TEKSTLEVERANSE BRODD COMMUNICATION Utgivelse / tittel på avis: Deepwater Operations Sak nummer: 8 Lederprofil, oljedirektør Bente Nyland Sak tittel: A passion for oil Sjanger: (leader-to-leader) Antall tegn bestilt: hovedsak 7100 Antall tegn levert: 7068 Journalist: Gunn Iren Kleppe
A passion for oil Passionate about her work, NPD Director General and geologist Bente Nyland loves a challenge. After five years on the job, she is well-liked and respected. And with twenty-eight years in the field, she has seen her share of excitement. Bente Nyland enjoys her job as Director General of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD). No wonder. Ever since day one, oil and gas reserve estimates have been on the rise. After a lull, new discoveries have been made and increased recovery is now possible even in older fields. – The high price of oil has made decisions to keep exploring and to develop older finds easy. Even discoveries from the 70s have now been developed and made profitable, she says. – Each day is different; there are always new challenges to deal with. Every discovery and every field is also different, so every solution has to be tailor made, she explains about her job. Nyland, a geologist by profession, originally dreamt of going into biochemistry. At one point, however, she realized that “everybody else” was thinking along the same lines, and changed her mind. A passion for geology Inspired by other geologists, she decided to give geology a try. After one semester, there was no going back. – If there is anything I regret, it’s not getting into geology sooner, she says about her career choice. Oil and gas, however, was not yet on her mind. That happened later. And at time of hire, there was a great need for geologists on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), as there is today. – There is a lot yet that needs to get done, Nyland says about future hiring needs. An entire generation of professionals will be retiring in the next few years, which gives her some concern. Alternatives include importing professionals, accomplishing more with fewer people or just plain doing less. For perspective, 70 fields are kept in production today with the same number of people needed to keep 20-25 fields going twenty years ago. Nyland is disappointed, however, that science and technology are not among kids’ top educational choices. With a solid foundation in the sciences, they’d have more choices later. – It’s important not to close any doors, she stresses. She has great faith in teachers’ ability to inspire—which is what happened in her own case. To her, good science teachers are crucial for future recruitment. Teaching important
– I emphasize teaching everywhere I go, to the point that I get tired of repeating myself. Though, for many the topic is new. It is a complicated topic, but it’s important to assure the public that we are managing the resources wisely, that we are serious about safety and the environment, and that this is worth doing, she says. Nyland loves a challenge. In fact, problem-solving is the favorite part of her job. – We [NPD] operate at the crossroads between politics, administration and industry. Operating within that nexus provides perspective, she explains. Decisions made here, often have significant consequences. Not too lousy when those consequences involve more money “in the bank” [Norway’s pension fund]. – You also come to have some understanding of political processes and ways of thinking, she continues. – Technology and nature cannot always be managed through law-making, so finding the best possible solution is always interesting. Innovation Nyland especially enjoys watching solutions being developed at home, before being introduced on the global market. That includes subsea technology, which is now commonplace. – We have accomplished a lot, she says. One example is developing smaller fields such as Ormen Lange, which requires long-distance subsea pipelines. – That will only become more common, she predicts. Nyland has witnessed her share of innovations during her twenty-eight years in the profession. Production life-time has been extended for many existing fields. Just one per cent increase means a considerable increase in production. Besides, improvements in seismic modeling make new discoveries possible where they had been overlooked before. – This is one of the most important recent developments, she argues. Sharing the knowledge Yet another favorite is NPD’s involvement in Oil for Development under NORAD. For one, she finds learning how other cultures deal with different challenges, very interesting. – You can’t just copypaste Norwegian solutions to other nations and expect them to work, she points out. The fact that some developing countries are starting to see some success, is very encouraging to her—especially when it benefits a country’s entire population instead of a privileged few. Any free time at all? – Yes, she assures us. That often means reading for Nyland, who admits lagging behind. – Whenever I travel, the first thing I do is to find a bookstore, she continues. This summer, reading is first on the agenda. Travelling is also enjoyable, and cities with history are of special interest. A different breed of tourist According to Nyland, geologists prefer “exotic” destinations. This, to them, means areas with interesting geological features. Offshore geologists especially enjoy seeing geological features on shore, which they cannot otherwise see under water. This includes Svalbard and Greenland, where the continental shelf can be viewed above sea level. Spain is another favorite—not for the reasons most people enjoy the destination, but because of its geological features. – If you ask a geologist for the most exciting destination worldwide, they’ll say the Bahamas. Its geology is just like that of the Barents Sea….
– Geologists have a terrible sense of time, she jokes. Short term means a million years, long-term a hundred million. Nyland doesn’t worry about the near future, however. In fact, she is quite optimistic. – It all comes down to demand. What will future energy demands be like? There will certainly be a greater energy mix. The question is how much energy can wind, wave and solar produce? I do see a growing energy demand, and there is a growing population. Until we have efficient distribution of alternative energy, oil and gas are quite efficient. Forty more for sure – Norway should be able to deliver for a long time, but we are past the peak. Production is bound to decline, but we will see a long, slow decline into the future, she predicts. – Our responsibility is to make sure production goals are met and to increase recovery whenever possible. Once you shut down a field, the game is over. The question is profitability versus costs. An important consideration is how long can you keep production going. This year, NPD is celebrating its 40th anniversary. – NPD will definitely be around for the next forty years, Nyland assures. – At the time when I took over as Director, the situation was quite dire. I suspected that I would be the one to close it down. Today, I am confident that this will still be an important industry after I retire. So, how will you spend your retirement? – I see myself in Provence, enjoying a glass of good wine, reading books I haven’t yet read, perhaps even painting a bit. We’ll see what happens.