Recruitment Special 2013 by EAGE

2013

Special Features

Meet prof Iain Stewart, the geoscience media man Students set to fast forward the future Young talent forum set for an encore The making of a Russian geoscience star

Geoscience AnD PetrotechnicAl cAreers

years of

innovation >118,000 employees >140 nationalities ~ 85 countries of operation

Who are we? We are the world’s largest oilfield services company1. Working globally—often in remote and challenging locations—we invent, design, engineer, and apply technology to help our customers find and produce oil and gas safely.

Who are we looking for? We’re looking for high-energy, self-motivated graduates with vision. n Do you have exceptional problemsolving, communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills? n Are you looking for challenges and the opportunity to travel around the globe? n Are you interested in working for a company that recognizes and rewards you for performance and ambition?

What will you be?

Mapping out a

career path is what matters

By Andrew McBarnet

ost people would agree that oil and gas industry E&P professional geoscientists and engineers of all ages and experience constitute vital assets on the balance sheet of oil companies and the service sector. Yet their worth is sometimes overshadowed by corporate public focus on financial performance and technological differentiation to satisfy stakeholder interests. Indeed a decade or so ago the industry took too much for granted and paid the penalty. If we look at personnel value, it is partly a reflection of investment in education and training, but market forces are at work too. After the downsizing and consolidations of the late 1990s the oil industry was close to panic over how the vacuum created by the retirement of its ageing, experienced professionals would be filled. Today there is not so much alarmist talk about future industry staffing. This can be put down partly to an element of disillusion with the previous counter-attractions, for example, the practice and ethics of the financial community epitomized by the Madoff affair, collapse of Lehmann Brothers, and the failure to curb excessive rewards to executives. More directly, the oil industry has been proactive in promoting the positive in both its professional workforce recruitment and retention. Our annual Recruitment Special offers some evidence of how this is working in practice.

Nothing can be taken for granted, but the indications are that what could have been a fatal ebbing of the tide has been reversed and that a steady stream of new professionals from around the world can be convinced that the oil industry has a worthwhile career to offer.

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This Recruitment Special also highlights the support role that professional associations such as the EAGE can play in attracting the next generation of young professionals. The Student Programme at the Annual Meeting in London captures the spirit and intention at all sorts of levels. There is the chance to better understand the challenges, rewards, and lifestyle of the industry, learn how the recruitment process works, attend various courses and presentations, as well as meet and network with the many professionals present at the event. In addition, it is an occasion where potential recruits can demonstrate what knowledge and skills they have to offer via the conference programme and various contests.

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We have gathered hopefully representative personal accounts from young staffers and intending oil industry employees at universities. They all express a welcome enthusiasm for their chosen career path and an awareness of what they are letting themselves in for, to the point of being clear how they chose between an oil company and a service provider. If there is a detectable theme it would be that the major industry players from the start map out a rewarding, prospective working life for all their staff.

Recruitment Special EAGE Publications Officer Neil Goulty, Durham University (publicationsofficer@eage.org) Editor Andrew McBarnet (editorfb@eage.org)

Meet the geoscience media man Prof Iain Stewart describes how he combines university life with TV documentary work and popularizes the geosciences.

Publications & Communications Manager Marcel van Loon (ml@eage.org) Publications Manager Linda Molenaar (lm@eage.org) Account Manager Subscriptions & Recruitment Stefan van der Kooij (sk@eage.org) Production Co Productions bv (contact@coproductions.nl) Editorial/Advertising enquiries EAGE Office (address below) EAGE Europe Office PO Box 59 3990 DB Houten The Netherlands Tel.: +31 88 9955055 Fax: +31 30 6343524 E-mail: eage@eage.org Website: www.eage.org EAGE Russia & CIS Office EAGE Geomodel LLC Starokaluzhskoye shosse, 62 Build. 1, korp. 6, 3rd floor 117630, Moscow, Russia Tel.: +7 495 661 9285 Fax: +7 495 661 9286 E-mail: moscow@eage.org Website: www.eage.ru

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EAGE Middle East Office EAGE Middle East FZ-LLC Dubai Knowledge Village Block 13 Office F-25 PO Box 501711 Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel.: +971 4 369 3897 Fax: +971 4 360 4702 E-mail: middle_east@eage.org Website: www.eage.org

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EAGE Asia Pacific Office UOA Centre Office Suite 19-15-3A No. 19, Jalan Pinang 50450 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Tel: +60 3 27 22 0140 Fax: +60 3 2722 0143 E-mail: asiapacific@eage.org Website: www.eage.org Recruitment Special on the Web This publication can be accessed online at: www.eage.org/rs

The FIELD Challenge that sets students apart EAGE Annual Meeting is the culmination of a worldwide competition to test students knowledge and skills.

What makes a professional Schlumberger recruiting manager explains how the company provides training and orientation to ensure recruits find the right position.

Total makes risk an attraction Total's HR department believes the company's aggressive E&P strategy makes it an exciting place to work.

Table of contents

4 Meet the man dedicated to making geoscience part of popular culture 8 Students set to fast forward the future at Annual Meeting in London

13 GeoSkill workshop to focus on how to build local skill capability worldwide

20 The FIELD Challenge brings out the creative in the next generation of professionals

Turning a job into a career

Being rewarded by research with practical value

The making of a Russian geoscience star

They say there’s nothing like experience and it’s true!

42 ‘High risk, high reward’ exploration strategy makes for an exciting career in Total

46 CGG’s expanding geoscience focus likely to create more career opportunities

Young talent forum set for an encore

Calendar of events

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Meet the man dedicated to making geoscience

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part of popular culture Prof Iain Stewart, professor of geoscience communication, Plymouth University and well-known broadcaster, will be quizmaster at this year’s Geo-Quiz for students attending the EAGE 2013 Annual Meeting. Here he answers questions about his work and how to inspire a new generation of geoscientists.

How do you advise students on career opportunities in geology and related disciplines? One of the ironies of modern geoscience is that because the ‘big picture’ of how the planet works is just so exciting it can lead to the ambition in many students that they want a career in plate tectonics, or in climate change. That’s fine if you want to go on to study for a PhD or the like, but the vast majority of our graduates will work in something more normal. Given the focus of research excellence in the university sector, we have to keep a close eye on making sure students are aware of where the career opportunities are and what skills and modules they need to achieve that. In short, we need to

Iain Stewart: geoscience professor and broadcaster Dr Iain Stewart (1964) is a Scottish geologist. He graduated from Strathclyde University in Scotland in 1986 with a degree in geology and geography. He obtained a PhD on earthquakes in Greece and Turkey at the University of Bristol in England in 1990. After some time as a teacher at Brunel University in London, he moved to the Centre for Geosciences at Glasgow University in 2002 and began pitching an idea about a television series on geology. The following year he began working with the BBC on the Rough Science programme, and on two Horizon specials - ‘Helike: The Real Atlantis’ and ‘Earthquake Storms’. Since then he has presented several series and films. Since 2004 Dr Stewart has been employed at the University of Plymouth where he is professor of geosciences communication, and continues to broadcast on geology.

pay a lot more attention to ‘employment excellence’.

Why is geology study important to society in general? It is difficult to look ahead even just a few decades and think that the critical issues facing society will not be those that relate to energy generation, metal resources, groundwater supply, natural disasters, and climate change. The swelling global population and the afflictions of

a climate-challenged world will mean that our understanding of the natural world will become ever more critical. Geologists should be in the front line of all of this. But to be effective in that role we have to be more savvy about appreciating the wider political, economic, and social dimensions of the Earth. So much of what we do is shaped not by the science and the technical aspects, but by people’s attitudes and perceptions about the problems we face. We can’t, and shouldn’t, ignore that.

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Dinosaurs and disasters are the normal way in to geology for most students. They are pretty staple ingredients in television geoscience and work equally well in the classroom and in the field. But once students get in the door, the reality is that there are lots of aspects of Earth science that are exciting and challenging. What is especially challenging is just how inter-disciplinary modern geoscience is, and how it is addressing a whole series of concerns that really mean things to society.

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What is the best way to excite students about geology and geoscience study?

"As is often the case, my awkward moments are most often with animals. Rocks seem to be far better behaved".

As a communicator what do you try to achieve in your TV documentaries? My programmes are meant to entertain not educate. If I want to educate someone about geology, I want them in a university classroom. Instead, what mainstream popular documentaries can do is provide a shop window for our science. It establishes – in a gentle, nuanced way – the broader context within which we geoscientists work. Our specific knowledge of the planet – the ‘geo-facts’ if you like – are not always that interesting, and likely to change or to be contested. Instead, it is the spaces between the facts that convey the essence of what we do and what we’re interested in. Some people call it ‘geo-poetry’, which I like, but essentially it conveys to ordinary people that earth science, first and foremost, is an important thing to be interested in.

Professor of Geoscience Communication is a very unusual title. Is it unique and what does it entail?

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I’m not sure if it’s unique, but I certainly don’t know anyone else with that title. I do know lots of geoscientists that are

actively engaging with the public, however, and that is the basic job description. Most of my time not spent teaching will either be spent making television programmes or giving talks to schools, universities, or organizations – anyone that will listen. The aim is to promote geoscience in any way I can, and to whatever audience I can. That may sound rather vague, and it might seem that a more targeted approach is better, but to be honest the same basic misconceptions arise whether you are talking geoscience to a 14 year-old school pupil or a senior politician and the same kind of communication skills come in to play.

What got you interested in geology in the first place? Volcanoes. Mount St Helens in particular, which exploded just as I completed my geography studies at school.

You were once a budding actor. Would you like to try that again one day? No, most of my acting contemporaries are short on employment. For me, teaching was all about performance, and now

with the television that has just been taken to the next level. So I’m perfectly happy where I am.

What have been the highlights and/or Eureka moments of your life in geology, and what have been the disappointments? Well, television takes you to even more extravagant places than normal geological fieldwork, so I’ve been very lucky. Highlights for me must be the spectacular Crystal Cave in northern Mexico and the bubbling Erta Ale lava lake in Ethiopia. Disappointments are not having got to Antarctica yet, but there is still time!

Prof Iain Stewart will open this year's London '13 student evening with a speech titled '50 shades of grey'

What else do you want to achieve in the geological sphere or beyond?

Geologists are increasingly being encouraged to present their work to the wider public, and even to advocate more directly its policy dimensions. Yet how can we do that when, for most people, geology is about 'stones' and stones are 'boring'? This talk will explore how emerging geoscientists can access the public and policy-makers in a myriad of ways, ditching 'geo-facts' for 'geo-culture' and switching from traditional communication methods to new alternative media.

I’ve never had a master plan for all of this, and I think it is useful not to. So many things pop up unexpectedly and I’m a great fan of serendipity driving things forward. However, I am conscious that my rising public profile brings opportunities and responsibilities, so I’m trying to get more involved in awareness-raising in fundamental issues such as geoscience

How do your ideas for TV films arise, and what kind of team and logistics is required to put them together. Also how long does the whole process take? The television ideas tend to be a mix of backgrounds. Some come from pitches that I put together (e.g, Men of Rock), others come from the channel (e.g, How To Grow A Planet) and most emerge from brainstorming sessions when we through around programme ideas. By and large, from starting to put a programme together to the time that it airs is about a year, with filming taking up half of that. Generally at least one academic term is full of me filming, which means switching teaching around and getting cover from colleagues. At times that can be tricky, and you certainly have to keep everyone on board with it.

Things sometimes go wrong in TV film making. Can you share with us any awkward moments that you have experienced! As is often the case, my awkward moments are most often with animals. Rocks seem to be far better behaved. Unlike the alligator that I had to pin down to show the development of the crurotarsan joint in relation to the development of the Pangean deserts (I know – a tenuous link!). But what goes wrong most often is more mundane – frequently things not being found as the research suggests they would be. In a way, filming is very similar to a research fieldtrip, in that you go with a plan but have to be prepared to be flexible when you get there, and to make the most of what you encounter. It certainly makes the whole process much more fun.

Are there experiences/events in your career so far that you would not want to repeat? If so, were there any lessons to be drawn? There is always a push for the highadrenaline stuff – high-speed experiential encounters that try to give the viewer the feeling of being there. I’ve managed to avoid sky-diving and other sorts of really extreme behaviour, but abseiling and diving has become a pretty regular part of my geological repertoire. They are often seen as bringing some on-screen jeopardy but generally health and safety is all over it. In that sense the lesson is that the dangerous stuff comes from far more humdrum activities – like being driven by local fixers that aspire to be on Top Gear!

Geoscience in schools is a bit of a mixed picture. There are signs in England that numbers are on the up, yet in Scotland it is being removed from the advanced curriculum. In part it reflects the fact that geology itself is now a far more complex, sprawling amalgam of sciences and that it takes in the oceans and atmosphere as much as the solid Earth. That makes it tremendously exciting, but very challenging to teach. For me, the key thing is not necessarily having a formal course of study in geology at school but rather making sure that where geoscience aspects appear they are clearly labelled – branded, if you like – as Earth science/geology. It’s only in that way that students will know the career path to follow at university.

"I’ve never had a master plan for all of this, and I think it is useful not to. So many things pop up unexpectedly..."

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education and geoscience skills training. There is a great move to make geoscience more ‘fit for purpose’ in terms of the great societal challenges ahead, and that seems to me to be an important area that I can play a part in.

Support for geoscience study at the higher education level has been dwindling in the UK and many other countries. Do you have any ideas about how this trend could be reversed?

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Erta Ale, Ethiopia's most active volcano bursting out lava.

Students set to

fast forward the future at Annual Meeting in London F

ast Forward’ the future is the challenge being presented to participants in this year’s student programme at the 75th EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition incorporating SPE EUROPEC 2013 (London '13) being held in London from 10-13 June 2013. Students are the next generation, and they will be responsible for ‘Changing Frontiers’, the overall theme of EAGE's Annual Meeting. So, it makes a lot of sense to have them fast forward that future!

FIELD Challenge

The extensive student programme introduces once again many exciting, educational and entertaining activities for obtaining up-to-date knowledge and skills for pursuing a career in the geoscience and engineering industry. The highlights include activities in the Student Court, as well as student short courses, workshops, poster presentations, trial interviews, exhibition tours, and much more!

EAGE cordially invites all students to come watch and cheer for the chosen six teams, who will present their work and fight for the title of 2013 FIELD Challenge champion. Presentations will be held throughout the day.

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‘

On Monday 10 June the student programme will kick off with the prestigious FIELD Challenge, which will open its doors for spectators for the very first time! Twenty-six university teams battled to be selected as FIELD Challenge competitors, but only the best six teams have been invited to analyze and propose a FIELD development plan for a discovered hydrocarbon resource. This year’s dataset has been sponsored by BP.

After an exciting day of the FIELD Challenge event, students can relax and enjoy the icebreaker reception on Monday

evening which offers a perfect opportunity to meet and get acquainted not only with fellow students, but also with professionals from the industry and universities. Monday is also the day that students can enjoy an exciting full-day field trip to scenic Dorset. The field trip will visit the beautiful spots of West Bay, Lulworth Cove, and Kimmeridge Bay, all of geological interest.

Motivational speaker On Tuesday 11 June Jan Zalasiewicz, a lecturer in geology at the University of Leicester will be this year’s motivational speaker. A field geologist, palaeontologist, and stratigrapher, he teaches various aspects of geology and Earth history, and is a researcher into fossil ecosystems and environments across over half a billion years of geological time. He has published over a hundred papers in scientific journals and is the

"Once again many exciting, educational and entertaining activities for obtaining up to date knowledge and skills for pursuing a career in the geoscience and engineering industry."

One of the most popular student activities is traditionally the Geo-Quiz. It challenges university students to prove their geosciences knowledge and skills learned during the course of their studies. This year’s quizmaster will be none other than TV star Professor Iain Stewart. Iain is professor of geosciences communication at the University of Plymouth, and a popular TV and radio presenter who has won acclaim for his BBC documentaries on our planet and the forces that shape it. He will put up to 30 teams to the test as they compete to outwit each other. You can read all about Iain Stewart on p. 4 of the Recruitment Special! Students can register to participate in the Student Court. The registration for the Geo-Quiz will close on Tuesday 11 June at 11 a.m. sharp.

Courses Two short courses and one workshop are scheduled in the London '13 student programme, assisting students to gain practical or technical knowledge in an interactive way. Students can register for a half-day short course on ‘Technological Trends in the next 20 years’ as well as a short course on ‘Petroleum Fairway Analysis’. The workshop ‘Insights into the Depth and Breadth of Oil & Gas Business’ will cover both non-technical as well as technical aspects of the industry.

Students demonstrate their knowledge at the Geo-Quiz.

Practice makes perfect! Running the entire day from Tuesday to Thursday, the EAGE trial interviews offer students the opportunity to hone their interviewing skills. The trial Interviews allow students to experience the interview process and learn from the professionals. Time slots are limited, so students are encouraged to sign up for a 40-minute trial interview, including a 10-minute feedback session as soon as they can.

Recruitment Café The Recruitment Café supports job searching efforts by providing the opportunity to meet up with potential employers in an informal and friendly atmosphere. Two hours of ‘speed dating’ with industry representatives will take place in the Student Court. During EAGE's Annual Meeting in Copenhagen in 2012, these speed dates resulted in real job offers for several students, which proves that anything is possible in London!

Job Centre There has been increasing discussion in the past decade over future recruitment for the oil and gas workforce worldwide. For example, the ‘baby-boomer’ generation – a highly experienced group of oil and gas professionals – is retiring from the industry. The big economic turndown and oil company downsizing just before the millenium caused many prospective graduates to opt for careers in other industries. At the same time, worldwide hydrocarbon reserves are decreasing and oil and gas professionals are facing ever increasing technical challenges. Take all these points into account and include the recent economic crisis, and you will see that solutions are needed urgently. EAGE has as one of its goals to support the recruitment needs of its 16,000 members,

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Quiz time

Students, before registering, be warned! Do not enter this challenge lightly, for the questions are gruelling and definitely not for the faint of heart! But for those brave enough to rise to the challenge, wonderful prizes can be won. This year’s quiz has been designed by some of the sharpest minds in the business, such as former EAGE president Phil Christie from Schlumberger, our very own student affairs chair Peter Lloyd from NExT, and last but definitely not least the student affairs vice-chair, Sylvie Grimaud from Total.

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author of several books such as ‘The Goldilocks Planet: An Earth History of Climate Change’, ‘The Anthropocene: a new epoch of geological time’, and ‘The Earth After Us: What Legacy Will Humans Leave in the Rocks?’

many of whom are involved in the oil industry. One of its most successful initiatives to date has been the Job Centre, launched in 2006 as a feature of each Annual Meeting. As a result, the exhibition floor at London '13 will include a Job Centre. This is an area dedicated to recruitment where students, professionals, and company representatives can meet in a relaxed atmosphere and discuss potential career opportunities. At the event, several oil and service companies have a recruitment

booth to present the professional employment opportunities in their companies. Furthermore, several recruitment agencies have a presence in the Job Centre. According to feedback from Job Centre exhibitors, it is a superb way of meeting and finding potential recruits and they find the quality of the visitors to be very high. In addition to the exhibitor stands, visitors to the Job Centre will also find a job wall filled with available positions. There will also be a coffee plaza, which allows everyone to conduct discussions and negotiations in an informal and relaxed environment. More information on the London '13 Job Centre can be found online (www.eage.org/jobcentre). Or contact EAGE’s account manager Stefan van der Kooij for an update on the opportunities on offer.

Exhibition tour

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The Student Court will be the meeting point for the exhibition tours, which will visit different companies every day. During these tours, students will have the opportunity to get acquainted with

company representatives from several different companies in the industry.

Student poster sessions Student poster programme representatives will join the conference technical programme presenters in the poster area from Tuesday 11 to Thursday 13 June. The student and professional delegate presentations will be covering a wide variety of topics. Further details about the poster programme will be listed in the London '13 programme and catalogue.

‘Fast Forward’ sponsors With the exciting London '13 student programme, EAGE hopes to inspire students to change frontiers and to keep looking at future technologies and ways for improvement. None of this would be possible without the generosity of our sponsors from the EAGE Student Fund – Shell, CGG, and WesternGeco – and our student programme sponsors Total, ExxonMobil, BP and Shell. For more information about the London '13 student programme, please visit www.eage.org

Join us in Amsterdam! Experience the Energy

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www.eage.org

76th EAGE Conference & Exhibition 2014 | 16-19 June 2014 | Amsterdam RAI AMS14-V*H.indd 1

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Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Hiring. Do you have experience in Seismic Processing/Imaging? If you would like to join one of the fastest growing companies with leading edge technology, we would be interested in hearing from you.

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Interested in what we are doing? We are hiring! omv.com/jobs

Moving more. Moving the future.

GeoSkill Workshop to

focus on how to build local skills capability

worldwide The Second EAGE GeoSkill Workshop will be held on 14 June 2013 in London, UK. This event will address upstream industry concerns on technical skills and the

he need to establish local workforces able to carry out the full range of E&P operations is becoming increasingly urgent, especially as there are growing indications that the oil industry will soon be experiencing a worldwide shortage of skilled personnel. This is why the GeoSkill 2013 workshop to be held in London immediately after the EAGE Annual Meeting on Friday 14 June will focus on the worldwide local capability challenge. The previous GeoSkill workshop in Pau, France in 2010 addressed the challenges of training and developing E&P professionals in the 21st Century. This second workshop will continue to build on this theme but specifically address the issue of building local capability development in an international playing field, and more specifically in the developing world.

The need for effective training and development of technical staff is as strong as ever, but the industry must now solve the issue of accelerating the development of graduates and young professionals in all regional areas where there is new or sustained upstream activity. Recent and new graduate hires must build on their academic education and become independent contributors in the workplace as quickly as possible, while experienced professionals in the E&P industry must continue to learn and adapt as new technologies such as unconventional gas and new plays emerge. The GeoSkill 2013 workshop will provide a forum for industry professionals to exchange their knowledge and experience concerning the local capability challenge as well as general skills development. Topics that will be discussed include:

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SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs â&#x20AC;˘ page 13â&#x20AC;&#x201A;

need for locally trained personnel.

• The need to develop national workforces and talent management • Changes in the geographic centres of production and workforce mobility • Expectations of IOCs for graduate recruitment vs. local supply • Competency management and accelerating learning • The impact of global communications on training and remote learning tools • Technology integration and best practice across borders • The role of universities in attracting talent to the E&P industry • Industry and university partnerships In a series of sessions, key representatives from NOCs, IOCs, academia, and industry training providers will be talking about the regional challenges of developing local talent. The following speakers have already confirmed: Stefan Luthi (Delft University), Christian Seyve (Total), Pete Smith (RPS), Sultan Al Ghaithi (ADMA-OPCO), JeanLuc Karnik (IFPT), Roland Gelling (Shell), and Najwa Azaimi (Saudi Aramco).

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The format of the workshop will combine lectures, plenary discussions, round table discussions, poster presentations, exhibition booths, and demonstrations. GeoSkill 2013 should appeal to a wide range of students, academ-

ics, and industry professionals, seniors and juniors, who play or will play a role in developing the industry’s technical competency for the future. Steve Pickering, EAGE education officer at the time of the Pau GeoSkill Workshop in 2010 had this to say about the event: 'The format of the workshop worked extremely well and is recommended to others wishing to stimulate discussion and debate. Each session commenced with three short talks followed by simultaneous poster and technology presentations, and a final plenary session to discuss what had been learnt. Most important this was also a networking opportunity with people from different backgrounds and organizations sharing information and ideas on ways to solve the critical industry shortage of experience in the geosciences and engineering technical populations. So just what were the lessons learned? One of the challenges given to the attendees was for every participant to take away and develop at least one idea to improve recruiting, training, and development in their organization. The need for universities and employers to get together more to discuss what skills are being developed, and what are needed; the increased importance of certification; the growth of e-learning, blended learning, and gaming; and finally the importance of coaching were to name just a few.'

Multi-Client and Data Processing opportunities Dolphin is a global, full service, marine geophysical company. Due to our continued expansion, our Multi-Client business is looking to appoint a New Ventures Manager and QC Geophysicists. As a result of recent successes in our SHarp Broadband solutions and our growing in-house processing capability, we are also interested in hearing from Geophysicists with a range of experiences and knowledge.

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Young talent forum

set for an encore

The proceedings were initiated with a very interesting speech by Ahmad Saqer Al Suwaidi, EAGE Regional Council ME president and senior vice president of drilling services of ADMA-OPCO. The sessions that followed were: ‘Leaders of Tomorrow’, ‘The Reality of Work Experience’, ‘Internationalizing Young Talents’ and ‘Career Prospects’. There was an inspirational talk by Leila Al Marashi, an Emarati young professional from Shell who spoke about the role of women within the oil and gas business. Day one concluded with a lively panel discussion and debate chaired by Raj Sharma, regional director of Hays Oil & Gas, bringing together representatives from IOCs, NOCs,

academia, and service providers to discuss the future of young talents in the region. On day two, the forum continued with sessions on ‘Insights from the Executive Suite’, where facilitator John van Zuylen, director of the Dubai and Abu Dhabi Chapters of Young Professionals in Energy, invited some of the region’s key leaders and experts to share their experiences in the industry. Sultan Al Hajji, vice president, Total UAE, led a panel discussion focusing on industry aspirations for the next generation of leaders and the future of young talents in the region. Feedback from the event was extremely positive and informative. Participants clearly enjoyed the inspirational presentations, shared experiences, networking, and learning how to further develop their careers. EAGE feels that there is a need for events such as these focused on students and young professionals. As a result, planning for the second edition of the EAGE Forum on Students & Young Professionals in 2014 is already underway.

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ver 70 students and young professionals travelled to Abu Dhabi last October to attend the first EAGE forum with the theme ‘The Future of Young Talents’. That this is a high valued topic on everyone’s agenda was shown by the many organizations which supported the event. Those contributing to the success of the inaugural event on 8–9 October included ADCO, ADMA-OPCO, ZADCO, Saudi Aramco, Total, and Schlumberger.

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What participants had to say Naeima Rashid Ali Al Habsi, winner of the best poster Participating in the Forum on Students & Young Professionals enriched my professional experiences and broadened my career expectations. I learned several things from the workshops in the forum that I will carry with me for the rest of my professional life. One of these is the importance of networking and teamwork. Moreover learning never ends, and as young professionals we should never stop learning from experienced colleagues in the work space and surround ourselves with successful people who will inspire us.

Zaid Al-Kindi, second runner up, poster competition

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Taking part in the EAGE Forum was a great experience. Every session taught me new approaches to reach my goals, in the long and short term. Learning from other people’s experience helps every day, because these stories of success lead to positive ideas and push you to work harder to reach your goals. The most important things I have learned in the forum are ‘never stop learning’ and ‘never stop asking, because there are no stupid questions’. Finally, being a leader is difficult but if you try to help every single person around you, then you will be chosen to lead people and work together like family.

Mohammed Al-Blushi, first runner up, poster competition Attending the Forum is the most interesting thing I have done in the past four years of my study. I benefited from several of the panels, especially the one on leadership and how to become a good leader. I also learned a lot from the successful stories of the speakers and how they managed to overcome barriers to achieve their goals. Being at the HSE session at the end was very instructive for all of us. It made us realize how important the HSE is, and along with the technical part of the work. The poster competition was a great way to show our university work. It gave us a great chance to present our ideas to different people and to build a network.

"The most important things I have learned in the forum are ‘never stop learning’ and ‘never stop asking, because there are no stupid questions."

Abeer Al-Saifi, vice president of the Sultan Qaboos University Student Chapter The EAGE was very generous to host the Forum and invite different universities from the Gulf cities. I was very pleased to participate and gained lots of new insights. I enjoy leading a group and hosting sessions, so this panel improved my leadership skills and basics a lot. Hearing successful young people talk about their achievements motivated me in my ambition to be a young talented person myself, and I hope to talk to the next generation about my experience. The networking part taught me about the large role socialization plays in becoming a successful person.

Dr Hesham El-Kaliouby, student faculty advisor and professor of geophysics, Sultan Qaboos University I would like to thank the EAGE for organizing this forum. When I first received the invitation to participate, I thought of it as a good opportunity for students from the Sultan Qaboos University to present their final year projects and to build networks. However, they gained more than I expected from the motivating presentations and inspiring panel discussions. The tour at the Schlumberger training centre was also a wonderful experience. The stories that our students took home, along with the awards, have motivated many other students to participate in future events and may encourage them to host EAGE activities at SQU, Oman.

JOIN THE TGS TEAM TGS provides multi-client geoscience data to oil and gas Exploration and Production companies worldwide.

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SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs • page 19

In addition to extensive global geophysical and geological data libraries that include multi-client seismic data, magnetic and gravity data, digital well logs, production data and directional surveys, TGS also offers advanced processing and imaging services, interpretation products, permanent reservoir monitoring and data integration solutions.

FIELD Challenge (Fully Integrated EvaLuation Development) The FIELD Challenge promotes cross-disciplinary geoscience and engineering integration within university departments worldwide. This year six university teams will analyze a data set from the North Sea provided by BP. The competing teams have been pre-selected by way of an essay contest with the exciting topic: 'Cross-disciplinary Research: the Way to the Future'. The teams are required to analyze and propose a field development plan for a discovered hydrocarbon resource in front of a jury of top industry professionals. Their presentations will take place during the 75th EAGE Conference & Exhibition incorporating SPE EUROPEC on 10 June in London. Teams of the following universities will participate in the 2012-2013 FIELD Challenge: • Maharashtra Institute of Technology, University of Pune, India • The Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi • Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, India • Heriot Watt University, Dubai • Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway • IFP School, France

THE

FIELD CHALLENGE

brings out the creative in the next generation of professionals

Peter Lloyd, chairman, EAGE Student Affairs, describes what the FIELD Challenge is all about.

Even within the oil industry an area that 15 years ago was baptized (perhaps patronizingly) as ‘unconventional’, now looks like rejuvenating, indeed, reshaping the US economy. Entrepreneurial commitment and well invested research dollars led that charge. Only a handful of the USA’s onshore rigs now work so-called ‘conventional plays’. Another case of the world turned upside-down. So we thought we’d use our FIELD Challenge entry essay as a means to ask the young tigers at the different universities around the world what they thought about

the direction research should be heading. We set up the challenge for our potential FIELD Challenge contestants to write an essay with the topic ‘Cross-disciplinary research: the way to the future’. Our finalists wrote some stimulating essays about how they could integrate various geoscience, engineering, and other disciplines (like medical and nano-technologies) to make breakthroughs in our industry. And they communicated some excellent ideas on integrated research projects. It felt like reading blueprints of how they (our young tigers) would hunt collectively and bring home a bull elephant! Some of the not so highly rated essayists got marked down because they spent too much time describing the barriers to such research, and that was like reading about the shackles and cages they found themselves in. It is a pity that we can feel so shackled so young! Be that as it may, all the students who entered the competition worked hard to put together cogent ideas and paint a picture of the future, and we’d like to thank them for their submissions. My team of tirelessly working reviewers especially appreciated those who outlined how we shall get there. Now it’s time for the ‘winners’ and some of our reviewers to say what they think!

SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs • page 21

ome of the world’s richest people dropped out of their Masters programmes to create hugely successful ‘startups’ from extremely modest beginnings, some, quite literally kicking things off from their garages. The Forbes 500 is peppered with examples of bright young entrepreneurs who saw opportunities that the ‘wise and ancient elders’ of the human tribe had either missed or dismissed. These new business leaders leveraged off their technical savvy, and were not constrained by ‘group think’ nor blinkered by ‘corporate visions and strategies’. And why? Because they have their own powerful ideas and overwhelming vision!

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What the

energy future

might look like

Students were challenged to write an essay on ‘Cross-disciplinary research: the way to the future’. This year the student team from Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University has won! This is the abstract of the winning essay.

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SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs • page 22

uring the past decades, research collaboration between researchers from different disciplines has become more frequent. However, there is a need to look into the generic modalities and challenges. As means of overcoming the obstacles, the importance of mutual knowledge, allocation of adequate time, and conducive research management is emphasized. New teams may benefit from tutoring by facilitators, who can help to make problem areas explicit and negotiate solutions. Recently all the other key areas of the oil industry, such as exploration, primary and assisted production, monitoring, refining and distribution, are approaching nanotechnologies as the potential Philosopher’s Stone for facing critical issues related to remote locations (such as ultra-deep water and arctic environments), harsh conditions (hightemperature and high-pressure formations), non- conventional reservoirs (heavy oils, tight gas, tar sands). The general aim is to bridge the gap between the oil industry and nanotechnology community using various initiatives such as consortia between oil and service companies and nanotechnology excellence centres, networking communities, workshops and conferences, and even dedicated research units inside some oil companies. The benefits that nanotechnology can offer to the oil industry are potentially enormous. As extensively illustrated in the study, some nanotechnology applications are already

available to the market while others could come from transposing the solutions developed for the biomedical, automotive, aerospace, chemical, and even textile sectors, where a major breakthrough occurred thanks to the nanotechnology revolution. Well drilling, fracturing, and cementing as well as new generation membranes for gas separation can already rely on nanotech solutions. Currently, relevant efforts are being made to design nanosensors for reservoir characterization and monitoring and to produce nano-fluids for improving EOR processes. Very promising results have been obtained from laboratory experiment, but field tests are still extremely limited. The exploration and production (E&P) of oil and natural gas is one of the most computationally demanding endeavours, generating terabytes of data. To optimize the management of a producing oil field or to find new reserves, E&P data must be readily available to a multidisciplinary asset management team. The data must be easy to access, and it must be effectively managed by a team of geologists, geophysicists, and engineers. However, the analysis, processing, and interpretation of these datasets is a labour-intensive and extremely time consuming task. This project will develop a system to facilitate the access and interaction of a wide range of data types needed for collaboration and cross-disciplinary work in the earth sciences.

Oil and gas production depends considerably on understanding the main characteristics of reservoir rock, such as permeability, porosity, and wettability. We use NMR core analysis to calculate these properties more efficiently.

How the

essay writers

see the future

Manikhandhan P.R., 22 years old, BSc student petroleum engineering. “I would suggest universities introduce genetic and neural algorithm courses, and NMR techniques, ct-scanning, and nanotechnology labs for developing mud with more effective and improved performance. I am doing research on economic optimization by genetic algorithm technique. I believe that our oil and gas industry is such a risk prone business, it definitely needs to invest more in economic optimization.”

The result is a 3D image with a resolution of 40 microns. This allows sections requiring further study to be identified. These sections are dissected, using a laser, into slices a millimeter or less thick, and then scanned again, either with the micro-CT or with a scanning electron microscope. That brings the resolution to half a micron, or 500 nanometers. Finally, the image is cleaned up by a computer program and the 50-nanometre-resolution picture emerges. This image, which shows the porosity of the rock, and the channels between the pores, is then subject to a computer analysis that reveals how easily hydrocarbons will flow through it under pressure – and thus the likely productivity of a well dug at that site. Thus we can conclude that cross-disciplinary research has got great potential for solving our oil and gas industry problems!

Sarin Viju Namala, 20 years old, BSc student petroleum engineering. “I would like to see more research into nanotechnology in the petroleum industry. Genetic algorithms, NMR core analysis, and computed tomography from other science disciplines should be subject of research focus. Seeing the world as a unified series of systems is essential today. Despite this most, engineering PhDs focus on the micro rather than the macro level.”

Cyril Johnson, 21 years old, BSc student petroleum engineering. “A minute mistake can damage the whole calculation so perfection is required in order prevent disasters and the way to promote this perfection is with cross-disciplinary techniques because they have proven successful in other fields.”

SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs • page 23

Numerous evolutionary algorithms (EAs) have been proposed for optimization problems in general and historymatching in particular, which are mostly inspired by the process of natural evolution. Investment decision-makers in the oil and gas industry are faced with an extremely complex process when attempting to decide on the optimum mix of projects to pursue. A recently developed technique for solving this type of problem is the use of genetic algorithms. Borrowing from the biological field of evolution, algorithms have been developed that can be applied to find a combination of projects that approach the true optimum, taking in to account numerous business constraints, within an acceptable time-frame.

Computerized tomography (CT) scanning has been used in medicine for several decades. Now it is being applied to geology. In alliance with electron microscopy, the geological use of CT scanning has given birth to a new field, digital rock physics. An initial scan yields a picture that has a resolution of about 500 microns. That done, sections of the core 2–3 cm long, whose porosity is of particular interest, are subject to further study. This involves scanning them in a special micro-CT machine, of a sort developed originally to look at computer chips. The sample is placed on a turntable and rotated inside this microscanner.

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In the computer science field of artificial intelligence, a genetic algorithm (GA) is a search heuristic that mimics the process of natural evolution. This heuristic is routinely used to generate useful solutions for optimization and search problems. Genetic algorithms belong to the larger class of evolutionary algorithms (EA), which generate solutions to optimization problems using techniques inspired by natural evolution, such as inheritance, mutation, selection, and crossover. In the last two decades, enormous effort has been devoted to solving the historymatching problem using global optimization methods.

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GeoPressure

THE

judges’

VIEW

Dr Roger Clark, senior lecturer, geophysics, University of Leeds

"The environmental sciences community has to be involved with resource exploration, and not cast as the opposition..."

Are there areas of research which you personally would like see supported by more cross-disciplinary thinking? All of the above!

In your ideal world what would a cross-disciplinary strategy look like which was aimed at meeting the challenge of finding and producing more hydrocarbons from increasingly complex environments? How would it differ from now? At the core of this issue - and so many others - is a funding question. Many researchers claim government sources are hesitant to support ‘blue sky’ proposals, favouring instead incremental and obvious developments. Any more radical linkages are hard to fund. Are we allowed to have disciplines outside the physical sciences in the mix? A social or political or even a ‘media studies’ scientist would be a valuable asset, for example, in the ‘fracking’ debate. The environmental sciences community has to be involved with resource exploration, and not cast as the opposition, a mind-set change is needed on both sides.

Would you say a cross-disciplinary approach is always the answer? If not, can you say when it is not appropriate? No. Every subject needs specialists who can apply forensic detail and understanding.

SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs • page 25

Researchers in diverse disciplines can tell us of different tools, assumptions, and techniques that our discipline doesn’t appreciate. Geophysics is overflowing with examples. Looking at bringing tools into our subject, some aren’t surprising, e.g., signal processing tools evolved for speech processing in mobile phone/internet transmission can be new tools for seismic signal processing. Some are surprising (to me, anyway), e.g., acoustic wave attenuation is a standard quality-control tool in food processing: so, food scientists have tools to create sophisticated ultrasonic synthetics for complex structures. Who in the oil industry knows about the intrinsic Q of an apple or a piece of cheese, and how well it can be measured and predicted? Looking outward from our subject, I enjoy especially applying ‘routine’ oil industry seismic reflection methods to studies of glaciers and ice-sheets, where

techniques such as AVO and converted-wave surveys bring huge benefits to the glaciologists.

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Can you briefly explain the benefit of cross-disciplinary research with an example from your experience?

Sylvie Grimaud, geologist, head of higher education relations, Total

Can you briefly explain the benefit of cross-disciplinary research with an example from your experience?

Are there areas of research which you personally would like see supported by more cross-disciplinary thinking?

First of all we should define what we mean by ‘crossdisciplinary research’. If we are inside a defined domain such as the oil and gas industry, we are used to work as integrated teams. Experience shows that this is the key to understanding where the main uncertainties are and managing them properly. The goal is to work jointly on a single project sharing ideas and integrating knowledge, results and point of view coming from different disciplines such as geology, geophysics, and reservoir.

Cross-disciplinary research is certainly key for improving the knowledge of our reservoirs. For instance, nanotechnology is finding applications in reservoir monitoring and enhanced oil recovery.

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SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs • page 26

But you may also wish to think outside the box and look beyond your industry perimeter towards other industry domains in order to bring new ideas and innovative technologies that could be applied to your domain. From my point of view this is what ‘cross-disciplinary’ or ‘crossdomain’ research is all about. Is this approach important to the geosciences community? More than important, it is crucial. It is well-known that major innovations appear at the boundary between different domains. New developments in domains such as computer sciences, medical sciences, aeronautical engineering, aerospace, nanotechnologies, physics, and mathematics will often have a major impact on other domains. Let me give you two examples in the field of image processing. The idea of using a medical scanner for the acquisition of core 3D images has enabled the oil and gas industry to provide excellent 3D images of cores before slabbing them, thus avoiding their destruction. Another example is the application of image processing to seismic interpretation. Total has developed a very powerful tool, called Sismage, using the latest technologies in image processing for seismic interpretation. This is such a success that we now receive requests from major actors in other domains, for example, the aerospace industry, to use this software for interpreting images from other planets!

Another example: one of the key issues for unconventional resources production is how to come up with technologies more environment friendly for producing non-conventional reservoirs. Could we replace the use of water by other techniques? This is where we must look around towards domains such as chemistry or microwaves to find innovative ideas as the key is to keep an open-minded attitude towards innovations in other disciplines.

In your ideal world, what would a cross-disciplinary strategy look like which was aimed at meeting the challenge of finding and producing more hydrocarbons from increasingly complex environments? How would it differ from now? From my point of view, the cross-disciplinary strategy is compulsory for our future developments which will be in more and more complex environments. Again I will try to illustrate giving one example but there are plenty of others. The deep offshore development domain is a complex environment where all technologies have to work together to develop seabed monitoring systems in the vicinity of production installations to secure them from any hazards. Again, it is only by sharing and combining the different points of view that we can push the limits.

Would you say a multi-disciplinary approach is always the answer? If not, can you say when it is not appropriate? Here I have a message for younger professionals. Always remember that the first thing that is asked for you is to know the fundamentals of your discipline. In addition to this, you must be open-minded and curious vis a vis what other people are doing around you. But the fundamentals in your discipline must be there first!

Andries Wever, geophysicist, business analyst, Wintershall

Can you briefly explain the benefit of cross-disciplinary research with an example from your experience? For me, cross-disciplinary means getting out of the ‘comfort zone’ or ‘box’ into other, different, exciting or just unknown areas. The best example of this hardly existed 10 years ago though is in many people’s pocket rightnow – a smartphone! Touchscreens were there, phones with data capability as well, personal digital assistants were an extension of the office. However, it needed outof-the-box thinking, clever design, and a slick sales pitch to bring it together into a commercial success. This only works if people communicate, are open to each other’s ideas, concepts, visions, possibilities, and challenges, as well as understanding each other. In the E&P world, this is common place: the sliding definition of what is either ‘unconventional’ or ‘deep water’, seismic processing techniques derived from medical CAT scanners (and vice-versa), perforating guns using rocket science.

and hence impractical to further develop. However, the fact that these alleys have been explored and (currently) ruled-out as options are an achievement in itself. The art then is to work on those options that promise the best results – best in whatever sense.

In your ideal world what would a cross-disciplinary strategy look like which was aimed at meeting the challenge of finding and producing more hydrocarbons from increasingly complex environments? How would it differ from now? To tackle the challenge of finding and producing the hydrocarbons we as humanity need, we should reach as far out-of-the-box as needed to identify all possible solutions, including the too creative, too radical, and too ambitious ones. We can then decide that these might be reality in 10 years’ time and that we have better options at present. Therefore, an as diverse as possible skills mix should be brought together to tackle

I truly believe there can never be too much crossdisciplinary thinking. Especially in research, the total sum is always bigger than the single pieces apart. Therefore, results of too-much cross-disciplinary thinking can be too creative, too unconventional, too far out-of-the-box,

The student FIELD Challenge is sponsored by the EAGE Student Fund including; Shell, CGG and WesternGeco. The 2013 dataset is sponsored by BP.

these challenges, beyond the common engineering and geo approaches. There is an oilfield saying that ‘we find oil in new places with old ideas, and in old places with new ideas.' If we think we are running out of oil, we are in fact running out of ideas. Therefore, cross-disciplinary research should bring as many viable ideas to the table as to find the oil needed for the future.

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Are there areas of research which you personally would like see supported by more cross-disciplinary thinking?

SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs • page 27

"To tackle the challenge of finding and producing the hydrocarbons we as humanity need to go as far out-of-the-box as needed to investigate the too creative, too radical, and too ambitious solutions."

WE ARE THE ARCHITECTS OF WHAT’S TO COME

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Turning a

into a

career Adrian Mendoza, Schlumberger global recruiting manager, explains how a successful time in the classroom can translate into a career with long-term opportunities for progression.

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SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs • page 30

t’s been said that matching the right candidate with the right job is like trying to find that perfect partner. Both sides must be happy with the result. There are many personal attributes people look for in a potential partner and they vary greatly from one couple to the next. What satisfies one person may be woefully inadequate for another. The same is true for today’s job seekers, and the most important attributes are continually changing.

Schlumberger offers a wide variety of geoscience and petrotechnical careers.

Today’s candidates have moved away from money or financial aspects as the key benefit of a prospective job. While compensation is important, job candidates have wisely focused on what career opportunities exist within a company, and how the employer will help them achieve their goals.

Leading companies realize that getting a candidate to sign on the dotted line is but the first step in a lengthy onboarding process that must be mutually satisfying. Too many companies have ignored this and after having invested thousands in hiring, equipping and training an employee, they lose, because the employee is unhappy and departs for greener pastures. It may sound simple but it’s important to recognize that different people choose different paths to achieve their objectives. They are happiest when they feel they are responsible for their own success, and companies that foster an environment of self-satisfaction find that they have nurtured a highly effective and productive workforce. At Schlumberger, responsibility is placed with new employees from the first day, starting with job basics and safety, which is fundamental in all positions. Employees are given clear objectives, and the knowledge and tools to achieve them. Some call this ‘training’ but at Schlumberger the emphasis is on ‘learning’ to focus on what the employee does. The learn-

ing programme leverages the academic programmes from university experience by adding practical, relevant skills. Career preparation is achieved through a specialized fixed-step programme. For the first three to five years of their career, progression is mapped for each candidate so they can develop clear expectations as they begin their working life. Everyone goes through the same progression with classroom learning at one of five learning centres, interspersed with practical on-the-job mentoring and relevant experience. Later, they will be given opportunities to follow their specific career interests, in accordance with business needs, into areas such as technical sales, management, or technology development. Additionally employees will have the opportunity to travel to other countries and work in multi-ethnic creative teams with common goals. Learning is an ongoing process that extends throughout an employee’s career whether a technical role or within another part of the business such as marketing, research, or human resources.

Marjosbet (29) is from Merida, Venezuela. She earned a BSc in geological engineering and started her Schlumberger career as an intern. Upon graduation in 2007, she joined the company as an OBP seismic engineer working on a seismic vessel offshore Angola and Nigeria. In 2009, she took a leave of absence to obtain her MSc in integrated petroleum geosciences from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. Returning to Schlumberger in 2010, she has been employed at WesternGeco in its Geosolutions, Geology and Interpretation department in the UK doing depth imaging and exploration. ‘My career has taken me all over the world,’ she said. ‘From my homeland, I have travelled and worked in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the USA. In five years, I want to be an exploration geologist, and the company is supporting me in achieving that goal.’

SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs • page 31

on-line technology, on-the-job training, coaching and mentoring.

recruitment

Schlumberger training includes; classroom, self-training using the latest interactive

Lena (29) is from Oktyabrskiy, Russia. She has an MSc in geophysical well exploration and was one of the first women in Russia to earn a Blasting Deal Master Certificate. After joining Schlumberger as a field geophysicist in 2005, Lena managed land seismic crews in Egypt, Algeria, and the UAE. In 2008, she was promoted to training and development coordinator in Gatwick, UK, and since 2011 has been working as a data processing engineer at the WesternGeco headquarters in Gatwick. ‘For me, the things that make Schlumberger stand out are its worldwide reputation, career opportunities and population diversity,’ she said. ‘In five years, I want to be a mother of two and at the same time continue to have a strong technical career with Schlumberger.’

Training session at one of the global learning centers.

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SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs • page 32

Schlumberger is a global enterprise of over 118,000 employees operating in 85 countries, able to offer experiences anywhere in the world. There are always opportunities to advance, and challenging projects to join. Maximum effective-

David (31) hails from Hungary. In 2005, he earned an MSc in geology from Eötvös Loránd University. David joined Schlumberger as an intern working in a research centre. In 2007, he became a fulltime employee and worked as a software support geoscientist in Germany. In 2008, he became a product analyst in Houston, Texas, USA, and in 2012 he was promoted to product champion. David values the fixed step learning programme at Schlumberger. ‘I studied basic geology and geophysics in Egypt, followed by an advanced course in those subjects in the UK,’ he said. ‘My career path has led me to courses in HSE, management and specialized technical training. I also learned how to apply the “soft skills” that are so important in managing people successfully.’ In five years David hopes to be a technical consultant.

ness is attained through a strong team spirit and a clear understanding of the project’s objectives and value. Because of our international staff, there is in almost every project a rich cultural exchange which makes it interesting and enjoyable. Social networking brings fresh ideas and an opportunity to contribute at all levels. Schlumberger also recognizes the benefits of an active internship programme. This provides an opportunity for students to work and learn more about the company and the job before committing to formally joining the organization.

Charting their own course Throughout an employee’s career with the company, an annual training and development plan is prepared in consultation with his or her supervisor. The plan represents an agreement to accomplish specific learning activities during the

next 12 months, and it includes classroom courses, self-paced training using online technology, specific on-the-job training, coaching, and mentoring. Successful achievement of one’s own goals is key to career satisfaction through self-actualization. The overall objective is to create a partnership between the employee and the company that creates personal value through mastery of the latest skills and development of the employee’s latent talents to the maximum. Benefits apply mutually to the employee and the company.

Success is the norm! By attending university, graduates will typically have invested around 15 years of their life in their education, and future. It is therefore essential that when looking for their first job, the candidates choose a company that is just as committed as they are to investing in their career.

"From my homeland, I have travelled and worked in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the USA."

EXPLORE NEW HORIZONS tEcHNIcaL PROfESSIONaLS WaNtEd At Shell, we’re bringing together some of the finest engineering minds in the business to help us meet the world’s rising demand for energy. The advanced technologies pioneered by our engineers help us unlock new energy resources and efficiently develop existing oil and gas fields. These include projects like the Perdido development in the Gulf of Mexico, the deepest subsea well in the world, and Pearl GTL, the world’s largest gas-to-liquids plant. To successfully deliver these and other cutting-edge projects, we need talented technical professionals in the following areas, to name but a few: Process Engineering Discipline Engineering Project Engineering Petroleum Engineering Geosciences Production Technology Well Engineering Technical Safety Engineering Whatever your role at Shell, as part of a high-calibre, global network, you’ll not only propel your career but also the future of energy. To learn more about our current technical career opportunities and apply online, visit www.shell.com/careers/technical

Let’s deliver better energy solutions together.

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Shell – Careers

Being rewarded

by research with practical value

Susanne (34) talks about her job as a research scientist at Schlumberger, her expectations and the challenges she encounters.

What did you study and where? I studied geophysics at the Berlin Free University. The curriculum was for what was then called a diploma, equivalent to today’s Master of Science degree. The coursework consisted of physics, math, geophysics, and geology. During my final 18 months there I worked as a research associate in the geophysics department specializing in microseismicity and reservoir characterization. This extra effort led to an offer for a PhD position. I accepted the challenge and in 2007 graduated with a PhD summa cum laude.

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SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs • page 34

How did you start working for Schlumberger? My professor encouraged me to submit an EAGE abstract about my work in the microseismicity and reservoir characterization domain in 2004. The abstract was accepted and my presentation was delivered in one of the big hot-topic sessions. Me - the student - in front of hundreds of technical experts. That was scary! I just took a deep breath and started talking! At the conference, I met Schlumberger recruiters and the interchange motivated me to apply for an internship. I was hired and assigned to one of the company’s prestigious research facilities, the Schlumberger Gould Research Centre in the UK. After the internship I returned to university to complete my PhD. Then, I was invited to interview for a research geophysicist position at WesternGeco in Gatwick, UK.

Despite the heavy responsibilities, I never feel truly alone at Schlumberger. There’s always a pool of experts with knowledge to tap. I make prototypes for the new concepts and perform concept and feasibility studies on potential solutions. If a new concept is found to be feasible, I also perform sensitivity studies to evaluate operating ranges.

What do you like about the job?

I had collaborated with industry service companies almost from the time I had started work as a research associate. I liked that the challenges and problems were more tangible than those in visionary new research in academia. I felt the industry projects were more relevant to me and had more applicable value. Furthermore, it was clear that I could make an immediate contribution. The package of career path, growth opportunities, and support I’m getting here is quite different from what’s offered elsewhere, even in academia. I didn’t just sign up for a job, I signed up for a career. Careerlong training and development is especially important today, whether I’m in a technical or non-technical role at Schlumberger. I can spread my wings and receive the training and development I need to succeed no matter which path I choose.

How do you find the match between theory and practice? As a scientist, I always want to find the perfect solution to a problem, but that could quickly turn into a lifetime project. There are two aspects to this. First, there are no lifetime projects in the industry. Delivery is within a given timeframe. Scientists must find the balance between a feasible solution ready to be put forward and one that has had all its aspects evaluated. Sometimes it’s simply not possible to evaluate every small detail. Second, the solutions must be commercially feasible. There’s no point in pursuing a solution that costs more than the company will realize from it. For example, if an algorithm is perfect for solving a certain problem, but its runtime is longer than customers can afford, that algorithm is just scientifically a nice treat. Fortunately, at Schlumberger, technology is one of the core values, and we get all the help we need to find solutions that are both scientifically sound and groundbreaking, as well as commercially feasible.

What is your position and what tasks does it require? As a research scientist, my work is research and development (R&D) for data processing algorithms and answer products used in acquisition of marine seismic surveys. My responsibilities are to address challenges, such as noise attenuation or wavefield propagation. Problem-solving skills are essential in this job.

"I didn’t sign up for a job. I signed up for a career."

SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs • page 35

Why did you choose to work for an oilfield services company?

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I also interviewed with other companies, but the insight into Schlumberger culture I had gained from my internship helped me decide where I wanted to work.

I am quite passionate about problem solving. That I have all the tools, access to expert communities, and training to do this is great. My job never gets boring because there are plenty of projects. It is so rewarding when I finally find a new solution. I also like the flexibility to work on projects outside my area of expertise. For instance, when I had an idea for finding bottlenecks in the data processing chain, I was allowed to put that suggestion forward, and management assembled a team to look into it as a quality improvement project. It was a great success. This opportunity meant I met new people, learned new things, and broadened my horizons. I also made some new friends.

"Be proactive, maintain relationships with peers, and build relationships with more experienced professionals. Don’t be afraid." Are you taking any courses to develop your career? I’m constantly learning new things, either in courses or on the job or from a mentor. I’m part of the company’s programme for gaining specialized petrotechnical expertise, which allows us to choose a coach from a pool of more experienced people. On an annual basis we all work out together which training would be good for us. It’s a great way to match our interests with the company’s needs so that everybody wins.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Definitely at Schlumberger, but probably not doing the same job. There are plenty of opportunities and I can openly discuss my ambitions with my managers and human resources. The company actively helps employees get the right training and mentors, so I’ll likely be ready for the next big challenge. At this point I’d like to move from research and learn more about operations.

What advice would you give students preparing for the job market? Be proactive, maintain relationships with peers, and build relationships with more experienced professionals. Don’t be afraid. Most degrees do not fully prepare you for the job ahead, but you’ll get enough training when you start. So be honest and eager to learn, and show your motivation and enthusiasm. Then the lack of a certain technical skill may not be perceived as a deal breaker.

How would you describe the work life balance in your current job? Maintaining a good balance is very important, not just for you, but also for your employer. Everybody needs recharging to perform to the best of their capabilities. Of course there are busy times and there are less busy ones. Sometimes it is inevitable that more time needs to go into delivering a certain solution, or presentation, or report. Most of the time I feel that I am balancing everything well and the time management training that I received early in my career comes in handy at the busier times. Ten months ago I had a baby and have to say that returning to work after my maternity leave was not problematic at all. Schlumberger is a family friendly company and all that has changed really is that I start working a little earlier so I can go home a little sooner. This enables me to spend more quality time with my family.

Sustainable Earth Sciences

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Technologies for Sustainable Use of the Deep Sub-surface

www.eage.org

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SES13-V*H.indd 3

10-04-13 14:41

Site of

production

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reflection RECENT GRADUATES F/M Working for Total means opportunities for a varied, rewarding career. You will be part of a multicultural company open to the wider world, which considers employee talent, innovation and high technology the core focus of its strategy. Today 100,000 men and women support our corporate mission: to supply the world with the energy it needs and invent the energies of the future together. Apply at

www.careers.total.com More than 600 job openings are now on line!

Total will hire 10,000 people in 2013. Why not count yourself among them?

The making of a

Russian geoscience

star

A well-known geophysicist Evgeny Petrov shares some of the secrets of his successful career and the role of the EAGE in his formative years.

What brought you into geosciences?

What is your current position and what skills does it require?

Since childhood I was fond of physics. Had it not been for a difficult economic situation in Russia in the 1990s, I would have become a physicist and probably everything would have taken a different course. The choice of geophysics was not accidental, but rather deliberate, as I definitely wanted to be connected with the science and practical application of physical fields. Therefore, the choice was obvious to me. Already during training and then in my career I can say that I made absolutely the right choice.

I am a senior geoscientist and my primary duties include company development, search for new projects as well as quality control of projects plus the introduction and use of new technologies. In general, the distinctive feature of the job is the ability to produce a new vision of existing models of the development of geological processes on the Earth, critically analyzing diverse information on the geological structure and the development of the regions under study from the point of view of existing theories and hypotheses, and defining the main trends and prospects in the development of a particular direction of geology. This job is not easy, it is not regulated, requires a lot of reading, communication with colleagues, and participation in conferences in order to be constantly up to date and able to react quickly to changes.

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What did you study and where? As a student in the Department of Geology at Moscow State University I specialized in seismometry and geoaccoustics with a purpose. I realized that the most interesting sciences were those that emerge from an intersection of disciplines, and geophysics, formed from the intersection between geology and physics, offers a wide conglomerate of sciences investigating the structure of the Earth by physical methods. That is why I was attracted to this science. Later I successfully defended my PhD dissertation on multi-component seismic exploration. However, I realized that physics and geology are far from defining everything in life, so later, having gained some practical experience, I did a business course at the Stockholm School of Economics.

Why did you decide to work in a service company? I worked at various service and oil companies and did not notice any big difference, but there are of course certain nuances. In a service company the work is probably more interesting because it is always necessary to reach the maximum result over the minimum of time: each project is a kind of a challenge to technologies and time limits.

What do you like and dislike in your work? I like absolutely everything about my work, I am an opti-

mist and always positive about my work. Over time I have realized that it is necessary to always have a positive attitude towards work, and it will surely reward you likewise. After all, professional and career growth happens only to those people who enjoy working. According to a famous Russian saying, ‘Happy is the one who rejoices both when he goes to work and when he returns home from work’.

What were the defining moments in your career and how have these moments affected you professionally? I can honestly say that all the turning points in my career were connected with meeting business professionals from whom I learned a lot of what I now know and can do. The opportunity to work near or together with the best professionals in the business is a great honour and something fortunate that happened in my life. With such collaboration I very quickly absorbed their experience, and it boosted my professional growth over a very short time.

You started participating in EAGE conferences early in your career: what role did EAGE play in your professional development?

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? I think that in 10 years I will be holding a position that is linked with defining the strategy for exploration in sedimentary reservoirs worldwide. It is time to accept a new vision of regional geology as a science, with the use of new approaches and methods. There are many questions that need answers and we are only at the beginning of this path.

What advice can you give to the young people who dream of a successful career in the oil and gas industry? Here I would like repeat some classic advice: keep studying and learning new things! There is no limit to perfection, therefore it is necessary to constantly develop professionally and not to forget about universal values.

Evgeny Petrov graduated from Lomonosov Moscow State University, specializing in marine geophysics and later defended his PhD dissertation on multicomponent seismic exploration. After this he studied business at the Stockholm School of Economics. As a student he actively participated in EAGE events and developed into a geoscience expert at the time EAGE activities grew in Russia. He started his professional work as a marine geophysicist with UNESCO. From 1999 through 2005 he worked at various positions in the Moscow-based PetroAlliance service company. Since then he has worked as chief geophysicist at Severneftegaz, focusing on creation and development of E&P projects in the Arctic seas of the Russian Federation. As an independent consultant on geological exploration for TNK-BP, he was involved in a series of large E&P projects. Currently he is engaged in the development of his own prospecting companies and working on large international projects. Since 2009, he has been senior geoscientist at the international scientific consortium Geology Without Limits. He is the author of more than 60 publications.

SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs • page 39

At its events EAGE helps to expand significantly one’s network of contacts with experts from various regions of Russia and from all over the world. Numerous publications and workshops help me to develop constantly as an expert, and every year more and more new and interesting directions of geology emerge thanks to the EAGE.

Evgeny Petrov’s career so far

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EAGE played a huge role in my professional life. I started participating in EAGE conferences and workshops while a third year student at Moscow State University, and since then I have not missed a single major event. Continuous participation in conferences and workshops allows me not only to grow professionally, but also to become known in the industry internationally.

They say

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SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs • page 40

there’s nothing like experience and it’s true! Young professional Beate Kotyrba describes her job as geophysicist at DMT.

What did you study and where? I studied at the University of Muenster in Germany where I got my diploma in applied geophysics. The topic of my thesis was the localization of abandoned mines with a combination of several geophysical methods.

"I chose a service company, because it offers me the opportunity to take part in a variety of challenging projects..."

How did you start working for the DMT?

I chose a service company, because it offers me the opportunity to take part in a variety of challenging projects, to develop solutions for different kinds of problems and to organize and carry out a number of different measurements. Thus, I’m not a ‘small wheel in a big clockwork’, being responsible for one little part of a project only. I am able to run with a project and its development from beginning to end.

What is your position and what tasks does it require? I’m a junior geophysicist in the exploration and engineering geophysics department and as such you need to be an ‘all-rounder’ being versed in most geophysical techniques. Whenever a client asks which method you would prefer to solve a problem with, you have to find a technically feasible and economically viable solution. Furthermore you need to be communicative, use logical thinking, and be team-minded and flexible. I’m specifically responsible for the ‘near surface’ seismics at our department. I’m writing offers, planning, and organizing geophysical investigations, taking part in measurements and finally processing and interpreting recorded data. Besides doing tasks for the engineering market, I’m participating in larger 2D and 3D seismic campaigns for the oil and gas market performing the quality control as junior seismic operator, or organizing and supervising LVL (low-velocity-layer) measurements.

What do you like about the job and what don’t you like? I like the good mixture between staying in the office and working in the field, where I find in both situations teams of experts and excellent experienced people. And, of

How do you find the match between theory and practice? Actually I apply exactly that what I have learned at university. Of course university can’t teach every detail you need to know later on. But it gives you a very good basis which is then extended by specialized further training and, more importantly, with experience.

Are you currently taking any courses to develop your career? I have had several trainings and courses from the beginning of my employment until now. There has been training in seismic processing and in quality control during field measurements, safety management courses, and so on. A lot more courses are planned in the near future. But my personal opinion is that these courses are important, but what will really helps in my development and therefore my career is experience. So experience is something I’m gaining all the time.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now? In 10 years from now on I see myself well experienced, highly educated, and absolutely professional in my daily work. Accepted in the scientific world, I always will be open-minded to develop new techniques and myself, as well. At the moment, in 10 years, I see myself nowhere else than here, where I am now. I think that I have the perfect position for an applied geophysicist. So, why should I want to be somewhere else?

What advice would you give to the students preparing for the job market? If you, as a geoscientist, want to join a company, that works for the engineering market, you should participate in as many field surveys as possible. Whenever at the university someone is searching for a student assistant for a geophysical project or whenever you have the opportunity to intern at a company, do so! Field experience is very likely to be recognized, when you apply for a job. And, as for the general job market, choose the profession you want to do, be really good in it, and be able to show that! Finally, a good network naturally is never a disadvantage.

SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs • page 41

Why did you choose to work for a service company?

course, the possibility of taking part in interesting projects from beginning to end is one of the most challenging parts of my job.

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Two years before I finished my education, a ‘career day’ was organized at our university where former students were invited to discuss their current jobs. One of these referees was working for the DMT GmbH & Co. KG. So, during the talk, I got a very good insight into DMT and the kind of jobs on offer. I liked what I heard and two years later just after finishing my thesis I sent my CV to DMT. Shortly after that I was invited for an interview and that’s where I am now!’

Total HR department explains how the oil company's mission should be attractive to a new generation of geoscientists.

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SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs • page 42

otal has chosen ‘high risk, high reward’ as the strategy for its exploration activities. To make this strategy successful, the company applies the most recent concepts in petroleum geology. Associated with a best-in-class technology, this helps the company to keep discovering ‘elephants’ (recoverable resources greater than 500 million barrels) and ‘big cats’ (recoverable resources greater than 200 million barrels), which will provide tomorrow’s reserves and profitability for the company. One way to achieve this goal is to apply new technologies to mature areas, for instance by using sophisticated seismic acquisition and processing (wide-azimuth, broadband, long offsets, pre-stack depth migration) on subsalt deposits in places such as Angola or the Gulf of Mexico. Another way consists of exploring in frontier areas or recently explored zones that are still poorly known, such as rift zones in East Africa, abrupt margins in French Guyana, Ivory Coast, and Uruguay, or foothills in Bolivia. To be successful, Total applies its

culture based on the use of analogues and post-mortems. A third way consists of looking towards unconventional resources such as shale gas and shale oil in Argentina and the USA, or coal bed methane in Indonesia, chasing source rocks that have not expelled much of their hydrocarbons, and that we just have to make more permeable! It all means that there has never been a better time to work in hydrocarbon exploration. To take up these exploration challenges Total relies on an aggressive recruitment policy for geoscientists. We partner in strong education programmes for students, offering them international scholarships, providing courses and lectures in geosciences worldwide through the Total Associated Professors (TPA) organization, or being involved in the definition of geosciences curricula with some of the best universities worldwide. Total also has close interactions with faculty members in the best schools, thanks to its ‘University Total’ programme where we

invite academics from the five continents to participate in high-level seminars with Total top-management. Once recruited, young professionals need to be trained before being sent to operational activities worldwide. In the largest affiliates (Nigeria, Angola, Indonesia, Gabon/Congo), we closely work with a network of ‘geosciences education advisors’ who are in charge of facilitating the recruitment of young geoscientists and closely follow their training path. A junior professional reference training path is defined for each new employee within Total for technical and soft skills training requirements over the first three to five years of their career. Obviously the training path is different depending whether the employee is a geologist, geophysicist, reservoir engineer, or geo-information specialist. HSE is an important aspect of the training, whatever the trainee’s specialty. One of the fascinating aspects of our training is the multi-cultural background of the different employees, who come from our worldwide subsidiaries.

Young

professionals Marine Goyallon (26) geologist and interpreter geophysicist did a two-year MSc in reservoir geology at the University of Montpellier. That programme was professional and industry-oriented with various applied geosciences courses (seismic interpretation on workstations, structural and sedimentology fieldworks, log analysis). Then I spent two years of apprenticeship at IFP School to prepare a specialized MSc in petroleum geology.

critical point of view, and brainstorm with peers in order to be sure that no possibility to find an elephant or a big cat has been missed. Nowadays exotic ideas are welcome because we have to think differently to make the difference! So I would say a good way to integrate the exploration strategy is to be as open-minded, imaginative, proactive, and technical as possible.

What is your job and how do you integrate the exploration strategy?

This is a challenging job where techniques and boldness are keys. We have the possibility to learn a lot about regional geology because exploration requires an un-zoomed point of view that is precise at the same time. Discussions with experts and integration of the latest R&D concepts are common because creativity and innovation are very important.

I consider my job as a good balance between geology and geophysics. Every day I have to integrate various sides of geosciences. I’m often comparing my job with a treasure hunt. I have to collect clues and build key maps which are going to drive us down to the treasure. I have to cross-check information coming from different sources and at the end I have to propose several scenarios. This is very exciting for me. Like Sherlock Holmes I need a synthetic mind because there is a lot of data to integrate, and I have to pay close attention all the time because signs are sometimes subtlety hidden. A good technical level is also required because key decisions are taken on the basis of our interpretations. Because oil and gas exploration is a very competitive domain we always have to bring into question our results, keep a

In New Ventures, discussions can also be more business and/or strategy oriented and that’s definitively a bonus to understand the whole process.

What attracted you to an oil company? After my four internships in Total (two in subsidiaries and two at HQ) I realized the diversity and the richness of being a geoscientist in an oil company. You can be a reservoir geologist responsible for an asset somewhere in Africa one day and be an interpretation geophysicist doing exploration in Asia another. You can meet a lot of other disciplines, have responsibilities, and of course you can discover the world. In the end, you learn a lot and for me this is definitively the key point.

SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs • page 43

After my apprenticeship I was hired by Total and started to work as an interpretation geophysicist in the exploration domain in the New Ventures department at HQ in Paris.

What do you like best in your job?

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Celine Lamy (28) reservoir engineer specialized in EOR

am primarily a physico-chemist from the ESPCI engineering school. I completed my background by doing a reservoir engineering degree in IFP-School, and joined Total in 2010. I have worked mainly on EOR projects: CO2 sequestration in carbonate reservoirs, polymer injection, and now my focus is on thermal projects like pyrolise and hot fluids/steam injections on unconventional reservoirs.

as temperature and injected fluids. To do so, each experiment is invented to adapt to the system we want to try. Our experiments often involve high temperature and high pressure; up to 1000°C and 500 bar. HSE plays a huge role in our everyday work. At Pau (France) where Total has its technical offices, we benefit from world class laboratory facilities like the recently renewed Prolab Project to tackle the challenge of new technologies, such as EOR and nano-scale measurements for unconventional.

What tasks are involved in your current job?

Do you think your current job can contribute to support unconventional resources production?

I am in charge of the thermal laboratory. With my team, we are looking at the best way to produce the reservoir and the mechanisms involved in this production: drainage, upgrading of the oil, chemical reactions, and impact of parameters such

My current job helps us understand reservoir behaviour. We make small-scale experiments in order to validate new ways to produce and understand the mechanism behind the oil flow. It is the first step before doing a pilot, a real test onsite.

Thanks to this research, we have been able to create a new simulator integrating the true mechanisms and thus accurately model the full field behaviour. This job is really challenging.

Why did you choose to work with an oil company and do you recommend it? I think energy is the key for our future. So I decided to work with people who create it. Total offers very diverse careers for its employees. This job is really challenging and it entails management skills and technical skills. Every day I have a new problem to solve, new questions on how to get the best and accurate results, what to test to increase the recovery in unconventional reservoirs. I am in contact with experts in all domains whose office is just nearby and who are available. I love my job and recommend people to join Total.

Pierre Emmanuel Lardin (31) geophysicist specialized in non-seismic techniques, previously with CGG for six years

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SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs • page 44

What is your job and how do you think it relates to technology development? I am working as geophysicist in the nonseismic operation team which is in charge of non-seismic geophysical projects for the exploration branch in Total. My tasks are mainly involved in the technical supervision of projects including acquisition feasibility studies, acquisition preparation and supervision, data processing and interpretation. In addition 20% of my time is dedicated to R&D projects. In some complex environments, non-seismic geophysical tools can provide an additional imaging of structures which can support or infirm an interpretation. The R&D project is mainly focused on the non-seismic data improvement by acquisition and processing and their integration with geological and seismic data in order to de-risk our exploration projects. A brand

new HPC of 2.3 Pflops is now in operation at Pau and it is far faster, 15 times faster to be precise, to carry out processing now!

Are you currently taking any courses to develop your career? Yes continuously through my ‘training path’, something that I really appreciate. This is mandatory for all professionals that want to stay in the game and develop new skills.

Why should Total be an attractive company for young people interested in oil and gas industry? First of all, working for an oil company means being directly involved in the exploration strategy and acquisition operation decisions. Secondly, the strong high-tech aspect of oil companies coupled with the international dimension of the projects are a real motivation. I like the diversity of my job in which there is nothing routine.

And, on top of that, the interest in nonseismic methods is growing not only in Total but also in the industry which is very exciting for me. Nowadays, students must be confident in their skills and have to look for a first international experience. An international job, as offered by Total, is a real chance to get a position with more responsibility and so a real opportunity to show their skills.

Maria-Carolina Maninat Ramirez (26) reservoir geologist

graduated as geology engineer from the Universidad de Los Andes, Merida, Venezuela in 2009. I worked for PDVSA in Venezuela as an exploration geologist for one year. Then I did my specialization here in France, studying for MSc petroleum geosciences majoring in geology at IFP School (France). I came to France to study as part of the TOTAL scholarship programme for developing countries. I did my internship as a reservoir geologist in a project for the Indonesian affiliate and this gave me the opportunity to realize that I wanted to become a reservoir geologist for the company.

I am working now for a project on a mature heavy oil field in Congo. I participate in the static model building in order to better represent the geology and its influence for water or gas injection to optimize production and for new wells implantation. I have been working on the project since its beginning which has allowed me to see the whole process of a reservoir assessment project. I had also the opportunity to learn a lot from experienced geologists working with me on

Why did you choose to work with a French oil company? I had always wanted to work for a big company like Total. When working for a big company you can work not only for different projects and face different situations and problems but you also have the opportunity to share and learn from many experienced professionals. You never stop; there are always new things to learn. The projects, the people, the technology, the training, everything makes a company

"My advice is to do what you like to do and be good in what you do, giving the best you can."

as Total the perfect place to develop your skills and grow professionally. In terms of culture, I liked the sense of job security at Total and the way Total takes care of its employees. You have also the assurance that you will be developed throughout your professional life. As a foreigner coming from a South American country, the adaptation is easier in a Latin company. There are many cultural things that are very similar and this lets you easily understand the way the company works and how they think.

What advice would you give to the students preparing for the job market? My advice is to do what you like to do and be good in what you do, giving the best you can. Good studies make you a good professional and if you hesitate about working for a big or for a small company, try both during the internships and then make a decision. This decision will have a crucial impact in your life. But if you like what you do, there will be no limits to grow. The professional adventure in an oil company never ends and is exciting all the time, especially in a big company like Total.

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Please tell us more about your current job

the project. I think it has been already been a good experience and I hope to continue learning and giving the best of myself.

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It has been a great experience to be in touch with so many cultures, with people with so much experience and facing such different situations. This has let me not only grow professionally but also personally.

CGG’s expanding

geoscience focus

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SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs • page 46

likely to create more career opportunities

answers questions on how CGG’s new integrated geoscience focus offers increased recruitment opportunities. Your company has seen some significant changes recently? Yes, it has definitely been a milestone year for us. In January we completed our acquisition of Fugro’s Geoscience division and changed our name to CGG. With the integration of these new capabilities and the expertise of 2500 new colleagues we are now much more firmly embedded in the reservoir end of our industry as a fully integrated geoscience company rather than just a geophysical services provider. We are now over 9800 people working together worldwide and we have a bigger footprint than we had when we were more focused on geophysics. The new company name reflects the promise of our new company going forward while also capitalizing on our well known historical roots which date back to 1931.

How exactly is your business changing? This expansion in focus has a significant impact on the scope of our business, the value of the products and services we provide, and ultimately the skills of the new people we recruit. Across the exploration to production value chain, we now cover a much broader, fuller spectrum than ever before. At one end we have a larger equipment manufacturing capability with De Regt join-

ing Sercel. In the field, where our crews record the subsurface data, we now have a much more comprehensive geophysical acquisition operation on land, sea, and in the air, having added gravity, gravimetry electromagnetic, and magnetism capabilities as well as airborne geophysical data to our traditional seismic focus. The third component of our business, what we call geology, geophysics, and reservoir, takes place mostly in the office and this is where the expertise of our new colleagues has considerably boosted our skills set. This is also where our people really add value to the data collected in the field through data processing, imaging, reservoir characterization (using our Jason and HampsonRussell software), and geological analysis – not just in the strict sense, but also with a wide palette of tools and techniques such as satellite imaging, basin analysis, fine geology such as micropaleontology, crystallography, and the expertise of our geological, geophysical, and reservoir engineering specialists from Robertson. At the far end of the spectrum we now also offer data management services for the E&P industry including physical asset management, data conditioning, national data repositories, and bid round management. Bid round management is a particular case in point where we now

Will you still be recruiting? Yes, of course. The aim of the Geoscience acquisition was to create top line synergies between our different business activities in order to boost our market share and revenues, not to make scale savings in terms of costs, such as people. The dynamics that exist in our business lines will continue in terms of recruitment. Our activities are very people-oriented so we will continue to recruit. Whereas before we tended to focus on recruiting geophysicists and scientists (applied maths, physics, telecoms), now, with our greater focus on the reservoir and geology, we will recruit more geologists and specialists in reservoir characterization and petroleum and earth sciences, at least 200 a year, while continuing to recruit a similar number from our more traditional geophysical and science base. Now that we have expanded our focus beyond pure geophysics and can integrate geology and other types of data, our evolving skills set means that we will need to integrate people with expertise right

SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs • page 47

vice president, human resources,

have a more upstream approach. Now we can add another dimension to our multi-client activity. Up to now, we have acted as operators playing our traditional geophysical role but in the future we will be able to extend our scope to include non-seismic and geological data, meaning that we will be able to incorporate a whole spread of data to characterize an entire basin rather than just a specific prospect. With the arrival of Robertson we will be able to work with the agencies who prepare the bid rounds rather than just the bidders. By offering a more comprehensive and complementary set of tools, technologies and services, we are moving out of geophysics into the wider arena of the geosciences.

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Pascal Rosset, CGG’s executive

"Our people are our capital and even our clients tell us that what they value most in our company is our people." across these different disciplines – not just people who know about seismic, but also people who know about geology – and all these people will need to be able to work together to achieve top line synergies. In our more traditional areas, such as marine and land acquisition as well as equipment, our business model will continue to follow industry trends for large offshore surveys using extra long offsets, wider azimuth distribution, and broadband solutions or mega land crews with high channel counts. Increasingly, as these survey projects become highly specialized and complex, with very real operational and logistical challenges, we will need not only highly technical people but people with excellent project management skills, people who are very organized, capable of managing complex assignments, not just complex technologies, but complex operations.

Has the geographical spread of your staff changed?

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SPECIAL www.eage.org/rs • page 48

Yes, with a 33% increase in staff numbers, not counting seasonal and subcontracted staff, this represents a big shift in our geographical spread which has become much more international. There has been proportional growth in quite a few countries such as the UK, US, Norway, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and South Africa. The balance has spread from two main sites in France and the US to Europe, particularly Northern Europe with the doubling of our UK presence, and also APAC with a significant proportional increase in staff in Australia. Australia is not as big a country for us as France, where we have 1700 people working for our corporate headquarters and Sercel, or the US where we have 1800 people, but numbers have increased sixfold to 300. Traditionally small countries for us have grown and this will hold true for recruitment as well. With our international footprint being wider

and more balanced, it will have an impact on our presence and our attractiveness in these different countries.

Geographically, where will you be recruiting? We will continue to recruit in the over 40 countries where we have a presence. What’s new is that in the countries where we have grown in size, such as the UK, Canada, and Norway, we can promote CGG not just as a company offering a wider range of expertise and career opportunities but also emphasize the advantages of our bigger size and increased reputation and skills set. This will reinforce our employer value proposition and make us more attractive. Also by having a greater presence in these countries, we want to ensure our longterm development by recruiting managerial staff to act as future leaders in these countries and also join our company’s senior management. By reinforcing our international expansion, we want to recruit future leaders for the company.

Why would you encourage young people to join CGG? I would underline that we offer stimulating careers in a very high-tech, fastmoving industry with an important role to play in the sustainable development of our planet’s natural resources. Our people are our capital and even our clients tell us that what they value most in our company is our people. With the

integration, amongst others, of Jason and Robertson under the CGG banner, this people focus will be reinforced. We value people who are passionate about geoscience and enjoy working in teams to tackle complex challenges and come up with solutions. This is why we care for our people by offering an environment where they can learn and develop their talents, receive the recognition they deserve, and always have something new and challenging to do. We provide a playing field for them to fulfill their aspirations, which is getting bigger and more interesting as we consolidate our position in geoscience and encourage our people to engage with it as proactive players. We give them the chance to drive their own careers by offering them professional development and mobility opportunities in a variety of increasingly complementary disciplines in an international setting. We provide a host of training and development programmes at our university and encourage our employees to take advantage of these opportunities to learn and progress.

What is the outlook for 2013 and beyond? Our industry is currently in a growth cycle which is obviously good news. In addition, our own position in this market is growing and we expect these very good market growth prospects to be relatively long-lasting. With our new positioning as a geoscience company, we are less exposed to the cyclical nature of the geophysical industry. This offers our current and future employees the guarantee that we have better visibility into the future.

Pascal Rosset talking about career opportunities at the worldwide CGG event held to welcome new employees from the Fugro Geoscience acquisition.

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7-10 Oct 21-23 Oct

2013 EAGE | Geoinformatics 2013 www.eage.org 2013 AAPG | Annual Convention & Exhibition www.aapg.org/pittsburgh2013 2013 EAGE | Workshop on the Promise & Challenges of Broadband Marine Seismic www.eage.org 2013 SAOGIET | VIII POLISH CONGRESS Oil and Gas Industry - Annual Meeting www.sitpnig.pl 2013 SEGJ | Annual Meeting www.segj.org 2013 AAPG / EAGE | AAPG / EAGE Joint Workshop on Profits & Pitfalls of Shallow Seismic Anomalies www.eage.org 2013 EAGE | London '13 - 75th EAGE Conference & Exhibition incorporating SPE EUROPEC 2013 www.eage.org 2013 EAGE | Second Geoskill Workshop 2013 www.eage.org 2013 EAGE | Second Workshop on Permanent Reservoir Monitoring www.eage.org 2013 ASEG | 23rd International Geophysical Conference and Exhibition www.aseg2013.com.au 2013 SBGf | 13th International Congress of the Brazilian Geophysical Society & EXPOGEf http://sys2.sbgf.org.br/congresso/ 2013 EAGE | Near Surface Geoscience 2013 www.eage.org 2013 EAGE | Geomodel 2013 www.eage.org 2013 EAGE | Second Workshop on Iraq www.eage.org 2013 EAGE | Second Workshop on Geosteering & Well Placement www.eage.org 2013 SEG | International Exhibition and 83rd Annual Meeting www.seg.org 2013 SPE | SPE Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition www.spe.org 2013 EAGE | Sustainable Earth Sciences 2013 www.eage.org 2013 SAGA | 13th Biennial Conference and the 6th International Conference on Airborne Electromagnetics 2013 www.saga-aem2013.co.za 2013 BGS | 7th Congress of the Balkan Geophysical Society www.eage.org 2013 EAGE / SEG | Research Workshop www.eage.org

Kyiv

Ukraine

Pittsburgh USA Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Bobrka Poland Tokyo Japan Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

London UK

London UK Stavanger Norway Melbourne

Australia

Rio de Janeiro Brazil Bochum Germany Gelendzhik Russia Dead Sea

Jordan

Dubai UAE Houston, Texas USA New Orleans, Louisiana Pau

USA

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Tirana Albania Paris France

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2013 AAPG / EAGE | Workshop on Tight Gas Abu Dhabi UAE www.eage.org 2013 EAGE | Workshop on Seismic Attenuation Singapore Singapore www.eage.org 2013 UGM | Annual Meeting Puerto Vallarta Mexico www.ugm.org.mx 2013 EAGE / SBGf | First EAGE / SBGf Workshop on Fractures in Conventional and Rio de Janeiro Brazil Unconventional Reservoirs www.eage.org 2013 AGS | Herbstkolloqium Vienna Austria www.geophysik.at 2013 EAGE | Subsurface Challenges in West Africa London UK www.eage.org 2013 EAGE / SEG | Forum - Turning noise into geological information: The next big step? Lisbon Portugal www.eage.org 2013 EAGE/SPE | Sub-Salt Imaging Workshop Muscat Oman www.eage.org 2013 EAGE / SPE | Joint Workshop on Beyond Closed-loop Integrated Monitoring Lisbon Portugal www.eage.org 2013 EAGE / AAPG | Workshop on Basin-Margin Wedge Exploration Plays Lisbon Portugal www.eage.org 2013 SPG India | 10th Biennial International Conference & Exposition Kochi India www.spgindia.org 2013 EAGE | Second International Conference on Engineering Geophysics Al Ain UAE www.eage.org 2013 EAGE | International Workshop on Geomechanics & Energy Lausanne Switzerland www.eage.org 2013 EAGE | Second Workshop on Naturally Fractured Reservoirs Muscat Oman www.eage.org 2014 EAGE | Second EAGE Workshop on Rock Physics Muscat Oman www.eage.org 2014 EAGE | 7th International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC) Doha Qatar www.eage.org 2014 EAGE/FESM | Joint Asia/Pacific Regional Symposium on Rock Physics Kuala Lumpur Malaysia www.eage.org 2014 SPE/EAGE European Unconventional Resources Conference and Exhibition Vienna Austria www.eage.org 2014 EAGE/AAPG/SEG | GEO 2014 Manama Bahrain www.geo2014.com 2014 EAGE | Fourth EAGE Shale Workshop Porto Portugal www.eage.org 2014 EAGE | Saint Petersburg 2014 - ‘Geosciences – Investing in the Future’ Saint Petersburg Russia www.eage.org 2014 EAGE Amsterdam 2014 | 76th EAGE Conference & Exhibition Amsterdam The Netherlands www.eage.org

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Calendar 2013/2014

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