SPE 113374
The Art of Mentoring As Told by Both Sides of the 3-Decade-Old Struggle in
the Petroleum Industry
J.T. Edwards and G.T. Woo, BJ Services Co.
Copyright 2008, Society of Petroleum Engineers
This paper was prepared for presentation at the 2008 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition held in Denver, Colorado, USA, 21–24 September 2008.
This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have not been
reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its
officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to
reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of SPE copyright.
Abstract
Along with the dramatic price changes in the petroleum industry including gas and oil, there is one resource that has been
seriously overlooked and undervalued: experienced personnel in the field, including engineers and other technical
specialties. The real challenge is how this lack of experience is overcome in the short term, rather than just waiting for the
passage of time. The petroleum industry can make significant gains quickly by investing in true, on the job mentoring. It
could mean the difference between success and failure. Companies could be focusing less on headcount, and more on
effective and well organized mentoring programs.
The shifts in supply and demand over the past three decades have at times left many within the technical side of the industry
barely holding onto their jobs or looking at other vocations in order to maintain employment. Hoping to ride out the waves
of boom and bust, those with valuable experience are not passing on their knowledge at a rate that can sustain our industry.
These trends have led many colleges and universities to back away from true Petroleum degrees. Now that a demand is
increasing again, how can the voids be filled quickly in the field with qualified and well-trained personnel, while the slow
process of ramping up academic programs begins?
The only way to fill the void is through hiring from other engineering fields along with the inclusion of like-minded
individuals with technical backgrounds. But now that they have been hired and are on the job, how can we maximize their
success? The answer is mentoring. This paper will present the case with a personal perspective as told by mentors in the
petroleum industry on both sides of the struggle, spanning three decades.
The Art of Mentoring
To begin, let us describe what the process of “mentoring” means. Mentoring is defined as the
exchange of knowledge or wisdom from one individual to another. While this knowledge can
be taught in groups, the greatest successes and lasting impressions are to be made by one on
one transfers. The knowledge and wisdom of experience that can be passed spans the
academic, instructive, and hands-on categories.
However, the ability to transfer one’s knowledge and wisdom successfully through
mentorship is not an inherent trait of many individuals in the industry. In reality, successful
mentorship is an art form because it requires not only the transfer of facts and skills, but the
passion and commitment one has to the industry. Most companies will focus on only training
individuals instead of encouraging the mentoring of co-workers by more experienced
personnel. The commitment to a strategic mentor program is critical, but with the pressures to
accomplish one’s own tasks and meet deadlines, the value of artful mentoring is most often
rushed into if not overlooked altogether.
It is this inability to approach mentoring strategically that leads to a struggle among new
hires, supervisors, managers, and co-workers, to sufficiently address the very fate of a
company or the industry itself. This struggle is best explained as an art through the lens of
Sun Tzu’s historic work “The Art of War.”
Figure 1: Sun Tzu.
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Current State of the Industry
The world demand for oil has approached the milestone of 1,000 barrels per second. Along with this exploding demand are
the ripple effects across all sectors of the petroleum industry. These include – among others – manufacturing, logistics,
technology, research, exploration, and production. At the core of each of these sectors within the petroleum industry is an
important and sometimes undervalued resource: experienced personnel. These personnel needs are in direct proportion to the
current prices of oil and natural gas. With pricing follows the relation of world rig counts. (Figure 2) However, the
academic discussion of supply and demand along with economic analysis will not be expanded upon within this paper.
Rather the by-product of personnel needs and the topics of mentoring is our focus
When we speak of personnel needs,
one of the first causes for alarm is
the average age of current
professionals in the industry. From
the latest surveys, on average,
workers in the petroleum field are 46
years of age with over 20 years
experience. The approaching reality
of significant retirements from the
industry’s “experienced class” could
wreak havoc on the ability of the
industry to adequately cope with the
ever-increasing
demands.
The
current reality is the expansion of the
industry and vacancies that need to
be filled. The problem faced is that
those stepping into the petroleum
industry in the majority of cases have
a lack of true knowledge and
experience. This is seen not only by
Figure 2: World Rotary Rig Count of Active Rigs from years 1975-2008 with crude
current demands for petroleum
prices per barrel.
engineers, but also across other
vocations from field personnel to include all technical specialties. With these new hires, the success or failure is more often
than not determined by the instrumental process of mentoring. The mentoring process demands clear expectations and
commitment, along with a level of precision and planning that qualifies it as an “art” in our industry. This art will be detailed
in this paper. But before we expand further on today and the steps needed to be taken tomorrow, let us look to the past.
Where We Came From
The past three decades within the petroleum industry have been far from the label of straight line or gradual growth. In
reality, this industry if not more than any other, has seen drastic swings of “booms and busts.” These cyclic waves have in
turn lead to several undesirable consequences. The most evident and easily seen is the lack of consistent headcount numbers
of engineers and other personnel in the petroleum industry. Because of this perceived lack of true job security, many colleges
and universities within North America and across the world have scaled back degree and training programs that deal with the
petroleum industry. This was a natural result of the lay offs and downsizing during the 1980’s and early 1990’s, a natural
ending to the cycle that during the historic events of the 1970’s for the American industry. Most of those working in the field
who comprise the average experience and age have been around since or got their start during the late 1970’s boom. Their
education was also one with a steep learning curve and in most cases viewed as a more “hands on” training. What was
accomplished then is also what is needed now, but with all the more urgency since the call of retirement is fast approaching
for many experienced engineers and field professionals. The argument can be made that part of the future success for many
companies is not only in filling the voids, but more importantly transferring the valuable knowledge of the past to the fresh
faces within the industry. The solution is easier than we first imagined.
Laying Plans
“Now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought…”
If any endeavor is to be successful, the most fundamental starting place is in organized planning. A mentor must look closely
at what tasks or knowledge are to be detailed and what should be the most logical order of achievement. One thing that is
assumed here is that a willing mentor has already been chosen and his or her goal is for the ultimate success of the mentee.
In the planning stages, nothing can be overlooked and the overall success hangs in the balance. For mentoring in the
petroleum industry, a plan that includes background reading and the most basic information should be included. The
simplicity of learning everyday abbreviation or acronyms cannot be overlooked and can be a great starting point. In addition
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to planning should be a review of an actual job description for the mentee. What would apparently be common knowledge is
not common practice, as it is a very important detail that is often overlooked. For the sake of record, documentation is also
important and an initialed copy should be given to the mentee and retained by the mentor.
Oil / Gas Well Drilling Process Flowchart & Timeline
Well
Needed
Denied
Permits
Issued*
Rework
Complete Conditional
Use Permit / License
Application with drilling
ops/emergency manual,
pay P&Z application fee
($200)
City Staff
Permit Appl.
Review /
Approval
Public Notice / Hearing
Approved
City P&Z **,
then City
Council
approvals
Approved
Drilling Permit Fee
Payment*** &
Building Permit
application & fee
payment
Figure 3: Oil / Gas Well Drilling Process Flowchart.
Strategem & Tactical Dispositions
“The onrush of a conquering force is like the bursting of pent-up waters into a chasm a thousand fathoms deep. So much
for tactical dispositions.”
Included with the planning should be a common “vision” or goal that is being worked towards. This holds true if it is in the
operation of an actual piece of equipment, or in the successful manipulation of a mathematical equation. It is very easy to see
the parallels between ideas of tactical battle strategy and that of success in a job or learning task. The mentor holds the key to
daily progress if the structure is clearly laid out to be followed on a detailed timeline. Included should be benchmark dates,
weekly, monthly, or quarterly goals. Any job function can be broken down into these subsets and when viewed alongside the
ideas of actual well production, drilling depths, or project cost,
numerous analogies can be realized. With these come the byproducts of completion percentages, positive areas of learning as
well as those needing more attention.
Weak Points & Strong
“Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground
over which it flows..”
Once the mentoring process begins, it is only natural that both
weaknesses as well as strengths are shown in the mentee. Probably
one of the most critical aspects in the mentoring process is how an
Figure 4: Photo of the world famous Niagara
individual faces these topics. If we only encourage strength, but
Falls in Ontario, Canada.
ignore weaknesses, specialization may occur and an avoidance of
other tasks that one is weak at results. On the surface, this may
seem completely natural and without option, but few jobs in the petroleum industry have the luxury of being able to wear
blinders and not address differing departments. The cross training of a mentee is critical and most often justified in the
current culture of the petroleum industry with turnover and job vacancies. Weaknesses should be address and remedial
training or instruction given if required. It is only common sense that today’s problem could be tomorrow’s crisis if not
handled directly and rationally.
Maneuvering
“…practice dissimulation, and you will succeed. Move only if there is a real advantage to be gained.”
Creativity, a positive attitude, and encouragement are important to both the mentor and mentee. A relationship needs to be
established with trust given and gained. More often than not, questions are asked when someone is more comfortable with a
person and not worried about ridicule or scorn. This is much more a “soft” skill and one that could be expanded upon in
great detail if looking at the psychology of motivating others. It is very much about transferring the intangibles one feels
about their profession: passion, excitement for new challenges, and commitment to success. These qualities are often found in
the industries leaders and need to be cultivated into the next generation of leaders entering our industry at such a critical time.
The actual maneuvering of a mentor with the mentee is an art with levels of complexity that requires further study and self
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SPE 113374
reflection. This section may seem out of place in the petroleum industry, but much can be gained when the “humanness” is
acknowledged and discussed in the public arena.
Variation of Tactics
“…in the midst of difficulties we are always ready to seize an advantage, we may extricate ourselves from misfortune.”
When it comes to learning, each person responds
differently. Some are totally hands on while others
merely require textbook examples. Understanding
learning differences and respecting them is very
important in the mentoring process; variety is needed
and should be encouraged. Examples to help us as an
industry address diverse needs could be explored in
the areas of travel, training, group projects, seminars,
conferences, and other opportunities. It is important
to note that what has worked in the past may not be
applicable in the future. It is also important not to
Figure 5: The game of Chess-defines maneuvering and tactics.
have a false impression that all learning can occur in
only one setting at one time. Often the justification for the alternatives in a given program may be a hard sell internally to a
company’s management, but it is the mentor’s duty to help strive for the mentee’s success.
Mentor’s Perspective
“The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy, and does not require too much from individuals. Hence his
ability to pick out the right men and to utilize combined energy.”
The concept of mentoring is not always an easy task. Often no additional reward or compensation is offered by the company
for time sacrifices made by a mentor. The ultimate goal needs to be seen as passing of a torch of great knowledge; the future
success of the mentee is reward enough in and of itself. This concept has changed over the decades towards a more openness
and less of a fear that one’s position may be in
jeopardy. The passage of time and spanning of
generational gaps are benefits as well. The
past is to be remembered and learned from due
to the fact that history has a tendency to repeat
itself, as is extremely evident in the cyclic
nature of the petroleum industry.
Mentee’s Perspective
There are pressures while starring into the
unknown outcome of responsibility that can
lead to great risks and rewards. Questions
without easy answers are daily facts in this
industry, but with each question answered
comes continued knowledge, experience, and
dialogue. Even when not necessarily shown,
the respect is there to those who have gone
before and laid the great foundation for the
bright future of the next generation in the
petroleum industry. The truth is shown in
patience, attention to detail, and the overall
desire to learn all that is possible while being
humble enough to accept the fact that you may
not know all the answers.
Figure 6: Three Generations of Mentors: Pictured from left to right are
George Woo, Jim Edwards “Big Ed”, and Bobby Rich..
Summary
The world demand for oil has approached the milestone of 1,000 barrels per second. Along with this exploding demand are
the ripple effects on personnel demands across all sectors of the petroleum industry. When we speak of personnel needs, one
of the first causes for alarm is the average age of current professionals in the industry. From the latest surveys, on average
workers in the petroleum are 45 years of age with over 20 years experience. The approaching reality of significant
retirements from the industry’s “experienced class” could wreak havoc on the ability of the industry to adequately cope with
the ever-increasing world energy needs. The argument can be made that part of the future success for many companies is not
SPE 113374
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only in filling new positions, but more importantly transferring the valuable knowledge of the past to the fresh faces entering
the industry. Luckily, the solution is easier than we first imagined. The answer to this struggle is best explained as an art
through the lens of Sun Tzu’s historic work “The Art of War.” It involves an industry-wide strategic commitment to laying
plans, identifying stratagem and tactical dispositions, examining strengths and weaknesses, maneuvering, varying tactics, and
recognizing the perspectives of mentors and mentees. Approaching the mentoring of the next generation of industry leaders
as an art form, not a chore, will dramatically increase the likelihood of industry success in the next phase of our industry’s
growth.
Conclusions
1. The current state of the Petroleum industry has lead to higher demand for personnel.
2. These demands have been faced before in the past three decades due to its cyclic nature.
3. With the current experience level of most professionals in the Petroleum industry today, a great wealth of information
is available to be passed on.
4. Mentoring is key concept for companies to “buy in” to help ensure future success.
5. Mentoring is an “art” and not necessarily innate tendency for many.
6. By a series of rational steps and conclusions, this struggle for mentoring success is achievable.
Acknowledgements
The Authors would like to thank the BJ Services Training Department (Tomball, TX) in addition to all past, present, and
future mentors in the Petroleum Industry.
References
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