Remoteness of operations, scarcity of expert resources and a new hierarchy and expectations amongst partners in the E&P ecosystem expose organisations to increased risks and costly failures.

Implementation of Intelligent Oilfield initiatives is at an inflexion point between piloting and the deep business change required to make them part of a new business-as-usual. Many initiatives have struggled to realise the full value anticipated due to a lack of technology adoption.

There is an opportunity to introduce and institutionalise new behaviours and ways of working to help unlock the value of technology investments. Improvements in efficient, effective and safe execution will become the new sources of competitive advantage.

All this requires new organisation structures and workforce change in terms of skills, knowledge and working at a distance.

Innovative solutions are required. As a leading-edge, innovation-driven industry, E&P demands the same approach to organisation and workforce preparation that is applied to its core business. Entrepreneurial, can-do, E&P culture needs to be complemented with an organisation building mindset to implement lasting change.

This paper looks at the ‘future of work’. Based on research in business change, management and technology, it brings the insights needed to address the E&P organisation and workforce challenges for the oilfields of the future.

Keywords:
Upstream Oil & Gas, adoption, competency, investment, expertise, operation, knowledge management, oilfield, spe 112135, implication
Subjects:
Professionalism, Training, and Education, Information Management and Systems, Communities of practice, Knowledge management
Copyright 2008, Society of Petroleum Engineers
You can access this article if you purchase or spend a download.