What Shell And Exxon Mobil Have In Common? And Why You Should Care?

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It might not surprise you to learn that East Africa is a magnet for the large oil and gas companies. To put it simply the region is home for big oil players.
That is a reason multinational oil companies such as Shell, Exxon Mobil, and TOTAL are busy in the region like bees to honey.

The beauty of East Africa is that it has massive oil and natural gas resources, most of them untapped, underdeveloped and crying out for exploration and development investment.
A good example of this is Tanzania. As the time of this writing( 1, January 2019) the country has 57.25 trillion cubic feet. And according to the US Geological Survey, the country still has potential natural gas reserves up to 441 trillion cubic feet solely in the coastal region, so more gas discovery might be forthcoming
Today we cover what do major oil players have in common and why you should care?

1.They engage all segments of the industry.
As you know, the oil and gas industry consists of three segments:

The first section is called Upstream: This involves finding oil and gas resources, and extracting (bring them out of the ground) so that they can be moved and placed where they can be refined and processed into useful products.

The second portion is midstream. The segment involves transportation and storage of crude oil and natural gas from where they found them to where they will be refined and processed into products that can be sold. So the mode of transportation may be pipeline, tankers or trucks

And the last area of the industry is downstream. It involved in the refining of crude oil, processing and purification of natural gas, and also marketing and distribution of the products that are delivered from crude oil and natural gas such as lubricants, diesel, kerosene, cooking gas,

Small independent oil companies engage in the upstream sector only. That means they discover, develop and produce oil and gas resources.
On the other hands, those big boys dabble into everything: from discovering, developing, extracting, refining, transporting to marketing oil and gas related products.

2. They both merged.

Exxon Mobil was known as Mobil when it first founded in 1911. The company merges with Exxon in 1999 to be Exxon Mobil. This Us based firm grew quickly and become one of the major oil and gas companies in the world.

The same goes to Royal Dutch Shell or Shell as many people call it. The company established in 1907 when
Holland’s Royal Dutch Petroleum Company and Britain’s Shell Company merged.

What Does This Mean To You?
From a career perspective, working with these major oil companies offers better opportunities.
That means lots of travel from work site to work site and job. Both Shell and Exxon Mobil engage in downstream business.Working at these companies meaning that you have a secure job especially in periods when oil sells for a lower price in the global market.

5 Things Top Oil and Gas Speakers Do Well And Why You Should Do Them Well Too

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Back in the days, I wanted to be a great oil and gas speaker. But I could never find a place where I could learn to deliver a good presentation in the oil and gas space.

I reached out to Mark LaCour, my favorite oil and gas speaker of all the time. He then advised me on some ways to give great oil and gas presentations.

His input was simple. “Hussein if your intention is to deliver a great presentation you should master the art of storytelling. That’s because a good speaker tells an interesting story”.

I wondered if someone can use stories to give a presentation in a high high-tech niche like oil and gas industry. I turned to him and ask to send me some of his oil and gas presentations. I was amazed when I received the presentation.

The slides had no texts. No bullets.

The first slide had headlines with 140 characters (a twitter like headlines) entitled “Trillion Dollar Data Brawl”. It grabbed my attention as I read it.
The remaining slides were almost all pictures.
Mark told me that, a good oil and gas speakers do not read aloud a PowerPoint slide deck. They use stories, graphs, and images to engage the audience members.

If you are an oil and gas speaker or planning to, you should be aware of some qualities the best oil and gas speakers have in common:

1. They have a burning message.
Top oil and gas speakers do not speak for recognition or praise. They speak because they have a good message and want to share it with the people.

They feel that they have something of value to share with the audience. The best oil and gas speakers deliver amazing presentation because they passionate about their topics.

Read also:   How To Choose The Right Oil and Gas Speaker For Your Next Event

And they are keen to share the passion with their audiences member. And that’s their great motive. If you have been following us on our website for a while, you know that we love what we do.

We are excited about the oil and gas industry. And this website becomes a platform to share that passion.

2. They engage an audience.

The best oil and gas speakers use charts, pictures, and stories to add value to the audiences.

They have intense believe that people remember numbers than text.

Furthermore, they also know another thing people remember more than a number is stories.

They tell stories in each presentation even in the dry topic such as “ 10 Oil and Gas Trend To Watch In 2019”.

Many oil and gas presentation include data. So using graphs or stories is the best way to make this data visual and show the relationship.

3. They learn.
The best oil presenters never stop learning. They continually improve their speaking skills. They spend some hours each day to learn something new about speaking.

They read textbooks, they listen to podcasts and watch video from the other oil and gas speakers. They also attend industry events and conferences to meet and learn from the top oil and gas speakers. They observe how other oil and gas presenters talk, move and interact with audiences.

4. Practice
Preparation is a mark of all successful oil and gas speakers. The best speakers spend hours practicing and rehearsing   their speech before they come into the stage. They review and practice each point in their presentations even if they have given the similar talk many times before. They always do not trust experience. They also ask feedback from their colleagues and friends.

5. Simplification:

Most oil and gas speakers feel that using complex and technical jargon will make them sounds competent. But the best oil and gas speakers use simple words and phrases that even if they speak with industry insiders. Simplification is the best way to make your presentation memorable.

Do you want to become the best oil and gas speakers? If you answer Yes, then you should do what other oil and gas speakers. To deliver effective oil and gas presentation requires planning, practice, and hard work. There are no shortcuts for the effective oil and gas presentation.

Here are two major things all top oil and gas speakers have in common.

How To Choose The Right Oil and Gas Speaker For Your Next Event

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Image result for image of public speaker

The simple truth is that a good oil and gas keynote speaker can ruin or drive up the value of your event.

But finding the perfect oil and gas speaker can be a little bit frustrating in East Africa, considering the industry is at an infant stage.
The good news is that the good oil and gas speaker can increase the credibility of your event and make attendees feel that their time and money they poured into your event have paid off.

In addition to that, they can impress attendees to come back for the next edition of your event.

Now that we have seen that a good oil and gas speaker can play a vital role in the success of your event, let switch gear and discover some way to pick the right oil and gas speaker:

1.Consider your budget
The first thing first, you should determine exactly the budget that your company has set aside for your oil and gas keynote speaker Once you know the fund available you can choose oil and gas speaker whose cost suit your pocket size. Decide how much you can spend on a speaker including accommodation and travel expenses.
If you have a limited budget, never hesitate to reach out to the oil and gas speakers. Some oil and gas speakers are willing to speak at your event at a reasonable cost so they increase their visibility and promote their personal brand as the authority in the industry

2.A popular Topics Of Discussion In The Industry
Some topics appeal to wider audience, for example, many people seek out to know some ways they can capitalize opportunities in the massive East African crude oil pipeline project- a pipeline that will transport crude oil from Uganda oil field to Tanzania.
So knowing the popular topics of your event will help choose the most appropriate oil and gas speaker.

3.Level of Knowledge
Knowledgeable oil and gas speaker can provide some insight into the status of the industry, opportunities in the upcoming oil and gas project and they can even predict the future of the industry. This kind of speaker can prepare an informative presentation that works fine for your audience,

Conclusion
The biggest mistake most event organizers make is that they choose the speaker purely based on fame or name recognition. The high profile oil and gas speaker will not always guarantee attendees, but the best oil and gas speakers should have a message of value to share with your target audience. Most importantly must have the willingness to promote your event via their own social media.

Aminex Secure Drilling Rig: Sakson Selected To Drill The Chikumbi-1 Well Onshore Tanzania

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The coming year is set to be very, very busy for the team at Aminex.

Uk-based Aminex oil and gas explorationand production company, Aminex has selected Sakson Drilling and Oil Services DMCC to drill the Chikumbi-1 well.
The well is planned to a total, measured depth of approximately 3,485 meters

Successful oil and gas drilling is about a strong business partner
One key element of successful oil+gas drilling that produces results, is the help.
To reduce the cost for mobilizing/demobilize the drill rig, Aminex has signed a conditional rig sharing agreement with Heritage Oil Limited in Tanzania. This will minimize cost for both parties.

Read :Oil and Gas Prediction: 7 Oil and Gas Trends To Expect In Tanzania and East Africa In 2019

In addition to that, Aminex signed farm-out agreement with the Oman-based  Zubair Corporation LLC On July 2018. An extraordinary general meeting of shareholders will be held to approve the Farm-out on 4th January 2019.
On location
The Chikumbi-1 well is located within the Mtwara Licence of the Ruvuma PSA, in Southern Tanzania, approximately 4 km west of the successful 2017 Ntorya-2 appraisal well, in the onshore portion of the Ruvuma Basin.

Oil and Gas Prediction: 7 Oil and Gas Trends To Expect In Tanzania and East Africa In 2019

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It’s hard to predict what is going to happen next year. But one thing we all believe is that tomorrow will be different, there will be some changes or advancements as well.

My good friend, Mark LaCour has been doing this for the past four years. This year I thought I would take moment to do the same but with focus on East Africa, specifically Tanzania’s oil and gas industry

I have conducted no official survey, However, I did deep research before I craft this publication. So whether my prediction will be right or wrong. The prediction aimed you to prepare and help you make an informed career or business decisions.
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Here are oil and gas  trends to watch in 2019:

1.China’s Thirst For Tanzania and Mozambique LNG.

China will be the ideal buyer of East Africa liquefied natural gas (LNG).
China’s need for an alternative source of energy is much greater. Urbanization and population growth are driving China to find an alternative source of energy. Bloomberg New Energy Finance pointed out that China LNG’s import climbed up by 50% in 2017 and ranked China as the world’s largest third buyer after Japan and South Korea.
Here’s a snapshot of China’s gas needs:

What does all these mean? That means China will buy more liquefied natural gas (LNG). than Japan and South Korea in the  coming years.

2.EACOP investment decisions will be made.
This is the news we’ve all been waiting for.. In January 2018 (  naturalgasworld) pointed out that UK- based oil firm Tullow Oil noted that they expect Final investment decision to be taken by end of June 2018.

Most people had intense believe that the pipeline construction would start in 2018. Technically speaking, pipeline construction is relatively quickly. But planning’s pipeline route and getting the agreement of all the people affected by it can take many years.

And that is why, the stories about this project started in 2014, but it will take only 36 months to finish the project. If you focused on media attention about the status of the project, you will notice that there some progress being made to fast track this project. These include:

  • On 23rd April, the Ugandan government picked Tanzanian routes as economically and technically feasible for exporting its oil to the international market.
  • An intergovernmental agreement between both countries was signed in May 2017
  • Two presidents from Uganda and Tanzania lays the foundation stone.
  • Gulf Interstate engineering (GIE) OF Huston has completed Front-end engineering and design (FEED) study in February 2018.
  • To gather information about surface and subsurface information, geophysical and geological and other environmental studies are still on progress

We might be  waiting for the completion of the host governmental agreement(HGA) following with final investment decision (FID)to be reached. With all progress being made, hopefully, the investment decision will certainly reached and  project will kick off in 2019.

  1. Huge explorations and development decisions will be made.

 East Africa is arguably THE most exciting oil exploration region in the world.But still is most untapped region.As the time of this writing explorations activities confirmed reserves of 57.54 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in Tanzania. And more than 441 trillion cubic feet of natural gas are still trapped underground, solely in the coastal region according to the US geological survey. So discoveries might be forthcoming.

This is why giants like Royal Dutch Shell, Equinor, Total  and Pavilion Energy  are buzzing around Tanzania like bees to honey. The big boys don’t lift a finger if there’s not a chance big profits could be made.

There are indications of massive oil and gas resources, all of them untapped, underdeveloped and crying out for exploration investment

If you follow the oil and market trends, you will know that 2014 to 2017 was hard to attract investors for exploring oil and gas resources due to slump in the international price of crude oil. The market is returning in the better days and confidence is returning

This will drive more oil companies to explore oil and gas in Tanzania. There will be an increase in exploration activity in 2019, more precisely I expect to hear some geologists and geoscientist work together to pinpoint the exact location they can drill the first well in Eyasi-Wambele basin.

  1. Oil companies shift to the Uber model. That’s another trend we hope to experience in 2019 and beyond. And they must do so to attract younger generations that are more willing to accept new technologies. The oil and gas industry has tons of senior member with 20 to 30 years of experiences.

And when you come in and express to them that you have new technology that will make them do their work better –more productively, efficiently and quickly, they  it taken as you  teach them  to do things they have been done for the past 30 years. But the new generation have open mind to accept new technologies.

In addition to that, the older generations of the oil and gas industry are about to retire. This result to the talent shortage.
To infuse workforce, oil companies couldn’t only partner with local universities but they will make industry sexy for new generations. Young generations are getting into the industry because are impressed with digital technologies.

Have you asked why do people love the Uber? The answer is pretty simple because it makes them more productive and more efficient. Uber does not own Taxi.

More specifically don’t own drivers. They rely on independent drivers who own cars and actually carry people. They use mobile technology and the emergence of a smartphone to bring efficiency to its users.

The new generation comes in the industry with the expectation to find iPhone, Ipad at the workplace. To attract them to the oil field, oil companies will shift to an uber model.

5.An increase in downstream and midstream projects.

Unlike the upstream area of the oil and gas industry, midstream and downstream sections of the industry are not affected by the low oil prices. In 2019, we expect to an increase  activities in these segments such as Pipeline constructions, Natural gas distribution network We shall see more downstream and midstream projects in the region such as pipeline construction, construction of Compressed natural gas (CNG)
6. The energy demand will continue to rise

Natural gas continues to grow its importance as a source of energy in Tanzania. Because its power plant relies on it. For instance, some three years back, the 150mw kinyerezi-1 facility came online, Also on April 3, 2018, 167MW Kinyerezi-2 facility was fully commissioned.

And all these are the gas-fired power plant. The demand for gas will climb within n Tanzania in 2019 and is supported by industrialization, economic growth, and electrification in the region

7.Oil and Gas Skills Deficits.

Oil companies will continue to face a skills shortage. This is the result of massive hiring in good times and downsizes when the market goes down. In addition to that senior member of the oil and gas industry are heading into retirement some of them have left the industry and result to skills shortage. This present growing opportunity for those who want to work in oil and gas industry;

Conclusion
The purpose of this prediction is not whether I am right or wrong, the question here has you prepared in case my predictions come true.

 Gearing up for exciting 2019!

Invitation To Express Interest From Total East Africa Midstream

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Note: I am not a member or employee of EACOP.  I can’t help you get a contract or job to the pipeline.

 

I just share this article to help be aware of the opportunities available in the various oil and gas project in Tanzania or East Africa.

 

There’s a new oil project beginning in East Africa. If it gets going, then it could mean a huge number of opportunities for Ugandans, Tanzanians, and others.

The proposed $3.5 billion East African Crude oil Pipeline(EACOP) is good not just for oil companies, but for service providers and oil workers as well.

Sure, it is true that once the 1,445 kilometers long East African Crude oil pipeline (EACOP) project is completed it will give big oil companies a larger share of the market. Sure, it is true that it will allow the big oil companies to transport more than 216,000 barrels of oil every day.

Sure the project will increase direct foreign investment (FID) by 60 percent in Uganda and Tanzania. And stimulate oil and gas exploration activities in the regions.

But would also generate a substantial financial reward for the oil workers, contractors and services providers that are involving In constructing and operating the pipeline.

Now is a very good time for oil workers and services providers to start monitoring project’s status.

Click the link below to download  the Expression of Interest (EOR) for the provision of main line block valve from Total East Africa.

 

Expression-of-Interest-for-the-Provision-of-Main-Line-Block-Valves

Visit EACOP for more info on EACOP project.https://eacop.com/

How To Create Twenty-Five Thousands New Jobs In The Oil and Gas Sector In Tanzania

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Blessed with massive natural gas resources, Tanzania not only has potential to enjoy the benefits of healthy jobs and income but also state may continue to get a boost from taxes and fees this industry generates both directly and indirectly.

In fact, The oil and gas industry is the biggest employer in the world that creates high-wage jobs.

That ’s might sounds unrealistic. Because In the world of economics, a country that relies on one industry for twenty-five thousand jobs is too vulnerable.

If you think that is impossible, keep reading you will find out how this  can be achieved?

Now, let us imagine Tanzania government auction off a piece of land for the multinationals to research and extract oil and gas resources. In this case, let say Shell become the highest bidder and get the right to develop block 1 offshore Tanzania.

Shell doesn’t have its own offshore platform. Shell contract a drilling company such as Poseidon

Which in turn will need a company such as Halliburton to operate rig. Shell and Halliburton hire local workforce and order pipes, safety equipment, catering services and materials from the local suppliers. This creates sales, income, and jobs for these firms

The employees that are hired in the oil and gas industry are paid wages and salaries which they then spend at car dealerships, grocery stores, eating establishments, etc., which generates new sales.

With that thought in mind. Tanzania stands much chance to create thousands of jobs solely in the oil and gas industry.

Today I thought, I would take moment to write an opinion article on the way we can produce twenty-five thousands new jobs in the oil and gas industry with a focus on Tanzania.

Here are ten possible ways to create twenty-five thousand new jobs in as little as two years in Tanzania’s emerging oil and gas sector.
Now, let us count 1 to 10. A powerful formula I learned many years ago that fix any problem:

1. Get 1 Company to move to Tanzania and produce 25,000 new jobs
2. Get 2 companies to move in, each providing 12,500 jobs.
3. Get 5 companies to hire 5,000 people each.
4. Get 10 companies to move in Tanzania and hire 2,500 each
5. Get 50 companies to provide 500 new jobs each.
6. Get 100 companies to provide 250 new jobs each.
7. Get 200 companies to provide 125 new jobs each.
8. Get 250 companies to hire 100 people each.
9. Get 500 companies to hire and hire 50 people each.
10. Get 1,000 companies to provide 25 new jobs each.

How Can We Get These Companies
The first step to job creation the oil and gas industry in Tanzania is to make a list of ten companies in the world that could be possible persuaded to move in Tanzania and create twenty-five thousand new jobs.

We should look at all possible producing force in the world. We should consider all national oil companies (NOC’s) and international oil companies (IOC’s).

Consider oversea operation. Look at all companies in the United State, Canada, Norway that can be persuaded with incentives to come in Tanzania.

The second step is to go to existing oil companies and challenge them to increase their operations in the regions get them to produce more gas and increase their natural gas sales to the point they will need to hire people

This is an opinion and analysis posted by Hussein Boffu, a Tanzania citizen and founder, Tanzania petroleum Do you have more ideas on how we can create more jobs in the oil and gas sector in Tanzania. Leave your comment below.

The Best Universities in Europe for an Oil and Gas Career

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Assuming you’ve decided to study for an oil and gas related qualification, what then?

The course you choose, and the place you study could be tremendously important. Even if the industry contracts by 50%, there will still be a job for those who studied at the most acclaimed institutions. There will be a place for those who achieved the highest grades.

The acclaimed institution, and the high grades can be the same thing… Because some colleges and universities already have the best lecturers, facilities and track records.

By choosing the right place to study, you’ll be rubbing shoulders with other future industry leaders.

In your previous education, you’ll have experienced the flow state achieved where you have a system, equipment, peers and teachers that are geared up and committed to excellence. A culture of success helps you to achieve a performance level that is outside your comfort zone, with results that reflect this!

Your choice of academic destination could be the difference between cognitive dissonance, feeling a lack of direction, then dropping out or getting a bad grade…

… Or spending the best time of your life with people who carry you through your career, as you will do for them. You’ll get into the zone of high performance where second best is a fail, and future employers will sense this in you from the first impression onwards.

Here are the drillers.com top picks for European University Oil and Gas courses:

(Deliberately in no particular order)

(+ Click on website images to go to the relevant websites)

The University of Aberdeen

Aberdeen is one of the top oil and gas cities in the world, historically because of the close proximity to the North Sea oil fields. It’s likely that the status continues into the future, due to the wealth of talent, knowledge and experience of the people based there.

The University of Aberdeen is the only university in Scotland to offer an undergraduate degree in Petroleum Engineering, and also general engineering modules. You can also study the Petroleum Engineering Masters degree. Also on offer is a Subsea Engineering Masters Degree, that’s respected in the industry as a solid course.

IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN)

(Formerly called IFP (Institut Français du Pétrole)

France’s IFPEN has a substantial research facility, which is important for the reputation and performance of any academic institution. Universities that research heavily tend to be at the cutting edge of technological breakthroughs.

Originally the school was known as the Institut Français du Pétrole (IFP), and has a long track record of achievement and excellence. Now, in recent years France has adopted a very forward looking approach to the energy mix, and modern alternative energy. For this reason, the school has expanded into sectors such as energy efficiency, biofuels, and new energy technologies (NET’s).

As a logical progression of this, the institution has re-branded as IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN). Now, rather than the IFP being the main umbrella, it’s a specialised graduate school within the IFPEN framework. This makes complete sense as our energy options around the world expand.

Historically, staff and students here have been responsible for a number of industry advancements such as the Rock-Eval technique to determine the oil potential of sedimentary rock. Yves Chauvin is a researcher at IFP who was awarded a Nobel prize for chemistry in 2005.

Currently, the IFP section in particular is extremely dynamic and practical in its approach to industry. For example, 80% of IFP School students are sponsored and funded by around 50 French and foreign companies. This is an incredible achievement, and means that the best and brightest of the next generation are not excluded from human advancement.

Jouanah Ghori, the IFPEN/IFP School Communications Officer had this to say about the IFP department:

The IFP School provides young engineers with advanced graduate programs leading to professional qualifications in the fields of energy and transport. It has a dual ambition: to provide industry with the skills it needs today and to train the future energy transition players. To achieve these objectives, it focuses on a high level of industrial integration and adopts a resolutely international approach.

Since the whole curriculum at IFPEN is energy related, we won’t link to particular courses, but here is a link to the relevant page to the IFP selection of courses that we’re highlighting.

Delft University of Technology

Delft University is the largest public technical university in the Netherlands. Delft regularly appears in top global rankings for many sectors of technology. They run a Masters program that combines Petroleum Engineering with Reservoir Geology.

Other subject matters covered include Geo-Resource Engineering, Geo-Engineering, Applied Geophysics, Geoscience and remote sensing, and Environmental Engineering.

Here’s a link to the section of the Delft website that covers a Bachelors Degree in Petroleum Engineering.

Montanuniversität Leoben

The Department of Petroleum Engineering (DPE) at Montanuniversität Leoben is one of  Austria’s best academic institutions and is held in high regard in the oil and gas industry.

A strong research department and a low student to faculty ratio will help ensure that you’ll have the opportunity to be rubbing shoulders with the right people.

The (DPE) at Montanuniversität Leoben has aligned itself with many important industry partners. These range from companies, to organisations, and other educational institutions. This means that you can start networking years before actually entering the industry. A higher chance of job opportunities or internships will result from networking.

The University of Stavanger

The University of Stavanger is highly rated as one of the best places to study petroleum engineering in Norway. Norway itself is a strong player in the global oil and gas industry. In relation to workers, companies, education, and of course access to a number of rich oilfields within its territory.

The university has around 10.000 students, 10% of which have an international background. The University of Stavanger has strong connection within the oil and gas industry, and with the headquarters of 26 international oil and gas companies in the region. Finding a university that is heavily involved in the industry can only offer you benefits in attaining work later.

The university offers Master’s programmes in English, in a wide range of courses, including Petroleum Engineering, Offshore & Environmental Technology and Petroleum Geoscience Engineering.

The Norwegian Government chose the University of Stavanger for the hosting of Norway’s new cutting-edge petroleum research centre for Improved Oil Recovery. The degree in Offshore Technology is focused on industrial asset management, risk management and issues related to the design of offshore installations for the oil and gas industry.

Heriot Watt Institute of Petroleum Engineering

Scotland’s Heriot Watt institute of Petroleum Engineering is well situated to research and study opportunities along the UK continental shelf and frontier basins.

The Heriot Watt Institute of Petroleum Engineering is world renowned as a leading training and research facility. It has frequently won awards such as the Queens Anniversary Prize in 2015. This award was given in recognition of practical innovation and research that has been applied to real life industrial situations.

The ongoing list of industrial sponsors, academic partnerships, and spin off companies are testament to the practical achievements being accumulated.

Imperial College

Imperial College has a lot going for it in general, the South Kensington, (London) location is a perfect place to spend a year or two. This means that the college has international appeal and has one of the most diverse international student background profiles in the world.

This of course means little if the course that you plan to study is sub par. This certainly isn’t the case, and if you end up graduating with a Masters Degree in Petroleum Engineering, Petroleum Geoscience from Imperial, you’ll have a very enviable qualification. There’s also an opportunity to study an MSc in Metals and Energy Finance, and the more common undergraduate degrees as well.

As with all of the universities on our list, a key feature is the relationship with employers and researchers. This is crucial in the career acclimatisation process, as well as the chance of a job straight after you finish. In this regard, as a student, you’ll have the opportunity to attend, or get involved in the Imperial College Oil & Gas Forum.

The Imperial College Oil and Gas Forum was started in 2014 by Tino Millar, a postgraduate student there. It’s already Europe’s largest event of its kind, in 2015 it attracted 300 delegates from 41 Institutions and companies, consisting of 47 nationalities.

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

Norway had to get a mention in this list of top universities for an oil and gas career, in fact, we felt that it warranted two mentions. Norwegian oil and gas workers have a great reputation for discipline, knowledge and a steady manner.

There are only 8 universities in Norway and NTNU (Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet) is the biggest, and as the name suggests is tailored towards natural science, technology and engineering.

NTNU offers some interesting courses that are dedicated to oil and gas such as the Oil and Gas Technology Bachelors degree. This course also has a part time experience based version.

Whilst the university attracts around 10% of its students internationally, bear in mind that many of the courses require that you speak Norwegian, or at least a Scandinavian first language. As is the case with many job postings in based in Norway and with Norwegian companies in general.

Robert Gordon University

Robert Gordon University (RGU) in Aberdeen, Scotland regularly receives praise and accolades. It’s one of the most modern and progressive universities in the UK, and its alumni tend to fair well when joining the workforce.

Aberdeen has been one of the handful of major hubs in the global oil and gas landscape. It makes sense that an institution such as Robert Gordon University is itself world class in relation to is energy, engineering and geoscience departments.

The Oil and Gas Centre is state of the art and houses a DS-6000 drilling simulator.

RGU has created a course structure that covers every aspect of the O+G industry. It’s home to the RGU Oil and Gas Institute, a leading materials testing department and a Shell corporate program.

Technical University of Denmark

The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) has been devoted to the study of the natural technical sciences. As we know, focus creates excellence in all fields of human endeavor.

DTU runs the Danish Hydrocarbon Research and Technology Centre which hosts an annual technology conference, specifically targeting the potential for Danish companies in the North Sea. The goal is to explore new ways to maximise the level of hydrocarbon extraction in what is a declining field.

After becoming energy self sufficient in 1991, Denmark wants to stay that way. DTU has departments and courses that cover all aspects of the energy industry.

Polytechnic University of Turin (Politecnico di Torino)

The policy decisions of the Polytechnic University of Turin are pragmatic and geared towards their students getting straight to work after attending. Whilst all schools will pay lip service to this, there are plenty of practical examples that we can point to.

One example is that the flagship masters course in Petroleum Engineering is strictly taught in English. It’s well understood that the oil and gas industry is one of the most international in nature, and that students could be limiting future opportunities if they do not speak English to a high technical standard.

Another example is the recent agreement with Gazprom in order to combine forces for both educational and research purposes.

Technical University of Crete

The Technical University of Crete made it onto our list mainly because of its industry connections and fine reputation. Also, the popular holiday destination of Crete would be a wonderful place to study, with its natural beauty and rich history.

Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, or Hellas as called from ancient times has a reputation for academia. but due to the recent financial issues, would be very affordable if you’re taking time out of work for a masters degree.

Industry connections, sponsors and collaboration partners include Schlumberger, Hellenic Petroleum and Geotech.

The University of Leeds

Leeds University has a fine reputation within the UK for producing in demand energy graduates.

Companies such as Shell, BP, Apache and Total have historically favored graduates of Roger Clarke’s MSc courses.

This is always the proof, the work placing success rates upon graduation.

After this initial article was published, David Nicholson reached out to us. David is a recently retired HR Manager who has worked in offshore services and seismic for 36 years.

This is what he had to say:

Our intake of Grads during the period 2005 to just prior to my departure date climbed from an intake of six grads to I think about a dozen in my last year and we always tried to capture Leeds students but we were generally up against the Oil Majors such as Shell, BG, Apache and Total. They fished in the same pond – as did CGG and WesternGeco. Competition was fierce for these lads and lasses but we never got a bad’un.

Conclusion

It could be that you see a top European course that can help kick start an oil and gas career in your home country. With freedom of travel and low airfares we would encourage you to spend a little time looking at universities in other parts of Europe. Many students take a year out to go travelling. You could see more of the world outside your own country, and study at one of the top institutions for an oil and gas qualification.

By travelling to a new country, it’ll be a fresh start, and you will have fewer distractions from your old life. As an oil executive, you will likely work in different countries during your career, so this can also be an aclimatisation period. An educational stint in a foreign country will help you prepare for some challenging and exciting roles ahead.

Over to you…

This list is based on our opinion and research. If you feel that somewhere mentioned no longer warrants inclusion, or that we have missed somewhere out, then contact us. We’re more than happy to edit and update this page over time to reflect current information.

We list 12 top schools for a petroleum engineering, technology or geoscience course, did we get it right? Should there be 15? Or only 10? We welcome your input. If you do decide to comment, try to make the reasoning objective not subjective…

In fact, we would like to think that this page will be edited many times over the coming years, as new schools, colleges and universities step into the spotlight. There’s no reason why every country, and every research student can’t have the same opportunity to forward our industry.

How Digital Technologies Reduce Cost And Drive Efficiency In Oil&Gas Project in East Africa

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The world is a fast-paced, ever-changing digital-age world. A world unlike any of us has ever experience.

But the harsh truth is that the oil and gas industry has a large lag time. What is a lag time? Well, the lag time is a time an industry take to adopt new idea or technology from the date it has been proposed.

For example, I have been told that a lag time in the automobile industry is 25 years. The lag time in the construction industry is 60 years.

The oil and gas industry is the only slower industry, with a lag time of 80 years. This means that new technologies you see today in the oil and gas industry were conceived 80 years ago. Technology such as 3D seismic, remote sensing technology such as imagery satellite.

But in recent years due to increasing uncertainty, the oil and gas industry was forced to gradually shift to new technology. This help to improve efficiency and safety in the industry operations.

Here are potential areas for digital technologies in the oil and gas industry:

Predict the failure of equipment.

They can also be employed on equipment checks, such on rigs and remote drilling platforms, providing quick and easy eyes on access for engineers who can be remotely placed and checking on several platforms all at the same time. This is a helpful way for oil companies to predict future maintenance before even break down of the piece of equipment.

 

Reducing Operation Costs
Oil and gas companies in the pipeline industry install sensors on entire pipes and other operational assets which predict leaks and oil spills. This helps save on scheduled repair and overall maintenance cost. The oil industry loses billions of dollar each year due to downtime. It reported that digital technologies save 15%- 20% maintenance cots

Improving the safety of the workers
The oil and gas industry is a relatively high-risk working environment – especially at the business end of lofting oil and gas resource to the surfaces. With digital technologies such as the use of robotics, workers have no longer to go to do risky jobs

Crisis Management and Preparedness
The catastrophic events such as oil spills and other disasters can threat company reputation. But with the help of digitization such as the use of social media can help increase the degree of community engagement and help manage the crisis.

Forexampe, BP’s oil spills in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico in the united state that resulted in environmental pollution that could end up cost BP billions of dollars to clean up.

And the social media provided the details of the crisis and help to address the issues.

With the high speed of information dissemination in this digital age, it is no longer possible to do nothing when an accident happens and expect it to go unnoticed.
To win public trust, oil and gas companies should be completely transparent when a bad incident occurs in the company.

They should communicate honestly and openly…Oil companies can utilize social media to let the world know that the accident was just that: an accident, unintentional and not due to saving the cost of production or negligence. That is the best way to maintain the company’s reputation.

We are in the age of ever-advancing technology capabilities. And the oil and gas industry are shifting to digital technology as the way to increase efficiency and safety.

Technology is replacing workers.
Roughnecks and drillers collect data on the rig. With increasing automated technologies, this data is now collected by sensors.
In fact, tools and machines may replace oil and gas workers or might get them to shift the roles.

If you have a question or suggestion reach out to me via hussein.boffu@tanzaniapetroleum.com. I read all the emails.

UK Based Chariot Oil and Gas Strike Dry Well Offshore Namibia

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UK independent Chariot Oil & Gas’s eagerly anticipated well offshore Namibia was dry.

The company said October 11 that its Prospect S deepwater well, which was drilled by the Ocean Rig Poseidon drillship to a total depth of 4,165 meters, did not encounter any hydrocarbons. It will conduct further analysis to understand the implications of the well results on the prospectivity of the surrounding area.

The well was drilled on the Central Blocks licence offshore Namibia, which Chariot operates with a 65% interest; partners are UK-based Azinam 20%, Namibian state Namcor 10%, and local Namibian firm Ignitus Oil & Gas5%.

Read also:  Drillship to Spud Offshore Namibia Well

It was the second recent high-impact well offshore Namibia, following Tullow Oil’s Cormorant well last month, and both turned out dry. Both were understood to be targeting oil, although gas has been found in the area, notably the 1974-discovered, but as yet undeveloped, Kudu field. Another UK firm Eco Atlantic aims to drill a well offshore Namibia in 3Q2019 or 1Q2020.

Chariot CEO Larry Bottomley said the Prospect S well was drilled efficiently within a short timeframe to capture the optimum point of the cost cycle, but admitted the result was “disappointing.”