tower
at the QP Head Office, for the “Study on Operationaland Safety Aspects for Some Heaters in Refinery.”
The study is slated to be implemented by the twoorganizations from FY2008 to 2009, as part of the
JCCP technical cooperation program. Mr. Hussain
M. Al-Ishaq, Director Refining of QP, and Mr.
Katsuo Yokoyama, Managing Director of JCCP,
signed the Letter of Intent (LOI) amid a gatheringthat included H.E. Mr. Yukio Kitazume, Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, and Mr. Noboru
Homma, First Secretary, from the Japanese Embassyin Qatar, Mr. Abdulaziz M. Al-Khoori, Mesaieed
Refinery Operations Manager, managers from QP
departments involved in the project, and Mr. Takahiro
Kanbe, Director of Cosmo Engineering Co., Ltd.
(CEC), the project implementation company.
Prior to signing the LOI, Messrs. Al-Ishaq
and Al-Khoori expressed their honor to receive
Ambassador Kitazume and to be able to sign the
LOI in his presence. They also thanked CEC for
its cooperation in implementing JCCP projects
during the past several years, and for its efforts inensuring that the expected results are achieved. They
also expressed their hopes of realizing significant

technical and environmental improvements throughthe project. Ambassador Kitazume congratulated
H.E. Mr. Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Deputy
Prime Minister, Minister Energy, and Chairman andManaging Director of QP, on his conferment of the“Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun” forhis contribution in supplying energy to Japan andstrengthening relations between Japan and Qatar.
Ambassador Kitazume added that the holding of
this signing ceremony in Qatar on the same day
as the conferment of the award on Mr. Al-Attiyah
is a significant prospect of the increasingly strong
bonds of cooperation between the two countries.
Mr. Yokoyama thanked everyone concerned for theirsupport in the planning of the new project following
the previous study on LPG recovery, and extended
his gratitude to CEC for its continued cooperationand to Ambassador Kitazume for attending theceremony. He also promised JCCP’s steady support
in contributing to safe and stable operations at the
QP Mesaieed Refinery, improving efficiency inthe refinery, and enhancing the technical skillsof refinery engineers through the project. Lastly,
Mr. Kanbe explained that Cosmo Oil Co., Ltd. hasestablished a subsidiary relationship with QP by
investing in the QP Laffan Refinery, and expressed

Exchange of commemorative gifts:
H.E. Mr. Yukio Kitazume, Ambassador to Qatar (left),
Mr. Hussain M. Al-Ishaq, Director Refining, QP (right)

Exchange of the LOI:
Mr. Al-Ishaq (right),
Mr. Katsuo Yokoyama, JCCP (left)

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Topics • 11

his company’s commitment to further deepening
relations with QP through the project and making
steady achievements.
The new project comes after the “FEED Studyon LPG Recovery at the Mesaieed Refinery,”a two-year project that was begun in FY2006,
and will be based on the results of the “Study on
Environmental Improvement at Qatar Petroleum,”which was implemented in FY2007 under JCCP’s
project-finding (PF) scheme. The project has been
made possible by the joint efforts of JCCP and CEC
in building strong cooperative ties with QP since
the launch of the first joint technical cooperation
project with QP.
The following is an overview of the project.
(1) Participating company: Cosmo Engineering
Co., Ltd.
(2) Project period: One year, from April 1, 2008
to March 31, 2009; with plans to extend thecontract by an additional year, in FY2009(3) Overview of the study
1. FY2008
The first year of the project will focus on
examining and analyzing the causes of problems
that have occurred during the previous fiscal
year, as well as current issues and problems
relating to the refinery’s six furnaces: (1)Measures for improving energy efficiencyof the furnaces; (2) Survey for improving
combustion by changing fuel composition;and (3) General plan of necessary facilities
for ensuring safety and operational stabilityof the furnaces. If operational improvement

is deemed to be effective in improving
combustion performance, the results of thestudy will be applied to the actual operationof the furnaces, as appropriate.
2. FY2009 (plan)
If remodeling of facilities is judged
necessary based on FY2008 survey results,
FEED (Front End Engineering Design) work
will be implemented.
On the day following the signing ceremony, Mr.
Yokoyama, Mr. Kanbe, and other Japanese members
who attended the ceremony visited the Mesaieed
Refinery, to see the furnaces tagged for the new
project and tour the area where the facilities of the
LPG recovery study implemented the previous fiscal
year will be installed. Mr. Salim M.A., the manager
in charge of implementing the project, emphasized
QP’s company-wide efforts in addressing global
environmental issues. He then briefly described theoperating principles of the refinery, including its (1)HSE (Health, Safety, Environment) and 4R (Refuse,
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) initiatives; (2) research on
the application of Green Products (GTL) to internal
combustion engines; and (3) achievement of Qatar
environmental standards.
We hope that the successful implementation ofthis joint project will further strengthen friendly
relations between Qatar and Japan, and that thetransfer of Japan’s oil refining facility evaluation
technologies will contribute to the development andimprovement of oil refining technologies in Qatar.
<by Takeyoshi Haishima, Technical Cooperation Dept.>

Mr. Hussain M. Al-Ishaq,
Director Refining, QP(center);
H.E. Mr. Yukio Kitazume,
Ambassador to Qatar (to theleft of Mr. Al-Ishaq);
Mr. Takahiro Kanbe,
Director of CEC (to the leftof Mr. Kitazume)
12 • Topics •JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

Topics

Customized Program in Japan on“Maintenance & Safety Management”
for Saudi Aramco

At JCCP:Mr. Fareed Kamfar (second from right in front row)

1. BackgroundIn recent years, Saudi Arabia has become thelargest supplier of crude oil to Japan, supplying as
much as 30% of Japan’s total crude oil imports, andmaking Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco)
an extremely strong presence in the world crude oilmarket.
Last March, an Expert Service program on“Refinery Plant Maintenance” was implemented
in Saudi Arabia (Feb. 28 – Mar. 7, 2008), and Mr.
Mikio Kojima, then-Executive Director of JCCP,

who had been visiting Saudi Arabia at the time,delivered a speech at the seminar venue. Taking
the opportunity of Mr. Kojima’s attendance, Mr.
Fareed Z. Kamfar, RT Refinery MaintenanceManager, strongly requested an opportunity toobserve maintenance & safety management andtotal productive maintenance (TPM) activities inJapanese refineries. In response to the request,
JCCP designed and implemented a program titled“Maintenance & Safety Management by TPM in
Japanese Refineries” (CPJ-20-08), from October
16 to 30, 2008.

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Topics • 13

2. Overview of the Program
Saudi Aramco is presently seeking to upgrade its
facility maintenance technologies, and has launched
improvement/reform activities, with an emphasison safety management and preventive maintenance.
Mr. Kamfar therefore wished to observe TPM andother improvement activities, as well as the latest
maintenance management technologies in Japaneserefineries, to gain a perspective on measures for
improving and reforming refinery maintenancemanagement technologies in Saudi Arabia.
The program was designed to mainly cover “safety
program,” “total productive maintenance (TPM),”and “maintenance services organizations,” throughclose examination of relevant initiatives implemented
by JCCP member companies participating in
the program, in addition to discussions. Unlike
conventional courses, it placed emphasis on holding
frank discussions with management-level personnel
at each company, rather than on classroom lectures.
To insure that focused discussions were held, eachcompany prepared for discussions based on a list ofquestions that had been prepared in advance.
The participants were Mr. Kamfar, acting groupleader, Mr. Abdulsalam Ashi, Yanbu Refinery,
Maintenance Division Superintendent, and Mr.
Nezar Lamfon, Jeddah Refinery, Maintenance
Division Superintendent.

3. Program Details
The program featured onsite training at a chemicalcompany and a maintenance company under contract
with a Japanese refinery at Mr. Kamfar’s request, in
addition to oil companies, engineering companies,
and machine & equipment manufacturers. At JCCP
Headquarters, a lecture entitled “Maintenance &Safety Management in Japanese Refinery” examinedcauses and countermeasures to accidents in Japanas an approach to understanding the history ofsafety & maintenance management, and introduced
representative TPM activities that oil refiningrelated companies in Japan have implemented todate. The lecture also served to put into perspective
the significance of the facilities visited.

14 • Topics •At Nippon Petroleum Refining Co., Ltd.,
Muroran Refinery(1) Refineries
At Nippon Petroleum Refining Co., Ltd.’s
Muroran Refinery, detailed discussions were
held on the safety education mechanism of therefinery’s maintenance department and its safety
management framework with a contractor employed
to undertake daily maintenance activities. At
Japan Energy Corporation’s Mizushima Refinery,
Mr. Kazuo Yamada, Deputy General Manager,
personally described maintenance and TPM
activities implemented by the refinery in an easyto-understand manner, while introducing caseexamples. With respect to safety management
activities, an executive officer gave a detailed accountof the status of various initiatives, and explained
efforts to achieve “visualization” at the refinery, inreference to concrete examples. The information
provided helped establish a general understandingof the status of equipment maintenance management
at the Mizushima Refinery. At Idemitsu Kosan Co.,At Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., Chiba Refinery

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

Ltd.’s Chiba Refinery, the study group watched
the early-morning change of shift, observed safety
activities and TBM (Tool Box Meeting) activities,
and received an overview of TPM activities in a
discussion session attended by Mr. Akira Kitayama,
General Manager. The group also visited a company
that undertakes daily maintenance management at
the Chiba Refinery, and obtained information on
the maintenance management system and safety
management framework binding the contractor to
Idemitsu Kosan’s standards.
(2) Chemical company
The group visited the Mizushima Plant of
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, one of thelargest chemical companies in Japan. They gained
a general understanding of the company’s education
system, through hands-on experience in safety
management at the safety training center, which
was independently established by a cooperation
council, and a tour of the T-TEC Center, where new
employees regularly receive training.

exchange with each other: “Go-anzen ni,” meaning“Please be safe.” This came as a strong reminder thatwords of greeting are extremely important in staying
consciously aware of safety. At the Haneda Plant
of Ebara Corporation, a leading Japanese pump
manufacturer, the group received a description of
the company’s large-pump maintenance service
framework in the Middle East, as well as on its
engineer training system. Detailed discussions werealso held on the order receiving/placement system
for spare parts and other components, and on thedelivery lead times for new large-pump orders, inaddition to other specific topics.

(3) Equipment manufacturers
At the Muroran Plant of Japan Steel Works,a world-renown manufacturer of pressure vesselmaterials and equipment, the group received
pointers on the maintenance management ofpressure vessels, toured the high-pressure vessel
production site, and renewed their understanding of
the company’s scale, high technical expertise, andquality. What most captured the group’s attention,
however, were the words of greeting the employees(4) Engineering companies
Visits were made to three leading engineering
companies in Japan. Chiyoda Corporation, acontractor for Saudi Aramco’s principle refineries,
gave a presentation that primarily focused onplant life cycle engineering and work safety. JGC
Corporation gave an overview of its overseas
O&M (operation & maintenance) status anda detailed description of its maintenance andinspection activities in Japan. Toyo Engineering
Corporation delivered a presentation titled “O&M,
a View from Safety,” which covered its policies forsafety management as a contractor and its training
system for subcontractors, and illustrated Japaneseengineering companies’ attitude toward safety.
Listening to these presentations, the members of thestudy group articulated their concern regarding thetechnical level of contractors in Saudi Arabia andtheir wish for them to consider receiving training.

At Japan Steel Works, Muroran Plant

At Sompo Japan Risk Management, Inc., Head Office

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Topics • 15

(5) Insurance company
Based on its extensive knowledge of risk
management trends in Japan, Sompo Japan Risk
Management, Inc. provided training in basic policies
for risk assessment as seen from the perspective of an
insurance company and the diverse aspects involvedin assessing hazards and other risks, including thosein relation to the flow of activities, organization,
progress management, cost management, risk
management, and change control.
(6) Maintenance companies
At Sankyu Inc., a medium-sized company
specializing in maintenance activities, detailed
discussions were held on the training system for
employees who perform maintenance activities andon specific human resource development programsfor employees involved in maintenance. At Shinko
Plantech, discussions centered on specific issues in
the maintenance and inspection of refinery facilities,
and focused particularly on daily maintenanceand “Turnaround Maintenance” systems. These
discussions were helpful in gaining an accurate
understanding of the high level of maintenancetechnologies in Japan.

At Shinko Plantech, Head Office

4. Evaluation and Impressions
Mr. Kamfar and the other two members of
the study group stated that the opportunities topersonally visit representative companies in Japanand discuss various issues with experts in thosecompanies have been extremely beneficial, and thatthey have fully satisfied their intended objectives.
They also voiced their intention of applying theirexperience in Japan to management practices at
Saudi Aramco, and with a renewed awareness, inparticular, of the importance of having managers
take initiative, they mentioned that they would
like manager-level employees of Saudi Aramco toattend similar training, to improve management
capabilities in their organization.
This program has been designed considerably
differently from conventional customized programs.
Toward resolving various issues confronting Saudi
Aramco’s maintenance department, it featured
detailed discussions with the management of oilrelated companies in Japan, as a means of providing
a point of reference on how Japanese companies are
addressing such issues. We feel that this approachhas, in a way, established a foundation for practicaltraining programs in general.
From the designing stage of this program, we paid
meticulous attention to details to offer a programthat would satisfy the study group from Saudi
Aramco, and have selected companies for onsite
training that would satisfy the members’ intended
objectives, following a series of negotiations. In
terms of the specific topics of the program, what was
initially a vague idea, gradually began to take shape,
again thanks to the generous cooperation from
related companies and their help in establishing
topics to be discussed at each company. Owing
to these efforts and to the study group preparing
questions in advance, all of the companies were able
to adequately prepare and insure that discussions
would not end up being superficial, but would havea definite focus and provide pertinent information,even within a short period of time.
On a final note, JCCP would like to extend its
deepest gratitude to everyone who has generously
offered their cooperation in the planning andimplementation of the program. Thank you verymuch.
<by Fumihiro Tone, Training Dept.>

16 • Topics •JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009My Impressions of the Customized Program in Japan
Mr. Fareed Zainaldeen Kamfar, RT Refinery Maintenance Manager

It has been a tremendously

Management, Sankyu Corporation, Shinko Plantech,rewarding experience for me andand Toyo Engineering were extremely fruitful, andmy team to have participated inprovided us with valuable information related to this

this program. We were quite moved by the warm

program’s objectives, with a focus on HR development

and hearty welcome with which JCCP received us. On

and employee well-being.

behalf of Saudi Aramco and the team accompanying

Over the past 27 years, JCCP has always been atme, I would like to thank Mr. Masataka Sase, Executive

the forefront of building bridges of friendship between

Director of JCCP, and his staff, for developing andJapan and oil-producing nations, and has contributedorganizing the program.

tremendously to enhancing mutual cooperation

The visits to various industries and institutions

between companies in major oil-producing nations

provided us an excellent opportunity to learn about

and Japan. In these days of energy reliance, JCCP’s

procedures related to TPM and safety practices ininitiatives have gone a long way in reaching out to oil

Japan’s industries. It was indeed a great experience toproducers.

observe first-hand the intricate details of these activities

On a personal note, about 24 years ago I had

and how meticulously they are being implemented,

the opportunity to attend one of JCCP’s programs,

as well as the methods employed to achieve excellent

and since then I have greatly valued Japanese culture

quality levels.

and work practices. I am impressed by the fact that

We were also impressed with how plant personnel

every Japanese worker, irrespective of his level ofand contractors work in tandem in accepting

responsibility in his organization, places “trust before

ownership, responsibility, and accountability for plantbusiness” and ultimate importance on “maintaining

maintenance and operation. It is a living example ofhighest quality standards.” This speaks loudly of Japan’s

the application of the TPM concept.

remarkable development following World War II into

Our visits to Idemitsu Kosan, Nippon Petroleum
Refining, Japan Energy’s refineries and Mitsubishi

one of the most developed and industrialized nationsin the world.

Chemical gave us an insight into TPM and safety

In closing, once again I would like to extend ourconcepts that are being implemented and practiced

thanks and appreciation for your warm hospitality,

in Japan. The discussions we held with various

graciousness and courtesy during our trip, and lookpeople in Japan Steel Works, Ebara Corporation, JGC

forward to maintaining cooperation between Saudi

Corporation, Chiyoda Corporation, Sompo Japan Risk

Aramco and JCCP in the future.

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Topics • 17

Topics

Total Number of Training Participants
Surpass 18,000!
With the opening of the TR-17-08 Training
Management Course on November 25, 2008, thetotal number of participants JCCP has received to
its training programs in Japan since its establishment
27 years ago (1981), has surpassed an astounding
18,000.
Ms. Maryam Mahana Saad Al-Romaihi from
Qatar Petroleum became the commemorative
18,000th participant. During the opening ceremonyof the course, a big round of applause erupted fromthe JCCP staff and other participants of the course,
as Mr. Masataka Sase, Executive Director of JCCP,
congratulated Ms. Al-Romaihi. In response, Ms.
Al-Romaihi expressed her honor to be blessed withsuch good fortune on her first visit to Japan.
For 27 years, JCCP has offered countlesstraining courses to participants from oil-producing

countries, to promote technical exchanges in oil
issues between oil-producing countries and Japan,
and has designed those courses to include visits torefineries and marketing/logistics sites in Japan, toprovide opportunities for hands-on experience. It is asource of great pride to the JCCP staff that the steady
accumulation of such activities has led to the recent
milestone of receiving their 18,000th participant.
We are convinced that, in the future, the 18,000
participants will hold important positions in
oil-producing countries and serve as a bridge offriendship between their respective countries andJapan.
JCCP will continue to make steady, step-by-step
efforts to offering unparalleled training, and looks
forward to welcoming the 19,000th participant, the
20,000th participant, and on.

Message from the 18,000th Participant
Ms. Maryam Mahana Saad Al-Romaihi (Qatar Petroleum / Qatar)
When the Executive Director of JCCP announced
during the opening ceremony on the first day of thecourse that I represented JCCP’s 18,000th participant
since its establishment in 1981, I was surprised, excited,
and filled with happiness.
Being selected to attend the “Training Management
Course” in Japan has realized my dream of visiting thisinspired country, as I have always been attracted by thegenerosity, hospitality, manner, culture, tradition, andnature of the Japanese people.
Attending different presentations and seminars
and visiting well-known refineries in Japan was
an invaluable experience that exposed me to newknowledge and information. I believe that what I havelearned from the diverse, beneficial issues covered in
the course will prove useful in making improvements

18 • Topics •in the department to which I belong.
JCCP plays an important role in maintaining andexpanding relationships and friendships between
Japan and oil-producing countries. The “Training
Management Course” has brought together 18
participants from 12 different countries, and has givenme the chance to meet professionals and experts fromthe oil industry in Japan and various other countries.
I would like to thank the staff at JCCP, Nippon
Oil Corporation, Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., JGC
Corporation, and Meisei University for generously
sharing their knowledge and experience with us, andfor their warm hospitality. Thanks to you all, I shall leave
Japan with wonderful memories. I hope we will meetagain, perhaps next in my country.
Thank you.

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

Personnel
Exchange

Customized Program on“Refinery Computerization”
for Kazakhstan (CDB OGI)CPJ participants from Kazakhstan, at Yokogawa Electric Corporation, Head Office

1. Background
JCCP has begun taking initiatives to strengthen
relations with regions that are poised to become
suppliers of new energies in the future, as part ofits efforts to contribute to stabilizing oil supply to
Japan. The Republic of Kazakhstan is one of theseregions. It began full-scale development of oil
resources in the 1990s, and has recently emerged
as an oil-producing country expected to become amajor oil supplier in the future. Japan is contributing
to the development of oil resources in the country,
and JCCP is also playing its part by inviting
participants from Kazakhstan to JCCP courses since2001. As of the end of FY2007, JCCP has received
a total of 135 participants from Kazakhstan.
In Kazakhstan, rapid economic growth hasbrought a drastic increase in demand for oil
products, making the issue of improving refinery
efficiency a priority in the country. In response toa request from the Central Dispatching Board of
Oil and Gas Industry (CDB OGI) in Kazakhstan,
JCCP has implemented a customized program(CPJ) that has been designed with a particular focus
on computerization in the refinery. The program
aimed to contribute to improving oil refining
technologies in Kazakhstan, by providing training
in computerized information and control systems
in Japanese refineries, and the latest technologies.
Ten participants from CDB OGI participated in the
11-day course, from September 2 to 12, 2008.

2. Overview of the Course
The course started off with a presentation by
Kazakhstan members, and consisted of a fullschedule of activities which included training at JCCP
Headquarters, offsite training at two refineries andtwo instrument and control equipment manufacturers,
and a final lecture session back at JCCP.

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 19

1. Presentation by Kazakhstan
In recent years, Kazakhstan has begun showing
heightened interest in JCCP courses, and thenumbers of participants from the country haveincreased dramatically. On the other hand, JCCP
has had few opportunities to acquire sufficientknowledge of the current situation in Kazakhstan,particularly in regard to its refineries and the statusof CDB OGI. Therefore, to obtain new information,
we asked the Kazakhstan side to give a presentation,
on occasion of their participation in this program.
The presentation covered (1) an overview ofthe oil industry in Kazakhstan, and (2) an outlineof the organization and operations of CDB OGI,
as well as provided valuable information on
Kazakhstan’s relationship with CIS (Commonwealthof Independent States), the status of its threerefineries, and the modernization project that iscurrently underway at the Atyrau Refinery. Mentionof the project was also made during the final lecture
session (by JGC Corporation), taking full advantageof the customized nature of the course.

Presentation by the Kazakhstan side

2. Training at JCCP
Lectures were given on Japan’s oil industry, refinerycomputer systems, and control theories during the firsthalf of the course, to clarify the course’s objective at
an early stage, and to lay the foundation for ensuring
constructive results from the onsite training sessions
which compose the main part of the program.
(1) Overview of oil industries in Japan(2) Overview of refinery computer systems(3) Practical training in PID controller tuning(4) Modernization of instrumentation (by JGC
Corporation)

20 • Personnel Exchange Programs •The program ended with a final lecture-anddiscussion on control systems, mainly in reference
to new refinery installation (the latest in hardware
and software related to distribution control systems(DCS), engineering design tools, new safety
standards, etc.). In regard to the Atyrau Refinery
modernization project, the lecturer, who has at one
time participated in the project, was showered withquestions from the participants in an extremely
lively discussion session.
3. Onsite Training
Visits were made to two refineries of two different
oil companies. At each refinery, an introduction of
information and control systems employed byeach company and a close examination of refinery
operations provided the participants with a detailed
understanding of the role of information and control
systems in refineries.
At the two instrument & control equipment
manufacturers, a brief presentation on the latest
technologies and an observation of actual production
processes and demonstration tests provided ageneral understanding of Japan’s spirit of creation
and Japanese companies’ efforts toward practicalrealization of their technologies.
(1) Nippon Petroleum Refining Co., Ltd.,
Osaka Refinery
The refinery staff organized extremely high-leveltraining, both in terms of materials and lecturers,
despite having their hands full with preparations forreorganization. In addition to detailed overviewsof computer systems, DCS advanced control

At Nippon Petroleum Refining Co., Ltd., Osaka Refinery,with Osaka Bay in the background

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

systems, and quality control systems in therefinery, introductions of the refinery’s economic
activities and case examples showing the benefits ofcomputerization, which we asked the refinery sideto provide on short notice, particularly attracted theparticipants’ strong attention.

production processes. The staff’s enthusiastic
explanations of various processes in the plant andquiz-based lectures on the latest advanced control
technologies (control valve maintenance aid system,
improvement of human-machine interfaces, etc.) had
a way of engaging the participants’ strong interest.

(2) Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., Chiba Refinery
Training at the Chiba Refinery clarified the statusof computerization and provided the participants
with an opportunity to gain a direct feel for therhythms of an actual refinery in Japan. A lecture
was given on computer systems in operation at
the refinery (real-time operational control system,
operational support system, simulator training,etc.), and a sufficient amount of time each wasallotted to practical training in the Power Division,
Administration Division (offsite), and Quality
Control Division.

(4) Yokogawa Electric Corporation,
Mitaka Head Office
Using an interpreter to facilitate understanding,lectures on control technologies (latest DCS
and safety instrumentation systems, etc.) were
implemented with an emphasis on the latest DCS.
The lecture on the aid system for operational
efficiency improvement, which was held in a demoroom, rated particularly high among the participants,
as it provided easy-to-understand, equipment-based
information and knowledge.

3. Summary

At Idemitsu Kosan, Co., Ltd., Chiba Refinery,in the gasoline blender/analyzer room(3) Yamatake Corporation, Shonan Factory
The Shonan Factory was selected as the training
venue, as a plant that represents Japanese-style

The program was originally designed for a 14member group from Kazakhstan, but ended up withthe participation of 10 members from CDB OGI’s
Management Department, with the cancellation offour field engineers due to a domestic situation in
Kazakhstan prior to commencement of the program.
In the final analysis, the program was implemented
with satisfactory results, owing to the participants’strong enthusiasm and the sincere efforts of thestaff of offsite facilities and the external lecturer.
The participants not only gained information andknowledge on refinery computerization and its
necessity, but were able to bridge the emotional
distance between themselves and Japan that theyfelt prior to coming to Japan.
Areas for improvement would be in the allotmentof time and in the facilitation of communication withparticipants, particularly because using an interpreter
requires double the time it takes for a regular course
to communicate information.
We hope that the implementation of this program
will contribute to establishing deeper relations
between Kazakhstan and Japan.

At Yamatake Corporation, Shonan Factory

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009<by Teruhiko Sasaki, Training Dept.>• Personnel Exchange Programs • 21

Personnel
Exchange

Customized Programon “Energy Saving” for Russia (LUKOIL)

At the main entrance to Nippon Petroleum Refining Co., Ltd., Negishi Refinery

Fo l l ow i n g t h e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f a n
instrumentation seminar for LUKOIL last fiscal
year in Moscow, JCCP has again held a seminar on“Energy Saving in Refineries” this fiscal year for
LUKOIL, under the Customized Program-Overseas(CPO). After conducting the 4-day seminar at
LUKOIL’s Nizhny Novgorod Refinery in midSeptember 2008, JCCP also provided training inJapan on the same topic under the Customized
Program–Japan (CPJ), about two weeks later, inearly October. Since we understood that the same
members would basically be participating in boththe programs in Russia and Japan, we paid carefulattention to designing the two programs so thatthe subjects do not overlap. To our relief, the two
programs were completed successfully.

1. Seminar in Russia

At the seminar venue:
Mr. Alexander Kobalenko, Chief Engineer at
the Nizhny Novgorod Refinery (center)22 • Personnel Exchange Programs •Nizhny Novgorod is Russia’s fourth-largest city,
located approximately 500 km east of Moscow,
as well as the capital of the province of the same
name and the center of a prosperous automotive
industry. The Volga River flows through the city
and adds to its picturesque beauty, along with the

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

famous Kremlin fortress. The city was known as
Gorky during the Soviet era, and was a closed city
to protect the status of a military plant that was
situated there. Today, it is home to a large LUKOIL
refinery boasting a capacity of 340,000 b/d, which
was chosen as the venue of the seminar.
The seminar was conducted by Messrs. K.
Kamijyo and S. Satake, lecturers from JCCP’s
Training Department, with the participation of Mr.
Hisato Aoyama from JGC Corporation and Mr.
Naohiro Sugie from Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.’s
Chiba Refinery, in the capacity of experts. Seminars
for a Russian audience always require Russianinterpretation, and the amount of time that can beallotted to lectures is half of the available time.
With this awareness, the members of the Japanese
team held preliminary meetings twice in Japanprior to making their trip to Russia, to carefully
select contents for the seminar based on mutual
understanding of each other’s lecture ideas, andthereby ensure efficiency and productivity of theseminar. On the Russian side, the cooperation ofInternational Business Relations (IBR), a company
that has acted as an intermediary between LUKOIL
and JCCP, and LUKOIL’s active support, were
instrumental in moving forward the necessary

Seminar scene

preparations, from creating a detailed schedule of theseminar, to pre-sending and printing text materials.
Furthermore, the Japanese members were met atthe airport and escorted to their hotel immediately
upon arriving in Russia, and were assured that all thenecessary arrangements have already been made, inregard to setting up the seminar venue and securing
a reliable interpreter.
Mr. Alexander Kobalenko, Chief Engineer at the
Nizhny Novgorod Refinery, delivered a greeting
during the opening ceremony, and the seminarproceeded according to the schedule shown in thetable below.

Seminar schedule in Russia
AM

Opening ceremony
Introduction of lecturers
Overview of JCCP activities

PM

Alternative energies to oil, energy conservation in refineries

AM

Energy saving in refineries 1 (operational improvement, small investments)
Overview of pinch technology

PM

Issues in global warming
Energy saving activities at LUKOIL

AM

Energy saving refineries 2 (large investments)
Japan’s energy policies

PM

New technologies for energy saving in refineries

AM

Optimization of refinery utilities, refinery IPP
Energy saving using computers

PM

Energy saving evaluation and promotion framework
Q&A session
Closing ceremony

Sept. 15 (Mon)

Sept. 16 (Tue)Sept. 17 (Wed)Sept. 18 (Thu)

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 23

On the day after completion of the seminar,
LUKOIL staff kindly arranged for the Japanese
team to visit the Nizhny Novgorod Refinery andtour its various plant facilities, including the newly
installed visbreaking unit. The following week, theJapanese team visited the LUKOIL Head Officein Moscow, where they reported on the successful
implementation of the seminar to executive membersof the Personnel Affairs and Education Departments,and exchanged frank views on future cooperation.
At the Nizhny Novgorod Refinery:Japanese members in refinery uniform

The participants were extremely attentive andfocused all through the seminar, and fully attended
each day’s lectures, precisely from 10 a.m. to
4 p.m. A friendly atmosphere began to evolve in
the auditorium as the seminar progressed, and theparticipants began to ask more and more questions
and engage in lively discussions. The focus of theirinterest seemed to be on the lectures on specificimplementation examples of energy conservation,
latest energy saving technologies, and promoting
energy conservation. A closing ceremony was heldon the fourth and last day of the seminar, and JCCP
completion certificates were presented to all 25
participants.

2. Training in Japan
Two weeks after the Japanese seminar team’s
visit to the LUKOIL Head Office in Moscow, a

At Toa Oil Co., Ltd., Keihin Refinery

Training schedule in Japan
Oct. 7 (Tue)Opening ceremony, Orientation, Japan’s oil industry, LUKOIL presentation

Oct. 8 (Wed)

Discussion on pinch technology

Oct. 9 (Thu)

Onsite training: Toa Oil Co., Ltd., Keihin Refinery, Mizue Factory

Oct. 10 (Fri)

Onsite training: Nippon Petroleum Refining Co., Ltd., Negishi Refinery

Oct. 11 (Sat)Day off

Oct. 12 (Sun)

Energy saving using computers <Travel to Kyoto>

Oct. 13 (Mon; Holiday)

Field trip in Kyoto

Oct. 14 (Tue)

Onsite training: TLV Co., Ltd., Kakogawa Head Office and Plant

Oct. 15 (Wed)

Onsite training: Continuation of above <Travel to Tokyo>

Oct. 16 (Thu)

Recent energy saving technologies

Oct. 17 (Fri)

Summary, Closing ceremony

24 • Personnel Exchange Programs •JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

At TLV Co., Ltd., Kakogawa Plant

15-member study group from LUKOIL arrived inJapan. All members, excluding the leader of thegroup, Mr. Fedor Zimin, Deputy Director of Nizhny
Novgorod Refinery, were members of the seminarjust held in Russia, and attended the program inJapan amid a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
The program proceeded according to the scheduleshown on the opposite page, and spanned a periodof 11 days. Different topics from those covered in
the seminar in Russia were selected for classroom
lectures, and more visits to offsite facilities were
included in the program compared to other study
tours in Japan. In addition to two refineries, theparticipants also visited a steam-trap manufacturer
and received in-depth training over 1 1/2 days, inconsideration of the use of an interpreter, whereconventional programs only allot one day. The
practical training was offered over an ample amountof time, and rated highly among all participants.

3. Future Issues
As a basic principle, JCCP provides CPO and CPJ
programs in combination under the same training
theme, to JCCP counterparts in oil-producing
countries. However, the recent implementation of

a CPO and CPJ series only two weeks apart, wasquite rare. Generally speaking, providing training
in Japan soon after participants receive sufficientadvance knowledge in a seminar held in theircountry is expected to facilitate implementing
efficiency and learning effectiveness. In the caseof the recent programs, moreover, the members of
the seminar held in Russia and the members who
attended training in Japan were mostly the same,
so from the standpoint of one who has organized
and implemented both programs, the effort seemedeasier than other combination programs.
As was the case with the group from LUKOIL,
most members from Russia and nations such as
Kazakhstan that have formed from the former
Soviet Union tend to find communicating in English
slightly difficult. Therefore, it would probably be agood idea for these countries to participate more in
CPO and CPJ programs with the assistance of aninterpreter, than in JCCP regular courses. In thisrespect, we believe that the recent programs haveprovided a good step in the right direction.
Lastly, we would like to thank everyone who
has supported the successful implementation of
the two programs, for their generous time andcooperation.
<by Shinichi Satake, Training Dept.>

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 25

Personnel
Exchange

Customized Program in Colombia
and a Cooperation with Training Center
Program in Brazil
Between September 20 and October 4, 2008, JCCP held a seminar on “Upgrading Process of Heavy
Oil” (CPO-30-08) in Colombia and a Cooperation with Training Center Program (TC-30-08) in Brazil,
as outlined below.

I. Seminar on “Upgrading Process of Heavy Oil” in Colombia

Seminar participants (at ECOPETROL)

Leader, JGC Corporation, and Mr. Hideki Minami,
Senior Consultant, Chiyoda Corporation.

1. Background
This seminar was organized in response to arequest from Colombia’s state-run oil company
ECOPETROL (Empresa Colombiana de PetróleosS.A.), following a proposal made by JCCP for the
implementation of a Customized Program–Overseas(CPO). It was held under the theme, “Upgrading
Process of Heavy Oil,” by two lecturers from
JCCP’s Training Department (Messrs. T. Kubota
and S. Takahashi), and two members from JCCP
member companies, Mr. Yasufumi Kosakai, Group26 • Personnel Exchange Programs •2. Overview of the Seminar
The program was designed with the objective of
imparting technologies for upgrading heavy oil inrefineries, in consideration of the current situationin Colombia, where heavy oil processing is a major
issue, and there are plans for the introduction of adelayed coker.
Twenty-seven young middle-level personnel

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

Seminar scenefrom ECOPETROL attended the seminar, which
was held at ICP (Instituto Colombiano del Petróleo),
ECOPETROL’s research and training institution.

3. Details of the Seminar
In the opening ceremony, Mr. Federico Maya
Molina, Vice President of ECOPETROL, delivered
a televised greeting from the Head Office.
Throughout the course of the seminar, English andSpanish were used, with simultaneous interpretation
between the two languages.
A photographer representing ECOPETROL
was a constant presence at the seminar, diligently
recording all proceedings.
The seminar proceeded as follows, over a 4-day
period:Day 1: Opening ceremony
Introduction of JCCP
Overview of the Oil Industry in JapanDay 2: Outline of the Upgrading Process of Heavy
Oil
Selection of Upgrading Processes of Heavy
Oil
Day 3: Thermal Cracking Process, Integrated
Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) andHydro-cracker
Hydrotreatment and Hydro-desulfurization
Process Technology
Day 4: FCC (Fluid Catalytic Cracking) and RFCC
(Residue FCC) Process Technology
Closing ceremony

The participants shared their opinions and viewsof the seminar in a summary discussion session heldon the last day. Some of these are shown below.
(Similar opinions have been compiled under one
item.)
・ The seminar was a timely event, corresponding
to current situations at ECOPETROL. I acquireda deeper understanding, in particular, of delayed
cokers, which we are planning to introduce in thenear future.
・ Participation in the seminar has stirred myinterest in other JCCP seminars.
・ I didn’t know much about Japan’s oil industry
up to now, so I found the lecture on it to be very
informative.
・ The seminar was extremely well managed. For
instance, answers to questions that couldn’t beanswered on the spot were provided at a later
opportunity, without fail.
・ The seminar helped clarify the status of ourrefinery. I appreciated the many examples thatwere provided.
・ Through the seminar, I realized that economic
efficiency is extremely important. I also becameaware of the importance of new technologies,
clean technologies, and the environment.
As shown above, the participants all expressed
their opinions to the effect that the seminar was
extremely meaningful, and immensely pleased themembers of the Japanese team.

Presentation of the completion certificate

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 27

4. Impressions
The seminar ran on a tight schedule, from 7:30
a.m. thru to 4 p.m. each day, with only brief breaks
for lunch and coffee. Nevertheless, everyone
basically appeared on time and gave the seminar theirundivided attention. The program included not only
unilateral lectures, but also interactive discussions,and as intended, turned out to be a productive
seminar that elicited active participation from allparticipants and promoted their understanding of

the topics that were addressed.
The Japanese members of the seminar feel thatthe close congruence of the theme of the seminarwith the current situations at ECOPETROL will
benefit the company in its future plans, and arepleased that JCCP’s proposal and ECOPETROL’s
situation have matched and have resulted in therealization of this seminar. JCCP intends to continue
its efforts to promote further exchanges between
Colombia and Japan.

II. Cooperation with Training Center Program in Brazil
After holding the seminar in Colombia, thetwo lecturers from JCCP’s Training Department(Kubota, Takahashi) traveled to Brazil, the largest
oil-producing country in South America, to visit
the state-run oil company PETROBRAS, under the
Cooperation with Training Center scheme. Morespecifically, they visited PETROBRAS University,
located in Rio de Janeiro, to present the scheduleof JCCP’s regular courses for the next fiscal
year, promote the implementation of customized

programs (Customized Program–Overseas (CPO)and Customized Program–Japan (CPJ)), and ask for
PETROBRAS’s continued cooperation.
The PETROBRAS side took an interest in CPO
programs, and said it will contact JCCP after carefulconsideration. As Brazil is expected to become anincreasingly indispensable presence to Japan in
the future, JCCP needs to perhaps take even morediverse approaches than ever before, in order todeepen relations between Brazil and Japan.
<by Shigeyoshi Takahashi, Training Dept.>

At PETROBRAS University:
Mr. Walter Brito, Manager (fourth from left)

At PETROBRAS University:
Mr. Rodrigo de Lima Horta (right)

28 • Personnel Exchange Programs •JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

Personnel
Exchange

Customized Program on“Human Resource Management (HRM)”
in Kuwait (KNPC) and UAE (TAKREER)
In October and November 2008, JCCP implemented a Customized Program–Overseas (CPO) on humanresource management (HRM) intended for Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) in Kuwait and
TAKREER in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Both seminars featured the same program.

1. Overview of the Seminar
The 5-day seminars were held at hotels in Kuwait
and Abu Dhabi. Following a general introductionof HRM under the heading, “Transitions and Status
Quo of Japanese-style HRM,” one day each wasspent on more details of HRM practices applied
by a Japanese oil company and an engineering
company. In addition to the general introduction
and details of HRM, another day was allotted to
topics in “Kaizen,” namely, “General Overview ofKaizen” and “Introductions of Kaizen Examples
in Refineries,” as requested by the counterpart
organizations. These lectures were provided as an
aspect of personnel education, from the approachof “cultivating a Kaizen mind.”

2. Seminar Program
The seminar was organized as follows:[Day 1, Day 2] “Transitions and the Status Quoof Japanese-style HRM”
Two days were spent on a general discussionof the main theme of the seminar, divided into 4
parts: (1) Japanese history and Japanese mentality;(2) Traditional Japanese-style HRM system; (3)Environmental changes surrounding Japanesesociety and companies today; and (4) Issues andfuture direction of HRM in Japanese companies.
[Day 3] “HRM System of Nippon Petroleum
Refining Co., Ltd.”A detailed description was given of the company’s
HRM system, in reference to its ability assessment

and performance-based compensation systems,
which were newly adopted when the company
revamped its HRM system in 2002.
[Day 4] “HRM System of JGC Corporation”
The engineering company’s current HRM
system was comprehensively examined, including
its performance-based personnel, recruitment,
and evaluation systems, which were introduced tothe company several years ago in response to thegeneral trend of the times.
[Day 5] “General Overview of Kaizen” and“Kaizen Examples in Refineries”
This session was intentionally designed to firstprovide a general overview of the concept of Kaizenprior to introducing Kaizen examples in refineries.
It invited participants to consider the meaning of
Kaizen and examine the unique “Kaizen mind” ofthe Japanese people, by explaining the process of
implementing Kaizen activities, the “5S” as a means
to achieving Kaizen, and the “Toyota method” as a
successful example of continuous Kaizen efforts.
The session finally expounded on what is necessaryfor entrenching the Kaizen mind in the workplace.
In a closer examination, specific examples of
Kaizen that Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. has actuallyadopted in its refinery were introduced, with theaddition of examples of other companies, in UAE.
Visuals were used to provide easy comparison
between “before” and “after” implementation of
Kaizen, in an easy-to-understand presentation.
The good combination of general and detailed
discussions seemed well received and appreciatedby all participants.

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 29

KuwaitSeminar participants

1. Background

2. Dates of Implementation

In March 2008, two gentlemen from KNPC, Mr.
Ahmad Al-Mudaf, Director, Personnel Department,
and Mr. Ali Abdullah, Career Development Team
Leader, visited JCCP and requested a CPOCPJ combination program on human resource
development (HRD), on the occasion of their visit.
Thereafter, members of JCCP’s Training Department
and the KNPC side held working discussions on thespecific content and schedule of the program, andagreed to conduct a CPO on HRM in October 2008
and a CPJ on HRD the following February.

October 12–16, 2008

3. Lecturers
Akio Hoshino (JCCP Training Dept.)
Takayoshi Watanabe (Personnel Department,
Nippon Oil Corporation)
Yutaka Yamashita (Personnel Department,
JGC Corporation)
Nakaha Nishikawa (Quality Control Division,
Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. Aichi Refinery)

4. Summary of the Seminar

Seminar venue

30 • Personnel Exchange Programs •(1) The seminar was attended by 15 HR-related
personnel. With the exception of one participantfrom the Shuaiba Refinery, all were from the
HR Department in the Head Office. Due tothe administrative nature of the seminar, morethan half the participants, or 8 to be exact, were
women.
(2) In this CPO program, the Japanese teamincluded a female lecturer, possibly for the
JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

Mr. Takahiro Watanabefrom Nippon Oil Corporation

Ms. Nakaha Nishikawa
from Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.

first time in JCCP history. In response to
JCCP’s request for a lecturer to take charge ofthe segment of the seminar on detailed Kaizen
discussions, Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. referred
Ms. Nishikawa from the Aichi Refinery. As wewere uncertain as to whether a female presence
would pose a problem in terms of religion,
we checked with the KNPC side and weretold that she would be “more than welcome.”
Though this was Ms. Nishikawa’s first overseas
assignment, she fulfilled her duty impressively
with youthful energy and courage.
(3) Upon completion of the seminar, the JCCP
and KNPC sides agreed to implement a CPJ
program on HRM and HRD in February 2009,
as requested by KNPC.
(4) The seminar took place in a hotel that is famous
for its restaurant designed in the shape of the
traditional dhow ship. Since this was the firsttime for all three members of the Japanese
team from JCCP member companies to visit

Japanese memberswith the dhow ship

Mr. Yutaka Yamashita
from JGC Corporation

the Middle East, they were delighted to have
had the opportunity of this visit.

5. Visit to the Mina Abdullah
Refinery and the KNPC Head Office
After completing the seminar, the Japanese
members visited the Mina Abdullah Refinery, one of
KNPC’s three refineries. After receiving a welcome
from Mr. Sami Malallah, Operation Manager,
they received a presentation on an overview of therefinery from Mr. Ahmed Al-Baghli, Senior Process
Engineer. As Mr. Al-Baghli had just participated ina Study Tour on Practical Technology for Energy
Saving (ST-21-07) this past February, he was fullof good impressions of JCCP and fond memories ofJapan. In his presentation, Mr. Al-Baghli mentioned
an interesting plan that is being considered, to link
the other two neighboring refineries (the al-Ahmadi
and Shuaiba Refineries) with pipes to enable
centralized operations.

Presentation of the completion certificate

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 31

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Participants of the seminar (excluding the 5 female participants)

1. Background

2. Dates of Implementation

In February 2008, JCCP members Mr. Hisayoshi
Tanda, then Operations Manager, and Mr. Shigeyoshi
Takahashi, Lecturer, embarked on a promotional
tour of CPO and CPJ programs in the Middle
East region. During their visit to TAKREER, theyreceived a request for a 5-day HRM seminar as a
FY2008 CPO program. Thereafter, members of
JCCP’s Training Department and the TAKREER
side held working discussions on the specificcontent and schedule of the program, and agreed
to conduct the CPO in November 2008.

Seminar venue

32 • Personnel Exchange Programs •November 9–13, 2008

3. Lecturers
Akio Hoshino (JCCP Training Dept.)
Shinichi Satake (JCCP Training Dept.)
Hitoshi Miyasaki (Personnel Department,
Nippon Oil Corporation)
Nobutaka Nohara (Personnel Department,
JGC Corporation)

Opening address by Mr. Ahmed Gattan, Director,
Training & Career Development

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

Mr. Hitoshi Miyasaki
from Nippon Oil Corporation

Mr. Nobutaka Nohara
from JGC Corporation

4. Summary of the Seminar(1) The seminar was attended by 21 participants.
About half were personnel in charge of humanresources in the Head Office, and the other half
were staff from TAKREER’s two refineries,
and included a number of engineers. Fiveparticipants were women.
(2) Mr. Ahmed Gattan, Director, Training & Career
Development, kindly delivered a speech atboth the opening and closing ceremonies.
Other members of the department, namely,
Mr. Ahmed Herzallah, Senior Officer, and Mr.
Anwar Mutawa, our counterpart in TAKREER,
attended to us throughout our stay in Abu

Thank-you speech by one of theparticipants

Dhabi, and lavished warm hospitality andconsideration on us on behalf of TAKREER.
(3) It seems that the concept of the “Kaizen mind”
was new to the participants. They did not leave
their seats during the 3-hour lecture on thegeneral overview of Kaizen, but listened to thelecture with strong interest.
(4) In the closing ceremony, one of the participants
gave a heartwarming thank-you speech on
behalf of his fellow participants. Moreover,during our visit to the TAKREER Head Officeprior to our departure, Mr. Herzallah informed
us that the seminar met with high acclaim
among the entire staff, which indicated to us
TAKREER’s strong expectations and feelingsof gratitude to JCCP.

5. Visit to the Japanese Embassy
in UAE, the TAKREER Head Office,and Other Institutions

With executive personnel of the TAKREER(from third from left: Mr. Anwar Mutawa,
Mr. Ali Al-Harmoudi Sultan, Mr. Ahmed Gattan;
second from right: Mr. Ahmed Herzallah)

Japanese Embassy in UAE
The Japanese members visited the Japanese
Embassy in UAE, where they spent an hour anda half exchanging views on recent situations in
Abu Dhabi, general conditions in UAE, UAE’s
relationship with other GCC countries, andother such topics of interest, with H.E. Mr.
Takuma Hatano, Ambassador Extraordinary andPlenipotentiary, and Messrs. Tomoyoshi Hisamori

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 33

Ambassador Takuma Hatano (second from left) and
Mr. Tomoyoshi Hisamori, Secretary

At the TAKREER Head Office; Ms. Nadia Al Romaithy,
Training Officer (right)

and Atsunori Sato, Secretaries. The members were
especially interested to learn about the recent stateof affairs in Dubai, which had seemed to enjoy abubble economy at one time.

was a participant in a seminar held the previous
week, so they shared their frank views and requests
regarding JCCP seminars based on their personal
experiences.
The Japanese members also visited the Abu
Dhabi Offices of Nippon Oil Corporation and JGC
Corporation. At the former, they met with Mr. Baba,
Director, and Mr. Shibata, Manager, and at the latter,with Mr. Katagi, Director, and discussed national
issues and living conditions in Abu Dhabi, the stateof the economy in the Middle East, as well as othergeneral situations and current circumstances in the
Middle East as a whole.

TAKREER Head Office
The Japanese members met with Mr. Ahmed
Herzallah, Senior Career Development Officer,
and Ms. Nadia Al Romaithy, Training Officer. Mr.
Herzallah was a participant in the FY2007 JCCP
Program Seminar (TCJ: special seminar held inJapan, inviting managerial people from oil companies
in oil-producing countries), and Ms. Al Romaithy<by Akio Hoshino, Training Dept.>

At the Nippon Oil Corporation Abu Dhabi Office:Mr. Baba, Director (second from right) and
Mr. Shibata, Manager (right)

34 • Personnel Exchange Programs •At the JGC Corporation Abu Dhabi Office:Mr. Katagi, Director (center)

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

Personnel
Exchange

Report on the
Cooperation with Training Center Programin Russia and Azerbaijan

At the LUKOIL Head Office

From September 20–26, 2008, a JCCP delegation
visited Russia and Azerbaijan under the Cooperation
with Training Center Program scheme. The
delegation consisted of Mr. Takashi Hori, Managerof the Operations Department, Messrs. Shinichi
Satake and Kazuyoshi Kamijyo, lecturers fromthe Training Department, and Kazuko Takayama,
Manager of the Training Department.
In recent years, JCCP has begun making active
approaches to strengthening relations with Russia
and the countries of Central Asia, which are poised to
become major suppliers of oil and energy in the future.
With Russia’s crude oil production having reached alevel comparable to that of Saudi Arabia, it is high time
for Japan to further deepen its relations with Russia.
Meanwhile, in Azerbaijan, where abundant oil
resources can be found in Baku and other oil fields,2006 saw the opening of the BTC crude oil pipeline,
connecting Baku, Tbilisi in Georgia, and Ceyhan in
Turkey. There are increasing expectations that thepipeline would counter Russia’s control over oil in
the region.

The recent visits to Russia and Azerbaijan weremade with hopes of building a strong foundationof friendship between Japan and the two countries,
and thereby secure stable oil supplies.

I. Russia
1. LUKOIL Oil Company, Head Office
In the morning of September 22 (Mon.),the JCCP delegation visited the Head Office of
LUKOIL Oil Company. LUKOIL, the largest
vertically integrated oil company in Russia, has along-standing relationship with JCCP, and has sent
115 participants to JCCP regular courses, as of theend of 2007. However, this was the first time thata JCCP delegation has visited its Head Office. To
strengthen relations between LUKOIL and JCCP on
the occasion of this auspicious visit, the membersof the delegation gave a well-prepared presentation
on JCCP activities and programs planned for the
next fiscal year.
Ms. Natalya N. Logina, Head of Department

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 35

Exchange of views with LUKOIL

for Development and Appraisal of Personnel, Main
Human Resources Department, warmly welcomed
the delegation, along with the director of training andmembers of the Refining Department. Ms. Logina
expressed strong interest in JCCP programs, andhad a number of specific questions regarding regularcourses, to which the delegation promptly provided
detailed answers. As exemplified by a member fromthe Refining Department who voiced his interest in
participating in an energy-saving course himself,
the meeting turned out to be extremely productive
and fruitful to all.
2. ROSNEFT Oil Company, Head Office
Following the visit to LUKOIL, the JCCP
delegation spent the afternoon visiting the state-

run ROSNEFT Oil Company. As JCCP has neverreceived participants from ROSNEFT and had nevervisited the company before, the JCCP delegation
took the opportunity of this first visit to promote a
general understanding of JCCP activities.
The meeting was attended by Ms. Tamara G.
Solovykh, Head of Division, Division for Personnel
Development, HR Department, in addition to
the director of education, and other members of
ROSNEFT. They all listened attentively to thedetailed introduction of JCCP programs, and as
they showed particular interest in courses related
to personnel affairs, the JCCP side proposed
ROSNEFT’s participation in JCCP regular courses.
JCCP hopes that this visit will lead to creating
a positive and productive relationship withROSNEFT.

II. Azerbaijan
3. SOCAR, Head Office
JCCP has received a number of participantsfrom Azerbaijan since its founding, but none
during the past several years. In order to request a
recommencement of its participation and to promotefurther understanding of JCCP activities, the JCCP
delegation paid a visit to the Ecological Departmentin the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR),
and met with Mr. Azer Aliyev, Chief, and engineersof the department.

At the ROSNEFT Head Office

36 • Personnel Exchange Programs •JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

Meeting with the Ecological Department in SOCAR

With Mr. Asif Bakirli, Director of
the SOCAR Training Center

To operate its two large refineries, SOCAR
places primary importance on the development ofengineers through training. Therefore, the SOCAR
side listened with strong interest to the JCCP
delegation’s presentation of JCCP programs, andinvited the delegation to elaborate on the detailsof the programs, and particularly of environmentrelated courses. At the end of a long and productive
meeting, Mr. Aliyev personally contacted an
executive officer of the Training Center, whichhas previously served as JCCP’s counterpart,and arranged for the JCCP delegation to visit theTraining Center in the afternoon of that day.
At the SOCAR Training Center, the delegation
met with Mr. Asif Bakirli, Director, Training
Educational and Certification Department. As theTraining Center is responsible for training andoverseeing the development of all human resources
at SOCAR, Mr. Bakirli showed strong interest
in JCCP programs, and in Customized ProgramOverseas (CPO) in particular, and made specificrequests regarding CPO programs for the next fiscal
year and after.
Before wrapping up the meeting, Mr. Bakirli
thanked the JCCP delegation for visiting, andexpressed his expectations of JCCP activities,emphasizing his wish to continue international
cooperation with Japan and actively promotetechnical exchanges between the two countries.
The delegation members feel that the opportunity
to directly introduce JCCP programs to an executive
personnel of JCCP’s counterpart department in
SOCAR has paved the way toward building mutuallyfriendly bonds between JCCP and SOCAR, and ispleased with the outcome of their visit.

III. Impressions
The visits to Russia and Azerbaijan by the
JCCP delegation proved extremely fruitful, inthat meaningful exchanges of views were heldwith executive personnel and JCCP counterpart
personnel in various key departments, and thatspecific needs in the two countries were identified.
Seventeen years have passed since the two countries
gained their independence from the former Soviet
Union in 1991, and they have begun to display theirown characteristic policies and strategies towarda market economy. As they play an extremely
important geopolitical role in the global oil market,
JCCP intends to make continuing efforts to further
strengthen its ties with both countries.

<by Kazuko Takayama, Training Dept.>

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 37

Personnel
Exchange

Report on the
Cooperation with Training Center Program(Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain)
From November 8–18, 2008, a five-member
JCCP delegation visited four countries in the Middle
East, to hold working-level conferences with JCCP
counterpart training departments in those countries.
The delegation specifically sought to introduce the
FY2009 JCCP regular course program, promote andpropose the implementation of customized programs(CPO/CPJ) that are designed in response to specificneeds in each country, and to exchange views with
JCCP counterpart personnel. The members ofthe delegation were Mr. Akio Yamanaka, General
Manager, Operations Department, Mr. Yasuo
Tabei, Master Lecturer, Training Department,
Mr. Shoichiro Yagi, General Manager, Middle
East Office, Mr. Toshimi Kinoshita, General
Manager, Riyadh Office, and Mieko Onai, Manager,
Operations Department.
Each of the four countries sends participants
to JCCP courses on a continuing basis, and plays
an important role in sustaining JCCP cooperation.
For this reason, personally meeting with people
in charge of or involved in sending participants to
JCCP courses and directly obtaining their views andrequests have proved to be extremely meaningfulin further strengthening cooperative relationships.
The visits also presented an ideal opportunity to
explain in person course details that could not
be fully communicated by writing only, and topromote JCCP activities planned for the coming
fiscal year.

At the NIORDC Head Office,with Mr. Saeid Mahjoubi, Deputy Director,
Production Coordinator & Supervision (second from left)

Mahjoubi, Deputy Director, Production Coordinator& Supervision. NIORDC sends many participants to
JCCP each year, but in order to secure its continued
participation, the delegation provided an overview
of FY2009 regular courses, as well as proposed theimplementation of customized programs. After due
consideration, Mr. Mahjoubi stated that he wishes
to place priority on receiving a customized program

1. Iran
On November 10, the delegation visited theHead Office of National Iranian Oil Refining
and Distribution Company (NIORDC) locatedin Tehran, and held a meeting with Mr. Saeid

38 • Personnel Exchange Programs •At the NIORDC Esfahan Refinery,with Mr. M. Aghanejad, Managing Director(fifth from left)

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

on safety management, saying that he would like
NIORDC employees to learn about the Japanesementality of preventing accidents from occurringin the first place.
After the meeting, the delegation met with Mr.
Aminollah Eskandari, Director Refining Affairs,
who expressed his growing expectations in JCCP’s
cooperative framework.
On the following day, the delegation visited theEsfahan Refinery. After receiving a warm welcomeand engaging in a follow-up discussion with Mr.
M. Aghanejad, Managing Director, and other JCCP
graduates, the delegation members toured the site
and gained an overall understanding of the refinery’s
operations.
During this trip, the delegation also had theopportunity to visit the Tehran Head Office andEsfahan Branch Office of National Iranian Oil
Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC), a
subsidiary of NIORDC specializing in logistics,

At the NIOPDC Head Office

At the NIOPDC Esfahan Branch Officefrom which the numbers of participants to JCCP
regular courses have been increasing during thepast few years. The meeting at the Head Office
was attended by Mr. Rahman Ghasemi, Directorof Human Resource & Training, and many othermembers who participated in a customized program(Human Resource Management & Development)
held in Japan last February for a study group from
Iran. As they were familiar with JCCP regularcourses, they offered diverse opinions and requests
for future regular courses. At the Esfahan Branch
Office, the delegation met with Mr. Farazmand
Mohammad, Manager, Esfahan Region, andMr. Soleiman Malakan, Deputy of Commercial
Department, both of whom participated in a JCCP
regular course in the past, in addition to a numberof other personnel, and gained an understanding of
the current state of an oil logistics facility in Iran.

2. Kuwait
On November 13, the delegation visited Kuwait
National Petroleum Company (KNPC) andheld a meeting with a number of key personnel,
including JCCP counterpart Mr. Ali Abdulla,
Team Leader, and Ms. Saud Abdullatif A. AlAwadhi, Senior Specialist, both from the Career
Development Division, HRD, Ms. Haifa Al-Youhah,Specialist, Mr. Mohammad J. Burahmah, On-theJob Training (OJT) Personnel, and Mr. Deven
Kotecha, Safety, Health & Environment (SH&E)
Training Personnel.
In addition to receiving participants fromKNPC to regular courses, since 2004 JCCP has
implemented four customized programs in Kuwait
and one in Japan. In the meeting, the KNPC side
requested the implementation of a new course on
the environment, with a focus on safety, health& environment (HSE), an area that KNPC isparticularly seeking to reinforce within its HRD
structure. The KNPC side also maintained that
JCCP training is an indispensable part of their HRD
system.
As KNPC is also striving to promote the OJT
system, the KNPC members provided an overview

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 39

Meeting at the KNPC Head Officeof in-house OJT training and SH&E training. The
delegation members felt that the training system
chart and evaluation table that the company actuallyuses could be useful references for JCCP training
as well.
KNPC invests a substantial amount of expenses
in training its 5,000 employees. Its HRD systemaims to assign the right people to the right places,
and fosters human resources with care, so that each
person can exercise his or her full potential. In regard
to engineers, its policy appears to be to provide
thorough education on safety management issues
and attitude from the early stages of employment.
Based on this understanding of KNPC’s commitment
to training its employees, JCCP should perhaps
reexamine how it can continue contributing to
KNPC through its training programs.

customized programs to many training managers
all at once. There have been increasing numbersof Saudi Aramco participants to regular courses
during the past few years, and there are plans to holda customized program at the Ras Tanura Refinery
again this fiscal year in December and January,
following those implemented during the previous
year. Therefore, the Saudi Aramco side showedstrong interest in regular courses and customized
programs for FY2009, and in the end requested acourse on gas operations.
Among themselves, the training coordinators
discussed measures for streamlining the feedbackof participants’ requests of JCCP courses, aswell as the series of procedures from announcing
course offerings within Saudi Aramco to sending
in applications. Hopefully, their discussion will
facilitate smoother coordination between Saudi
Aramco and JCCP in the future. The meeting
also produced specific requests relating to course
improvements. JCCP will consider these requests
seriously, and reflect them in the management andoperation of future courses.

3. Saudi Arabia
On November 15, the delegation visited Saudi
Aramco’s Ras Tanura Refinery. Regardless of it
being the beginning of the week in Saudi Arabia,
13 people turned out for the meeting, including
Mr. Lloydie A. Jonson, Assistant to Vice President,
Refining, who is also JCCP’s counterpart at
Saudi Aramco, and training coordinators for gas
operations from Saudi Aramco’s other refineries
and oil fields. The meeting provided an ideal stage
for presenting an overview of regular courses and40 • Personnel Exchange Programs •At Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura Refinery,with participants of the meeting

4. Bahrain
On November 16, the delegation held a meetingat a refinery operated by the Bahrain Petroleum
Company (BAPCO), with Mr. Mohamed Abdulla

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

At BAPCO, with Mr. Mohamed Abdulla Al Jamea,
General Manager, Human Resources & Administration(third from left)

Al Jamea, General Manager, Human Resources& Administration, and JCCP counterpart Mr. Ali
Salman Ali, Superintendent Technical Training.
Due to its small population, Bahrain has so far sent
only a small number of participants to JCCP courses
compared to other Middle East countries, but there
has been steady participation from Bahrain every
year since 1990.
BAPCO also enjoys a strong cooperative
relationship with Japanese companies. As Mr. Al
Jamea has stated, BAPCO is extremely grateful for
JCCP’s technical assistance, and holds particularly
strong expectations of training in the operational
maintenance sector. In addition to JCCP regularcourses, however, BAPCO would also like toparticipate in courses initiated by JCCP member
companies.

5. Summary
During its recent visit to the Middle East, the
JCCP delegation not only visited oil companies in
oil-producing countries, but also paid courtesy callson the Japanese Embassies in Iran and Bahrain andgained a deep understanding of current situations in
the countries visited. At the Japanese Embassy in
Bahrain, the delegation members had the opportunity
to meet with H.E. Mr. Takeshi Kondo, Ambassador

Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, who emphasized
the significance of Bahrain to Japan. He stated that
“Bahrain may not produce as much oil as othercountries, but it plays an important role in securing
the navigation safety of tankers.” At the Japanese
Embassy in Iran, the delegation obtained invaluable
information on current situations in Iran from Mr.
Toshiyuki Shirai, Head of the Economic Section.
Mr. Shirai showed support of JCCP activities
by expressing his conviction that continuous,
hardworking activities over a long period of time,
like JCCP activities, are what is most necessary to
Iran today. The delegation also visited Yokogawa
Electric Corporation’s offices in Saudi Arabia andBahrain, and obtained significant insight into thecountries through the eyes of a Japanese company
that has succeeded in making inroads into theMiddle East region.
In each country, the percentage of young
employees is beginning to increase along with theincrease in population, and many companies arehoping to have them learn from Japan, not only
in regard to technical capabilities, but also suchspiritual aspects of the Japanese as their diligenceand sense of responsibility toward their work. To
many organizations, this is an extremely important
aspect of JCCP activities, and one for which they
have great expectations. At the same time, however,some countries have articulated their honest opinionsof JCCP courses without reserve. These opinions
will be reviewed and reflected in the planning andimplementation of future courses.
Over the years, JCCP has established close bondsof friendship with Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, andBahrain. However, the recent visits have provided
the delegation with the opportunity to reaffirm theimportance of continuously doing the utmost to
support counterpart countries and making steadycooperation efforts through JCCP activities.
I would like to take the opportunity of this report
to send my warmest and sincerest appreciation to
everyone who has supported us throughout our recent
trip through the four countries in the Middle East.
<by Mieko Onai, Operations Dept.>

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 41

Participant’s VoicePetroleum Marketing and Products Delivery(TR-14-08: October 21 – November 7, 2008)
Mr. Mohammad A. Al-Yahya (Saudi Aramco / Saudi Arabia)

It has been a wonderful opportunity to explore
technical and cultural aspects of Japan, and to experience
the Japanese lifestyle and environment, thanks to JCCP
and other expert authorities in Japan. Most importantly,
we have observed Japan’s vast knowledge base, which
provides the foundation for the development of highquality, reliable, and long-lasting products in Japan.
Through this excellent course on Petroleum Marketing &Product Delivery, which was carried out by professional
JCCP training staff, all participants acquired invaluable
experience and a broad perspective in Japanesetechnology, industry and culture.
Throughout my 16-year career, this was the first timethat I have experienced a course in which the agenda
featured a unique combination of industrial and cultural
aspects. I believe this approach was extremely effective
in promoting comprehensive understanding.
On behalf of all the participants in the course, I would
like to express our sincere thanks and deep appreciation to
the entire JCCP management and staff, and in particular
to Mr. Masataka Sase, Executive Director of JCCP, Mr.
Kazuo Kojima, Course Coordinator, and his assistant, Mr.
Yasuo Tabei, for their untiring guidance, support and careduring our entire stay in Japan.
When people hear the name Japan, probably the
first thing that comes to their mind is “superior quality.”
However, people would be amazed to learn the secretbehind the Japanese people’s commitment to maintaining
this characteristic quality. I truly believe that Japan is theleader in quality and standardization. I have traveled tomany wonderful places and seen many things, but tome, Japan seems by far the most unique, especially withrespect to people’s discipline and their pursuit of highliving standards through modern infrastructures. This
commitment to quality is perhaps what makes the Japanesepeople appear unique in the eyes of foreigners.
The course was well structured, and included field
trips to several industrial facilities and cultural sites insix major cities in Japan, in order to provide exposure
to the Japanese hydrocarbon chain industry, as well as
to the Japanese heritage. We first visited Japan Energy

42 • Personnel Exchange Programs •Corporation’s head office in Tokyo, where we received
an overview of Japan’s oil industry and JOMO’s businessoutlook, in relation to oil terminals, distribution tankers
and the logistics mechanism. The next day we visited
Nippon Oil Corporation’s Ichikawa Depot, and observed
how customer orders for oil products are logged andprocessed for delivery to various regions, and how
delivery trucks are loaded and controlled. Next, we visited
Nippon Petroleum Refining Company’s Negishi Refinery in
Yokohama city, and had the opportunity to take a close
look at the oil fractionation unit and the manufacturing
and processing systems of refined products, including
various lube oil filling facilities. At Haneda Airport, we
witnessed San-ai Oil Corporation staff fueling an All
Nippon Airways (ANA) airplane via a sophisticated pipe
network. The third visit was to JFE Steel Corporation in
Fukuyama. Here, we observed a demonstration of the ironand steel manufacturing process and the steel molding
mechanism, then toured the steel factory and steel
storage yard. The fourth visit was to Cosmo Oil Company’s
branch office in Hiroshima city, where we received an
overview of the company’s core business areas—refining,
distribution and product retailing—and toured one of its
service stations.
Last but not least, we enjoyed visiting several culturalsites in Hiroshima and Kyoto that strongly represent thehistory of Japanese culture and heritage cultivated throughthe rise and fall of many empires. It was truly amazing
to track the development of the Japanese lifestyle across

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

Participant’s Voicethe generations. We were fascinated with the visits
and impressed with the way the members of the hostcompanies shared their knowledge with us and responded
to our questions with warm hospitality.
We all realize that the impressive course content wasa result of the tremendous effort and dedication of the
JCCP management and staff. Thanks to them, the course
turned out to be much more than we expected. Moreover,

we were blessed with stable, favorable weather during
the entire course period, and were fully able to taste andexplore the beauty of Japan’s nature.
Finally, I would like to express my personal gratitude
by saying, Watashi wa JCCP ni kansha shiteimasu. I really
do appreciate JCCP for its magnificent work and support.
I hope to see you again in the near future. Arigato
Gozaimashita.

Gas Processing for LNG(TR-15-08: November 4 – November 21, 2008)
Mr. Khaled Mane Fahad Al-Ajmi (KNPC / Kuwait)

On behalf of the TR-15-08 “Gas Processing for LNG”
participants, I would like to express my appreciation to
JCCP management, staff and the wonderful country ofJapan.
I used to think of Japan simply as a modern country
with high-rise buildings and large beautiful bridges, but I
have discovered that it is also a verdant country with virginforests. During my stay in Japan, I realized that Japan has
become a leader in the world because the Japanese people
are united together, honest, creative and cooperative, andtake pride in their history, culture and traditions.
I think the “Gas Processing for LNG” course wasextremely beneficial. JCCP staff efficiently provided a wide
range of information, as they delivered lectures on LNG
development and production and the applications of LNG,
and took us to LNG-fired power plants and companies
that manufacture heavy equipment that use LNG.
During the course, we visited various cities in Japan,
including Tokyo, Himeji, Kyoto, Yokohama and Ichihara.
In Tokyo, we attended many lectures: Japanese Economy,
Outline of Petroleum Industry, Global LNG Market, SteelPipe Technologies, Development and Production of LNG,
Outline of LNG Plant, and Natural Gas to New Energy
Development. After the excellent background on LNG,
JCCP showed us the diverse industrial applications of LNG.
In Himeji, we visited a terminal where LNG is received inJapan. Then we visited LNG power stations 1 & 2, which
utilize LNG-fired gas turbines to produce electrical power.
The gas turbines are manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries (MHI), so we visited MHI and attended a lecture
titled “Maintenance for Gas Turbine,” as well as visited
its workshop. We also visited Kobe Steel Company, which

manufactures many types of heavy industrial products.
In Yokohama, we visited IHI Corporation and attended
a lecture on IHI’s corporate activities, products and LNG
storage tanks. Finally, we visited Mitsui Engineering &Shipbuilding Company (MES) in Ichihara, where we
attended lectures on LNG carriers, toured the shipyard
and observed the process of shipbuilding.
Field trips took us to many beautiful, attractive,
historic and educational places in Japan. In Himeji wevisited Himeji Castle, and in Yokohama we saw Sankei-en,
Yamashita Park, the new business and shopping area,
Chinatown, and the red brick warehouse. We also visitedmany temples.
I would like to thank the JCCP management and staff,
especially Mr. Shigeyoshi Takahashi and Mr. Yoshiaki Ueno,
for their support and guidance throughout our stay inJapan. I think this course will remain in my memory as
one of the best courses in which I have ever participated,with the best group of people whom I can proudly callfriends.

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 43

JCCP Regular Courses Completed in October – December 2008

TR-11-08 Environmental Management for Refineries
Period:October 14 – October 31, 2008
No. of participants:
16
Country of participants: China, Colombia, Indonesia, Iran, Kuwait,
Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria,
Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Vietnam, Yemen

TR-12-08 Material Problems and Their Countermeasures
Period:October 14 – October 31, 2008
No. of participants:
13
Country of participants: Indonesia, Iran, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico,
Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
Thailand, Yemen

TR-13-08 Advanced Field Devices and Control
Period:October 21 – November 7, 2008
No. of participants:
13
Country of participants: Colombia, Indonesia, Iran, Libya, Malaysia,
Mexico, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
Thailand, VietnamTR-14-08 Petroleum Marketing & Product Delivery
Period:October 21 – November 7, 2008
No. of participants:
17
Country of participants: Bahrain, Brazil, China, Indonesia, Iran, Libya,
Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia,
Thailand, UAE, Vietnam, Yemen

Total: 135 participants

44 • Personnel Exchange Programs •JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

TR-15-08 Gas Processing for LNG
Period:November 4 – November 21, 2008
No. of participants:
15
Country of participants: Indonesia, Iran, Kuwait, Mexico, Myanmar,
Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Thailand,
VietnamTR-16-08 Maintenance Management
Period:November 4 – November 21, 2008
No. of participants:
13
Country of participants: China, Colombia, Indonesia, Iran, Kuwait,
Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia,
Thailand, UAE

TR-17-08 Training Management
Period:November 25 – December 12, 2008
No. of participants:
18
Country of participants: Indonesia, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia,
Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Vietnam

IT-2-08

Advanced Technologies for Rotary Machinery—Reliability Enhancement—
Period:December 2 – December 12, 2008
No. of participants:
17
Country of participants: Indonesia, Iran, Kuwait, Mexico, Nigeria,
Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand,
VietnamIT-3-08
Model Predictive Control
Period:December 2 – December 12, 2008
No. of participants:
13
Country of participants: Colombia, Indonesia, Iran, Libya, Mexico,
Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Vietnam

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Personnel Exchange Programs • 45

TechnicalCooperation

The 18th Saudi-Japan Joint Symposium—Oil Refining and Petrochemical Catalyst Technologies—
On November 16 and 17, 2008, JCCP andKing Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals(KFUPM) sponsored a Saudi-Japan Joint
Symposium on oil refining and petrochemical
catalyst technologies at the KFUPM auditorium
in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The symposium is held
every year under organization by KFUPM and theJapan Petroleum Institute (JPI), and was held forthe 18th time this year. It has taken root in Saudi
Arabia as an annual event at KFUPM, and attracted
the attendance of a large number of researchers not
only from KFUPM, but also from Saudi Aramco’s
research department and others.
Following the preparatory discussion among
KFUPM, JPI and JCCP, a twelve-member JPI
Overseas Cooperation Committee headed by Dr.
Koichi Eguchi from Kyoto University Graduate
School actively discussed details of the symposium,including its theme, Japanese speakers, and theirpresentation topics, to deliver an academicallymeaningful symposium that suitably corresponds
to needs in Saudi Arabia. The committee ultimately
decided to feature presentations centering on the
results of studies on environmentally friendly
catalysts and catalysts that promote the effective
production of high value-added products whose
demands are expected to increase in the future.
JCCP and KFUPM have previously cooperated
in conducting international joint research projects
on advanced catalyst research (FY1992–2000) and
HS-FCC (high-severity fluid catalytic cracking)technology (FY1996–2004). The last project wascompleted in FY2004, but the joint symposium,
which has been held in parallel with the research
projects, was continued as a forum for sharing new
research results among researchers in Japan and oilproducing countries and supporting the activities of
Saudi researchers.
Seven Japanese researchers participated in thisyear’s symposium, presenting their latest R&D

46 • Technical Cooperation •Dr. Abdul-Jauwad, Vice Rector for Applied Research,delivering an opening addressachievements in their respective fields.
On the Saudi side, Dr. Shakeel Ahmed, aresearcher at KFUPM, gave a presentation on a
joint study on hydrogen production, which KFUPM
is jointly implementing with Saudi Aramco. Titled“Development of Thermoneutral Reforming
Catalyst for Hydrogen Production from Liquid
Hydrocarbons,” the presentation received highmarks from all attendees, including the Japanese
attendees. We hope to include increasing numbers ofpresentations on such conventional yet academicallysignificant research themes in future symposiums,
while also responding to trends of the times toward
globalization and diversification of topics.
On the first day of the symposium, Dr. AbdulJauwad, Vice Rector for Applied Research,delivered an opening address on behalf of Dr.
Khaled S. Al-Sultan, Rector of KFUPM, who was
suddenly called away on business in Riyadh. Thiswas followed by opening speeches by Dr. Sachio
Asaoka, Professor at the University of Kitakyushu
and head of the Japanese delegation, and Kazuhisa
Okumura from the JCCP Technical Cooperation
Department. An audience of approximately 100

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009Dr. Akinobu Shiga giving a presentation

Symposium venue:
KFUPM Research Institute auditorium

people sat in on the opening proceedings, and 60
to 70 people attended the ensuing presentation
sessions. Approximately 130 participants werefrom the KFUPM Research Institute and colleges,
Saudi Aramco, King Abdulaziz City for Scienceand Technology (KACST), and various companies
and universities in Saudi Arabia.
An average of five questions were raised after
each presentation, and the speakers and participants
engaged in lively discussions based on thosequestions. They also took the opportunity of rest
breaks between presentations to continue their
discussions and cultivate personal exchanges.

We would like to extend our deepest gratitude
to all speakers of the symposium, Dr. Sulaiman AlKhattaf, Director of KFUPM Center for Refining
and Petrochemicals, members of JPI’s Overseas
Cooperation Committee, and all members of bothsecretariats, for their support and cooperation. With
the continued cooperation of Japanese universities,
companies, research institutes, and JPI, we hope tocontinue working closely with KFUPM to further
improve and develop the symposium as a high-level
forum for advanced technical needs in Saudi Arabia.

Japanese Speakers from JPI<by Kazuhisa Okumura, Technical Cooperation Dept.>

Presentation Title

Dr. Sachio Asaoka
Professor, University of Kitakyushu

Hydrocracking on Nanoporous Zeolite Catalysts

Dr. Atsushi Satsuma
Professor, Nagoya University Graduate School

Synthesis of Bisphenol-A from Phenol and Acetone Using Organic-inorganic
Modified Heteropolyacid Catalyst

Dr. Takao Masuda
Professor, Hokkaido University Graduate School

Preparation of Mono-dispersed MFI-type Zeolite Nanocrystals in Watersurfactant Oil Solution and their Application to Synthesis of Olefines from
Oxygen-containing Compounds

Dr. Toshio Tsutsui
Associate Professor, Kagoshima University

Enhancement of Conversion and Selectivity by Unsteady-state Operation in
Shape Selective Synthesis of 2,6-Dimethylnaphthalene with ZSM-5

Dr. Akinobu Shiga
Lummox Research Laboratory, Japan(formerly Senior Researcher of Sumitomo
Chemical Co., Ltd.)

Development of Propylene Polymerization Catalysts and Polypropylene
Manufacturing Processes

Mr. Katsuya WatanabeGroup Leader, Central Research Laboratory,
Cosmo Oil Co., Ltd.

Development of New Isomerization Process for Petrochemical By-products

Mr. Hiroyuki Nakamura
Chief Researcher, Refining Technology Center,
Japan Energy Corporation

Development of Hydrodesulfurization Catalyst Using Comparative Studies ofModel Feed Experiments and Quantum Chemical Studies

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Technical Cooperation • 47

TechnicalCooperation

Experimental Application of
In-SAR Technology in Saudi Arabia
As part of JCCP’s FY2008 technical cooperation
program, King Abdulaziz City for Science andTechnology (KACST), a royal research institution
in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is jointly
implementing the “Experimental Application of
In-SAR Technology in Saudi Arabia to Assess theEffect of Reservoir Activity on Surface Subsidence”
project with NTT Data CCS Corporation, Nippon
Mining Research and Technology Co., Ltd., andNichiyo Engineering Corporation.
Remote sensing is a method of acquiring remote
information on land formations, features, andobjects, by monitoring any change of the earth’s
surface by satellite and from aircraft. One of themost representative remote sensing technologies is
In-SAR (Interferometry Synthetic Aperture Radar)technology, which is the main feature of the project.
It uses satellite-mounted synthetic aperture radar(SAR) to obtain pairs of observation data froman extremely close range, and analyzes the phasedifference between each data pair. Today, In-SAR
technology is attracting attention as an effectivemeans of acquiring elevation data and measuringchanges in terrain (see Fig. 1).

Fig. 1 Fundamental principle of In-SAR technology

48 • Technical Cooperation •JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

The study examines the feasibility ofsystematizing the series of tasks from mappingchanges in the earth’s surface over a wide area, withhigh precision using the latest In-SAR technology,
to assessing the impacts of ground deformations andother risk factors on oil facilities and others, basedon the obtained data (see Fig. 2).
This project is expected to contribute to further

improvement of KACST’s technical level in the areaof In-SAR technology. In the future, the In-SAR
system that is being developed through the project
would allow prompt, high-precision assessments ofland deformations throughout Saudi Arabia’s vast
2.15 million square kilometers of land (5.7 times thearea of Japan), and greatly contribute to the effective
management of oil fields and other areas.
<by Shigeru Nanbara, Technical Cooperation Dept.>

In-SAR

Measurements

Civil Engineering
Norms
Development
Level / Typesof DamageAmount ofSubsidence

Susbsidence
Velocity

Estimated
Amount ofSubsidence

Media News
& Reports

Scientific
Literature

Kinds of
Exposure

Norms for
Subsidence
Geological
Characteristics

Hazard Ranking

Fig. 2 Risk assessment system using In-SAR technology

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Technical Cooperation • 49

TechnicalCooperation

Study on Improving Reactor Efficiency
at the Esfahan Refinery in IranThe state-run Esfahan Oil Refining Company inIran and JCCP are jointly implementing the “Studyon Improving Reactor Efficiency at the Esfahan
Refinery in Iran,” with Nichiyo Engineering
Corporation and Nippon Mining Research andTechnology Co., Ltd., as a FY2008 JCCP technicalcooperation program.
Recent years have seen rapid rise in the awarenessof environmental issues, has brought dramaticincrease in demand for clean gasoline and diesel
fuel. Heavy oil, on the other hand, is in surplus
due to dwindling demand, and has oil companies
scrambling to achieve effective operations of oil
upgrading facilities which are capable of processing
heavy oil and producing larger volumes of clean andlighter petroleum fuels.
Most refineries in Iran, including the Esfahan
Refinery, were built about 30 years ago and areincapable of adequately responding to increasing
demands for clean and light petroleum fuels.
The objective of the said project is to practicallyincrease the processing capacity of an existinghydrocracking unit reactor through more efficient

operations, by making small changes to the reactor
and applying the latest catalyst loading technologythat has been developed in Japan. More specifically,
the distributor on the reactor is being remodeledto equalize the flow of feedstock to the catalyst
bed, and the latest catalyst loading technology has
been adopted to allow uniform and packed loadingof catalysts, so that a larger volume of catalysts
can be loaded, compared to the conventionalloading method. These measures are also expected
to improve liquid dispersion within the catalyst
layer.
The technologies that are being applied to theproject are those that Japan’s oil companies havesteadily developed over the years in the effort toimprove refinery facilities and operations. They will
maximize the capacities of existing facilities andallow them to respond to increasing demands forclean oil products. These oil upgrading and othertechnologies such as energy saving are expected
to continue providing technical support to other
Middle Eastern countries in the future.
<by Shigeru Nanbara, Technical Cooperation Dept.>䕦ձOverview of catalyst loading

50 • Technical Cooperation •Catalyst loading demonstration using thecatalyst loading machine

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

TechnicalCooperation

SQU-Japan Joint Research Projects Are
Introduced in SQU’s “Horizon” Newsletter
Recently, an article on joint research projects
implemented in Oman by Sultan Qaboos University(SQU) and Japan appeared in SQU’s academic
newsletter Horizon and on its website, as introduced
below. The article ends as follows: “The PCED
(Petroleum & Chemical Engineering Department)
at SQU has well-established a long, continuous, andsuccessful research partnership with its Japanesecounterpart organizations, and looks forward totheir continued support and cooperation over the
coming years.”Center (JPEC), the predecessor to JCCP’s joint
research programs, and Shimizu Corporation,
supported by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Tradeand Industry (METI). These projects have been
initiated by such distinguished members of SQU
as H.E. Dr. Mohammed Hamed Saif Al-Rumhy,
Minister of Oil and Gas, H.E. Dr. Ali Saud AlBemani, Vice-Chancellor of SQU, and Dr. Rashid
Al-Maamari.

Overview• 1996–2000: Treatment and Effective Utilizationof Oilfield Produced Water in Oman
• 2001–2006: Groundwater Pollution andCountermeasures in Oman
• 2007–2010 (planned): Treatment and Utilizationof Oilfield Produced Water in Oman

Since 1996, SQU has been working on joint
research projects on such topics as treatment andutilization of oilfield produced water and assessment
and treatment of hydrocarbon-contaminatedgroundwater, with JCCP, Japan Petroleum EnergyNames of Joint Research Projects<by Nobuyuki Suyama, Technical Cooperation Dept.>

SQU website

SQU’s academic newsletter Horizon

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009

• Technical Cooperation • 51

Personnel Changes
Outgoing Personnel

Incoming Personnel

Hitoshi HIROKAWA

Hiroshi IIDA

Technical
Cooperation
Department

Training
Department

Akio HIGASHI

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
FAX. +81-3-5396-6006
FAX. +81-3-5396-6006
FAX. +81-3-5396-8015

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

52 • Announcement •• Riyadh Office
Al-Dahlawi Building, King Fahad Rd., Tahlia St., Olaya,
P.O. Box 61356, Riyadh 11565, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
TEL. +966-1-462-5121 FAX. +966-1-461-0983

E-mail: webmaster@jccp.or.jp

JCCP NEWS No. 103 February 2009