West Atlas - Keppel Corporation

eppel 

Keppel Group Newsletter 

Keppelite 

First foray in 

Saudi Arabia 4 

A safe and clean 

environment 12 

Building up the 

talent pool 31 

MICA(P) NO. 045/11/2006 

SEPTEMBER 2007 

www.kepcorp.com/ekeppelite 

Special focus: 

West Atlas delivered 

Keppelite I September 2007

10 

eppel 

Published for people in the Keppel Group by the Group Corporate Communications Division, Keppel Corporation Limited, 1 HarbourFront Ave, #18-01 Keppel Bay Tower, 

Singapore 098632. Printed by Image Printers Pte Ltd, Blk 1002, Redhill Industrial Estate, Jalan Bukit Merah, #03-12, Singapore 159456. 

Editorial Advisor 

Wang Look Fung 

Editors 

Ang Lai Lee & Grace Chia 

Editorial Committee 

Andrea Lee, Andrew Ong, Clara Ko, Diana Chan, Fatima Lay, Gayathri Prakash Nair, Ivana Chua, Lai Siang Chin, Lee Yin Chiin, Low Hooi Hoon, Mak Chui Ling, Mohd Nor Nordin, Nicole Ma, 

Nicole Tan, Pamela Almeda, Phang Weng Onn, Quek Mong Song, Roy Tan, Sarah Seah, Serena Toh, Tan Geok Hong, Teo Chang Ching, Teri Liew, Woon Pek Yong 

Keppelite I September 2007 

Contents 

BUSINESS 

First foray in Saudi Arabia 4 

Sixth water project in Algeria 6 

First oil at Oyong field 7 

On the Offshore Energy Center Hall of Fame 8 

Knowing what it takes 9 

Villa Riviera nears completion 10 

Splashing start at Nantong 11 

Ocean’s 15 

Creating a safe and clean environment 12 

Lessons for progress 13 

EGM for Keppel Land and K-REIT Asia 

SPC wins inaugural energy award 14 

Nurturing tomorrow’s talents 

World’s first heavy lifter in Keppel Verolme 15 

Technology talks 

On the alert 16 

BG Junction celebrates first anniversary 17 

Centre of attraction 

Special Focus 

On time every time 18 

16 

TEAM 

Seventh against all odds 20 

Staying calm in a crisis 24 

Capital visits 

20 

Forging strong ties 25 

Gearing up for a World of Friends 26 

PEOPLE 

Man with a mission 28 

New CEO at Keppel Logistics 29 

Dynamic duo 

Keppelites Abroad 

Powering up Nicaragua 30 

COMMUNITY 

Keppel O&M seeds $50,000 for NTU scholarships 31 

Celebrating with the nation 32 

Good sport 

Dancing to a global beat 33 

Green Initiatives 

Green hand for good cause 34 

Quenching the thirst for knowledge 

Keppel Volunteers 

Wild about sports 35 

BACK PAGE 

Setting sail for a new home 36 

CO REG NO: 196800351N

Teamwork thrives 

While training onboard Uniquely Singapore, 

the power of team spirit enabling a group of 

ordinary people to achieve the extraordinary 

became an unflinching reality for me. 

Everyday, living on the little red boat showed me 

the amazing feats that we can all achieve as one, 

if we are proactive in contributing to a bigger and 

organised effort aimed at achieving certain shared 

goals. 

How else can a group of novices, many of whom 

had never before sailed in their lives, led by a single 

skipper, operate and sail a 68-foot yacht out in 

the open ocean, survive a force 10 gale storm and 

navigate their way to the intended shore 

destination safely? 

Put that way, it almost seems a miracle the boat 

was not driven ashore by us. But it was no miracle. 

It was hard work put in by the team, as a team. 

When the helmsman hollers, “Ready about, lee 

ho,” ensuring a safely and speedily effected tack 

requires well timed and coordinated executions by 

several people, each responsible for different tasks. 

If any of the roles were not fulfilled, the most basic 

of manoeuvres as even a tack is virtually impossible. 

As they say, Rome was not built in a single day. 

Surely not by a single man too. 

But team success relies not only upon plain and 

simple teamwork. It goes beyond basic cooperation 

– it harnesses loyalty to the team, shared 

motivation towards achieving the common 

purpose, faith in leadership, regard for each and 

every teammate’s safety and well-being, and 

forbearance towards differences. 

Bridging diverse nationalities, cultures, languages 

and backgrounds, the desire to sail Uniquely 

Singapore with pride and passion formed the core 

of the team’s identity. We shared one abode, one 

destiny, food from one galley and fought with one 

heart. 

Editorial 

Invisible but not intangible, team ethos was at the 

helm – the guiding force that empowered and 

energised our endeavours. Only then were our 

individual thresholds breached and new horizons 

for the entire team revealed. 

The principle underlying it all is simple - the whole 

is greater than the sum of its parts. I have realised 

that the same is true even for Keppel. 

With people and operations spread across 33 

countries, our common values must be the guiding 

compass wherever we do business – commitment 

to deliver and the passion for quality and 

excellence, that are synonymous with Keppel. 

Our businesses leverage each other’s strengths, 

resources and strategic advantages. This way, our 

Group provides a more solid and secure growth 

platform upon which Keppel’s commitment 

towards enhancing long-term shareholder value 

is consistently delivered. 

I remember being horror-struck when first asked 

to helm Uniquely Singapore. I blurted, “I am not 

even licensed to drive on land. Can I do it?” 

I obviously didn’t sink the boat, seeing that 

Uniquely Singapore is now halfway across the 

world racing hard towards Salvador, Brazil. 

But I learnt to helm, and aspire to helm better each 

time I am entrusted with it, because being part of 

a team also means that when a teammate says 

the helmsman is down, you cover for him or her. 

That’s the beauty of being part of a team – you do 

the best you can, and the rest does their best for 

you too. 

I now know too, that be it the toughest situations 

at work or the roughest times on the Clipper race, 

I will always be able to draw strength from a 

formidable, all-star team behind me. 


4 Business 

Breaking new grounds in 

Saudi Arabia 

About 1,000 seafront 

apartments will augment 

the property market in 

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, when 

partners, Keppel Land and 

SEDCO (Saudi Economic 

and Development Co. Ltd.), 

launch its world-class 

waterfront development in 

2008. 

This follows the signing of 

the Joint Venture Agreement 

(JVA) between Keppel Land 

and SEDCO to develop luxury 

residences on a 3.6-ha 

site along the Corniche 

waterfront in Jeddah. 

Under the agreement, 

Keppel Land and SEDCO 

will hold 51:49 equity 

respectively in the joint 

venture. The total investment 

cost is estimated to be 

S$760 million. 

Comprising three high-rise 

towers, the development is 

targeted at the high-end 

market and will be 


undertaken in phases 

according to market 

demand. 

Mr Kevin Wong, MD of 

Keppel Land, said, “We are 

excited that our first foray 

into Saudi Arabia is a 

landmark waterfront 

development in Jeddah, its 

commercial and recreation 

hub. Keppel Land will 

contribute our experience 

and expertise in developing 

large-scale integrated 

lifestyle developments for 

a world-class waterfront 

development in Jeddah. 

“This development will 

enable Keppel Land to 

quickly establish its track 

record and open us to other 

opportunities both in Saudi 

Arabia as well as in other 

fast-growing markets in the 

Middle East.” 

Sheikh Saleh Bin Mahfouz, 

MD of SEDCO Real Estate 

Group, said, “We are happy 

This development will enable 

Keppel Land to quickly establish its 

track record and open us to other 

opportunities both in Saudi Arabia 

as well as in other fast-growing 

markets in the Middle East. 

Mr Kevin Wong 

Managing Director 

Keppel Land 

to develop this prestigious 

landmark project with our 

strategic partner, Keppel 

Land, that we believe will 

add value to Jeddah’s role as 

a regional hub for commerce 

and recreation. The joint 

experience of the partners 

will give a strong boost to 

this and other projects that 

SEDCO is planning in the 

future.” 

Located at the west coast of 

Saudi Arabia by the Red Sea, 

Jeddah, with a population 

of 3.4 million, is also the 

gateway to the two holy 

The waterfront residences will be located at Al Nawras, which is part of the prestigious North Corniche residential precinct, and enjoys a 220-m sea frontage 

mosques of Makkah and 

Medinah. 

The waterfront development 

is located at Al Nawras, 

which is part of the high-end 

North Corniche residential 

precinct, and enjoys a 

220-m sea frontage. The 

popular residential precinct 

also features international 

hotels such as The Westin, 

Hilton and Sheraton, and 

established F&B outlets. 

Conveniently accessible via 

main roads, the site is a 

15-minute drive away

Targeted at the high-end market, the development will be undertaken in phases according to market demand and is expected to be launched in 2008 

from the King Abdulaziz 

International Airport and a 

10-minute drive from the 

luxury retail belt – Tahlia 

Street. It is also a five-minute 

drive from the Red Sea Mall 

(a 240,000 sm shopping 

mall being developed by 

SEDCO and its other 

partners), which is poised to 

be the largest retail hub in 

Saudi Arabia when it is 

completed in end 2007. 

Mr Ang Wee Gee, Director 

for Regional Investments of 

Keppel Land, added, “With 

strong economic growth 

and accelerated economic 

reforms experienced in Saudi 

Arabia, Jeddah has enjoyed 

high growth in the real estate 

sector in recent years. 

“In particular, its North 

Corniche precinct is a prime 

real estate location with its 

extensive sea frontage and 

cluster of new lifestyle 

developments. In Jeddah, 

there is also a growing trend 

towards high-rise luxury 

apartments designed and 

developed by reputable 

developers. This is where 

Keppel Land will bring its 

superior quality in execution 

and management to bear in 

this new market.” keppelite 

Once a desert nation, the 

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is 

today a modern, sophisticated 

state and a major player on 

the international stage. 

With oil accounting for more 

than 90% of the country’s 

exports and approximately 

75% of government 

revenues, Saudi Arabia has 

the largest oil reserves in the 

world and is the leading oil 

producer and exporter. 

In addition, its sustainable 

economic growth and 

multiplying population make 

the Kingdom an attractive 

investment market. 

Business 5 

Attractive investment market 

With a population of about 

27.6 million, Saudi Arabia is 

the largest amongst the 

Gulf Co-operation Council 

countries comprising the 

Persian Gulf states of 

Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, 

Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the 

United Arab Emirates. 

Located at the west coast of 

Saudi Arabia by the Red Sea 

is Jeddah. Considered the 

commercial capital of Saudi 

Arabia, Jeddah is the second 

largest city in Saudi Arabia 

after the capital city, Riyadh. 

It is also the wealthiest city 

in the Middle East and 

Western Asia. 


6 Business 

Sixth water project in Algeria 

Keppel Seghers, the 

environmental technology 

division of Keppel Group, has 

secured a S$22 million 

contract to design, build 

and operate a wastewater 

treatment and reuse plant 

for the city of Ain Beida, 

Oum-El-Bouaghi province, 

Algeria. 

This contract follows another 

contract Keppel Seghers 

secured in Algeria in July 

2007 to design and build a 

wastewater treatment and 

reuse plant of similar capacity 

in Laghouat province and 

operate it for two years. The 

treated wastewater will also 

be used for irrigation 

purposes. 

Awarded by Direction 

Hydraulique de Wilaya 

(DHW) Oum-El-Bouaghi, 

Keppel Seghers will design 

the plant and operate it for 

two years. 

In addition, Keppel Seghers 

will provide a fully integrated 

wastewater treatment 

installation including 

wastewater pre-treatment, 

an activated sludge unit, as 

well as a settling and 

disinfection unit. 


Keppel Seghers’s partner for 

this project is Hydro- 

Technique, a major civil water 

works company in Algeria. 

When completed in 2009, 

the plant will be able 

to treat 25,260m 3 /day of 

wastewater, catering to a 

population of 210,000. The 

treated wastewater will 

be used for irrigation 

purposes. 

Mr Chua Chee Wui, CEO 

of Keppel Integrated 

Engineering, said, “This is the 

sixth water project that 

Keppel Seghers has secured 

in Algeria. 

“The Algerian market is 

strategic for Keppel; our 

experience and expertise in 

wastewater treatment and 

water reuse are particularly 

suited to offer solutions to 

address the water scarcity 

issues in Algeria.” 

Said Mr Werner Van 

Peteghem, Business 

Manager for Water 

Technologies in Keppel 

Seghers, “Rapid population 

and economic growth is 

driving the need for water 

and wastewater treatment 

and reuse in Algeria. 

“Together with local partners 

like Hydro-Technique, 

Keppel intends to actively 

participate in the upcoming 

opportunities in Algeria. 

“As a leading solutions 

provider for water and solid 

waste treatment technology 

with a global footprint in 

25 countries, Keppel Seghers 

is well positioned to provide 

its expertise in EPC 

(Engineering, Procurement 

and Construction) services 

and operation and 

maintenance for large water 

treatment projects to our 

customers in Algeria and the 

rest of the Maghreb 

countries and the Middle 

East. We will continue to 

strengthen our presence in 

this region.” 

Keppel has been active in the 

Maghreb countries and the 

Middle East for several years, 

having completed over 30 

water treatment projects in 

Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Saudi 

Arabia, Tunisia and Turkey. 

In October 2006, Keppel 

was awarded design, build, 

operate and maintain 

contracts for the first 

integrated solid waste 

management facility in the 

Middle East by the Qatar 

Government. keppelite 

This is the sixth water project that 

Keppel Seghers has secured in 

Algeria. The Algerian market is 

strategic for Keppel; our experience 

and expertise in wastewater 

treatment and water reuse are 

particularly suited to offer 

solutions to address the water 

scarcity issues in Algeria. 

Mr Chua Chee Wui 

CEO 

Keppel Integrated Engineering

First oil at Oyong field 

With the production barge Sea-Good 101 (in the background) on location, Oyong is set for first oil 

Singapore Petroleum 

Company Limited (SPC) has 

begun oil production at the 

Oyong field of its Sampang 

Production Sharing Contract 

(Sampang PSC or the Block) 

in Indonesia. 

Mr Koh Ban Heng, SPC’s 

CEO said, “First oil at 

Oyong is a significant event 

for SPC. It is the company’s 

second producing asset, and 

affirms our strategy to 

develop existing discoveries. 

“With Oyong coming onstream, 

our current oil 

production will be more than 

doubled and contribute 

positively to SPC in the 

longer term.” 

After the initial ramp-up, 

gross production at Oyong is 

expected to stabilise at 

between 8,000 and 10,000 

barrels of oil per day (bopd). 

SPC’s 40% interest will be 

between 3,200 and 4,000 

bopd. 

In addition, SPC and its 

partners are also developing 

the Oyong gas reserves. 

Front-end engineering 

design for the development 

of the gas reserves is 

currently underway, with first 

gas production expected in 

2009. 

Under a gas sales 

agreement with PT Indonesia 

Power, the gas will be 

transported via a 55km 

pipeline to an onshore 

processing facility adjacent 

to the Grati Power Station in 

East Java. 

The Wortel gas discovery, 

also located in the Sampang 

PSC, approximately 7km 

west of Oyong, could 

potentially be incorporated 

into the Oyong gas 

development. Further 

appraisal of the Wortel 

Business 7 

discovery has been planned 

in the first half of 2008. 

At SPC’s Kakap Production 

Sharing Contract (Kakap 

PSC), light oil (44º API) had 

been discovered at the 

Pancing-1X exploration well 

(Pancing-1X). However the 

discovery is non commercial 

and the well has been 

plugged and abandoned. 

The rig will immediately 

move to drill the KG West-1 

gas development well, about 

4km east of Pancing-1X. 

It is expected that this well 

will be drilled to 4,260 feet 

measured depth. keppelite 


8 Business 

On the Offshore Energy Center 

Hall of Fame 

Keppel Offshore & Marine 

(Keppel O&M) has been 

elected to the Offshore 

Energy Center’s (OEC) Hall of 

Fame as a Technology 

Pioneer in the ‘Construction: 

Rig Building Shipyards’ 

category. 

The Hall of Fame recognises 

individuals and companies 

for their contributions to the 

offshore oil and gas industry 

through the development of 

technologies. 

“Keppel’s contributions to 

the offshore industry have 

been outstanding, and we 

will be recognising and 

recording these 

accomplishments and how 

they positively affected our 

industry,” Mr Hugh Elkins, 

Chairman for OEC’s Hall of 

Fame Committee in a letter 

to Mr Chow Yew Yuan, 

President of Keppel O&M 

USA. 


Mr Elkins also noted that, 

“Offshore rigs are vessels 

unlike any the world has 

ever known. To be able to 

build these behemoths and 

make them seaworthy 

requires unusual vision, 

determination and ingenuity. 

A few shipyards rose to the 

challenge.” 

Mr Chow received the 

honours on behalf of the 

group at the Ocean Star Gala 

on 15 September 2007 at 

the Westin Galleria in 

Houston, Texas. 

Rigbuilding projects are 

highly complex and involve 

many parties. To execute a 

project well, the yard must 

have the technological 

know-how, good people, 

experience, relevant facilities 

and a good understanding of 

the customer, product and 

market. 

Keppel O&M is ‘Technology Pioneer’ at the Offshore Energy Center’s Hall of Fame 

(From left) Mr Michael Holcomb, President/Director of Keppel Marine Agencies and Mr Chow 

Yew Yuan, President of Keppel O&M USA at the gala dinner where Keppel O&M received top 

honours 

Shared Mr Chow, “Going 

forward, shipyards will face 

even greater technical 

challenges as exploration 

and production activities 

move into deeper waters 

and harsher environments. 

Keppel will continue to adapt 

to the changing landscape 

through the same can-do 

spirit and courage that saw 

us transform from a minor 

repair yard to where we are 

today.” 

A non-profit organisation, 

OEC’s mission is to expand 

awareness of the vast 

energy resources available 

beneath the world’s oceans 

through public educational 

programmes. It also operates 

the Ocean Star, an offshore 

drilling rig and museum in 

Galveston, Texas, which 

chronicles the unique 

heritage and technological 

accomplishments of the 

offshore industry. keppelite

Knowing what it takes 

Rigbuilding requires excellent project management 

With new yards entering the 

arena to build rigs amid the 

offshore boom, Keppel 

Offshore & Marine’s (Keppel 

O&M) Chairman & CEO 

Mr Choo Chiau Beng issued 

a strong word of caution – 

that many were 

underestimating the 

difficulty of building rigs. 

He shared the complexities of 

building rigs at the Pareto 

Securities’s 14th Annual Oil 

& Offshore Conference in 

Oslo, Norway, in August 

2007. 

Mr Choo explained that rigs 

were akin to specialised 

factories. 

To build them successfully, 

one has to manage the 

supply chain well as it 

involves the sourcing and 

integrating of several 

complex components from 

different vendors around the 

world. 

He added that many Chinese 

yards underestimated the 

risks in building rigs. The 

Japanese yards were not in 

the rigbuilding business 

as they recognised that 

managing the supply chain 

was a huge challenge. 

Not only does the design and 

construction of rigs call for 

strong engineering and 

production experience, it also 

demands yards to have a 

robust procurement system, 

so as to fulfill on-time 

deliveries. Above all, yards 

need to have strong project 

management teams to 

execute in a timely and costeffective 

manner. 

Keppel O&M’s Chairman & CEO Mr Choo Chiau Beng likens rigbuilding to the construction of specialised factories. To build them successfully, 

he shared, one has to manage the supply chain from vendors around the world 

Business 9 

The two-day conference 

from 29 to 30 August 2007 

attracted a multitude of 

offshore oil and gas 

companies from all over the 

world and was attended by 

over 1,400 people. They 

included Prosafe, Seadrill, 

Pride International, Skeie 

Drilling & Production, 

Gulfmark Offshore, BP and 

Scorpion Offshore, among 

others. 

On the outlook of the 

offshore business, Mr Choo 

said that market 

fundamentals were strong 

for the foreseeable future, 

although the concern of a 

spike in the already volatile 

oil price continued to lurk. A 

good level for the rigbuilding 

business, would be a long 

term and stable oil price of 

US$45 per barrel. 

Mr Choo’s remarks at the 

conference, where the air 

was filled with optimism, 

came amidst the high 

volume of jobs currently 

being executed by Keppel’s 

yards. 

To date, a total of seven 

jackup newbuildings has 

been delivered by Keppel this 

year, all either on or ahead 

of schedule. keppelite 


10 Business 

Villa Riviera nears completion 

Buyers of Villa Riviera are 

looking forward to collect 

their keys to their new homes 

when Villa Riviera is 

completed in November. 

Located in the prime An Phu 

Ward in District 2, Villa 

Riviera enjoys excellent 

frontage of the scenic Saigon 

River. All 101 units of Villa 

Riviera were snapped up 

early this year, less than a 

year since its public launch in 

April 2006. 

Covering six hectares, 

Villa Riviera is a gated 

development complemented 

with a plethora of resortstyle 

facilities. 

Ms Le Thi Phuong Thao, a 

happy buyer of Villa Riviera, 

said, “The Keppel brand has 

become synonymous with 

quality residences in fine 

Villa Riviera’s homebuyers will soon open doors to a new waterfront lifestyle 


Ho Chi Minh City’s finest waterfront address – Villa Riviera 

locations. I was very 

satisfied with the attentive 

professional service rendered 

by the marketing team and 

am confident that the 

purchase is a wise investment 

decision. 

“Having recommended 

the development to my 

friends who are now also 

happy buyers, we are all 

anticipating Keppel Land’s 

future projects.” 

Ms Le and her friends are 

eagerly anticipating The 

Estella, the launch of 1,600 

up-market apartments 

jointly developed by Keppel 

Land and local partner 

Tien Phuoc Co. Keppel Land 

was recently awarded the 

investment licence for The 

Estella by the Ho Chi Minh 

City People’s Committee. 

keppelite 

The Keppel brand has become 

synonymous with quality residences 

in fine locations. I was very 

satisfied with the attentive 

professional service rendered by the 

marketing team and am confident 

that the purchase is a wise 

investment decision. 

Ms Le Thi Phuong Thao 

a happy buyer of Villa Riviera

Splashing start 

at Nantong 

The rain could not dampen 

the high spirits of Keppelites 

at Keppel Nantong as they 

witnessed the launching of 

the yard’s first Anchor 

Handling Tug/Supply (AHTS) 

vessel on 4 September 2007. 

It was a momentous 

occasion as the 60-tonne 

AHTS for Hadi Offshore 

(HADI) made its way inch-byinch 

into the Chang Jiang 

River. 

Mr Wong Phuay Cheng, 

VP (Operations) of Keppel 

Nantong, said, “We had to 

move the vessel transversely 

or sideways from the 

building berth to the 

launchway, then to the 

launching platform. 

“With our specially-designed 

transfer and launching 

mechanism, we managed to 

achieve the milestone in a 

short span of time.” 

The launch of the AHTS 

followed shortly after two 

tugboats in June this year. 

Keppel Nantong is also 

constructing three other 

AHTS vessels for HADI, all of 

which will be launched 

progressively till end-2007. 

keppelite 

Keppel Nantong charts another milestone with the launch of Smit Lumut for Hadi Offshore 

Ocean’s 15 

Ocean Saratoga is the 15th gem Diamond has entrusted with Keppel AmFELS 

Keppel AmFELS delivered 

its fifteenth vessel, semi 

drilling unit Ocean 

Saratoga to Diamond 

Offshore on time and 

within budget, in April 

2007. The vessel has left 

for the Gulf of Mexico to 

commence work for LLOG 

Exploration. 

The vessel which arrived 

in the yard in August last 

year underwent required 

renewal and repair works. 

Major works were carried 

out on its external 

structure and internal 

systems including the 

ballast and fire pump 

well renewal as well as 

renewals to lower hull 

structural steel. 

Including Ocean Saratoga, 

Keppel AmFELS’s proven 

ability has seen the yard 

Business 11 

complete 15 projects for 

Diamond Offshore which 

includes newbuilds, rig 

renewals, repairs, conversions 

and major refurbishment 

works for Diamond. 

Ocean Yorktown, a sister to 

semi Ocean Saratoga, is in 

the yard undergoing similar 

life extension repair as well. 

Another semi Ocean Worker 

is undergoing classification 

survey and repair works. 

Keppel AmFELS is also 

undertaking repair works 

for Pride Texas, a mat 

supported cantilever jackup 

for long-time customer, 

Pride International. 

When completed in 

November 2007, Pride Texas 

will be back working for 

Mexican national oil 

company, PEMEX. keppelite 


12 Business 

Creating a safe and clean 

environment 

Keppel Seghers Engineering 

Singapore (KSES) was lauded 

for its efforts in promoting 

and maintaining a safe 

working environment. It was 

recently awarded the 

Certificate of Excellence by 

the Land Transport Authority 

(LTA) for its safety 

achievement of over 

700,000 accident free 

manhours on the C413 

Kallang-Paya Lebar 

Expressway (KPE) project. 

“The Certificate of Excellence 

is the highest award given t 

o an electrical and 

mechanical contractor for 

Occupational Safety and 

Health Management. This 

recognition will spur us to 


continuously improve our 

safety standards,” said 

Mr Goh Chin Aik, Project 

Director (Singapore Projects) 

of KSES. 

Speaking at LTA’s 9th Annual 

Safety Award Convention, 

Guest-of-Honour Mrs Lim 

Hwee Hua, Minister of State 

for Finance and Transport, 

stressed the importance 

of safety compliance 

for management and 

working level, “Leadership 

commitment has the 

greatest impact on the safety 

culture of an organisation. 

“However, this strong 

emphasis on safety culture 

also needs to filter down the 

Mr Goh Chin Aik (left) receives the Certificate of Excellence in safety from Mr Michael Lim, 

Chairman of LTA 

This recognition will spur us to 

continuously improve our 

safety standards. 

Mr Goh Chin Aik 

Project Director (Singapore Projects) 

Keppel Seghers Engineering Singapore 

supply chain and to business 

partners to create a holistic, 

sustainable and systemic 

safety culture in Singapore.” 

Besides implementing safety 

management plans, KSES 

has gone beyond complying 

LTA’s safety standards. 

KSES organises regular 

programmes safety 

promotion campaigns for its 

workers, sub-contractors and 

customers to instill a sense of 

responsibility for safety from 

the management to staff. 

KSES has also achieved the 

ISO 14001:2004 Standard on 

Environmental Management 

System (EMS) certification, 

an internationally recognised 

certification for 

environmental management 

systems. It specifies 

requirements for establishing 

an environmental policy, 

determining environmental 

aspects and impacts of 

products. 

With the ISO 14001 

certification, KSES is able to 

implement, maintain and 

improve its environmental 

management system, ensure 

conformance with its own 

stated environmental policy, 

demonstrate conformance, 

ensure compliance with 

environmental laws and 

regulations. 

Mr Soh Chee Keong, ED 

of Keppel Integrated 

Engineering, parent 

company of KSES, said, “The 

ISO 14001 certification will 

also elevate KSES’s standing 

and stature internationally. 

With this recognition, clients 

may choose us as their 

preferred partner and their 

preferred choice for EPC 

(Engineering, Procurement 

and Construction) jobs, or as 

preferred stakeholders in 

their supply chain.” keppelite

Lessons for progress 

“Lessons learned the hard 

way” in the Offshore 

Technology industry were 

shared by Professor Peter 

Marshall at the inaugural 

Lloyd’s Register Educational 

Trust (LRET) Lecture on 

5 September 2007. 

He shared his personal life 

accounts and quoted 

industry-related examples of 

accidents and technological 

blunders, from which 

companies can learn valuable 

lessons and avoid future 

losses. 

The first LRET Chair for 

Offshore Engineering, Prof 

Marshall is appointed by the 

Trust and Department of Civil 

Engineering of the National 

University of Singapore. 

Opening the Lecture, 

Mr Charles Foo, MD (Special 

Projects) of Keppel Offshore 

& Marine, said, “In the last 

forty years, the offshore and 

marine industry has made 

great progress in terms of 

operational safety, structural 

integrity and environmental 

protection in meeting the 

challenges posed by 

exploitation of oil and gas.” 

He also shared his dream 

that the tertiary education 

institutions, together with 

industry partners will 

transform Singapore into a 

world class Centre of 

Mr Charles Foo (fourth from right) with Prof Peter Marshall (on his right) and the organising committee members at the LRET Lecture 

Excellence for Offshore & 

Marine. 

The Lloyd’s Register 

Educational Trust aims 

to deliver a structured 

programme of financial 

support to educational 

training and research in 

the fields of science, 

engineering and technology 

worldwide. 

Mr Foo also shared his 

perspectives on “Assessing 

the security of global natural 

resources” at a separate 

forum, Energy Risk Asia 

2007, in June. He discussed 

issues on renewable energy 

and alternatives to the 

present energy supply. 

He shared energy supply 

security is a major concern 

with global warming 

becoming an increasingly 

pressing issue. Renewable 

energy is ideal, but it can only 

meet a tiny fraction of the 

world’s energy needs. 

Whilst fossil fuels will be 

used for many years to 

come, Mr Foo stressed that 

it should be used in its 

cleanest form Liquefied 

Natural Gas (LNG). Stranded 

gas in various forms, such 

as Gas-to-Liquid (GTL) or 

Compressed Natural Gas 

(CNG), Coal to Liquid (CTL) 

and coal bed methane 

Notice of EGMs 

Keppel Land and K-REIT Asia will hold their respective 

Extraordinary General Meetings on the transaction 

concerning One Raffles Quay at: 

Four Seasons Hotel Singapore 

Ballroom (2nd Floor) 

190 Orchard Boulevard 

KEPPEL LAND 

Thursday, 11 October 2007 at 10.30 a.m. 

K-REIT ASIA 

Thursday, 11 October 2007 at 2.30 p.m. 

Business 13 

are also alternatives that 

could enhance security of 

supply. 

From the very technical to the 

very practical, Energy Risk 

Asia 2007 was a platform for 

delegates to explore and 

discuss the latest trends and 

advances in energy markets 

and risk management. keppelite 


14 Business 

SPC wins inaugural energy award 

SPC was lauded ‘Energy 

Company of the Year’ at the 

inaugural Energy Business 

Awards, Asia (EBAA) 2007. 

The award was presented by 

Mr S. Iswaran, Minister of 

State for Trade and Industry, 

at the opening ceremony 

of the 23rd Asia-Pacific 

Petroleum Conference 

(APPEC), the region’s premier 


oil industry forum held 

annually in Singapore since 

1985. 

CEO of SPC, Mr Koh 

Ban Heng, said, “It’s indeed 

a pleasant surprise to be 

given this award as SPC 

strives hard to hold its own 

against energy giants in Asia. 

“This award goes to the 

dedicated SPC team, who 

have worked very hard, and 

the SPC Board, for their 

guidance and support over 

the years.” 

Since 2002, the Energy 

Business Awards has 

recognised excellence in 

key energy business 

disciplines, including 

business conduct, trading 

Nurturing tomorrow’s talents 

Keppel Corporation is 

partnering the Young Arab 

Leaders (YAL) in the Arab 

Asian Internship Exchange 

Programme. 

The agreement was inked 

on 21 September 2007 

between Mr Moustapha 

Sarhank, Member of the 

Board of Directors for YAL 

and Honorary Chairman of 

Sarhank Group and 

Mr Michael Chia, ED of 

Keppel FELS. 

Starting in 2008, the 

programme will provide 

opportunities for Arab and 

Asian youths to experience 

working in each other’s 

countries, facilitate 

knowledge sharing and 

foster greater understanding. 

The programme is part of the 

Arab Asian Task Force’s 

strategy and action plans 

to promote cooperation 

between Asia and the Arab 

world. The Task Force is 

represented by Mr Ho Kwon 

Ping, Executive Chairman of 

the Banyan Tree Group, and 

Dr Omar Bin Suleiman, 

Governor of the Dubai 

International Financial 

Center. 

The launch of this 

Programme follows the 

success of YAL’s Global 

Action Forum: Arab and 

Asian Dialogue in Singapore 

in April 2007. 

The Keppel Group sponsored 

the networking lunch for 

more than 150 government, 

business, academic and civil 

society leaders who attended 

the inaugural event. 

YAL is a network of Arab 

men and women with 

the vision of building a 

prosperous environment by 

creating opportunities for 

and risk management, 

broking, and energy 

technology advancement. 

The EBAA is the first Asian 

award to be conferred by the 

Energy Business Awards. It 

recognises the contribution 

and influence of Asia and 

its dynamic growth and 

development in the global 

economy. keppelite 

Inking the partnership for the Arab Asian Internship Exchange Programme are (from left) Mr 

Moustapha Sarhank, Member of the BOD for YAL and Honorary Chairman of Sarhank Group 

and Mr Michael Chia, ED of Keppel FELS 

Arab youth in the areas 

of education, leadership 

development and 

entrepreneurship. keppelite

World’s first heavy lifter in 

Keppel Verolme 

At the keel laying ceremony for the world’s first concrete heavy lifter – (from left) Mr Rene 

Postulert, Director of Van Hattum en Blankevoort, Mr Harold Linssen, MD of Keppel Verolme 

and Mr Kolbjorn Hoyland, CEO of MPU Offshore Lift 

Technology talks 

Industry reports show that 

offshore oil and gas 

exploration and production 

(E&P) activities are moving 

into deeper waters. 

Issues surrounding the 

construction, maintenance, 

availability and personnel for 

these deepwater floaters 

were discussed at the 

inaugural Semi Subs/Floaters 

Asia Conference 2007. 

Jointly sponsored by Keppel 

FELS, Keppel Deepwater 

Technology Group (Keppel 

DTG) and ENSCO 

International, the conference 

saw industry experts 

coming together to share 

their experience and 

knowledge. 

Mr Anis Hussain, AGM of 

Keppel DTG together with 

Mr Gerrit Schepman, Project 

Manager of GustoMSC, 

presented a paper on the 

design, engineering and 

construction of the DSS series 

of semi. 

Since its introduction, the 

DSS series of semi codesigned 

by Keppel and 

Marine Structure Consultants 

of the Netherlands has 

Keppel Verolme laid the keel 

for the world’s first concrete 

heavy lifter for MPU Offshore 

Lift ASA on 22 August 2007 

at its shipyard in Rotterdam. 

This innovative first-in-theworld 

heavy lifter of its 

class represents Keppel’s 

breakthrough into the 

decommissioning market. 

Decommissioning is required 

when an operational rig 

reaches the end of its 

productive life or when a 

reservoir is depleted. 

Keppel Verolme’s workscope 

gained market endorsement 

by drilling contractors. 

Organised by Petromin, an 

industry publication, the 

conference was held at 

Orchard Hotel in Singapore 

on 11 and 12 September 

2007. 

In the same vein, Keppel FELS 

and Keppel Offshore 

Technology Development 

(Keppel OTD) presented a 

technical paper at the 

11th Jackup Conference 

organised by the City 

University of London and 

Noble Denton. 

Business 15 

includes executing the 

marine outfitting works and 

building the accommodation 

block, as well as fabricating 

and carrying out steelwork 

and installing equipment for 

lifting topsides and jackets. 

It will also lease its facilities 

for the construction of the 

concrete substructure by the 

owner’s appointed civil 

contractor. 

The construction of the 

heavy lifter, which 

commenced in July 2007, is 

on schedule and will be ready 

for operation in 2009. keppelite 

Together with Mr Henning 

Carlsen, Principal Engineer of 

Classification Society DNV, 

Mr Lee Yi Jiat, Engineer of 

Keppel OTD presented on 

the ‘Challenges of Jackup 

Design for North Sea 

Operation’. 

With E&P activities rising in 

the North Sea, the 

presentation provided an 

overview of the particular 

requirements and the 

challenges in fulfilling them 

for jackup rigs designed for 

operating in such harsh 

environments. keppelite 


16 Business 

On the alert 

In today’s volatile world where global events can potentially disrupt business 

operations, Keppel works at minimising risk by continually refining its business 

continuity systems to bolster resilience of its operations. 

Simulation exercises and 

drills are held regularly 

across the Keppel Group 

of companies to equip 

employees with appropriate 

responses and behaviour in 

the event of disaster. This 

month, at Keppel O&M, the 

shipyards confronted 

“terrorist” and “avian flu 

attacks”. 

TACKLING TERRORISM 

It was an ordinary day at 

Subic Shipyard when the 

telephone operator received 

an ominous warning about 

a bomb at the yard. 

With that, a “crisis” begun 

at Subic Shipyard. 

Minutes later, the general 

alarm sounded, and the 

security teams were 

immediately deployed to 

evacuate all personnel in 

the yard’s Administration 

Building. Within five 

minutes, everyone was 

evacuated and the area 

secured. 

The emergency response 

team comprising firemen, as 

well as rescue and medical 

personnel, sprung into 

action. Meanwhile, the 

Bomb Disposal Team of the 

Manila Police District with 


its canine units responded 

to the yard’s call. 

A thorough search was 

conducted as bomb sniffing 

dogs and its handlers 

combed the building to 

locate the “bomb”. Once 

located, the “bomb” was 

diffused and safely 

detonated. By noon, 

normalcy was restored at 

the shipyard. 

Fortunately, the scenario was 

part of an exercise conducted 

by Subic Shipyard to assess 

the effectiveness of the yard’s 

security arrangements. 

Said Mr Charles Yap, 

President of Subic Shipyard, 

“It is of utmost importance 

that all yard personnel be 

aware of such threats and 

know how to react when it 

happens. The drill also 

highlighted the need for 

close co-operation with the 

police authorities to diffuse 

the situation in a safe and 

orderly manner.” 

BEATING AVIAN FLU 

Employees and subcontractors 

of Keppel 

Singmarine, Sino-Marine and 

Leong Chuan Marine were 

preparing to start the day’s 

work when avian flu testers 

Always vigilant: Workers at Keppel Singmarine’s Benoi yard checked for avian flu 

greeted them, armed with 

thermometers. 

This was part of the 

pandemic exercise to test the 

yard’s readiness in fighting 

the avian flu. The exercise 

took place at Keppel 

Singmarine (5 Benoi yard). 

Observing the exercise 

were Keppel Singmarine’s 

ED Mr Hoe Eng Hock and 

Asst GM and Task force 

Leader Mr Edmund Lek. 

Commenting on the 

exercise, Mr Lek, said, “The 

exercise went well and we 

learned how to make the 

whole process smoother and 

more efficient. Ultimately, 

the best defence against any 

disease is individuals being 

responsible for assessing 

their own health and not 

being a conduit or catalyst 

for contagion.” 

Keppel O&M’s Business 

Continuity Management 

facilitator Mr Joseph Wong 

and Group Security Senior 

Manager Anthony Toh 

were at hand to both 

render support and give 

feedback. keppelite

BG Junction celebrates 

first anniversary 

BG Junction, Keppel Land’s 

retail development in 

Surabaya, Indonesia, 

celebrated its first 

anniversary with strong 

support from the local 

shoppers. 

For more than a month 

from 12 May to 8 July, 

the management team 

organised a series of special 

activities and events to thank 

customers for a successful 

year. 

Some lucky shoppers 

went home with a car 

and two motorcycles, the 

grand prizes for the lucky 

draw. For every Rp 50,000 

purchase, shoppers were 

given coupons and the 

winner was announced at 

the Anniversary Celebration 

on 8 July 2007. A total of 

170,000 coupons were given 

out. 

Apart from colourful fashion 

parades, cabaret dances and 

children’s shows, The Best 

Retailer Award was also 

conferred to encourage 

retailers to maintain high 

standards of quality service 

and products. The awards 

went to Chicago Bakery, 

Batik Kencana Ungu and 

Mr Baso. keppelite 

Centre of attraction 

Saigon Centre, Keppel Land’s 

mixed development in 

Ho Chi Minh City’s CBD, 

continues to win shoppers 

Saigon Centre – A one-stop retail and entertainment hub for families 

with new concepts and novel 

lifestyle offerings. 

Its recently refreshed family- 

Over 20,000 shoppers gathered to celebrate BG Junction’s first anniversary 

theme was launched on 

2 September 2007 has 

proven to be popular, 

attracting a steady stream 

of visitors. 

Saigon Centre is now the 

preferred address for both 

local and international 

retailers. 

Ms Jane Neo, Head of 

Marketing at Saigon Centre, 

said, “Saigon Centre is 

poised to be the prime 

destination catering to the 

Business 17 

needs of families through 

our comprehensive retail 

offerings. 

“We will continue to 

innovate our retail concepts 

and organise fun-filled 

events and activities for the 

whole family.” 

Located in Ho Chi Minh City, 

Saigon Centre is an exciting 

integrated hub comprising 

large-scale retail space with 

commercial offices and 

serviced apartments. keppelite 


18 Special Focus 

On time every time 

“It was slightly more than 

two months ago when we 

delivered the second rig, 

West Prospero, to Seadrill 

on budget and ahead of 

schedule. I am pleased that 

we have replicated that 

achievement.” 

Mr Tong Chong Heong, MD 

and COO of Keppel Offshore 

& Marine shared this at 

the naming ceremony of 

West Atlas on 15 September 

2007 to over 200 guests. 

The ingredients for Keppel 


FELS’s success – good 

project management, open 

communication, and winwin 

partnership. 

These qualities combined 

with 30 months of excellent 

teamwork between both the 

Keppel FELS and Seadrill 

project teams ensured the 

early delivery of West Atlas 

to its new owner, Seadrill, 

within budget and ahead of 

time. 

Mr Tong added, “More 

importantly, West Atlas 

achieved a sterling safety 

record with more than 2.5 

million manhours of work 

without any lost-time 

incidents since day one.” 

West Atlas was named by 

Lady Sponsor Mrs Anne- 

Marie Hood, wife of Mr Peter 

Hood, ED – CEO of Coogee 

Resources Limited. He also 

graced the ceremony as 

Guest-of-Honour. 

West Atlas is the third KFELS 

B Class rig that Keppel FELS 

has delivered to Seadrill. The 

first rig, West Ceres (ex- 

Seadrill 3), was delivered to 

Seadrill in April 2006 and 

the second, West Prospero, 

in June 2007. All three 

were delivered earlier 

than scheduled without 

compromise on budget and 

quality. 

Mr Ian Shearer, Senior VP 

Jackup Division of Seadrill, 

said, “Seadrill has now 

invested more than 

US$1 billion in projects with 

Keppel FELS. 

Standing on the “shoulder” of Atlas are (2nd from left) Mr Ian Shearer, Mrs Jocelyn Shearer, Mr Tong Chong Heong, Lady Sponsor Mrs Anne-Marie Hood and Mr Peter Hood

Students from the University of Tamaulipas, Mexico enthralled guests with their folk ballet 

“Keppel FELS not only builds 

these complicated drilling 

machines with such 

impressive standards of 

quality, they also do it in 

unsurpassable times that we 

could almost be certain 

about taking delivery on, or 

in our experience, ahead of 

schedule.” 

Keppel FELS is building 

another KFELS B Class jackup 

rig and a semisubmersible 

drilling tender rig for Seadrill. 

They are progressing 

according to schedule and 

are scheduled for delivery 

between mid-2008 and end- 

2009 respectively. 

Commenting on the 

partnership between Keppel 

and Seadrill, Mr Tong shared, 

“Through the past 14 years, 

both companies have 

strengthened the win-win 

partnership and deepened 

the invaluable amity. 

I believe that our relationship 

with Seadrill will further 

strengthen as we continue to 

be Seadrill’s partner in its 

fleet expansion.” 

West Atlas has already 

secured a 480-day charter 

agreement with Coogee 

Resources Limited offshore 

Western Australia. keppelite 

SeaDrill Project Manager, Mr Paul MacCallum (centre) working hand in hand with Keppel FELS’s 

Jay Singam, Senior Project Manager (right) and Bryan Toh, Assistant Project Manager 


19

20 Team 

Uniquely Singapore came in 

seventh in Race 1 of the 

Clipper 07-08 Round the 

World Yacht Race. 

Arriving in La Rochelle, 

France, on 20 September 

2007, Skipper Mark Preedy 

praised his crew and said 

Singapore’s craft of pride takes on the world 


Seventh against all odds 

they had gained much of 

their first taste of ocean 

racing. 

Mark, 35, said, “To be 

honest, we treated this first 

race as a training exercise 

and I’m really happy with 

how it has worked out and 

with the way the crew are 

getting on together and 

communicating with each 

other. 

“Everything we did was led 

by the crew and they worked 

out a lot of things for 

themselves. That’s exactly 

what I wanted to happen so 

I’m really pleased with how 

the whole race went.” 

The rough, choppy waters 

and strong winds of the Irish 

Sea took a toll on the crew 

and over half of the crew got 

seasick. While the fatigue

cost them a few places in 

overall ranking, their spirits 

were kept up and they even 

celebrated crew member 

John Ford’s 29th birthday. 

Uniquely Singapore was 

103.1 nautical miles from the 

finish line when the race was 

ended early because of the 

lack of wind, and less than a 

mile from Qingdao who 

finished in sixth place. 

Although they fought hard 

to keep Qingdao behind 

them in the last 200 miles of 

the race, Qingdao eventually 

beat them for sixth place by 

a bare 200 m. 

The first spoils of victory went 

to Hull & Humber, who 

crossed the finish line at 

1756 GMT on 19 September 

2007. 

Due to the short length of 

the stopover and the lack of 

wind, the Race Committee 

took the decision to end 

the race for the rest of 

the fleet at 0000 GMT 

allowing the remaining 

boats to motor towards 

La Rochelle. 

Race 1 is a half-points race, 

with five points on offer for 

first place rather than the 

usual 10, down to half point 

for tenth place. After this 

short sprint, all the other 

races revert to full points with 

10 points for first, nine for 

second and so on. 

The ten 68-foot yachts were 

berthed in the Bassin des 

Chalutiers in the centre of La 

Rochelle before heading off 

to Salvador as they 

embarked on Leg 2 of the 

Race on 23 September 2007. 

BOOST AT RACE START 

Started with a synchronised 

shot from two cannons on 

17 September 2007, in a 

ceremony at Albert’s Dock, 

Liverpool, the Clipper 07-08 

Race will see the ten 

internationally backed 

yachts compete across 14 

ports on five continents 

before returning to Liverpool 

on 5 July 2008. 

In January 2008, Uniquely 

Singapore will reach home 

waters at Keppel Bay in Leg 

4 of the Race after 16,000 

miles. 

A day before race start, the 

team got a big boost of 

support when main sponsor 

Keppel Corporation, 

represented by Ms Wang 

Look Fung, GM of 

Keppel Group Corporate 

Communications hosted 

them to lunch at Liverpool’s 

Malmaison Hotel. 

Ms Wang said, “Keppel 

shares the same can-do 

Overall Race Position 

Sailing to win – Uniquely Singapore cheered by fans and supporters in Liverpool 

POSITION TEAMS POINTS 

1 Hull & Humber 5 

2 Liverpool ‘08 4.5 

3 Glasgow: Scotland with style 4 

4 Nova Scotia 3.5 

5 Durban 2010 and Beyond 3 

6 Qingdao 2.5 

7 Uniquely Singapore 2 

8 New York 1.5 

9 westernaustralia2011.com 1 

10 Jamaica 0.5 

Team 21 

spirit, passion and tenacity 

that the Uniquely Singapore 

crew has demonstrated 

during their training. We are 

certain that they will give 

of their best and look 

forward to celebrating their 

homecoming in January 

2008. 

Continues on page 22... 


22 Community 

...continued from page 21. 

“We are excited that 

Uniquely Singapore together 

with the other nine 

international Clipper yachts 

will berth at our new Marina 

at Keppel Bay, located in the 

southern waterfront precinct 

of Singapore. 

“Their timely arrival will lend 

colour and vibrancy to 

Keppel Bay’s appeal as a 

waterfront lifestyle hub, 

showcasing a world-class 

marina, Asia’s iconic 

waterfront residences, 

Caribbean and Reflections at 

Keppel Bay, as well as the 

adjacent upcoming Sentosa 

Integrated Resort.” 

This is the second 

consecutive year that 

Uniquely Singapore is 

representing the nation in 

the Clipper Race. Doing the 

nation proud, it clinched an 

overall fifth position in its 

maiden trip in the Clipper 05- 

06 Race. 

Mr Ken Low, Assistant 

Chief Executive (Brand & 

Communications), Singapore 

Tourism Board, said, “We 

are thrilled that the 

Uniquely Singapore yacht is 

embarking on the Clipper 

Round the World Yacht Race 

once again. This is a 


wonderful opportunity for 

the Uniquely Singapore 

destination brand to be seen 

around the globe in such a 

visually stunning manner. 

“We are confident that 

the Singapore crew will 

do us proud with their 

sportsmanship and can-do 

attitude, as they had in the 

previous race. As roving 

tourism ambassadors for 

Singapore, they have an 

important task of sharing 

with the world what makes 

us Uniquely Singapore. We 

wish them an incredible, 

fantastic journey, and we 

look forward to welcoming 

them safely home!” 

AMBASSADOR 

ONBOARD 

Affably known as ‘Big Man 

Hizam’ for his 1.83m frame, 

Keppel Ambassador and 

full-circumnavigator Hizam 

Haiyon was among the 

Uniquely Singapore crew 

onboard in Leg 1. 

Before the Race, 35-year-old 

Hizam shared, “Under the 

leadership of our skipper, 

Mark Preedy, we have been 

working very hard on 

Uniquely Singapore in the 

last few weeks leading up to 

race start day. I am very 

excited and proud to take my 

place as crew, representing 

both Singapore and Keppel, 

from start to the end of 

the race as a fullcircumnavigator. 

Personal limits are pushed beyond the horizon for full circumnavigator, Keppel Ambassador 

Hizam Haiyon

“As an Ambassador onboard 

Uniquely Singapore, I am 

eager to share our country’s 

growth as a leading global 

business hub and choice 

destination in which to live, 

work and play. With all the 

crew, I also hope to share our 

Keppel values of passion, 

adventure and an inclusive 

mindset.” 

Indeed, according to the 

report by The Business Times 

(BT) on the Race, Hizam has 

demonstrated Keppel’s Can 

do! spirit and flown high the 

Keppel flag, having shown 

goodwill, positive energy and 

personal fortitude. 

BT wrote, “He has extended 

the trademark Singaporean 

hospitality and openness to 

all the crew in small but 

significant ways as well. 

Offers of shower and laundry 

facilities in his room when 

we’re in port are little 

gestures that have gone a 

long way with the crew. 

“This novice sailor has come 

away from his first big 

offshore race with flying 

colours. 

“Although he told BT that he 

did feel slightly seasick, along 

with many of the crew, 

during the first two days of 

the race, he soldiered on 

with his duties and 

performed creditably.” 

Seasickness aside, one of 

Hizam’s prime concerns will 

be missing his wife and two 

young children. 

Being a Muslim also means 

he faces the challenge of 

finding time onboard for 

daily prayers despite rough 

weather. As the Race is 

currently in the midst of the 

fasting month, he will have 

to break his fast some of the 

time and make up for it next 

year. 

However, Hizam believes 

that the challenges will make 

him stronger and more 

confident and will help him 

perform better when he 

returns to work as assistant 

Uniquely Singapore online 

manager of the CAD/CAM 

section at Keppel FELS next 

year. 

As part of its people 

development initiatives, 

Keppel is fielding a team of 

six employees as Keppel 

Ambassadors to participate 

in the Race. Apart from 

Hizam, the other five will 

each crew in individual legs. 

This is a step-up from the 

previous Race in 05-06 

where the Company 

sponsored two employees to 

provide exposure and self- 

Community 23 

development opportunities 

to its employees. 

UNIQUELY SINGAPORE 

ONLINE 

Now, you can log on to 

www.channelnewsasia.com/ 

keppelclipper to track the 

progress of Uniquely 

Singapore and hear their 

stories. 

Dedicated to rallying 

international support for 

Uniquely Singapore, the race 

website will feature blogs, 

photos, videos, interview 

clips and more. keppelite 


24 Team 

Staying calm in a crisis 

What would you say to a 

reporter who asks, “Excuse 

me, why is your company 

always having these 

accidents?” 


“Respond in a calm manner 

and reiterate your key 

messages,” is TV journalist 

Mr Nasser Kamaruddin’s 

advice to the employees of 

Mr Edmund Lek, AGM (Production) of Keppel Singmarine, being “interviewed” by the 

“media” made up of Keppelites 

Capital visits 

Keppel O&M played host to a group of 

overseas fund managers from the Capital 

Group on 27 August 2007. 

CFO Mr Sit Peng Sang and GM 

(Engineering), Mr Aziz Merchant facilitated 

a robust discussion on the industry 

outlook and shed insights into the 

company’s supply chain management as 

well as its competitive advantages. 

The fund managers were also guided on 

a tour of Keppel FELS yard conducted by 

Assistant Marketing Manager John Chin. 

The visitors had a chance to witness first 

hand the world-class facilities at Keppel’s 

yards and how mammoth rigs are 

constructed. keppelite 


(Keppel O&M) at the two-day 

course, Crisis Prevention and 

Management. 

Participants were made to 

write press releases and put 

through gruelling media 

interviews by Mr Kamaruddin. 

After the course, Mr David 

Loh, AGM (Production) of 

Keppel Singmarine, felt 

“more prepared to deal with 

the media in a crisis.” 

Being video-taped during 

the mock interview resulted 

Capital Group’s fund managers gained insights into rigbuilding at Keppel FELS 

in more than a few laughs 

upon review. It also gave 

participants the opportunity 

to critique themselves and 

understand the value of 

impressions when handling 

the media in a crisis. 

Benefiting from the session 

is Mr Spencer Leong, Yard 

Manager of Keppel Shipyard 

(Gul). He shared, “I 

benefitted from the course. 

I learnt how to deal with the 

press and the importance 

of crisis prevention and 

management.” keppelite

Forging strong ties 

Management and union work hand-in-hand towards a common goal of creating a better workplace for all 

Remaining competitive in 

today’s market was the 

focus at the 39th Keppel 

Employees Union (KEU) 

Annual Delegates 

Conference held at the 

National Trades Union 

Congress Centre on 

31 August 2007. 

“We face a constant 

challenge of staying ahead of 

competition from China, 

India and the Middle East. In 

recent years, they have made 

tremendous progress in the 

areas of productivity, 

efficiency and price 

competitiveness,” said 

Mr Phang Weng Onn, 

KEU’s General Secretary in 

his welcome address. 

“It is therefore imperative 

that the union and 

management work closely to 

raise the efficiency of our 

shipyards and remain 

competitive in today’s 

market,” Mr Phang added. 

Guest-of-Honour Mr Zulkifli 

B Mohammed, CEO of the 

Singapore National Co- 

Operative Federation and 

Advisor to KEU reiterated the 

need for union and 

management to work even 

closer to foster a stronger 

workforce to stay ahead 

in today’s competitive 

economy. 

Mr Mohamed Yusop B 

Mansor, President of KEU, 

Team 25 

It is imperative that the union and 

management work closely to raise the 

efficiency of our shipyards to remain 

competitive in today’s environment. 

Mr Phang Weng Onn 

General Secretary 

Keppel Employees Union 

Mr Nelson Yeo, ED of Keppel 

Shipyard and Mr Hoe Eng 

Hock, ED of Keppel 

Singmarine and delegates 

also exchanged ideas to 

boost employee morale as 

well as retain older and more 

experienced workers. 

On a separate occasion, 

a collective agreement 

between Keppel Shipyard, 

Keppel Singmarine, KEU and 

the Shipbuilding & Marine 

Engineering Employees’ 

Union (SMEEU) was inked on 


Consensus was reached 

quickly as all parties worked 

towards a win-win 

agreement. Some of the 

notable changes made 

include adjustments to 

marriage leave and wages. 

keppelite 


26 Team 

Gearing up for a World of Friends 

It’s going to be bigger, better 

and bolder than before. 

18,000 Keppelites across 

Singapore yards will soon 

rally for the event of the year, 

on the sunny beaches of 

Sentosa. 

“Come join us, bring your 

family members, and feel the 

pulse and excitement!” 

chirpped Assistant HR 

Manager, Doreen Lim, who 

heads the organising 

committee. “This Family Day 

has been dubbed ‘World of 

Friends’ because we want 

our Keppelites, regardless of 

geographical boundaries, to 

stay connected and to 


celebrate our global success 

together. It’s a must-attend 

event of the year!” 

Keppelite takes a sneak 

peek at the excitement 

leading up to the World of 

Friends, Keppel Offshore & 

Marine’s (Keppel O&M) fifth 

family day on 21 October 

2007. 

BEHIND THE SCENES 

Less than a month to go and 

adrenaline-levels at yards 

seem to skyrocket as the big 

day closes in. 

“World of Friends will be 

massive; it will be a full day 

of games, shows, fun and 

Shooting stars – Keppelites get to pose with their favourite roving actors for a small contribution to charity 

entertainment for the entire 

family. It’s going to be very 

different from previous years 

as it is also Keppel O&M’s 

fifth anniversary. 

“We have a huge team 

working together across the 

seven yards to ensure that 

everything is in place for the 

event. All forces have been 

mobilised!” said Cindy Lim, 

Senior HR Manager at Keppel 

O&M. 

THE THEME SONG 

There is always a theme 

song to every sterling show 

and for World of Friends no 

less. 

Keppel O&M’s very own song 

– We Can Do – was the sum 

of efforts from its budding 

musicians and lyricists who 

contributed their ideas and 

inspirations to create a tune 

that would capture the spirit 

and energy of Keppelites. 

“This song celebrates the 

efforts of our people in rising 

above challenges with our 

Can Do spirit. It is because of 

you that we have become 

one of the best offshore and 

marine companies in the 

world,” said Mr Choo Chiau 

Beng, Chairman & CEO of 

Keppel O&M. 

The song was also broadcast 

on 24 September to a group 

of 17 overseas Keppelites 

who were in Singapore for 

the Global Young Managers’ 

Programme. 

SNEAK PREVIEWS 

They never expected to see 

people at the yard dressed 

in anything other than the 

usual boiler suits. But to 

their surprise, they spotted 

faces donned in Brazilian and 

cowboy costumes parading 

the yards, heralding the start 

of the pre-family day 

awareness drive. 

Eager Keppelites queued for 

pictures with their favourite 

roving actors in this cultural 

spectacle for a small token 

for charity. Keppel O&M’s 

beneficiaries namely Metta

Practice makes perfect – Aspiring Keppel Idols gear up for a final pitch at the auditions 

We Can Do 


We’ll give our very best 

With passion and vigour we set forth 


We are proud to be where we belong 

No matter rain or shine, we’ll succeed 

’Cos We Can Do! 

Here we are together working safely, hand-in-hand 

Proud to show the world we’re number 1 

As one big family, we will achieve our goals 

No waves too rough for us to sail 

No cliffs too high for us to scale 

We always deliver, our brand prevails 

Keppelites, we stand tall 

Achieving mission, success and more 

Like the vibrant sea, rising high and strong 

Download and sing-a-long at www.keppelom.com/wof 

Welfare Association, 

Association of Persons with 

Special Needs (APSN), 

Singapore Association of the 

Visually Handicapped (SAVH) 

and Singapore Corporation 

of Rehabilitative Enterprises 

(SCORE), also had charity 

booths onsite to sell their 

handicrafts and services. 

Among the most popular 

booths was the massage 

station by SAVH. Anthony 

Toh, Senior Group Security 

Manager, said, whilst having 

his back kneaded, “This is a 

good way of raising 

awareness about the 

association. It is a healthy 

way of relaxing and a good 

way of supporting charity!” 

“This Charity Drive, which is 

spearheaded by our very 

own Keppel employees is 

testimony of one of our core 

values, accountability to the 

community,” said Mr Choo. 

“To show management’s 

support, we will match 

dollar-for-dollar for the sum 

raised. All proceeds raised 

will go directly to the charity 

organisations. We trust that 

our little gesture will go a 

long way in helping the less 

fortunate.” 

Topping up the flurry of prefamily 

day activities were 

massive auditions for actors 

to perform in Keppel O&M’s 

first musical as well as a 

talent time, all of which will 

debut at World of Friends. 

Setting a 

new record 

Keppel O&M has made 

its mark globally as a 

record-breaking 

company in the design 

and construction of 

offshore rigs. Come 21 

October 2007, the 

Company will be setting 

a brand new world 

record at Siloso Beach. 

The mystery awaits at 

World of Friends... 

Team 27 

One of the judges from the 

stage shows committee, 

Shirley Tan of Keppel 

Shipyard Tuas, revealed, 

“This year’s Family Day has 

great shows, great themes 

and is a great chance for 

Keppelites to connect. 

“Plus, auditioning acts for 

the shows is really fun. It’s like 

organising Singapore Idol 

together with the National 

Day Parade! My committee 

members and I get to view, 

select and give our two 

cents’s worth of comments 

to make sure the performers 

give their best.” 

And yes, the best is what 

we can expect from World 

of Friends, created by 

Keppelites for Keppelites. 

Stay tuned for 21 October 

2007 when the real action 

and excitement unfolds! 

keppelite 


28 People 

Man with a mission 

Senator Eddie Lucio Jr. (extreme left), witnesses the handing over of the “key” from Mr Ho 

(third from right) to the new President/CEO Mr Tan (centre) 

Mr Tan Geok Seng (GS Tan), 

50, has been appointed 

President/CEO of Keppel 

AmFELS with effect from 


He takes over from Mr Ho 

Cheok Yuen who will be 

returning to Singapore. 

A Colombo Plan scholar 

and a marine engineering 

graduate with a first class 

honours from the University 

of New Castle Upon Tyne, 

United Kingdom, Mr Tan 

joined Keppel FELS as a 

graduate engineer in 1981. 

His tenure in Keppel FELS 

saw him being developed 

and groomed in different 

roles in engineering, project 

management, production, 

commercial and 

management. In 1994, he 

was promoted to the 

position of yard manager 

of Keppel FELS (Pioneer 

Yard). 


In 1997, Mr Tan was 

seconded to Keppel AmFELS 

in USA as its Executive 

Vice-President. His family 

moved with him to the 

States. Having being 

immersed in the culture and 

business environment there, 

he is excited to build upon 

the good work of his 

predecessor, Mr Ho. 

“We have started on our 

work improvement process, 

and will continue to press on 

while enhancing our training 

and retention programme 

for our young talents,” said 

Mr Tan. 

On future plans, Mr Tan 

said, “Looking ahead, our 

vision is to enhance our 

leadership position in the 

US, and to be the preferred 

solutions partner for our 

customers. Our immediate 

task is to focus on 

developing customer 

relationships. 

“The Keppel AmFELS team is 

excited to engage our 

customers by exploring with 

them how we can meet their 

needs more effectively while 

maximising shareholder’s 

value. We want to take 

Top honours 

After a fulfilling six years 

at the helm of Keppel 

AmFELS, Mr Ho Cheok 

Yuen, has passed the 

baton of President/CEO to 

Mr GS Tan (read main 

story). 

Mr Ho, together with his 

strong senior management 

team and the professional 

workforce of Keppel 

AmFELS has contributed 

to the growth of the 

company. 

His leadership as well as 

the great relationship he 

cultivated with the locals 

was recognised when he 

was presented the 

Congressional Record on 

28 August 2007, 

honouring him as “a 

businessman, a leader 

and a great corporate 

citizen in the South 

Texas Community.” The 

advantage of our 

competitive position in the 

US to further expand our 

product range.” 

Mr Tan is married with 

three beautiful girls. keppelite 

Congressional Record was 

initiated by Congressman 

Solomon Ortiz, and moved 

through the US Congress 

at its 110th congress. 

Mr Ho was also conferred 

with the country’s national 

flag which was flown over 

the Capitol building in 

Washington as a tribute to 

him. 

Just a day later, Texas State 

Senator Eddie Lucio Jr also 

presented Mr Ho with the 

Senate Proclamation, 

which recognised him “for 

his service and leadership 

in the Brownsville 

Community”, and 

commended him for his 

many contributions to the 

Brownsville community. 

The proclamation was 

adopted by the Senate of 

the State of Texas.

New CEO at Keppel Logistics 

Keppel Telecommunications 

& Transportation has 

appointed Mr Gui Eng Hwee 

as CEO of Keppel Logistics. 

Mr Gui, 40, will lead and direct 

the business operations and 

strategic growth of Keppel 

Logistics’s supply chain 

management, warehousing 

and distribution businesses in 

Singapore and Malaysia. 

“Supply chain management 

is increasingly gaining 

importance as an essential 

Mr Gui Eng Hwee 

Dynamic duo 

Keppel scholars Lu Qimin 

and Quek Shian Pin share 

similarities in more ways 

than one. 

For one, both are currently 

enrolled at the Nanyang 

Technological University’s 

(NTU) School of Electrical & 

Electronic Engineering, 

specialising in power 

engineering. Secondly, both 

are active volunteers and 

thirdly, both made it to the 

Dean’s List for 2007. 

If that is not enough, both 

even sang the same tune 

when asked their secret to 

success. They attributed it to 

the strong emotional support 

from their loved ones. 

For final year student Qimin, 

his study group was key. 

Constant encouragement 

helped him identify and 

tackle his weaknesses. Shian 

Pin, who is in his third year, 

felt that hard work and time 

management formed the 

foundation of his academic 

achievement. 

These undergrads also 

shine in their respective fields 

of interest. Shian Pin 

represented NTU in the 

ASEAN University 

Games in badminton last 

year. Taking his passion for 

the game to another level, 

he also does voluntary 

coaching for primary schools 

students. 

success element for 

businesses operating in a 

globalised environment, 

and in the transforming 

economies of Asia. This 

augurs many exciting growth 

opportunities for Keppel 

Logistics. 

“Moving forward, Keppel 

Logistics will continue 

to expand our network, 

and to further innovate 

and transform ourselves to 

provide value-added supply 

chain services and solutions. 

Keppel scholars – Qimin (left in picture) and Shian Pin 

Giving back to the 

community in his own way, 

Qimin has served in the 

Marsiling Grassroots Youth 

Executive Committee for the 

past four years and was 

recently re-elected for 

People 29 

We aim to be the leading 

and preferred supply chain 

partner for our customers,” 

said Mr Gui. 

Mr Gui holds a First Class 

Honours Degree in Science 

(Physics) as well as an MBA 

from the National University 

of Singapore. He has more 

than 15 years of work 

experience, most of which 

were in the supply chain and 

logistics fields. keppelite 

another two years as the 

Committee Treasurer. 

Keppelite congratulates both 

Qimin and Shian Pin on their 

achievements. keppelite 


30 People 

Keppelites Abroad 

Powering up Nicaragua 

Two weeks before he left for 

Nicaragua, Edwin Chiam, 

Finance/Administrative 

Manager for Corporacion 

Electrica Nicaraguense, S.A 

(CENSA), a subsidiary of 

Keppel Energy, had to make 

the biggest decision in his 

life. 

“My mum was hospitalised 

after suffering from a stroke 

just two weeks before I left 

for Nicaragua. I was so 

worried that I almost 

declined the overseas 

posting, till my mum assured 

me that she’s fine, saying 

that she didn’t want to 

hinder my career,” shared 

the filial 29 year-old, whose 

mother’s condition has since 

stabilised, with his elder 

brother and sister-in-law 

taking care of her. 

Edwin oversees the 

accounting, purchasing, 

human resources, 

administrative and IT-related 

matters at CENSA. One of his 

jobs includes educating the 

staff on a new accounting 

system that is consistent with 

that of the Singapore office. 

Edwin joined Keppel Energy 

five years ago before he was 

posted to work in Nicaragua. 

Even then, his experience 


did not make it any easier, 

being the only Singaporean 

working in one of the largest 

independent power plants 

in Nicaragua during a 

challenging period. 

“Employees had their doubts 

when I first arrived because 

they were not used to 

working with a foreigner. 

“It was a cultural change for 

them to accept a relatively 

young person in a senior 

management position.” 

Fortunately, this was not a 

big problem for the down-toearth 

manager as he soon 

proved himself to be worthy 

of the employees’s respect by 

talking to the site workers 

often when he does his 

rounds at the 64MW fuel oil 

plant. 

Relations with his colleagues 

improved as time went by 

and they now address him on 

first-name basis. Workers 

would also take the initiative 

to talk to him whenever he 

is at the plant. 

For recreation, Edwin likes 

watching movies. In fact, he 

makes the effort to read the 

Spanish subtitles in English 

movies to brush up on 

Edwin (fourth from left) and his colleagues powering up at CENSA 

his Spanish, and strongly 

encourages his colleagues 

to learn English as well. 

“I always tell them not 

to be afraid to try. We’ve 

been speaking in Spanglish 

(simple Spanish mixed with 

English) and now my 

colleagues actually learnt 

more English from me than 

I’ve learnt Spanish from 

them!” 

Edwin now has no problems 

getting around the city and 

starting a conversation with 

his Spanglish. 

Lucky for Edwin who is still 

not used to the local food, 

he managed to find a 

Chinese restaurant which he 

frequents and made some 

Taiwanese friends, who have 

been trying to arrange 

match-making sessions for 

the eligible bachelor during 

the past 10 months of his 

stay. 

“I was even stood up by a 

girl for one of the dates!” 

shared Edwin, who remains 

optimistic and said he did not 

regret coming to Nicaragua. 

“Apart from making new 

friends, I truly enjoy the 

experience as I’m exposed to 

more things, handle a variety 

of responsiblities, and have 

definitely learnt more about 

the plant, and its importance 

to Nicaraguans, who have to 

endure power cuts almost 

everyday for many hours.” 

keppelite

Keppel O&M seeds $50,000 for 

NTU scholarships 

In the last five years, Keppel 

Offshore & Marine has 

awarded more than 450 

scholarships to tertiary 

students and its employees in 

a bid to build up the talent 

pool in the maritime industry. 

Earlier this month, the 

Company contributed 

S$50,000 to the Nanyang 

Technological University 

(NTU) to establish two 

student endowment 

schemes – a Gold Medal cum 

Cash Award and a Book Prize 

– under the Mechanical 

Engineering Programme of 

the School of Mechanical & 

Aerospace Engineering. 

The schemes will benefit final 

year students who have 

topped their specialised 

electives in Marine & 

Offshore Engineering. 

“Keppel is committed to 

the long-term growth of 

Singapore as an international 

maritime centre, and we 

see ourselves contributing 

strongly in the vital areas of 

education, innovation and 

talent development,” said 

Mr Tong Chong Heong, MD 

& COO of Keppel O&M. 

Keppel O&M currently 

employs 1,300 engineers in 

Singapore. Most of its 

management also comprises 

trained engineers who were 

recruited as fresh graduates 

from the polytechnics and 

universities, and who were 

groomed through its 

management trainee 

programme. 

“The expertise required in 

our nature of work takes 

years of learning to reach a 

high standard of skilled 

workmanship. And while 

our second tier of leaders 

has emerged, we still need a 

constant pool of competent 

people who can be 

deployed to their maximum 

capabilities,” he said. 

“With the establishment of 

the Keppel Offshore & 

Marine Gold Medal cum 

Cash Award and the Book 

Prize, we hope to encourage 

bright young talents to help 

advance the offshore and 

marine industry, which holds 

out great opportunities for 

those seeking a rewarding, 

meaningful and satisfying 

career.” 

Of the newly-established 

awards, Professor Lam Khin 

Yong, Chair of the School of 

Mechanical & Aerospace 

Engineering, said, “The 

awards will further enhance 

the attractiveness of 

the Marine & Offshore 

Engineering final year 

specialisation for talented 

mechanical engineering 

undergraduates to pursue. 

“The School has 

competencies in disciplines 

such as marine engineering 

and marine & offshore 

technology. Many of our 

faculty are trained in these 

Community People 31 

Keppel O&M’s new student endowment schemes will further enhance the attractiveness of the Nanyang Technological University’s Marine & 

Offshore Engineering final year specialisation programme, as well as encourage more young graduates to join the offshore and marine industry 

areas and we are well-placed 

to play our part in 

contributing to the growth of 

Singapore’s marine and 

offshore engineering 

industry.” 

Over the years, Keppel O&M 

has been working closely 

with industry partners 

including the Maritime Port 

of Authority, the Singapore 

Maritime Foundation as well 

as local universities and 

polytechnics to develop 

talent training schemes. 

In 2006, the Company 

invested a total of 

S$17 million in training and 

development. Of this sum, 

S$11 million was invested in 

Singapore as compared with 

S$3.6 million in 2005. keppelite 


32 Community 

Celebrating with the nation 

Singapore celebrated her 

42nd year of independence 

on August 2007 with a 

grand parade at the Marina 

Bay waterfront. 

Addressing guests at the 

National Day Parade (NDP) 

2007 Appreciation Dinner, 

Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for 

Manpower and Second 

Minister for Defence, shared, 

“The most significant 

contribution of the 

organisations, participants 

and sponsors was their ‘cando’ 

spirit. 

“It is a reflection of what 

Good sport 


is possible with good 

leadership, teamwork, 

determination and effort, 

and it was possible because 

Singaporeans from all walks 

of life wanted to make this 

possible and show others 

that we can achieve great 

things.” 

The Keppel Group received 

a token of appreciation for 

its support towards the NDP 

at the event hosted by Dr Ng 

on 27 August 2007. Keppel 

is an active supporter of the 

NDP, having sponsored the 

event for more than five 

years. keppelite 

Everyone’s a winner as Keppel O&M employees strike gold not just in badminton and volleyball, but also in their hearts as they do their part to 

promote lifesaving medical research 

Spirits were high and 

cheers were loud at the 

SingHealth Foundation’s 

“All for Cure, Cure for All” 

Corporate Games held on 


In a bid to promote healthy 

lifestyle, boost corporate 

spirit and raise much needed 

resources, corporations 

donated funds and 

participated in different 

Mr Teo Chang Ching (left), Manager of Keppel Group Corporate Communications, receives 

the token of appreciation and certificate from Dr Ng Eng Hen 

sports, namely football, 

volleyball, basketball, netball, 

badminton and tennis. 

Staff at Keppel Offshore & 

Marine (Keppel O&M) shed 

their boiler suits for their 

exercise gear as they pit wit 

and skills, all in the name of 

charity, and emerged 

champions in the badminton 

and volleyball games. 

Mr Choo Chiau Beng, 

Chairman & CEO of Keppel 

O&M, said, “Keppel is happy 

to be associated with 

SingHealth Foundation in 

their pursuit of innovative 

medical research to improve 

the quality of lives. 

“We share their spirit of 

enterprise in seeking the 

common good of human 

kind.” keppelite

Dancing to a global beat 

It was an evening to 

remember as Keppelites and 

guests were treated to an 

explosion of musical talents 

from across the globe at the 

World of Music, Arts and 

Dance (WOMAD) festival. 

Taking place from 24 to 26 

August 2007 at the Fort 

Canning Park, it marked 

WOMAD’s 10th year in 

Singapore. This is also 

Keppel Offshore & Marine’s 

(Keppel O&M) second year of 

partnership with WOMAD. 

Keppel O&M sponsored the 

Brazilian Samba sensation, 

Clube Do Balanço, a 

household name in Brazil. 

The band had the crowd 

gyrating to their infectious 

beats. 

Keppelites and customers 

alike enjoyed the great 

view of the performances 

from Keppel’s hospitality tent 

while being treated to the 

lavish Spanish cuisine. 

Good music, food and friends at WOMAD 

Mr Hallvard Nordbo, Site 

Manager of Vincent FPSO for 

Woodside Energy, one of 

Keppel Shipyard’s customers, 

shared, “It was good to meet 

outside of work and enjoy 

the great company of our 

Keppel friends amidst 

excellent music.” 

Apart from the music and 

dance performed at four 

different locations of Fort 

Canning, festival goers were 

also treated to a slew of 

workshops and culinary 

tasting sessions. 

At a specially arranged 

workshop by Keppel, 

Daara J, a hip-hop trio 

from Senegal, brought the 

audience to their feet with 

their groovy moves 

accompanied by traditional 

African rhythms. 

Members of Brazilian sensation, Clube Do Balanço, and Keppelites enjoying a swinging good time 

Community 33 

Mr Lopatin Alexander, 

Principle Surveyor for 

Russian Maritime Register 

of Shipping found himself 

basking in the atmosphere. 

He shared, “We enjoyed 

ourselves very much tonight. 

The music was beautiful. We 

have a very good relationship 

with Keppel and this gave us 

a chance to relax and have 

fun with them.” keppelite 


34 Community 

Green Initiatives 

Green hand for good cause 

They were turned away 

and had no where to set up 

their shop. 

Spreading the green message and raising funds for the deaf 

Quenching the thirst for knowledge 

Keppel Seghers was host to 

18 Japanese law students 

from Chuo University to a 

tour of the world’s second 

largest water reuse plant on 


It was an eye-opener for the 

students as they flooded the 

Plant Manager, Mr Cheang 

Whye Teng, with question 

after question. The one-hour 

plant tour was not enough 

to quench their thirst for 

more information and 

knowledge. 

“There is nothing like that in 


Still, the four secondary three 

students from Tanglin 

Secondary School were not 

Japan. Like Singapore, Japan 

has limited water resources. I 

think this is a good model for 

Japan to learn,” shared 

Kentaro Nishikawa who was 

impressed by the plant’s huge 

capacity and operations. 

The fruitful trip concluded 

with a dialogue session with 

Mr Teo Soon Hoe, Senior 

Executive Director and Group 

Finance Director of Keppel 

Corporation. 

deterred. They were 

determined to raise funds for 

the Singapore Association for 

the Deaf (SADeaf). 

Supporting them in their 

good cause was Keppel Land 

through the sponsorship of 

500 reusable bags. The aim 

was to spread the green 

message of using reusable 

bags whilst giving the 

youngsters an opportunity to 

put their entrepreneur skills 

to the test. 

Over three days, the students 

went door-to-door selling 

grateful to Keppel for their 

continued support of the 

school’s annual International 

Finance Internship 

“This is the fourth time that 

Chuo University students are 

visiting Keppel. We are really Japanese students quenching their thirst for knowledge of NEWater 

the reusable bags, along with 

CD wallets and notepads. 

“We would like to extend 

our heartfelt thanks to 

Keppel Land for the 

generous sponsorship of the 

reusable bags and the 

students’s hard work for this 

project,” said Dawn Lee, 

Executive Officer of SADeaf. 

The efforts raised over 

$3,000, which will provide 

financial assistance, tuition 

and other services to the 

SADeaf. keppelite 

Programme,” said Ms Minori 

Muronaga, from Chuo 

University Administration 

Office. keppelite

Wild about sports 

Tanglin School students having a ball of a time during their Sports Day 

Panthers, Leopards, 

Cheetahs and Jaguars 

ran freely around the 

compounds of the Republic 

Polytechnic (RP) on 8 August 

2007. 

Before you go hunting for 

these wild animals, STOP. 

They are the 250 students 

from the Tanglin School of 

the Association for Persons 

with Special Needs (APSN) 

represented by their 

respective sports group 

names. 

As the saying goes, “All work 

and no play makes Jack a dull 

boy”, and to encourage a 

Community 35 

volunteers 

Keppel 

healthy lifestyle amongst 

students, the Tanglin School 

did so the fun way. 

With help from Keppel 

Volunteers and students of 

the RP School of Sports, 

Health and Leisure, the 

Tanglin School Sports Day 

took place on 8 August 

2007. 

The RP sports hall was filled 

with laughter and loud 

cheers as the teams gave 

their all in the games – 

captain’s ball and floorball. 

Displaying precision, agility, 

strength and endurance, the 

games continued until the 

winning teams for each 

sport emerged at the 

finals. 

Having earned a well 

deserved rest, the students 

were rewarded with a 

Keppel-sponsored goodie 

bag each, containing drinks, 

snacks and stationery. 

But, the day was not over for 

them. The Tanglin School 

Sports Day ended on a high 

note, concluded with a funfilled 

mass dance session. 

Giggles and applause 

filled the hall as students, 

teachers and volunteers 

alike sashayed across the 

dance floors. 

Teo Wei Kiat, Hull Engineer 

at Keppel Shipyard Tuas, 

shared, “The event was 

enjoyable and meaningful. 

Seeing all their innocent 

smiling faces gave me a great 

sense of satisfaction. 

“This is my first time as a 

Keppel Volunteer but it will 

definitely not be my last. It is 

a great opportunity to 

contribute back to the 

society.” keppelite 


36 

BackPage 

Setting sail for a new home 

On Saturday, 8 September 

2007, the P-52 set sail 

towards the Roncador field 

in the Campos Basin. The 

Floating Production Unit 

(FPU) which stands at a 

height equivalent to 34 

storeys and has the breadth 

of 10 Olympic swimming 

pools, first headed towards 

Angra Bay, where it is 

scheduled to undergo final 

testing and adjustments. 

After this process is 

concluded, the unit will travel 

to the Roncador field, in the 

Campos Basin. 

The P-52 will be anchored in 

5,905 feet water depth and 

interlinked to 30 wells. 20 of 

the wells will be producing 

oil and 10 of them will be 

water injectors. The P-52 

platform is a component of 

Phase 2 of the Roncador field 

Module 1 development 

programme in the Campos 

Basin. Oil and natural gas 

production flow will take 

place through subsea 

pipelines. 

The platform is expected to 

go online in October and to 

reach top production in the 

second half of 2008. It will 

have the capacity to produce 

180,000 bopd with medium 

API gravity of 28 and a 

compression capacity of 

9.3 million m 3 /day of gas. 

With the delivery of the P-52, 

Keppel O&M’s projects for 


The P-52 is a project management showcase, an engineering triumph and an example of solid teamwork between Petrobras and 

the Keppel/Technip consortium 

Petrobras would have 

contributed at production 

capacity, 990,000 barrels of 

oil per day (bopd). This 

represents over 50% of 

Brazil’s present production 

rate of 1.8 million bopd. 

Mr Daniel Chang, Deputy 

President/Deputy CEO of 

Keppel FELS Brasil, 

commented “We are very 

proud of what we have 

achieved in building the 

P-52. Not only have we 

overcame cultural and 

geographical boundaries, 

we have also reached new 

heights in engineering 

expertise.” 

One of the highlights of 

the P-52’s construction was 

the marine deck mating 

procedure, which consisted 

of joining the platform’s top 

side to its hull. It was the first 

time that such an operation 

had been performed in 

Brazil. 

Carried out only a few 

times anywhere else in the 

world due to its extreme 

complexity, the operation 

was safely and successfully 

completed in 24 hours, 

affirming the engineering and 

project management expertise 

and excellent teamwork 

between the Keppel FELS/ 

Technip consortium and 

Petrobras, Brazil’s national oil 

company. 

Mr Gilberto Israel, President 

of BrasFELS, reminisces, “It 

took great teamwork to 

conduct this delicate 

operation. What’s more, we 

accomplished the great task 

safely. It is a praiseworthy 

achievement by everyone 

involved in the project!” 

The project also won 

accolades from Petrobras 

for excellence in project 

management and execution 

in the PRODEP award for two 

consecutive years in 2005 

and 2006. keppelite

West Atlas - Keppel Corporation

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