What do you do if your problem solving skills fail to identify and mitigate risks in the oil and gas sector?

In the oil and gas sector, facing a problem that seems unsolvable can feel like hitting a dry well. When traditional problem-solving skills don't seem to cut through the rock, it’s time to innovate and adapt. Here’s a three-step approach that might help: 1.- Seek External Insights 2.- Leverage Data Analytics and 3.- Foster a Culture of Open Communication. When traditional methods fall short, remember that innovation, outside expertise, and collective brainpower can lead to discovering new reserves of problem-solving strategies.

In my experience creating a strong HSE culture with training and awareness along with a "STOP the work" management supported environment helps.

Unfortunately for persons heavily dependent on theoretical solutions, challenges of the oil and gas business are often solved by heuristics and experience. 'Burn-to-Learn' is common! However, one doesn't always have to be the one that tries something new every time. That's the power of working in a large organization and the power of strong oil and gas networks. Assistance from institutional knowledge, when available, can be of significant aid to younger or less experienced engineers. In today's world, it is important to digitalize knowledge so that lessons are highly searchable. The risk description, worse case consequence, activities conducted and the results obtained must be clear and add value to future incidents or challenges.

If you can’t even identify the risks you might face, that is, don’t even know what they are or even if they exist, then you clearly need help from someone who at least might know what they are or whether they exist. You can’t assume there is no risk, because if that were true, it would negate the premise of the question. If you know the risk, and have thought long and hard about it and still can’t think of how to mitigate it, then you also help from someone who knows or can think of how. You could just not mitigate it, but that would be risky.

No man is an island. It is critical as a leader to be open to opinions and to seek help when faced with new challenges. I discovered this personally while working outside of North America in countries where they might not have access to the latest or greatest. Or for that matter the things that we might consider basic. When resolving these challenges remember to listen intently and ask questions. People will appreciate that you want know more. As you learn more you must ask yourself whether the method is a risk to personnel and if the solution resolves the problem.

Utilizing sophisticated scenario planning techniques that incorporate elements of uncertainty and complexity can help anticipate a wider range of risks. This involves creating detailed "what-if" scenarios that go beyond conventional risk assessments, incorporating elements such as geopolitical changes, environmental disasters, and technological disruptions.

using data analytics to tackle situations and measure past scenarios to help tackle the recent... solution finding is one thing and following past trend is any method for sorting out solution to help curb recent issues or trends.

Quality of data, relevance of the data, organizational issues that hinder the diagnose and application of the corrective measures in full. Poor team work, poor communication and weak expertice might have mislead into a totally wrong course of action.

Some times the data in concern might have some errors in it due to many factor, it's a good idea to judge the data to a sound engineering concepts and check weather the data are logical, if there are any unusual patterns/behaviors' so i defined then an explanation must be made why the data is behaving the way it shouldn't. Not always the data are wrong but sometimes unorthodox behaviors might be seen from various data sources(Reservoir, Wellhead, Seperator.)

When encountering incorrect or less valid data in the oil and gas industry regarding production, exploration, and safety measures, it's crucial to: 1. Verify data accuracy through rigorous validation and cross-referencing. 2. Investigate root causes, including flawed collection methods or systemic issues. 3. Promptly correct errors and implement enhanced data quality control measures. 4. Communicate transparently and collaborate with stakeholders. 5. Foster a culture of continuous improvement and compliance to maintain trust and reliability.

Consultants and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are necessary members of multi-discipline subsurface teams working the risk assessment. The team must identify hazards and determine the potential impact of each risk, whether technical, economic, commercial, operational, and/or political. Risks then need to be mitigated to as low as reasonably possible, with a plan in place that is known to all project workers. If the risks are too high - to people, reputation, environment, etc - the project should not move forward.

Sometimes, both external and internal affairs can fall victim to two factors: communication and attitude. If these two factors are balanced among internal and external consultants, every risk can be completely eradicated.

In new efforts, we always seek out local experts - folks who have published papers or who are known for their expertise in a given area. They have already climbed a learning curve that can be time-consuming and very costly.

Training program is the least effective process when it comes to overcoming challenges in unfamiliar situation because training usually happens before the situation occurs(maybe even years before that).But having a good training program is a key in eliminating most problematic situation that might arise during various operations.

-Training is crucial to develop your workforce skills and, in consequence the improvement of your processes. -It is important to invest in Quality Training to create the Sense of Belonging in your people.

Yes, training is crucial for the team. It fills the gaps in understanding problems and risks. In the age of Artificial Intelligence and Technology, trainers should familiarize the team with current trends. Additionally, oil and gas technology is continually evolving. Trainers should demonstrate the working procedures step by step to ensure the safe operation of the technology.

Training is critical for our crews in the field as that is a main objective to develop their competencies, the training must include (among other things) SOP, Standards, contingencies, etc, as well as conducting continuous drills to practice and refresh the training knowledge

The Design, Execution and Evaluation cycle is one of the most important things for us in the industry as in the Evaluation stage it is possible to document good practices, improvement opportunities and adjust job procedure and simulations based on the field experience

The review and evaluation provide clearance of risks and mitigate their impact, as well as identify their origins. This process enhances our understanding and leads to positive outcomes. Even minor complexities can be addressed through thorough evaluation. Once efficiency reaches a positive level, success can be achieved.

-In a cycle of quality, reviewing and evaluating your processes will give the right path to achieve your targets. You cannot focus only in the goals without improving your processes.

A good VSM (value stream map) helps you understand how each activity add value to your process and how much you can improve. Brainstorming it constantly with your team can be a process improvement exercise

Los gemelos digitales son una herramienta poderosa para la optimización de procesos y la predicación de fallas (por ejemplo en sistemas de inyección a alta presión). Sin embargo, es necesario que se aplique en sistemas con alto grado de automatización y que la etapa de construcción del gemelo, por adquisición de data sea extendida a la mayor cantidad de escenarios operativos que enfrenta la facilidad para evitar sesgos significativos en su programación, en otras palabras el gemelo debe continuar "aprendiendo" siempre. Por lo que también considero que contar con simuladores dinámicos como herramienta tecnológica es una inversión clave.

Digital twins create a virtual replica of physical assets, processes, or systems that can be used for simulation and analysis. This technology can provide a dynamic platform for risk identification and mitigation by simulating various operational scenarios and their outcomes without any real-world risk.

Data is definitely gold. There are thousands of softwares and other technological tools being developed every single day. Be sure of what you need and it will be way easier to select the perfect technology for your project

On several occasions, when faced with equipment failures or system inefficiencies that eluded conventional diagnostic approaches, I've turned to reverse engineering. This process involves deconstructing the equipment or system piece by piece to understand its workings fully. For example, by reverse engineering a malfunctioning valve system that led to significant operational delays, we discovered a design flaw that was not apparent in the original blueprints. This insight allowed us to redesign the component, enhancing its performance and reliability. Recognising that the future of the oil & gas sector is being shaped by technological innovation, I've advocated for and overseen investments in cutting-edge technologies.

As Donald Rumsfeld would say, and I quote:" there are known knowns. These are the things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know". I rest my case....

Look at the list of the participants and ask: 1. Did all the required attendees participated? Cancel the meeting if required attendees are not there. 2. Did you invite people who have a lot of experience. 3. Did you invite less experienced people? New set of eyes are as important as experienced eyes. 4. Now look at the data set being used and see if it is broad enough. 5. Did you look at the lessons learned list?

Developing critical thinking skills drastically contributes to enhanced analytical and cognitive capabilities, and subsequently allows challenges to be addressed in a much more informed, independent and responsible way. It also fosters the formation of a more open and autonomous mindset, promoting curiosity and creativity in the path of approaching the truth and solving problems more adeptly. In addition, by taking advantage of a well developed critical thinking capability, one can enhance their ability to identify the origin of the information sources they consult, as well as easily distinguish between valid and invalid information, which in turn helps avoid faulty inputs to the problem solving process.

Building a corporate culture that encourages innovation, continuous learning, and resilience can empower employees at all levels to contribute to risk identification and mitigation. Encouraging open communication, creative problem-solving, and proactive risk management can create a more responsive and adaptable organization.