HSE briefing, introduction and housekeeping issues

Session 1: History of Oil and Gas A brief history of the oil and gas industry and its impact on the society.

• How and why did oil become the preferred energy source.
• Who were the original Super Major oil companies and the Seven Sisters.
• The role of OPEC and the shift from the dominance of oil-consuming to oil-producing countries.
• What did change the balance of power between IOCs and NOCs.
• What is the role of independents.
• What are the implications of recent developments in unconventional oil and gas production?

Session 2: Upstream An introduction to the exploration and production (E&P) sector.

• What is the Upstream about.
• What kinds of petroleum licenses exist.
• Overview of exploration methods and techniques (geology & geophysics).
• Drilling techniques and the evaluation of well results, including petrophysics, well testing and data collection.
• The upstream business model, from exploration, appraisal, production to abandonment.
• Who are the players and what is the role and relationship of service companies.

HSE briefing, introduction and housekeeping issues

Session 3: Midstream An overview of the processing, storage and transportation processes of crude oil and natural gas.

• Field processing; treatment of oil and gas; complex transportation issues; transmission and distribution infrastructure.
• Storage facilities for crude oil and refined liquids including bulk terminals, refinery tanks and holding tanks.
• Underground Gas Storage (UGS)
• The implication of a low-risk, highly-regulated segment of the oil and gas industry.

Session 4: Downstream The process of distribution and sales of natural gas and refined products made from crude oil.

• The refining of crude oil into consumable products and the marketing of these products to commercial or retail end-users.
• Light, medium and heavy products.
• LNG, NGL and LPG.
• The significance of a complex, small-margin global business.

HSE briefing, introduction and housekeeping issues

Session 5: Business Processes and Risk Management The decision-making practice of oil and gas investments and how risks are managed.

• Uncertainties and risks when developing a project and how to mitigate them.
• The basic analytical approach used by the oil and gas industry for investment planning.
• The concept of Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, and Return on Investment.

Session 6: Industry Trends in Oil and Gas What are the current issues in the industry and what might the future bring?

• The future role of OPEC.
• Emerging NOCs and declining IOCs.
• The transition from oil and gas to gas and oil industry.
• Unconventional and renewable energy.
• The need to invest massive amounts of capital in the coming years.
• Increasing upstream and downstream construction costs.
• Climate change and the restriction of CO2 emissions.
• The concept of independence and interdependence.

An interactive Q&A meeting, recapitulating the key learning points and addressing specific interests of the audience, will conclude every session.

Who Should Attend

This is an entry-level level course intended for both technical and business oriented professionals who are either new to the upstream oil and gas industry or experienced in one part, but could benefit from a wider point of view; all levels of support staff working in the industry, as well as related government agencies, NGOs, financial institutions and service providers with a need to better understand the industry. No previous specific knowledge is required.