PROGRESS ON A GLOBAL SCALEAbu Dhabi forum challenges the world to step-up global energy solutions

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:Friends at Sea Deep-water collaborations help drive Shell’s success

A Balancing ActBuilding the Corrib tunnel and a lasting legacy for Ireland

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SHELL WORLD JOINT VENTURES

CONTENTS2PROGRESS ON A GLOBAL SCALEAbu Dhabi forum challenges the world to step-up global energy solutions

6BRUNEI WOMEN WORKING TO LEADHelping professional women to realise their potential

8FRIENDS AT SEADeep-water collaborations help drive Shell’s success

12A BALANCING ACTBuilding the Corrib tunnel and a lasting legacy for Ireland

16DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATIONLooking beyond engineering to foster more Omani talent

WELCOMEJANUARY 2015

Andrew Vaughan, Country Chair Abu Dhabi, Vice President Abu Dhabi & Kuwait

Partnerships have always been central to Shell’s focus in Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We have been an active part of the oil business here since 1939. As part of this role, we have been closely involved in supporting the development of the country’s social and economic infrastructure. Our partnerships extend from developing professional internships, to educational programmes in tandem with various higher learning institutes, extending through to long-term working relationships with government bodies such as the Environment Agency, the Emirates Foundation and the Petroleum Institute. These are strong relationships that we have built over the past 75 years and as a consequence, we feel part of the fabric of the development of the country.

Strong partnerships in the UAE are directly relatable to our success here. From a business perspective, partnerships enable you to manage resources and share risk. But fundamentally, the more tightly aligned a partnership is, the more we are able to transfer technology and expertise effectively.

Technology transfer defines Shell’s operations in the UAE. It is a crucial part of our operating mandate and we are willing importers of our proprietary technology. We apply and share the technology with our partners, with a view to embed it into a project for the long-term. But, our mission goes beyond simply importing proprietary technology. We also look to innovate. Technology innovation is not confined to our labs in Amsterdam and Houston, we are supporting innovative developments right here in the Gulf. As is the case for the Shell-chaired Gas Processing & Materials Science Research Centre (GRC) in the Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi, which we support in partnership with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Abu Dhabi Gas Industries, Total and Partex.

The GCC economies have tripled in size over the last decade. Population is growing at three per cent per annum, which is three times the global average. Economic growth in the region is between four and six per cent per annum, which is enormous. The pressure on energy systems to feed flourishing cities and provide water is huge. It takes water to produce energy and generate power; energy plays a part in treating and transporting water; and both are essential to producing food. Joining up those dots is complicated and requires creative thinking and a practical approach to issues; it also requires cross-sector partnerships. We are ready to address these issues here in Abu Dhabi, with our partners, and start to map ways to tackle them.

It was an honour to host the Middle East’s first Powering Progress Together forum in Abu Dhabi, in partnership with Masdar, subsidiary of the Mubadala Development Company. Focused on driving development in renewable energy and sustainable technology, a number of key issues were discussed. The ‘energy-water-food’ nexus has never been more relevant in the Middle East and the forum presented a unique opportunity to bring together experts from a range of disciplines to address locally relevant future energy challenges, notably water solutions and CO2 management, and through partnerships, start to map ways to tackle them. As you go through the magazine you will learn more about this.

Partnerships drive our business across Shell. We are looking to deepen our connections across sectors, and nurture partnerships both old and new. We are constantly striving to bring out the best in our projects and people through the relationships we have. That mindset will not change but our progress will, and we will meet and address challenges hand-in-hand with our partners.

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Cover image: Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber addressing the ‘Shell Powering Progress Together’ event as CEO Mubadala Energy; Chairman Masdar.

TO CONTACT THE MAGAZINEShell World Joint VenturesShell Exploration and Production International PO Box 11677 Dubai, United Arab Emirates

EMAILmagazine-mena-uae@shell.com

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As the world’s population keeps growing, so does the quest to provide answers to the ever increasing pressure on energy systems to support economic growth and social infrastructure continues apace. Tackling issues like climate change, energy crises and food shortages top the agenda of governments around the world. The role of corporations in facilitating practical solutions to these challenges has also grown in recent times. “Demand for energy is rising and we must meet this energy challenge while managing emissions and minimising our water use. This will require creative solutions,” says Shell Upstream International Director, Andy Brown.

Shell has recognised its responsibility in addressing these issues, but understands that it cannot solve them alone. Through the Powering Progress Together (PPT) forums, Shell is working to bring various sectors and influencers together to tackle this debate. By engaging the world’s leading thinkers in a dialogue on future energy challenges, several dilemmas are being addressed through PPT.

Held in locations throughout the world, each forum focuses on specific areas within the ‘stress nexus’ -the interlinking of water, energy and food systems. Putting these vital resources under a microscope to see how they will come under growing pressure over the coming decades; the role resilience thinking can play in addressing these future resource stresses; and how to trigger concrete, on-the-ground actions to address them.

Abu Dhabi’s Great H²O, CO² DebateIn October, Shell hosted the first Middle

East PPT forum in Abu Dhabi. Partnering with MASDAR, a subsidiary of the Mubadala Development Company driving development in renewable energy and sustainable technology, the event focused on issues such as water scarcity, on-going energy solutions and CO2 management in the region.

Classified as one of the world’s most water- stressed areas, sustainable water solutions are critical to the UAE. Discussions at PPT focused on how the Middle East can change the culture of water consumption and production, and highlighted the need for collaboration between government, academia and the private sector.

Acknowledging the region’s close links to oil, issues such as cleaner fossil fuels and renewable energy are also on the minds of people in the region. PPT Abu Dhabi addressed energy consumption, energy efficiency, and ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Local and regional experts were able to expound upon Shell’s vision for the future of these technologies along with the vision of the UAE government and global organisations.

“The UAE started as very much an oil country with a moderate amount of gas. As the country has grown and become wealthier and the population has grown, the need for gas for domestic use, for power generation, and to some extent for industry has grown. The importance of gas is growing all the time. So that’s the big

change in an energy sense,” says Andrew Vaughan, Country Chair Abu Dhabi, Vice President Abu Dhabi & Kuwait.

“The forum comes at a time when Abu Dhabi is crucially aware of the need to manage energy sources more efficiently and more effectively and Masdar can help address these issues,” continues Vaughan.

Around 250 people gathered in Abu Dhabi to debate these regional and global energy questions. Diversity was the key amongst attendees who varied from academic scholars, students, oil and gas professionals, and environment industry leaders to energy experts, including the UAE Minister of Energy.

The partnership with Masdar set up a platform for the event that blended interesting and complementary initiatives in sustainable energy solutions. Both Shell and Masdar have sought to address the growing energy demand in a responsible and sustainable manner. “I believe that it is partnerships between established companies such as Shell with a clear focus on a sustainable future, and thought leaders such as Masdar, that will create lasting solutions,” says Brown.

For Dr. Ahmad Belhoul, Chief Executive Office of Masdar, the partnership with Shell made perfect sense. “Masdar and Shell share a commitment to foster the development of technological advances in alternative energy sources in order to contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable world,” adds Dr. Belhoul. >>

PROGRESS ON A GLOBAL SCALEABU DHABI FORUM CHALLENGES THE WORLD TO STEP-UP GLOBAL ENERGY SOLUTIONS

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Left to right: Andrew Vaughan- Shell Abu Dhabi Vice President & Country Chairman, Adnan Amin - Director General International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Abdullah Nasser Al Suwaidi - CEO ADNOC, Suhail Al Mazroui - UAE Minister of Energy, Andy Brown - Upstream International Director, Royal Dutch Shell, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber - CEO Mubadala Energy; Chairman Masdar, Dr. Saif Al Nasiri - Gas Director ADNOC, and Dr. Ahmad Belhoul - Chief Executive Officer of Masdar.

Shell Powering Progress Together Abu Dhabi event team.

Left to right: Gerald Schotman - VP Netherlands & Germany, Hugh Mitchell - Chief HR & Corporate Officer, Maryam Nemazee - BBC Reporter.

Using interactive tools in one of the PPTs.

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Global Action The series of forums seeks to not only spark

a debate about energy solutions, but also yield tangible results through partnerships. “The issues we are addressing, are not ones an energy company can tackle by itself,” says Flavia Malet De Hvidbo, PPT Communications Coordinator at Shell International, adding: “We want to make sure we are part of a global debate. We try to remain in an environment where the conference tackles locally relevant challenges and connects with bigger themes such as the energy-water-food nexus. It will never be a pure energy or pure water conference; the idea is to make sure that Shell and its partners are working across sectors to address a spectrum of issues”.

Countries who have hosted PPT forums in the past are already seeing the fruits of their labour come to life. In a country recently

devastated by Typhoon Haiyan, the Philippines came face-to-face with their country’s vulnerabilities. Choosing to take something that altered the lives of many people and learn from it, the conference in Manila addressed the Philippines’ susceptibility to climate change. The conference explored technologies that could help the Philippines build more resilient cities.

One example was Shell’s partnership with Manila Observatory to expand the network of Automated Weather Stations (AWS) in the country in the hope of providing solutions to combat climate change. These stations will enable local governments and cities to better prepare and mitigate the risk of potential severe weather. One AWS has already been successfully installed, with the goal of 50 more installations across the country in the near future.

Advancing The DebateWhile PPT is only a short forum, Shell and

its partners hope the effects of the conference will be more concrete. Dr. Belhoul echoes the desire for actual real-time results. “We want win-win strategies that enable human development and environmental sustainability to go hand-in-hand. We hope that the entire PPT series, as well as the Abu Dhabi event in particular, will result in driving awareness of these global issues, propose real actions and create new partnerships”.

Looking to the future, Malet De Hvidbo says: “It’s all in the name really. The words ‘powering progress’ reflect Shell’s aspiration to be the leading energy company, be innovative and competitive; while ‘together’ symbolises this collaboration, this growing awareness about non-traditional partnerships. It’s really beyond what an energy company can do and that’s why we are joining forces with partners around the world”. n

PPT WAS FIRST HELD IN ROTTERDAM IN 2012, AND TWO YEARS LATER, THE INITIATIVE HAS TRAVELLED THE GLOBE. FORUMS HAVE BEEN HELD IN EUROPE, SOUTH AMERICA, NORTH AMERICA, ASIA, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR, IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

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Bruneian women challenge the idea of the glass ceiling

As one of the largest employers in Brunei, diversity and inclusion is fundamental to Brunei Shell Petroleum’s (BSP) local operating mandate. “The majority of university graduates in Brunei are women, and close to 50% of the graduates Brunei Shell is hiring are female, however the number of women who actually progress through to leadership levels in the work force is a smaller percentage, making the development of women an important part of talent and D&I strategy,” says Marieke ten Houte de Lange, head of HR and Talent Management at Shell Brunei.

The Women Infocus Network (WiN), a non- profit BSP organisation, is taking the ‘women in the workplace’ effort to a new level. The unique programme, based on Shell’s global, “Women Career Development Programme”, has been localised to help Bruneian women across all Shell-linked companies maximise their potential and contribution to the business and excel to the top. “The biggest focus is around raising awareness, providing a platform to engage, to build their skills, to realise their potential to be leaders in the company and the country,” says Houte de Lange.

Brunei Women Lean InInspired by Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In:

Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, WiN held an event earlier this year to discuss the idea of the glass ceiling for women. “She (Sheryl Sandberg) has been instrumental in starting a global dialogue around this topic, and we wanted to bring a discussion on this theme to Brunei,” says Houte de Lange. Held in Pusat Insani, Seria, Brunei, WiN gathered women and men from across the country to discuss issues and preconceived notions about working women. Learning sessions were offered to enable women in Brunei, to cope in what is still a male dominated work force and how to balance work with a family life. Gender biases were widely discussed at the conference. In one of the learning sessions “What works for women at work” women discussed patterns of gender bias and strategies to overcome those. Topics of other learning sessions were “Resilience, how talented women thrive,” “The power of mentoring and sponsorship” and “Gender bias – a man’s perspective”.

As part of the main debate on the glass ceiling, an interactive voting session was held. On their feet, the 230 member audience were asked to move to the left of the auditorium if they

agreed that the glass ceiling exists and to the right if they didn’t. Ten Houte de Lange explains that while people moved back and forth throughout the debate, the majority ended up on the right. “What really drove people was the thought it might exist, but that they’d like to think that it doesn’t exist. The mind set was very much, I’d like to think, that I am in control of my own destiny and that there is no boundary in achieving my goal”.

The one-day conference attracted a mix of both local and expatriate women from various fields and sectors including: oil and gas, government and finance; highlighting that globally, working women across the world face similar issues.

Continuing to WiNSince WiN’s inception, BSP has seen an

increase in female employees. “When WIN began, we were a small group of people working to develop ideas about female career development. After almost a year of planning we launched the programme in February 2012 and have successfully, reached out to more than 1,000 participants in the process,” says Hjh Rosita Hassan, who is the President of WiN and the Supply Chain Team Lead at BSP. Hassan explains that as a result of the conference, feedback from the workshops has

BRUNEI WOMEN WORKING TO LEAD

Fadhlina Ahmad, production geologist from Brunei Shell Petroleum, sharing in the “What works for women at work” Learning Lab.

Irina Nizkous and Nichapa Akaramethakorn, Brunei Shell Petroleum geophysicists and participants at the WIN Conference.

Barbara Lak, Shell Joint Venture Excellence Manager (East), one of the panelists at the conference, speaking on the theme of “Women, Work and the Will to Lead”.

HELPING PROFESSIONAL WOMEN TO REALISE THEIR POTENTIAL

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been shared, along with several proposals regarding development programmes and improving workplace conditions. “It was an enriching experience and people left energised and motivated. We also learnt a lot and want to improve,” says Hjh Rosita.

Hjh Rosita is one of the local Bruneian women who has made it to the top at BSP. “We believe that there are a lot of women with skills who can build a better world,” says Houte de Lange. “Success for me is having more senior females in Brunei Shell Petroleum, who would act as role models, and who would add more diversity to the thinking and decision making at the top. Success would be that women feel more empowered within that context, can make choices and navigate and have fulfilling careers”. n

“AS ONE OF THE LARGEST EMPLOYERS IN BRUNEI, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IS FUNDAMENTAL TO BRUNEI SHELL PETROLEUM’S (BSP) LOCAL OPERATING MANDATE”.

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FRIENDS AT SEADEEP-WATER COLLABORATIONS HELP DRIVE SHELL’S SUCCESS

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With a burgeoning global population pushing up the demand for energy, the need to access new energy sources continues to grow. Shell sees that oil and gas resources locked far below the ocean’s surface hold great potential to help meet this rising energy demand. According to the International Energy Agency, approximately 25% of the world’s oil and gas reserves are located offshore at depths of more than 400 metres. But, operating under the immense water pressure and freezing temperatures kilometres below the ocean’s surface is not easy. “To realise this potential we have to continuously advance our technical capabilities in these extreme environments. We must also continue to maintain rigorous safety standards – under ever-increasing scrutiny – and respond to the economic pressure that demands heightened cost efficiency,” says Ian Silk, Shell Vice President Deep-Water Projects.

Tapping into these resources requires a strategic approach and significant investment in researching and developing new technologies. “Deep-Water developments have many personal and process safety considerations that require painstaking analysis and control to deliver flawless performance. And it is this flawless performance that will protect the industry’s reputation,” says Silk.

Working together for faster resultsThe challenges posed to the expanding

deep-water industry demand a new approach, as Silk explains: “It calls for collaboration between companies. International oil companies (IOCs) are joining forces to develop hardware together, helping to keep down costs for each individual operator. We see an increasing opportunity in standardising and replicating equipment across projects. IOCs benefit from their global array of projects in sourcing materials which can be catalogued and pre-ordered by a dedicated team”. This collaborative approach and clever management of materials is helping to save precious time. In the US Gulf of Mexico, Mars B and Cardamom were brought on stream ahead of schedule, as was the Bonga North West development off the coast of Nigeria.

Operated by Shell in partnership with BP, Mars B, located in the Gulf of Mexico, started producing six months early. The project added new infrastructure to the existing Mars field, including the Olympus so-called “tension leg platform”. The vast platform, heavier than 300 Boeing 747 Jumbo Jets, is designed to receive oil and gas from up to 24 new wells. Olympus, combined with the existing Mars platform, puts

the future production potential of the field at an estimated 1.1 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe). It is the first deep-water project in the Gulf of Mexico to expand an existing oil and natural gas field with new infrastructure.

Bonga North West, an extension of the Bonga field off the coast of Nigeria and operated by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd (SNEPCo), started producing in August this year. “This is an excellent addition to our deep-water portfolio. It is also good news for Nigeria, as it is a new source of oil revenues and strengthens Nigeria’s deep-water expertise, a key driver of economic development”. says Andy Brown, Shell Upstream International Director. The investments made by SNEPCo and its other project partners are part of Shell’s commitment to developing Nigeria’s deep water capability. The project was led by Nigerians; powered by a 90% local workforce; and Nigerian companies contributed significantly to the construction and development of the Bonga North West infrastructure.

Cardamom, which announced first oil at the start of September, tapped into a new field that had been discovered using Shell’s advanced seismic technology. The project upgraded the existing Auger platform, rather than adding new infrastructure, limiting the offshore footprint.

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Through new opportunities and collaboration Shell can expand its deep-water business; for example through the development of the giant Libra field off the coast of Brazil, one of the largest deep-water oil fields in the world which Shell is working on as part of a consortium.

Shell is also going ever deeper to access new resources. The Stones project in the Gulf of Mexico, currently under development, will host the deepest production facility in the world at approximately 2,900 metres of water.

“In a world hungry for energy we have limited options to meet the growing demand. It is through our industry’s relentless focus on safety and innovation that we are making the great promise of deep-water oil and gas a reality,” says Silk. n

“IN A WORLD HUNGRY FOR ENERGY WE HAVE LIMITED OPTIONS TO MEET THE GROWING DEMAND. IT IS THROUGH OUR INDUSTRY’S RELENTLESS FOCUS ON SAFETY AND INNOVATION THAT WE ARE MAKING THE GREAT PROMISE OF DEEP-WATER OIL AND GAS A REALITY”.

Oil from the Bonga North West underground reservoirs is produced through underwater facilities and transported by new underwater pipelines to the existing Bonga floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel.

Hundreds of pipelines are transferred by crane from a cargo barge to the vessel that lays them on the sea bed at Bonga North West offshore oil field.

A giant reel of umbilical cables lies on board the S3000 installation vessel. The installed umbilical cables will deliver control signals, energy (electrical and hydraulic) and chemicals to the Bonga North West underwater infrastructure.

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Building large energy infrastructure comes with many challenges but none more so than when the development takes place in areas of natural beauty. Such projects test the capability and values of all organisations involved. Balancing the needs of the environment, economic development, and the local community requires in-depth levels of understanding and innovative solutions. The building of the Corrib gas pipeline tunnel is one such example. At Shell, this balance is sought through a practice known as “social performance” that seeks to deliver wins across the board in partnership with local communities. “Social performance practice is applied to all of Shell’s projects with three essential objectives: to minimise impacts on the host community; maximise benefits for the local area and country; and to leave a lasting positive legacy. Getting people employed locally is always a large part of this,” says Michael Crothers, Managing Director of Shell E&P Ireland Limited, when discussing the constructions of the 4.9km long Corrib tunnel.

So in practice what does this mean?Located in County Mayo, in the north-west of Ireland,

the Corrib gas pipeline tunnel is the final part of the Corrib gas project - a joint venture (JV) between operating partner, Shell E&P Ireland Limited (SEPIL), Statoil Exploration (Ireland) Limited and Vermilion Energy. The idea for the Corrib tunnel was born out of necessity to minimise the impact the pipeline would have on the environmentally protected Sruwaddacon Bay, one of County Mayo’s most pristine estuaries. After the Irish planning appeals authority ‘An Bord Pleanala’ granted permission for the pipeline construction to the JV in January 2011 it took a further 5 months to engineer a plan that could minimise the visual and environmental impact of the tunnel and maintain the support of the local community. “We had to engineer ourselves around all the environmental issues in great detail,” says Paul Hughes, Shell’s Tunnel Construction Manager, who has worked on the project for more than seven years. In order to develop and manage the tunnel plan, a joint venture contract was awarded to local Irish company, BAM Civil, and Wayss & Freytag, a German company with decades of global tunnelling expertise. Getting the mix right was crucial as Hughes explains: “It required detailed civil engineering of the local soil

conditions, which only an Irish company could understand alongside the specialist tunnelling expertise of our German contractors”.

“Some of the tasks seemed small, but were crucial. We could not increase noise beyond 65 decibels during the day time and 45 decibels during night time. But in tunnelling there is noise,” says Hughes. Essentially, noise emanating from the site had to be kept to the equivalent of a low whisper at night, at most increasing to a normal conversation during the day. This included the noise from the 500 tonne, 140 metre long, tunnel boring machine (TBM), christened “Fionnuala”. Noise was also emitted from the above ground tunnelling ancillary equipment, such as the water and soil separation plant, air compressors and power generators. Meeting these low levels required attention to detail across the project, and the introduction of new technology and engineering processes. “Our equipment was unique to Ireland. If the noise went beyond desired levels, it would trigger an alert text to the shift engineer who could examine the source of the noise and ascertain if it was actually being emitted from the tunnelling compound and act accordingly. It was web based so the local council could also access it. They could revisit recordings which in some cases might have identified a couple of birds squawking. We are operating at that level of transparency,” says Hughes. Non-compliance with the many regulations could have resulted in the site being shut down and investigated. This would have added substantial delays and a significant financial cost to the project as well as damaging relationships with the host community.

Technology in the tunnelling industry is already highly evolved but there are countless examples across the tunnelling site where innovation and best available technology was used. BIM techniques and 3D AutoCAD were used during the development of the tunnel compound to ensure the efficient delivery of tunnelling contractor requirements. Innovation was at the forefront of the design and construction of the start and reception shafts, combined with established civil engineering construction techniques to provide a solution that met both planning and geotechnical considerations. These elements were developed in collaboration with the SEPIL site construction team and were subject to peer review Shell specialists in Rijswijk, Holland. >>

A BALANCING ACTBUILDING THE CORRIB TUNNEL AND A LASTING LEGACY FOR IRELAND

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“THE CORRIB GAS PROJECT, WHICH IS NEARING COMPLETION, WILL BRING GAS FROM IRELAND’S LARGEST OFFSHORE RESERVOIR, LOCATED 80 KILOMETRES OFF THE NORTH-WEST COAST OF IRELAND IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, TO THE BELLANABOY BRIDGE GAS TERMINAL EIGHT KILOMETRES INLAND. AT PEAK PRODUCTION, THE CORRIB FIELD HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SUPPLY IRELAND WITH 60% OF ITS GAS REQUIREMENTS; CRUCIAL FOR ENERGY SECURITY, GIVEN THAT IRELAND CURRENTLY IMPORTS 90% OF ITS GAS. A KEY ELEMENT OF THE DEVELOPMENT INVOLVED BUILDING THE LONGEST GAS PIPELINE TUNNEL IN EUROPE”.

The Corrib gas pipeline tunnel is the final part of the project.

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An innovative development of this kind can often be heavily reliant on foreign talent if the country doesn’t have a strong history of a particular kind of build. But, Shell believes that partnering with the local community holds the key to successful projects. “It is an easy temptation to bring in people from outside, but then the community does not get the value. Interestingly, you actually save money on the project over the long-term as you are not paying for the transport and accommodation. Secondly, these people want to see the plant functional to ensure jobs for the lifetime of the project,” adds Hughes.

Shell encouraged its contracting companies to employ people from the locality and where necessary invested in up-skilling the local workforce with training, internships and apprenticeships. In the case of the Corrib project around 50% of the 1,250 people who were involved in the project at any one time, have been from County Mayo. “Our benefit was that we really understood the local talent pool. We invited a national recruitment agency to the site to work on reviewing CVs and offered an apprenticeship scheme with one of the local schools. These initiatives helped us connect with people, with skills. Recruiting and training locally has been a priority and we have got very

good feedback from the community. Our JV partners have also seen the value this initiative has brought in terms of increased loyalty in the community,” says Crothers.

Many in the local community credit the economic stimulus the project brought, with helping their locality to weather Ireland’s 2007 economic downturn better than other areas. As well as hotels and shops benefiting, recruiting locally has played a big part, which it’s hoped will bring lasting benefits to local people.

Bernie McManamon, who grew up close to the Terminal, studied engineering four hours away in Dublin and had prepared herself for the prospect of moving to another country to find a project that would match her skillset. McManamon was hired as a trainee engineer on the project three years ago: “When I graduated from college it was at the beginning of the tunnelling phase. During my first three months I was taken on by the tunnelling team and I was involved solely in the preparation of the tunnel boring machine. It was very exciting for me coming straight from college and getting some serious experience and learning all the disciplines - environmental, safety, community liaison - everyone working together as a team to achieve one goal”.

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Hiring locally has ensured opportunities for local business partners and individuals: “My time here is a golden ticket for my next job. I learnt a lot on this project which can help me go abroad and then eventually come back to Ireland,” continues McManamon.

Beyond local engineers like McManamon, the complex process and technical engineering solutions, and the upskilling of the local workforce continues to impact beyond the project. One small firm, Shevlin Engineering expanded its workforce from 2 to 27 personnel, and is now providing steel structural support across Ireland. Going beyond the community, the purpose built TBM, Fionnuala, returned to Germany for a short period, and after refurbishment is now being used on another tunnelling project in Spain. Irish contracting company Roadbridge, who were responsible for the excavation and reinstatement of the tunnel’s entry and exit sites, has also been awarded a significant amount of work outside of Ireland. “Shell’s safety objectives have helped many. They also credit skills they have learnt with us on improving their own quality assurance. Many of our other contractors have benefitted similarly. This is also true for individuals; a lot of

construction workers from Corrib have gone on to work on other prominent construction sites,” says Crothers.

It took more than 17 months for Fionnuala to excavate the 4.9km long tunnel under the bay. During that time the JV team and contractors worked around the clock, at depths of between 5 and 12 metres. As the Project moves towards ‘first gas’, which is expected in 2015, reinstatement work is ongoing to ensure that little evidence will remain in the future of what has been Ireland’s largest construction site for the past four years. The 120,000 tonnes of peat and bog removed at the tunnel’s entry and exit sites will be reinstated. Aside from the Landfall Valve, where the onshore and offshore pipelines meet at Glengad, all ground site infrastructure will also be removed thus leaving a lasting positive legacy for the environment, community, and the partners who have collaborated to deliver this extraordinary engineering feat. n

The BAM Civil/Wayss & Freytag and Shell tunneling team beside the 500 tonne, 140 metre long, tunnel boring machine ‘Fionnuala’.

It took more than 17 months for ‘Fionnuala’ to excavate the 4.9km long tunnel under the bay. During that time the JV team and contractors worked around the clock, at depths of between 5 and 12 metres.

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DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATIONLOOKING BEYOND ENGINEERING TO FOSTER MORE OMANI TALENT

In common with many countries in the Middle East, Omani professionals work hand-in-hand with specialist expatriate professionals to capitalise on their skills and experience; all with the aim of supplementing the local workforce to help the country achieve its long-term economic development goals. An increasingly important part of the economic development equation in the Gulf countries is ensuring the knowledge acquisition and diffusion of international expertise. Oman’s workforce has considerable potential, and the government has made a priority of investing in knowledge and skill acquisition for Omanis as it further strengthens the foundations of a number of industries to deliver sustainable growth. As one of the largest employers in Oman, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) is focused on building skills to develop a workforce that is fit for the future.

Tailor-made approach Working closely with the Oman Ministry of

Oil & Gas, PDO looked to develop a graduate programme that extended beyond the traditional engineering sector. In 2012, using the Shell Graduate Programme as a model, PDO and Shell Upstream International worked together to create a programme to meet the objectives of PDOs various business units. Aiming to implement

a similar structure to Shell, providing on-the-job training, formal courses and a mentor programme, PDO set out on this latest venture.

The Graduate Development Programme (GDP) officially launched in 2013, and in its first year, had over 140 new graduates enrolled in the programme. “For PDO, building local capability is a strategic priority. The company believes in the continued development of its employees, and with that mind, every Omani graduate now hired at PDO will enter the graduate programme,” says Azita Shafiei, a Shell employee seconded to act as the Operations Manager of the programme.

Not only has PDO recognised the importance of the programme, the graduates from all sectors are equally excited about the opportunity. Samiya Sharji, a Recruitment Advisor enrolled in the programme, says: “The launch of this programme is a key milestone for PDO as a company. It is a recognition that we have a lot of talent that needs to be groomed and developed. It is exciting to see this actually taking place”.

Set up as a three-year programme, the GDP provides graduates with a solid development path that is aimed at enhancing technical depth while providing a broad business understanding. With the goal of taking them from the graduate level to a full-fledged employee in the shortest possible time; while providing a solid ground

to operate successfully in a fast changing industry. Azita adds: “The programme is a structured and integrated approach to accelerate graduates’ development in a consistent manner. The goal is to take new graduates to the first step of autonomy, so by the time they have completed the programme, they are able to carry out standard tasks independently”.

Mohamed Al-Mughairi, Graduate Programme Manager at PDO, says that for the company the programme focuses on three things: “We are striving to create consistency across the business, create a structured framework and lastly, create a programme that will ensure accelerated development for the graduates”.

Learning curve The launch of the programme has also

enabled PDO to implement common practices across their business. Some divisions including engineering and production operations have already deployed a type of graduate programme; while others such as Human Resources did not, it was paramount to develop a programme that would unify the company. Al-Mughairi continues: “We did not have consistency, we had different graduate schemes in different disciplines and functions. We were looking for a model to make the whole system consistent and Shell provided that model”.

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With a clear direction has also come noticeable differences among the graduates. Shafiei has already noticed the impact the programme is having on many of the participants. “We are getting positive feedback. We see a lot of enthusiasm; graduates are happy because they see the programme being implemented with a competent framework and supervisors that support it. In the past, they did not have that,” says Shafiei.

Programme managers are not the only ones experiencing a change, graduates are also realising the potential the programme is offering them. Hamid Balushi, a Production Seismologist currently enrolled in the programme, has been especially impacted by the mentoring and coaching elements offered. “The biggest impact has been having a mentor helping with my development. It is reassuring to know that at each stage he will assess me on the task I have completed. It challenges me to be better,” says Hamid.

Moving forward With the programme now in place and

the first-round of graduates expected to complete the programme in the next few years, PDO is looking towards the future. By the end of 2014, the programme is expected to be implemented across all practices, from finance to contract & procurement. The focus will then shift from

implementing the programme to maintaining its momentum. Al-Mughairi defines a successful programme as one that: “develops competencies in a timely manner, in a structured manner, and in a consistent manner”.

For Al-Mughairi, ‘driving your own development’ is a culture that he hopes to develop within the programme. For him, and many others at PDO, being in the driver’s seat of your career is what will have the biggest impact for graduates. “We want the graduates to drive their career and know that we are here supporting them,” says Al-Mughairi. The success of this culture is already apparent, with many of the current graduates already developing a compelling vision of their future. “What I am really enthusiastic and optimistic about is that I can see the programme not only shaping me to be the best in my field, but in the market as well. It is exciting to know that PDO is working to develop us, as graduates. It shows that they are not just thinking about PDO, they are thinking globally,” says Sharji when discussing what she hopes to gain from this experience.

Ultimately, it is PDO’s hope that the programme will have a permanent impact on the culture of the company. “We need to make sure we are training the graduates to be better than us. To ensure this, we will carry on the momentum, with strong ownership for years to come,” adds Al-Mughairi. n

6 PDO graduates ready to embark on a Graduate development programme.

Graduate Development Programme Launch.

IN ITS FIRST YEAR,

OVER 140 NEW GRADUATES ENROLLED IN THE GRADUATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

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