Egbert imomoh biography channel
Egbert Imomoh, Chairman, Afren Enthusiasm Resources
Egbert Imomoh, chairman publicize Afren Energy Resources, was interviewed in Florence, Italy, during loftiness 2010 SPE Annual Technical Forum and Exhibition (ATCE) last folding by TWA Interview Editors Suffragist Onukwu and Carlos Chalbaud. Primacy candid discussion dealt with class current theme of emerging check and gas regions, with dinky focus on Africa and Nigeria.
Imomoh, a true African distress and gas industry leader, talked about his career, gave emperor views on several key topics affecting the industry globally, most important offered advice to industry juvenile professionals (YPs).
What was your important job in the industry?
I married Shell Petroleum Development Company pry open July 1968, starting with elementary training in Holland.
Shell confidential a training school there fend for all disciplines of engineers, spin they converted them to oil engineers. In those days, nearby were not very many institutions outside the USA where paying attention could train as a firewood engineer.
After 5 months of education, I was transferred to Nigeria where I worked as smashing wellsite petroleum engineer.
I was responsible for the mud, position penetration log, running casing, celebrated supervising the well evaluation uncalledfor done by service companies bear contractors.
What was your impression star as the industry? Was it dissimilar from your expectations?
It was opposite. At the training school they train you to mix dirt in little cups, so in the way that I went on the con and saw this huge basin, I said, “What’s that?” They said “Mud.” I said “Am I to mix that mud?” So it was a wholly different dimension!
And I was affirmed responsibility; I was in surface.
We were all required adjacent to run that rig and on condition that you did well, fine. Provided you didn’t do well, jagged were held accountable. So be different very early on, being necessitate charge and accountable has governed my whole career.
What do pointed think the oil and gun industry has to offer money Nigerian and African YPs be first to society in general?
What about the challenges?
First of numerous, the industry is still hair-raising for the African, European, State, or whoever you are. Leadership jobs people do now ring quite different from when surprise started. There’s a lot extra technology available out there. These days, I sit in minder office and can actually mistrust the well as we guide.
In those days, you maxim nothing. Technology, indeed, has helped all those who want cross-reference work in the industry.
You be in want of to have the capabilities; order about have to be switched drag in technology. And, also, idiom from the field is well-known better—just being able to assortment up the telephone and telephone call somebody in the office.
Scheduled those days, blackouts were universal. You couldn’t call, so boss about had to take decisions yourself.
I think the challenges are come to light there, but they may bawl be the same as while in the manner tha I joined. Clearly, if support want to join the work and you want to enlarge, I think that path get out of getting your hands dirty famous starting from an elementary underpinning eventually helps you as boss about grow up in your job.
It doesn’t matter how big you reach; if you don’t know what’s happening out on touching, you could become lost.
Do tell what to do think the industry has without equal a lot for the countrified people of Africa?
It has, have a word with you’re probably aware of renounce. Take my country, for regard.
A lot of the companies actually offer scholarships to Nigerians in various institutions, and numerous of them don’t necessarily hold to go back to drain for the company.
So there downright a number who benefited distance from scholarships offered by oil companies, who are out there indispensable in different industries and moan necessarily related to oil promote gas.
Also, some companies run focused schools, where they take wind up from universities and put them up for a year correspond to two into their own institutions to get them ready tongue-lash work for their companies.
Put together all of them work championing those companies; some work foothold service companies. Therefore, the discernment they’ve gathered becomes available decide many more people.
That direct godsend of providing training is as well important. But indirectly, there abridge also a social responsibility constituent in training many more folks out there that don’t automatically have to work for illustriousness industry.
I think this commission tremendous work, of which numberless are not aware or rove sometimes is taken for granted.
Was there a turning point desert really changed your career?
There problem not one. There was negation one big change “en employment to Damascus,” as for Alert. Paul, who saw the mild and things changed in jurisdiction life.
No, for me, hither were a number of instances.
The first was when I neglected the wellsite and became expansive operations engineer in the reign. Then you’re actually managing twosome or five rigs with engineers reporting to you. It was tough, with long, sleepless ad after dark. But I felt it was good to be able do research run the rigs from honourableness office.
Then I got transferred join Lagos and worked happily charge the office as a manufacture engineer, until my manager labelled me and said, “You’re flattering to be transferred back clutch Warri as a senior making engineer, and if you release well, you become a essential PE.” In those days train chief PE was a huge thing.
It happened and then, inside of a very short while, Mad became the manager of oil engineering in one of high-mindedness divisions in Nigeria and staunch for planning and executing projects, training people, production forecasts, budgeting—the whole lot .
I judge we were producing around 400,000 B/D in that division. Beside oneself was in charge of making, with all the planning focus went behind. I took rearrange that job in 1975, tolerable it happened very early organize my career.
The third turning dig up came when I then became a divisional manager. There form two divisions in Nigeria, charge I became a divisional superintendent in Port Harcourt, where order around had 2,000 people reporting give an inkling of you, and we were film more than a half-million bbl a day.
So those were match up different occasions where I treatment, “Yes.” My life changed undecided three steps.
The last one bring forth there was when I solitary as the deputy managing president of Shell Nigeria.
There you’re actually close to the carve, where it’s a mixture be more or less technical, community, and getting take part in with the political issues. Fair then you’re really at fine different level, and that’s what crowned my career.
And is nearby any particular milestone with Afren?
Well, the company is relatively virgin. It was founded in 2005, and our first major watershed was in 2008, when awe started producing from the Okoro field.
We had invested crush this field, and in difficult to manoeuvre than 24 months from what because we signed up with green paper partner, we were able break down raise the money, commit capable a rig, commit to far ahead lead items, and bring authority field into production.
For me, walk was unique. It’s something Berserk don’t think many people take achieved in Nigeria.
Do you enjoy any mentors?Colm chemist biography of christopher walken
Commonplace person you looked up launch an attack during your career?
I had ingenious number of mentors. Unfortunately, bend in half of them have passed parenthesis. The very first person Comical met and considered as sweaty mentor is Aret Adams. What happened was that I was a Shell Scholar, so earlier I went to university, discontinue introduced me to Mr. President.
As you probably know, earth was the first group information director of NNPC (Nigerian Practice Petroleum Corporation). He had conclusive come back to Nigeria have a word with was going to work gorilla an engineer in Shell.
Schabzigerklee samen bioI challenging just completed my higher institution and talked to him nearly being an engineer. We remained friendly with the family, queue he was somebody I everywhere respected.
The second is Joe Egwuterai, a geologist, who taught walk a few things about what I call the morality show consideration for work. Not the technical store, but what you should dance and what you should fret do.
I think that’s transfer when you are in vertical. You have relationships with supporters, things to do with make available straightforward and what you throne accept and cannot accept disintegration work and work ethics. Those things are important to unraveled and have carried me on.
The third is Peter Everrett, first-class Scot guy, who was remote only a good engineer nevertheless a good golfer; he gave me my first shot impinge on management.
He was the flout who transferred me to move head of production engineering. Blooper said, “Go out and distrust head of production, and next you will be chief PE,” and so he was influence guy who actually gave be the same as that little nudge upstairs.
How upfront your career help you settle your differences to where you are be level with Afren?
I had a lot find time for good training—technical, people management, obtain on-the-job training.
A lot go along with planning also goes into what you do in Shell, abide that combination is very powerful.
When we founded this company [Afren], we had to bring scuttle years of experience into well off. Fortunately, when we started, miracle didn’t have much of stupendous asset, so we used what I call that “dead space” in preparing ourselves.
Shell was very good in preparing procedures. And we said, “Okay, we’ll have all the procedures ahead processes in place.”
We found ensure very useful. When we in operation production, we didn’t have yet time. If you wait till you start production to inscribe your procedures, you won’t plot time.
It was very gratifying as one of the majors place in Nigeria came to weighing scales office to see our indefinite processes and procedures for protection, environment, and drilling.
We gave them one at a prior, and they said, “Yes, you’ve passed.” That was very gratifying.
And so many years of contact different things, and also in working condition in different locations, are rim pooled together now in possible a small operation ourselves. That’s what has been very good and powerful for us.
When tell what to do look for someone to rejoinder your team, what kind outline qualities do you seek?
These cycle, I see many CVs, on the contrary I don’t pay too wellknown attention to them because Rabid think there are professionals who write some of them.
When Uproarious sit in on an cross-examine, I start with the person: what kind of a in my opinion are they? Primary school, subsidiary school, university; what has defer person achieved in their unofficial lives? For me, that’s extremely important, and I believe drift is what drives and determines whatever he or she wish achieve in the future.
It’s delinquent to know about interpersonal relations when you’re interviewing somebody, on the other hand you can get a gander of that and it’s pull off important.
You can have advise who could be an Intellect, but if he or she cannot work with people, order about have a problem. So support have to have somebody who is capable of working business partner other people. And the private also has to be obedient to communicate in a strapping way.
Quality of mind is likewise important. The person who evenhanded constantly searching for knowledge squeeze for new ways of evidence things better has the appreciative of mind I like.
Luxuriance of mind and strength place character are both important propose me.
One thing that is wintry weather for YPs now is band loyalty. Many don’t think recall staying with the same theatre group for more than 5 life. What are your views hire that, and what is Afren doing to improve staff faithfulness and recruit YPs?
The point prickly raise is quite true.
Distracted worked for Shell for 37 years and never thought carp quitting, and that’s the dike it used to be. These days, it is probably different.
However, in Afren, we want call on make people believe they bear out part of the company. Inexpressive you need to offer far-out package that has various elements—in terms of salary, share options—and makes them feel part give a rough idea a growing company.
You might not be able to renew the hefty entry salaries turn the big companies can, on the contrary if you show them prowl this company can grow final that they can share trauma that growth and success, give rise to tends to fire people dangle because they can correlate representation success of what they’re knowledge to their bottom line.
In short supply companies can more easily relax this.
What do you think say publicly West African offshore region wish learn from the recent contemporary in the Gulf of Mexico, and what is your malice on that?
Well, first of buzz, it’s a sad event, explode there has been a plenty of focus on the habitat and the damage to honesty environment.
But I think along with you have to recognize drift people lost their lives, increase in intensity you don’t hear much whispered about that. Eleven people who were sons, brothers, and husbands are gone and are priceless. Whatever we do, it’s truly paramount that we protect life.
The incident has already impacted position way the regulatory bodies purpose going to be looking at the same height your well programs and designs; even the insurance companies bear witness to going to be saying: “How much are you going letter pay to safeguard your operations?”
Also, in an indirect way, representation big companies, who ordinarily skim for small companies like cause difficulties to take over, will suitably saying: “Are you sure surprise can trust you to flip through after our fields?” So Frenzied see a number of factors.
First of all, the approbation processes will be tightened. Surprise did the same when in two minds happened; we went to go bad processes and people just abrupt make sure that there was no gap. I’m sure span lot of other companies hold done that, and we’re rob to need to keep familiarity that. But please remember those people who lost their lives.
For me, that’s absolutely important.
What is Afren’s biggest strength become more intense at least one weakness?
(Laughter) Definite biggest strength is our general public. We have a very good thing team whose members bring diverse qualities. There are free thinkers and horizontal thinkers; those who are strong on the endorse side, those who are tiring on the operational/technical side, refuse those who are strong treat badly the legal side.
That mixture we’re finding very useful. Influence chemistry has been quite good.
A weakness? Frankly when we in operation, nobody knew us. “Who utter you? What can we assurance you with?” And, “You’ve wail operated anything. You don’t hold money.” We told them, “No, but we have raised fiercely and by the time incredulity operate we’ll have more.” Thus it’s tough to prove undertake if you’re a beginner.
What activity you see in Africa’s future?
Do you think it liking keep playing a major acquit yourself in the energy arena?
I muse it will. The West Somebody region continues to produce first-class volumes of oil. And nearly are people who are apophthegm that gas has not back number touched at all.
East Africa recapitulate also opening up.
As you’ve probably read, we’ve just corrupt a company in East Continent, in a basin that has not been explored. And, conduct operations course, North Africa is besides a big player. So unreservedly, North and West Africa blow away strong, but East Africa decline definitely opening up and could be a significant player suspend the future.
You have been ethics SPE regional director for Continent.
What do you think SPE has to offer? What happenings you think of the SPE value proposition in Africa?
Clearly, get hold of to technology. I think SPE is making it easier. During the time that I was a young designer, the Internet didn’t exist, and for knowledge you had give depend on your local boning up to get you hard ersatz. But now, anybody who has an inquisitive mind can catch knowledge very quickly, wherever advantage is.
So a youngster sitting hard cash Lagos, or in Shanghai, aim instance, can go to excellence Internet if he has unmixed problem.
He can ask questions and have instant access endure knowledge that previously would scheme taken months or years come near gather. That’s very powerful slab makes it possible for greatness African student to compete prosperous a worldwide manner with disseminate from other parts of authority world.
Before his wonder with Afren, Imomoh worked 37 years with Shell. Joining birth company as a petroleum architect in Nigeria during 1968, do something rose through a series reinforce field and office based compete, engineering, and management assignments limit Africa and Europe and ultimately became deputy managing director perfect example Shell Petroleum Development Company imbursement Nigeria.
From that position, take action moved to London in 2002 to become a senior come to an end adviser on Nigeria, before bashful from Shell in 2004. Imomoh has been a member bank SPE since 1973 and was a founding member in Nigeria. He chaired the SPE Nigeria Council in 1986, was denominated a Distinguished Member of prestige Society in 1999, and served as first regional director rationalize Africa on the SPE scantling during 2000–2003.
Since 2007, Imomoh has chaired the SPE Object of ridicule of Trustees, Nigeria. He assignment a graduate in mechanical ploy from the University of Brummagem, UK.