Background of Saudi Aramco Essays

Background of Saudi Aramco Essays Background of Saudi Aramco Essay Background of Saudi Aramco Essay The story of Aramco’s beginnings and the journey the company has taken to become the largest oil company in the world is as remarkable as the journey that has brought Saudi Arabia to its current standing in the community of nations. Aramco is a company characterized by resilience and the courage to take bold steps that have made it a key player in global energy security (Saudi Aramco 2012). The journey of the company is tied to the transformation the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has undergone to become a modern-nation state and a key player in the geopolitical sphere of not only the Arab world but also globally. Having began as merely an oil producing companies that was no different from other companies in the industry at the time, Aramco has steadily grown to become the fully integrated global energy enterprise that it is today with partnerships spreading to various parts of the world including Asia, Europe and North America (Saudi Aramco 2012). Aramco’s journey began with the signing of an oil concession agreement with the Standard Oil Company of California on May 29, 1933 which paved way for the beginning of aerial surveys the following year. In 1935, the first oil well was drilled and a new pier was erected at al-Khobar at a time when more proven oil finds were located in Bahrain, Iraq and Persia. In 1936, the Texas Co. made a 50% acquisition of the concession and launched operations in Bahrain. By 1939, various wells had been drilled and for the first time, an oil tanker transported the first load of petroleum from Saudi Arabia. Aramco was officially on its way to becoming the corporation it is today (Saudi Aramco 2012). By the beginning of the 1940s, the company was producing about 15,000 bpd and its workforce had grown to nearly 4,000. 1940 began with the discovery of the Abqaiq oil field but during the early years of the 1940s, the company faced some difficulties including the closure of its refinery at Ras Tanura in 1941 and suspension of field mapping in 1942. 1943 witnessed growth of innovation in the oil and gas industry due to the shortages occasioned by the World War II and Casoc was renamed Aramco in 1944 with headquarters in San Francisco and an amazing journey of remarkable growth began. As of 1949, Aramco had increased its productivity to 500,000 bpd. In 1946, the company commissioned its administration building in Dhahran and the decade ended with the completion of the Trans-Arabian Pipeline enabling Saudi Arabia to export its oil through the Mediterranean Sea (Saudi Aramco 2012). In 1951, the Safaniya offshore oil field was discovered and the following year, Aramco moved its headquarters to Dhahran. In 1954, the company’s production reached 1 million bpd transforming Aramco into an oil production powerhouse (Saudi Aramco 2012). Exploration work at Rub’ al-Khali began in 1955 and by 1958; the company’s production had topped 1 million bpd. The close of the 1950’s saw two Saudi nationals joining Aramco board as more Saudis assumed managerial positions within the company. In 1961, the company hit yet another milestone when it exported liquefied gas from its Ras Tanura facility for the first time. By 1962, production of crude oil had hit the 5 billion barrels mark and the following year, the company patented its oil sweetening technology. In 1965, Aramco’s oil production reached 2 million bpd and the discovery of the Shaybah oil field further boosted the company’s productivity. The company closed the decade with the commissioning of an offshore gas-oil separation plant at the Safaniya oil field, the first of its kind in the history of Aramco (Saudi Aramco 2012). Photo 2: Aramco’s first offshore gas-oil separation plant at the Safaniya oil field commisioned in 1969 [Source: Aramco] During the 1970s, the Saudi Government began the acquisition process aimed at changing Aramco into a fully government owned company or a national oil corporation (NOC). It is a decade that would witness rapid growth in the oil and gas industry as Aramco was operating three of the largest oil and gas projects in the world (Saudi Aramco 2012). The company had officially taken the lead in oil and gas production and taken its rightful place in the global energy security landscape. In 1973, the Government acquired a 25% stake in Aramco followed by a further acquisition of 35% in 1974 bringing the Government’s ownership of the Aramco to 60%. The same year, the Ju’aymah offshore crude oil terminal was commisioned and in 1976, Aramco became the first oil company in the world to reach an output of 3 billion barrels in one year, a fete that had not been achived by any other company (Saudi Aramco 2012). In 1980, the Saudi Government completed acquisition of the remaining 40% ownership of Aramco but the decline in oil prices would force the company to rethinkk its strategy (Saudi Aramco 2012). By this time, the governemt owned 100% stake at Aramco and despite the hardships in the global oil market, Aramco made significant strides. For example, the Exploration and Petroleum Engineering Center (EXPEC) was opened in 1983. Having fully acquired the company, the Saudi Government transformed Aramco into Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) and in 1989, the company found oil at Hawtah marking the beginning of a decade that would witness massive invention and investment in the oil and gas industry (Saudi Aramco 2012). Picture 3: Aramco’s Operations Coordination Center, the largest of its kind in the Oil and Gas industry [Source: Aramco] Aramco began its expansion strategy in earnest with the 1991 acquisition of a 35% stake in S-oil refinery and harbor, Onsan, Republic of Korea (Saudi Aramco 2012). The following year, the company’s exploration efforts yielded discovery of oil in the central part of the country having drilled its first well at Midyan. In 1993, Aramco’s merger with Samarec was completed and the following year, Aramco acquired a 40% stake in Petron, a company based in the Philippines and in 1996, Aramco entered its first European joint venture. In 1999, the company completed the refurbishment of the Ras Tanura refinery before opening a Research Development Center (RDC) to spearhead innovation in the oil and gas sector (Saudi Aramco 2012). Picture 4: Refurbished and upgraded Ras Tanura refinery [Source: Aramco] During the 2000s, Aramco established partnerships with various international companies with focus on gas production as well as patenting of technology developed by the company’s RDC. On top of this, Aramco embarked on the largest capital expansion in the company’s history aimed at ensuring stability and reliability. To this end, the company commissioned Hawiyah gas plant in 2001 and in the following year, Aramco acquired Texaco’s stake in Motiva (Saudi Aramco 2012). This was followed by the opening of the Haradh gas plant in 2003 before further expansion plans in 2004 led to rge acquiition of stake in Showa Shell which enabled the company to raise its output by a further 800 thousand bpd. In 2005, Aramco entered into a joint venture with Sumitomo Chemical Company. 2007 saw Aramco enter into yet another equity venture, this time in China with the Fujian Refining and Petrochemical Co. Ltd. In 2008, Aramco celebrated its 75th year in the oil and gas industry and the following year, the company completed its expansion program raising its capacity to 12 million bpd (Saudi Aramco 2012) but with actual production averaging 9. 1 million bpd in 2011.

Short Personal Essay Thesis Sentence

Short Personal Essay Thesis Sentence The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.- Aristotle Why do famous quotes become famous? What is special about them? If you think about it, famous quotes are succinct statements that make a bold claim. A thesis statement should do the same thing. It should state a big idea in just a few words. Example #1 Consider this quote: He who opens a school door, closes a prison. - Victor Hugo This statement manages to encapsulate an enormous argument in one terse comment, and that is your goal when writing a thesis statement. If Victor Hugo had wanted to use simpler words, he could have said: Education is important for personal growth and awareness.Social awareness develops from education.Education can reform. Notice that each of these statements, like the quote, makes a claim that can be backed up with evidence? Example #2 Heres another quote:Â  Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. - Winston Churchill Once again, the statement sets up an argument in interesting but terse language. Churchill might have said: Everybody fails, but successful people fail many times.You can learn from failure if you dont give up. A Word of Advice When creating a thesis, you dont have to use colorful words like the ones that appear in famous quotes. But you should try to sum up a big idea or make a big claim in one sentence. Activity Just for fun, look over the following quotes and come up with your own versions that could work as a thesis statement. By studying these quotes and practicing in this way, you can develop your own ability to sum up your thesis in a brief but engaging sentence. Bette Davis: Attempt the impossible in order to improve your work.Henry Ford: Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success.Carl Sagan: In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. The most successful students know that practice always pays. You can read more famous quotes to get the hang of creating concise, engaging statements.

News Analysis Assignment-Gay Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

News Analysis Assignment-Gay Marriage - Essay Example -sex couples, while the causes of the problem are the risks of supporting a controversial position during the campaign period and the responsibility of reducing prejudice against gay people through supporting their right to marriage. This news story assigned responsibility by underlining that Obama’s views on same-sex marriage evolved and became more open because of his interactions with same-sex couples. Obama said: â€Å"When I think about those soldiers or airmen or Marines or sailors ... [and other gay couples, I decided to change my views on gay marriage]† (Gast, 2012, par.38). His statement shows that because of his interactions with gay couples, he realized that they can be as dedicated to marriage and families as heterosexuals. Obama took responsibility for supporting gay marriage that is central to the gay community. The causes of the problem are the risks of supporting a controversial position during the campaign period and the duty of reducing prejudice against gay people in general through supporting their marriages. Tony Perkins thought that the president â€Å"...handed to Mitt Romney the one missing piece in his campaign† (Gast, 2012, par.19). Indeed, Obama is campaigning for a second term, and this opinion can risk him the support of conservative voters. Nevertheless, Obama is prepared to take the risk if it means taking the responsibility of reducing prejudice against gay people in general through supporting their marriages. He said: â€Å"...for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married† (Gast, 2012, par.38). His opinion underscores that gay couples are equal to heterosexual couples, so they should have the same legal marriage rights. With the context of the election, Obama’s support for gay marriage cuts both ways. On the one hand, he gains the votes of the LGTB community. On the other hand, he might lose the votes of conservative voters. Still, the article shows

Mentoring, Americans with Disabilities Act, Flex-time, Workplace Assignment

Mentoring, Americans with Disabilities Act, Flex-time, Workplace Security, and Performance appraisal - Assignment Example The four phases are (Boreen et.al, 2000): A mentoring relationship is based on numerous factors that relate to the success of the process as preferred by both the mentor and mentee. The basic relationship requirements include (Boreen et.al, 2000): The process of mentoring provides significant influence in career development. In women and minority groups mentoring is regarded as a mandatory requirement. Women and minority are viewed as a weaker part of the human race. For this reason, they are exposed to limited career opportunities and resources. Through mentoring this gap is lessened as they are provided an opportunity to learn basic career requirements from experts. This also improves their succeeding probability. The ADA was created to respond to the plight of the disabled or otherwise challenged persons. The Act was signed in 2009 by President Bush. Main components in the Act focused on making work places comfortable for the disabled or other wise challenged persons. Additionally, public places and entities were also required to be observant of the Act (Schall, 1998). In the act the beneficiaries are described as people with physical disabilities. The act excluded the inclusion of people affected by drug or substance abuse and visually impaired people whose sight can be corrected by the use of an optical lens. The ADA has positively impacted the working environment as companies have become more sensitive in making working places comfortable to the disabled persons. To ensure compliance of the ADA, an employer should put in place systems and mechanisms that address the issues raised by the ADA. For instance, an organization should advice other employees against discriminating against disabled persons (Schall, 1998). Traditional work schedules were heavily demanding on employees as they had to work during many hours and the output displayed could not match the time taken to complete tasks. Working on full time or eight hour day daily on the

Lekythos Essay Example for Free

Lekythos Essay A lekythos is an ancient Greek vase made of ceramic; the plural of lekythos is lekythoi (Reference #2). It has a narrow neck, single handle, and is tall with a small, deep mouth (Reference #7). The lekythos was used as a flask, used to hold olive oil and perfumes (Reference #1), and were developed in ancient Athens during the fifth century. In Classical Athens, lekythoi were painted in white ground with figurative scenes. White ground is a form of art used by Athenians in which they created the vase, fired it, and then the lekythos was painted in white. The figures and scenes were then painted on top of the white ground. This method meant that the paintings did not last as well, but were very beautiful in their original state (Reference # 8). Lekythoi were mainly used during funerary rituals, but they were also used by Greek athletes. In ancient Greece, the athletes would practice and compete outdoors, getting themselves covered in sand and dirt. Rather than cleaning themselves at the bath-house, they would rub themselves down with olive oil from a lekythos, then scrape off the excess dirt and oil, leaving their skin soft and clean (Reference #8). The lekythoi used by athletes would be covered in depictions of scenes from Greek mythology, often including imagery of Greek goods such as Zeus and Achilles (Reference #8). The role of lekythoi in funerary rituals is made clear by their excavation from cemeteries and tombs (Reference #7). A lekythos that was meant to be used during a burial ceremony would be painted with scenes of mourning or scenes from the life of the deceased (Reference #5). These lekythoi were sometimes painted with scenes depicting Greek gods, perhaps to cast the deceased in the light of heroic warriors of history (Reference #8). Researchers have been able to put together the funeral process the Athenians went through, and have found that lekythoi played a key role in funerary rites. Firstly, a lekythos would be brought in during the preparation of the body for burial. The body would be prepared by a woman from the same household as the deceased, and it would then be anointed by the oil from the lekythos (Reference #6). Secondly, some lekythoi were filled with scented oils and perfumes and placed around the body, while others were set along the approach to the grave or placed beside the tomb (Reference #5). This was done as a part of the religious focus of the burial ceremony, and was given as an offering. Lastly, a lekythos would often be brought to the gravesite or tomb of the deceased after the burial. It was very important to ancient Greeks to visit the gravesite of loved ones quite often, and when they visited, they would bring offerings to the deceased such as fruit, a feast, or a lekythos filled with olive oil or perfume (Reference #6). In time, the Lekythos was developed into a much larger version of itself, being called â€Å"Huge Lekythoi†. These were often left on top of a grave, or beside a tomb opening, almost as an ancient grave marker (Reference #7). Though they would not be inscribed with any words or the name of the deceased, they would have a painted scene depicting the deceased, some scene from their life, or a scene depicting a sport or activity the deceased greatly enjoyed. Many lekythoi have been recovered and are currently housed in museums all over the world. Though many are not in their original glory, most have been reconstructed. New lekythoi have been made in Greece and are still used today in some small Greek communities during the preparation of the body, and left by the tombstone of the deceased.

Heroes of Celtic and Germanic Mythology Essay -- Celtic Germanic Mytho

Heroes of Celtic and Germanic Mythology Throughout the myths of the Celtic and Germanic peoples of northern Europe tales of epic heroes and their extraordinary deeds abound. These tales depict heroes performing a variety of incredible feats; many of which appear to be magical, superhuman, and, quite honestly, utterly impossible (e.g., wading across oceans, defeating armies virtually single-handedly, and other astounding exploits). Since the Celtic and Germanic tribes of antiquity inhabited neighboring lands and lived in close proximity to one another (as many of their modern descendants continue to do: i.e., in Great Britain), it is not surprising that they often established intimate relationships with each other via commerce, conquest, and the spread of religious beliefs. In light of this intimate association, it is not astonishing that the cultural and consequent poetic traditions of these ethnic groups were often remarkably analogous. Frequently, the archetypical champions of Celtic and Germanic mythology exhibited similar characteristics regardless of whether or not they were Anglo-Saxon, Rhenish, or Irish. Indeed, there are many parallels between the behaviors demonstrated by the heroes of Beowulf, the Nibelungenlied, and the Tain Bo Cuailnge. Some of the most striking of these parallels are: the noble and divine lineage of the hero; the hero’s increased endurance and his exceptional combat abilities (including the use of powerful weapons and berserker behavior); the hero’s ability to attain victory against seemingly insurmountable odds or indestructible creatures; and the ritual practices of the taking of heads and the giving of rings. The epic poem Beowulf may be considered unique in the context of mythol... ...kely exception being Cuchulainn). Interestingly, as a result of the parallels between these champions, one can gain important insights regarding the values of ancient Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, or Rhenish culture by examining any one of them. Bibliography Beowulf. Translated by Chickering, Jr., Howell D. New York: Random House, Inc. 1977. Crossley-Holland, Kevin. The Norse Myths. New York: Random House, Inc. 1980. Davidson, H.R. Ellis. Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe: Early Scandinavian and Celtic Religions. Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press. 1988. The Nibelungenlied. Translated by Hatto, A.T. London: The Penguin Group. 1969. Powell, T.G.E. The Celts. New York: Thames and Hudson, Inc. 1980. The Tain: From the Irish Epic Tain Bo Cuailnge. Translated by Kinsella, Thomas. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc. 1969.

Egyptian art Essay

Egyptian art is one of the most fascinating topics in both ancient art and ancient history. As a culture, the Egyptians truly represented themselves through their art and as a result produced a body of work that is rivaled only by the Renaissance. In the two reliefs pictured, the Egyptian ideal is pictured. This compares to the palette of King Narmer and the tomb of Ti in Saqqara. One thing that we can say about Egyptian art is that it does not change much over time. This can clearly be seen in the overall style of both of the reliefs pictured. One was done during the Sixth Dynasty and the other was done during the First Intermediate Period. The similarities in style are marked. From the stylized view of the head to the way the arms and body are drawn, the similarities are striking. This is compared with the Palette of King Narmer, which is from the Predynastic period. The same stylized images are displayed in this palette as in the two reliefs. Even in the tomb painting of Ti at Saqqara, one sees the same stylized images in living color. When we look at the Portrait of Ni’Ankhesut, one sees a relief image of a male wearing a headdress of non-noble bearing. He is also wearing a necklace, though we cannot see much detail. Our subject is seated, and above him we see some Egyptian hieroglyphics. These are probably cartouche in nature, that is, they reflect the subject’s name and rank within Egyptian society. The relief is composed in limestone, which was the primary building material of the time. The Funerary Stele of Iamu is another typical work of Egyptian art. Like the portrait, it is also composed limestone, but in this case, it tells a story. The Egyptians took their afterlife traditions and rituals very seriously and to that end, made sure the story of the deceased’s life and afterlife was told in detail. In this case, the tale being told is that of death. This relief shows the funerary rites as they are performed as well as hieroglyphics that explain what exactly is going on. In this case, the relief shows the process involved in serving the master and in creating the facade that is the Egyptian afterlife. Both of these reliefs contrast to the Narmer Palette. This is a two-sided object that is arrowhead shaped. Many archeologists feel as though it shows the dominance of Upper Egypt over Lower Egypt. Narmer is presumed to be a mythical god-king who presumably united Upper and Lower Egypt. Narmer is displayed prominently on both sides of the palette, and while there are some themes that are common in Mesopotamian art, there are aspects that are uniquely Egyptian. The partial profiling of the figure with the front view of the hands is Egyptian in and of itself and shows that Egyptian art had a style all its own even at the early juncture of its history. This palette also tells a story, that is, it tells the bloody story of the unification of the two parts of Egypt. This is also a theme that is indicative to Egyptian art. The nature of the storytelling that each piece tells shows that the Egyptians are very much interested in showing their own story and history through their art. Even at this early juncture, they saw art as a means of cultural transmission, and used it effectively to create the story of their own beginnings. Finally, the last piece of art is the tomb of Ti at Saqqara. This piece of art is unlike the others, in the fact that it still retains its original color. In this scene, we see who we can presume is Ti sailing on the Nile that is overflowing with fish and other marine life. He is with other warriors and is presumably hunting hippopotami and birds in the marshes. Again, the relief is highly stylized with no variations in the human form. As with the other reliefs noticed, there are no variations in the human form. Each person looks almost identical to the last, and the only way that one would know the difference between the various people is by looking at their cartouche or knowing what tomb one is in. It is even difficult to tell who is who in the relief images without the help of the hieroglyphic writing. What are the ways we tell who is who in the various relief pictures that we are exposed to in Egyptian art? One of the major ways that we can tell is by looking at the size of the person that is displayed. What does this tell us? What it says is that the largest person in the picture is usually is the main subject of the tomb or the hieroglyphics. The smaller figures are usually minor players or servants. Even spouses are sometimes displayed smaller in respect to the main figures. The main protagonist of the painting or relief is prominently displayed with the accompanying cartouche and tomb writings more than capably tell who is who in the grand story. If we look at the portrait of Ni’Ankhesut, we see that he is the largest figure in the relief. In the Funerary Stele of Iamu, we see that Iamu is most prominently displayed. Again, both of these examples show the casual observer who is the prominent figure in the relief. Additionally, the cartouche and the tomb writings show us easily who is the main protagonist. In the Narmer palette, Narmer is prominently displayed on one side of the palette, taking up nearly the entire side. This is the most telling sign of Egyptian art and supremacy of the figure. By making King Narmer the largest figure in the palette, the artist is showing the supremacy and the importance of Narmer in the history of Egypt. What can we learn from Egyptian art? We can learn that this group created a fascinating body of work that has permeated the world in which not only they lived, but we live as well. Without the Egyptians, we would not have modern portrait art and the art of realism that exists today. Though Egyptian art is highly stylized, we see shades of ourselves in their work. All cultures can look to the Egyptians for their own inspiration for their own art and culture. Each culture took from the Egyptians to form their own unique art forms and their own stylizations and themes. As a modern culture, we can look to the Egyptians for inspiration for the future, and we can look for them to reinforce our past so we can continue to learn more about the fascinating culture that continues to affect us even today.