Kentz’s employees based in Houston, Texas, and working on the Sakhalin-1 Project, Arkutun-Dagi Topsides Drilling Rig and Production Platform, recently held a successful team-building golf outing at Bear Creek Golf Course in Houston.

Kentz employees were joined by personnel from its client ExxonMobil, project peers Worley Parsons and Korean Fabricator DSME. The players were then divided into five teams of four players.

The game format was Texas Scramble – each player tees off on each hole and the spot where
the best shot of the 4 falls is the location for everyone’s 2nd shot. This process is continued until the ball is putted. Nat Simpson, ExxonMobil Systems Completion Manager, and his team won on the day.

Congratulations to Nat and his team mates and well done to everyone who took part! It was a great day and gave all attendees a chance to socialise away from the office and to reinforce the teams’ shared goals and objectives.

The 42nd Annual Tugela River Raft Race took place on Saturday 17th April in Mandini, approximately 100km north of Durban, South Africa. This was the first year Kentz decided to enter a team into the 25-km race.

Employees from the Technical Support Services Business Unit’s Maintenance and Shutdowns division who had recently completed the Engen shutdown in Durban formed the team. The team mates piled into four vehicles and travelled to Mandini and set up camp for the race. The raft was sculpted by the race participants themselves and consisted of thick lengths of bamboo tied to slabs of polystyrene.

On Friday 16th festivities commenced with the usual toolbox talk given by experienced survival and raft race participant Shamesh Pamasur, Materials Controller. Once the safety message had been absorbed, the team went to the marquee in the main camp-site for food and to dance along to the DJ.

At 7.00am the Kentz team rose and dressed in their soccer outfits and their fabulously hand-crafted hard hats fashioned by Elise Plaatjies, Cost Administrator, and her many daughters.
The flare went off, the rafts were launched into the river, and the war began! Along with steering the raft the team had to try to avoid the eggs and ink bombs being fired at them by the rival rafts.

During the race the raft turned into Fred Flintstone’s car when the river water became so shallow it was easier to push the raft! With the last 1km in view their legs powered them to the finish line – only to be stuck in the queue coming off the river. Eventually the raft was hoisted back onto the trailer and the exhausted Kentz team headed back to pack up camp.

All-in-all the raft race was an excellent event and well done to all involved. Hopefully it will become a Kentz tradition!

Pat Fogarty, Site Manager for Kentz in Qatar, was mentor to Katie Plummer, SDMP Graduate, when she joined his team on the RLIC Shell Utilities Project.

Katie recently presented Pat with a commemorative plaque to thank him for his dedication and leadership. Well done, Pat and Katie, for upholding the traditions of Kentz and the investment in people. Long may this tradition continue!

The all-boys CBS High School in Clonmel was selected by the Department of Education and Science in 2008 as a suitable site for the location of a specialised unit to cater for young boys with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The new ASD unit, which will be up-and-running in September 2010, will provide a muchneeded environment for young boys who, because of their special needs, have specific requirements while attending mainstream education.

Employees and their families spent the evening at the racecourse betting on horses and enjoying the “craic”. Some were very lucky and won big but others were less fortunate and went home with empty pockets.