ARAMCO EVALUATION MOST POPULAR QUESTIONS

1- 1st Interview minutes in the evaluation:

Be calm, patient and trust you self while talking and while answering.
Be ready by wearing your Coverall, Safety Shoes and your Safety Helmet
nearby because he (may) ask you for a round on the deck to show him the
safety equipments, fire fighting equipments, hospital, Fixed CO2, H2s
Sensors, AHT arrangements, Loose gear, etc).
Remember your grade in the MARLINS test because he (may) ask you
about it (he already have one copy that you passed the MARLINS).
Prepare the FAMILIIARIZATION List of your Company that has been done
to you by the Port Captain before he inform ARAMCO that you will be
evaluated and that you are ready (from the point of view from the Port
Captain).
Be sure that all your personal documents are in the Bridge especially
(C.V, National Passport, Seamans Book, D.O.C, endorsements if any,
G.O.C, Proficiency in Security, H2s, Medical, etc).
Previous Off shore and general Sea Service: The rig move Master will ask
you about your previous sea service experience especially in the off shore
and you can tell him the names of the boats that you have serviced on and
the area of the service as well.

2- You own Vessels characteristics:

FW & DO cargo pumps capacity

FIFI capacity and operation from bridge
L.O.A & Breadth
FW, DO, MUD, Drill Water, Cement, Ballast, etc Tank capacities.
Fire pump (main & Emergency) rate m3.
Aux Engines (Generators and Emergency Generators) KW
GT, NT, DWT, etc
Max & minimum allowed draft.
CO2 fixed system amount of btls, place and operation and coverage area.
EEBDs amount on board.
Fire and safety plan.
Amount of present crew on board.
Who is the safety officer on board (Ch Off) and whos the SSO.
Deck space and permeability (Ton/m2)
Rudder and maximum rudder angle.
Main engines RPM
Bow Thruster RPM and Tons
Anchor heaving up rate/min
 anchor shackles
anchor weight
Capstan SWL
Bullard pull
Towing & AH winches characteristics
towing & AH wires specifications
Crane SWL and working angle
Loose lifting gears specifications and inventory on board
Ships certificates (class, flag, safety and others).
Ships accommodation crew capacity.
BA sets Nos and places of stowage.
Assembly of donning BA set in front of him.

3- ARAMCO GIs, MIMs and SMS manual (you should be familiar with
opening them and u must have a background about the index especially
the MIMs No.:

30(1193.001) Tanajib port regulations

34(1193.005) under keel clearance
35(1193.006) 500 m Zone
39(1193.504) Emergency response plan
50(1198.001 No.6, 7, 8) Work around offshore
56(1200.003) No.7 Offs familiarization and evaluation
1198.002 Supply and st. by vessels and weather
Page 28 supplement 4 (anchorage)
in addition that you should all other related matters for Drilling if your
evaluation is for drilling.

4- IALA System:

Pls. refer to the Mariners handbook in your bridge publications (NP 100).

5- Rules of the Road:

Pls. refer to COLREG publication in your bridge (check Part A and Part B)
All voice signals.
All Daytime and night time shapes (especially vessel aground and towing
vessels).
Meaning and act of Stand on and Give way vessels.
Restricted visibility.
6- Maneuvering:

Refer to the seaman ship techniques in your mind and if you have any
private book or electronic book.
Keep in mind the rules of the road while maneuvering and dont forget that
you can stop your engine or reduce your speed to maneuver as well (its
not only altering co.).

7- ARAMCO Charts:

Symbols on the chart (refer to Symbols and abbreviations publication and

check the section of the offshore installations) as well as to be familiar
withy the border limit, O/F limit, Pipe line, ht on top of pipe line (pipe is
always 2m above the sea bed).
Check the ARAMCO general chart No. 8724.
Check the ARAMCO Chart Catalogue (attached).

8- Oil fields:

Must be familiar with the O/F that you work in.

Question about your act if you are entering O/F and you saw one aground
vessel ahead of you inside the O/F? So; you will stop your vessel
immediately and yoy maintain your position, sounding by crew around the
vessel as well as check the echo sounder, if the area around you clear so
turn you vessel and go back and if the area is not clear then go Astern on
the same Co. that you came on then after all that call the O/F services and
inform him about the aground vessel as well as calling the port control too.
Must know stations to call while entering or leaving oil fields; as follows:
o Safanya O/F: Safanya off shore production.
o Zuluf O/F Daytime: Zuluf field services.
o Zuluf O/F Night time: Zuluf GOSP 1 or 2.
o Morjan O/F: Morjan GOSP 2 or Morjan field services.
o Abu Safa O/F: Abu Safa GOSP.
o Berry O/F: Abu Ali Pier.
o Manifa Anchorage: Tanajib Port Control.
All O/F are operating on Channel 11 and all communications as well on
the same channel except Ras Tanura is on Ch. 10.

9- ARAMCO Tide Tables:

Check the ARAMCO Tide Table (Arabian Gulf) latest publication on board.
Abu Ali Pier 4.0 (abu ali pier and Berri).
Abu safa 30/35 5.0. (Abu Safa O/F).
Arabiyah Island 6.0 (Arabiyah O/F and Karan).
Juaymah Boat Pier 7.0 (Juaymah Boat Pier and Rabiba O/F).
Lawah 8.0 (Lawah and South of Morjan O/F).
 Morjan 46/51 9.0 (Rest of Morjan O/F).
Qurayyah Pier 10.0 (Qurayyah Pier).
Ras Tanura North Pier 11.0 (Ras Tanura North Pier).
Safaniya Pier 12.0 (Safaniya Pier & Safaniya South O/F).
Safaniya 312/317 13.0 (Safaniya Central & Safaniya North O/F).
Tanajib Pier 14 (Tanajib Pier & Manifa O/F).
Zuluf 104/109 15.0 (Zuluf O/F).

10- STABILITY:

You must know the basics regarding the Stability (GM, FWA, KG, GZ, KM,
GT, NT, Free Surface Effect and how to calculate it, etc).
How to calculate the KG final and GM final.
You must know the location of your vessels stability booklet, inclining
experiment, and all related booklets.

11- Damage Control Box:

The location and the use of it (emergency only).

There is a copy of the inventory in the file as well as inside the box itself
(always updated)
Box color should be red.
Example about what is inside the box (hammer, claw bar, wood, nails,
wood saw, hacksaw with spare blades, screw bolts, etc).

12- SOPEP Box:

The location and the use of it (Oil spill).

Be sure that the SOPEP file on bridge is originally stamped.
There is a copy of the inventory in the SOPEP file as well as inside the
box itself (always updated).
Box color should be yellow.
The file is on the bridge (be sure that the contact list is updated to the
latest update, which is quarterly/year basis).

13- Bridge Publications:

You must know the location.

Check the inventory and that you are familiar with it and that it is updated.

14- Vessels Certificates:

You must know the location.

Check the inventory and that you are familiar with it and that it is properly
arranged and updated with issue date and expiry date as well.
15- Bridge Navigational Equipments:

You must know the location of the manuals.

Check the inventory and that you are familiar with it and that it is updated.
You must know how to use the Radar properly.
You must know how to take bearing and distance between targets and to
locate your position by this way.
You must be able to change the speed display on the Radar (from GPS to
Speed log).
He (may) ask you about which is more accurate for us, the speed from the
GPS or the Speed Log? Answer: Speed log, because the GPS is
CALCULATING the speed on ground same like the car speed without
putting in his calculations the current, wind, etc effect; and on the other
hand the speed log is MEASURING the speed on the water effected by
the current, wind, etc
He (may) ask you about the use of the GPS and during coastal sailing
(like our condition) what we should use mostly during our navigation?
Answer: we have to use the coastal navigation procedures (Radar, etc)
and to avoid using the GPS because It is dangerous and it could be blind
at any time and that we have a good opportunity to use the coastal
navigation useful way.
Check that your Echo Sounder Range is adjusted properly and that there
is a repeater on the AFT station.
Check the location of your wind indicator and on which display it is
adjusted (Relative/True) so that you can give him reading; he (may) ask
about it.

16- Compass Error:

You should be able to calculate the compass error.

You can say that the best way during our navigation is to take a transit
between two fixed targets (installations, platforms, etc) and then to
compare it with their transit bearing on the chart and so on
Check that the Compass Deviation card is valid and that it Is hanged on
the wall somewhere in the bridge (preferable to be near the Magnetic
Compass mother).
17- Maneuvering & Handling the Vessel in Evaluation Location:

Take Permission from the Port Control before starting your engine and
inform him that this is Ch. Off. Evaluation with attendance of Rig Move
Master on board.
After taking the permission, and starting the engines, be sure that you
have started everything by your self including the bow thruster, echo
sounder, Activate AIS status to Under way, navigation lights, Radar,
Speed log, Steering, etc and all related equipments.
Test your Main engines and bow thruster with touch tests while the vessel
still A/S.
Once you see that everything is fine and you are ready, inform the Rig
Move Master and the Port Control.
Start giving orders to the Present Ch. Off. On board to cast off and so on.
Keep the Present Ch. Off. On the FWD station to give you distances from
the FWD and from the FWD side (no problem at all to do that).
Do not leave the Maneuvering station while casting off (they dont like you
to do that).
Take fixed target on the berth so that you know how is the ship moving
and to make it more easy to you when you come back to the same
location A/S.
Make the bow always outside with more distance than the stern then cas
of on a side walk.
Once you change over to the FWD maneuvering station; ask the Rig Move
Master what he wants you to do after that.
If he asks to turn 360 degree, make it by using both engines and bow
thruster as well as the rudder if needed.
Once you are back in your final position A/S (HOPEFULLY ); he will tell
you that you have passed or !!!!!!

HOPE THAT THE ABOVE EXPLANATION HAS COVERED (MOST) OF THE POPULAR
QUESTIONS AND ITEMS WHICH YOU MAY FACE DURING THE EVALUATION.

I HOPE THAT YOU WILL PASS THE EVALUATION SUCCESSFULLY AND WILL PRAY FOR
ME.

CONGRATULATIONS IN ADVANCE (INSHA ALLAH GOOD WILLIS).

BEST REGARDS AND GOOD LUCK,,,

CAPTAIN:
HASSAN FAHMY SAAFAN
CH. OFF / M.V // HIMS-11
25TH OF FEB. 2012
TANAJIB KSA
+20 100 149 3384
+966 53 029 5685