bpTT unlocking the future of mature basins

bpTT has re-affirmed its commitment to developing resources in T&T’s mature acreage. The energy company, a gold sponsor of the SPETT’s  recent Mature Basins Energy Symposium, was represented by President David Campbell and Kathryn Henderson-Moses, Subsurface Area Development Manager.

Speaking on the CEO’s panel, Campbell noted the company’s extensive international experience with regard to maximising the potential of mature basins such as the Columbus Basin, which has been delivering energy resources for the country for the past 75 years.

Through sponsors, the SPETT facilitated the attendance of students from various tertiary institutions to ensure that future energy leaders were able to participate in the critical discussions. This included students currently pursuing the Bachelor of Science Degree in Petroleum Geoscience at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, which bpTT has supported for several years including the provision of bursaries and research grants. 

During his discourse, Campbell pointed to a few strategic approaches that directly spoke to the symposium’s theme of ‘Rejuvenating our Mature Fields and Basins: Driving the Next Wave’. 
He outlined to the need for strategic partnerships among stakeholders in order to engage the best minds and skillsets, the use of evolving technology to unlock the potential of mature fields, maximising the use of assets such as rigs, and the optimisation of existing wells through measures such as the strategic use of compression.

The bpTT President explained, “In terms of maximising mature fields, we need a mindset shift. The reality is that we can actually make very good returns from much smaller pockets of gas if we can use technology and innovation. There needs to be a sense of humility in accessing and developing smaller pockets in a cost-effective manner – this is key to energy sustainability.” 

“There also needs to be open and participatory dialogue that will promote faster decision-making, which I think is one of the things we really need to push here. We coined this phrase at bp to try and have ‘minimum viable bureaucracy’. Overall, we have been working for a very long time in the Columbus Basin, having delivered first in the mid-1950s. Now, we need to invest to rejuvenate this, and we're doing that now through projects such as Angelin, Cassia C and Cypre.” In concluding his presentation, Campbell stated, “At bpTT, we're committed to Trinidad and Tobago. We have been committed for the last 60 years, and we will remain committed to helping unlock Trinidad and Tobago’s energy future. I think that over the last couple of years you would have seen real progress. With continued collaboration and a shared sense of urgency, mature basins can continue to deliver value for decades to come.”

Following the vibrant and highly participative question and answer (Q&A) session the panellists were presented with tokens of appreciation, following which, David Campbell, President, bpTT, was presented with a certificate recognising his 40 years as a member of SPE International.

Henderson-Moses, Subsurface Area Development Manager joined former bpTT vp and current Associate Consultant at Inflection Consulting LLC, Keith Yatindranath Bally, during the luncheon discussion on ‘Learning from the Past: Lessons in Mature Gas Field Management’.

Their technical presentation zeroed in on key concepts for the viability of mature basins such as the need for collaboration and integrating various disciplines for future success, being open to try new techniques and overcoming unconscious bias, overcoming economic challenges, maximising the benefits of technology, and the need for minimising risk and uncertainty.”

Overall, the symposium provided an extensive look into the viability of mature basins and featured diverse participation from stakeholders at all levels of the local energy sector including small to large operators, government and state organisation representatives, independent consultants, engineering companies and education institutions.

Summarising his experience at the SPETT-hosted event was Mohan Moonoo, Technical Lead, TN Ramnauth & Company Limited: “This was a very timely and relevant symposium, especially given the fact that the national energy sector is currently dependent on mature basins and fields. Based on the various experts that spoke, the main takeaways are that we need to invest heavily in technology to maximise the energy sector’s potential. Alongside this is the need to review the fiscal and taxation regime to encourage future investment.”

“The presentation by David Campbell really stood out to me because he stressed on the fact that for there to be future sustainability, there must be collaboration between large players such as bpTT and smaller entities such as the company I work with. He stated bpTT’s commitment to invest in Trinidad and Tobago’s future, including deepwater prospects, which shows that we still have a lot to offer and look forward too,” Moonoo added.