JPT

 

Vol. 58 No. 9

September 2006

SPE News

eMentoring: Beginning of a Meaningful Relationship

The SPE eMentoring program that began in May 2005 reports rapid growth, with approximately 600 mentor/“mentee” relationships already established at the end of the program’s first year. Young professionals (with fewer than 5 years in the industry) and students connect with more-experienced members who are in a position to offer career guidance and insight into the workings of the industry.

The online program is de-signed to meet three objectives:

  • To help young professionals find their way in the petroleum engineering profession.

  • To influence the academic and career choices of engineering students.

  • To contribute to the future of the E&P industry.

Advancing Learning—Two Perspectives

Santos Operations Integrity Engineer Tom Gouldie describes his reasons behind becoming a mentor. “I’ve been in the industry for more than 30 years and have seen a lot of new people move through. Many of these people are just looking for a few pointers on how to get started as a petroleum engineer,” he said. “I remember the same thing when I started.”

What makes a good mentor? “Someone who listens more than they speak, but someone who speaks after thinking,” Gouldie said.

Felix Anikpo, sales engineer for Hanover Nigeria, who is receiving mentoring assistance as part of the SPE program, said that “mentees” benefit from accessing a wider range of work or project experience outside of their region. “Just an e-mail from my mentor motivates me and helps me in my career development,” Anikpo said.

Anikpo shared his reasons for joining the program. “I was in the middle of my thesis write-up, and I wanted to compare experiences in Nigeria and other areas of the world. Only a mentorship program like this one can enable you to bridge this gap without really traveling. Plus, mentors have multiple experiences to share.”

Another mentor, John Donachie, a Corporate Finance Associate for Simmons & Co. Intl., describes the characteristics of a good mentor: “An open, honest, and forthright attitude makes for the best mentoring relationship. If a person can honor those qualities, then the relationship has a very good chance of success.”

Encouraging Positive Experiences

Both mentors and “mentees” recommend the program to other SPE members. “You keep up with how young engineers and students think about things. Today, there seems to be a different approach to the industry from when I started—less structured, more flexible,” Gouldie said.

“I benefit from seeing the young people’s enthusiasm,” said Jeanne Perdue, Editor of Zeus Development’s Upstream CIO. “That wide-eyed idealism is refreshing after so many up-and-down cycles our industry has experienced. Any investment in the next generation is a good investment, especially with the ‘big crew change’ bearing down upon us. I consider it another form of knowledge management.”

Anikpo also sees a positive impact. “Mentoring in our industry can make the world a better place by fostering work skills, interpersonal skills, and character among future professionals,” he said.

The SPE eMentoring online program gives experienced members a chance to give back to their profession and guide the next generation of energy professionals. For more information or to participate in the program, go to www.spe.org/ementoring. Prospective mentors/mentees need only fill out an application that includes information about their education, experience, areas of expertise, and why they wish to participate.

Section Scholarships Reach New High

Scholarship support from more than 70 SPE sections reached a record high of U.S. $650,000 for the 2005−06 academic year. This represents a 4% increase over the previous year. Assistance from 15 contributing sections accounted for more than 60% of section donations this year. The 15 top donor sections in order of donation amount are Gulf Coast, Denver, Evangeline, Aberdeen, Permian Basin, London, Alaska, Oklahoma City, Canadian, Fort Worth, Los Angeles Basin, San Joaquin Valley, Trans Pecos, Southwest Texas, and Mid-Continent.

New Technical Section Created

The SPE Board of Directors has approved the creation of a new technical section for SPE members interested in technology development and research in all areas related to upstream E&P. The objective of the section will be to expedite, facilitate, and provide a forum for discussion and cooperation on petroleum R&D. Chris Buckingham of the Southwest Research Inst. will be the first chairperson of the section.

The goals of the Research and Development Technical Section are to

  • Provide a means for ongoing communications and dialogue among industry, government, research companies and institutes, and academia involved in R&D in the petroleum industry. The section, operating primarily through a virtual-community site, will facilitate worldwide communication and cooperation among these groups.
  • Conduct an annual section meeting at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition to further communication and to offer opportunities for networking and the discussion of research needs.
  • Encourage development of a cooperative framework for R&D among interested parties.
  • Facilitate the establishment of R&D efforts that satisfy the needs of industry, government, research companies and institutes, and academia.
  • Identify and determine major issues and technology areas on which to focus interaction and discussions.
  • Promote petroleum engineering R&D and technology development whenever and wherever possible.

Members interested in joining the new section or in getting more information should send an e-mail to technicalsections@spe.org.


In attendance at the “Pathways to Cleaner Energy” lecture hosted by the SPE Kazakhstan-Aktau Section were (from left) Website Administrator Sergey Shmateyev; SPE Director South, Central, and East Europe Region Klaus Potsch; Secretary Svetlana Kushnariova; 2006 SPE President Eve Sprunt; Membership Chairperson Michael Long; Vice Chairperson Galina Shevtsova; Interpreter Vladimir Temirov; and Program Chairperson Nurlan Algaliyev. Baker Atlas and JSC Karazhanbasmunai sponsored the event.