M AY 2 0 1 9
We Need More Women In The
Oil & Gas
Industry NEWS
Transocean Ltd. Announces Agreement to Acquire Ocean Rig
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Aramco Asia Energy Cup highlights sustainability, entrepreneurship among young researchers
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TGS and Schlumberger Announce New Multiclient Nodal Seismic Project in US Gulf of Mexico
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EDITOR‘S NOTE
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eing quite a manual and laborious work and initially thought to be a “man only” profession, women opt to turn away from the oil and gas industry. Majority of the female population prefer jobs in the finance or health and social work sector. Others simply reject the idea of working in this field because of the lack of facilities for women employees. If several aspiring women did take the oil and gas route, most of them choose to work in the offices rather than getting their hands dirty. This gender imbalance in the oil and gas industry is both alarming and highly nonprofitable. Most refiners did not realize this until the crude price crash in the market some years ago. Because of the sudden change of the game, the firms thought of changing their business models as well: to accommodate more women into the workforce and to inspire them to stay by adding extra incentives and facilities that were missing before. Several refiners are even promoting women to executive positions and boosting women leadership to prevail in the organization. Major refiners like the US-based Exxon Mobil Corp encourages women to take up STEM studies and afterward, employ and use their skills to boost the company’s per4
Women in the Oil and Gas Industry Diversity and inclusion should be at the heart of every oil and gas company. formance. Meanwhile, Asian refiners such as Showa Shell recently welcomed more women than men into their workforce. Both are good signs that the barriers hindering gender diversity in the industry are now gradually demolished. Although the upward growth of the women population in the field is still hampered by gender discrimination, firms are taking initiative to educate their men on the major advantages of having a diversified workforce. There are still more challenges facing this gender diversity movement, but little by little, the industry is slowly opening its doors for more women laborers and women leaders.
Regional Office: LG Electronics Gulf FZE, P.O Box 61445, Dubai. Tel: +971 4 279 9222, UAE, Mr. Amjad Abu Alika, Tel: +971 50 450 9808, email: amjad.abualika@lge.com; Fortune International Trading LLC, Mr. Wail Halbouni, Tel: +971 50 481 3570, email: fortintl@emirates.net.ae; Ghantoot Trading, Mr. Nour Haboush, Tel: +971 50 109 4109, email: nour.h@ghantootgroup.ae; District Cooling Company, Mr. Ahmed Henedi, Tel: +971 50 658 4832, email: ahmed@districtcoolingcompany.com; Al Yousuf Electronics, Mr. Moitra, Tel: +971 50 457 6170, email: pmoitra@alyousuf.com; Bahrain, AJM Kooheji and Sons, Mr. Jayachandran, Tel: +973 36888801, email: v.jayachandran@ajmkooheji.com: Al Babtain Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Co., Mr. Naji Kataya, Tel: +965 5 051 5771, email: nkataya@albabtaingroup.com,kw; BLK, Mr. Imad Rhayel, Tel: +965 5 157 1229, email: irhayel@blk.com.kw; Oman, Oman Gulf Enterprise, Mr. Narender Kumar, Tel: +968 9 747 4505, email: narenderk@otegroup.com; Aspire Projects and Service, Mr. Vivek Wagh, Tel: +968 99357694, email: vivekwagh@aspireoman.com; Azerbaijan, NBC LLC., Mr. Elkhan Sadikhov, Tel: +994 50 216 3363, email: elkhan.sadikhov@nbc.com; Al-Con Maxiwell Group, Mr. Vagif Alexperov, Tel: + 994 50 216 2092, email: maxiwellbaku@inbox.ru; Armenia/Georgia, ARAY Gulf, Mr. Vilson Melikjanyan, Tel: +374 9 307 7755, email: vilson@aray.am; Yemen, Modern House Exhibition, Mr. Khaled Jabr, Tel: +967 71 172 0202, email: mail@mhe-yemen.com; Pakistan, Iceberg Industries (Lucky Goldstar), Mr. Imran Jamil Khan, Tel: +923 21 277 6100, email: ceo@icebergindustries.net
CON TENTS
NEWS
16 Revolutionary Women Empowerment in the Oil and Gas Industry
32 Transocean Ltd. Announces Agreement to Acquire Ocean Rig
36 Aramco Asia Energy Cup highlights sustainability, entrepreneurship among young researchers
38 TGS and Schlumberger Announce New Multiclient Nodal Seismic Project in US Gulf of Mexico
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F E AT U R E S T O RY
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How to Comply with Height Safety Regulations
46 265 Hectare Pasay Harbour Reclamation Project is bigger than Palm Jumeirah Dubai
54 Successful WORLDBEX Event for TOSOT Philippines
58 Is the Philippines Ready for Electric-Powered Jeepneys?
60 Top 6 Most Popular Universities In 2019
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S P E C IA L F E AT U R E
This Rechargeable Stand Fan is a Cost-Effective Cooling Solution in the Philippines With summer almost around the corner, portable air coolers are now taking the spotlight. Here’s everything you need to know and more why they are a definite buy this coming season.
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bout a third of the total energy consumed by the average home is solely dedicated to air conditioning. In fact, Filipinos are addicted to aircon, using them even during the cold months of the year. And while this surely brings more comfort to the occupants especially during the merciless heat wave of the long summer days, it can also wreak havoc on their monthly electricity bills. It is a no-brainer how the regular use of aircon is already consuming a large portion of your bill. What more for an aircon open 24/7 during the hot days? But have you asked yourselves this: does it need to be that expensive to feel comfy at home this summer season? Here are a few other reasons why switching to TOSOT Rechargeable Stand Fan will be the greatest decision you will ever make this summer.
It Lessens Your Monthly Bills While one fan may not be enough to suit your cooling needs when the temperature 8
starts spiking up, did you know that you can buy around five to six floor fans for the price of a single window type air conditioning unit? Of course, this may only be an approximate as the actual prices can vary,
but having six well-placed fans in a room can actually provide the same comfort an aircon can bring, and for a much lesser cost! A regular electric fan in the Philippines has an estimated
cost per hour of about Php0.50 to Php0.70 in contrast with the Php2.00 to Php7.00 of the typical aircon used in Filipino homes. Doing the math, six stand fans with an estimated cost per hour of Php0.70 can only amount to a total of Php4.20, far lesser than the maximum estimated cost per hour for aircon. This approximate may still vary depending on the speed settings and wattage output of your fans, but the difference between the costs of fans and aircon is still significantly greater.
It is Energy-efficient As reported by the Saving Electricity website, the hourly consumption of a medium-sized window type aircon is about 900 watts while a floor fan only consumes nearly 100 watts per hour. The smallest aircon does consume less energy (with about 750 watts per hour) but is still a significant burden in the electricity nonetheless. Newer fans, on the other hand, are manufactured for around 60 watts consumption only. Inverter type ones are less eaters at about 30 watts consumption. With this fact alone, fans are obviously the better choice in terms of energy efficiency, with it being more than 10 times energy-efficient than typical aircon in the market.
It Is Environmentfriendly If you’re an environmental steward, fans are, of course, the crowd favorite. While the modern-day aircon did evolve to exclude harmful and toxic refrigerants in their systems, they can still affect the environment just by simply running all day long. Since most of the
electricity produced comes from carbon-rich coal, it is a great thing that fans are less electricity-eaters than aircon.
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S P E C IA L F E AT U R E
Why try TOSOT? While the above benefits may already be enough to make you switch to the fan side, this TOSOT rechargeable fan offers you even more. Manufactured with high quality and powerful cooling performance, TOSOT rechargeable fans comes with high efficiency and energy saving capabilities perfect to cool Filipino homes this summer. It comes with a built-in Lithium battery with a five-hour capacity that is suitable for places with frequent power interruptions throughout the year. Its adjustable height and stepless speed adjustments give more freedom and flexibility to the users. Aside from its elegant stylish design, the stand fan is manufactured with a double mesh safety grill, a 360 waterproof protection, and the all-new generation ultra-slim fan head, making it both safe and attractive at the same time. Users will also love the handy infrared remote control that comes with the unit, together with its other features such as silent operation, soft and gentle wind blow, eight-hour timer, and its DC inverter motor that is known to consume even lesser electricity than AC motors. Surely, we can never let go of air-conditioning units in our homes. But with the savings and benefits that come with TOSOT Rechargeable Stand Fan is undoubtedly your best bet for a 10
cheaper yet equally refreshing solution to beat this summer’s heat. To find out the best rechargeable stand fan for your home, office or party event venue, visit TOSOT showroom located at 2162 FB Harrison St., San Jose, Pasay City, Philippines or call +632-8330000 to book an appointment. You may also visit their website (click here) to get more information about the best stand fan in the Philippines.
S P E C IA L F E AT U R E
PH Elected Officials Must Have This Lighting System During Election Filipino Politicians Should Have At least One Pelican RALS
It’s a privilege for the Filipino people to choose the country’s leader. This 2019, we will once again practice our right to vote. Everyone is involved which is apparent on social media where most people share their views and opinions. Even those who are loitering in the streets talk about their favorite candidates. Sunday drinking sprees also become an avenue to share views and exchange ideas about a particular candidate’s platform. Yes, Filipinos are very much 12
concerned about the future of our nation. Each one wants to make sure that their vote will not be wasted on the wrong candidate. But what worries most of them is the possible cheating which may mean that their votes intended for their candidate might go to another politician whom they do not like. Aside from that, politicians and voters alike are anxious about what may transpire during the election day. It’s not just the result that worries everyone but the possibility of a power
outage which will conceivably have a huge impact on the turnout of votes as well as the end result of the election.
Power Outage During Election Brownout or blackouts is imminent in the Philippines, especially during an election. Others believe that this is intentional while electric companies claim that this situation is inevitable. Many fear that the power interruptions will affect the poll outcome. Although many are complaining about this perennial problem, it appears that the government’s solution is not enough. In 2016, the Luzon-based Power Task Force Election (PTFE) and the Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee (MPMC) were developed aiming to guard over 1,736 megawatts (MW) of electricity. These groups also gave assurance of uninterrupted power to about 54 million voters. However, power outage still occurred in different areas. Some brownouts last for 15 minutes while others last for 10 hours. Apparently, this has a huge impact on the election process. Voting machines will not be able to function and it would be extremely dark in voting precincts. There will also be delayed transmission of votes from voting machines due to brownouts. As a solution, generators are on standby while others opt for paper ballot voting.
Another worrisome scenario is the increase in crimes during the election. There are shooting incidents for both the politicians and their supporters. Others would illegally acquire guns while the lights are out despite the gun ban. The situation is heartbreaking. It is obvious that many unfortunate situations happen during a power outage. That is why it is important that politicians should acquire Remote Lighting Systems so they have a backup source of lighting when power interruptions arrive.
Benefits of Using Remote Lighting System and Tactical Flashlights The Pelican Remote Lighting System (RALS) and Tactical Flashlights will definitely come handy for politicians this
election. They can use it as backup lighting in their own homes and headquarters, thus ensuring safety not just for themselves but also for their supporters and families. When an area is well-lighted, it is easy to deter criminals since they fear that their personalities will be identified. There are polling places and voting precincts where lighting is not available. The 9430 Remote Area Light can be used here. It can light up an entire room or even a place as wide as a soccer field. The bright beam from Pelican RALS will make voting more convenient. Voters will feel safe to cast their votes while poll officials will feel secure in counting the ballots even during late nights. In most cases, poll officers need to stay overnight in their respective precincts. Even with the absence of power, they will feel safe because of assured lights at the premises. It is better if each polling precinct or election watchers have a Pelican RALS like the 9460 Remote Area Light with dual telescoping LED light heads. Once power outage happens, there is an immediate backup lighting. This will avoid the possible loss of ballot boxes once the precinct resorts to paper ballot voting in case of brownouts. Theft of ballots is a known dilemma during elections which usually happens during power interruptions. 13
S P E C IA L F E AT U R E The group of a particular politician may also carry out roving and inspections in different areas during the election. The Pelican RALS will be very helpful to check dark areas both day and night. It is even more useful during brownouts or blackouts. On the other hand, two of the best Pelican pocket size lighting are the 2350 Tactical Flashlight and 2360 Tactical Flashlight has 4 Selectable Programs with a lifetime guarantee. The 2360 Flashlight has 375 lu-
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mens while the 2350 Flashlight has 178 lumens. Constructed with the most durable of materials, an aerospace grade aluminum body and an impact resistant LED lamp module, the 2350 and 2360 LED keeps you on point without equipment failure. Both the 9430 Remote Area Light and the 9460 Remote Area Light, which are available at Coby’s Gear and Gadget and Cobankiat Hardware, can be operated via Bluetooth making it more convenient to use. The versatility of these lightings and its long battery life are another positive thing about it. All Pelican lighting solutions are sturdy and it can withstand any significant abuse. Even when there is heavy rainfall, the Pelican RALS and Tactical Flashlights can still be used since it is water resistant.
Using a Remote Lighting System is imperative for those who are running for public office. This will not only guarantee them that they get the right results during election despite the power outage, but this will also ensure their safety. We cannot doubt the fact that proper lighting plays a vital role in the security of everyone- politicians or not.
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R e v o l u t i on ary Women E m p o w e r ment in the Oil a n d G as Industry
What was supposed to be a “man only” job, women are taking the initiative to achieve gender diversity in the field of oil and gas No more than 2% of the oil and gas corporations located in Western Europe and North America have female superiors. With only around one-fifth of the oil and gas industry’s ranks, women are far less represented than any other primary sectors. To make
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it all worse, when Accenture surveyed some US graduates, only a disturbing 2% of them are considering taking the oil and gas route. “Women are underrepresented in the oil and gas industry,” is truly an alarming statement by
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COVER STORY
Katharina Rick, a partner at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). She co-authored a report with the World Petroleum Council titled “Untapped Reserves” which basically promotes gender diversity in the oil and gas industry. Although she mentioned how companies are encouraging the inclusion of more female employees in the workforce since the late 1980s, the numbers still didn’t exceed the expectations. More female workers are opting to proceed into other industries with health and social work having a 60% 18
female population, followed by finance with 39%. Although there are fewer women in the construction industry with only 11% representation, the oil and gas industry is not far off having only 22%. The reason behind women’s dissatisfaction with the field may be due to the limited resources offered to female employees. Lack of separate facilities such as bathrooms in plants and drill sites is a major no-no. But after the crude’s price
COVER STORY
crash some years ago, oil corporations are now redefining their workforce. An Ernst & Young Global Ltd. survey in 2016 revealed how gender diversity is essential in boosting the company’s financial performance, with a surprising 61% agreeing to this argument. More companies are now recognizing how much hiring and promoting
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more women in the workforce can enhance their overall profitability. The oil and gas industry is now shifting to include a more balanced organization. At major global oil refineries such as UK’s BP Plc and Exxon Mobil Corp. in the U.S., around 30% of the workforce is now composed of
women. The women in office-based positions did have an evident increase, but those in the field works are still at a staggering low. That is why Exxon Mobil Corp now encourages more women to take up STEM studies and later on recruit their skills for the betterment of the company. Although this intensive effort to eradicate the women deficiency in the field seems to be a good start, there is clearly more programs and efforts that need to be done. The ratio of the women executive at Exxon may have increased over the course of the decade, but in 2016, it is still at a low percentage of 18%. Meanwhile, at the other side of the world, some of Asia’s major refiners like Idemitsu Kosan Co. in Japan, S-Oil Corp in South Korea, and Reliance Industries Ltd. in India only employ women personnel comprising of no more than 10% of their current population. But even though most Asian firms are lagging behind other regions in the
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It is ideal that your temperature control system is inspected at the beginning and end of cooling seasons to achieve its highest efficiency
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COVER STORY
world, SK Innovation Co. in South Korea and Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. in Japan are now focused on having more women on board. Urged by their former European parent company, the Hague-based Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Showa Shell finally took the gender diversity challenge as they employed more female than male last 2017, making 24% of their workforce women. Although the numbers did increase, 26
there is still prevailing gender discrimination in the organization as women are questioned of their capabilities and strengths. There is also a noticeable deficiency of women leaders with only one female representation in their eight-member board and only 13 out of 211 executive positions held by women. To uphold their goal of achieving gender balance, the company is now holding gender diversity seminars and workshops for
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COVER STORY
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men to understand how vital diversity is in the workplace. Showa Shell also plans to increase woman leadership and targets to double their women leaders by the March 2020. The Japanese and South Korean refiners are also adding extra incentive to attract more women in their organization. To promote women rights as well, the top three Korean firms namely S-Oil, SK, and GS Caltex Corp., have all constructed daycare facilities at their headquarters to aid in their female employees’ needs. Behind the improvements major companies are now offering to women applicants, the field work still pose some challenges, especially for expecting women who may not be as resilient to the tasks assigned. Although this is a major problem in this industry, still more women are encouraged to take on the challenge and be a game changer in this gender-diversity deprived work environment. -end-
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NEWS
Transocean Ltd. Announces Agreement to Acquire Ocean Rig Major Players are Aggreko, Rental Solution and Services, Altaaqa, Johnson Controls, Geo Rental, and Argonaut • Enhances Transocean’s position as the leader in ultra-deepwater and harsh environment drilling; • Adds nine high-specification ultra-deepwater drillships, two harsh environment semisubmersibles, and two high-specification ultradeepwater drillships currently under construction; • Results in a combined fleet of 57 floaters, with 17 of the top 50 and 31 of the top 100 ultradeepwater drillships in the industry(1); • Enhances Transocean’s exposure to, and ability to capitalize on, the ultra-deepwater market recovery; • Increases Transocean’s industry-leading contract backlog by $743 million for a combined total of $12.5 billion, at an average dayrate of $413,000; • Expected annual cost synergies of approximately $70 million; • The transaction has been unanimously approved by the board of directors of each company; and
• The top four Ocean Rig shareholders (representing approximately 48% of Ocean Rig’s outstanding shares), all of Ocean Rig’s directors that own shares of Ocean Rig, and Transocean’s third largest shareholder, Perestroika (Cyprus) Ltd., controlled by current Transocean board member, have executed voting and support agreements. Transocean Ltd. (“Transocean”
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or the “Company”) (NYSE: RIG) and Ocean Rig UDW Inc. (“Ocean Rig”) (NASDAQ: ORIG) announced today that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Transoceanwill acquire Ocean Rig in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $2.7 billion, inclusive of Ocean Rig’s net debt. The transaction consideration is comprised of 1.6128 newly
issued shares of Transocean plus $12.75 in cash for each share of Ocean Rig’s common stock, for a total implied value of $32.28 per Ocean Rig share, based on the closing price on August 31, 2018. This represents a 20.4% premium to Ocean Rig’s ten-day volume weighted average share price. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the board of directors of each company. Transocean intends to fund the cash portion of the transaction consideration through a combination of cash on hand and fully committed financing provided by Citi. The merger is not subject to any financing condition. Upon completion of the merger, Transocean’s and Ocean Rig’s shareholders will own approximately 79% and approximately 21%, respectively, of the combined company. Ocean Rig’s fleet is comprised of nine high-specification ultra-deepwater drillships and two harsh environment semisubmersibles. Additionally, its fleet includes two highspecification ultra-deepwater drillships currently under construction at Samsung Heavy Industries with favorable shipyard financing terms. These two newbuilds are expected to be delivered in the third quarter of 2019 and the third quarter of 2020, respectively. “The proposed acquisition of Ocean Rig provides us with a
unique opportunity to continue enhancing our fleet of ultra-deepwater and harsh environment floaters, without compromising our liquidity or overall balance sheet flexibility,” said Transocean’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Jeremy Thigpen. “The combination of constructive and stable oil prices over the last several quarters, streamlined offshore project costs, and undeniable reserve replacement challenges has driven a material increase in offshore contracting activity. As such, adding Ocean Rig’s premium assets to our industry-leading fleet provides us with an increased number of the modern and highly efficient ultra-deepwater drillships preferred by our customers, and better positions us to capitalize on what, we believe, is an imminent recovery in the ultra-deep-
water market.” Thigpen continued, “This combination with Ocean Rig further strengthens our relationships with strategic customers, while expanding our presence in the key markets of Brazil, West Africa and Norway. It also enables us to reduce our cost per active rig, as we believe that we can efficiently merge the Ocean Rigoperations into our existing structure with limited incremental shore-based expense. Further, we are confident that we can realize meaningful synergies through our OEM agreements, our overall approach to maintenance and our fleet-wide insurance coverage, among other opportunities.” Thigpen concluded, “Including the five rigs under construction, and considering the two additional 33
rigs that we have recently decided to recycle, Transocean’s pro forma fleet will be comprised of 57 floaters, including many of the most technically capable ultra-deepwater floaters, and harsh environment semisubmersibles in the industry. With this unparalleled fleet, the offshore drilling industry’s largest and most profitable backlog totaling $12.5 billion, and approximately $3.7 billion in liquidity, we are well-equipped for the market recovery.” Pankaj Khanna, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ocean Rig UDW Inc. commented: “This strategic combination of Ocean Rig and Transocean creates a world-class fleet perfectly positioned for the market recovery while reducing fragmentation that currently exists in offshore drilling. By adding our high-specification 34
floaters to Transocean’s industry-leading fleet, the combined company will have the offshore industry’s largest and most technically capable fleet of ultra-deepwater and harsh environment floaters. Upon consummation, this transaction will be of significant benefit to the stakeholders of both companies.” No changes to Transocean’s board of directors, executive management team, or corporate structure are anticipated as a result of the acquisition. The Company will remain headquartered in Steinhausen, Switzerland, with significant operating presence in Houston, Texas, Aberdeen, Scotland and Stavanger, Norway. The transaction, which is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2019, is
subject to the approval of both Transocean and Ocean Rig shareholders and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including applicable regulatory approvals. The merger is not subject to any financing condition. Also, consistent with the Company’s strategy of recycling less competitive rigs, Transocean will retire two of its floaters, the ultra-deepwater drillship C.R. Luigsand the midwater floater Songa Delta. The rigs will be classified as held for sale and will be recycled in an environmentally responsible manner. Both floaters are currently stacked. Transocean anticipates re-ranking the combined fleet, which may result in additional rigs being recycled. (1) Per Transocean’s internal rig ranking model
NEWS
Aramco Asia Energy Cup highlights sustainability, entrepreneurship among young researchers
Regional winners of the “Aramco Asia Energy Cup” — qualifiers from China, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and South Korea — gathered for a key event in the Chinese capital of Beijing for the final contest after one year of intense competition, careful selection, and evaluation of the researchers’ innovative projects. The Energy Cup has been designed to support the next generation of entrepreneurs in the Asia-Pacific region by providing them with the resources and expertise they need to develop innovative solutions. 36
The final contest attracted more than 150 graduate students, academic advisers, and industry experts, with Aramco Asia management acting as judges and observers at the event. Funded through Saudi Aramco’s 2017 annual donation to the Asia-Pacific region, this innovative program was jointly developed and carried out by Aramco Asia and Enactus — a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring students to improve the world through entrepreneurship accomplishments.
The North China Electric Power University (Baoding) undergraduate team won the top award of the Asia-Pacific competition with its creative design of a biogas photovoltaic complementary power generation system that helped farmers save electricity. The program was launched in October 2016 with a theme of “Sustainability for Energy, Environment, and Climate Change.� It reached over 199,000 graduate and postgraduate students from 380 universities in China, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines, and helped them find innovative solutions to the environment and sustainability challenges. As the company is striving to realize the long-term economic blueprint for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Aramco is maintaining a growing presence in AsiaPacific and contributing to the future success of the region. Its business activities and expertise are leveraged for the benefits of the people and communities by strategizing and providing support to sustainability and environmental policies in the host countries.
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NEWS
TGS and Schlumberger Announce New Multiclient Nodal Seismic Project in US Gulf of Mexico TGS and Schlumberger today announced a new multiclient nodal seismic project in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The project, named “Amendment,” will comprise acquisition of a 2,350-km2 multiclient seismic survey in the Mississippi Canyon and Atwater Valley protraction areas of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. This prolific area includes open acreage, existing producing assets and new discoveries. Seismic data will be acquired using Fairfield Geotechnologies 4C nodal acquisition technology with operations expected to commence in Q4 2018. TGS and Schlumberger will apply their full azimuth processing expertise and expect to deliver final data to customers in Q1 2020.
Maurice Nessim, president, WesternGeco, Schlumberger, “The Amendment project will added, “Schlumberger and enhance our current data TGS have built up extensive coverage in the Central U.S. geophysical and geological Gulf of Mexico. E&P knowledge in this prolific part companies are showing of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. In increased interest in the benefits of nodal seismic data line with the WesternGeco asset-light strategy, the to overcome imaging application of nodal seismic challenges in this region. In technology and state-of-the-art the Amendment project, TGS and Schlumberger will reimage imaging techniques will help to accelerate hydrocarbon underlying WAZ seismic data discovery, development and to provide modern, highproduction for our clients. This quality nodal seismic data to unique dataset will provide a our clients,” commented step change in illuminating Kristian Johansen, CEO of complex subsurface TGS. 38
structures and help E&P companies to maximize the value of their producing assets and rejuvenate their exploration portfolios. This highly integrated project will combine well log data, high-quality orthogonal WAZ and new nodal measurements to provide foundations for the first industry-funded regional nodal survey in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.” This survey is supported by industry prefunding.
NEWS
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MIDDLE EAST NEWS
How to Comply with Height Safety Regulations Height safety regulations must be adhered by industrial professionals
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oof anchor points offer crucial protection to people working at heights. Personal protection equipment (PPE) such as harnesses or lanyard fall protection systems rely on correctly installed anchor points – and so do the people that use them. Today we’re speaking with Ben from Off Your wall based in Melbourne who perform anchor point testing and installation services. Here’s what he had to say regarding height safety
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regulations. Falls can lead to serious injury, which could potentially expose you to costly legal action. The only way to ensure the safety of your workers, and to safeguard your reputation and business, is to follow the required legislation and guidelines and use approved anchor points. When it comes to height safety and fall prevention, compliance with regulations and safety standards is key. Accidents don’t
need to happen, which is why it’s crucial you consult with height safety experts for your roof anchor points. When you are working at heights, or in constricted spaces, you are required to follow the industry protocols and meet the certification required. A compliance assessment service can offer you an inspection to see if your roof anchor points comply with legislation, as well help you achieve annual certification. For roof anchor point certification the roof anchor
points will need to be checked to make sure they meet all industry legislation and guidelines, are in safe working order and don’t pose any hazards or risks. Workplace health and safety is an important consideration in any field, but when you are working at heights it can become a matter of life and death. This is why in New South Wales the requirements you need to meet anchor point safety certification includes workplace health and safety (WHS) legislation. It’s about ensuring you protect your team, the structure you are build-
ing and broader members of the public whose safety also needs to be considered as a priority. The Australian Standards places the responsibility for the health and safety of any person may be affected by the construction work with a broad range of people who may be deemed to be in control of a construction project. This could include people such as principal, head or main contractors, builders, employers or persons with management control. Educating your entire team about
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MIDDLE EAST NEWS
height safety regulations is therefore important. It also states: ‘The person with control of the project must ensure that fall prevention is set up to cover all workers on site, whether the fall prevention is provided directly by the person with control of the project, or by individual subcontractors.’
your workplace.
Falls and serious injuries are a risk the industry faces every day. It’s the nature of working at heights! But accidents can put a business at huge legal risk if they do not comply with WHS. The‘Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces ‘code of practice that relate to roof anchor points is therefore another important document to familiarise yourself with and implement in
The Australian Standards guidelines also cover a minimum uniform standard when it comes to working with roof anchor points. By adhering to these Standards the industry is further able to minimise injury and even the loss of life. Some of these include:
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Another factor that is important to ensure the safety of roof anchor points is product quality. It’s crucial you only work with high quality roof anchor points and that they are systematically and regularly checked to ensure they are sound.
• Industrial fall arrest systems and devices
• Harnesses and ancillary equipment • Horizontal lifeline and rail systems • Fall-arrest devices • Selection, use and maintenance • Industrial rope access systems • Selection, use and maintenance • Manufacturing requirements for single-point anchor devices used for harness-based work at height. With many obligations to follow and height safety legislation to adhere to, working with experts in the roof anchor point and heights safety industry can assist you to navigate your requirements and achieve certification.
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A S I A PA C I F I C N E W S
265 Hectare Pasay Harbour Reclamation Project is bigger than Palm Jumeirah Dubai A massive push by the local government to build an entirely new city within the bay area
The Pasay Harbour reclamation project is a massive push by the local government of Pasay City, Philippines to build an entirely new city within the bay area. Learn the details of this 3 part series report and how to win the construction bidding.
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A S I A PA C I F I C N E W S Table PD-1. Project Proponent/EIA Preparer
ITEM
Project Information
Project Proponent
City of Pasay, Philippines
Proponent Address
F.B. Harrison St., Pasay City
Telephone Number
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Responsible Officer
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EIA Preparer
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Contact Person
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Contact Numbers
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Table PD-2. Project Fact Sheet/PD Summary
ITEM
Project Information
Name of Project
PROPOSED 265 HECTARE PASAY HARBOUR RECLAMATION PROJECT
Location
Along Coast of Manila Bay in the territorial jurisdiction of the City of Pasay
Nature of Project Nature of Project
Reclamation Project ECP in an ECA (Presidential Proclamation 2146 dated 14 December 1981)
Project Classification & Type
Major Reclamation Project ≥ 50 hectares
Project Classification Code
D.1.
Size/Scale
265 Hectare
Status of ECC
Expansion Project Being Applied For
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areas of Manila Bay. Among the Metro Manila LGUs, Pasay City is one of the smallest in terms of land area. However, it has the potential to expand its land through sea reclamation activities.
Project Description
entities.
The proposed reclamation project covers 265 hectares involving two (2) islands with areas of 210 hectares and 55 hectares respectively. Consistent with the protocol of the Revised Procedural Manual (RPM), the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) application being applied for involves only the horizontal development phase. The operations phase will be subject to the applicable requirements of the Philippine EIS System (PEISS).
Project Rationale
The Private Sector Project Developers for the original (360 hectares) and the new (265 hectares) projects will be different and separate corporate 50
The increasing demand for readily developable lands for urban expansion areas has pushed the real estate market in Metro Manila to its highest since the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Since the other urban centers of Mega Manila has no other way to expand their existing inventory of land, the increasing requirements for areas to accommodate and satisfy the demand for rapid commercial and residential growth falls on the coastal LGUs. This therefore necessitates the creation of more lands for economic activities through reclamation developments along the coastal
The proposed Pasay City land reclamation project along the coast of Manila Bay, near the current SM Mall of Asia complex, can produce some 2,650,000 square meters of additional buildable/developable space. This could be translated into about 1,855,000 square meters of building gross floor area, based on the existing 70% buildable vis-à -vis to 30% open space/public area ratio. The additional 1,855,000 square meters of building gross floor area can be allocated for tourism, office, residential, commercial, and other non-industrial mixed uses in a master planned community including an integrated port facility complex for cruise ships visiting Manila. The proposed 2,650,000 square meters of reclaimed land is in line with Pasay City Ordinance No. 5768 (Series of 2016), which calls for the reclamation activities covering the identified areas located offshore of the current SM Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City. The project will provide expansion of the City’s current land area for economic activities. The proponent believes that the proposed 265-hectare reclamation project will bring
about meaningful progress to Pasay City and its people, and shall kick-start the favorable transformation of that section of the Manila Bay, instead of the area’s further degradation. The proponent cites the mega success of its past reclamation projects – the CCP Complex and the Mall of Asia areas – as proof and blueprint for success of similar undertaking. In 2015 alone, the City Government of Pasay was able to collect about PhP3.2 billion in real property taxes, and business and work permits from the existing MOA reclamation area. With the proposed project, the proponent could derive double, or even triple that amount, which will definitely translate to more and better services for the people of Pasay. The 265-hectare reclamation
project is an expansion of the original 360-hectare project and is intended to enhance further the visions embodied in the original project, i.e.: • Further promote the well-being of the people of the City of Pasay especially in terms of employment and livelihood; • Stimulate city growth by providing a basic infrastructure – land to investors; • Help solve congestion problems; and • Actualize the vision of government through the PRA. Thus, this proposed 265-hectare Pasay Harbor City will satisfy the current and future demands of lands for tourism and commercial activities in accordance with Pasay City Ordinance No. 5768 (Series
of 2016) and in support of the “build-build-build” developmental concept in Pasay City and in Metro Manila as envisioned by the current administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Project Area, Location and Accessibility Location and Political Boundaries- The project, broken down into 2-islands, is located west of Metro Manila, within the municipal waters of Pasay City and adjacent to the City of Manila, as shown in Figure PD-1. It is adjacent to the Proposed 360 Hectare Pasay City Reclamation Project, which has recently been granted an ECC. The impact barangay for the Proposed Project is Barangay 76 Zone 10,
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as indicated in Figure PD-2. Geographic Coordinates (Shape File Data) of Project Area – The coordinates are vital for: (a) identifying the scope of the ECC that is being applied for; (b) providing the footprints from which impact assessments may be made, e.g., water circulation, bathymetry; geotechnical investigation and marine surveys; and for (c) ascertaining that the site is indeed within the political boundaries of the City. Accessibility – The nearest existing major road to the proposed project site is J.W. Diokno Boulevard approximately located at a straight distance of 1.68 km from the nearest corner of the reclamation landform, shown in Figure PD-3. The Access Ways – Preliminary design works are underway for the link from shore to the reclaimed land. Connectivity and Associated Transport Systems For the development of the Pasay Harbour City Project, the following components to support the transport system are being planned to be built by third parties with the rationale of supporting the government mass transport system plan: A connection to the airport through the existing NAIA Expressway (already in place); • A connection to the southern gateway through the CAVITEX;
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• A connection to the northern gateway via C1 and C4 then to NLEX; • A connection to the seaport in Manila via Roxas Boulevard; and • A connection to the rest of Metro Manila through existing and planned mass transport system.
Interisland Connectivity A bridge connecting Islands 1 and 2 will be built. A preliminary architectural sketch is shown in Plate PD1 below. Vicinity Map and Adjacent landmarks- The vicinity map shown in Figure PD-4 indicates the nearest landmarks and shows the adjacent other proposed reclamation project. To date, none of these other proposed project have been implemented yet since the Notices to Proceed
(NTPs) from the PRA have not been issued yet. Important landmarks adjacent to the project site include: • Cultural Center of the Philippines • Coconut Palace • Philippine Sofitel Hotel • PICC • The Philippine Senate • GSIS • J.W. Diokno Blvd. • Mall of Asia • Okada Resorts Club • Solaire Resorts Club • Diosdado Macapagal Blvd. The adjacent other proposed reclamation project are: • The 360-Hectare Pasay Harbour Reclamation Project
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Successful WORLDBEX Event for TOSOT Philippines In the 5-day duration of WORLDBEX, TOSOT received countless of delegations
The Philippine World Building and Construction Expo (WORLDBEX) has finished its 23rd installment. The event, which happened last March 13 to 17, 2019, at the World Trade Center Metro Manila and SMX Convention Center Manila, was bigger and bolder, as promised. The expected number of attendees were met and many partnerships were built. A memorable event indeed, many corporations bent on upholding product effectivity and efficiency without infringing upon sustainability showcased their 54
life-improving innovations. One of the companies that acquired numerous delegations and partnerships from various organizations in the engineering, design, architecture, retail, and management industries, among others, was TOSOT. As the leading manufacturer and distributor of high-quality HVAC units and home appliances in the Philippines, TOSOT received hundreds of trade visitors from mechanical engineers to CEOs of multinational companies that
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inquired about their high-tech products. Their chillers, cost-effective and high-tech wall-mounted and floor-standing air conditioning units, sleekly gorgeous kitchen appliances such as home induction cookers and water dispensers, TMV5s, to name a few, were thoroughly examined by many willing purchasers. In the 5-day duration of WORLDBEX, TOSOT received countless of delegations from various engineering organizations, HVAC distributors, retailers, building owners, shopping mall directors, facilities management professionals, contractors and interior designers who showed strong interest in TOSOT’s air conditioning units and kitchen 56
appliances. Those at TOSOT were able to close countless deals during the event amounting to hundreds of thousands of pesos to further their goals of creating more effective, efficient, products while championing sustainably. With these deals, they can continue to stay ahead of the curve in the industry of technological appliances. For those who are interested to see TOSOT aircon units, visit their showroom in Pasay. During the event TOSOT conducted a photo challenge game for every visitors who visited TOSOT booth. Lucky winners will be posted in TOSOT social media accounts.
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Is the Philippines Ready for Electric-Powered Jeepneys? One group suggested that we take their initiative of turning from diesel engines to lithium-ion batteries in jeepneys.
After the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in the Philippines enforced the PUJ modernization program by the Duterte administration, several companies responded by showing their designs of a much safer and less carbon-emitting versions of the jeepney. One of these companies is Japanese truck maker Isuzu. It introduced an 18-seater modern jeepney carrying 12% more cargo than conventional jeepneys. Theirs has 2,325 kilograms of 58
payload. “The modern jeepneys are designed to meet regulations in emission, safety and roadworthiness. It will also provide better passenger comfort,” noted Joseph Bautista, a division manager at Isuzu Philippines’ marketing department. While this Isuzu jeepney still runs on diesel, a local startup wants to pitch a more environmentally-friendly option: get this form of Philippine trans-
A S I A PA C I F I C N E W S portation to run on electricity to be known as green jeepneys. QEV Philippines Electromobility Solutions and Consulting Group, Inc., or simply QEV Philippines, has designed its own version of the modern jeepney which is powered by lithium-ion batteries. The company is a satellite office of Singapore-based electromobility holding firm QEV Capital Pte. Ltd. “The jeepney is as much Filipino as all of you,” tells Endika Aboitiz at the unveiling ceremony in July at The Fort in Taguig City. He is an investor in the proposal of powering an initial 50,000 jeepneys over the five years with lithium-ion batteries instead of diesel engines. “It is like London’s double-decker bus, it in itself is a moving museum,” he added. “Taking the jeepney away is taking away a piece of our colorful history, an icon that many have come to associate with the Philippines. We can preserve the jeepney and modernize it without taking away its charm.” The lithium-ion batteries are designed to have a range of up to 140 kilometers, with 80 kilometers at minimum, depending on load and conditions. They can be charged from 20% up to 80% in just 15 minutes, to be facilitated by Cleanergy network which is AboitizPower’s clean and renewable energy brand.
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Meanwhile, the conversion work will be taken care of by Sarao Motors, a local jeepney manufacturer. It can produce green jeepneys from scratch. According to a press release, the green jeepney was developed by engineers with ample experience in high-profile electric car ventures. Campos Racing is one of the teams behind the Arcfox-7, an electric supercar by Chinese outfit BAIC, and in the Mahindra entries in the Formula E last season, among others. If the Philippine government really wants to produce virtually no-emission jeepneys, then this one is the way to go. Not only is this jeepney all electric, it is ex-
pected to seize an estimated 540 tonnes of carbon million trees and earn $35 million in United Nations carbon credits. Moreover, the charging stations are also expected to help save 375 million liters of oil per year. That is equal to 3% of the country’s total imported Brent crude barrels. This should not worry jeepney drivers when it comes to costs too, as QEV Philippines assured that they can save about P40,000 a year for energy and maintenance. It is not the company’s intention to replace the existing jeepneys, but instead only to rehabilitate
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through its retrofit kit. “What we propose is not replacement, but rehabilitation,” said Enrique Bañuelos, a businessman who partnered with Aboitiz and QEV Philippines for this project. “Rehabilitate old jeepneys and make them like new, complete with electrical motors that will 62
make it run on electricity instead of diesel. Help drivers pay for the rehabilitation, through a special program that the Philippine government will make out for them—and in the end put more money in their pockets because the costs of charging with electricity would be so much cheaper than filling it up with diesel,” he added.
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Top 6 Most Popular Universities In 2019 This post looks at university ranking, with emphasis on the most popular ones
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housands of universities in the world are always in competition for top slots in the global ranking. And with millions of students yearning to be part of the best learning centers, the only barriers to their dreams is crafting a top-notch admission essay. This post looks at university ranking, with emphasis on the “most popular universities” such as Stanford graduate school.
What makes an institution of higher education a university? You would want to delve deeper into finding why some institutions are more popular than others. Well, a professional college online essay editing service should help you with this topic by emphasizing the following: High learning institutions that rank high on the popularity index usually register excellent academic performance every academic year. Universities that have a rich his64
tory are among the most popular on the global index. It could be because they are the oldest or pursue a holistic study tradition that distinguishes them from the rest. Another basis on which some graduate schools have ranked the range of diploma or degree programs. An educational institution can also be popular given the numbers of international students it admits and still remain a top institution for higher learning.
State-of-the-art libraries or/and research centers is another aspect that often catapults a learning institution to the global index of most popular learning centers. Thus far, let’s take a look at a list ranking the world’s most popular universities. Remember, you can always ask a college essay editing service to tweak the list as desired depending on the changes that may take effect in the future.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Popular known as MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology remains a force to reckon with the list of world’s most reputed institutions of higher learning. From a mind-provoking motto, competitive learning system to state-of-the-art teaching methodologies, MIT remains on top for a seventh straight year. Thousands of research scholars around the world trace their problem-solving skills and critical thinking capabilities to MIT, an Ivy League member.
2. Stanford University Stanford University is popular for many things. From 100 percent academic excellence, high employability ratio of graduates from the institution, tens of scholarly citations every year, thousands of international students to competitive faculties, Stanford is a known for outstanding research. It sits at the heart of America’s Silicon Valley in California, thereby providing great opportunities to students who would wish to pursue their careers in fortune 500 companies like Google and Yahoo. Moreover, straddling 8, 180 acres of land make Stanford one of the largest US university campuses. 65
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3. Harvard University Harvard is the oldest higher learning institution in America dating back to 1636, a year in which it was founded. Over the years, it has remained a center of academic excellence, a reputation that keeps soaring on the world stage. It plays host to the world’s biggest library for academicians, not to mention 10 facilities offering quality degree programs.
4. University of Oxford For decades now, Oxford remains an academic center with global appeal. It boasts of great research output and plays host to thousands of students, both local and international. It is remarkable that while the university does not run the main campus, its tradition of instilling distinctive professional character remains impeccable even after tens of decades into its existences.
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5. The University of Tokyo Japan’s history of hardworking citizens and industrial excellence is deeply entrenched into its education system. The University of Tokyo, for example, is one of the most popular in the world housing more than 4000 academic staff and thousands of students. Dating back to 1877, it remains the most prestigious Japanese University and competes favorably with others such as Yale, Harvard and Cambridge. Thousands of top CEOs around the world are alumni of the institution.
6. Columbia University A Columbia spectator would agree that the institution’s presence on Ivy League is not for nothing. Established in 1754, Columbia is a research-based university that boasts of high acceptance of graduates in the job market. There are also hundreds of Oscar winners among and successful professionals and Nobel Laureates who were once students at the institution.
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The Bottom Line
In a nutshell, there are tens of other universities that would occupy top slots on this list based on their popularity. Therefore, with the help of a good essay editing service, others such as the University of Michigan, the Australian Nation University, the 68
University of Hong Kong, the National University of Singapore, Imperial College London and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology cut above par in ranking.
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