Yisa Adeeyo: SPE Can Transform Upstream Sector Through Training of Young Engineers

With growing conversations around energy transition and its implication for Nigeria and Africa, it has become apparent that the upstream sector needs to ensure that it provides platforms that give professionals the opportunity to understand unfolding upstream challenges, opportunities and how these can be exploited to secure the sector’s sustainability. In this interview, Yisa Adeeyo, Senior Advisor, Reservoir Engineering, Asharami Energy, a Sahara Group Upstream Company, speaks on the role the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) can play in shaping the future of the sector.

What is your reaction to your appointment as Chairman, Technical Papers Sub Committee of SPE Nigeria Council Technical Standing Committee?

I feel honored, excited, and humbled to be appointed as the Chairman of Technical Papers for the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Nigeria Council. I see this as a recognition of my contribution to oil and gas technical knowledge and commitment to the SPE and its objectives. The position will give me a strong platform to contribute significantly to transfer of knowledge and the growth and development of research and innovative technologies in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. With this appointment, I have been saddled with responsibility to oversee the process of technical presentation at SPE conferences right from abstracts submission, review, acceptance and rejection, manuscript review, acceptance and rejection, technical session chairmen and facilitators selection among the domain experts in academic and industry and manage papers presentation at STSE (Students Technical Symposium & Exhibition) and NAICE 2023.  I work for Asharami Energy, a Sahara Group Upstream Company, that is committed to capacity building in the sector, and I am confident that I have all the support to excel at this all-important SPE platform. In fact, Sahara Group empowers and encourages employees to operate as thought leaders across the energy value chain across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. I am looking forward to working with the other members of the committee to promote the exchange of technical knowledge and expertise between Nigerian and international oil and gas professionals and ensure that we provide the best possible platform for exchanging technical knowledge.

What would be your vision for the role and activities that you intend to pursue during your tenure?

The SPE Nigeria Council Technical Paper Committee (TPC) is responsible for organizing and managing the SPE Nigeria Council Technical Paper presentation at the Conference and Exhibition (NAICE). NAICE is the premier event for the upstream oil and gas industry in Nigeria and is attended by industry professionals from around the world.  On Average, two hundred and fifty technical papers are submitted by authors around the world for review and acceptance for the NAICE conference.

I would like to see the SPE technical paper committee continue to be a leader in providing timely, high-quality technical papers that advance the state of the art in the petroleum industry. I would also like to see the committee continue to be a forum for the exchange of ideas and a resource for the industry. In addition, I would like to see the committee continue to support the development of new technologies.

My vision for the role and activities that I intend to pursue during my tenure as technical paper committee chairman would include tech-driven approach to combat plagiarism, more robust and scientific review of manuscripts to ensure only quality papers are accepted for presentation and publication, scout for sponsor for gifts to paper presenters to encourage them. It is my plan to facilitate some of the papers presented at the Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition (NAICE) to be qualified for publication in the revered SPE journals. is an annual conference organized by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)Achieving this will require that I make deliberate efforts to identify and work with domain specialists in the academics, professors, and astute professionals in the oil and gas industry.  In addition, I would work to ensure that the committee’s work is of the highest quality and relevance to the field, and that it is responsive to the needs of the technical community. I will proactively advance the knowledge and skills in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning and their applications in solving peculiar challenges facing Nigeria Oil and gas industry. Lastly, I plan to integrate Asharami Energy junior engineers into the working of TPC to expose them to the science of technical paper writing. This will, in no small, way accelerate their technical knowledge acquisition, independent and innovative thinking and more importantly problem-solving acumen.

How can the SPE promote the conversion of papers into tangible value in upstream operations and processes?

The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) is a not-for-profit professional association whose members are engaged in energy resources development and production. SPE serves more than 158,000 members in 143 countries worldwide. The Society provides a forum for the exchange of technical knowledge and promotes the advancement of sound engineering and operating practices.

The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) can promote the conversion of technical papers into tangible value in oil and gas upstream operations and processes in several ways. One way is by providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and information. The SPE can also offer educational opportunities to help engineers and other professionals learn how to convert technical papers into problem-solving technology in our oil and gas space and our quest for cleaner energy. Additionally, the SPE can work with industry partners to promote the use of technology and innovation to convert technical paper results into use in the oil and gas field.

What will you do to increase awareness and drive seamless access to technical papers?

As the world becomes more and more digitized, it is important that access to technical papers is seamless. One way to increase awareness and drive seamless access to technical papers is to develop a central repository for all papers. This repository can be designed to be easily searchable and can be made available to anyone with an internet connection. Another way to increase awareness and drive seamless access to technical papers is to work with universities and research institutes to develop guidelines for making papers available online and grant access to lecturers, researchers, and students. These guidelines can help to ensure that papers are accessible to as many people as possible.

What participation level has the SPE witnessed in terms of submission of technical papers by young engineers and how can this be improved?

The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) has seen a great deal of participation from young engineers in recent years in terms of submitting technical papers. This is a positive trend that can be attributed to the organisation’s efforts in providing platforms and opportunities for young engineers to showcase their works. However, there are still some areas where improvements can be made. For instance, the SPE could do more to promote its technical paper submission process to young engineers and make it easier for them to submit their papers. Additionally, the SPE could provide more feedback to young engineers who submit papers, so that they can improve their work in future submissions. Besides, SPE can provide incentives like scholarships for young engineers that produce high quality paper in addition to cash rewards.

What should SPE members and other stakeholders be expecting at this year’s SPE conference?

This year’s SPE conference will be focusing on the theme of “Balancing Energy Accessibility, Affordability, and Sustainability: Strategic Options for Africa”. SPE members and other stakeholders can expect to gain insights on the latest technological advances, best practices, and future trends that will shape the future of the E&P industry. The conference will also provide an opportunity to network with other industry professionals and learn about the latest industry developments.

What would you say are the major challenges of the upstream sector in Nigeria at this time and what role can the SPE play to help address them?

The upstream sector in Nigeria faces several major challenges, including the need to attract investment, improve infrastructure, and address security concerns. Insecurity is a major challenge, as oil facilities and personnel have been targeted by vandal groups. Infrastructure constraints, such as the lack of pipelines and refining capacity, have also hampered the sector.

The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) can play a role in helping to address these challenges by providing technical assistance and training, as well as advocating for more investment in the sector. The society can also provide a forum for discussion and sharing of best practices. In this regard, the availability, accessibility, and usability of available and cutting-edge technology in pipeline surveillance, oil field digitalization and automation will be of premium benefit to the industry. I believe the SPE should set the pace in the national discourse on alternative optimal technology in oil and gas.

What role do you think the SPE should play in preparing Nigeria for energy transition?

The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) has a vast amount of experience and expertise in the oil and gas industry, and it also has a strong presence in Nigeria. As such, the SPE can provide valuable support and guidance to the Nigerian government in policy formulation and support oil and gas companies as they navigate the energy transition. In addition, the SPE can help to raise awareness of the energy transition and its implications in a manner that enables the Nigerian public to understand what it means for the nation

Digitalisation has been canvassed as one of the avenues for shoring up performance in the upstream. What does the sector need to do to achieve this?

Digitalisation has been canvassed as one of the avenues for shoring up performance in the upstream. The sector needs to invest in technology and data, which will help reduce costs and improve efficiency. In addition, the sector needs to improve communication and collaboration between different stakeholders, which will help to improve decision-making and coordination.

What is driving the increased participation level of Asharami Energy in the SPE?

As a leading oil and gas exploration and production company in Nigeria, Asharami Energy has been a member of SPE for many years and has been active in the organization at the local, national, and international levels.

The increased participation of Asharami Energy in SPE is driven by several factors. In the first instance, the company is committed to the SPE’s mission of advancing the technical competence of the upstream oil and gas industry. In addition, Asharami Energy is keen to share its knowledge and expertise with other members of SPE. Furthermore, the company believes that its active participation in SPE will help it to build strong relationships with other members of the oil and gas industry.

Asharami Energy’s increased participation in SPE is a positive development for the company and for the oil and gas industry. The company’s commitment to the SPE’s mission and its desire to share its knowledge and expertise will benefit both Asharami Energy and the oil and gas industry.

Can you share some technical papers that have been authored by employees of Asharami Energy?

Asharami Energy employees have authored several technical papers on various aspects of the oil and gas industry. I have had the privilege of publishing the following papers: Gibbs Excess Energy Model to Predict Phase Behaviour of Brine/Oil/Surfactant Mixtures for Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery CEOR Methods’, Random Forest Ensemble Model for Reservoir Fluid Property Prediction, Artificial Neural Network Modelling of Bubblepoint Pressure and Formation Volume Factor at Bubblepoint Pressure of Nigerian Crude Oil. Others published by my colleagues include:, Collation, Analysis of Oil and Gas Production Reports Using Excel, Python and R: A Data Science Approach in Handling Large Data by my colleagues Opeyemi Oluwalade; Yisa Adeeyo; Frank Emeruwa; Nnamdi Nwabulue; Adaora Obi-Okoye; and Adekanmi Adesola

Asharami Energy is known for its robust training for young engineers. What is driving this commitment in the organization?

Our commitment to generational sustainability across the Sahara Group continues to drive Asharami Energy’s commitment to training young engineers. Being very technical in nature the upstream sector requires continuous reskilling and upskilling of engineers and allied professionals to match unfolding realities.

Asharami Energy recognizes that the oil and gas industry is constantly changing and evolving. To stay ahead of the curve, we give our people access to sundry capacity building opportunities that keep them resourceful, knowledgeable, and dynamic.

The company invests heavily in training and development programs for its employees. These programs are designed to help employees keep up with the latest industry trends and technologies. In addition to training programs, Asharami Energy also offers mentorship opportunities for young engineers. This is a program in which I am directly involved. We give young engineers platforms to grow and enhance their knowledge in a unique way that I can say for certain, stands out in the upstream sector in Africa.

The mentorship programs are just one example of how Asharami Energy is investing in the future of the oil and gas industry. By investing in the training and development of its employees, the company is ensuring that it will be able to continue to bring energy to homes, lives, communities, and businesses responsibly.

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