4 - Kuwait Oil Company

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KOC Purchases 14 New TugboatsA group photo of senior KOC officials and the Damen delegationC&MD Sami Al-Rushaid recently expressed satisfactionover the launching of a new project that he said “wouldenhance the KOC strategy to produce 4 million barrelsof oil per day and contribute to the expansion ofrelevant export operations.”In a speech he delivered upon the signing of a roughly140 million Euro (approximately KD 50 million)contract with the Dutch Damen Shipyards Gorinchemto purchase 14 tugboats, Al-Rushaid added that the newproject was intended to meet the need to expand oilexports as a result of increasing output.The C&MD said he was pleased to know that the tugboatsalready in operation within KOC for the past 25years were also built by Damen Shipyards and thathe was glad to see this tradition continue through thesigning of the new contract. He expressed hope thatthe shipbuilding company would observe the contractprovisions within the agreed period of 35 months.Meanwhile, Dutch Damen’s Area Director for theMiddle East, Martin de Bruijn, labeled the project as amajor and unique one and said that its importance liesin the continuation of the fruitful cooperation for over25 consecutive years with a company of the caliber ofKOC. He also said that he was pleased to be part ofsuch a huge strategic program for the next 25 years andbeyond.He also maintained that the technical staff in Hollandwas ready to begin the implementation of the contractand to provide the necessary training to build apromising future of mutual cooperation.The contract was signed for KOC by the Acting MarineOperations Manager, Hasan Al-Bairami, and for DamenGorinchem by the Sales Manager Middle East, BoranBekbulat.A group photo was taken on the conclusion of theceremony, and Damen’s Area Director for the MiddleEast presented C&MD Al-Rushaid with a picturerepresenting the tug boats.About DamenThe two Damen brothers Jan and Rien started thecompany in a shed next to the family home in 1922.Five years later they formalized the company as DamenBrothers. It remained a small but prominent boatbuilder until Kommer Damen joined the company. In1969 Kommer Damen purchased the company fromhis father and introduced the modular shipbuildingconcept in the building of small boats and launches.This concept of standardization (now called The DamenStandard) has evident advantages such as shorterdelivery times, reduced costs and proven designs. Theconcept was an immediate success and in 1973 theexpansion of Damen Shipyards in Gorinchem began.Damen kept on growing gradually and soon thegroup started exporting. Because Gorinchem wasstrategically placed for the dredging industry, auxiliaryequipment and workboats were built. The Damendredging workboats quickly became the standard inmany foreign markets and Kommer Damen saw theopportunity to export. Later on, Kommer Damen tookover numerous yards specialized in niche marketswhere he saw an opportunity to invest. And Damenstarted partnerships and business cooperations withyards all over the world.Today the company has more than 6,000 employeesworking at 35 companies worldwide. Since theintroduction of modular shipbuilding (The DamenStandard), Damen has built over 5,000 vessels andannually up to 150 vessels are built. At dedicated42October - December 2012
shipyards strategically located all over the worldDamen carries out the mass production of standardhulls for certain popular vessel types. Damen Shipyardsoperates in many shipbuilding sectors and has becomea prominent and recognized shipbuilder throughout theworld.A Brief Look at Tugboat HistoryThe use of steam power to propel ocean vessels beganto make its way onto the world scene in the late 1700s,and by the early 1800s, riverboats were being fittedwith steam engines. The steam engine quickly becamethe most efficient and widely used way to propel boats.In March of 1802, William Symington of Scotland madehistory by fitting his patented steam engine on hispaddlewheel boat, which he had named the “CharlotteDundas.” By doing so, Symington had created theworld’s first official tugboat.On her maiden trip, the Charlotte Dundas, with her 10horsepower steam engine, carried 20 passengers andpulled two loaded barges 19 ½ miles along the Forth& Clyde Canal near Glasgow, Scotland. This six-hourtrip was the only journey she took. Canal proprietors,fearing she would erode the canal banks with thepaddlewheel, banned paddle wheelers on the canal.So, the Charlotte Dundas was left sitting where shestopped. Five years later, American Engineer RobertFulton brought the steamboat to North America.Though steamboats were initially used for passengercarry, the potential and profitability for towing wasquickly realized. In 1825, the Rufus King was builtspecifically for towing sailing ships into the New Yorkharbor. Within 10 years, towing operations were inports around the world assisting ships in and out ofharbors, rivers and canals. The fierce competition forassisting led to the additional practice of salvage work.By the mid 1800s, more and more freight was beingThe new tugboats that KOC is set to receiveDamen’s Martin de Bruijn presents C&MD Sami Al-Rushaid with aphoto of the new tugboatsmoved on the waterways, so the practice of usingbarges also came into use. To improve efficiency,ship designers began experimenting with other formsof propulsion. Screw propellers were adopted bytugs in the 1870s. Their metal blades provided muchmore power than paddlewheels. Iron and steel hullswere becoming more common. The size and abilityof tugboats began to support these new propellers.Companies then started building larger tugs andexpanding into ocean salvage work.When the diesel engine showed up on the shipbuilding scene, things were forever changed. Dieselwas lighter and cheaper to run and the boats neededfewer crewmembers. Although steam engine poweredtugs stuck around until the 1950s, by then most hadbeen converted to diesel.Both World War I and II brought a surge in tugboatbuilding and the need for them in the war efforts.By WWII, new upgrades in ship design, propulsiontechnology, communication and navigation equipmentfueled the tugboat business. There of course is always adownside. This modernization of the tugboat as well asother factors in the shipping industry led to the declinein the number of ships needed.Today, as few as two or three tugboats can maneuvereven the largest of ships in and out of harbors. Newapproaches to towing barges have allowed them tobe more effectively towed on the open seas. Tug andbarge operations can carry such large loads at cheaperrates that they can even compete with cargo ships. Yetdespite the decreases in tugs needed to do the worktoday, the builders are still building. Newer, bigger,stronger ships are always needed for the various river,harbor and ocean work. And the older, very well builttugs of yesterday are upgraded and refitted to do theirshare of the load as well.October - December 2012 43
Page 2 and 3: October - December 2012The Kuwaiti
Page 5 and 6: Esam Al-Houti Returns Safely to Kuw
Page 9 and 10: Minister of Oil Hani Hussein (L) an
Page 11 and 12: At KOC, the Asset Action Planis alw
Page 13 and 14: Appendix II: 72 MonthsProduction Fo
Page 16 and 17: Figure 3: Comparison of any company
Page 18 and 19: Enterprise Content Management Busin
Page 20 and 21: • Identifying requirements andmak
Page 22 and 23: The Benefit of Variable Speed Drive
Page 24 and 25: The simulation results of the scala
Page 26 and 27: Fig. 1: Risk reduction layersIndepe
Page 28 and 29: The risk reduction factor fromeach
Page 30 and 31: Caring for the CommunityKOC’s His
Page 32 and 33: An instructor gives a lesson in Eng
Page 34 and 35: Oil Origins: The Biotic Vs. Abiotic
Page 37 and 38: wells pumped water with a salinityl
Page 39 and 40: ground.” Dr. Kotwicki explainedth
Page 41 and 42: nanoscale photonic circuits, as exi
Page 43: heavy oil, density and viscosityare
Page 47 and 48: childhood. Young children whooften
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