The Secret Miracle

Never say never! A year ago around this time, after I got laid off (I am tired of inventing euphemisms for it) from Chevron, I thought that all my arteries with that company were severed for good. As I lay bleeding, one nostalgic thought farther added to the sting- I will probably never go back to do geology in Lagos again- that sunny, dark city of decadent exuberance which pulled me like an irresistible Miocene tide for seven times over the last four years, is now out of bounds!

I thought I would never get to work again with my dear Nigerian colleagues in Chevron NMA to carry on the stratigraphic initiative that we had so ardently taken up back in 2012, and continued until 2015. But by the Grace of God (or whatever Deity/entity one may prefer to lay the burden upon) this October I got a second chance! Like  Jaromir Hladik, the protagonist in "The Secret Miracle" of Borges, I got another opportunity to continue on the unfinished business just where I had left it a year ago! In a surreal turn of events, I found myself back in Lagos for the eighth time, and greeted by a cordial reception from Chevron, only possible in the warm womb of Africa! This time, my presence is as a local contractor from Danvic Petroleum International. The mission, however, remains the exact same -characterizing the shallow marine reservoirs of the Niger Delta Shelf through core description and integration of seismic, well-log and biostratigraphic data.

One never knows what lies ahead in the trajectory of Destiny. So never stop walking that path until you have found out what's around the corner (have a second look at the picture on top from the Aja Road, Lagos). Have faith, be creative, and never give up!