This year’s magazine, which happens to be the first ever online magazine by the association, is “Sankofa”. Sankofa is the name of a gas field in the Tano basin operated by ENI. It is also the name of the Senior Class of the 2019/2020 academic year. The primal concept of “Sankofa” is to highlight the achievements of the current administration. It features the Daily Barrel(an initiative by Master Justice Tetteh Agbodjan) and the Alumni Corner. Captured in Sankofa, also, is the Did you know? section, Health and Safety tips in the Oil and Gas industry; and current news and happenings in the Petroleum industry. The 2019/2020 PESA Executives present to you “Sankofa”. Enjoy! Emmanuel Sarpong Editorial Board, Head
CONTENT
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HEALTH AND SAFETY The oil and gas industry is one of the most hazardous industries in the world and therefore, safety tips are a necessity to prevent the loss of lives and potential health damages.
MEET THE EXECUTIVES
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS DAILY BARREL Have you ever wondered how it would feel to know that there is nothing about our prospective industry you don’t know or you can’t rap someone about?
PESA INCOMING EXECUTIVES PANDEMIC AND THE INDUSTRY Oil and gas industry will have encountered a major down turn as oil prices have once again battered, this time due to the knocking down of demand linked with COVID-19 and the price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia.
PHOTO GALLERY
ALUMNI CORNER
President’s Report
S
ince the mantle of leadership was handed over to us in April 2019, we have achieved many remarkable feats most of which were the first of their kind-from our maiden PESA Week celebrations to the APC Games where we collaborated with other departments in our faculty to partake in outdoor sports among other activities. Ultimately, PESA saw her core aspiration which is: fostering closer relations to promote the welfare of her members, being actualized under my leadership. This was made possible by the cooperation and commitment of the executive and council committees and every member of the PESA general assembly towards the making of a better PESA. Sankofa, through its pages, is a thank you message and a recap of the activities undertaken by my administration. God bless you all. God bless PESA KNUST.
Warren Kwarteng Acheampong PESA President
HEALTH AND SAFETY T
he oil and gas industry is one of the most hazardous industries in the world and therefore, safety tips are a necessity to prevent the loss of lives and potential health damages. The oil and gas industry consists of three different sectors hence, different safety practices at each sector. UPSTREAM SECTOR The upstream sector includes searching for potential underground or underwater crude oil and natural gas fields, drilling exploratory wells, and subsequently drilling and bring the crude oil or raw natural gas to the surface. Safety practice at this sector includes: • Staying On Top Of Machine Maintenance When working on offshore rigs, the machines are your lifeline when you’re hundreds of miles from shore. Prevention of premature machine failure can be done by conducting regular maintenance checks of machinery. The importance of regular maintenance checks have to be communicated to workers. • Collaborate With The Local Emergency Response Community Develop a relationship with local emergency response organizations and establish a consistent flow of communication to provide a higher level of overall safety. Emergency responders, rig hands, and exploration company safety and health professionals must work together to utilize their resources to be ready to handle emergencies swiftly and successfully. Discuss specific health and safety hazards that exist at the drilling location and determine how to best assist each other in these emergencies. If possible, take emergency responders on a tour of the drilling site or rig to give them a clearer idea of how to approach potential emergencies. • Ensure Familiarity With Worksites Before work begins, ensure everyone who will be conducting work understands their role, hazards that exist, and all safety precautions. Require procedures and hazards to be fully communicated to new workers in the
event of shift handovers and work site changes. • Consistent Housekeeping Reduce the chances of fatal accidents by keeping floors, pathways, and all work areas clear of unnecessary items to prevent trips and falls and struck-by hazards. Implement clear signage that directs workers to emergency and safety equipment to quickly combat hazards. E.g.: equip all problem areas with spill kits in the event a chemical or oil spill occurs. • Provide Clear Visual Communication Strive to eliminate miscommunication and confusion with legible and reliable signs and labels to convey dangers and safety instructions. Create custom signs to communicate procedures specific to certain work crews and work sites. Replace worn out, illegible, and outdated signage as soon as possible. Check for faded floor marking that is in need of re-application. • Reassess Safety Signage When Projects Shift When worksites, projects, and crews change, take the time to assess that signs and labels are in the correct areas and communicate present hazards and procedures before the next project begins; this will ensure dangers and details about specific locations will be known when new workers come in. MIDSTREAM SECTOR The midstream sector involves the transportation (by pipeline, rail, barge, oil tanker or truck), storage, and wholesale marketing of crude or refined petroleum products. Pipelines and other transport systems can be used to move crude oil from production sites to refineries and deliver the various refined products to downstream distributors. Natural gas pipeline networks aggregate gas from natural gas purification plants and deliver it to downstream customers, such as local utilities. The midstream operations are often taken to include some elements of the upstream and downstream sectors. For example, the midstream sector may include natural gas processing plants that purify the raw natural gas as well
as removing and producing elemental sulphur and natural gas liquids (NGL) as finished endproducts. Safety practice at this sector include: • Ensuring proper hazard classification and manifesting of flammable liquids that are being shipped or transported. • Developing written procedures for safe unloading and handling practices of all potentially flammable waste liquids, designed to minimize vapor formation and prevent static discharges that could ignite vapors. • Provision of adequate training for all personnel. • Developing emergency procedures, particularly when diesel engines overspeed due to the presence of highly flammable vapors. • Use required PPE, air monitoring devices, and heed all alarms • Evacuate unsafe work area and report hazards immediately DOWNSTREAM SECTOR The downstream sector is the refining of petroleum crude oil and the processing and purifying of raw natural gas, as well as the marketing and distribution of products derived from crude oil and natural gas. The downstream sector reaches consumers through products such as gasoline or petrol, kerosene, jet fuel, diesel oil, heating oil, fuel oils, lubricants, waxes,
asphalt, natural gas, and liquefied petroleum gas(LPG) as well as hundreds of petrochemicals. Safety practices in this sector includes: • Wearing of hearing protection and safety glasses in all operating areas or as posted. • Fit testing of respiratory protection or equipment. • Clothing must not be of a flammable type such as nylon, Dacron, acrylic, or blends. Fireresistant types include cotton, Nomex, and Proban. Shirts must be long-sleeved and worn with full-length pants or coveralls • Providing early warning systems, such as pressure monitoring of gas and liquid conveyance systems, in addition to smoke and heat detection for fires. • Evaluation of potential for vapor accumulation in storage tanks and implementation of prevention and control techniques (e.g., nitrogen blanketing for sulfuric acid and bitumen storage). • Avoiding potential sources of ignition (e.g., by configuring the layout of piping to avoid spills over high-temperature piping, equipment, and/ or rotating machines). • Providing passive fire protection measures within the modelled fire zone that are capable of withstanding the fire temperature for a time sufficient to allow the operator to implement the appropriate fire mitigation strategy.
MEET THE EXECUTIVES
Warren Kwarteng Acheampong PESA PRESIDENT
Emmanuel Kwadwo Asare PESA Vice President
Dorothy Apenkwa-Perkoh PESA Financial Secretary
Elsie Elorm Dussey PESA General Sec.
Emmanuel Sarpong PESA PRO
Derick Asiedu Phanos PESA Organizing Sec.
Atonge Esther Anyi PESA Wocom
Anthony Ameyaw Damoah Academic head
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
2019 2020
Elyasu Abdullah Mohammed Audit head
Emmanuel Sarpong Editorial head
Ayensigna Audrey Finance deputy
Asamoah Isaac Judicial head
Turkson Joshua Nsiah Academic deputy
Aglobitse King Mark Jnr Audit deputy
Gbillah Louis James Editorial deputy
Sharon Mawunyo Asiadze Electoral head
Osei Nsankyire Joseph Judicial deputy
Francis Anyamesem Alumni head
Pardi Ami-Neene Laaki Alumni deputy
Takyi Samuel Adjei Boappiah Fellowship President
Nyuah Kwame Benjamin Fellowship Vice President
Dorothy Apenkwa-Perkoh Finance head
Avornyo Bless Electoral deputy
Fosu Alexander Mentorship head
Nyame John Finance deputy
Ikenna Chinonso Oji ISA head
Darkwah-Owusu Victor Mentorship deputy
Derick Asiedu Phanos Organizing head
Adjei Ameyaw Nana Petrobowl deputy
Hafiz Balla Sport head
Agyei Asare Dickson Tratech deputy
Ebenezer Appiah Petrobowl head
Effah Richmond Petrobowl deputy
Anderson Eugene Ebo Sport deputy
Christopher Morgan Sport deputy
Glenn Panford Owusu Afriyie Welfare head
Eugenia Obodai Welfare deputy
Class Representatives
Jude Osei Amo-Boateng First Year
Mawulikplim Samuel Second Year
Lorraine Ampomaa Asante Third Year
Vida Bodi Final Year
2019 2020
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
Peter Takyi Ohemeng Tratech head
Nyame Owusu Joel Organizing deputy
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
-25% increment in voting turnout -Faculty games -Lobbied to obtain free access to the pool for second years offering the SES 171 (Basic Swimming) course -PESA Week Celebrations with Seminar -Field trips -Increased involvement of alumni -PESA Trail Support Scheme -Amendment of PESA Constitution -Increased growth of the Petrobowl club -PESA Mentorship -PESA Personality of the Week -Did-you-know weekly bulletin -Mass SPE registration -Free Distribution of PESA Exercise Books -Increased activity of the Denominational Fellowship -PESA Academic Tutorials -Freshman Orientation and Induction
THE JAT INITIATI VE
Justice Agbodjan T. (JAT) Dept. of Petroleum Engineering 0551542017 / 0505173314
“Inspiration is likened unto a spark that starts fuel burning; motivation is the force that keeps a pursuer in motion
H
ave you ever wondered how it would feel to know that there is nothing about our prospective industry you don’t know or you can’t rap someone about? Or that you have that one assurance that any day in the week, there is going to be at least one little piece of post that would make your time on social media more productive in terms of your career. Let me take this piece of your time to introduce to you the JAT initiative (Daily Barrel). “DAILY BARREL” is an info-based initiative currently owned and ran by Justice Agbodjan Tetteh, a second-year Petroleum engineering student of KNUST.
This initiative has its root from October 2019 and is still ongoing. The sole aim of this ambition is to help furnish students (specifically studying Petroleum engineering) with reliable and easy-to-access information on useful topics that are common and handy in the Oil and Gas Industry. The facilitator of this initiative is focused on broadening the horizons and fuelling the minds of his readers, hence the slogan: “Broadening horizons, fuelling minds.” To do this, a topic is selected by random or research, information is gathered from well trusted websites, and after thorough proofreading and careful organisation, a concise and accurate version of the acquired information is built for posting. I call this “a barrel.” A barrel (an article, I mean) is released on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Moreover, Sunday is included to announce the topics which readers should expect during the week. Currently, distribution of these titbits is limited to WhatsApp platforms, including Petroleum 200, Petroleum 100, PetroBowl KNUST, as well as a broadcast of 12 recipients, and other platforms from UMaT and UENR. In addition to these social platforms, a twitter account (@barreldaily) and a website, dailybarrel. com (under construction), have been secured for the purpose of extending the good work. Plans are that very soon, more able fellow engineers will be invited on board to join in facilitating the ambition.
“It is my vision that some day, Daily Barrel will be a well trusted source of invaluable and enlightening information, and a centre where fellow able engineers can make their knowledge and expertise available for upcoming ones to exploit.” My most sincere thanksgiving, first of all, goes to God, the source of all the wisdom and insight for this mental endowment. Appreciations to the executive board of the Department for this opportunity. Never to forget, big thanks to the PETRONEERS (Petroleum 200 students) for their awesome motivation, PetroBowl and all other platforms, including those in other institutions, who have given me their faithful audience all the way, and everyone who constantly gives this ambition the push it deserves.
@barreldaily Contact me via 0551542017 to be added to my WhatsApp broadcast list
MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT ELECT “Without standards, there can be no improvement.� - Taiichi Ohno
W
ith what has become of the political scene, trust is very rare to come by. And that is why it means so much to me that you bestowed your trust in me, and my colleague executives, to lead this association. I take cognisance of the fact that there would be challenges ahead and I actually anticipate them knowing that we are stronger together, and can overcome every obstacle. It is for a reason that we are an association and I look forward to working with you all to advance our growth. Let me take this opportunity to acknowledge the tremendous and adorable initiatives that were undertaken by the previous crop of leaders. Indeed, you are an inspiration, a challenge, and an avenue for us to continue the great works you began. I am certain, though, that with this team that we have, we shall do much better to serve the best interest of the association.
Samuel Mawulikplim PESA President Elect
As a reminder to our cherished members of this association, we are here to serve in your best interest so do not hesitate to speak up and make known your concerns. On this note, congratulations to my fellow elected officers. I look forward to working with you as a team while we keep in mind that we have a charge to keep, and a God to glorify. God bless you all.God bless PESA. God bless our motherland, Ghana!
PESA INCOMING EXECUTIVES
2020
Samuel Mawulikplim PRESIDENT
Christopher Nartey Vice President
Lorraine Ampomaa Asante Financial Secretary
Tetteh Samel General Sec.
Owusu-Banahene Ephraim PRO
Sarfo Afia Amponsah Organizing Sec.
Elorm Amevor Wocom
Pandemic and the
Industry M
any industrial “oil gurus” in the oil and gas industry will have encountered a major down turn as oil prices have once again battered, this time due to the knocking down of demand linked with COVID-19 and the price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia. Many questions remain unanswered in the operations of the industry. What path lies ahead for the industry in the coming months and years? Will this down turn lead to a significant upturn of the industry or crash it to its lowest level of productivity? How is the industry coping with productivity as at now? Answers to majority of these questions remains veiled and left for the future. Is an industry traditionally thought of as resistant to change, properly equipped to deal with this crisis? Major impacts of COVID-19 leading to the historic down turn are as follows; Operational obstructions and supply chain risks Activities of the Oil and Gas industry are generally considered vital activities by governments and have in most countries being exempted from the measures stated for either total or partial lockdown. On the other hand, fervent operations will obviously become increasingly difficult as a result of workforce shortages as employees are infected by the corona virus and offshore workers have to balance maintaining social distancing while living and working in confined spaces; travel bans and quarantines inhibit companies’ ability to travel and conduct meetings; and the uncertainty that runs through the pandemic does nothing to reassure a historically volatile industry.. Companies should, therefore, be prepared to operate skeleton crews to continue operations. Obstructions are expected in the areas of maintenance, inspection, repair and replacement of equipment and drilling activities. Operators will also need to consider: • third-party contractors who work on-site and the alignment of COVID-19 policies; and • the prospect of sealing off wells as a result of the reduced number of personnel on drilling rigs falling below the level required by health and safety regulations and the reasonable and
prudent operator standard. As regards supply chain disruption, thought beyond the initial supplier in the supply chain will be required to identify who has supply chain risk, as disruption among second-tier and third-tier suppliers could ultimately affect both service companies and operators. Reduced consumption of petroleum and its products The Covid-19 pandemic has shattered oil demand, sunk prices and is posing a significant risk for those involved in oil extraction and processing. Many countries have closed down their borders, either by land, air or sea. Moreover
partial or total lock down has being incurred on citizens as a measure to decrease the spread of the virus. All forms of media in the world are embarking on the policy, “Stay Home, Stay Safe”. This policy deters citizens from internal migration. Petroleum products such as aviation fuel, diesel, kerosene, petrol, are all in low demand due to the measures enlisted above. As the economic saying goes, the higher the demand of a product, the higher its price. This has caused a drastic decrease in the price of oil in the industry. Borrowing base financing facilities The huge fall in the oil price will put many upstream producers into default under their borrowing base facilities at the next borrowing base redetermination. Producers may be sheltered from the risk of payment default for as long as any commodity price hedges remain in place and are in the money. Lenders will have to decide whether to either: • waive the default (typically as part of a debt restructuring on the basis of “amend and extend”); or • Enforce their security rights. In light of the 2014/15 price slump, given the practical difficulties and risks associated with enforcement, we expect lenders to opt for the former in most circumstances. Banks have strengthened their balance sheets significantly since the 2008 financial crisis, which may give them more scope to support borrowers through this period. Conversely, those banks looking to reduce their exposure to the resources sector, in response to the climate change emergency and the energy transition, may look hard for an exit from distressed loans. Conclusion Volatility has always been a challenging element of the oil and gas market but has rarely been more extreme than it is today. COVID 19led disruptions to demand, combined with its dramatic impact on financial markets, have led to rapid price swings. Energy research firm Rystad Energy went a step further, predicting that a 25% decline in oil prices could see oil and gas investments cut by $30bn globally, severing an economic lifeline for an industry that has already been casting its eye toward long term decommissioning of projects rather than new drilling opportunities. As a result, the pandemic could prove to be an existential threat for the oil and gas industry, as social and economic challenges force a historically conservative sector to adapt to a rapidly changing environment. The impacts of COVID 19 will go down in history as major key factors leading to a historic down turn of the oil and gas industry. This is a blow to the face of the Oil and gas industry.
Emmanuel Agyei Dept. of Petroleum Engineering
1.) Oil’s first use was for caulking – ruins from early Antiquity (5-6 000 BC) testify that Euphrates and Indus Valley civilizations built their houses with bitumen. Caulking their ships with bitumen logically followed soon afterwards. 2.) Both Tamerlane and Nadir Shah used camels laden with petroleum casks to frighten off Indian war elephants – once set on fire, the sight of fire made the elephants flee in panic. 3.) A first in Europe, oil exported from Venezuela in 1539 was used to treat the gout of Emperor Charles. 4.) People of the Caspian Basin used oil to cure their camels’ mange.
DID YOU KNOW?
5.) Drilling was invented by the Chinese, using the cable tool percussion method, presumably during the 2nd millennium BC. 6.) The Chinese know-how of drilling found its way to Europe thanks to the Catholic missionary Father Imbert, whose 1828 description of salt drilling methods paved the way for the development of oil drilling as we know it now. 7.) In Medieval times, Caspian oil was transported in sealskin bags. (The Caspian seal was substantially more common back then, now it is an endangered species mostly due to radical habitat shrinking.) In other adjacent regions, sheepskin bags were used. 8.) The Giza pyramids were glued together with bitumen. 9.) Up until the early 20th century, oil was considered to be an excellent cure for diphtheria. 10.) Oddly enough, up to the First World War, airplane fuel was blended with castor oil, irritating pilots to the point of constant diarrhea. 11.) The first-ever oil tanker, Zoroaster, was sunk alongside six other ships near the Azerbaijani coast to create a platform for a new offshore field. 12.) Titusville, the birthplace of the U.S. oil industry, gave rise to a plethora of other products, too. Robert Chesebrough came here to look into how petroleum could be used and came up with the idea of producing the petroleum jelly, Vaseline. 13.) Chesebrough ate a spoonful of Vaseline every single day and lived until he was 96 years old.
By EDITORIAL BOARD HEAD Emmanuel Sarpong
14.) The first oil war was the Chaco War (1932-1935), which pitted Paraguay, supported by Royal Dutch Shell, against Bolivia, supported by Standard Oil. In the end, most of the Chaco region went to Paraguay. 15.) The average speed at which oil is transported through pipelines is about 5-10 km per hour (roughly 3-6mph).
APC GAMES Gallery
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ESA liaised with the executive committees of the Association of Geomatic Engineering Students (AGES) and the Civil Engineering Students’ Association (CESA) to present the first edition of our faculty games dubbed the APC games. The event featured basketball, football and some board games. Participation from the various associations was very impressive and we hope future administrations continue this initiative.� Anderson Eugene Ebo (Deputy Chair, Sports Committee)
FIELD TRIP Gallery
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ield trips are organised to acquaint students with practical applications of theoretical concepts which they have been taught during the conduct of their course and to expose them to real life versions or the numerous engineering illustrations in their course. During our tenure of office, the executive committee collaborated with the department to come up with slots in Expro Oilfield for the junior year and for the senior year, Schlumberger and Rigworld. The experience from these field trips helped students to have exposure to industrial practices thus playing an integral role in their training as future petroleum engineers.� Elsie Elorm Dussey (General Secretary)
PESA WEEK Gallery
T
here usually is this uncertainty surrounding the success of any trailblazing event and the likelihood of it becoming a fiasco. The PESA WEEK was not spared of this uncertainty‌ But against all these odds, everything came out successful right from the first day (Official Monday) through to the Seminar day on Wednesday and finally to the last day of the week where we had our indoor games.The students enjoyed the moments and the most important aim of the event which was to promote closer relations among the students was achieved! We just had fun, made memories and made history too! Emmanuel Kwadwo Asare PESA Vice President
Name: Michael Etorko-Gbeku Date of birth : August 15 Level: 400 Alma mata: Mfantsipim School Nick name: Etorski
MOST PARTICIPATING MEMBER
Why did you choose Petroleum Engineering? I actually chose this program facing stiff opposition from my parents and well-wishers who had wanted me to read Medicine instead. But my interests at the time did not really correlate with being a medical doctor. I can’t really point out what made Petroleum Engineering the ultimate choice but it just came to me, and after reading and hearing more about it, it seemed fascinating, so I chose it. Preferred field of study: Somewhere in the area of Business Management or perhaps Law Favorite quote: Pray as though everything depended on God, and also work as though everything depended on yourself. How do you feel given this recognition: It’s an honour. It’s always a great feeling to be appreciated, especially for things you weren’t expecting. Thank you guys, God bless you. What motivates you: My dreams and aspirations in life. Briefly a message you would share. It is important to take advantage of the ‘little things’ that happen around us in school. The friends, the hangouts, the games, the extra-curricular group activities, our relationship with God, and all of that. The degree gives us a sort of entitlement, but these seemingly ‘little things’ are the ones that shape our lives and our future.
ALUMNI CORNER Maxwell Osei-Hwedee Ghanaian, Kyerekrom in Ejisu Ashanti Region
Specification/Role
Project Manager- subsea services. Assistant Operator Field Engineer Project Coordinator.
Project Manager- subsea (enhanced landing services)
PESA ‘10
Ga ,Twi & English.
Watching football & listening to well informed political programs, Spending time with family
Postgraduate - Currently offering MSc Project Management, KNUST (2019-2020) KNUST - 10 SHS - Accra Academy SHS
maxwell.hwedee@exprogroup.com
Miriam Randolph-Akushie Ghanaian, Accra
Specification/Role
Halliburton – 3 years
Africa Area Inventory Coordinator & Completions Engineer (Double role)
PESA ‘17
English German Ga
Reading & Gaming
Wesley Girls’ High School KNUST
mimidolph@gmail.com
Derrick Edem Klutsey Ghanaian, Agbozume, Volta Region
Specification/Role
Expro – 8 years Tullow – 2.5 years
English Ewe Fante
Completions Engineering Well Intervention Drilling Engineering (Pressure Drilling) Deepwater Well Operations. Well Test Engineer Subsea Engineer
PESA ‘08
Football, Reading, Watching Movies, Playing Video Games
GSTS, 03 KNUST, 08 RGU, 15
derrick.klutsey@tullowoil.com