“What’s a pretty lady like you doing in a complex and dangerous business like that of the oil, gas and energy sector?”

From my engagement in the oil and gas sector, that’s the question the few female professionals involved in the industry are asked all the time.

We are all aware that the global oil and gas industry remains one of the least gender-diverse sectors today. And East Africa is not left out.

The good news is that maximizing the productivity of females in the industry and moving them from just users and followers to ex-pat experts (the focal point of independent professionals in the industry) will produce local women leaders who will be able to lead the Industrialization phase execution accordingly.

So, let’s ask ourselves, “How do we increase women’s participation in the oil and gas industry and propel them to become world-class professionals and business leaders?”

How do we make female professionals become senior executive managers who will sit and contribute in executive boardroom meetings of oil and gas companies, and who will stimulate economic and industry development?

Basically, how do we be at the forefront in implementing projects and programs that bring women into the mainstream oil and gas industry, primarily in Tanzania and generally East Africa?

It will interest you to know that women have been very active in the agriculture sector and we can see the contribution of agriculture to the country’s GDP. Why can’t we replicate that in the oil and gas sector which is currently dominated by men?

                 Challenges

The recent study conducted by Global Energy Talent Index Report concluded that there is a shortage of women in the oil and gas industry. The study found that Women occupy about 50 percent of non-technical positions at entry-level, compared to only 15 percent of technical and field role positions. Gender diversity decreases with seniority with only a tiny proportion of women in executive positions

Several factors are responsible for limiting the role and number of women in the oil and gas industry. The first challenge is a popular misconception is that one need to study engineering to work in Oil and Gas but there is someone who runs the Administration, Community engagement, finance and IT. It is a basket where everything must be present for the smooth running of the organization. 

There is also a biological challenge. The average woman might go on maternity leave two or three times in her working career and could miss out on some positions, if not promotions.

The other challenge is the skills shortage. You aren’t able to hire skills quickly enough or in sufficient volume to deliver the needed productivity, performance and innovation?

  A Strategic Roadmap To Transforming Local Female Professionals From Just Users To World Class Professionals and Industry Leaders

With recent low oil price and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is a proper time to have revolutionary in training and development of females professionals and move them from just being dependent on men’s help to become an independent focal point and top performers. 

The training and development programs can be conducted online through webinars or videoconference that allows female professionals to participate from their homes or offices.

Furthermore, I am also, calling on women who have achieved success in the oil and gas industry to mentor young ladies right from the university. And more importantly, to encourage female professionals to acquire the requisite skills for technical positions as well as leadership positions.

One point we have to make is to explain to the aspiring female professionals who are interested in having a long-lasting career in the industry is that, even if the oil and gas industry is a highly specialized sector, nobody is expected to break his or her back lifting hundred (maybe thousands) of pounds of materials as it was in the past. 

Due to the technological advancement in the industry, most jobs have been replaced by electronic systems that require a brain, not muscle.

Pan African Energy Tanzania Limited (PAET), through its affiliates a Canadian based company Orca exploration, announced that it has taken several steps to limit the impact of the COVID-19 virus on its operations in Tanzania and the health of its employees.

In its latest operational updates, the company says that to reduce the operational impact of COVID-19 it has been stopped all non-essential travel to their operational work sites .and all company personnel or contractors entering Tanzania from COVID-19 affected areas are now required to self-isolate for 7 days, extendible to 14 days, if they demonstrate any symptoms of the virus.

Read also:  Pan African Energy Sees Gas Demand Rising In Tanzania

Furthermore, the company has been curtailed essential face to face meetings. Other actions have taken by the company are staff medical briefings and increased sanitization of the offices and other work areas as well as staff medical briefings.

“The Company’s IT systems are cloud-based and are unlikely to be affected by the pandemic. However, with the possibility of increased remote working, internet access and upgraded hardware and software have been provided to all key staff.

On Songo Songo Island (“SSI”), the operational staff rotates every 4 weeks and this provides some in-built cover should some employees contract COVID-19. As part of the contingency planning, we are identifying Company employees and Tanzanian contractors who could fill in for personnel who are required to self-isolate” Says company in its latest announcement.

As we speak, the company is not executing any critical project that will  be impacted by the coronavirus in the short term.

 The debottlenecking of the flowline system that is expected to increase production capacity by 10 million standard cubic feet a day is in process and we have secured the requisite equipment for this project.

During the second half of the year, the company will require a land rig for workover operations and the management of this project will need to be undertaken in conjunction with government directives in place at that time. 

In addition, PAET continues to negotiate an engineering, procurement and construction contract for the installation of compression on SSI by the end of 2021. This compression is essential to ensure that there is no loss in production through Songas’ gas processing and pipeline facilities as field pressure declines. At this stage, we do not envisage any delay with this project.

“The global oil volatility has exerted the pressure within the universities to continuously supply top talents in the upstream and downstream business, to solve forever sophisticated problems faced in the industry.” Says Dr. Abdul Halim Abdu Latiff, head of Center for Subsurface Imaging (CSI) at the University Technology Petronas (UTP) in Malaysia.

Furthermore, industrial revolution 4.0 and technological development and exciting and new projects, all influence continuously skills improvements

We address this need with the multidisciplinary online students training program to “ raise the performance standards of work competence of young professionals in oil and gas industry to become internationally competitive and world-class professionals who can make a bigger contribution at work”

Aims and Objectives of this Program
Our ultimate objective is to raise the standards of work competence of young professionals to become world-class and internationally competitive for the benefits of business communities and countries.

Further objects are to:

To Transforming young professionals from just users to world-class professionals who can add more value to their colleagues, to the organizations and country.

Target Audience
Students with a background in Geology, Geophysics, Petrophysics, Reservoir engineering, petroleum engineering, and petroleum geosciences and petroleum geology.

Why You Should Attend this Training Program?

• Keep pace on technological advancement in the oil and gas industry
• Stay competitive in today’s job market characterized by technological innovation
• Increase your productivity
• Acquire Certificate of Courses completion

How This Training Program Can Help My Company and My Business
For companies which want to enroll their young professionals, this training program can help your business to:

• Reduce the cost of employment and manageable risk
• Increase local content Instantly
• Stay competitive and increase your productivity
• Keep pace on technological advancement
• Solve recruitment difficulties
• Build a motivated, flexible and loyal workforce
• Train people in line with industry standard

Our Mentors
Mentors play a key role in every phase of the program. Many of our mentors or trainers are having many years’ hands-on practical experience for the many years in the major national and international companies such as CGG, BP, Shell, Apache, PDO, SPDC, ADNOC, Schlumberger and are proficient in the use of the software being used in the industry and so can give specific workflow suggestions. Students are free to ask mentors questions at the end of each session.

Implementation
Step 01:A team of six to nine students with backgrounds in geology, geophysics, Petrophysics and reservoir engineering are picked and agreed on the courses they want to learn. See below the list of our courses we offer
Step 2: The confirmed mentors and mentees are matched according to the time zone at their location. Notifications are then sent to mentors and mentees with an introduction and the mentors start the training session

Step 3: Mentors send materials, technical papers to all group members and the monitor the progress and track the discussion points. Mentors also send materials.

Enrollment of Candidates
Our course takes five days (days)And the maximum number of students for the course is nine.
Your investment for your career advancement is 900$ per week (5 days) i.e it is about 18-20 hours for 6 to 9 students maximum, attend in the same place. This means that the cost per student in the week will be 150$ if 6 attend or 100$ if 9 attend. Course fee cover tuition, learning materials and certificate of completion
This training program is coordinated by Hussein Boffu and technical support is provided by SEISENERGY Services of EGYPT, a group of trainers and mentors with many year’s hands-on experiences for the many years for the major national and international companies.

Feel free to contact Hussein Boffu via Hussein.boffu@tanzaniapetroleum.com or +255655376543 if you have any questions.

Courses

                      We provide  basic capability development in following areas:

Geophysics 

1.Seismic Acquisition design and operation  

The objective of the course is to create and then develop an understanding of the role of one of the most effective tools in both exploration and development phases. This course develops ability in the analytical aspects of seismic field acquisition, particularly to the design of customized seismic strategy, field tests, quality control techniques and cost efficiency and manage the operation of the seismic acquisition process and implement very accurate and strict HSE measures. Using software design wizards to verifying any seismic acquisition design parameters. QCING seismic attributes for optimizing seismic acquisition design.

2.Seismic Data Processing  

The objective of the to create and then develop an understanding and familiarity of the theoretical and geophysical background of processing algorithms, Quality Control and Quality assurances for each processing step to ensure having optimally seismic data product from seismic data quality perspectives. High end seismic data processing FWI and Tomography Q Depth Imaging   High end seismic processing that could help in development stage of the oil/gas field through knowing highly advanced seismic data processing to interpret the seismic data looking for structural trapes to stratigraphic trap which is more challenging to seismic resolution. High resolution velocity model will reveal complex geology imaging with very good clarity. The ability to conduct innovative seismic QC/QA for seismic data processing time and imaging to have outstanding seismic product. Moreover, seismic reservoir characterization QCing of any seismic data processing time and depth imaging.

4- Seismic Interpretation. 

 The objective of the course properly interprets the data and give the true picture of the reservoir and its actual extension they have to have knowledge about the area petroleum system and utilize all the available information and gather them before start clicking buttons. Minimizing drill risk or gas escape hazards will be achieved if seismic interpretation is trustable and fault and fracture liniments will be interpreted accurately and calibrated with well logs especially FMI logs.

5- Seismic Stratigraphy:

In East and west Africa offshore seismic stratigraphic technology could permit identification of oil/gas bearing rocks of upper Triassic, Jurassic and lower Cretaceous sequences in strata and their identification requires the integration of seismic data with lithological and environmental facies, biostratigraphy, radiometric and well logs information. Nowadays stratigraphic interpretation needs oriented acquisition, processing, and interpretation. Tailored acquisition, processing for stratigraphic trapes are essential to give better vertical resolution (the thickness of the unit) and horizontal resolution (the areal size of the features).

6- Seismic Reservoir Characterization:

Seismic Reservoir characterization is to gain the value from seismic resolution beyond the imaging to gain petrophysical parameters of the reservoir rocks such as porosity, fluid saturation and pore pressure

prediction, Fracture characterization is the way to place the well trajectory properly to de-risking the drilling operation and help in the well casing design for highly pressurized deep targets. Fracture is the main corridor of porosity of tight rocks and study its intensity and orientation is another adding value of the seismic recording nowadays than in the previous decades.

                                                    Petroleum Geoscience

7- Exploration Geology:

Exploration Geologist will sustain the geophysical experience if the Basin and Petroleum Systems Modelling (BPSM) which has a bright future as the oil and gas industry looks increasingly to mature field development. Integration of BPSM with various disciplines such as Petrophysics, and reservoir engineering which will help maturing the unconventional petroleum systems as well. Exploration geology is steering the searching of oil/gas prospectively potential areas integrating well information, logs, cores or analogues outcrops of the same geological column with seismic and drill exploration wells is an optimum working flow for increasing the exploration plays.

8- Reservoir Geology/Engineering:

Reservoir engineering is another wide experience of the worldwide engineering and monitor the reservoir performance and precisely monitoring the reservoir surveillance through conducting 3D/ 4D time lapse seismic acquisition and track accurately the injectivity of fluid or gas will improve the reservoir performance and lead to more successful perforation. Proper Statics model, Dynamic model history match, well completion will help increasing OOIP, IOR, EOR, Simulation.

9-Formation Evaluation.

Logging methods and interpretation techniques. Discussions on conditions around the wellbore, effects on measurements of mud filtrate invasion. The terminology of well logging, formation and fluid properties. The physical principles involved in geophysical well logging. Differentiation between gas, oil and water zones and shale estimation. The Archie Equations in clean formations and estimation of water saturation. Types of cross-plots, gas and shale effects. Effects of shaliness and modified equations. Core analysis and laboratory measurements of saturation and rock properties and their application to reservoir studies.

10-Prospect, Evaluation, Risks, and Volumetric calculations.

For geoscientists working in exploration, for prospect portfolio analysts and for their direct supervisors. It is also a very instructive course for staff from disciplines working closely with exploration staff, such as reservoir engineers, Petro physicists and geophysicists. In order to having good understanding of the essentials for realistic risk and volume assessments of exploration prospects. A well-considered and realistic assessments for prospects to be working on, and to understand and constructively challenge risk and volume assessments.

11-Sedimentology and Depositional Environments of Onshore and offshore deposits.

The theory and application of sedimentology and depositional environments of onshore/offshore East African Basin. Detailed petroleum system study utilizing all existing information; geology, geophysics and geotectonic stress regime could help to reveal untapped oil and gas reserves and establish a road map of developing leads and prospects.

12- Prospect and Play Assessment.

All exploration team members and leaders including geologists, geophysicists, geochemists, analysts, reservoir engineers, economists, planners and managers who make business decisions based upon exploration data. To provide knowledge and unique tools for practical, systematic, predrill assessment of potentially recoverable oil and gas and to use the best available methods with trap volumetric and hydrocarbon charge for prospects, and potential numbers and sizes of prospects for plays.

                                      Drilling Engineering and completion Engineering

13- Offshore Systems.

Course will accelerate the learning and productivity of individuals with little to no experience working in the offshore oil and gas industry. The course provides an overview of field development concepts and explains how offshore structures and facilities function as integrated systems.

14-Well Design and Engineering.

Well Design and Engineering integrates all major well design technologies from pre-spud to TD. The single most important goal of the course is to draw the linkages between the design topics and to leave the participants with an understanding that each decision has influence on those that follow. On the last day, each team presents their completed design before the class and an invited panel of industry professionals

15-Completion & Workovers.

To emphasize the role of engineers and field operators in planning and executing the workover operations to maintain and increase field production and thus add to the profitability and recoverable reserves. It also emphasizes the significance of the team concept as a factor in optimizing operations success.

Despite the recent low oil price, the East African oil and gas industry is still hot! Here are the inside story and drilling updates in East Africa.

   1. Great Expectation: Aminex On Its Way To Drill In Tanzania

London based Independent exploration and production company reports positivity with its Tanzania operation.

In its latest shareholders updates, the company says that the positive signs in its Tanzanian assets reflect progress with projects.

“While we continue to engage in constructive dialogue, Aminex and APT are working diligently to progress workflows such that when the approvals are given, we can move quickly into an operational phase and deliver first gas from Notrya and begin remediation Work on Kiliwani,”

“ As yet, no formal update has been received from the Government of Tanzania in regard to our licenses, however, we have had positive indication in-country that the government is approaching a place where it can update the international oil companies”- Says Tom Mackey, Aminex chief executive.

As said in our last update, the year 2019 was a big one for Aminex PLC. It already secured a drilling contractor to drill Chikumbi-1 well. It signed a farm-out deal with Zubair Corporation’s associate, Ara Petroleum Tanzania limited. The company will not only benefit from financial input, but also from the experience of personnel of Ara Petroleum Tanzania Limited. The company also submitted its 2020 working program to the Tanzanian authority.

So, we are keeping a close eye over the coming months for announcements from the company confirming the permitting and contracting process is on track.

2. SAIPEM 12000 drilling Ship to Drill Six Subsea Wells In Mozambique.

Mozambique is leading gas developments in Sub-Saharan Africa.

In a recent interview, Guido Brusco, EVP, West Africa, of Italy’s Eni, told the global business report that

“In, Mozambique we already made the final investment decision for a floating LNG platform at Coral South, where 50% of the construction is already complete and the project is well on schedule to start production in2022. The Saipem1200 drilling ship is already in the country to drill six subsea wells that will feed the facility” 

Read also    Oil and Gas Potential In Mozambique

As the region seeks to meet the ever-growing need for power, suffice to say the opportunities are immense across the East African oil and as a value chain.

The Annual Sub-Sahara Africa upstream oil and gas summit and exhibition will be held on 14th to 18th, 2020 at  Park Inn by Radisson, Kigali, Rwanda, with a full four-day program that aims to bring you the best of Sub-Saharan Africa’s upstream oil and gas sector to discuss the potential and challenges the industry faces.

This year’s summit will provide opportunities for practitioners and investors to showcase what we already have, exchange ideas on what we are doing right and what we can learn from each other-West Africa learning from east Africa, east Africa copying best practices from West Africa and South Africa.

As Africa competes for investment capital. There  are big opportunities to use Africa’s substantial gas resources to meet the constant and ever-Growing need for power

That is why the theme for this year’s summit is   ‘’Harnessing African Gas Potentials To Power Developing Economies’’

The summit is an important platform to tackle some pressing issues in the sector , including funding, skills shortage, and technology .

“Like in any sector, the challenges are there, but the way we are approaching the challenges is focusing on opportunities and talking to regulators. If regulators are upfront with investors by telling them what they need to do and then we get a checklist, that’s all an investor wants to know.

The other challenge is funding. On the other hand, it is technology. In terms of manpower, Nigerians are as brilliant as any other part of the world. What we have not been able to put together is our own funding mechanism. Another issue we have not perfected is technology.

We know that if you have the right personnel, you know the fiscal policies of the country, then you can bring a huge pocket to your advantage, then you buy the technology and then we can deliver” Says Dapo Ayola, Chief executive officer, Sub-Sahara Africa Upstream Oil & Gas Summit & Exhibition.

Whether you are a Geoscientist focused in exploration or you are in HSE, Engineer, Community Engagement Officer, an investor, you are invited to join us in Kigali Rwanda on on September 14-18