With plans to invest a colossal US$40.45bn into energy projects within Kuwait and an ambitious growth plan, Kuwait Oil Company is determined to continue to make great strides within its industry. Endeavour Magazine spoke to Sami Al Juhaim, Public Relations Director, about the exciting developments that are underway.

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IN THE BLACK

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KUWAIT OIL COMPANY

Focused on exploration activities, on and off-shore surveys, drilling of test wells and the careful development of producing fields, in addition to the more standard tasks of crude and

natural gas exploration, the company hit the ground running and have not slowed the pace in the 81 years that have followed its inception.

KOC came about as a direct result of the vision and leadership of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. A resourceful and courageous ruler of Kuwait, he seized the opportunity to move from the cultured pearl industry into oil production following a technical report alluding to the possibilities at hand. By signing a document on December 23rd 1934, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah opened his country up to new wealth and international presence by granting KOC the very first Kuwaiti oil concession agreement.

Years of steady oil discoveries followed, in some cases of such quantities and pressure that it proved difficult to contain effectively. Unbelievably, a well that was first discovered in 1938 is still producing today; such is the power of the supply.

1946 played host to another landmark moment for the dedicated team at KOC. In a ceremony befitting such a forward thinking and progressive company, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah participated in Kuwait’s first ever crude oil export programme by turning a silver wheel to allow oil to fill the British Fusilier tanker. Depositing 10,567 tons in little over 11 hours, the event was a

significant milestone in the history of the company, with Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah commenting at the time,

“Every one of my people and my friends will rejoice with me in this happy event, which by the Grace of God is for our future and welfare. I thank God for such an opportunity as this, that will help us carry on with the various improvements which we desire for the happiness and welfare of the Kuwaiti people. I would like to further mention the assistance offered by the Company during their operations in our country. My thanks are also due to Her Majesty’s Government for their help in making such operations a success, and to my personal friends the British and American members of the Board as well as to all the Company’s staff for their valuable assistance. I am sure the friendship relation existing between us and the Company will continue to exist in a spirit of cordiality and good will.”

1975 saw the nationalisation of Kuwait’s oil industry. Implemented to assure control over the region’s natural oil resources, State shareholding in KOC was gradually increased until total control was assumed. By taking a proactive approach to industry development, Kuwait has risen to undeniable prominence within the global oil market, demonstrating the incredible business acumen and wise guidance of the country’s people and leaders alike.

Celebrating 75 years of operation in 2009, KOC put on an

KUWAIT OIL COMPANY

Founded in 1934, Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) was originally established by British Petroleum (formerly Anglo-Persian Oil) and the Chevron Corporation (formerly Gulf Oil). With respected ‘founding fathers’ at the helm, KOC was born into assumed greatness and wasted no time in living up to the expectations placed upon it.

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Arabian ElephantTailored for the GCC countriesproudly made in Romania

1,000+ BPD Capable

40+ Years Lifespan

High Energy Efficiency

Ultra-Low Downtime & Maintenance

VULCAN’s 5 Years Wide Coverage Guarantee

VULCAN ROMANIAover 100 years of experience

www.vulcan.ro

KUWAIT OIL COMPANY

enormous three-day celebration, which saw the city of Ahmadi transformed with light shows and displays and welcomed highly esteemed guests including the Amir of Kuwait. Making a clear statement as to the continued success of the company, KOC began to look forward and plan astounding new initiatives.

Having released plans to invest US$40.45bn into new directives, diversification seems imminent and inevitable as KOC seeks to remain not only at the forefront of their industry, but ahead of the curve in regards to future technologies and directives.

A major development is the KPC Upstream Mission, which seeks to,

“Explore, develop and produce hydrocarbons within the State of Kuwait, the Divided Zone and internationally and so be a secure and reliable supplier to our customers, promote the care and development of our people and deliver on our commitments to our stakeholders in a compliant, profitable, safe and environmentally responsible manner.”

If successful, this mission will lead to KOC achieving a leading position in the global industry of upstream oil and gas as an integrated enterprise. Increasing supply reliability and moving towards a more sustainable future, this has been heralded as an

incredibly important development.KOC recognise and acknowledge that hiring and retaining

talented people is the only way to ensure that the company continues to perform to expected standards. Operating in a performance-related environment, staff members are offered motivation and support to develop their leadership skills and technical know-how within an organisation that takes Health, Security, Safety and Environment exceptionally seriously.

Consistently operating with world-class standards in mind, KOC continues to move forward, despite industry difficulties. So firm-footed is the company that in addition to the large-scale investment plan being put into place, it has also committed to increasing its oil and gas rig numbers by an enormous 50% by early 2016. Existing fields will not be left in the wake of progress however, as they will be developed to increase their output and continue to contribute to the success of KOC.

Forever modest and respectful, KOC acknowledge that it is by the Grace of God that they continue to enjoy success, which allows the country to enjoy continued affluence and sustainability – but let’s not overlook the dedication and endeavours of the human guiding hands that keep KOC firmly in the black.

KUWAIT OIL COMPANY

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As oil production increase generates the continuous need for improvement of equipment specifications, ease of use and long-term reliability, VULCAN’s forthcoming approach to their clients needs is now bringing a new product to the market.

The Arabian Elephant is the nickname chosen for Vulcan’s brand new API 1280D-365-192 SRP unit. Vulcan’s new product was developed specifically for the oilfields in the GCC region and it complements an already broad range of API certified SRP units. “Our new biggest, heaviest, most enduring SRP equipment reminds me of the biggest beast walking the Earth. They also have similar lifespans”, Vulcan’s CEO Mr. Remus Vulpescu explained. Mr. Vulpescu is now in charge at Vulcan after working for several years in Romania’s Government bodies managing the country’s energy sector.

Starting in Q4 2015, the full range of Vulcan SRP equipment shall receive a comprehensive line of dedicated retrofitments including SCADA, variable speed drive and rod pump controller add-ons to acquire, monitor and alert remote dispatch centers of various relevant parameters pertaining to the operation of the equipment itself or to the environment conditions – from vibrations level in the rods to infra-red detection from the height of the Arabian Elephant’s “head”. Basic diagnostics and commands, such as emergency shutdowns, recurrent lubrication or drive speed change shall be also possible remotely, to further increase the attractiveness of Vulcan’s equipment and cut operation costs that are already lowest-in-industry.

Moreover, engineers at Vulcan are discretely testing a range of proprietary injection steam generators designed to increase even more the productivity of their SRP equipment. First deliveries of injection steam generators should be expected in Q2 2016.