The news magazine of

“Communication is Meeting”

We meetJuan Ramón Lucas, director of Spanish

national radio’s En días como hoy

CEPSA Lubricantes in the vanguard in quality

Cover reportPress officesfor bettercommunication

ProductBiodegradablelubricants and the Ecolabel

SIGPAT, an innovativeprogramme

CompetitionDany Torres and CLSA, up among the greats once again

Issue 23 • 2nd half of 2010

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If you have any news you would like to publish or anysuggestions, please e-mail them to: lubricantes@cepsa.com

If you would like to make any technical consulta-tions about any of our products or services, send your e-mail to:st.lubes@cepsa.com

Internet address:www.cepsa.com

Direction and publication: Marketing Department, CEPSA Lubricantes, S.A.

The following people have contributed to this issue:Alicia Cuervo, Alfonso Málaga, Alvaro Macarro, Ana Feliú, Carlos García, Cesar Galera, Clemente Loza-no, Beatriz Calvo, Eduardo Gómez, Emma Martín, Eva Pavón, Florencio Pérez, Gerardo Socorro, Inma-culada Abadía, Jaime Sastre, Javier Pulgar, Jorge Gallego, Juan Ramón Lucas, Luis Zamora, María Jesús Peláez, Marcos Pallás, Marisa Hernández, Marta García de Vitoria, Marta Lugris, Paloma Mar-tínez, Remedios Barona, Susana Ortega, Trinidad Espinosa and Vicente Calero.

Many thanks to all of them.

Design, coordination and layout:

Printing:Ibergráficas S.A.

Editor:Juan Manuel Vidal

Photographs:Mayte Villares and Javier Torrente

Half-yearly publication distributed free of charge.Edition: 8,500 copiesLegal deposit: 50580

summary

4 CEPSA GROUP:• H.R.H. the King inaugurates CEPSA’s refinery in La Rábida• Village Club Selection match in Salamanca• “THE RED” conquers the world and the Prince of Asturias Award• PROAS Technological Specialization Workshops

6 QUALITY, SAFETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT:

• CEPSA Lubricantes in the vanguard of quality• Visible leadership and zero tolerance in safety

8 SAFETY REPORT:

• Should there be an upper age limit for drivers?

10 CEPSA LUBRICANTES WORLDWIDE

• 1st International Meeting of CLSA distributors• 2010 Automechanika Trade Fair

12 FACE TO FACE:

• Meeting with Juan Ramón Lucas, Director of Spanish national radio’s “En días como hoy”

15 SPECIAL REPORT:

• Press offices for better communication• Advertising, another form of communication at the service of companies Interview with Clemente Manzano, General Manager of Sra. Rushmore

20 PRODUCT:

• New design in larger CEPSA Lubricantes containers• Launch of new ERTOIL range• Biodegradable lubricants and the Ecolabel

22 CEPSA LUBRICANTES AT SEA

• Informing better to sell better• Acciona Trasmediterránea continues to trust CLSA

24 PROFESOR LUBRICK: Field test

• SIGPAT: saving in times of crisis

26 COMPETITION

• Dany Torres and CLSA, up among the greats once again• Antonio Albacete and CEPSA, Champions of Europe• Success of the CEPSA Spanish Motocross Championship

28 FLASHES

• CLSA sponsors the winning team in the Business Marketing Competition• Passion for “THE RED” in Costa Rica• CLSA moves ahead in Shanghai and Taiwan• CLSA signs a contract with UNICARBIDE INTERNATIONAL• 15th anniversary of CEPSA Oasis• ASIA PETROLEUM: with “THE RED”, with every sport

30 SCENES FROM THE HISTORY OF PETROLEUM:

• Adding heat to the process (VI)

3

editorial

Edito

rialCommunication is the key

Florencio PérezSales Manager ofCEPSA Lubricantes, S.A.

The human race has never before found itself at a time like this, when information is disseminated all round the globe thanks to the new

technologies. Human beings’ need for communication, which Darwin emphasized was a determining factor in biological survival, seems to be moving forward at the same rate, thanks to the ideal conditions this time of digital development provides us with: the advance in social networks, the thousands of blogs, the ubiquity of mobile phones and the assimi-lation of the Internet and e-mail as tools used on a daily basis, confirm the need to increase individual communication based not only on the transmission of knowledge, but also on the dissemination of sensations and experiences; in short, to share.

Since its origins, the human race has felt the need to learn, and to trans-mit and communicate this knowledge to its environment. Cave paintings, the pictograms of cuneiform writing, hieroglyphics, painting and sculp-ture are all ways of sending messages to our environment. It is the way each time and each civilization makes their essence last and become eternal. The next civilization bases itself on the legacy of the previous one to move ahead faster; it is logical enough – in that way, there is no need to start from scratch.

The theory of periodic duplication of information reveals that the time lapses when human information is duplicated (and here human informa-tion is equivalent to its advances, its discoveries) are becoming shorter and shorter. While in Prehistory the average time of a duplication is re-ferred to in millenniums and in the Renaissance to just two centuries, we can now measure it in years, and in some fields in just a few months.

Today, the new information and communication technologies have made it possible for information to reach any place in the world in just a few seconds, however far away the sender is. This information is not only fast and complete, it is also cheap, especially when we compare it with traditional vehicles of transmission. All of this means that information is more and more available and that the problem that might arise is not in obtaining it, but in the overabundance of information which implies that large doses of knowledge are required to administer and use it correctly, so that we do not get lost. That is why communication is important as it helps us to distinguish what is essential from what is not, and helps the ideas to reach the receiver clearly and plainly.

At CEPSA Lubricantes, we are aware that communication is funda-mental; there is no other way to tell the world, our customers, who we

are, what we do and what we can offer to satisfy their needs. We are a customer-orientated company and these are not empty words, but are borne out by facts.

The First International Meeting of CLSA’s distribution companies outside Spain was the ideal setting to share information and talk to one another about different forms of distribution, from Asia to the West In-dies, and in a large number of countries. The Automechanika Trade Fair in Frankfurt served as an international loudspeaker to announce our advances, our products and our services, which show why CEPSA Lubri-cantes is regarded as a brand in the vanguard of innovation. Our new larger drums are also a form of communication, in this case of our con-tinual desire to renovate without losing our identity. SIGPAT is one of our great communicators (it receives and delivers sensitive information), an extraordinary ally for transmitting the virtues of our products. And what can we say about Órbita Cepsa, which has made a forceful entrance in the world of distribution. Another of projects is the important communi-cation of zero tolerance in safety, in this case to reduce situations of risk at the company. And as in any communication system, there is not only a transmitter but also a receiver, we show that we are also capable of listening, hearing the voice of the environment: the development of a range of biodegradable lubricants is, apart from being a demand from the market, a sincere concern to protect our environment and increase sustainability.

CEPSA Lubricantes should continue to follow this current of absolu-te communication which pervades the society in which we live, and to discover new forms of communication and adapt them to our everyday life: transmitting our information in the most efficient way possible will always be the winning option.

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In addition, CEPSA’s Chief Executive Officer, Dominique de Riberolles, said, “The characteristics of the investment evidence the fundamental role our industry plays in the development and competitiveness of the European economy and its capacity to main-tain skilled jobs and its efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its activities, in the transition towards a more independent, sus-tainable and efficient energy model.”

The project to increase the output capaci-ty of medium distillates (known as ACPDM at CEPSA) at La Rábida refinery was the largest in-vestment project in the history of CEPSA - if we exclude the initial construction of its refineries - and one of the biggest in Spain in recent years.

On this subject, CEPSA’s Chief Executive Officer explained that “About 10 engineering firms, 200 capital goods suppliers and over 320 contracting companies took part in the project, directly contributing one million hours of engineering, nearly seven million hours of assembly and supervision at the refinery, with 3,500 people involved in the peak months of activity. Starting up the project involved creating 166 stable highly-skilled jobs at CEPSA, apart from a large increase in the ex-ternal services required and in induced econo-mic activity around the refinery.”

With an investment of some 1,000 million euros and a complexity equivalent to duplica-ting the existing refinery, apart from including process units previously unseen in CEPSA’s manufacturing scheme, the ACPDM project makes it a refining platform of the first order, boosting its energy efficiency, its level of glo-bal competitiveness and maximizing its syner-gy with its other two refineries in San Roque and Tenerife.

The building involved an investment of some 1,000 million euros

Last October CEPSA inaugurated the extension of “La Rábida” refinery in Palos de la Frontera (Huelva). The ceremony, which was presided over by H.R.H. the King, was attended by the President of Andalusia’s Regional Govern-ment, José Antonio Griñán, the Government Delegate in Andalusia, Luis García Garrido, the Mayor of Palos de la Frontera, Carmelo Romero, the State Secretary for Research, in representation of the Government, Felipe Pétriz Calvo, and Councillors from Andalusia’s Regional Government, other regional and local authorities, different directors of bodies and companies related to the energy sector and Andalusian business leaders.

During the inauguration ceremony, CEPSA’s Chairman, Santiago Bergareche, stressed that “The idea which led the Com-pany to carry out this project was the need to increase safety in the supply of automotive gasoil, of which there is a shortage in Spain. In today’s society, where 80% of energy con-sumption comes from fossil fuels - 34% of this corresponds to petroleum and in the best of future scenarios, the percentage is not expec-ted to fall below 30% - an installation like this one is a bid for the future of society in gene-ral and of CEPSA in particular.”

H.R.H. the King inaugurates the extension of CEPSA’s refinery in La Rábida

CEPSA group

The project was passed in the period 2005-06, driven by the need to increase safe-ty in automotive gasoil supply in Spain. It also meets other targets such as:

- Increasing flexibility in all the ope-

rations in CEPSA’s Refining Division, both in relation to crude oils to be trea-ted and in each refinery’s production.

- Consolidating the business fabric in Huelva and its surrounding area, not only during the period of construction, but also throughout the period of com-mercial operation of its installations.

With the extension of its facilities, the refinery’s production rises to over 9 million tonnes. Of this, over 5 million corresponds to medium distillates (diesel and kerosene), products which are in short supply in Spain and of which over 11 million tonnes a year are imported.

At the environmental level, the project im-plies a substantial change at La Rábida refi-nery. It has recently renewed the Integrated Environmental Permit, through a process of evaluation, led by the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce. The Ministry of the Environment, Rural and Marine Environment and Andalusia’s Regional Government’s Coun-cil of the Environment made important contri-butions to the evaluation process.

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Last November Spain’s national football side won the Prince of Asturias Award for sports, on the back of a heroic win in the recent South African World Cup.

CEPSA, as official sponsor of the na-tional side, a team CEPSA will continue to sponsor in order to capitalize on its values, congratulated Vicente del Bosque’s men by means of an advert.

The advert refers to the success achie-ved by the team in 2010 through a creative message which is both congenial and me-morable. It stresses that “The RED con-quers the world and the Prince of Astu-rias Award”, because “while it is difficult to be the best players in the world, it is even harder to be the best example for all sportsmen and women”.

“THE RED” conquers the world and the Prince of Asturias Award

On November 16 and 17 2010, Valladolid and Valencia hosted the 4th and 5th PROAS Technological Specialization Workshops on Bitumen and Asphalt Mixes, aimed at road building sector professionals. These work-shops received the support of the Directorate General for Roads and Infrastructure of the Regional Government of Castile and Leon and the Valencian Community’s Department of Infrastructures and Transport.

PROAS (a company in the CEPSA group) orga-nized these workshops to provide the latest in-formation about all the most important new de-velopments in the world of asphaltic bitumens, from a technical and legislative standpoint. The workshops also looked at the new technologies and products that the industry is developing now and which in the near future will be in wi-despread use. The aim is to deliver better pro-ducts to the professionals in the sector and to establish these meetings as a technical forum for the exchange of knowledge.

These workshops were attended by over 100 professionals, representatives of official bodies of the various government authorities, and spe-cialists from the most important companies in the sector, both in Valladolid and in Valencia. They were opened by Jesús Carnero García, Secretary General of the Department of De-velopment of the Regional Government of Castile and Leon in Valladolid, and by Ismael Ferrer, Director-General of Public Works of the Department of Infrastructures and Trans-port in Valencia. The 4th Workshop in Valla-dolid was closed by Luis Alberto Solís Villa, Director-General of Roads for the Regional Government of Castile and Leon and by Ra-fael Valcárcel, CEO of PROAS, who also clo-sed the 5th Workshop in Valencia.

PROAS Technological Specialization Workshops

On October 8, coinciding with the Eurocup 2012 qualifier between Spain and Lithua-nia at the Helmántico stadium, CEPSA put on another promotional activity in the his-toric Plaza Mayor of Salamanca, where a new edition of the Village Club Selection was held.

The event was a resounding success in terms of visitor numbers. According to fi-gures from the organization, more than 55,000 people attended, beating the re-cord of all previous events and attracting national and local media attention.

Among the most important promotional activities for lubricants was the distribution of over 3,000 flyers to generate business for Órbita garages, while for service stations over 300 application forms for the PORQUE TU VUELVES (Because You Come Back) loyalty card were distributed. This figure represents a redemption rate of over 10% (standard 3%) of the estimated number of adult visitors to the Village Club Selection marquee.

Village Club Selection matchin Salamanca

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CEPSA Lubricantesin the vanguard of qualityFor another year CEPSA Lubricantes and Atlántico have renewed their commitment to quality with their AENOR renewal audit for the following standards:

- ISO 9001:2008 – “Quality Manage-ment System”;

- ISO TS 16949 – “Particular re-quirements for the application of ISO 9001:2008 for automotive production and relevant service part organizations”;

- PECAL 2120 – “NATO Quality assu-rance requirements for production”

Among the strengths of the organization, AENOR stresses the commitment to innova-tion through the “INNOVAC” project and the launch of the ORBITA CEPSA project.

The quality assurance agency also highlights CLSA staff’s involvement in the area of environmental protection, safety and quality (known by its Spanish acron-ym, PASCAL), the historical analysis of the results of customer satisfaction surveys from 2004 to 2010 and the improvement measures implemented, the information provided by customers on the web page, and the analysis and monitoring of sales-manufacturing and stock-out forecasts in the operations area.

AENOR also detected areas for improve-ment, a source of very useful information for the company’s ongoing innovation process, such as the differentiation of the types of in-cidents reported to SIAC (Integrated Customer Care Service) in order to implement impro-vement measures and to establish incident response times depending on the type of the incident in question.

Audit of the Blendingand Packaging Plant

An AENOR audit was also conducted on the Blending and Packaging Plant for the same standards mentioned above. Among other aspects, the audit highlighted the au-tomation of the facilities in terms of tank fill control, the information provided in packaging orders, the display and communication of tar-gets on notice boards, the detail of the process flowchart, and the capture and analysis of data in all departments.

At CLSA we are aware that these exce-llent results are achieved thanks to the in-volvement of the unit’s staff in the improve-ment of the levels of quality we offer to our customers.

Meanwhile, the first inspection under the EC regulation REACH (Registration, Evalua-tion, Authorization and Restriction of Chemi-cal Substances EC 1907/2006) took place last September at the Blending and Packa-ging Plant. The inspection checked aspects such as the format of the safety data sheets, the profile of the CLSA unit under the regulation, and the classification of all the chemical substances used at the plant, whether finished products or additives from third parties.

As lesser recommendations, AENOR pointed out that there should be an e-mail address in the first section of the safety data sheets, and that the data sheets should be in the official langua-ge of the state at least. These recommendations were adopted that same week.

The registration phase for REACH ended on 30 November and, therefore, now this phase has been completed, the information on the la-bels of chemical substances will undergo a num-ber of changes. Being blends, CLSA lubricants will not be affected for the moment.

CLSAquality, safety and

the environment

7

The API recognizes CEPSA’s efforts in pur-suit of quality

The American Petroleum Institute (API), the primary tra-de association for the petroleum industry which certifies lubricant products meeting a series of requirements, making them eligible to bear the famous API “donut”, has approached CEPSA via its Engine Oil Li-censing and Certification System (EOLCS).

API thanked CEPSA Lubricantes for its work towards ensuring that the marketed products meet the requirements of EOLCS, (API’s Engine Oil Licensing and Certification Sys-tem), which is a source of encouragement to continue doing things well. It is also an example of how our products meet the highest quality standards.

Certification is obtained through a system of audits called the Aftermarket Audit Program (AMAP) conducted by API on EOLCS certified pro-ducts, which involves the acquisition of random samples of products directly from the market. These samples are laboratory-tested to ensure that the product meets the specifications of the certificate, and that the label and the standard claimed fully match the specifications indicated

by the API “donut”.

We would like to stress the importance of the fact that a totally independent and lubricant market specific auditing system such as AMAP has recognized the com-mitment to quality evidenced by CEPSA Lubricantes products.

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In February 2010, the CEPSA group launched the project “Visible Leadership and Zero Tolerance of Unsafe Acts” with the aim of demonstrating our commitment to safety to everyone who works at our company.

Following this principle, CEPSA Lubrican-tes and Atlántico adapted this project to their particular needs and risk situations in order to be able to enhance safety in their units. This programme was designed and submitted for approval in 2010, and is now an action plan for 2011.

It will be promoted by department heads and senior managers, and supported by safety professionals. Actions to be carried out will include the tightening of safety mea-sures for vehicles used in work, a qualita-tive and quantitative improvement of staff training in safety issues, the conduct of in-vestigations into incidents/accidents, the delivery of awareness messages in all mee-tings, and the performance of Preventive Safety Checks.

Visible leadership and zero tolerance in safety

8

Should there be an upper age limit for drivers?

According to figures from the National Institute of Statistics for November 2010, the over-65s account for 17% of Spain’s population. The General Directorate for Tra-ffic, using figures from 2009, says that 11% of all drivers, in other words, 2.8 million, are over 65. With regard to road accident fi-gures, 13% of all road deaths (191) involved over 65 year olds. A mere 3% of drivers over 65 fail their driving test medical. And only 1% of drivers sign up for driving lessons at such an advanced age.

Some specialist publications have drawn up a profile of the average elderly driver. They tend to be middle class pensioners, mostly city dwellers, who have an average monthly income of around 1,200 euros. They drive six-year-old cars and do about 120 kilometres a week. Their journeys tend to be for the purpose of leisure activities or visits to the doctor or relatives.

There is also evidence of a gradual aging of the driver population, especially in the over-45 age groups, which is correlative and proportional to the aging of the Spanish po-pulation. According to United Nations esti-mates for 2050, Spain will be the third ol-dest country in the world, only surpassed by Japan and Italy.

Set an upper age limit for drivers?Older drivers are more cautious but

their reflexes are slower and they react more slowly to the unexpected. This does not mean that they are irresponsible at the wheel, but their slip-ups put their safety and the safety of others at risk. These limitations multiply the likelihood of accidents, and given the pace at which the population is aging, this fact may become the cause of much concern. This has led experts to discuss whether age limits should be set for holders of driving li-cences or whether the elderly should be per-suaded to park their cars definitively on a vo-luntary basis.

One logical consequence of age is the appearance of complaints and illnesses which prevent or make it difficult for ol-der drivers to drive safely, such as sight-related problems (glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, etc.), dia-betes, vascular diseases (cardiac and cere-bral), senile dementia, hearing problems, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, sleep disorders, etc. All involve treatment with medication, such as tranquilizers, insulin, blood pres-sure control tablets, etc., which may have an effect on these people’s driving. And they are unquestionably more vulnerable to impacts and injuries.

The Director-General of Traffic, Pere Navarro, has himself publicly stated that the contribution of older drivers to road accident rates is “cause for little concern”, although he has also said that a growing number of relatives of elderly drivers have approached the General Di-

Personal transport shortens distances and journey times for elderly drivers, although they may no longer be subject to the rigours of the world of employment. But not being employed does not have to lead to their isolation or social exclusion, since their social circle may become wider and more complex. In this context, should we be talking about introducing legislation to prevent them from driving after a certain age.

Safetyreport

rectorate for Traffic in order to ask them to withdraw their aging relative’s driving licence out of concern for their safety. In Navarro’s opinion “something is happening and we need to give the matter some con-sideration”.

Studies prove that at 55 years of age and older, symptoms start to appear that impair a driver’s psycho-physical condition: eyesight and hearing diminish and reaction times lengthen. Elderly drivers are aware of their limitations and alter their be-haviour at the wheel to avoid accidents: they drive more slowly, drive fewer hours a day, do not take drugs or drink alco-hol, watch out for adverse weather con-ditions, avoid driving at night and driving in areas and at times when there are added difficulties, such as peak driving days, etc.

Age-related dangerous behaviour inclu-des driving at a lower than advisable speed, sudden changes of direction, and wrong-way driving. Drivers may also have difficulty with parking, respecting traffic signals, and driving in a straight line, although these problems contribute less to the accident rate for this age group.

The insurance sector has no up-to-date information in this respect, but sources consulted expressed their concern at the fact that, while qualitatively the experience of the driver population is increasing, so is their longevity. This will make it necessary to increase the size of fixed and luminous traffic signs, improve accesses to major roads, adapt the vehicles themselves, and launch competitive insurance offers for this age group, while constantly monitoring age-related accident rates.

Experts reject mandatory age limits

Most experts reject the imposition of age li-mits, as they consider them discriminatory and a violation of the right to mobility of the elderly, but they are aware that a line has to be drawn somewhere. Some experts have suggested to the authorities that more stringent tests should be set if relatives notice anomalies in the way their elders are driving, or to limit their move-ments to within a particular radius of kilome-tres of their homes.

Road safety technicians say that there are a growing number of people who wish to know how best to suggest to their elderly relatives that it would be better if they hung up their car keys for ever because they have become too much of a risk, but they admit that this decision may be traumatic. “When you take their driving licence away from them it’s like tearing out their heart. They lose authority and independence”.

If we look at what is happening in Europe we see that in France, despite the fact that elderly dri-vers account for 20% of total drivers, they are not so concerned by this situation. In Italy, anyone who does not appear to be equipped to drive is sent before a Social Security committee to undergo an in-depth medical check-up. In Austria there is no obligation to renew your driving licence or pass a medical, in spite of the fact that 14% of all acci-dents involve elderly drivers.

However, outside Europe, in Japan, elderly dri-vers who are encouraged to voluntarily hand in the keys to their cars are rewarded with discounts in stores and other commercial establishments for doing so. Finally, in the USA it is calculated that those over 65 may be responsible for raising the overall road traffic accident rate by between 130% and 300% in the next twenty years.

The main conclusions drawn in the Map-fre Foundation’s Survey on Elderly Drivers is that:• For 81% of the respondents, road safety edu-

cation is insufficient or non-existent. 44% admit to not being up-to-date with the chan-ges to road signs or the new highway code.

• 50% prefer to drive on motorways, as they believe them to be safer.

• The greatest stress is caused by night dri-ving (43%) and bad weather (25%).

• 56% of those over 65 drive an average of less than three days a week, compared with the 30% who drive an average of bet-ween 3 and 5 days a week.

• 75% prefer to drive with someone else in the car.

• 91% always use the safety belt and 96% have their vehicle checked regularly and not just for the mandatory vehicle inspection.

• 63% say they keep an eye on their medica-tion to see if it affects their driving and, if it does, they do not drive.

• 87% of the respondents admit that they notice that some of their capabilities have diminished, and 50% admit that they no longer enjoy driving so much.

• The capability which they most say has su-ffered some loss is their eyesight (45%), followed by agility and reflexes (25%), and hearing (17%).

• 67% of the sample admit to having slower reflexes and feeling more insecure and slower, as opposed to the 33% who say they feel the same.

9

TipsUse the vehicle during the day, avoiding dawn and dusk. Choose easy routes, ma-king use of motorways and avoiding secon-dary roads or roads in poor condition as far as possible. Do not travel alone. Avoid long journeys and heavy meals, and do not drink alcohol. Have your health and the car chec-ked regularly. Bear in mind the side effects of medication. Make sure that conditions inside the car in terms of temperature and comfort are optimal.

10

1st International Meeting of CLSA distributors

The capital of Spain was the unparalle-led setting for this meeting, which was called the “1st International Meeting”. The event brought together 79 representatives from 31 of CEPSA Lubricantes’ distribution compa-nies, from 29 countries in different parts of the world.

The days started on Thursday 30 with a reception at the NH Paseo del Prado Hotel, where guests stayed, in Plaza de Cánovas del Castillo. At the welcoming cocktail, the distri-butors had the opportunity to start to get to know each other and share their comments on their business experiences when working with CEPSA Lubricantes.

Friday 1 October started with a working meeting which was held in the training rooms at CEPSA Lubricantes’ head office in the Par-que de las Naciones Business Centre in Ma-drid. The meeting, which lasted for two hours, mainly served to present the recent improve-ments to the range of products for export and the targets for 2011.

A meeting with sights set on the future

Besides consolidating the business re-lations between the participants, the Legal Department presented its lines of action. The event was closed with a few words from CEPSA Lubricantes’ General Manager, José Luis Prieto, followed by a video with sights set on a future which everyone hopes will be “charged with new opportunities”.

After that, our international distributors vi-

sited the CEPSA Group’s head offices and had their photograph taken in front of the building. When the visit was over, an extensive range of leisure activities started, beginning with a tour of the city and its old part, where the visitors were able to learn about Madrid customs. They ended up by having lunch in one of the capital’s classic restaurants, “Las Cuevas de Luis Candelas”.

The afternoon looked promising in terms of friendship and cordiality between the visitors. An interesting walk round Literary Madrid had been planned and the whole day ended with a dinner and show at one of the capital’s crad-les of flamenco, “El Corral de la Morería”.

Saturday 2 October started with a guided tour around the Real Madrid C.F. ground, the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, and a visit to the Royal Palace and the magnificent gardens around it, which give it character and atmos-phere. The weather was good to the visitors, with clear blue skies and a pleasant tempe-rature, which is not so common at that time of year.

“Forming a team of champions”

Lunch was in one of Madrid’s gastrono-mical havens, at the prestigious restaurant “La Albufera”, on the outskirts of the city to the north, where guests were invited to a de-licious paella.

The trip back to the hotel turned into a

descriptive tour around the financial heart of Madrid, the Paseo de la Castellana, whe-re some of city’s most emblematic skyscra-pers are located, such as the Picasso Tower, the Europa Building, BBVA’s former head offices and the lofty towers on Real Madrid’s former sports city, an icon of the progress of the capital.

During the free afternoon, guests could do

some shopping, while others escaped to the monumental city of Toledo. The climax of this 1st International Meeting was the farewell din-ner at the avant-garde restaurant “Puerta 57”.

The head of the Export Department, Álva-

ro Macarro, said a few words of thanks to all the guests and encouraged them to “attend future events, where increasing international participation is expected. That is the only way we can continue to form a veritable Team of Champions”.

CLSAworldwide

Madrid was the setting for the first meeting of international distributors from CEPSA Lubricantes’ Export di-vision between 30 September and 3 October.

11

Another edition of Automecha-nika, the leading world trade fair in the automotive industry, was held once again in Frankfurt (Germany).

This event is the world meeting point for the auto aftermarket, a must for national and international net-working: once a year it becomes the most effective business platform in the sector.

The fair was held between 14 and 19

September and was visited by over 161,000 professionals, from 146 countries, inclu-ding Germany, Spain, Italy, Great Britain, Holland, Poland, Greece, Turkey and China, besides many others.

The epicentre of activities at this inno-

vative fair consists of interesting semi-nars, talks and conferences, which analyze

current trends and the projection of such an important sector for industry and the world economy, especially at these times of revolution and change.

Frankfurt, business fair

Automechanika can be summed up as a business trade fair where the subjects ad-dressed in terms of time dedicated to them were: Parts and Systems (48%), Repair and Maintenance (44%), Accessories and Tuning (30%), Service Stations and Car Wash (15%) and IT and Management (12%).

The most specific subjects addressed

amongst the professionals were centred on licensed Free Single-brand Garages, Online Marketing and Garage Systems, automo-bile and original equipment manufacturers, and parts and accessories wholesalers.

But these were not the only topics dealt

with, since information was also provided about the sale of equipment for garages, painting centres, tow-truck services, marke-ting at service stations, car dealers, offi-cial bodies and vocational training schools.

CLSA and Automechanika, faithful to the date

Once again, CEPSA Lubricantes was faithful to its date with the prestigious Ger-man market, and took part with a 72 m2 stand, where it informed all the participants of the many advantages offered by the top brand of lubricants in Spain, whose ramifica-tions now extend around the planet.

CLSA took an active part in organizing the stand, which was visited by professionals from the export departments in the different international regions where they work, within an extensive programme of activities.

Seen there were Alfonso Málaga Martí-

nez for Europe, Inmaculada Abadía Ciria, re-

presenting the Asian market, Carlos García Verdasco, in charge of the Africa and Middle East market, Jordi Travé, bearing the banner for the Central American market and Álvaro Macarro Andrés, the champion of the South American market. In short, a great human and professional display.

The Automechanika Trade Fair ended

on 19 September, and once again the con-clusions of participants and the companies invited were satisfactory. Amongst these companies, CEPSA Lubricantes once again shone, in the vanguard of innovation.

2010 Automechanika Trade Fair

CLSA is already in AfghanistanThe big CLSA family has increased again with a new customer. We are referring to the Afghan company EJAZAZIZ. Indeed, CEPSA publicity can already be seen in the streets on traditional trucks, as shown in the recent photograph.

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“A good communicatorhas to be honest”

What is communication for a professional? How would you define the communication process?

Meeting. The way of relating with others. Communication is essential to being what we are and building what we have. Right now, I’m communicating with the person asking the questions and the person reading… and, now they know what I think or what I want them to think about what I think, or what I want them to think they know about what I think. Com-munication is the game which allows us or prevents us from doing everything. Part of this communication is public; it is for the lis-teners, the readers or the viewers – normally in audiovisual media. We have to know what is going on, understand it, explain it and, quite often, interpret it. It’s a wonderful job.

You have “turned your hand” to different things in the audiovisual field and, apart from the medium itself, what differences do you see between communicating on radio, televi-sions and in the press?

Communicating is telling and we do that in all the media. The differences are in the technical characteristics of the medium itself. In the press, there is more room for telling and for analysis. On television, image and impact take priority… it’s much less ratio-nal. And the radio has something of both of them, because it is impact communication, but it also has time and space for analysis, for explanation. The radio is immediate, the television shows the image, and newspapers tell and interpret.

In your opinion, what values should a good communicator fulfil and make others fulfil?

Basically, honesty. Not deceiving yourself or others. And, of course, having the capacity to tell and the qualities to do it. With this, you can start to work very well.

What role does advertising play in the con-text of communication?

It may bother the listener or the viewer, but it supports the media. It’s essential for the media to exist. As an element of commu-nication, it has the value of adapting reality to the interests of the advertiser. I suppose that’s why advertising is more creative than journalism.

To what extent do communicators, especially audiovisual communicators, have the moral and educational duty of speaking properly in order to communicate better and so reach the general public?

You said it, a moral and educational duty. It’s one of the commitments of our work: it must always be demanded of the medium and the communicator. It’s like sportsmen and women, especially the elite. They need to be aware that their behaviour should always be exemplary, because they are a model for many people, especially children and young people. The communicator’s duty is not to trample on the dictionary, because this could misguide the person reading or listening. And that’s the way it has to be, whether we like it or not.

How far does feedback from viewers, liste-ners or readers influence the communicator?

In my case, a great deal. Listeners’ opinions are vital to produce a programme every day which is destined for them. In this respect, the radio is much richer and more alive, because, in a long programme like “En días como hoy”, it allows you to measure the temperature of the programme and the proximity of the audience, as it is going out live. You get phone calls, e-mails, notes on the blog… With all of what arrives and how it arrives, you gradually get an idea of what you are producing.

faceto face

Born in Madrid (1958) but an Asturian at heart, he spent his childhood in Ujo (Asturias). His father was from Colum-bres and his mother from Mieres, both in Asturias, and they were both from humble origins. Juan Ramón learnt “how useful it is to know where you are, who you are and where you come from”. A graduate in Journalism from Madrid’s Complutense University (1979), he star-ted his career on Radio Juventud and at the newspaper Informaciones, and la-ter collaborated in Spanish Television’s Saturday, programme Informe Sema-nal. After that he started on a long and fruitful road which took him from radio to television, from private to public, tur-ning his hand to everything, from news programmes to documentaries, investi-gation programmes and reality shows, until in September 2007 he returned to the radio to direct “En días como hoy” on the national radio station RNE1. His work has been recognized by the Aca-demia de las Ciencias y las Artes de la Televisión with Premio Ondas and Mi-crófono de Oro awards. Ah, and he is a Knight of the Order of Sabadiego (Nore-ña, Asturias). Not bad! An honest, loyal and pragmatic man, he believes that journalists are photo-graphers of their times, although he likes to look “through other people’s eyes”. He takes care of his appearance and pays attention to detail. He is se-rene and orderly, balanced and calm. He loves the sea and enjoys spending his time with his family and friends. Self-critical, he knows how to laugh at himself, but he takes what he does se-riously. Respectful of people’s privacy, he is a committed and supportive man, especially in social causes such as can-cer or children in poverty. A compulsive reader, he also loves flamenco and ad-venture films. And “on the back of his donkey” (motorbike), he feels like the master of the clouds and the lord of the wind. Many “V-Twins” (the motorcy-clists’ salute) for him.

Juan Ramón LucasDirector of the programme “En días como hoy” on Spanish national radio station RNE1

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Do you think listeners can detect your sta-te of mind from your tone of voice? Is your intention more penetrating depending on how you project your voice?

They can and should understand what I say and how I say it, because that is why I use one tone or another. Life is not flat and commu-nication can’t be flat either. However, having said that, I don’t believe that a change in tone, a particular register, the capacity to play with your voice is the most important. The most es-sential thing, what says most about the com-municator, is his or her capacity to draw close to listeners, and you don’t just do that with your voice, but with the treatment of each sub-ject, or the choice or order of the news. The radio is a dish with lots of ingredients, which has to be served at the right temperature.

How do TV, radio and newspaper ratings affect a communicator?

Very little, in my case. I’m more influenced by the communication which comes back to me from listeners.

On the same subject, what differences do you see between working for a public me-dium or for a private one?

If you really believe in your job and you en-joy it, you don’t make a distinction between the two. I’ve worked in both, and I’ve always worked in the same way. It’s true that in the public media there’s the old idea that they are more subjected to the political powers-that-be, because of their dependence. But I don’t believe that’s true of Radiotelevisión Española today. And, of course, on Radio Na-cional, I work as if I was working at any private company.

“En días como hoy”

You are currently directing the program-me “En días como hoy” on RNE1, which is broadcast from Monday to Friday from 6.00 to 12.00. How do you approach such a long programme?

Enthusiastically. With enthusiasm, skill… and with a team. You can only maintain a program-

me like this if you enjoy doing your work, if you try to offer the best of yourself and your skill, and if you are surrounded by the best team possible. Six hours of radio is exhausting because of the concentration and the information and it’s impossible to do it successfully, if you’re not enthusiastic, if you’re not backed by very professional people.

Tell us some of the secrets of your program-me. What time does it start to be prepared? How many members and collaborators are in-volved in it? Who decides on the content and how? The things people don’t see...

There are people working on the programme 24 hours a day. The majority of the team start to come in at five in the morning – the director, first of all – and at seven in the morning, the whole of the “editorial team”, those of us who put the pro-gramme on the air, is there. I’m in front of the microphone at six, although Laura Madrid, the editor of the programme, covers most of the first hour. Laura and her “information team” start working around midnight and leave at nine. The

My job is to stand back enough to be able to tell things well.

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rest of us meet up at the end of the program-me, at twelve o’clock, to analyze how everything went and look at forecasts for the day and the coming days. The “croquis” or plan for the next day’s programme comes out of this meeting. At three o’clock when the “editorial team” leaves, the producers come in – women in this particu-lar case – and compile last-minute information and stories to put on the next day’s programme. The broadcast is fun, but tense, and always something new. Anything can happen in the six hours of the programme, and so there has to be a script ready and worked out, attractive forecasts and notable flexibility to broadcast all the many news items which appear during the morning or which, coming from days before, can be develo-ped in a new way. The tension is much greater than it appears on the air. Fortunately.

In your long career, what was the most con-troversial professional situation, or report, chronicle, interview, etc. that you have been involved in and how did you get out of it? And what was the funniest situation?

I’ll never forget when I had to cover the kidnapping of Miguel Ángel Blanco, step by step on Telecinco. And then of course when I had to give the news that the Basque sepa-ratist group ETA had killed him. There are lots of funny moments but lots of difficult ones too. In a daily six-hour programme, as I said before, anything can happen. I remember an interview with a Moroccan writer who lived in Barcelona. We started to talk about a book she had just published and, suddenly, she said she wasn’t interested in talking about her book, because she was already tired. I ended the interview, said thank you… and I’ve never seen her since.

Is there anyone that you haven’t inter-viewed and would have liked to? And any news that you would like to give before anyone else does?

I’d like to do a report on how cancer is cured. There’s no one that I “would have liked” to have interviewed. I’ve still got a long way to go and I hope I’ll be able to speak to all the people I propose to. Why not? But I love talking to people like José Luis Sampe-dro, Umberto Eco… and Antonio Banderas.

How do you think communication bet-ween companies and their customers should be?

Frank, sincere, with no manipulation. The customer always eventually finds out when they’re being taken for a ride, at least, radio listeners do.

What is your relationship with institutio-nal, union and NGO press offices like?

It depends on our mutual interest in a sub-ject. It’s normally good.

From your professional experience, how do you think press offices should function? Should they provide more support, be more transparent, less reticent?

I suppose they should be more explana-tory, transparent, clear and much less reti-cent. Companies benefit from clarity and transparency in communication. Unless they have something to hide, of course.

Is absolute objectivity possible? Does it exist? Do you think it is a means or an end in itself?

No. It’s not possible. But it should be an ab-solute objective, a constant aspiration, a utopia which is always present. That’s the only way we can get anywhere near it.

In troubled times, is it hard to stand back when you’re informing about certain sub-jects?

My job is to stand back enough to be able to tell things well. That’s how it has to be, of course, except in the case of unaccepta-ble realities, such as crime, terrorism, abuse… everything that revolts us all.

Thanks to the new technologies, we can be seen and heard anywhere in the world, and the process can be repeated time and time again. How enriching is this for a profes-sional?

It’s the oven for cooking the dish we serve on the radio every day. If it weren’t for these te-chnologies, we wouldn’t be where we are now. The thing is to make sure that technology is at your service, and not the other way round.

What do you consider to be new technolo-gies’ basic contribution to communication?

Speed, immediacy, breaking down of distan-ces, the fact that the news can be told in the pre-sent and can be well told.

What last generation technologies do you use to inform yourself? The Internet, iPods, iPhones, e-mails, blogs, social networks…?

I’m a bit on the old-fashioned side, but I try to use them all. Perhaps I have my reserva-tions about social networks, but I’m bound to end up using them.

Juanra, close up

Our magazine is directly linked to the world of motors. We know you are motorcyclist, so what is your current relationship with the world of motors? Do you like driving?

As the commercial says… “I like driving” (cars), but I enjoy the motorbike more. The motorbike is the trip without spatial frontiers, the real connection with nature, the landscape and the cities. I normally get around on my mo-torbike and I usually travel longer distances on my bike too.

faceto face

I’ll never forget when I had to cover the kidnapping of Miguel Ángel Blanco, step by step on Telecinco.

During the photo shoot, Juanra was very cordial and jolly even though he was on the air. He also signed a container for us with his usual smile.

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Who advises you on the best components, such as fuels, lubricants and so on?

Experience.

Are you “handy” with motor stuff?I’m afraid not. But I have good mechanics. I

repeat… the team is fundamental (laughter).

Changing the subject, what kind of books do you read as a rule: novels, essays, poetry…?

Whatever moves me. I read poetry almost every day. I like good books, books that write about and describe emotions… I still enjoy the pleasure of opening a book and finding worlds in front of me.

Let’s talk about music. All the guests at 9.00 are accompanied by music they have chosen. What type of music do you like?

The same as in literature, the music that moves me. I love flamenco. But I’m also from the rock generation. But you can like rock and flamenco and still enjoy romantic songs and classical music.

On Fridays, you talk about new films that are out. What type of films do you like? Romantic, adventure, documentary… Eu-ropean, Asian, North American, comedy, drama…?

I like to enjoy myself in the cinema. I’m very basic in that. I enjoy adventure films and co-medies.

And to end on, can you suggest a corner of your native Asturias, a dish to eat and a drink to go with it.

The Valle Oscuru, between La Borbolla and Villanueva, in the eastern municipali-ty of Rivadedeva. Fabada, of course (a rich stew of beans, pork, etc. typical of Astu-rias)… and cider. Like a sticker my father had in the car when I was little “con fabes y sidrina nun fai (falta) gasolina” (with beans and cider, you never need fuel). I’ve just remembered it now, although it might not be the best thing to say to you people (laughter).

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Every day agencies publish thousands of news items in the media, but they cannot pu-blish them all, so the media themselves be-gin to build the reality that is read every day. Here is where there is a difference between one medium and another, although they may coincide in the most important news.

The role played by the people responsible for communication at an institution, entity or company, whether they are in the public or private sphere, is to be an advisor for the institution they work for and an interme-diary with the media.

Relations with the mass media should be di-fferent in physical and organizational terms from advertising, and there should be occasional contacts with the public relations department. In some business sectors, such as tobacco and alcohol, communication has been exclusively limited to press offices, as advertising their pro-ducts is banned. The less contact there is bet-ween these areas, the greater freedom the pro-fessionals have when it comes to determining the contents to be transmitted to customers.

With the new information and commu-

nication (ICT) technologies, the media panorama becomes more extensive. The traditional media join up with today’s digi-tal media to provide more specialized and immediate information than years ago. The media and its resources change, but the jour-nalist has to adapt to progress.

The press office

The press office is responsible for relations with journalists, explains their organization’s activities and compiles all the news about these activities and the entity’s managers which are to be published in the press. Press offices promote favourable public opinion about the institution they represent and look after its image in the media. The media seek to find information structured by means and contents. The better prepared the informa-tion is and the greater facilities provided to select it, the greater the dissemination of the message.

There are as many as five different types

of press office: institutional; corresponding to political parties and unions; for social movements, NGOs and international orga-nizations; for companies and chambers of commerce; and external offices, such as communication advisors and consultants.

Institutional press offices are the most

prolific and their object is to generate public opinion and disseminate public information. They would be similar to a public service, if it were not for the temptation to use them as an element of propaganda. Political parties’ press offices are involved in the institutional messages of each party, they are run by people trusted by the party, sup-ported by professionals with no declared po-litical affiliation.

Press offices for better communicationCommunication is a social act and professionals in the field know that the current situation of the mass media and its characteristics is a focal point in communication strategy, linking the organization with society. Experts in communication should know how to antici-pate the media’s response to the information they issue from the press office.

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Unions have fewer resources for commu-nication, which union members are nearly always responsible for. Their mission is to re-lease all the information which affects labour relations in the country. Press offices exist for social movements and NGOs if they have the resources. They serve as a platform for divul-ging the organizations’ social achievements.

Corporate press offices are different, since

they have more resources and are run by pro-fessionals with experience in corporate com-munication. Their work consists of presenting the company’s identity, importance, size and social function; transmitting its reputa-tion, prestige, mission and vision; restricting involuntary messages; winning favourable public opinion and presenting the company’s performance.

Lastly, communication advisors and con-

sultants provide external services. Their mis-sion is to create, uphold, promote or restore the image of people and/or institutions which, for different reasons, need to enhance their projection within the organization to which they belong and before society.

Origin of press offices

This activity originated at the beginning of the 20th century in the United States, when John Rockefeller’s companies generated a corporate image for their group. However, press offices were not created in Europe until after the Second World War. Spain had to wait even lon-ger, until the end of the nineteen-sixties.

As regards why press offices appeared, some people believe that social demand generated the existence of these departments. Others be-lieve that it was the poor image of some produc-tion sectors which led to their appearance in the business and institutional world. In Spain, with the start of political transition, some sectors of the Administration and some private firms, es-pecially in the financial sector, began to “open up” to the media, doing away with many of the old taboos.

The company, traditionally concentrating on the silence of production, has begun to speak, has become a cheerleader and has complemen-ted its status as a production company with that of a transmitter company. It is no longer simply a place of production, but has become an entity with a recognizable identity. It presents itself as a space open to the outside with which it com-municates, both as a sender of messages and as a receiver of messages from society.

The old institutional and corporate Euro-pe started a movement to hire professionals to inform inside and outside entity, to satisfy the demands for information and capitalize on them for its own benefit. Thus, organiza-tions find differential and added values in these activities, which bring them benefits in terms of popular support and/or money.

Corporations feel that they need to

show themselves in the market with a di-fferentiated identity which gives them com-petitive edge, since it is not enough for the customer or consumer to know the characte-ristics of the product; they also want to know about the manufacturer and the way in which it conducts its business. Likewise, in political parties there is a growing need to broadcast a different message from that of their compe-tition or opponent.

Things being so, communication beco-mes a social obligation. Companies are no longer simply satisfied with their production, but feel the need to divulge their internal wor-kings, because of the benefits they contribute to society. This is the famous Corporate Social Responsibility.

Every day, organizations increasingly va-lue being news, because this enhances the company’s image, the prestige of its brand, the familiarity with its products and services and strengthens its identity. The investments made by companies and/or institutions in social communication become as profitable, although on a different scale, as other inves-tments in capital goods.

Today, companies need to listen to what is around them and to make their business known and appreciated by society. Everything is more complex: the problems, the matters, the audience becomes larger and demand greater rigour; the offer of media and chan-nels becomes larger too. Thanks to these, ins-titutions and organizations need to communi-cate their messages to interest groups: users, customers, citizens, suppliers…

Every public or private entity has the duty of communicating. They owe it to their many publics and to themselves, since the lack of communication is interpreted as negative communication. If an entity does not appear in the mass media, it seems as if it does not exist or as if it is having problems. The famous saying “no news is good news” chan-ges here to “no news is bad news”, since peo-ple deduce that the company has something to hide and if it has something to hide, this is bad news.

Press office functions

According to a study conducted by the Asocia-ción de Empresas Consultoras de Relaciones Públicas y Comunicación (ADECEC), amongst “model” activities, there are seven services pro-vided by 80% of Spanish communication con-sultants. This set of activities, tools and services are: internal communication; media relations; the design of communication strategies; the design of communication campaigns; the press office; press conferences; crisis management; the de-sign and execution of events; and institutional relations.

The press office’s most valuable activity is ma-

naging the entity’s communication. The people in charge of press coordinate and channel the organization’s Strategic Communication Plan. Their aims, working with Management of the ins-titution, are to maintain a close, efficient relation with the mass media; to execute, promote, deve-lop and disseminate communication; to enhance the corporate image; to ensure that communi-cation is clear, transparent, fast and truthful; to

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verify and control the quality and impact of the in-formation and publication of all communications.

Press offices centre the activity, select the information and provide journalists with the tools to perform their work as well as possible. They coordinate and broadcast all the events which are news both internally and externally and which this public or private entity needs to transmit to its different publics/customers through the mass media; in other words, to successfully commu-nicate an efficient image of all its corporate culture.

The communication department should cons-tantly inform management about everything re-lated to knowledge, attitudes and valuations as regards the entity between power nodes inside and outside the organization. The two-way nature of the relation between these functions has to be clearly limited and accepted by both parties.

Communicating and giving information about

the entity to media editors is another important task. Thus, people in the communication de-partment channel internal information to se-lect what is regarded as strategic by senior management and then pass it on to the me-dia. To do this, they use different information supports, such as press releases, communica-tions, dossiers, articles, magazines, daily press summaries, etc. They use direct ways of passing on this information, such as press conferences, interviews, working breakfasts, visits to the com-pany, etc. All of this is done with a view to presen-ting the ideal image of the entity, but always con-trolling the information.

In accordance with the organization’s global

communication and image plan, the head of communication manages relations with the mass media and is the most appropriate channel for addressing the company. Thus, the institution’s managerial staff has to put all their trust in this person. The entity should assume its respon-sibilities in respect of communication.

Another of the press office’s tasks is to achie-

ve the greatest accessibility or availability of the

organization to make it a benchmark for the me-dia. To do this, it is essential to have good ongoing relations with the people in charge of the press and audiovisual media, as this is the best way to pass on messages quickly, competently and with understanding, so that the media can transmit them to public opinion more efficiently.

Difficulties in communicating

Press office managers come up against different deficiencies. The most important of these is that many of the offices are not ma-naged by professional journalists, but by willing people who have assimilated just enough to de-fend themselves in world of the company; this leads journalists from the media to mistrust the press managers, especially at private compa-nies, because of the bad experiences they have had with them during their careers.

The lack of faith, planning, forecasting, or-ganization, etc. of the communication at insti-tutions and companies, due to the managerial staff’s lack of interest also distorts suitable communication. Some senior company ma-nagers do not realize that communication is way of transmitting what is happening in the company, and use the wrong tone or opportunity to issue their communications. Logical harmonious discourse turns into noise or simple reverberation.

Another problem is broadcasting information by wrongly choosing the opportune means to channel it, centralize it and process it. The press office has to create protocols and contents which provide knowledge of the organization, its structure and ideal working procedures, brin-ging the company closer to society. However, there are some companies and administrations which are more secretive about their management and do not see communication as an added value or as an opportunity.

The efficiency of a press office depends to

large extent on its manager. Thus, any action or omission, leak, comment or lack of trust is harmful to the company. In many cases, the ar-

chitects of communication act more like “fi-refighters” who quash the comments at the wrong time or perhaps one of the managers of the institution where they are working makes an inappropriate comment; often for fear of leaks, the press manager is only told about plans or de-cisions which are vital to the company when the entire operation has been closed. Some press managers have even resigned because they felt they had been made to feel small.

Another very common problem, especially at

companies, is the absence of a global communi-cation strategy. This means that the communica-tion does not have the desired effect. From the inside, just one communication may appear to be optimal for the company. However, all the messa-ges sent until then and the circumstances in the sector where it operates means that this messa-ge could be interpreted by the media and trans-mitted to society with a very different meaning from the original message sent.

In the end, it is not a question of what infor-

mation about the entity is to be disseminated, but how to do it, since it is more than just broad-casting the news; it is the creation of a favourable climate for a sector. It is true that sponsorship belongs to this area of communication, and if you want to see your information published or you are seeking a particular public impact, you have to rely on the mass media.

The media need the truth. They need you to

give details of the events and to help them to pre-pare their own information on the basis of what the press office has issued. Thus, we are moving towards a communication model as a pure ge-nerator of information. In short, we need global communication planning which enables us to discern a priori what the effect of our message might be.

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What is an agency like Sra Rushmore like? What type of professionals work there? What are their profiles? What type of cus-tomers do you have?

We’re a normal agency with just one ob-session: the quality of our work. The force of our ideas. We know that at a meeting an idea might seem brilliant, but where it really triumphs is in the street. That’s where ideas work and make things change, either from the sales standpoint or from the standpoint of how a brand is perceived and desired. As far as our criterion for selecting professionals is concerned, first we look for decent people to work with us. I know it sounds strange, but we always look for “decent people”. Secondly, but no less important, we look for the best professionals. We do it that way because an agency is a strange organization where people are its heart and soul. They’re the ones that make things function, make our work excellent and make our clients sa-tisfied. We spend a lot of time and effort on this. We try to find the best professionals and the nicest people.

What differences do you see between the language of advertising and the language used in the media?

A priori, the language of the media doesn’t seek results for a specific brand. That’s the big difference. But there are fewer and fewer fron-tiers in practically everything. And there are fewer and fewer barriers between the different types of language. To try to connect with people, we look for the best way to do it for each custo-mer, each brand and each moment in time. This search also includes language.

What are people most affected by: an ad-vertising campaign or information about an entity on a TV news programme?

That’s a good question, although I’d put it another way. What is it that each and every one of us remembers, a news item or a campaign that made us think or vibrate or that moved us? Or the film we shared with our children, our wi-ves or our parents?

How important is a good slogan being cat-chy to the mouth-ear?

What I really think is important is the idea. There are some great ideas which don’t have slogans. And all the great slogans have a

Sra. Rushmore is one of the most outstanding agencies in the Spanish advertising arena, and its creativity has been recog-nized in numerous international competitions in the sector. But, above all, it is liked by public opinion, which spread the word about such popular campaigns as those for Atlético de Madrid (the unforgettable “Dad, why do we support Atleti?”), Castile and Leon Regional Government, RENFE and, of course, the me-morable CEPSA campaign with Vicente del Bosque, which was almost a premonition.

Clemente Manzano, general manager of Sra. Rushmore

Advertising, another means of communica-tion at the service of companies.

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“Good ideas are the ones that get you by the guts and conquer your heart”

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good idea behind them. And a good idea is what is really catchy.

Companies establish guidelines for their action and their public image. How far do these guidelines condition or restrict crea-tivity in advertising?

They affect everything. You can’t design a campaign without the companies, their desi-res, targets and guidelines. We like to give our point of view from the beginning when these guidelines are being drawn up. We like to work at the same table as our clients. We believe that the relationship with the client is not one-way, where one tells the agency what it wants to achieve and this is returned a few days later in advertising language. We think that excellence is achieved by working to-gether, talking and communicating right from the start.

Besides the budget the entity has, what other elements condition creativity in ad-vertising: the timing, the social and econo-mic situation, etc.?

Every commercial, every page in the press or graphic, every radio commercial is analyzed from nearly every standpoint. It is taken to pie-ces, it is compared with the economic situa-tion, with the views of the people at whom it is directed. The only environment where we want to have as little influence as possible is the im-mediate environment, family and friends. It’s probably the least suitable because, very of-ten, that is not who we are addressing and also because of their non-professional relationship with the target we are aiming at. And with us.

What role do new technologies and new gadgets play in transmitting advertising messages?

The rules of the game have changed. Gad-gets have changed the way we connect with the people we are directing our message at. The form of the message has changed again – a TV screen is not seen in the same way as a webpa-ge, a radio commercial or a leaflet – and so has what the relationship with the message is. You can’t respond to a TV commercial immediately, you can’t buy what it’s selling straightaway and you can’t share it with friends instantly. But you can with a message on the Internet or on your mobile phone. These means and technologies are here to stay, to form part of our everyday life and the way we communicate with each other. And here to stay in the way we communicate products and/or brands. The attitude has to change, but what is most important is still the same. Good ideas are the ones that triumph. Now we have to try to ensure that they interact to a maximum with the people we are aiming at and that they are intelligent.

How do you view communication through advertising these days? What things used to be done before that are no longer done, both in the form and in the means of com-municating?

I was brought up in this profession before there were computers. Everything has chan-ged a lot, but the important thing is still good ideas, as I said before. Ideas that don’t leave you indifferent, that get you by the guts and

conquer your heart. Ideas that make you smi-le, think or that move you.

What is the process in creating an adver-tising campaign from the time advertisers decide they needs to sell a product or ser-vice until the advert is on the street and reaches the end consumer?

It all starts with a first meeting together, where the targets are established and the possible ways of meeting them are discus-sed. Then, a lot of work is done on defining a positioning which will differentiate the brand or product from its competition and which is important to the people we’re directing it at. After that, we work on finding creative ideas and on how to reflect these ideas in specific proposals: in a leaflet, a TV commercial, an in-teractive piece… From that moment, providing the client agrees with the previous stages, re-search is done with consumers and here we normally learn things and make corrections. When this has been done, the production process starts, the last stage before facing the people who will really make it effective or not: consumers, clients, people, you and me. There are many stages, and a lot to talent, energy, patience, enthusiasm and luck is required to convert the proposals into reality, get them out on the street and make them successful.

From your experience with other adverti-sers, how do companies which have nothing to do with our sector communicate? Are there any common points although they are in different markets?

Every brand is different, even within the same sector. A slipper can communicate in a very technological way or an oil company can be very close and human in the way it connects with its customers. CEPSA’s advertisements are notable precisely because of its capa-city to be close to customers, because they transmit an image of a company which knows them. This is something of tremendous value for a great company, like CEPSA.

20

185 kg and 45 kg drums

CEPSA’s red 185 kg and 45 kg drums with white lids have evolved to a design where the metal drums are all red. A graphic has been added and covers the whole of the bottom part of the drum.

The new drums have a renovated, up-to-

date image, in accordance with the thirst for innovation always present at the Company.

20-litre kegs

The 20-litre keg has been totally transfor-med, both in design and in the materials and labelling. This new plastic container replaces the current metal keg. It was tested in both national and international logistics, with very satisfactory results.

The products are personalized through the

labelling and the containers are higher quality than the present ones.

New design in larger CEPSA Lubricantes containers

Launch of the new ERTOIL range

CLSAproduct

At CEPSA Lubricantes we are aware that “today nothing is like it was before, as times change and will continue to change…”; knowing how to renew ourselves without losing our identity, quality and brand values is the line we have followed to make some changes which affect the design of 185 kg drums, 45 kg drums and 20 litre kegs.

The relaunch of the ERTOIL range not only involves changes in image and packaging, but also product novelties which complete and enrich the families for cars and trans-missions:

- The ERTOIL SUPER SINTÉTICO 5W30 lubricant includes the new Ford WSS-M2C913-C specification.

- A new product for car engines: ERTOIL SU-PER SINTÉTICO DPF 5W30.

- And also for transmissions: ERTOIL TRANS-MISIONES AUTOMATICAS DIII and ER-TOIL TRANSMISIONES 75W85.

There are three different ranges of pro-ducts, Cars, Professional and Industry, on the label, and each of them is given a different colour:

- blue for Cars;- red for Professionals;- grey for Industry.

The labels are printed in a four-colour process and the material used to make them is polyethyle-ne, which is chemically the simplest polymer. This material is more adhesive and more resistant, and it can be treated as a residue as it is made of plastic.

21

In its thirst for innovation and sensitive to protection of the environment and sustainability, CEPSA Lubricantes has deve-loped a range of bio-lubricants aimed at activities where the machinery could generate a risk for the environment because of possible leaks.

The term biodegradable alludes to a formulation where the components are ra-pidly biodegraded and have low toxicity for the environment. The bio-lubricants may be made from vegetable oils (rape, sunflower, palm, etc.), synthetic oils, polyalphaolefin-type (PAO) synthetic oils synthetic esters and polyalkene glycols (PAGs).

In its catalogue, CEPSA has a range

of biodegradable products consisting of CEPSA Arga Biograsa EP and the hydrau-lic lubricant CEPSA BIO OIL HM-S (ISO 46 and 68). In 2011, CEPSA plans to complete its biodegradable range with oils for appli-cations, such as chainsaws, transmissions and wind turbines.

The main benefits of biodegradable lu-

bricants is that they produce less contami-nating emissions, they are free of aroma-tics (around 90%) and do not contaminate water. They also produce less mist and oil vapour and, thus, less gas is inhaled into the lungs. They are more compatible with the skin and are clean. Moreover, they lengthen the life of machinery compo-nents because of their high viscosity index and because they reduce friction. In addi-tion, they generate savings, thanks to less need for maintenance, labour, storage, etc.

The most important functions of biode-gradable lubricants are to reduce losses of mechanical energy, the machines’ wor-king temperature and the wear in parts in continuous friction and to protect parts from corrosion. They make it possible to work in a wide range of temperatures and increase water-tightness.

To guarantee their environmental featu-

res, in 2004 the ECOLABEL or European ecological label was born. This label makes it easy to identify lubricant products which meet the established biodegradability and ecology standards, which are checked by independent third parties.

The symbol is a flower, which guaran-

tees the authenticity and official licence for these products as green. All the products mentioned above will have the ECOLABEL by the beginning of 2011.

Biodegradable lubricantsand the Ecolabel

22

In our last issue of Oleum, we talked about Technical Marine Assistance and the enormous importance it has, both becau-se of the monitoring of CLSA lubricants in services and because of the training and informative talks given to customers, naval schools, etc.

The information given in training courses and informative meetings by the whole of the Marine Department’s team focuses on the fo-llowing aspects:

• PRODUCT QUALITY: the products offered to customers meet the most exacting requirements demanded by manufactu-rers and international specifications.

• QUALITY OF SERVICE: at the end of each verbal and/or written communication they may receive, customers should be convinced that they can count - in time and quantity – on the reliability of a com-pany which has the largest and most flexible nationwide distribution network, especially designed to this end.

• QUALITY OF SALES: total and absolute availability for customers, so that they feel that they are listened to and their needs are understood.

• QUALITY ADVICE: a good part of the information divulged to the outside is precisely based on advising customers about the best treatment in terms of lu-bricants for their machinery in order to help them to improve their internal main-tenance costs.

REAL EXAMPLES

Training and information at the Algeciras refinery

On 11 November, a training course was given to a group of Shipping Inspectors and Chief Engineers at the Algeciras refinery. During the course, participants received infor-mation on the Technical Assistance Service (Servicio de Asistencia Técnica - SAT – in Spa-nish) for the lubricants in service.

After that, they were given a presentation

accompanied by a visit to the Blending and Packaging plant where CLSA lubricants are made. Finally, they were taken on a tour of the refinery’s main facilities.

Informing well to sell better

CLSAat sea

Informing the market well requires previous innovative, ongoing and efficacious training, both internally for the human team in the Marine Segment and externally for present and potential customers.

23

Visit to Woking, Mclaren’s surgery

On 14 and 15 October, with ExxonMobil’s support and coordination, a visit was orga-nized to Woking, the Mclaren racing team’s centre of operations near London, where the Formula 1 cars of this prestigious internatio-nal brand are designed and manufactured.

The purpose of the visit was to show how a F1

vehicle is a real laboratory where new additiva-tions and process which are then really applied in the lubricants used every day are tested.

The information on Quality and Develo-

pment at the highest level was passed on

to the whole group, who really enjoyed the visit around the facilities which drivers such as Jenson Button or ex-

world champion Lewis Hamilton usually stroll around.

Informing and sharing experiences

Just like recycling the whole team, ongoing training is very important at any company. Consequently, on 16 and 17 September, the entire Marine team, along with some mem-bers of the Marketing and Technical De-partments, had a few days with ExxonMobil experts on products and their applications.

The purpose of this cordial meeting was

to review the current range, future trends and even to study some practical cases of real application problems. At this meeting point, the best way of resolving any type of contin-gency was also evaluated, always seeking the most ideal response for customers.

Like the rest of the company CEPSA Lubri-cantes S.A., the Marine Department’s maxim is that the best information given to customers can only originate and come from the best tra-ining of the human team and the customers themselves.

On 1 July 2010, CEPSA Lubricantes S.A. was chosen by the Acciona Trasmediterrá-nea Group for the contract to supply lubri-cants for almost the entire fleet belonging to this group.

After long negotiations, CLSA was selected

to continue to provide a service it had been giving since 2005. Once again, the quality of the features of the product, the service and the human relations enabled CLSA to achieve this objective.

Acciona Trasmedi-terránea continues to trust CLSA

AUTOMOCIÓN icos rápidos y precisosdel estado de sus vehículos

PAT

24

CLSA

The SIGPAT tool

permits preventive and predic-tive maintenance of engines and other vehicle components. It is easy to use, it combines the information obtained from the result of the analyses of samples of lubricant in service with the data bases for the operating and design features of the machines. All of this makes it possible to determine the machinery’s state of health, i.e. to know if it needs to go urgently to the

workshop for preventive repair because its combustion is not correct, the injectors are not in good condition, or the cooling is

not right, etc., or whether, on the contrary, it is healthy and can follow normal mainte-nance procedures.

With this information, SIGPAT users take pre-

ventive decisions and anticipate possible breakdowns, avoiding costly repairs and un-programmed stoppages.

To see the benefits obtai-

ned with SIGPAT, we are going to analyze a ma-jor public works client who operates at seve-ral bases in Andalusia and who has nearly 100 machines recorded in our system, amongst which are excavators, mechanical loaders, bulldozers and other machines for earthworks. The programme runs in four stages:• The machinery’s initial state of health is

classified as A, B or C.• The most suitable lubricant for the needs

of the different machines is introduced, to-gether with the adjustment of oil-changing intervals.

• Preventive and predictive monitoring of the machines chosen according to their impor-tance for the user is conducted.

• Improvement targets are established for the next stage of monitoring.

Balance of a year of monitoring with SIGPAT:

First, the initial state of the engines was diagnosed through an analysis of the oil changed in them. Then they could be classified according to their state. It was concluded that 15% of the machinery presented deficiencies, while the remaining 85% was in good condition.

At the next stage, the lubricants were unified, taking into account the demands of the different manufacturers, CATERPILLAR, KOMATSU, VOLVO, etc., and the optimiza-tion of the oil-changing period as a result of the higher quality of the recommended lu-bricant. To do this, oil samples from the 25 most representative machines in the fleet were analyzed.

With the unification and the change to the use of a higher quality product, the user has increased the oil-changing period by 25% on average.

Then the most important machines from the production standpoint were chosen to include them in an intensive programme and thus determine potential breakdowns in a predictive manner.

EARTHWORKS, AGRICULTURAL AND MINING COMPANIES

SIGPAT: saving in times of crisis.

Percentage of machines State85% Good state of maintenance8% Deficient engine combustion5% Injection problems2% Risk of imminent critical breakdown

In times of crisis, CEPSA is even closer at the side of its customers, and so it is no accident that the SIGPAT diagnosis tool has now become an important ally for many of the users of our products, since it enables them reduce the operating and maintenance costs of their fleets.

CHECKS

THE MACHI-

NES’ INITIAL

HEALTH

PREVENTS

DISEASE/

BREAKDOWNS

Dr. SIGPAT

DIAGNOSES

Of all the machines monitored, incidents were concentrated in 21% of them. Over the year a total of 76 incidents were detected, of the following types:

In addition, it was detected that in some machines, due to the size of the crankcase, the oil systematically overheated and thus thickened, which forced us to separate these machines from the maintenance programme for the others.

Lastly, the improvement targets for 2011 were established; these were mainly centred on seeking solutions for the machines which, due to their operating function, have a defi-cient balance of heat evacuation, thus cau-sing premature breakdowns.

SAVINGS OBTAINED WITH THE SIGPAT PROGRAMME.• 55% REDUCTION IN ENGINE

BREAKDOWNS!• INCREASE IN THE AVAILABILITY OF

MACHINES!• 28% AVERAGE INCREASE IN THE

OIL-CHANGING PERIOD! • 450 FEWER MAINTENANCE INTER-

VENTIONS A YEAR!• 28,320 DIRECT SAVING DUE TO

LOWER CONSUMPTION/HIGHER QUALITY PRODUCT!

25

PROVIDES

RECIPES FOR

CONTINUING

GOOD HEALTH

SAVES IN

TIMES OF

CRISIS

Percentage of machines with incidents 21%Number of critical incidents 41Number of alerts 35Total number of incidents 76

Type of incident Number Possible causesHigh contamination index 8 Deficient engine combustion. Usually accompanied by an increase in viscosity.Increase in viscosity at 100% 4 Usually due to the presence of carbon deposits, overheating of the oil or excessive oil-changing period.Dilution of fuel 7 Failure in the injectors or injection pump.Reduction in viscosity at 100ºC 10 Usually due to contamination from fuel or too many hours in service.Contamination metals 8 Silicon from failure in air filters (Si, Na), (Si, Na) and sodium from cooling fluid leaks in the crankcase. Wear metals 37 Wear of different parts of the engine (Fe, Pb, Cu, Sn, Cr, Al) (Fe, Pb, Cu, Sn, Cr, Al), mainly stemming from unusually severe service of some machines and deficient cooling balance.

26

The Red Bull X-Fighters World Cham-pionship continues to grow with every year. The figures tell the story: 170,000 spectators, 12 riders, a total of 770 jumps of which 524 were backflips. The CEPSA-backed Spanish rider scored a total of 310 points to Adam’s 370.

Outside the Championship, the Palau San Jordi staged the 21st edition of the Freestyle Master MX of Barcelona, and over 11,800 spectators turned up to watch the best riders in the world perform. Coinci-dentally, the result of the event mirrored that of the World Championship, with Adams first, the Norwegian Vila second, while third place went to Dany Torres.

It was Dany’s first appearance after his recent wrist operation and, although he suffered from some discomfort in his left hand and had to wear an ortho-paedic wrist brace, he was able to put on a great show.

Torres recently paid us a visit at CLSA and revealed two important innovations on the bikes he uses in Free-Style: these are the “superflip” levers and the flip pegs which help him to keep better control of the bike in extreme stunts.

The superflip levers can fold away and are used in a number of stunts in which these de-vices act as a buffer for the wrist, preventing the bike from getting away from the rider. The flip peg is located on the left-hand side of the bike, above the gear shift lever, and is there for the rider’s left foot to “grip”, especially in upside down stunts where the rider takes his right leg off the other peg.

CEPSAcompetition

On October 14, Spanish rider Dany Torres, sponsored by CEPSA, won the last round of the 2010 Red Bull X-Fighters Championship at the Stadio Flaminio in Rome. This win earned him the third spot on the podium of the World Championship, which was won by Nate Adams, who finished third in the round in the Eternal City and so notched up the second of his back-to-back titles.

Dany Torres and CLSA up amongst the greats once again

27

Success of the CEPSA Spanish Motocross Championship

In 2010 Antonio Albacete was crowned Eu-ropean Truck Champion for the third time, having previously won in 2005 and 2006, once again wearing the red overalls of CEPSA, the sponsor who has put him on the highest step of the podium, to the delight of the followers of this heavyweight sport pro-viding high-voltage excitement.

The Madrid-born driver once again captu-red the attention of the multitudinous fans at the circuit of Jarama, a venue at which they had already seen him win on many previous occasions. According to a recent interview given to an online daily newspaper, Albacete admitted that “driving a truck is less physica-lly demanding than any single-seater compe-tition, since truck driving is more like driving a touring car”.

The Spanish driver tried to break into For-mula 1, but “only” managed to get as far as the prestigious British Formula 3000 Cham-pionship, in which he finished in a meritorious sixth place in 1989. Then he switched to the Spanish Touring Car Championship and fina-lly, in 1997, CEPSA called him to make the switch to truck racing. As he himself has stressed “I’m where I am now by chance, but I’m very happy to be here”.

Albacete already has his mind set on the first January testing session with CEPSA, which coincides with the start of the new FIA regulations. May will see the start of a new championship in which Albacete will once again be fighting to defend his title, up there in the cockpit of his truck.

October 24 saw the successful conclusion of the CEPSA Spanish Motocross Cham-pionship at the Cerro Negro Circuit in Tala-vera de la Reina (Toledo), in front of over 5,000 fans. CEPSA was the official sponsor for yet another year.

The Spanish MX Elite Motocross Cham-pionship concluded at the Cerro Negro Circuit in Talavera de la Reina (Toledo) with a suc-cessful performance by the rider Jonathan Barragán who won the event and so was able to secure second place in the Spanish Cham-pionship, which was won by Lozano.

As for the Spanish CEPSA MX2 Champions-hip –for under-23 riders and 125 cc 2S / 250 cc 4S bikes - , the hot day’s action ended with a closely fought battle for second place in the Championship, which finally went to Cristian

Oliva, while the Talavera round was won by José Luis Martínez. The Championship title went to José Butrón.

The main objective of CEPSA’s sponsor-ship, among others, was to maximize the return on each of the events, by means of activities aimed at different targets, such as local promotions with lucky draws, actions ai-med at distributors who were provided with posters, displays and flyers, and activities at service stations near the circuit where the event was to be held.

Also, as a new feature this year, the Spa-nish CEPSA MX Elite Motocross Champion-ship was broadcast live by the TV channel INTERECONOMÍA, where all the heats and the MX2 races taking place on the same day could be seen from start to finish.

Antonio Al-bacete and CEPSA, Cham-pions of Europe

28

CLSA has signed a contract in Algeria with the asphalt and bituminous product firm UNICARBIDE INTERNATIONAL. Its bu-siness plan for the future is to supply custo-mers with these products and to offer them a full service for everything related to the business, which includes trucks and machi-nes for transport and the handling of these products, lubricant oils for these vehicles (a function to be performed by CLSA), different machinery, etc.

Attending the signature of the con-tract were Álvaro Macarro, Manager of the Export Department, Carlos García Verdasco, Manager of the Export division for Africa and the Middle East, both in representation of CEPSA Lubricantes. Re-presenting UNICARBIDE were its General Manager and other members of the sales network.

CLSA sponsors the winning team in the Business Marketing Competition

In July CEPSA Lubricantes sponsored the winner of the ESIC school’s 15th Busi-ness Marketing Competition where partici-pants simulate a business strategy and plan. The competition consists of working out a one-year business plan in a competitive eco-nomic environment. A total of 1,882 teams competed for the best project.

The winning team sponsored by CLSA comprised three students from Milan Po-lytechnic: the engineers, Francesco Loren-zini, Pedro Santiago and Raúl Pulido. The prize was a cheque for 12,000 euros and an MBA for the winners. The simulation took pla-ce at Banco Santander’s financial centre in Boadilla (Madrid).

Passion for “THE RED” in Costa Rica

With the collaboration of Central de Lu-bricantes, S.A., CLSA’s distributor in Costa Rica, the Spanish Centre in Costa Rica be-came home to Spanish supporters on the day of the match. CLSA was there with gifts of face paints, T-shirts and banners and roller-ups.

On that Sunday 11 July, over 800 peo-ple saw the match and the two leading TV channels, Repretel and Teletica, had a mobile unit there filming during the preview and the entire match. CEPSA was the great companion throughout the transmission.

CLSA moves ahead in Shanghai and Taiwan

The Export Department continues to move ahead in the international markets. Du-ring the week of 7-12 July, a visit was paid to the distributors in Shanghai (SHANGHAI LION KING) and Taiwn (AUTOPRIX).

The first results at SHANGHAI LION KING have already been tested and the balance was very positive, with different or-ders made to CLSA. AUTOPRIX was equally satisfactory and CEPSA Lubricantes will con-tinue to be promoted in Taiwan, thanks to the distributor’s enthusiasm.

In fact, the Taiwanese distributor Autoprix

is very successfully promoting CEPSA Lubri-cantes’ new containers, which are practical for professional and private individuals and are environment-friendly, in the new market. The formats of the containers meet market needs and are very satisfactory for its cus-tomers.

CLSA flashes

CLSA signs a con-tract with UNICARBI-DE INTERNATIONAL

29

15th Anniversary of the CEPSA Oasis

Yet another year, thousands of motorcyclists again chose Oasis Motoci-clismo CEPSA to start the cele-bration of the great 2010 season Spanish riders gave us. There were plenty of reasons for ce-lebration. Encouraged by the excellent party atmosphere, MOTOCICLISMO and CEPSA Moto offered technical and tyre assistance, motorbike tuning up and cleaning , snacks, music, physiotherapeutic massages and lei-sure activities.

From early on the Sunday morning, fans began to feel the excitement of the Cheste Grand Prix. The oases were bustling with motorbikes and their riders. In a festive atmosphere as it was their 15th anniver-sary, CEPSA Moto’s technical services were busy cleaning helmet visors, greasing chains and cleaning fairings. Anything that was needed to guarantee a much safer trip.

With the help of Truck Sports Events, the

Club Action Team, Moto Marqueta, Castile-La Mancha and Valenica’s official physio-therapists’ association, Buckler 0,0, Heat in a Click, Globe Area, the Garcimuñoz and La Plana service stations and CEPSA Moto’s technicians, the great motorcycling family met up again for the fifteenth time at a real oasis on the road.

with “THE RED”Last July on the occasion of the 2010

World Cup in South Africa, ASIA PETRO-LEUM, the distributor of CEPSA Lubricantes products in Myanmar conducted several pro-motional marketing actions to boost sales of CEPSA products. The Spanish firm is the sponsor of the Spanish National Team, the World Champion.

Taking advantage of this, ASIA PETRO-

LEUM organized a football tournament for amateurs and gave prizes to the winners. The prizes ranged between 500,000 kyats (€55,000) for the winner of the tournament, 300,000 kyats (€33,000) for the runner-up and 200,000 kyats (€22,000) for the team in third place.

These actions were covered in the local sports paper “7 days”, where the highlights of the tournament were reported. This inter-esting initiative aimed to promote football in a country where it is not so popular. It took the colours of The Red as its own, in view of the fantastic game played by coach Vicente del Bosque’s men.

As it continues with its intense busi-

ness activity, ASIA PETROLEUM, the dis-tributor of CEPSA Lubricantes’ products in Myanmar, is a guarantee of CLSA having a very representative presence in the Asian country.

with every sportCEPSA Lubricantes’ distributor, ASIA

PETROLEUM continues to work hard to support sport, and sportsmen and women. Between 7 and 9 December, it sponsored a motorcycle exhibition which was held in the city of Mandalay.

The event was presented by Myanmar’s most famous and important boxer. The cam-paign was a great success for CLSA’s distri-butor in this region of Asia.

ASIA PETROLEUM also took part in

events aimed at supporting martial arts in the last quarter of 2010. CLSA’s distributor is the main sponsor of the Japanese Embas-sy Open, to support karate.

ASIA PETROLEUM

30

Derivatives from heavy

fractions

Rochester is a city in the State of New York, in the United States, si-tuated to the south of Lake Ontario, on the banks of the Genesee River. Many people there remember the life an old fellow countryman, Hiram Bond Everest, known as the most triumphant failure in the world.

Everest was born in 1831 in Pike, a tiny village some 40 miles to the southeast of the city. In 1849 he abandoned the family farm, with 250 dollars in his pocket, to try his luck as a schoolteacher in Wisconsin.

He was not happy and decided to abandon this too. Then he tried growing apples, but a particularly harsh winter destroyed his orchard. After this setback, he moved to Ohio, where he tried his hand at wine-growing, but a hard frost also put paid to this new enterprise. As he had to sell the farm, he decided to invest in some woodland near Cleveland. There Everest tried to run a sawmill, but it was razed to the ground. He rebuilt it, but it burnt down once again. In spite of his failures, in those fifteen years he had managed to raise 9,000 dollars and, with this capital, he started a new career in the spring of 1865, this time as a grocer in Rochester.

That winter, amongst his customers was Matthew Ewing, a sharp-minded carpenter who confessed to Everest that he believed in a pro-cedure to extract kerosene from the new product recently discovered in Pennsylvania, called crude oil.

Ewing had the presentiment that the world deserved a better lighting fuel for its lamps and he had put a still in the yard of his house, which he had adapted to distil crude oil in a vacuum (*). They both agreed to set to and do this, and it was also agreed that Everest would par-tially finance the business.

Like many other refiners, Ewing had found that a fine tarry substance was left in the still with the coke, once the normal refining process to obtain kerosene had been completed. This residue had been regar-ded for a long time as a useless left-over, except occasionally as a fuel for boilers, and accounted for about 15-20% of the total load in the still. If it was later treated with alkalis and acids to give it a clear shiny colour, it turned out to have magnificent properties as a lubricant for axles and all types of carriage components, besides having many other uses.

In September 1866, Ewing and Everest obtained the patent for a method of manufacturing an “Improved material for lubrication and other uses”. In October of the same year, the two of them became associated and founded the Vacuum Oil Company, in allusion to the process and type of still used. This still enabled them to distil their new products in a vacuum and the products were sold throughout the entire area of what was then the industrialized city of Boston.

Years later, the partners split up and Matthew sold his share in the com-pany and the patent to Everest, who decided to continue to devote this company to the production of lubricants and to continue with the busi-ness exclusively centred on kerosene.

History lost trace of Ewing, but not of Everest, who continued to produce his oil packaged in square cans, recycled from their first use as oyster cans, as a good conserver of harnesses and dres-sing for horses and carriages. He called it “Vacuum harness oil”.

Horse-riders even today know about the expense of the leather harnesses required in this sport and how they need to be treated with products that make them water-proof, protect them and lengthen their useful lives.

Before the appearance of the car, animal-pulled vehicles and carriages had the same social and econo-mic importance as cars and farming machinery together have today. That is why this product which protected the parts required at the time was so useful.

The nature of this business can be clearly seen in the advertisements of the time offering “Vacuum harness oil”. One of them read:

“SAVE MONEY PRESERVING YOUR HARNESSES”

There is no doubt about how a farmer can save money defi-nitely and easily, like by keeping his harnesses soft, ductile and flexible with a little good harness oil. This prevents the fragility of the leather and stops it from cracking. Some oils with impurities fry in the summer, which is very inconve-nient. VACUUM HARNESS OIL does not fry or go rubbery. It remains on the leather for a long time, protecting and waterproofing it.

In Chapter VI, the author tells us how the pioneers in the art of oil refining gradually discovered products with qualities that sa-tisfied society’s needs. Amongst the products deriving from the heaviest fractions were fuel oil, natural lubricants, refined pro-ducts, deodorized neutral products, mineral sperm oil, paraffin wax, petrolatum and petroleum jelly.

Hiram Bond Everest

Advertising card for Harness Oil

(*) Amongst other advantages in comparison with ordinary distillation, the vacuum distillation method made it possible to separate different fractions at points very near to boiling, and to do so using less heat (See Oleum 20. Adding Heat to the Process III)

Adding heat to the process (VI) Francisco Javier PulgarLegal Advisor to CEPSA Lubricantes and CEPSA Gas Licuado

Scenes from the history of petroleum

31

And another one suggested:

“USE HOOF VACUUM OIL”

A certain cure for all hoof diseases. An excellent lineament for sprains, wounds and other unhealthy hoof conditions. It is sold in a quarter-pint, pint and half-pint cans, with gold labels, and the full measure is guaranteed.

While this was going on, to promote these products even more, not very far off in the protohistory of the science of lubrication, in 1872 George Thurston had invented a machine to check friction. The ma-chine showed that over half of the power of cotton mills was lost in getting over friction and that there was a 50% improvement if lubri-cants were used. The importance of this discovery impressed the early New England textile manufacturers, as did the impact of the lubricant on their costs.

Lastly, from 1875 onwards, experiments with combustion engines started to be conducted. One of the pioneers was precisely another citizen from Rochester, George Selden (**), who saw harness oil as the solution or, rather, as the key to enabling the movement of the cylinders of his com-bustion engine.

George Selden, who would become a lawyer, built his first vehicle without horses, a “road engine”, in 1877, although he did not manage to patent it until 1889. One of its essential components was the special oil made by Everest from harness oil.

According to his son, George B. Selden Jr., his father would never have attempted to build a car without this lubricant oil, which guaranteed the success of the internal combustion en-gine. In the Rochester chroni-cles about the pioneers of the automobile, Selden Jr. is quoted as calling Hiram Everest as “the greatest inventor in town. He made automobiles possible”.

Always on the lookout for where there might be a business from petro-leum, in 1879 the powerful Standard Oil Co. immediately bought 75% of Vacuum Oil Co. from Everest for $ 200,000 and allowed him to remain as President of the company, with a substantial salary. Thanks to this, Everest became a very wealthy man. He had learnt a lot from his early failures and had achieved success starting from a company which began in a yard and had been founded by a grocer and a carpenter.

His discovery was so important that, even today, every time we change the engine oil in our cars, we should mentally take our hats off to Hiram Everest, the most triumphant failure in the world.

A little later, with its sights set on the nascent automobile industry and the internal combustion engine, Vacuum prepared to launch its new automo-tive lubricant before the world.

Aware of the commercial potential of this discovery, many sales executi-

ves searched through their mythology books for a trade name to regis-ter, a name that could be understood in every country and language and that would identify and differentiate the countless sales points for the company’s lubricant which would be scattered around the globe.

First, they focused on Roc, the enormous bird which, picking Sinbad up by his baggy trousers in its beak (in “The Thousand and One Nights”), carried him across the mountains and dropped him in a ravine full of diamonds. But a little language difficulty arose. Roc sounds like rock and, in German, petroleum is rock-oil (Steinöl). In the authors’ opinion, the bird should not be a reminder of this origin.

As an alternative, they found the figure of a fantastic monstrous animal which was to be found on the cornices of Gothic cathedrals throug-hout Europe to frighten demons away: the gargoyle. The managers of Vacuum, who were not very fond of plays on words, realized too late

that the end of the word and the English word “oil” sounded the same. Gargoyle 600-W-Steam Cylinder Oil had been presented to the market and was already selling massively throughout the world, brin-ging margins and profits to its owners which were unprecedented in the history of international trade.

Since then, throughout the 20th century and even today, Gargoyle has been known from Cairo to Canton and from Rome to Rio. On 5 May 1911, Standard Oil was split into 34 independent companies. In Au-gust 1931, Vacuum merged with one of these companies, Standard Oil Co. of New York (SOCONY), and the name was changed to Socony-Vacuum Corp.

In 1955, after the Second World War, Socony-Vacuum lost the old Va-cuum, which was the name of the oldest active oil company in the world, and the name was changed once again, this time to Socony-Mobil Oil Corporation.

The name was changed again in 1966 to Mobil Oil Corporation. Fi-nally, on 30 November 1999, it merged with Exxon Corporation, then creating the largest company in the world in market valuation: Exxon Mobil Corporation.

Gargoyles at Notre Dame, Paris

George Selden and Henry Ford in George’s car

(**) George Selden had his patent until 1911 and received royalties from US automobile manufacturers, despite the lawsuits over it. Henry Ford and other manufacturers won the case, were freed of this burden and, being able to reduce costs, fixed more affordable prices for cars, making them into a generalized consumer good.

Scenes from the history of petroleum