The 2008 SPE SPE Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition (APOGCE) took place in October 2008 at the Burswood Convention Centre in Perth, Australia. This event turned out to be very useful for young professionals (YPs) as the conference featured a variety of topical technical sessions, a broad range of exhibitors, good networking opportunities, and a YP workshop on day three of the conference. This three-day conference showcased new technologies and technical excellence in the oil and gas industry with a theme of delivering gas projects. More than 50 exhibitors displayed products and many technical experts were on hand to answer questions and to give an insight into their technologies. The regional student paper/presentations and the Education Day provided opportunities for high school and university students to see and discover in depth what the oil and gas industry is about. The quality of the student papers were outstanding and covered an array of topics.
The YP workshop had the theme “Bridging the Gap” and speakers included Leo Roodhart (SPE President), Kevin Gallagher (Woodside Energy), Graham Bunn (Nexus Energy), Robin Hill (BHP Billiton), Fauzi Imron (Medco E&P Langsa), Alex Parks (Otto Energy), and Joanne Williams (Nido Petroleum). The key messages from the presenters were to learn from mentors who have experience, be prepared to make mistakes but learn from them, think about the physics involved in your work, develop your people skills, act with integrity and honesty, be prepared to take on challenging assignments, and to increase your networking. The networking workshop tested the YPs’ negotiation and communications skills and the ability to work together in two short but challenging exercises.
The APOGCE was a great opportunity to see the technical advances in the oil and gas industry and to network with fellow YPs.
For further details on YP West Australia Section, please contact Thomas Foo at Thomas.Foo@woodside.com.au.
—Thomas Foo, Woodside