bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
How to Advance One’s Career, Manage One’s Team, and Become a More Successful Leader: Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Authors: Horikoshi Wendy C. 
Published: April 2015

HR Discussion - How to use the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to advance one’s career.
To assist in understanding your leadership style and how you can communicate effectively with others in the workplace, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) can provide revealing and useful insights. The MBTI can help you recognize that people do not all speak the same “language.” Understanding the concepts and framework of the MBTI can bridge differing perspectives that affect teamwork and work relationships. It can be a tool to aid in working together more effectively on a project and in helping learn how to promote each other’s best quality work. It also provides pathways for discovering each other’s values and needs and for finding avenues for developing oneself.
Potential Source of Technical and Leadership Skills: Former Members of the US Military
Authors: Zornick John 
Published: April 2015

HR Discussion - Interview with John Zornick on hiring former members of the US military.
How can former members of the US military help fill the demand for engineers in the oil and gas industry?
Although degreed engineers are a small minority in the US military, many military officers are graduates of the service academies. Each of the five US military service academies [US Military Academy (Army), US Naval Academy (Navy and Marine Corps), US Coast Guard Academy, US Merchant Marine Academy, and US Air Force Academy] provides a broad curriculum with a strong focus on engineering. All those who attend these schools must take a series of math, science, and engineering courses that provide a strong technical foundation.
Once military service graduates begin serving in the US armed forces, they often work with equipment that requires advanced technical competencies. For example, a navy surface warfare officer may be responsible for the engineering plant of a ship consisting of very large diesel engines, generators, and electronic auxiliary equipment.
In another example, every navy submarine officer, no matter their educational degree, completes a rigorous year-long curriculum in the areas of math, chemistry, thermodynamics, physics, electrical engineering, materials, and mechanical systems.
Once such military officers end their service commitment and enter into civilian life, this combination of professional training and hands-on experience in applying engineering principles provides them with a background that can be useful in filling the demand for engineers in the oil and gas industry.
Preparing Engineers to Be Job Makers, Not Job Takers
Authors: Hassin Bryan , Karwowski Kaz 
Published: April 2015

Academia - How engineers can prepare to be job makers, not job takers.
The entrepreneurial spirit is an increasingly valuable asset in today’s economy. The same toolkit used to launch a business from scratch turns out to be quite applicable to larger, more established organizations as well. Mature energy companies and even nonprofit or government bodies have just as much need as startup companies for ambitious employees who have the ability to identify problems, listen to customers/stakeholders, marshal resources, and inspire teams to create efficient solutions.
The George R. Brown School of Engineering, part of Rice University in Houston, Texas, is tasked with preparing the next generation of engineers for careers in academia or industry. In fact many of the students could spend the majority of their professional lives working in the energy industry. However, it is difficult in a traditional classroom setting to imbue engineering students with the spirit of entrepreneurialism. In addition, there is a dearth of rigorous scientific research about entrepreneurship and its effective development. So, if entrepreneurialism is an increasingly important skill for engineering careers, how does a university prepare its students today for their careers of tomorrow?
Can We Reach Agreement? Managing Conflicts, Their Causes, and Consequences
Authors: Tesoro-Tess Michele , Cromeyer Aguayo Elena C. 
Published: April 2015

Soft Skills - Why conflicts often occur on the job, and how to overcome them.
Social institutions such as families, organizations, companies, and religious institutions provide us with moral principles and guidelines to deal with interpersonal conflicts that may occur within these institutions and in everyday life. However, not withstanding this role taken by social institutions, interpersonal conflicts are numerous and arise daily and can be traced back to three main types of conflicts:• Conflicts of power.• Conflicts of interest.• Conflicts of ethics (moral principles).
Conflicts of power. The issue at hand (very broadly speaking) is the power to have someone carry out or refrain from performing a specific action. In companies, this type of conflict is normally managed through hierarchy. A hierarchy-based organization manages power with the "top-down" approach. In theory, if the logic of this structure were strictly adhered to, no negotiation would be required or necessary, and one could assume that conflicts of power never exist between the managerial staff and the employees they are supervising. However, as we all know, conflicts of power do occur at the workplace, and it is most likely that we all have been involved in or have witnessed one.
"Oil" Jack - If GE Oil Existed
Authors: Bruni Thomas 
Published: April 2015

What's Ahead - Editor Thomas Bruni discusses mentoring's place in the big picture.
Were there a magic recipe to make an organization worth more than the sum of its parts, mentoring would be one of its base ingredients.
The ultimate goal of any mentoring program is to make sure no showstopper exists that prevents one from realizing his or her full potential. Ideally, mentoring should provide the new hire with a head start in the process of gaining awareness and understanding of how the organization works, how to navigate through it, and where exactly the new hire fits in the whole picture. Instead of climbing the associated steep learning curve alone, the new hire gets a free ride from the mentor.
Mentoring (among training programs in general) is ever more important in consideration of the looming "big crew change" that will absorb a large chunk of experienced professionals who will soon hit pension age (or have already done so). Before the full scale of the retirement process unfolds, the industry needs to have the second-liners ready to take over the baton.
Mentoring is also instrumental for what probably is the most valuable talent of all: leadership. The mentor serves as a role model and teacher, instilling the ability to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward the effectiveness and success of the organizations—the essence of leadership.
Mentoring Takes Many Beneficial Forms
Authors: Joustra Tjerk 
Published: April 2015

YEPP PerSPEctive - A new Shell hire reflects on his mentoring experiences.
Almost 5 years have passed since I walked into a building in Assen, The Netherlands, on my first day with Shell. Straight out of Delft U. of Technology, where I studied civil engineering, and I was about to start my first job as a production technologist. Clearly, my engineering degree did not fully prepare me for the technical job I was about to start in the enormous organization I was about to join. This was the start of a journey with a steep learning curve, both technical and organizational.
On this first day, I met many people, but one would clearly become my pillar when it came to my technical development. On the second day, he took me to the rig for a logging job and explained every single nut and bolt I could see. By doing that, he not only gave me a head start in my learning process, but he also motivated me even more to develop my technical skills as quickly as possible. Mentoring is all about motivating, teaching, and challenging. After that experience, my mentor continued to show and teach me so many more technical subjects in those first couple of months. Having the guidance of such an experienced colleague, of whom you can ask the "stupid" questions, is extremely important and helpful, especially in the beginning of your career.
Moving Factors for Young Careers
Authors: Zarri Francesca 
Published: April 2015

Pillars of the Industry - How "moving factors" can affect your career.
The challenges that the oil industry is coping with today, and will cope with tomorrow, have a common denominator: scarcity, both on the material side (hydrocarbon reserves) and the human side (talented professionals). High oil prices are the result of a lot more than the current geopolitical scenario and international tensions. It comes after years when the price of a barrel of oil had reached historic lows (down to U.S. $10 at one point) and companies reacting as they would in any other industry when revenues are in a free fall: Investment in new technologies and exploration was drastically trimmed. Exploration investments take years to be developed into productive assets. On top of this, new reserves are being found in more-complex and -challenging environments, thereby requiring the application of advanced technologies for effective production. The bottom line: scarcity of supply.
Low oil price in the late 1990s also initiated a detrimental chain reaction on the human side of the equation. For a start, during those years, hiring was taboo, or at least slimmed down to the bare minimum, and the sluggish performance of the industry made an oil career less attractive for students. In addition, the current wave of early retirements by the baby boomers is also contributing to further reduce the amount of knowledge and expertise available. The result of all of these factors is few experienced engineers and technicians, with most of them concentrated at the opposite ends of the age spectrum. The bottom line: scarcity of human/technical capital.
Old School vs. New School: Back to Basics!
Authors: Onyige Rita , Tealdi Loris , Thomas Tony 
Published: April 2015

Forum - Young professionals offer views on "old school" vs. "new school" approaches.
Our latest survey of young professionals attracted 554 respondents. Of those responding, 49% were North or South American, 22% European/Russian, 18% Asian, and 11% from Africa/Oceania. Concerning the primary work location, North and South America also represented the largest population in the survey at 53%. Others were 21% working in Europe/Russia and the rest taking up 26%. The male/female mix was 81/19. Sixty-eight percent of the respondents had 3 to 10 years of work experience. Most of the respondents work in reservoir description and dynamics, production and operations, and drilling and completions. The survey looked at the views of the respondents on the technical competence, job commitment and ethics, and career orientation of older and younger oil and gas industry professionals.
IOCs and NOCs: The Fourteen (and plus) Sisters
Authors: Ayala H. Luis F. 
Published: April 2015

What's Ahead
TWA Editor Luis Ayala discusses the rise of the "new Seven Sisters."
Enrico Mattei, Italian businessman and founder of Italy's Eni, is widely credited to have coined the term "Sette Sorrelle" (Seven Sisters), which he used to describe the group of companies that dominated the world's oil production in the mid-20th century. At the time, the group included today's Exxon Mobil (Exxon + Mobil), Chevron (Chevron/ SoCal + Gulf + Texaco), BP, and Royal Dutch Shell. Along with additional multinational players such as Total and ConocoPhillips, this list is now inclusive of some of the largest international oil companies (IOCs) still in operation. IOCs are private, non state-owned companies with significant presence in the multinational oil arena—which used to be the only relevant international oil players at the time when the "Seven Sisters" term was coined.
Years passed and the wave of nationalizations that swept the oil industry during the second half of the 20th century gave rise to their new rivals: the national oil companies (NOCs). The rise of the influence of NOCs has been tremendous ever since. And indeed so: just 2 years ago, the Financial Times came up with an updated list of the most powerful players in oil and gas. In contrast to Mattei's list, only largely state-owned oil companies or NOCs made the new ranking: Saudi Aramco (Saudi Arabia), Gazprom (Russia), China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC, China), National Iranian Company (NIOC, Iran), PDVSA (Venezuela), Petrobras (Brazil), and Petronas (Malaysia). In its article, the Financial Times discusses how the surviving members of the original Seven Sisters were gradually replaced by the new breed of oil companies (state-owned NOCs) over the course of a half a century and that has created a new energy landscape which seems to be here to stay.
Energy and Oil - A Personal Journey
Authors: Saleri Nansen G. 
Published: April 2015

Academia.edu@TWA
Nansen G. Saleri reflects on his career in the oil and gas industry.
I entered the world of energy in 1974—many moons ago by any account—with Standard Oil of California (today's Chevron). All my degrees were in chemical engineering, so it made sense to be employed by the refining end of the business. Chevron offered me a choice of two research positions: one in their downstream research facility near San Francisco and the other with the upstream counterpart in southern California. The latter became my "accidental" selection per my wife Marina's fear of San Francisco earthquakes. That choice captures my life. Some of the best things in our lives happen due to luck or accidents. I have no way of knowing where I would be today if my wife's field of knowledge about California's tectonics pushed my decision (and hers) in the opposite direction. What I do know, however, is that I have had a terrific journey—still in full swing—since reporting to work at Chevron Oil Field Research Company on Monday, October 7, 1974.

Looking Back
My career has spanned three distinct experiences in the oil industry— international oil company (IOC), national oil company (NOC), and now entrepreneurship. In September 2007, I launched the third and present phase of my career as a founder of Quantum Reservoir Impact—a niche-technology, venture-capital startup. My career can be viewed as a grand mosaic with three complementary segments, each with its unique color and accent.
Russian Oil Export - Projection Fraught With Risk
Authors: Zotin Alexander 
Published: April 2015

Economist's Corner

Economic risks in the Russian oil sector.
With the onset of the global economic decline, last year brought rather unpleasant news to the Russian oil sector. According to Rosstat data, Russia's oil and natural gas liquids production in all of 2008 was lower than the total for only the first 9 months of 2007—notwithstanding the increase of prices to record levels during the first 7 months of last year. In all, 2008 marked the first year since 1998 that Russian oil production has declined. The situation, if anything, was more acute for natural gas. Russian Finance Minister Aleksey Kudrin told journalists in November that gas production had peaked, and the statistics soon seemed to bear him out. While oil production in the first half of 2009 stagnated at 100.1% of the comparable year-on-year (yoy) level, gas production simply collapsed to 79.2% on a yoy-comparison basis.
Understandably, the dramatic fall of oil and gas prices in the second half of 2008 only exacerbated the problems of declining production. Both Russia and the West for some years have become used to the constant growth of Russian production, and the sudden declines have a large impact on world hydrocarbon markets. Russia is an extremely important player in those markets, ranking as the world's secondlargest producer (9.8 million B/D) and exporter (7 million B/D) of oil—after Saudi Arabia—and largest exporter of natural gas. Russia's hydrocarbon exports generate roughly 20% of its gross domestic product and account for 64% of all Russian exports.
Continuing Education: The Options Ahead
Authors: Onukwu Anthony 
Published: April 2015

What's Ahead - Young professionals must manage their own education.
This issue of TWA highlights the need for more efficient, up-to-date, and accountable options for continuing learning in our industry.
The September 2005 issue of the Oil & Gas Finance Journal reported that the top 25 oil companies have shed more than 1 million employees since 1982, and those who managed to hang on are now rapidly approaching retirement age. After years of the gradual reduction of jobs, the industry may not have the manpower or the brainpower to keep up with the world’s growing demand for oil and gas.
There is a pressure to get entry-level and mid-career professionals up to speed with those experienced professionals who are about to leave the industry in the coming years. The innovation pace in the industry and the need to address workforce challenges are the main reasons why continuing education for oil and gas professionals is so important. However, the “big question” is what programs work, which do not, and which ones are most valued and useful in our industry.
Continuing Education: Adding Value for Industry Professionals
Authors: Ajienka Joseph A. 
Published: April 2015

HR Discussion - An Interview With Joseph A. Ajienka, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Most oil and gas companies recovering from global economic recession are restructuring and adjusting their operating costs to become more efficient and competitive. Often, these efficiency measures translate into reductions in workforce training and education. This is a challenge for employees seeking to build on their professional knowledge and take on new and higher responsibilities. The petroleum industry is very dynamic, and so employees must remain current in the latest career practices, strategies, and techniques. Organizations must seek ways to meet company needs for well-educated, better-trained employees with even fewer financial resources available. To underscore the importance of this, and how continuing education can meet these needs, the HR Discussion Team recently interviewed Professor of Petroleum Engineering and Vice Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, Joseph A. Ajienka.
The Technology Issue: Carpe Technology
Authors: Medina Max 
Published: April 2015

What's Ahead - Overview of technology
Old technology? New technology? Future technology? The truth is it really does not matter. It will all boil down to how we are able to become more efficient and get the most value by using the best technology available at the right time. It is up to us, the young professionals, to seize the opportunity and rise to the challenge! Failure to do so could mean becoming firsthand witnesses to our industry falling behind in the energy race. Now, more than ever, we have a responsibility to maximize technology use so our industry can become leaders in the vision of achieving sustainable development for our planet.
Making the required step-change in oilfield technology development and implementation is easier said than done. There are all sorts of technical, financial, regulatory, leadership, and cultural obstacles. But it would be naive to think that we can change our industry without starting with ourselves. My proposal is that more of us need to search deep into our technical engineering roots and be proud of being energy and oilfield nerds. Yes, you did not misread. We need to embrace the technical spirit of our profession and emerge as petroleum geeks! Please do not worry about your image; nowadays, being a geek is as cool as it gets. The technical-vs.-managerial dilemma is solved!
Discover a Career in Well Completions Engineering
Authors: King George E. 
Published: April 2015

Discover a Career - Apache’s George E. King talks about well completions engineering.
Well completions engineering is very likely the junction point of every other technical discipline in the oil industry. Feed-ins from geosciences and drilling must be balanced with predictions from reservoir engineering and requirements from production to deliver a fit-for-purpose well design. All this must be contained in a package that retains sufficient flexibility to handle life-of-well changes while retaining well integrity beyond the designed life of the well. Expected well life may range from a few years in deep water to more than 70 years in tight gas applications.
Conditions range from the pressure and temperature fluctuations of ultradeep water to those of long horizontals and 20- to 50-multistage-fracture stimulations in shale oil and gas completions. The extremes of pressure and temperature are continually increasing, and environmental requirements are a moving target.
Because of the engineering complexity involved, completions engineering is where a large amount of new technology enters the industry. If you are interested in engineering challenges, then take a closer look at well completions engineering.
Mature Oil Fields: Preventing Decline
Authors: Munisteri Islin , Kotenev Maxim 
Published: April 2015

Forum - A discussion of mature oil fields focusing on preventing decline.
As the price of oil reached approximately USD 147 per barrel on 3 July 2008, an increasing number of mature oil fields became attractive for redevelopment. On the fifth anniversary of the highest oil price yet attained TWA asked,“What defines a mature oil field?” According to Paul Bondor, 2010–11 SPE Distinguished Lecturer, retired from Shell after 35 years of technical and supervisory service, “a mature oil field is an oil field that is considered fully developed. There may be infill opportunities but in general the field development plan has been executed. “There may or may not be secondary recovery with gas or water injection. But if there are no additional wells to be drilled, you are doing a decent job of reservoir management and your production has peaked and is on decline. For example, with a strong and active aquifer you may never put water in the ground but you will still get eventual high water cut. “To me, a mature oil field is one where you have development in place, and the field has peaked and is on decline.”
10 Years: One Whole Decade
Authors: Vaucher David 
Published: April 2015

What's Ahead - Inspiring words from David Vaucher in his final issue at TWA's helm.
What were you doing 10 years ago? If you are among today’s youngest TWA readers, you probably weren’t older than 8. There was no iPhone, no Twitter, and WTI crude was in the USD-30-to-USD-50/bbl range.The world was different then, and so were you. In 2004, I was 20 years old, still a mechanical engineering student at Rice University—and loving it. Now I am 30. I graduated not only from college but also graduate school (twice). I switched jobs a few times before finding the great opportunities I have where I am now. The girl I dated in college is married (not to me). I am about 25 pounds heavier (all muscle, really!). And my goals, aspirations, and skills changed dramatically for the better. 10 years: One whole decade. It is a long time. And yet the fact that I can remember my college years like they were yesterday shows how fast time appears to move forward—with no stops, no pauses, no time to catch your breath. Looked at one way, it is terrifying: It is not such a leap to imagine that since I seemed to experience the past 10 years in an instant, the time between when I’m 30 and when I’m 40 will appear to go by just as quickly—maybe even faster. What if I don’t achieve everything I have set out to do? Seen another way, it is highly motivating: I think of everything I have done and accomplished in the last 10 years— some of which I never would have predicted—and I think “Yeah, things worked out pretty well actually, and there’s no reason to think the next 10 years won’t be just as eventful.”