Memory Lane
Memory Lane: From the passing of a CEO to the opening of a Pepsi-Cola plant, a look back
Thirty-five years ago this month, former Aramco president and CEO Tom Barger passed away.
Here are some of the headlines through the decades as we take a stroll down Memory Lane.
July 7, 1946
Valuable and unusual stamps appear regularly on Company mail, all of which are cut off and saved for stamp collectors. This practice has been in effect for some time as many collectors can prove.
It has been the practice of the Mail Office to offer them impartially, on a first-come, first-served basis, to all seekers of stamps.
If you do not happen to work in the office area, you might have a roommate or friend make inquiries upon occasion, and you are welcome to drop in any time.
None of the Mail Office employees collects stamps, so the best stamps do not get "shortstopped" on the way through.
July 4, 1956
SR2.6 MILLION PEPSI-COLA PLANT OPENS FORMALLY AT AL-KHOBAR
A SR2.6 million Pepsi-Cola bottling plant opened last week in Al-Khobar during ceremonies attended by about 4,000 people.
HH Amir Turki ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Jiluwi, representing HM King Sa'ud ibn Abd al-'Aziz and HH Amir Sa'ud ibn Jiluwi, cut a green ribbon formally opening the plant.
Owned by Shaikh Hamad ibn Ahmad al-Gosaibi and Sons, the plant is equipped with a steam generator, a big air compressor, and a 600-gallon water filtration and distilling unit.
Employing 50 workers, the plant will bottle 80 bottles a minute. All the electricity for the operation will be supplied by the plant's own power station, now under construction.
July 6, 1966
All of Aramco has gone into July, officially designated "Motor Vehicle Accident Prevention Month," mindful of the exhortations and practical advice on avoidance of collisions given at a luncheon on June 28 for about 500 company supervisors and guests.
Senior Vice President Paul H. Arnot hit hard on the need of responsibility of individual employees and their supervisors in matters of driving safety. He reminded the large gathering that all who drive company or personal cars should have a valid operator's license and see that both they and their vehicles are in good physical condition before taking off.
Chief Safety Engineer Charles Homewood emphasized the importance of looking to the rear and all around before moving a vehicle forward, maintaining a "circle of safety" around the vehicles. He said nearly one-third of our collisions could be prevented by keeping a safe distance from other cars and trucks on the road.
July 9, 1986
FORMER BOARD CHAIRMAN THOMAS C. BARGER DIES
Former Aramco Board Chairman and CEO Thomas C. Barger died Monday, June 30, in La Jolla, Calif., after a long illness.
In the course of his 32-year career, spent entirely in Saudi Arabia, Barger became a vital force in Aramco operations as a pioneer explorer, Government Relations official, president and CEO and chairman of the board.
The fledgling organization he joined in 1937 had 600 employees and no commercial oil production; when he retired from the helm in 1969, 11,000 employees manned a world-class oil company producing over a billion barrels of oil a year.
In 1961, Barger was named chief executive officer, and in 1968, chairman of the board.
When he retired, Barger received as a farewell gift from Aramco the original door to the company's first headquarters, established at Jubail in 1933.
July 5, 2006
It's official: Saudi Aramco now has an unprecedented 100 drilling rigs operating in the field with the addition of the renovated Saudi Aramco Rig (SAR) No. 101 put to task.
A multinational force of drilling rigs and workers from Saudi Arabia, China, the United States, Italy, Egypt, and India make up the rig count as drilling activities are ongoing throughout the Kingdom.
"Tapping our available skilled professionals within Drilling and Workover to take on this task has paid off," said Fahad A. Al-Moosa, vice president of Drilling and Workover. "By the end of the year, we expect to have 121 rigs in the field. With global demand for energy soaring, and drilling rigs in short supply, Saudi Aramco is evaluating all options to meet our drilling requirements."