The headline for DEVEX 2019 is “Legacy and Sustainability” and PETEX 2018 carries the tag line “A New Optimism”.  I feel that combination in Aberdeen where the recognition of good field stewardship is leading to new opportunities.  You only need to look at the number of FIDs being taken in the basin and the change in key operating companies.  So what better time to stand for Aberdeen Director Elect and bring my passion to the role.

I returned to Aberdeen 2 years ago after first entering the city 20 years ago to study for a MSc in Petroleum Geoscience at the University of Aberdeen: I vividly remember volunteering to help run a PESGB short-course on Sequence Stratigraphy.  Prior to Aberdeen I graduated from the University of Liverpool with a BSc in Geology and have subsequently worked for Robertson Research, Ichron, BG and now Shell.  Working for a variety of companies of different sizes, with different technical and commercial drivers, has illuminated the role the PESGB plays in providing opportunities for learning and collaboration: the evening lectures enable me to keep up-to-date and connect with the community.

I work closely with the PESGB, coordinating the Petroleum Geology Collaboration Showcase in 2016 and as part of the Technical Committee for PETEX 2018, which is shaping up to be a record-breaking event!  I would be able to bring this experience and the contacts gained to the Aberdeen Director role.  The success of the PESGB in Aberdeen is the evening lectures, technical/basin mastery training courses and field trips that we can run.  We also have a diverse membership including energy companies of various sizes, service companies, independent consultants and academia which means there is a huge scope for collaboration that is, and will be, a large part of the continued and future of the society and our industry.  It would be my challenge to increase the amount of collaboration through the PESGB which will benefit us all.

As our industry and Aberdeen emerges from a challenging time there is a feeling of optimism, with a belief that we have learnt some of the lessons for the past, but with the constant that the PESGB continues to provide a vibrant society.  It will be my aim to build on the great work of the society enhancing our connection with the broader society and providing more opportunism for collaboration.