With extensive investment being made in Oman to ensure oil output is optimised, Endeavour Magazine spoke to David Brown, Senior Editor of Petroleum Development Oman, to find out what we can expect from this industry giant.

WRITTEN BY AMY TOCKNELL

FUELLING UP FOR SUCCESS

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PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT OMAN

Principally owned by the Government of Oman and Royal Dutch Shell (making up 94% of interests combined), PDO accounts for in excess of 70% of the country’s total crude oil output

and close to all of the natural gas. In operation since the early 1960s, PDO has finely honed its operations, expertly exploring and extracting within an area of 100,000 square km – around one third of the total expanse of Oman. We asked David to explain the day-to-day operations of PDO.

“The primary objective of PDO is to engage efficiently, responsibly and safely in the exploration, production, development, storage and transportation of hydrocarbons in the Sultanate. The Company seeks a high level of performance with the aim of furthering the long-term benefits of its shareholders, its employees and the society of Oman, in line with our core values of honesty, integrity and respect. This approach to business is underpinned by our vision to be renowned and respected for the excellence of our people and the value we create for Oman and all our stakeholders.”

Such explicit objectives are perhaps an indicator of exactly how and why PDO is so highly respected within its industry. Gaining an insight into how valued the entire staff body is allows us to understand that a team of highly motivated individuals is behind the company’s reputation for excellence,

“The company provides all employees with safe and healthy conditions of work and adequate and competitive conditions of service. We pay particular attention to the recruitment, training and development of Omani employees and respect the rights

PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT OMAN

Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) is widely accepted as the foremost oil exploration and production organisation within the Sultanate of Oman. It’s quite a title, but this recognition does not come easily or by resting on the successes of previous years; it is an earned accolade that requires consistent company development and improvement.

More than twenty years ago, we began providing services to PDO. The last two decades have seen us complete multiple phases of many projects together, including the initial stages of concept development through FEED, design, construction phases and then into long-term operations and maintenance support.

WorleyParsons delivers projects; provides expertise in engineering, procurement and construction; and offers a wide range of consulting and advisory services in the hydrocarbons, minerals, metals, chemicals and infrastructure sectors.

Since 1992, we have recruited, trained and developed more than 500 Omanis, many of whom remain with the company and have progressed through to senior positions during this time.

We continue to provide our customers with a unique combination of global resources, world-recognised technical expertise and deep local knowledge.

oman@worleyparsons.com +968 24 473 300 www.worleyparsons.com

PDO & WorleyParsons: a history of teamwork and success

More than twenty years ago, we began providing services to PDO. The last two decades have seen us complete multiple phases of many projects together, including the initial stages of concept development through FEED, design, construction phases and then into long-term operations and maintenance support.

WorleyParsons delivers projects; provides expertise in engineering, procurement and construction; and offers a wide range of consulting and advisory services in the hydrocarbons, minerals, metals, chemicals and infrastructure sectors.

Since 1992, we have recruited, trained and developed more than 500 Omanis, many of whom remain with the company and have progressed through to senior positions during this time.

We continue to provide our customers with a unique combination of global resources, world-recognised technical expertise and deep local knowledge.

oman@worleyparsons.com +968 24 473 300 www.worleyparsons.com

PDO & WorleyParsons: a history of teamwork and success

PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT OMAN

of all employees, in line with the Omani Labour Law. PDO has a dedicated Diversity & Inclusion team of 20 employees that work towards establishing a healthy work environment free of harassment and discrimination. The team’s mission is to elevate the status of diversity and inclusion in the Company, to underline the benefits of a diverse staff and the positive impact they can have on business performance.”

It comes as no shock that a company so dedicated to the wellbeing and development of its staff takes corporate social responsibility seriously. David explained the initiatives in place,

“At all times, PDO endeavours to be a good corporate citizen. We operate in an environmentally responsible and sustainable fashion, dealing transparently and honestly on the basis of open and competitive bidding with contractors and suppliers and supporting and investing in social and community projects.”

In addition to these projects, PDO have some extremely exciting developments in the pipeline, including the construction of the world’s largest solar EOR (Enhanced Oil Recovery) plant, designed to save natural gas reserves for economy boosting initiatives.

“According to the National Centre of Statistics and Information, gas used at Oman’s oilfields account for more than 20% of the country’s total gas use, with fuel for EOR representing a significant portion of that. This will continue to increase as EOR expands to contribute a third of the country’s crude oil production by 2020. At the same time, more gas is needed for power generation, desalination and industrial development.

By using solar to generate steam, Oman can save up to 80% of the gas currently used for EOR. The gas saved can be exported as LNG, boosting Oman’s export revenue, or as power and feedstock for new factories, generating jobs and diversifying the local economy.”

PDO has thought of everything. With academic initiatives in

place, it even has an eye on the future of the industry. The company acknowledges that any continued and future success is entirely dependent on being able to attract, nurture and develop the most academically advanced job candidates. With 92 scholars graduating from top universities, both at home and overseas, the odds are stacked in PDO’s favour. All 92 students, 25 of which were women, were supported in their studies which included subjects such as chemical engineering, geology and petroleum engineering.

“These latest academic accomplishments are further evidence of some of the truly outstanding staff we have,” commented Raoul Restucci, Managing Director of PDO. He went on to say,

“With such great role models and ambassadors, PDO and Oman are set for an exciting future in the rapidly changing oil and gas exploration and production industry. PDO is proud to offer its staff a first-class, broad and diverse range of study and training opportunities. Of course, to do this, we need strong partnerships with educational institutions at home and abroad and I would like to thank the Ministry of Higher Education, Sultan Qaboos University, and the German University of Technology in Muscat for their ongoing support for our staff and scholarship programmes.”

The impact of large companies is often assumed to be negative, but in the case of PDO, all offshoots from this large and successful operation appear to be not only positive, but future-proofed. The supporting of new industry talent through a comprehensive academic programme is rarely so freely undertaken and as for deliberate and considered CSR compliance, PDO is leading the way. With numerous large scale projects currently in progress, a tried and tested methodology for exploration and excavation and an involved, informed and engaged management team in place, the future looks good for the company. PDO is fuelled up and ready for even more industry success and we can’t wait to see them achieve it.

PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT OMAN