RasGas Company Limited (RasGas) has concluded its 10th Summer Internship Programme by awarding a Mechanical Engineering student the coveted title “RasGas Star.”
Al-Maha al-Mana, a student of Texas A&M University in Qatar, bested seven other competitors in the company’s Summer Internship Star Competition 2015.
Out of this year’s 53 interns who joined RasGas’ summer programme, eight vied for the title “RasGas Star.” Al-Mana won the prize at presenting a user guide to significantly increase the efficiency of companders used in the LNG industry.
Al-Mana’s user guide has the potential to increase a machine’s efficiency by 6% and enhance the quality of RasGas liquefied natural gas (LNG) production, as well as bolster the company’s revenues.
The competition, held for the eighth consecutive time this year, marks the end of the summer internship programme offered to young Qataris and residents studying in local universities.
In addition to providing an environment where students can learn about business needs in the field, interns are given individual projects to work on under the guidance of a mentor and are eligible to compete in the annual Summer Internship Star Competition held at the end of their summer stint with RasGas. Competing interns present their projects to a panel of judges and are selected based on their presentation’s delivery and content.
According to al-Mana, she “learned a lot” from being on site and experiencing first-hand RasGas’ work environment at Ras Laffan.
“It was a very valuable and challenging experience for me. Working on this project under the guidance of my RasGas mentor allowed me to have a clear vision of what my future career as an engineer will be like,” said al-Mana.
Al-Mana, along with Qatar University Chemical Engineering student Abdulaziz al-Meraghi and Texas A&M University in Qatar Mechanical Engineering student Abdul Rahman Hendi, all made it to the final round of the competition.
Al-Meraghi proposed cost-saving environmental project while Hendi studied the efficiency of the RasGas’ well casings to suggest future improvements. They all presented their projects before a panel of three judges representing various sectors of Qatar’s economy. Al-Meraghi and Hendi won second and third place, respectively.
“At RasGas, we recognise that in order to excel in a global society, graduates must not only possess the highest academic knowledge but must have practical workplace skills.
Our summer internship programme is designed to offer that bridge between university and employment.
“While allowing interns to apply theoretical and academic concepts in the work environment, the mentors are, in turn, challenged to see things through the fresh pair of eyes of the inquisitive interns under their guidance,” said RasGas chief employee development and welfare officer Erhama al-Kaabi.