Document XRNJ6o2x0y2OrGz0R04Oazrnd

PUBLISHED BY THE MARINE DEPARTMENT, HUMBLE OIL & REFINING COMPANY Vol. 8, No. n June 2, 1966 Esso Miami Going to India--With Grain! Our first venture in the grain trade is coming up. The Esso Miami will load a full cargo of grain at a U. S. Gulf port around the middle of June for discharge at Bombay or Kandla. Bombay is on the central west coast of India and Kandla. at the head of the Gulf of Kutch, is about 300 miles to the north -- half way between Bombay and Karachi. Captain Thomas K. Lawton will probably take the Miami out on her historic voyage. He is on paid leave now but as of June 1, the Miami became his regular ship. While the Esso Miami will be the first Company vessel ever to transport a grain cargo, tankers in the grain trade have been fairly common for many years. The basic reason we are now doing it is simple economics -- we have at the moment, more tanker tonnage available than products to be moved. Putting the Esso Miami into grain accomplishes 2 things. It helps relieve the surplus of tonnage and offers an opportunity to earn an "honest dollar." And it could be a real healthy dollar in view of the fact that it may be possible to obtain a back-haul cargo of oil to the U. S. This is the ideal situation -- 2-way freight earn ings -- that eternally haunts the dreams of tanker operators. Admittedly, our entry into the grain trade is a trial effort and it may possibly be disappointing. On the other hand, it could be the beginning of bigger and better things for the Esso fleet. It all depends upon how well we perform. If we can continue and even improve the "can do" spirit of our seagoing and shore personnel that has made our oil transportation operations tops in the indus try, we may very well show them a thing or two in the grain trade, too. It's worth a d---good try. San Francisco Area Site Studied for New Refinery The Company announced May 18 that it is centering all engineering studies and design work for its first West Coast refinery on a site near Benicia, in the San Francisco area. Engineering studies of the previously mentioned Moss Landing site (near Monterey, Calif.) and an alternate site recently optioned in Contra Costa County near Rodeo have been suspended. The decision to concentrate on the Benicia loca tion was made because this site appears to have the most promising geographical and economic features for the Company's updated refinery plans. During the past year there have been changes in Humble's business forecasts which could affect the optimum location of the refinery. Economic conditions affecting the industry and the Com pany's participation in it have made necessary a considerably larger refinery than the 50,000 b/d operation originally intended. (EDITOR'S NOTE. Without doing any more research than reading a National Geographic San Francisco area. Benicia and Rodeo are at upper right. Ozol, where the Esso Dallas is scheduled to dis charge June 18, is about where the word "Martinez" is, across the Carquinez Strait from Benicia. General Drafting Co., Inc. Novato' AR , .Cc*. Ignacio h ' Rafael' Village | ^ f-ftnSion Air 5V* Terra- ` Linda c ^SanAnselmoL. iVSeawnttoia-' . *55? ` ^Tempe L.yZlifcsjjl tinttrfrfl 3e$sh A Tmmalpah AcSrto, ' V Msi&ii i WOODS^li Marin City firtOoniki .vSausalitif r * _ ... G**' Preal,idfe| Pildbc*/----<- .f'f Pleasant EXX- M O R-006469 Magazine and looking at a Humble road map, we relish the Company's- decision to switch its attention for a refinery site from Moss Landing to Benicia. Whereas the former is in a noted artichoke-growing area, Benicia is only about 20 miles south of Napa which, we muscatel you, is mentioned as a winery center.) Medical Plan to Supplement Medicare A new major medical plan for annuitants and their spouses age 65 and over (and the spouses of current employees over age 65) wras announced by the Company on May 11. The plan, which supplements Medicare, will become effective on July 1. Annuitants under age 65 and the under age 65 wife of an annuitant will continue coverage under the plan that is now applicable to them. When the annuitant and/or his spouse become 65, they will automatically be enrolled in the new major medical plan. The Company pays the full cost of the plan for annuitants and/or their wives who are over age 65. For these persons there will be no deduc tions from annuity checks for hospital-medical benefits coverage after June 1966. It is important, however, that they sign up for Medicare, Part B. If a seagoing employee has a wife who is nowr age 65 or more, the Seagoing Personnel Section in Houston should be contacted to arrange for the new coverage. Briefly, the benefits provided under the new plan will be 80% of covered medical expenses which exceed the deductible amount. However, for out-of-hospital covered medical expenses as a result of mental or nervous disorders, the insurance company will pay 50%. There is a maximum bene fit of $10,000 during the individual's lifetime. Covered medical expenses are the reasonable charges actually incurred upon the recommenda tion and approval of the attending physician for the treatment of accidental injury or sickness of the covered person. The deductible amount in each calendar year will be the benefits under Parts A and B of Medi care. regardless of whether the individual is cov ered by these parts, plus $200, which includes the Medicare deductibles. A booklet giving more detailed information is to be mailed to annuitants. PS. If any annuitant formerly in the Fleet has not received a letter from Humble concerning the new medical plan, he should contact E. C. Fischer. Benefits & Claims Section, in Houston. The Art of Beefing To beef, to gripe, to complain are time-honored rights and privileges of seamen, probably going back at least to the crew who sailed in the Argo with Jason in search of the Golden Fleece. We have some Master Beefers in the fleet but it has been our observation that the art is declin ing. Many men are rankly deficient in their ability to put out a good squawk. Possibly they once had good grousing powers but they have deteriorated through neglect. It is to these men that the following refresher in better beefing is especially directed. WHAT TO BEEF ABOUT? Unless you are just a plain old sad sack, the subject cf a beef some times requires thought and imagination. An expert can fuss about "nobody to do any work around here anymore" while pulling out his pocket watch every 30 seconds and mumbling about his watch partner being late to relieve him for coffee. This is known as a prime beef. Then there is the corny beef. You come to the messroom. sit down, pick up the menu and read "roast fresh ham." You explode -- "Fresh ham! Why couldn't we have smoked ham today?" The Old Man, the Mate, the Chief and First are all great gripe subjects. They' either don't give you enough overtime or they want yrou to do too much and they' want you to work when they want, not when you want. Some refer to this as stew beef. Ship arrivals and departures are also sure-fire topics to spout about. Have you ever known a vessel to arrive on schedule when you were get ting off? And theyr do pick the sailing board times out of a hat. don't they? There are countless other things to beef about and you will be able to find them with a little effort or, if that's too much trouble, ask one of the experts for advice. WHEN TO BEEF. Good timing is essential to better beefing and. of course, you need an audi ence. If you gripe alone, you are talking to your self and that may lend to the man with the white coat. Try not to have any Cheerful Charlies or Happy' Harry's in the audience. These people are ESSO FLEET NEWS is published for the seagoing em ployees of the Marine Department. Humble Oil & Refining Co.: Joseph Andreae. General Manager: Sydney Wire. Assistant General Manager. W. E. Gardner. Editor. Contributions and suggestions are invited and should bo addressed to The Editor. Esso Fleet News. Humble Oil & Refining Co., P. O. Box 1512. Houston. Texas 77001. one-sided -- the bright side -- and they spoil many a lovely lament. Besides, they're always trying to convert you. If the beef is to an officer, you must pick a time when he is in the right mood. If he is in a good humor, the gripe is a waste of time be cause he will say -- "Yes, yes. Sure, sure, we'll see what we can do." And you go away feeling frustrated. If the officer is in ill humor, you may have to listen to a bigger gripe from him. With some officers there's practically no good time to beef. Esso Research Develops New Fuel Cell A completely self-sustained, fully automated fuel cell battery has been developed by Esso Research and Engineering Co. The unit packs into a box, about the size of a home movie projector, all equipment needed to change a low-cost liquid fuel directly into a steady source of electricity. The new model, delivered to the Army Elec tronics Command, Fort Monmouth, N. J. for test ing, is said to mark a significant step toward a source of fuel cell power for non-space use. Once switched on, it requires no attention. Appliances or power tools such as electric drills that can be plugged in, receive a steady source of electrical energy. It is the first battery to convert chemical energy from a practical fuel directly into electricity with no intermediate steps. It delivers power levels exceeding 60 watts at a regulated output of 6 volts. This voltage is a standard power for operat ing transistorized electronic equipment. The power can be stepped up by adding more cells to the battery. It now has 19. Methanol, the low-cost fuel, is used as racing car fuel, in anti-freeze and in paint thinners. Theoretically, a fuel cell is the most efficient machine ever conceived. Practical engineering problems had to be solved to develop a cell that will maintain steady, efficient operation at a low temperature and with economical fuels. The new unit is an advance over previous methanol models because it demonstrates that a fuel cell battery can be packaged for continuous operation, unattended by an engineer formerly required to make adjust ments to air, water and fuel valves for best performance. This packaged methanol fuel cell is not a com mercial model. Substitutes for expensive metal catalysts must be found and lighter models must be engineered. "But as nearly as we are able to determine." an Esso Research spokesman said, "this cell is a major advance in the long devel Packaged fuel cell supplies electricity for Va" drill. Esso Research scientists George Ciprios, left, operates the drill as Dr. Barry L. Tarmy checks the cell. opment toward practical application using lowtemperature and low-cost fuel." Raises in Grade Robert T. Spetz -- to 1st Asst. Engr. 5/13/66* Lawrence D. Roth---to 2nd Asst. Engr. 5/16/66 *Date reported to Company. Don't Soft-Soap Safety DUZ you DREFT along with the TIDE? VEL, now is the time for ALL to CHEER up. If you w'ant real JOY during the summer, the TREND is to BREEZE along to a better vacation time. Too many WOODBURY their heads and not look for their own faults . . . Don't trust to luck -- you may have to send out an SOS or wind up in an IVORY palace up yonder . . . Keep your record SPIC & SPAN --PLEDGE yourself to safety: take PRIDE in your record, it will put new' ZEST in your life. -- Esso Prairie News EXX-MOR-006471 ~ * RECENT RETIREMENTS Captain Ralph W. Durdle, Jr ....regular Master of the Esso W_ I Gloucester for 2Vj} years, retired June 1 at his own request. Excfc ~ ;?/ cept for his first assignment as AB in the Esso Baytown on April 20, 1939, another in that rating and 2 as Bos'n in 1940, all of his 26 years in the Fleet were in deck officer ranks. During World War II Captain Durdle sailed as Third, Second and Chief Mate, and as Master of the WET, Inc. tanker E. L. Doheny (his first command) from April 1945 to March 1946. He survived the first torpedoing of the Esso Baton Rouge off the coast of Georgia on April 8, 1942. In post-war years Captain Durdle served as Second, Chief Mate and relieving Master until his promotion to Master in May 1963. He lives in Malden, Mass, with his wife Marjorie. Messman Paulo F. Pimentel was given a royal send-off, April 13, as he prepared to leave the Esso Washington for paid leave and retirement. After the ship docked at Baltimore, the men gathered in the crew messroom, Chief Steward David G. Fernandes made a brief com plimentary speech and Captain Ernest Palazzini presented Paul with a gift from his shipmates. It was a deluxe pipe rack and humidor, complete with inscribed brass plate, 2 cans of special to bacco, a set of 4 matched pipes and a crew list. The gift idea was "cooked up" by the Steward's Dept, and executed by Captain Palazzini and Jack Bennett, Baltimore Branch Manager, who made the purchase and delivery. Mr. Pimentel reached mandatory retirement age June 1. Of his 14(4 years of continuous service, half were as Utilityman and Messman and half as Wiper. He has been living in New Bedford but plans to visit and possibly stay in his native Cape Verde Islands. TAFFRAIL TALK Captain Robert J. Boxwell, Esso Scranton, would like it known by all and sundry that his first trip as Master (Baltimore to Baytown) was a pleasant one and he gives the lion's share of the credit to the ship's officers and crew with an assist to "that Big Fellow upstairs for good weather." Among other things, the men did "a su perb job of cleaning tanks from black to clean oil." ** * We have another new Master in the Fleet, Cap tain Donald E. Graham, who relieved Captain Julius E. Wend in the Esso Newark at Wilming ton, May 31. ** * William L. Thievon (Chief Engr., ret. Dec. 1965) and his wife visited with friends in Bay town, May 26, on a "See America Best" trip, which will includeYellowstone and GrandTeton national parks.Bill looks fine, ourreporter said. * ** Esso Jamestown arrived at Guam, May 20 and sailed on the 28th for Baytown, the delay caused by lack of storage room. Eight days in port (or off port) -- but why couldn't it have been Pearl Harbor, where the Esso New York ( Captain Vic tor T. Springer. Chief Engr. Edward J. Schleifer) is scheduled to dock June 15. * ** Esso Gettysburg (Captain Charles F. Stober, Chief Mate Ormond A. Staples) loaded 304,352 bbls. (6 grades) in 12 hrs., 20 min. at Baytown, May 16-17. Total turnaround time was 16 hrs., 20 min., which is almost 20% under the 20-hr. goal. t WORDS OF THE WlSEu Make the most of today. Translate your good intentions into actual deeds. Know that you can do what ought to be done. Improve your plans. Keep a definite goal of achievement constantly in view. Realize that work well and worthily done makes life truly worth living. -- Grenville Kleiser OBITUARY Archibald Marcus. 70. Radio Officer in the Fleet for over 32 years, died May 25 in Matapan, Mass., his home town. Surviving are 2 sisters. Mrs. Sadie Cohen, and Mrs. Hilda Rosenberg. For 8(4 years prior to his re tirement. March 1, 1961. Mr. Marcus was Radio Officer in the Esso Chester. His Company service began in June 1921 and included all of the War years, during which he sailed in 5 vessels on North and South Atlantic. Mediterranean and Pacific voyages without en countering enemy attack. Mr. Marcus helped to establish the Esso Radio Officers' Association in 1942 and served on the Executive Committee for 12 years.