ADMA-OPCO marks 50th anniversary of the Abu Dhabi first crude shipment

Abu Dhabi, Dec 13, 2012 (WAM) - The Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (ADMA-OPCO) celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the 1st Shipment of Crude Oil from Abu Dhabi Emirate, in a grand ceremony on Tuesday, December 11th, at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, in the presence of Abdulla Nasser Al Suwaidi, ADNOC Director General. A number of dignitaries, diplomats, ADNOC Group senior managements, industry executives, media representatives and company employees and their families attended the event which wrapped up ADMA-OPCO's celebrations of the shipment of crude produced from Umm Shaif Field and exported from Das Island, on July 4th 1962. The shipment, the first ever from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, is considered a turning point in the history of the UAE. In his keynote address, ADMA-OPCO Chief Executive Officer Ali Rashid Al-Jarwan paid tribute to the country's leadership and all those who contributed to the progress of the Company over the years. He said that the shipment was the beginning of a new era of development in Abu Dhabi and the UAE at large. "Today is a day of celebration; it is an important milestone in the lives of many people especially in the UAE. It is a celebration of the Golden Jubilee year of an event that was a turning point in the history of our country. "While celebrating this historical event, which marks half a century of ADMA-OPCO's sustainable growth, progress and success stories, it is appropriate to pay tribute to the country's leadership for their continued support to the oil and gas sector." Describing the shipment as the most significant and underlying turning point that has mapped our economic and social strategies ever since, ADMA-OPCO CEO underlined the role ADMA-OPCO has been playing over the past 50 years in the advancement of the oil ''&'' gas industry to the best interest of our nation. "The contributions made by ADMA-OPCO to the national development have certainly placed the company at the forefront of the oil and gas industry in the region, under the umbrella of the parent company ADNOC and its partners - BP, Total and JODCO, who have been throughout the 50-year epic journey instrumental in supporting ADMA-OPCO to become a world class company," he remarked. He valued highly the vision and guidance of late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, His Highness President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, who have continue to lead the journey ensuring that people are able to benefit from the country's oil wealth and thus focusing on the life quality improvement. Mr. Al-Jarwan said while entering a new era of development, ADMA-OPCO now manages the challenges of increasing production requirements, managing existing facilities, building new ones, enabling technologies and, above all, effectively managing people. He thanked all those who have devoted so much time and talent to the progress of ADMA-OPCO - from inception to today. He congratulated all ADMA-OPCO employees on this occasion, expressing hope that the company would see more and more success stories in the years to come and that the booming oil and gas industry will continue to flourish to meet future global energy demand and ensure progress, prosperity and stability of our communities and human kind at large. A film documenting ADMA-OPCO's 50-year journey was screened. An artistic gesture showcasing ADMA-OPCO's multi-national shareholding was well received by the audience featuring British Pipes and Drums Band Show, French Folk Rock - Musician Damien Catani and Japanese Shishi Odori. In addition to ADNOC, ADMA-OPCO's shareholders include British Petroleum (BP), French TOTAL and the Japanese Oil Development Company (JODCO). The audiences were then entertained by the "ADMA-OPCO Journey to Success" Operetta, an idealistically sappy plot, with a dialogue narrating the story of ADMA-OPCO's epic 50-year journey which has gone hand in hand with Abu Dhabi's development journey. The Operetta was staged at the Emirates Palace outdoor terrace. During the event, ADNOC HE Director General presented corporate shields to a number of personalities who helped shape ADMA-OPCO and contributed to making it a world class company over the past five decades. Minister of Energy Mohammad Bin Dha'en Al Hamli, who started his professional career with ADMA-OPCO in 1966 and ex-general managers of ADMA-OPCO - Henry Bacconnier, who served as GM between 1998-2002 and Michel Viallard, (1993 to 1998), a number of old timers were among the honourees. Shareholders Representatives were also honoured in recognition of their continued support for ADMA-OPCO over the past 50 years. The event concluded with a gala dinner, while the audiences were entertained by a spectacular fireworks display. A photo exhibition depicting the development stages of Abu Dhabi and ADMA-OPCO was also organised. To mark the occasion, ADMA-OPCO issued a commemorative Dirham in collaboration with the UAE Central Bank. The dirham was released with effect from Monday, 29 October 2012. The company also issued a set of commemorative stamps, in collaboration with Emirates Post. - Emirates News Agency, WAM